Multimodal characterization of the late effects of traumatic brain injury: a methodological overview of the Late Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury Project

Epidemiological studies suggest that a single moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with an increased risk of neurodegenerative disease, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease (AD and PD). Histopathological studies describe complex neurodegenerative pathologies in individuals exposed to single moderate-to-severe TBI or repetitive mild TBI, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). However, the clinicopathological links between TBI and post-traumatic neurodegenerative diseases such as AD, PD, and CTE remain poorly understood. Here we describe the methodology of the Late Effects of TBI (LETBI) study, whose goals are to characterize chronic post-traumatic neuropathology and to identify in vivo biomarkers of post-traumatic neurodegeneration. LETBI participants undergo extensive clinical evaluation using National Institutes of Health TBI Common Data Elements, proteomic and genomic analysis, structural and functional MRI, and prospective consent for brain donation. Selected brain specimens undergo ultra-high resolution ex vivo MRI and histopathological evaluation including whole mount analysis. Co-registration of ex vivo and in vivo MRI data enables identification of ex vivo lesions that were present during life. In vivo signatures of postmortem pathology are then correlated with cognitive and behavioral data to characterize the clinical phenotype(s) associated with pathological brain lesions. We illustrate the study methods and demonstrate proof of concept for this approach by reporting results from the first LETBI participant, who despite the presence of multiple in vivo and ex vivo pathoanatomic lesions had normal cognition and was functionally independent until her mid-80s. The LETBI project represents a multidisciplinary effort to characterize post-traumatic neuropathology and identify in vivo signatures of postmortem pathology in a prospective study

WPI Armenia Tree Project Group

We collaborated with the AUA Acopian Center for the Environment and Armenia Tree Project (ATP) to address deforestation through successful tree growth in Armenia. We researched and conducted interviews on ideal seedling growth conditions, greenhouse structures, material availability, and biogas digesters for CO2 supplementation. From these results, we proposed feasible greenhouse designs and recommended ventilation, insulation, heating and irrigation additions for successful seedling growth within ATP’s Backyard Nurseries Program

as-PSOCT: Volumetric microscopic imaging of human brain architecture and connectivity.

Published in final edited form as: Neuroimage. 2018 January 15; 165: 56–68. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.10.012.Polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography (PSOCT) with serial sectioning has enabled the investigation of 3D structures in mouse and human brain tissue samples. By using intrinsic optical properties of back-scattering and birefringence, PSOCT reliably images cytoarchitecture, myeloarchitecture and fiber orientations. In this study, we developed a fully automatic serial sectioning polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography (as-PSOCT) system to enable volumetric reconstruction of human brain samples with unprecedented sample size and resolution. The 3.5 μm in-plane resolution and 50 μm through-plane voxel size allow inspection of cortical layers that are a single-cell in width, as well as small crossing fibers. We show the abilities of as-PSOCT in quantifying layer thicknesses of the cerebellar cortex and creating microscopic tractography of intricate fiber networks in the subcortical nuclei and internal capsule regions, all based on volumetric reconstructions. as-PSOCT provides a viable tool for studying quantitative cytoarchitecture and myeloarchitecture and mapping connectivity with microscopic resolution in the human brain.U01 MH093765 - NIMH NIH HHS; R01 NS070963 - NINDS NIH HHS; U01 NS086625 - NINDS NIH HHS; R21 EB018907 - NIBIB NIH HHS; R01 AG016495 - NIA NIH HHS; S10 RR019307 - NCRR NIH HHS; R01 NS052585 - NINDS NIH HHS; R01 AG008122 - NIA NIH HHS; R01 AG049899 - NIA NIH HHS; R01 EB019956 - NIBIB NIH HHS; R21 NS072652 - NINDS NIH HHS; P01 NS055104 - NINDS NIH HHS; S10 RR023043 - NCRR NIH HHS; K01 DK101631 - NIDDK NIH HHS; R01 EB006758 - NIBIB NIH HHS; P41 EB015896 - NIBIB NIH HHS; R01 NS083534 - NINDS NIH HHS; S10 RR023401 - NCRR NIH HHShttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29017866https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29017866Accepted manuscrip

Mata Atlântica, paleoterritórios e história ambiental Brazilian atlantic coastal forest, paleoterritories, and environmental history

Este artigo trata da Mata Atlântica e das interferências antrópicas que este bioma sofreu no tempo, tendo por objetivo incluir o legado da atividade humana como parte das suas condições ecológicas. Como forma de análise dos processos sucessionais, é proposto o resgate dos paleoterritórios, aqui entendidos como as resultantes ecológicas decorrentes do uso dos ecossistemas por populações passadas na busca de suas condições de existência.<br>This article deals with the Atlantic Rainforest and the anthropic interferences imposed on this biome throughout time. Its goal is to include the legacy of human activity as part of the explanation for its ecological state. As a way to analyze the sucessional processes, the concept of paleo-territory recovery is proposed in order to understand the ecological resultants due to the use of the ecosystems by traditional populations for means of existence

Produção e decomposição de folhedo em um trecho de Mata Atlântica de encosta no município do Guarujá, SP

A produção de folhedo e a taxa de decomposição de folhedo (k) foram estimadas, no período de 2.8.85 a 10.8.86, numa área de 1 ha de mata atlântica de encosta (60º de inclinação e altitude de 140m), no município do Guarujá (Lat. S 24º16'; Long. W 46º19'), Estado de São Paulo. A queda pluviométrica anual média é de 2050 mm e não há estação seca definida. O solo é argilo-arenoso e ácido, com pH variando entre 3 e 4. A produção anual de folhedo foi de 7925 kg/ha. A fração folhas contribuiu com 5040 kg/ha seguida pelas frações ramos (1950 kg/ha), flores (491 kg/ha), frutos (222 kg/ha) e material de origem animal (222 kg/ha). A produção de folhedo e das frações componentes foi contínua durante todo o ano. Os valores mensais de produção não revelaram nenhum padrão sazonal. A taxa de decomposição (k) foi estimada para condições de equilíbrio dinâmico (0,72) e também utilizando a porcentagem de peso remanescente da fração foliar (0,83). O tempo médio para a decomposição de 50% do folhedo foi de 350 dias.<br>Litter production and decomposition rate were studied in 1 ha of hillside atlantic forest (60? inclination and 140m high) located at Guarujá (24º 16' S; 46º 19' W) of São Paulo State from 2.8.85 to 10.8.86. This area have not a defined dry season and the annual average rainfall is 2050 mm. The soil is classified as acidic and clay-sand with pH 3.0-4.0. The annual litter production was estimated at 7925 kg/ha: comprising leaves fraction contributing with 5040 kg/ha, followed by branches (1950 kg/ha), flowers (491 kg/ha), fruits (222 kg/ha) and animal products (222 kg/ha). All fractions were produced during all over the year, without any detectable seazonal pattern. The decomposition constant (k) was estimated for steady-state conditions (0,72) and also utilizing the percentage of remaining weight of foliar fraction (0,83). The time necessary for 50% of the litter decomposition was 350 days

Comprehensive cellular‐resolution atlas of the adult human brain

ABSTRACT Detailed anatomical understanding of the human brain is essential for unraveling its functional architecture, yet current reference atlases have major limitations such as lack of whole‐brain coverage, relatively low image resolution, and sparse structural annotation. We present the first digital human brain atlas to incorporate neuroimaging, high‐resolution histology, and chemoarchitecture across a complete adult female brain, consisting of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), diffusion‐weighted imaging (DWI), and 1,356 large‐format cellular resolution (1 µm/pixel) Nissl and immunohistochemistry anatomical plates. The atlas is comprehensively annotated for 862 structures, including 117 white matter tracts and several novel cyto‐ and chemoarchitecturally defined structures, and these annotations were transferred onto the matching MRI dataset. Neocortical delineations were done for sulci, gyri, and modified Brodmann areas to link macroscopic anatomical and microscopic cytoarchitectural parcellations. Correlated neuroimaging and histological structural delineation allowed fine feature identification in MRI data and subsequent structural identification in MRI data from other brains. This interactive online digital atlas is integrated with existing Allen Institute for Brain Science gene expression atlases and is publicly accessible as a resource for the neuroscience community. J. Comp. Neurol. 524:3127–3481, 2016. © 2016 The Authors The Journal of Comparative Neurology Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc