Action selection (AS), or selection of an action from a set of alternatives, is an important movement preparation process that engages a frontal-parietal network. The addition of AS demands to arm ...training after stroke could be used to engage this motor planning process and the neural network that supports it. The purpose of this case series is to describe the feasibility and outcomes associated with task-oriented arm training aimed at engaging the AS behavioral process and the related neural network in three individuals with chronic stroke. Three participants with mild to moderate motor deficits completed 13 to 15 sessions of task-oriented arm training that included AS cues for each movement repetition; cues dictated movement direction, height, or distance. Before and after training, individuals completed an AS brain-behavior probe during functional MRI. AS behavioral performance improved after training (increased accuracy, decreased reaction time) in all participants while brain activation in the AS network (dorsal premotor, parietal, dorsolateral prefrontal cortices) decreased in two participants. Gains in motor function were also found in all three participants, especially on patient-reported measures of perceived difficulty and confidence to complete upper extremity functional tasks. It was feasible to target the AS behavioral process and the related neural network through the addition of AS demands to functional, task-oriented arm training in three individuals with mild to moderate motor dysfunction poststroke.
3′,5′-cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs) are the only known enzymes to compartmentalize cAMP and cGMP, yet little is known about how PDEs are dynamically regulated across the lifespan. We ...mapped mRNA expression of all 21 PDE isoforms in the adult rat and mouse central nervous system (CNS) using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and in situ hybridization to assess conservation across species. We also compared PDE mRNA and protein in the brains of old (26months) versus young (5months) Sprague–Dawley rats, with select experiments replicated in old (9months) versus young (2months) BALB/cJ mice. We show that each PDE isoform exhibits a unique expression pattern across the brain that is highly conserved between rats, mice, and humans. PDE1B, PDE1C, PDE2A, PDE4A, PDE4D, PDE5A, PDE7A, PDE8A, PDE8B, PDE10A, and PDE11A showed an age-related increase or decrease in mRNA expression in at least 1 of the 4 brain regions examined (hippocampus, cortex, striatum, and cerebellum). In contrast, mRNA expression of PDE1A, PDE3A, PDE3B, PDE4B, PDE7A, PDE7B, and PDE9A did not change with age. Age-related increases in PDE11A4, PDE8A3, PDE8A4/5, and PDE1C1 protein expression were confirmed in hippocampus of old versus young rodents, as were age-related increases in PDE8A3 protein expression in the striatum. Age-related changes in PDE expression appear to have functional consequences as, relative to young rats, the hippocampi of old rats demonstrated strikingly decreased phosphorylation of GluR1, CaMKIIα, and CaMKIIβ, decreased expression of the transmembrane AMPA regulatory proteins γ2 (a.k.a. stargazin) and γ8, and increased trimethylation of H3K27. Interestingly, expression of PDE11A4, PDE8A4/5, PDE8A3, and PDE1C1 correlate with these functional endpoints in young but not old rats, suggesting that aging is not only associated with a change in PDE expression but also a change in PDE compartmentalization.
•Each PDE exhibits a unique expression pattern in brain that is highly conserved.•PDE11A, PDE8A, and PDE1C increase and PDE7A, PDE4D, and PDE1B decrease with age.•Age-related changes in PDEs may affect pGluR1, pCaMKII, TARPs and H3K27me3 signals.•Thus, aging is associated with changes in PDE expression and compartmentalization.•These results suggest the effects of certain PDE inhibitors may change with age.
Lithium is a first line mood stabilizer for patients with bipolar disorder, but for unknown reasons approximately half of all patients do not respond to lithium. Lithium responsiveness in patients ...with bipolar disorder has been genetically associated with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in Phosphodiesterase 11A (PDE11A), a unique enzyme that breaks down cAMP and cGMP only in the hippocampus. These PDE11A SNPs are intronic; therefore, the objective of this study was to determine if decreasing PDE11A expression was sufficient to increase lithium responsivity in mice. We measured PDE11A expression by in situ hybridization and Western blot in the hippocampus of inbred mouse strains known to respond well (C57BL/6J), moderately (129S6) or poorly (Balb/cJ) to lithium. PDE11A mRNA and protein levels were lowest in C57BL/6J mice, the strain most responsive to lithium, and highest in Balb/cJ mice, the least responsive strain. Consistent with these observations, PDE11A KO mice given 0.4% lithium chow for 3 weeks exhibited greater lithium responsivity relative to wild‐type littermates in tail suspension, an anti‐depressant predictive assay, and in amphetamine hyperlocomotion, an anti‐manic predictive assay. Lithium does not directly affect PDE11A catalytic activity; however, in vitro experiments suggest that PDE11A may influence lithium responsiveness due to an interaction with AKT, an enzyme that is required for lithium’s behavioral effects. AKT is predicted to phosphorylate PDE11A at several residues, including serines 117 and 162. Phosphomimic mutations of serines 117 and 162 shift the subcellular distribution of PDE11A away from a punctate, membrane enriched compartmentalization towards a more diffuse, cytoplasmic localization. Together, these findings suggest that PDE11A negatively regulates lithium responsiveness by inhibiting the activation of AKT but that AKT can feed back and release this brake by phosphorylating PDE11A, thereby removing PDE11A from the membrane.
Grant Funding Source: Research supported by a PhRMA Foundation and the University of South Carolina
Aim
To assess the level of stress and coping strategies in parents of neonates admitted in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at a tertiary care centre in North India.
Materials and methods
It was a ...descriptive/observational cross-sectional study of 3 year duration with a sample size of 224. All parents willing to participate and who could understand English or Hindi were included in the study after the informed consent. Stress levels and coping strategies were assessed using a validated questionnaire between 2nd to 7th day of admission. Demographic data was collected and parental stress and coping was quantified using likert scale. The data was analyzed using SPSS Version 20.0.
Results
Most of the parents were moderately stressed (93.3%). The most impactful stress domain was ‘Emotional’ and the most impactful question out of that domain was ‘constant fear of child’s recovery’. Of all the coping strategies, cognitive strategy was mostly used by parents. There was a negative correlation between stress and coping strategies (r = –0.09) but the result was statistically insignificant (p-value = 0.16). Of all the demographic variables, the birth order of the baby was significantly related to stress (p-value < 0.05), while parent’s education, monthly family income and area of residence were significantly related to coping (p-value < 0.05, <0.05 and <0.001, respectively).
Conclusion
Most of the parents were moderately stressed, with cognitive strategy being the most used by parents as the coping mechanism.
In light of the significance of non-commutative quaternionic algebra in modern physics, the current study proposes the existence of the Klein paradox in the quaternionic (3+1)-dimensional space-time ...structure. By introducing the quaternionic wave function, we rewrite the Klein-Gordon equation in an extended quaternionic form that includes scalar and vector fields. Because quaternionic fields are non-commutative, the quaternionic Klein-Gordon equation provides three separate sets of the probability density and probability current density of relativistic particles. We explore the significance of these probability densities by determining the reflection and transmission coefficients for the quaternionic relativistic step potential. Furthermore, we also discuss the quaternionic version of the oscillatory, tunnelling, and Klein zones for the quaternionic step potential. The Klein paradox occurs only in the Klein zone when the impacted particle's kinetic energy is less than \mathbb{V}_{0}-m_{0}c^{2}. Therefore, it is emphasized that for the quaternionic Klein paradox, the quaternionic reflection coefficient becomes exclusively higher than value one while the quaternionic transmission coefficient becomes lower than zero.
The rheological properties of viscoelastic surfactant (VES)-based gels prepared from a single surfactant (sodium lauryl sulfate) and mixed surfactants (cocamidopropyl betaine and sodium lauryl ...sulfate) are characterized and interpreted in detail with the addition of alkali. The phase diagrams were prepared to identify the gel region. These were pseudoplastic fluids with shear-thinning nature. VES fluids prepared from mixed surfactants consisting of cocamidopropyl betaine and sodium lauryl sulfate presented better rheology as analyzed. The effect of the addition of nanoparticles to this system was also studied in detail for enhancement of the thermal stability. A dynamic rheology test was also conducted to show enhancement of the storage and loss modulus with the addition of alkali and nanoparticles. A miscibility test was conducted to show the miscibility of the prepared gel with oil and water because it is one of the properties of fracturing fluid used to clean the postfractured formation.
The purpose of this study was to quantify the magnitude of association between incremental increases in body mass index (BMI) and the development of incident, post-operative, and post-ablation atrial ...fibrillation (AF).
Obesity has been estimated to account for one-fifth of all AF and approximately 60% of recent increases in population AF incidence. From a public health perspective, obesity, therefore, is a modifiable risk factor that could be profitably targeted.
A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted. Medline and EMBASE databases were searched for observational studies reporting data on the association between obesity and incident, post-operative, and post-ablation AF. Studies were included if they reported or provided data allowing calculation of risk estimates.
Data from 51 studies including 626,603 individuals contributed to this analysis. There were 29% (odds ratio OR: 1.29, 95% confidence interval CI: 1.23 to 1.36) and 19% (OR: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.13 to 1.26) greater excess risks of incident AF for every 5-U BMI increase in cohort and case-control studies, respectively. Similarly, there were 10% (OR: 1.10, 95% CI: 1.04 to 1.17) and 13% (OR: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.06 to 1.22) greater excess risks of post-operative and post-ablation AF for every 5-U increase in BMI, respectively.
Incremental increases in BMI are associated with a significant excess risk of AF in different clinical settings. For every 5-U increase in BMI, there were 10% to 29% greater excess risks of incident, post-operative, and post-ablation AF. By providing a comprehensive and reliable quantification of the relationship between incremental increases in obesity and AF across different clinical settings, our findings highlight the potential for even moderate reductions in population body mass indexes to have a significant effect in mitigating the rising burden of AF.
The purpose of this study is to determine if the impact of transparency and disclosure (TD) levels on shareholders’ current income (dividends) is moderated by technical efficiency (te) and ...profitability. The study employs econometrics on panel data from 78 BSE-listed enterprises across the 2016–2020 sample period. This conclusion suggests that when TD grows, dividends tend to drop initially, but above a certain threshold level, growing TD levels lead to increased payouts. Furthermore, dividends are adversely associated with the moderating variable “te” in terms of both constant and variable return to scale. On the other hand, moderation by profitability was shown to have a substantially favourable effect on dividends. According to this study, a company’s dividend policy is influenced by its TD levels, which are controlled by its efficiency and profitability. Developing a TD index provides more information on the efficacy of the corporate governance (CG) system. The study’s distinctiveness lies in examining the relationships between transparency, disclosures, and these aspects as they relate to profitability, efficiency, and dividend distribution choices to ascertain whether the companies’ operating effectiveness and financial success matter in this circumstance. The study’s practical and policy implications relate to societal repercussions, which include encouraging more openness and responsibility in business practices, thereby increasing confidence and accountability in decisions about dividend distribution, regardless of efficiency and profitability. The study’s originality is in examining how profitability, efficiency, and dividend distribution decisions relate to transparency and disclosures to determine if companies’ operating efficiency and financial success matter in this situation.
We previously reported a 2% Clavien IIIb urologic-induced complication rate associated with blind (no guidewire, no fluoroscopy) prophylactic ureteral localization stent (PULSe) placement. As part of ...a quality improvement initiative, mandatory guidewire placement before PULSe was performed and urologic-induced Clavien IIIb or greater complication rates were evaluated. A systematic review was performed to elicit the overall urologic-induced complication rate in the literature.
A retrospective review of all patients who underwent guidewire-assisted PULSe placement before colorectal surgery was performed. The contemporary cohort was compared with those in the prior cohort using age, body mass index (BMI), American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, preoperative creatinine, postoperative creatinine, pre-/postoperative creatinine difference, and Clavien IIIb urologic-induced complication rates. A review of literature from 1982 to 2019 was performed using 14 unique search terms. Of 38 studies reviewed, 18 met predetermined inclusion criteria.
One hundred thirty-two patients underwent bilateral PULSe placement with mandatory guidewire utilization. Mean age and BMI were 55.78 (18-89) and 27.02, respectively, with zero Clavien IIIb complications, compared with a rate of 2% (
< .001) in our prior study. Our contemporary cohort yielded a more favorable postoperative creatinine (
< .022) and pre-/postoperative creatinine difference (
< .003). A review of literature identified a mean Clavien IIIb complication rate of 0.38%.
Mandatory guidewire utilization before PULSe placement reduced the Clavien IIIb complication rate to zero, compared with a rate of 2% from our prior cohort. Guidewire utilization can decrease Clavien IIIb urologic-induced complication rates. A review of the literature shows a lack of uniformity concerning the technique of PULSe placement.
Background: The fishes of family Gobiidae are one of the least studied fishes, especially for otolith structure. The otoliths were possess species specific features. Hence, traits of sagittal otolith ...of gobid species studied.
Methods: Five gobid species Odontamblyopus roseus (Valenciennes, 1837), Trypauchen vagina (Bloch and Schneider, 1801), Glossogobius giuris (Hamilton, 1822), Parachaeturichthys polynema (Bleeker, 1853) and Boleophthalmus dussumieri (Valenciennes, 1837) were investigated by three methods including morphological, shape indices and step wise discriminant function analysis (SDFA).
Result: Interrelationship between shape indices investigated, at 95% level of confidence (P less than 0.05), revealed that perimeter of P. polynema and area of T. vagina have isometric growth with their length (b = 3.0071, 2.90, respectively) and otolith area of B. dussumieri have positive allometric growth (b = 4.23077). SDFA, based on otolith morphometry, discriminated species up with 97.18% accuracy. Hence, the results of present investigation can be used for discrimination of the species and as a tool in predicting fish size from the otoliths and in calculating the biomass of these less studied fish species.
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