Cortical activity depends on the balance between excitatory and inhibitory influences. Several different excitatory and inhibitory systems in the human motor cortex can be tested by transcranial ...magnetic stimulation (TMS). While considerable information is known about these different inhibitory and excitatory phenomena individually, how they are related to each other and how they interact is not well understood. Several recent studies have investigated the interactions between some of these circuits by applying them together. It has been found that short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI) and long-interval intracortical inhibition (LICI) are mediated by different circuits. LICI appears to inhibit SICI, which may occur through presynaptic GABA(B) receptors. Interhemispheric inhibition elicited by stimulation of the contralateral motor cortex also inhibits SICI and may share inhibitory mechanisms with LICI. Long-interval afferent inhibition induced by median nerve stimulation inhibits LICI but does not interact with SICI. Based on these results, a model of interactions between different inhibitory systems that can be tested and refined in the future is proposed. Further studies of the interaction between different cortical inhibitory and excitatory circuits should improve our understanding of the functional organization of the motor cortex and allow better interpretation of abnormal findings in disease states. It may also be developed into a new way of studying the pathophysiology of diseases and the effects of intervention.
More than 30 million children worldwide have moderate acute malnutrition. Current treatments have limited effectiveness, and much remains unknown about the pathogenesis of this condition. Children ...with moderate acute malnutrition have perturbed development of their gut microbiota.
In this study, we provided a microbiota-directed complementary food prototype (MDCF-2) or a ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF) to 123 slum-dwelling Bangladeshi children with moderate acute malnutrition between the ages of 12 months and 18 months. The supplementation was given twice daily for 3 months, followed by 1 month of monitoring. We obtained weight-for-length, weight-for-age, and length-for-age z scores and mid-upper-arm circumference values at baseline and every 2 weeks during the intervention period and at 4 months. We compared the rate of change of these related phenotypes between baseline and 3 months and between baseline and 4 months. We also measured levels of 4977 proteins in plasma and 209 bacterial taxa in fecal samples.
A total of 118 children (59 in each study group) completed the intervention. The rates of change in the weight-for-length and weight-for-age z scores are consistent with a benefit of MDCF-2 on growth over the course of the study, including the 1-month follow-up. Receipt of MDCF-2 was linked to the magnitude of change in levels of 70 plasma proteins and of 21 associated bacterial taxa that were positively correlated with the weight-for-length z score (P<0.001 for comparisons of both protein and bacterial taxa). These proteins included mediators of bone growth and neurodevelopment.
These findings provide support for MDCF-2 as a dietary supplement for young children with moderate acute malnutrition and provide insight into mechanisms by which this targeted manipulation of microbiota components may be linked to growth. (Supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the National Institutes of Health; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04015999.).
•This review presents the contribution of TMS to the management of dementia.•TMS can be used as a biomarker of the excitability and function of cerebral cortex in dementia.•Increasing evidence ...supports the beneficial effects of rTMS in Alzheimer’s disease-related dementias at mild/early stage.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a powerful tool to probe in vivo brain circuits, as it allows to assess several cortical properties such asexcitability, plasticity and connectivity in humans. In the last 20 years, TMS has been applied to patients with dementia, enabling the identification of potential markers of thepathophysiology and predictors of cognitive decline; moreover, applied repetitively, TMS holds promise as a potential therapeutic intervention.
The objective of this paper is to present a comprehensive review of studies that have employed TMS in dementia and to discuss potential clinical applications, from the diagnosis to the treatment.
To provide a technical and theoretical framework, we first present an overview of the basic physiological mechanisms of the application of TMS to assess cortical excitability, excitation and inhibition balance, mechanisms of plasticity and cortico-cortical connectivity in the human brain. We then review the insights gained by TMS techniques into the pathophysiology and predictors of progression and response to treatment in dementias, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD)-related dementias and secondary dementias. We show that while a single TMS measure offers low specificity, the use of a panel of measures and/or neurophysiological index can support the clinical diagnosis and predict progression.
In the last part of the article, we discuss the therapeutic uses of TMS. So far, only repetitive TMS (rTMS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and multisite rTMS associated with cognitive training have been shown to be, respectively, possibly (Level C of evidence) and probably (Level B of evidence) effective to improve cognition, apathy, memory, and language in AD patients, especially at a mild/early stage of the disease. The clinical use of this type of treatment warrants the combination of brain imaging techniques and/or electrophysiological tools to elucidate neurobiological effects of neurostimulation and to optimally tailor rTMS treatment protocols in individual patients or specific patient subgroups with dementia or mild cognitive impairment.
This Special Issue of the IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits (JSSC) includes some of the highlights of the best papers presented at the 2020 Asian Solid-State Circuits Conference (A-SSCC), which ...was held on November 9-11, 2020. A-SSCC 2020 was originally planned to be held in Hiroshima, Japan. However, due to COVID-19, A-SSCC 2020 had to become a virtual conference. As one of the five conferences fully sponsored by the IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society, the A-SSCC was in its 16th appearance in 2020 since its inauguration in 2005 in Taiwan. Rotating among Asian countries, the A-SSCC is quickly becoming one of the leading global forums for the presentation of advances in solid-state circuits and system-on-a-chip (SoC). From 2018, this conference accepts field-programmable gate array (FPGA) papers for presentation and demo and allows two-page format papers for submission and publication.
Accidents caused by fatigue occur frequently, and numerous scholars have devoted tremendous efforts to investigate methods to reduce accidents caused by fatigued driving. Accordingly, the assessment ...of the spirit status of the driver through the eyes blinking frequency and the measurement of physiological signals have emerged as effective methods. In this study, a drowsiness detection system is proposed to combine the detection of LF/HF ratio from heart rate variability (HRV) of photoplethysmographic imaging (PPGI) and percentage of eyelid closure over the pupil over time (PERCLOS), and to utilize the advantages of both methods to improve the accuracy and robustness of drowsiness detection. The proposed algorithm performs three functions, including LF/HF ratio from HRV status judgment, eye state detection, and drowsiness judgment. In addition, this study utilized a near-infrared webcam to obtain a facial image to achieve non-contact measurement, alleviate the inconvenience of using a contact wearable device, and for use in a dark environment. Furthermore, we selected the appropriate RGB channel under different light sources to obtain LF/HF ratio from HRV of PPGI. The main drowsiness judgment basis of the proposed drowsiness detection system is the use of algorithm to obtain sympathetic/parasympathetic nervous balance index and percentage of eyelid closure. In the experiment, there are 10 awake samples and 30 sleepy samples. The sensitivity is 88.9%, the specificity is 93.5%, the positive predictive value is 80%, and the system accuracy is 92.5%. In addition, an electroencephalography signal was used as a contrast to validate the reliability of the proposed method.
The Operational Land Imager (OLI) onboard Landsat-8 satellite can provide remote sensing reflectance (Rrs) of aquatic environments with high spatial resolution (30 m), allowing for benthic habitat ...mapping and monitoring of bathymetry and water column optical properties. To facilitate these applications, accurate sensor-derived Rrs is required. In this study, we assess atmospheric correction schemes, including NASA's NIR-SWIR approach, Acolite's NIR and SWIR approaches and the cloud-shadow approach. We provide the first comprehensive evaluation for Landsat-8 Rrs retrievals in optically shallow coral reefs, along with an investigation of Landsat-8 Rrs products in a temperate turbid embayment. The obtained Landsat-8 Rrs data products are evaluated with concurrent in situ hyperspectral Rrs measurements. Our analyses show that the NASA and the cloud-shadow approaches generated reliable Rrs products across shallow coral reefs and optically deep waters. This evaluation suggests that high quality Rrs products are achievable from the Landsat-8 satellite in optically shallow environments, which supports further application of Landsat-8 type measurements for coral reef studies.
•Landsat-8 reflectance data in shallow coral reefs and turbid waters are assessed.•Four atmospheric correction schemes are evaluated using in situ matchups.•Landsat-8 can provide high quality reflectance data in coral reefs.
Changing food preferences brought about by westernization that have deleterious health effects
-combined with myriad forces that are contributing to increased food insecurity-are catalysing efforts ...to identify more nutritious and affordable foods
. Consumption of dietary fibre can help to prevent cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity
. A substantial number of reports have explored the effects of dietary fibre on the gut microbial community
. However, the microbiome is complex, dynamic and exhibits considerable intra- and interpersonal variation in its composition and functions. The large number of potential interactions between the components of the microbiome makes it challenging to define the mechanisms by which food ingredients affect community properties. Here we address the question of how foods containing different fibre preparations can be designed to alter functions associated with specific components of the microbiome. Because a marked increase in snack consumption is associated with westernization, we formulated snack prototypes using plant fibres from different sustainable sources that targeted distinct features of the gut microbiomes of individuals with obesity when transplanted into gnotobiotic mice. We used these snacks to supplement controlled diets that were consumed by adult individuals with obesity or who were overweight. Fibre-specific changes in their microbiomes were linked to changes in their plasma proteomes indicative of an altered physiological state.
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