Stereotactic surgical methods continue to advance technologically. Frameless transient fiducial registration (FTFR) systems have been developed and avoid the need to move or position a patient in a ...frame after already receiving registration imaging. One such system, Neurolocate, has recently become available as a robotic attachment for the Neuromate stereotactic robot. This study is the largest in the literature to evaluate the accuracy of frameless registration using Neurolocate versus frame-based registration (FBR) methods in both deep brain stimulation (DBS) and stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG). Additionally, the authors sought to reevaluate factors affecting accuracy in both procedures.
This study was a retrospective chart and imaging review of 88 consecutive procedures (involving 621 electrodes) implanting either DBS or SEEG at the authors' institution over a 5-year period from March 2015 to March 2020. Registration duration, radial target entry point, and Euclidean target implantation accuracies, as well as factors affecting accuracy, were recorded for each patient.
SEEG procedures included 38 patients and 525 implanted electrodes (294 using FBR and 231 using FTFR). DBS procedures included 50 patients and 96 implanted electrodes (65 using FBR and 31 using FTFR). Overall, FTFR registration was significantly more accurate (median 0.1 mm, IQR 0-0.4 mm) compared with FBR (median 1.3 mm, IQR 0.9-1.5 mm; p = 0.04). Likewise, FTFR had a significantly shorter duration of registration (median 84 minutes, IQR 77.3-95.3 minutes) when compared with FBR (median 110.5 minutes, IQR 107.3-138 minutes; p = 0.02). No significant differences were found when examining the radial entry point and Euclidean target implantation errors of each method.
FTFR with the Neurolocate system represents a technique that may decrease operative time while maintaining the high accuracy previously demonstrated by other stereotactic methods, despite an initial surgeon learning curve. It should be investigated in future studies to continue to improve stereotactic accuracies in neurosurgery.
Age-related differences in the psychophysiology of the acute stress response are poorly understood given the limited number of studies and the high heterogeneity of findings. The present study ...contributes by investigating age differences in both the psychological and physiological responses to acute stress in a sample of healthy younger (N = 50; 18–30; Mage = 23.06; SD = 2.90) and older adults (N = 50; 65–84; Mage = 71.12; SD = 5.02). Specifically, the effects of psychosocial stress (i.e., age-adapted Trier Social Stress Test) were investigated at numerous timepoints throughout the stress response phases (i.e., baseline, anticipation, reactivity, recovery) on cortisol, heart rate, subjective stress, and anticipatory appraisal of the stressful situation. The study was conducted in a between-subject (younger vs. older) cross-over (stress vs. control) design. Results revealed age-related differences in both physiological and psychological variables: older adults had overall lower salivary cortisol levels in the stress and control conditions and lower stress-induced cortisol increase (i.e., AUCi). In addition, older adults’ cortisol reactivity was delayed compared to younger adults. Older adults showed a lower heart rate response in the stress condition while no age differences were observed in the control condition. Finally, older adults reported less subjective stress and a less negative stress appraisal during the anticipation phase than younger adults, which could potentially explain lower physiological reactivity in this age group. Results are discussed in relation to the existing literature, potential underlying mechanisms, and future directions for the field.
•Younger (18−30) and older (65−84) adults underwent the TSST in a crossover design.•Linear mixed models were used to investigate age differences in stress reactivity.•Older adults showed lower psychophysiological stress reactivity than younger adults.
We review a widespread project database for Devonian–Carboniferous magmatism in the Sierras Pampeanas and Frontal Cordillera between 27° and 35°S, including petrological, geochemical, ...geochronological, and isotope data, with compiled data from the literature and some new results. We distinguish four main magmatic domains: 1) Devonian Arc, 2) Devonian Foreland, 3) Carboniferous Arc, and 4) Carboniferous Retro-Arc. Devonian segmented subduction led to two oceanic slab configurations: 1) flat-slab subduction in the outboard region and resubduction >800 km inland from the trench, including lithosphere delamination of the upper plate and break-off of the subducted oceanic slab, along with asthenospheric mantle upwelling (31°–33° 30′S), and 2) normal subduction (34° - 35°S). In the first configuration the arc magmatism was absent, but voluminous foreland magmatism was developed, including small-scale high silica adakite. The second geodynamic setting took place during the latest Devonian and Carboniferous when the oceanic slab roll-back occurred. Arc and retro-arc magmatism were developed coetaneously between 27° and 31°S, with northwest migration that could be explained by movement relative to hot asthenospheric mantle. The arc is represented by calc-alkaline granitoids, whereas retro-arc magmatism consisted of (a) metaluminous to weakly peraluminous A-type granites, and (b) strongly peraluminous A-type granites, these latter with sometimes incomplete isotopic homogenization of the parental magma. Devonian–Carboniferous magmatic evolution here is explained by segmented tectonic subduction and a switch-off and switch-on geodynamic model. Magmatic activity was mainly continuous from ca. 390 to 320 Ma, although compositional variations occurred through time and space (foreland, arc, and retro-arc). Major involvement of mantle sources in the genesis of the Carboniferous arc granites at 28°–30°S contrast with a dominant continental signature in the granites of the Devonian arc at 34°–35°S. These differences are explained by two different configurations in the subduction system related to advance (28°–30°S) or retreat (34°–35°S) of the subducted ocean slab. The main conclusion of this work is that the complex interaction of oceanic and continental plates can produce different types of magmatism (or its absence): subduction processes do not consist only of an oceanic plate sinking under a continental plate.
•Geochemical, isotopic, and geochronological dataset for granitic rocks is reported.•Reported data indicate long-lived subduction during the Devonian and Carboniferous.•Configuration of the subducted oceanic slab produce different magmatism type.•Geodynamic switching model explain Devonian and subsequent Carboniferous magmatism.•Segmented tectonic subduction leads to absence and presence of Devonian magmatism.•Flat subduction yield adakite rocks in the foreland domain.
Neutrino production in starburst galaxies Carulli, Agustín M; Reynoso, Matías M
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society,
03/2024, Letnik:
529, Številka:
4
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
ABSTRACT
Understanding the origin of the diffuse flux of high-energy astrophysical neutrinos detected by IceCube has become a challenging issue within present High Energy Astrophysics. In this work, ...we present a model to explore the potential neutrino emission of starburst galaxies (SBG) by considering three different neutrino production zones that can be associated to a typical single SBG. The first zone is the starburst nucleus, where due to the high rate of supernova explosions, a significant amount of protons can be accelerated to high energies and undergo pp interactions with cold protons of the interstellar medium. The second zone we consider is the corresponding to the starburst wind, which is formed by the hot gas that emerges from the nucleus and interacts with the intergalactic medium generating shocks. Protons accelerated there can undergo pp interactions with the ambient matter. The third neutrino production zone we consider, is an external one, where we account for the possibility that protons escaping from the whole system interact with the cosmic microwave background. Finally, adding the neutrino contributions of the three zones, we calculate the diffuse neutrino flux and the diffuse photon flux by integration on the redshift range appropriate for SBG. We find that the model behaves well applied to nearby galaxies such as M82 and NGC 253. The contributions made to the diffuse neutrino flux are able to explain part of the data provided by IceCube if typical parameters are considered.
Toxic heavy metals are priority pollutants in wastewater, commonly present in dangerous concentrations in many places across the globe. Although in trace quantities copper is a heavy metal essential ...to human life, in excess it causes various diseases, whereby its removal from wastewater is a necessity. Among several reported materials, chitosan is a highly abundant, non-toxic, low-cost, biodegradable polymer, comprising free hydroxyl and amino groups, that has been directly applied as an adsorbent or chemically modified to increase its performance. Taking this into account, reduced chitosan derivatives (RCDs 1-4) were synthesised by chitosan modification with salicylaldehyde, followed by imine reduction, characterised by RMN, FTIR-ATR, TGA and SEM, and used to adsorb Cu(II) from water. A reduced chitosan (RCD3), with a moderate modification percentage (43%) and a high imine reduction percentage (98%), proved to be more efficient than the remainder RCDs and even chitosan, especially at low concentrations under the best adsorption conditions (pH 4,
= 2.5 mg mL
). RCD3 adsorption data were better described by the Langmuir-Freundlich isotherm and the pseudo-second-order kinetic models. The interaction mechanism was assessed by molecular dynamics simulations, showing that RCDs favour Cu(II) capture from water compared to chitosan, due to a greater Cu(II) interaction with the oxygen of the glucosamine ring and the neighbouring hydroxyl groups.
Nanosponges are solid cross-linked polymeric nano-sized porous structures. This broad concept involves, among others, metal organic frameworks and hydrogels. The focus of this manuscript is on ...cyclodextrin-based nanosponges. Cyclodextrins are cyclic oligomers of glucose derived from starch. The combined external hydrophilicity with the internal hydrophobic surface constitute a unique "microenvironment", that confers cyclodextrins the peculiar ability to form inclusion host‒guest complexes with many hydrophobic substances. These complexes may impart beneficial modifications of the properties of guest molecules such as solubility enhancement and stabilization of labile guests. These properties complemented with the possibility of using different crosslinkers and high polymeric surface, make these sponges highly suitable for a large range of applications. Despite that, in the last 2 decades, cyclodextrin-based nanosponges have been developed for pharmaceutical and biomedical applications, taking advantage of the nontoxicity of cyclodextrins towards humans. This paper provides a critical and timely compilation of the contributions involving cyclodextrins nanosponges for those areas, but also paves the way for other important applications, including water and soil remediation and catalysis.
Abstract
Acute psychosocial stress effects on inhibition have been investigated in young adults, but little is known about these effects in older adults. The present study investigated effects of the ...Trier Social Stress Test on cognitive inhibition (i.e., ability to ignore distracting information) using a cross-over (stress vs. control) design in healthy young (
N
= 50; 18–30 years;
M
age
= 23.06) versus older adults (
N
= 50; 65–84 years;
M
age
= 71.12). Cognitive inhibition was measured by a letter flanker task and psychophysiological measures (cortisol, heart rate, subjective stress) validated the stress induction. The results showed that while stress impaired overall accuracy across age groups and sessions, stress (vs. control) made older adults’ faster in session 1 and slower in session 2. Given that session 2 effects were likely confounded by practice effects, these results suggest that acute psychosocial stress improved older adults’ RTs on a novel flanker task but impaired RTs on a practiced flanker task. That is, the interaction between stress and learning effects might negatively affect response execution when testing older adults on flanker tasks. If confirmed by future research, these results might have important implications especially in settings where repeated cognitive testing is performed under acute stress.
•Acute stress has effects on memory retrieval in mixed-sex samples of different ages.•Older people showed a lower stress-induced cortisol response than young people.•Pictures from the IAPS were used ...to study the stress effects on memory retrieval.•Stress impaired free recall of emotional and neutral pictures only in young men.•Stress impaired recognition memory for positive pictures in all participants.
Little is known about age differences in the effects of stress on memory retrieval. Our aim was to perform an in-depth examination of acute psychosocial stress effects on memory retrieval, depending on age and sex. For this purpose, data from 52 older subjects (27 men and 25 women) were reanalyzed along with data from a novel group of 50 young subjects (26 men and 24 women). Participants were exposed to an acute psychosocial stress task (Trier Social Stress Test) or a control task. After the experimental manipulation, the retrieval of positive, negative and neutral pictures learned the previous day was tested. As expected, there was a significant response to the exposure to the stress task, but the older participants had a lower cortisol response to TSST than the younger ones. Stress impaired free recall of emotional (positive and negative) and neutral pictures only in the group of young men. Also in this group, correlation analyses showed a marginally significant association between cortisol and free recall. However, exploratory analyses revealed only a negative relationship between the stress-induced cortisol response and free recall of negative pictures. Moreover, stress impaired recognition memory of positive pictures in all participants, although this effect was not related to the cortisol or alpha-amylase response. These results indicate that both age and sex are critical factors in acute stress effects on specific aspects of long-term memory retrieval of emotional and neutral material. They also point out that more research is needed to better understand their specific role.
DNA topoisomerase II (Top2) is essential for all eukaryotic cells in the regulation of DNA topology through the generation of temporary double-strand breaks. Cancer cells acquire enhanced Top2 ...functions to cope with the stress generated by transcription and DNA replication during rapid cell division since cancer driver genes such as Myc and EZH2 hijack Top2 in order to realize their oncogenic transcriptomes for cell growth and tumor progression. Inhibitors of Top2 are therefore designed to target Top2 to trap it on DNA, subsequently causing protein-linked DNA breaks, a halt to the cell cycle, and ultimately cell death. Despite the effectiveness of these inhibitors, cancer cells can develop resistance to them, thereby limiting their therapeutic utility. To maximize the therapeutic potential of Top2 inhibitors, combination therapies to co-target Top2 with DNA damage repair (DDR) machinery and oncogenic pathways have been proposed to induce synthetic lethality for more thorough tumor suppression. In this review, we will discuss the mode of action of Top2 inhibitors and their potential applications in cancer treatments.
Protein post-translation modification plays an important role in regulating DNA repair; however, the role of arginine methylation in this process is poorly understood. Here we identify the arginine ...methyltransferase PRMT5 as a key regulator of homologous recombination (HR)-mediated double-strand break (DSB) repair, which is mediated through its ability to methylate RUVBL1, a cofactor of the TIP60 complex. We show that PRMT5 targets RUVBL1 for methylation at position R205, which facilitates TIP60-dependent mobilization of 53BP1 from DNA breaks, promoting HR. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that PRMT5-directed methylation of RUVBL1 is critically required for the acetyltransferase activity of TIP60, promoting histone H4K16 acetylation, which facilities 53BP1 displacement from DSBs. Interestingly, RUVBL1 methylation did not affect the ability of TIP60 to facilitate ATM activation. Taken together, our findings reveal the importance of PRMT5-mediated arginine methylation during DSB repair pathway choice through its ability to regulate acetylation-dependent control of 53BP1 localization.
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•PRMT5 is a regulator of homologous recombination-mediated double-strand break repair•PRMT5 methylates RUVBL1 at R205, regulating TIP60-mediated histone acetylation•Loss of RUVBL1 methylation leads to 53BP1 retention at break ends•Arginine methylation crosstalks with histone acetylation to regulate repair pathway choice
Clarke et al. show that methylation of RUVBL1 by the arginine methyltransferase PRMT5 is required for homologous recombination-mediated double-strand break repair by promoting TIP60-mediated histone H4K16 acetylation. Loss of PRMT5 activity and defective RUVBL1 methylation leads to 53BP1 retention, increased sensitivity to DNA damaging agents, and genome instability.
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