Concurrent expectation and experience-based metacontrol: EEG insights and the role of working memory capacity.

We investigated the simultaneous influence of expectation and experience on metacontrol, which we define as the instantiation of context-specific control states. These states could entail heightened control states in preparation for frequent task switching or lowered control states for task repetition. Specifically, we examined whether "expectations" regarding future control demands prompt proactive metacontrol, while "experiences" with items associated with specific control demands facilitate reactive metacontrol. In Experiment 1, we utilized EEG with a high temporal resolution to differentiate between brain activities associated with proactive and reactive metacontrol. We successfully observed cue-locked and image-locked ERP patterns associated with proactive and reactive metacontrol, respectively, supporting concurrent instantiation of two metacontrol modes. In Experiment 2, we focused on individual differences to investigate the modulatory role of working memory capacity (WMC) in the concurrent instantiation of two metacontrol modes. Our findings revealed that individuals with higher WMC exhibited enhanced proactive metacontrol, indicated by smaller response time variability (RTV). Additionally, individuals with higher WMC showed a lower tendency to rely on reactive metacontrol, indicated by a smaller item-specific switch probability (ISSP) effect. In conclusion, our results suggest that proactive and reactive metacontrol can coexist, but their interplay is influenced by individuals' WMC. Higher WMC promotes the use of proactive metacontrol while attenuating reliance on reactive metacontrol. This study provides insights into the interplay between proactive and reactive metacontrol and highlights the impact of WMC on their concurrent instantiation.

Effects of Vascular Risk Factors on the Association of Blood-Based Biomarkers with Alzheimer's Disease.

Background: Comorbidities may influence the levels of blood-based biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease (AD). We investigated whether differences in risk factors or comorbid conditions might explain the discordance between clinical diagnosis and biomarker classifications in a multi-ethnic cohort of elderly individuals. Aims: To evaluate the relationship of medical conditions and other characteristics, including body mass index (BMI), vascular risk factors, and head injury, with cognitive impairment and blood-based biomarkers of AD, phosphorylated tau (P-tau 181, P-tau 217), in a multi-ethnic cohort. Methods: Three-hundred individuals, aged 65 and older, were selected from a prospective community-based cohort for equal representation among three racial/ethnic groups: non-Hispanic White, Hispanic/Latino and African American/Black. Participants were classified into four groups based on absence (Asym) or presence (Sym) of cognitive impairment and low (NEG) or high (POS) P-tau 217 or P-tau 181 levels, determined previously in the same cohort: (Asym/NEG, Asym/POS, Sym/NEG, Sym/POS). We examined differences in individual characteristics across the four groups. We performed post-hoc analysis examining the differences across biomarker and cognitive status. Results: P-tau 217 or P-tau 181 positive individuals had lower BMI than P-tau negative participants, regardless of symptom status. Symptomatic and asymptomatic participants did not differ in terms of BMI. BMI was not a mediator of the effect of P-tau 217 or P-tau 181 on dementia. Frequencies of other risk factors did not differ between the four groups of individuals. Conclusions: Participants with higher levels of P-tau 217 or P-tau 181 consistent with AD had lower BMI regardless of whether the individual was symptomatic. These findings suggest that weight loss may change with AD biomarker levels before onset of cognitive decline. They do not support BMI as a confounding variable. Further longitudinal studies could explore the relationship of risk factors with clinical diagnoses and biomarkers.

Focal Myositis Localised in Gastrocnemius Muscle: is it Different from Isolated Gastrocnemius Myositis? A Case Report.

Focal myositis is a rare disease defined by an isolated inflammatory pseudotumour usually restricted to one skeletal muscle. Approximately, 250 cases of focal myositis have been described in the literature, and two recent large cohorts have been used to help in the diagnosis. Isolated gastrocnemius myositis, a rare immune-mediated condition, is a diagnostic entity used by internal medicine clinician in the gastrocnemius myalgia syndrome associated with Crohn's disease (CD). However, focal myositis and isolated gastrocnemius myositis with Crohn's disease share clinical, haematological, pathological, and radiological similarities. We present a case of unilateral focal myositis of the gastrocnemius muscle in a patient with no underlying diseases, including Crohn's disease. At clinical evaluation, we encountered a challenge in differentiating between focal myositis and the isolated gastrocnemius myositis of Crohn's due to similarities in clinical manifestation. We attempt to clarify focal myositis and isolated gastrocnemius myositis through our case report and a review of literature.

Unstable Non-isthmic Spondylolisthesis Following Unilateral Biportal Endoscopy Assisted Unilateral Laminotomy for Bilateral Decompression: A Case Report.

Lumbar decompressive laminectomy is a standard treatment for degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis, but in some cases, can lead to iatrogenic spondylolysis and delayed segmental instability. Iatrogenic spondylolysis occurs in most cases in pars interarticularis, but rare cases have also been reported, pediculolysis in pedicle and laminolysis in lamina. Minimally invasive spine surgery (MIS) is known to have a low risk of developing these iatrogenic spondylolyses, and unilateral biportal endoscopy is the MIS that has been drawing attention. We present a case of a 72-year-old female who was diagnosed with L4-5 unstable non-isthmic spondylolisthesis and severe right central disc extrusion 10 weeks after UBE assisted unilateral laminotomy for bilateral decompression (ULBD) at the consecutive segments of L3-4 and L4-5. Pre-operative imaging studies revealed severe central stenosis without spondylolisthesis at L3-L4 and L4-L5 along with L4-L5 facet tropism. She was managed by anterior lumbar interbody fusion and cement augmented pedicle screw fixation, which resulted in the complete resolution of her clinical and neurologic symptoms.

MRI size assessment of cerebral microvasculature using diffusion-time-dependent stimulated-echo acquisition: A feasibility study in rodent.

In this study, a stimulated-echo (STE) method was employed to robustify the cerebral vessel size estimation near air-tissue, bone-tissue interfaces, and large vessels. The proposed solution is to replace the relaxation rate change from gradient-echo (GRE) with that from STE with long diffusion time after the injection of an intravascular contrast agent, superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. The corresponding diffusion length of STE is shorter than the length over which the unwanted macroscopic field inhomogeneities but is still longer than the correlation length of the fields induced by small vessels. Therefore, the unwanted field inhomogeneities are refocused, while preserving microscopic susceptibility contrast from cerebral vessels. The mean vessel diameter (dimensionless) derived from the diffusion-time-varying STE method was compared to the mean vessel diameter obtained by a conventional spin-echo (SE) and GRE combination based on Monte-Carlo proton diffusion simulations and in vivo rat experiments at 7 â€‹T. The in vivo mean vessel diameter from the MRI experiments was directly compared to available reference mouse brain vasculature obtained by a knife-edge scanning microscope (KESM), which is considered to be the gold standard. Monte-Carlo simulation revealed that SE and GRE-based MR relaxation rate changes (ΔR2 and ΔR2∗, respectively) can be enhanced using single STE-based MR relaxation rate change (ΔRSTE) by regulating diffusion time, especially for small vessels. The in vivo mean vessel diameter from the STE method demonstrated a closer agreement with that from the KESM compared to the combined SE and GRE method, especially in the olfactory bulb and cortex. This study demonstrates that STE relaxation rate changes can be used as consistent measures for assessing small cerebral microvasculature, where macroscopic field inhomogeneity is severe and signal contamination from adjacent large vessels is significant.

A novel approach for tuberculosis diagnosis using exosomal DNA and droplet digital PCR.

OBJECTIVES: The rapid diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) is important for patient treatment and infection control. Current molecular diagnostic techniques for TB have insufficient sensitivity to detect samples with low bacterial loads. The sensitivity of molecular testing depends on not only the performance of the assay technique but also the nucleic acid extraction method. Here, we present a novel approach using exosomal DNA (exoDNA) and droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) platforms to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA in clinical samples. METHODS: The ddPCR platform targeting IS6110 was evaluated in parallel using total DNA and exoDNA. The clinical performance of ddPCR method was assessed with 190 respiratory samples from patients with suspected pulmonary TB. RESULTS: Compared with mycobacterial culture, sensitivity and specificity of ddPCR were 61.5% (95% CI 44.6-76.6%) and 98.0% (95% CI 94.3-99.6%) using total DNA, and 76.9% (95% CI 60.7-88.9%) and 98.0% (95% CI 94.3-99.6%) using exoDNA, respectively. Among 15 culture-positive specimens with low concentrations of target molecules (2~99 positive droplets with exoDNA), only 53.3% (8/15), 46.7% (7/15), and 26.7% (4/15) of cases were detected using ddPCR with total DNA, real-time PCR with exoDNA, and real-time PCR with total DNA, respectively. DISCUSSION: Our platform using ddPCR and exoDNA has the potential to provide sensitive and accurate methodology for TB diagnosis.

Rostral-Caudal Hippocampal Functional Convergence Is Reduced Across the Alzheimer's Disease Spectrum.

Beginning in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the hippocampus reduces its functional connections to other cortical regions due to synaptic depletion. However, little is known regarding connectivity abnormalities within the hippocampus. Here, we describe rostral-caudal hippocampal convergence (rcHC), a metric of the overlap between the rostral and caudal hippocampal functional networks, across the clinical spectrum of AD. We predicted a decline in rostral-caudal hippocampal convergence in the early stages of the disease. Using fMRI, we generated resting-state hippocampal functional networks across 56 controls, 48 early MCI (EMCI), 35 late MCI (LMCI), and 31 AD patients from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative cohort. For each diagnostic group, we performed a conjunction analysis and compared the rostral and caudal hippocampal network changes using a mixed effects linear model to estimate the convergence and differences between these networks, respectively. The conjunction analysis showed a reduction of rostral-caudal hippocampal convergence strength from early MCI to AD, independent of hippocampal atrophy. Our results demonstrate a parallel between the functional convergence within the hippocampus and disease stage, which is independent of brain atrophy. These findings support the concept that network convergence might contribute as a biomarker for connectivity dysfunction in early stages of AD.

HLA-A*02:687, a novel allele identified by sequence-based typing in cord blood from a Korean woman.

A*02:687 showed one nucleotide difference with A*02:01:01:01 resulting in an amino acid change.

Amyloid-ß and hyperphosphorylated tau synergy drives metabolic decline in preclinical Alzheimer's disease.

This study was designed to test the interaction between amyloid-ß and tau proteins as a determinant of metabolic decline in preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD). We assessed 120 cognitively normal individuals with [18F]florbetapir positron emission tomography (PET) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) measurements at baseline, as well as [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F]FDG) PET at baseline and at 24 months. A voxel-based interaction model was built to test the associations between continuous measurements of CSF biomarkers, [18F]florbetapir and [18F]FDG standardized uptake value ratios (SUVR). We found that the synergistic interaction between [18F]florbetapir SUVR and CSF phosphorylated tau (p-tau) measurements, rather than the sum of their independent effects, was associated with a 24-month metabolic decline in basal and mesial temporal, orbitofrontal, and anterior and posterior cingulate cortices (P<0.001). In contrast, interactions using CSF amyloid-ß1-42 and total tau biomarkers did not associate with metabolic decline over a time frame of 24 months. The interaction found in this study further support the framework that amyloid-ß and hyperphosphorylated tau aggregates synergistically interact to cause downstream AD neurodegeneration. In fact, the regions displaying the metabolic decline reported here were confined to brain networks affected early by amyloid-ß plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Preventive clinical trials may benefit from using a combination of amyloid-ß PET and p-tau biomarkers to enrich study populations of cognitively normal subjects with a high probability of disease progression in studies, using [18F]FDG as a biomarker of efficacy.

Application of loop-mediated isothermal amplification with propidium monoazide treatment to detect live Salmonella in chicken carcasses.

Raw chicken products are major causes of human foodborne salmonellosis worldwide. In particular, there is a significant risk of human exposure to Salmonella originating from the chicken slaughtering process. Controlling the contamination of chicken carcasses by Salmonella has been a considerable challenge in chicken-slaughtering facilities and involves routine microbiological monitoring using reliable detection methods. Simple and rapid detection methods, particularly those capable of determining cell viability, will significantly facilitate routine monitoring of Salmonella Here, we report an invA-based loop-mediated isothermal amplification method coupled with a simple propidium monoazide treatment (PMA-LAMP) for simple and rapid detection and quantification of viable Salmonella in rinse water of chicken carcasses. In this study, PMA-LAMP consistently gave negative results for isopropanol-killed Salmonella with concentrations up to 8.0 × 106 CFU/reaction. The detection limit of PMA-LAMP was 8.0 × 101 CFU/reaction with viable Salmonella in both pure culture and rinse water of chicken carcasses, and 10-fold lower than a conventional polymerase chain reaction coupled with PMA (PMA-PCR) targeting invA There was a high correlation (R2 = 0.99 to 0.976) between LAMP time threshold (TT) values and viable Salmonella with a quantification range of 1.0 × 103 to 1.0 × 108 CFU/mL in pure culture and rinse water of chicken carcasses. The PMA-LAMP assay took less than 2 h to detect Salmonella contaminated in test samples. Therefore, this simple and rapid method will be a very useful tool to detect live Salmonella contamination of chicken carcasses without pre-enrichment at the slaughterhouse where sanitizing treatments are commonly used.

HLA-A*33:102, a novel allele identified by sequence-based typing in cord blood from a Korean woman.

The new allele A*33:102 showed two nucleotide differences with A*33:03:01 in exon 3.

Increased efficacy of inactivated vaccine candidates prepared with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium strains of predominant genotypes in ducks.

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium has been a major causative agent of food-borne human disease, mainly due to consumption of contaminated food animal products. In particular, ducks serve as a reservoir of serovar Typhimurium, and are one of the common sources of human infection. To prevent infection of ducks, and therefore minimize human infection, it is critical to control the persistent epidemic strains in ducks. Here, we analyzed the genetic diversity and virulence of serovar Typhimurium isolates from ducks in Korea to identify the predominant strains that might be used as efficient vaccine candidates for ducks. Among the isolates, 2 representative isolates (ST26 and ST76) of predominant genotypes were selected as vaccine strains on the basis of genotypic analysis by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and DNA microarrays. Two-week-old ducks were then injected intramuscularly with inactivated vaccine candidates prepared using ST26 or ST76 (10(8) cfu/0.5 mL/duck or 10(9) cfu/0.5 mL/duck), and oral challenge with a highly virulent serovar Typhimurium strain (10(9) cfu/0.5 mL/duck) was carried out 2 wk later. Shedding of the challenge strain was significantly decreased in group 2 after vaccination. The antibody levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in all vaccinated groups were enhanced significantly (P < 0.05) compared to the unvaccinated control group. Overall, vaccination with ST26 or ST76 reduced bacterial shedding and colonization in internal organs, and induced elevated antibody response. In particular, serovar Typhimurium ST26 (10(8) cfu/0.5 mL/duck) was the most effective vaccine candidate, which can provide efficient protection against serovar Typhimurium in ducks with higher effectiveness compared to a commercial vaccine currently used worldwide.

QTL Mapping for Gray Leaf Spot Resistance in a Tropical Maize Population.

A tropical gray leaf spot (GLS)-resistant line, YML 32, was crossed to a temperate GLS-susceptible line, Ye 478, to produce an F2:3 population for the identification of quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with resistance to GLS. The population was evaluated for GLS disease resistance and flowering time at two locations in Yunnan province. Seven QTL using GLS disease scores and six QTL using flowering time were identified on chromosomes 2, 3, 4, 5, and 8 in the YML 32 × Ye 478 maize population. All QTL, except one identified on chromosome 2 using flowering time, were overlapped with the QTL for GLS disease scores. The results indicated that QTL for flowering time in this population strongly corresponded to QTL for GLS resistance. Among the QTL, qRgls.yaas-8-1/qFt.yaas-8 with the largest genetic effect accounted for 17.9 to 18.1 and 11.0 to 21.42% of variations for GLS disease scores and flowering time, respectively, and these should be very useful for improving resistance to GLS, especially in subtropical maize breeding programs. The QTL effects for resistance to GLS were predominantly additive in nature, with a dominance effect having been found for two QTL on the basis of joint segregation genetic analysis and QTL analysis.

HLA-B*59:09, a novel allele identified by sequence-based typing in a cord blood donated by a Korean woman.

The new allele B*59:09 showed two nucleotide differences with B*59:01:01:01 in exon 3.

Reuse of a previously transplanted kidney from a deceased donor using Luminex virtual crossmatching: a case report.

Kidney transplantation is the most desired modality of renal replacement therapy for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). We have attempted to expand the organ donor pool through several methods, including the use of expanded donor criteria. Although previously transplanted kidneys are rarely reused, they can be suitable for transplantation into patients in need. We report a case of successful reuse of a previously transplanted kidney from a deceased donor by means of Luminex virtual crossmatching with the first donor and actual crossmatching with the second donor.

Estimation of size of cord blood inventory based on high-resolution typing of HLAs.

Methods for estimating the cord blood (CB) inventory size required vary according to the ethnic diversity of the HLA, degree of HLA matching and HLA-typing resolution. We estimated the CB inventory size required using 7190 stored CB units (CBU) and 2450 patients who were awaiting or underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. With high-resolution typing of HLA-A, B and DRB1, 94.6% of Korean patients could find CBUs in 100 000 CBUs with a 5/6 match, and 95.7% could find CBUs in 5000 CBUs with a 4/6 match. With low-resolution typing of HLA-A and B and high-resolution typing of leukocyte antigen-DRB1, 95% of patients could find CBUs in 50 000 CBUs with a 5/6 match, and 96.7% could find CBUs in 3000 CBUs  with a 4/6 match. With additional high-resolution typing for HLA-A and B, which could improve transplantation outcome, the size of the CB inventory would need to increase twofold for Koreans.

HLA-A, -B and -DRB1 polymorphism in Koreans defined by sequence-based typing of 4128 cord blood units.

Human leucocyte antigen (HLA) alleles and haplotypes differ significantly among different ethnic groups, and high-resolution typing methods allow for the detection of a wider spectrum of HLA variations. In this study, HLA-A, -B and -DRB1 genotypes were analysed in 4128 cord blood units obtained from Korean women using the sequence-based typing method. A total of 44 HLA-A, 67 HLA-B and 48 HLA-DRB1 most probable alleles were identified. Of these, high-frequency alleles found at a frequency of ≥5% were 6 HLA-A (A*02:01, A*02:06, A*11:01, A*24:02, A*31:01, A*33:03), 5 HLA-B (B*15:01, B*44:03, B*51:01, B*54:01, B*58:01) and 7 HLA-DRB1 (DRB1*01:01, DRB1*04:05, DRB1*07:01, DRB1*08:03, DRB1*09:01, DRB1*13:02, DRB1*15:01) alleles. At each locus, A*02, B*15 and DRB1*04 generic groups were most diverse at allelic level, consisting of 8, 11 and 10 different alleles, respectively. Two- and three-locus haplotypes estimated by the maximum likelihood method revealed 73 A-B, 74 B-DRB1 and 42 A-B-DRB1 haplotypes with frequencies of ≥0.3%. A total of 193 A-B-DRB1 haplotypes found at a frequency of ≥0.1% were presented, and the six most common haplotypes were A*33:03-B*44:03-DRB1*13:02 (4.6%), A*33:03-B*58:01-DRB1*13:02 (3.0%), A*24:02-B*07:02-DRB1*01:01 (2.7%), A*33:03-B*44:03-DRB1*07:01 (2.5%), A*30:01-B*13:02-DRB1*07:01 (2.2%) and A*24:02-B*52:01-DRB1*15:02 (2.1%). Compared with previous smaller scale studies, this study further delineated the allelic and haplotypic diversity in Koreans including low-frequency alleles and haplotypes. Information obtained in this study will be useful for the search for unrelated bone marrow donors and for anthropologic and disease association studies.

Passive mode-locking of fiber ring laser at the 337th harmonic using gigahertz acoustic core resonances.

We report the experimental demonstration of a passively mode-locked Er-doped fiber ring laser operating at the 337th harmonic (1.80 GHz) of the cavity. The laser makes use of highly efficient Raman-like optoacoustic interactions between the guided light and gigahertz acoustic resonances trapped in the micron-sized solid glass core of a photonic crystal fiber. At sufficient pump power levels the laser output locks to a repetition rate corresponding to the acoustic frequency. A stable optical pulse train with a side-mode suppression ratio higher than 45 dB was obtained at low pump powers (~60 mW).

SUMOylation of ZFP282 potentiates its positive effect on estrogen signaling in breast tumorigenesis.

Estrogen receptor α (ERα) has critical roles in the development and progression of breast cancer, and the coiled-coil co-activator (CoCoA) is an important ERα co-activator for estrogen-induced gene expression. The small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) pathway is hyperactivated in breast cancer, but the mechanism by which SUMOylation regulates ERα-mediated transcription remains poorly understood. Here, we identified ZFP282 as a CoCoA-binding protein. ZFP282 associates directly with ERα and cooperates synergistically with CoCoA to enhance ERα function. ZFP282 is required for estrogen-induced expression of ERα target genes and estrogen-dependent breast cancer cell growth and tumorigenesis. In addition, we found that ZFP282 is SUMOylated and that SUMOylation positively regulates the co-activator activity of ZFP282 by increasing its binding affinity to ERα and CoCoA, and consequently increasing recruitment of ZFP282-CoCoA complex to the promoter of ERα target genes. These findings reveal essential roles for ZFP282 and its SUMOylation in estrogen signaling and breast tumorigenesis.