Applicability of the Sparse Temporal Acquisition Technique in Resting-State Brain Network Analysis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The ability of sparse temporal acquisition to minimize the effect of scanner background noise is of utmost importance in auditory fMRI; however, it has considerably lower temporal efficiency and resolution than the conventional continuous acquisition method. The purpose of this study was to determine whether sparse sampling could be applied to resting-state research by comparing its results with those obtained by using continuous acquisition. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We identified resting-state networks by using independent component analysis and measured their functional connectivity strength in 14 healthy subjects who underwent two 6-minute sparse (60 volumes) and continuous (360 volumes) imaging sessions. To account for the sample size difference, an additional continuous dataset was generated by temporally matching the continuous dataset to 60 volumes of the sparse dataset. RESULTS: Consistent resting-state network maps were produced through all 3 datasets. Scanner background noise did not appear to affect the spatial constitution of the networks, whereas a larger sample size influenced it substantially. The strength of the intranetwork connectivity was similar through the 3 datasets. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicated that continuous acquisition is a recommended technique that should be applied in most of the resting-state studies due to its superior temporal efficiency and increased statistical power. The use of sparse temporal acquisition should be restricted to very particular conditions when continuous scanner noise is unacceptable.

[The polymorphic markers of АРОВ and APOE genes and the chromosomal region 3q21-q25 are associated with the development of diabetic nephropathy in type 1 diabetes mellitus].

Early studies of the association of a large group of gene candidates indicated that only the polymorphic markers of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) I gene and endothelial vascular cell NO-synthetase (NOS3) gene were associated with diabetic nephropathy (DN) in type 1 diabetes mellitus. The purpose of this study was to examine DN predisposition in patients with type 1 DM, by using the polymorphic markers of the genes of apolipoproteins Е (АРОЕ) and В (АРОВ) which encode for lipid metabolic proteins, as well as polymorphic microsatellites in the chromosomal region 3q21-q25. Two groups of patients of patients with type 1 DM with (n = 54) and without (n = 65) DN were examined to analyze the gene association with DN. Analyzing the frequencies of the alleles and genotypes of the polymorphic marker E2/E3/E4 ofAPOR gene has indicated that the carriers of the allele E3 and the genotype E3/ E3 have a higher risk for DN (OR = 2.08 and 2.16, respectively). In case of АРОВ gene, the carriers of allele I and genotype II of the polymorphic marker I/D have been ascertained to have a higher risk for DN (OR = 1.91 and 2.11, respectively) while those of allele Dhave, on the contrary, a lower risk for DN (OR = 0.52). The authors have revealed an association of a group of polymorphic microsatellites with DN in the chromosomal region 3q21-q25. There is the greatest association for the marker D31550. The carriers of allele 12 (OR = 4.85) and genotype 12/14 (OR = 6.25) have a much higher risk for DN. In all probability, in the chromosomal region 3q21-q25, there is a major gene that initiates the development of DN whereas other genes associated with DN affect the rate of its progression to a greater extent. Thus, among the Moscow Russian dwellers suffering from type 1 DM, the progression of DN is mainly associated with the genes of ACE, NOS3, APOE, and АРОВ while the major gene that determines the first stages of DN development in type 1 DM is likely to be located in the chromosomal region 3q21-q25.

Antiviral activity of substituted 6-methylmercaptopyrazolo(3,4-d)pyrimidines and their ribosides.

The antiviral activities of pyrazolo(3,4-d)pyrimidines and their nucleosides, divided into 7 groups based on the substituent in position 4 (mercapto-, methylmercapto-, amino-, hydrazine-, dialkyl amino-, oxy-, and methoxyderivatives), were studied against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV 1) and vaccinia virus. Numerous compounds inhibited the virus yields by 1-4 log CPD50. Most antiviral compounds inhibited HSV 1 more than vaccinia virus. Only methylmercapto- derivatives inhibited both viruses approximately to the same degree.