Neural correlates of linguistic collocations during continuous speech perception.

Language is fundamentally predictable, both on a higher schematic level as well as low-level lexical items. Regarding predictability on a lexical level, collocations are frequent co-occurrences of words that are often characterized by high strength of association. So far, psycho- and neurolinguistic studies have mostly employed highly artificial experimental paradigms in the investigation of collocations by focusing on the processing of single words or isolated sentences. In contrast, here we analyze EEG brain responses recorded during stimulation with continuous speech, i.e., audio books. We find that the N400 response to collocations is significantly different from that of non-collocations, whereas the effect varies with respect to cortical region (anterior/posterior) and laterality (left/right). Our results are in line with studies using continuous speech, and they mostly contradict those using artificial paradigms and stimuli. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first neurolinguistic study on collocations using continuous speech stimulation.

Analysis of Structure and Dynamics in Three-Neuron Motifs.

Recurrent neural networks can produce ongoing state-to-state transitions without any driving inputs, and the dynamical properties of these transitions are determined by the neuronal connection strengths. Due to non-linearity, it is not clear how strongly the system dynamics is affected by discrete local changes in the connection structure, such as the removal, addition, or sign-switching of individual connections. Moreover, there are no suitable metrics to quantify structural and dynamical differences between two given networks with arbitrarily indexed neurons. In this work, we present such permutation-invariant metrics and apply them to motifs of three binary neurons with discrete ternary connection strengths, an important class of building blocks in biological networks. Using multidimensional scaling, we then study the similarity relations between all 3,411 topologically distinct motifs with regard to structure and dynamics, revealing a strong clustering and various symmetries. As expected, the structural and dynamical distance between pairs of motifs show a significant positive correlation. Strikingly, however, the key parameter controlling motif dynamics turns out to be the ratio of excitatory to inhibitory connections.

JunB-CBFbeta signaling is essential to maintain sarcomeric Z-disc structure and when defective leads to heart failure.

In muscle cells, a complex network of Z-disc proteins allows proper reception, transduction and transmission of mechanical and biochemical signals. Mutations in genes encoding different Z-disc proteins such as integrin-linked kinase (ILK) and nexilin have recently been shown to cause heart failure by distinct mechanisms such as disturbed mechanosensing, altered mechanotransduction or mechanical Z-disc destabilization. We identified core-binding factor ß (CBFß) as an essential component for maintaining sarcomeric Z-disc and myofilament organization in heart and skeletal muscle. In CBFß-deficient cardiomyocytes and skeletal-muscle cells, myofilaments are thinned and Z-discs are misaligned, leading to progressive impairment of heart and skeletal-muscle function. Transcription of the gene encoding CBFß mainly depends on JunB activity. In JunB-morphant zebrafish, which show a heart-failure phenotype similar to that of CBFß-deficient zebrafish, transcript and protein levels of CBFß are severely reduced. Accordingly, ectopic expression of CBFß can reconstitute cardiomyocyte function and rescue heart failure in JunB morphants, demonstrating for the first time an essential role of JunB-CBFß signaling for maintaining sarcomere architecture and function.

Significance of close surveillance of patients with peripheral arterial disease.

BACKGROUND: Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) indicates generalized atherosclerosis but is still underdiagnosed and undertreated. METHODS: Data were collected from patients with PAD from the Department of Cardiology and Angiology, University of Heidelberg, Germany. The prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and medication were documented. RESULTS: Atherogenic risk factors, cardiovascular disease, and cerebrovascular disease were highly prevalent. By continuous care at the university clinic, in addition to family medicine treatment, the use of platelet inhibitors, antihypertensives, and lipid-lowering therapy was increased. Ankle-brachial index and walking distance improved. CONCLUSION: Long-term treatment at the university clinic had positive effects on atherogenic risk factors. The regular use of secondary preventive medication was improved. Still, this patient population remained undertreated and showed a high incidence of vascular event rates and a need for vascular interventions. This study implies the importance of both specialists and general practitioners in the care of these individuals.

Recovery of renal function after delayed percutaneous dilation of a subtotal in-stent restenosis of the renal artery in a left solitary kidney.

In-stent restenosis of a previously atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis initially treated with endovascular stenting may progress to subtotal occlusion and loss of renal function. The clinical course of an acute occlusion is mainly acute oligo-anuric renal failure. Therefore, rapid diagnosis and treatment are critical for renal survival. Even after successful endovascular treatment, a close clinical monitoring, and optimized medical treatment including sufficient blood pressure control, lipid lowering and platelet inhibition, is mandatory to prolong the preservation of renal function. Here we present a patient with subtotal in-stent stenosis affecting the left solitary kidney and recovery of renal function 24 h after the revascularization procedure.

[Anticoagulation and platelet inhibition - dosing recommendations at the beginning and the end of treatment]. / Antikoagulation und Thrombozytenaggregationshemmung - Arzneimittel-Dosierung am Anfang und Ende einer Therapie.

Anticoagulants and anti-platelet drugs are essential and widely used therapeutic tools in modern cardiovascular medicine. However, the initiation of anti-thrombotic therapies, their termination, or transient discontinuation (e.g. for surgical procedures) are critical steps which have to be managed appropriately. In the near future, several novel irreversibly or reversibly acting anti-thrombotic drugs with direct and indirect mechanisms of action, will be approved. Their prescription will require a deep understanding of their pharmacodynamics and -kinetics. In addition, pharmacogenomic issues will become increasingly important for the optimization of individual therapeutic strategies. This review summarizes clinically relevant principles and discusses them in the light of the assessment of the individual thrombotic and bleeding risks.