A New Animal Model of Insulin-Glucose Dynamics in the Intraperitoneal Space Enhances Closed-Loop Control Performance.

Current artificial pancreas systems (AP) operate via subcutaneous (SC) glucose sensing and SC insulin delivery. Due to slow diffusion and transport dynamics across the interstitial space, even the most sophisticated control algorithms in on-body AP systems cannot react fast enough to maintain tight glycemic control under the effect of exogenous glucose disturbances caused by ingesting meals or performing physical activity. Recent efforts made towards the development of an implantable AP have explored the utility of insulin infusion in the intraperitoneal (IP) space: a region within the abdominal cavity where the insulin-glucose kinetics are observed to be much more rapid than the SC space. In this paper, a series of canine experiments are used to determine the dynamic association between IP insulin boluses and plasma glucose levels. Data from these experiments are employed to construct a new mathematical model and to formulate a closed-loop control strategy to be deployed on an implantable AP. The potential of the proposed controller is demonstrated via in-silico experiments on an FDA-accepted benchmark cohort: the proposed design significantly outperforms a previous controller designed using artificial data (time in clinically acceptable glucose range: 97.3±1.5% vs. 90.1±5.6%). Furthermore, the robustness of the proposed closed-loop system to delays and noise in the measurement signal (for example, when glucose is sensed subcutaneously) and deleterious glycemic changes (such as sudden glucose decline due to physical activity) is investigated. The proposed model based on experimental canine data leads to the generation of more effective control algorithms and is a promising step towards fully automated and implantable artificial pancreas systems.

Less is more: Neural activity during very brief and clearly visible exposure to phobic stimuli.

Research on automatic processes in fear has emphasized the provocation of fear responses rather than their attenuation. We have previously shown that the repeated presentation of feared images without conscious awareness via backward masking reduces avoidance of a live tarantula in spider-phobic participants. Herein we investigated the neural basis for these adaptive effects of masked exposure. 21 spider-phobic and 21 control participants, identified by a psychiatric interview, fear questionnaire, and approaching a live tarantula, viewed stimuli in each of three conditions: (1) very brief exposure (VBE) to masked images of spiders, severely limited awareness; (2) clearly visible exposure (CVE) to spiders, full awareness; and (3) masked images of flowers (control), severely limited awareness. Only VBE to masked spiders generated neural activity more strongly in phobic than in control participants, within subcortical fear, attention, higher-order language, and vision systems. Moreover, VBE activated regions that support fear processing in phobic participants without causing them to experience fear consciously. Counter-intuitively, CVE to the same spiders generated stronger neural activity in control rather than phobic participants within these and other systems. CVE deactivated regions supporting fear regulation and caused phobic participants to experience fear. CVE-induced activations also correlated with measures of explicit fear ratings, whereas VBE-induced activations correlated with measures of implicit fear (color-naming interference of spider words). These multiple dissociations between the effects of VBE and CVE to spiders suggest that limiting awareness of exposure to phobic stimuli through visual masking paradoxically facilitates their processing, while simultaneously minimizing the experience of fear. Hum Brain Mapp 38:2466-2481, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Social and demographic correlates of male androgen levels in wild white-faced capuchin monkeys (Cebus capucinus).

The Challenge Hypothesis, designed originally to explain the patterning of competitive behavior and androgen levels in seasonally breeding birds, predicts that males will increase their androgen levels in order to become more competitive in reproductive contexts. Here we test predictions derived from the Challenge Hypothesis in white-faced capuchin monkeys (Cebus capucinus), a species that has somewhat seasonal reproduction. We analyzed demographic and hormonal data collected over a 5.25-year period, from 18 males in nine social groups living in or near Lomas Barbudal Biological Reserve, Costa Rica. Alpha males had higher androgen levels than subordinates. Contrary to our predictions, neither the number of breeding-age males nor the number of potentially fertile females was obviously associated with androgen levels. Furthermore, male androgen levels were not significantly linked to social stability, as measured by stability of male group membership or recency of change in the alpha male position. Androgen levels changed seasonally, but not in a manner that had an obvious relationship to predictions from the Challenge Hypothesis: levels were generally at their lowest near the beginning of the conception season, but instead of peaking when reproductive opportunities were greatest, they were at their highest near the end of the conception season or shortly thereafter. This lack of correspondence to the timing of conceptions suggests that there may be ecological factors not yet identified that influence ifA levels. We expected that the presence of offspring who were young enough to be vulnerable to infanticide during an alpha male takeover might influence androgen levels, at least in the alpha male, but this variable did not significantly impact results.

A dissociation between detection and identification of phobic stimuli: unconscious perception?

A psychophysical paradigm for investigating unconscious perception was used to test the hypothesis of dissociation between detection and identification of phobic stimuli. Spider-phobic and non-phobic participants were presented with masked images of spiders and flowers and an equal number of control stimuli in a random sequence. After each masked stimulus was flashed, participants first reported whether or not an object was presented. Then they identified each stimulus as either a spider or a flower, regardless of their prior detection response. Phobic participants identified both detected and undetected spiders better than chance, as assessed by two measures of response bias. They did not exhibit dissociation between detection and identification for flowers. Non-phobic participants did not exhibit detection-identification dissociation for either spiders or flowers. These results are consistent with the interpretation that phobic individuals unconsciously perceive their feared stimulus, and constitute the first direct demonstration of such for emotional stimuli.

Strategies for extended lifetime of implantable intraperitoneal insulin catheters.

Implantable insulin infusion systems using the intra-peritoneal route have dramatically changed the management of diabetes paving the way toward the realization of the potential "holy grail" of a fully implantable artificial pancreas. However, the wear duration of delivery catheters is compromised by the foreign body-mediated immune response. Both occlusion material present at the distal catheter tip end and fibrotic encapsulation surrounding the catheters influence the controlled and precise delivery of insulin, which eventually leads to the need for surgical intervention. The novel part of the current work is the investigation of the roles of implant physical properties (catheter size and tip configuration), as well as local inflammation control (through utilization of an anti-inflammatory agent) on the host fibrotic response using a previously developed animal model. The cellular and molecular response, the medication delivery efficacy as well as the ability to flush the catheters were examined and further compared among the different mitigation strategies. Reduction in catheter size as well as tuning the tip configuration from a cone shape to a round shape showed delayed host recognition and delayed propagation of the fibrotic response. However, the round shaped tips had an increased occurrence of lumen occlusion as a result of flow change. It became apparent that changing the physical properties of the catheters was not a long-term solution to catheter obstructions caused by the foreign body reaction. In comparison, control of the local inflammatory response through the use of an anti-inflammatory agent demonstrated a promising strategy for maintenance of catheter functionality without any type of obstructions. These finding will have a large impact toward the development of long-term use catheters for continuous intraperitoneal insulin infusion.

Root cause determination of intraperitoneal catheter obstructions: Insulin amyloid aggregates vs foreign body reaction.

Continuous intraperitoneal insulin infusion, from an implanted insulin pump connected to a catheter that delivers insulin directly to the peritoneal cavity has many clinical advantages for patients with Type 1 diabetes. However, the ongoing incidence of catheter obstructions remains a barrier to the widespread use of this therapy. To date, the root cause of these obstructions remains unknown. Here, a two-year clinical investigation was conducted, along with the development of an animal model to enable a mechanistic investigation into this issue. This novel animal model was able to mimic the catheter obstructions that occur in patients and, fortuitously, at an accelerated rate. This model allowed for independent assessment of each potential cause associated with catheter obstructions to help identify the root cause. Both macroscopic and microscopic analysis were conducted with regards to the onset and progression of catheter obstructions, along with monitoring of insulin delivery. Interestingly, although insulin aggregation occurs in insulin pumps and insulin aggregates were found in some catheter obstructions, insulin is unlikely to be the root cause, since obstructions also occurred in the control groups where only diluent (no insulin) was administered to the animals. Inflammatory cells, different phenotypes of fibroblasts, as well as collagen were observed in all obstructed catheters explanted from the patients and the animals. The presence of these cells and collagen is indicative of a typical foreign body reaction. In addition, the dynamic change in the fibroblasts with respect to morphology, phenotype, and spatial distribution suggests that tissue irritation-mediated epithelial to mesenchymal transition plays a role in catheter obstructions.