Training the Conductor of the Brainwave Symphony: In Search of a Common Mechanism of Action for All Methods of Neurofeedback

There are several different methods of neurofeedback, most of which presume an operant conditioning model whereby the subject learns to control their brain activity in particular regions of the brain and/or at particular brainwave frequencies based on reinforcement. One method, however, called infra-low frequency [ILF] neurofeedback cannot be explained through this paradigm, yet it has profound effects on brain function. Like a conductor of a symphony, recent evidence demonstrates that the primary ILF (typically between 0.01–0.1 Hz), which correlates with the fluctuation of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood in the brain, regulates all of the classic brainwave bands (i.e. alpha, theta, delta, beta, gamma). The success of ILF neurofeedback suggests that all forms of neurofeedback may work through a similar mechanism that does not fit the operant conditioning paradigm. This chapter focuses on the possible mechanisms of action for ILF neurofeedback, which may be generalized, based on current evidence

Mesenchymal stem cell-conditioned medium reduces disease severity and immune responses in inflammatory arthritis

We evaluated the therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stem cell-conditioned medium (CM-MSC) as an alternative to cell therapy in an antigen-induced model of arthritis (AIA). Disease severity and cartilage loss were evaluated by histopathological analysis of arthritic knee joints and immunostaining of aggrecan neoepitopes. Cell proliferation was assessed for activated and naïve CD4+ T cells from healthy mice following culture with CM-MSC or co-culture with MSCs. T cell polarization was analysed in CD4+ T cells isolated from spleens and lymph nodes of arthritic mice treated with CM-MSC or MSCs. CM-MSC treatment significantly reduced knee-joint swelling, histopathological signs of AIA, cartilage loss and suppressed TNFα induction. Proliferation of CD4+ cells from spleens of healthy mice was not affected by CM-MSC but reduced when cells were co-cultured with MSCs. In the presence of CM-MSC or MSCs, increases in IL-10 concentration were observed in culture medium. Finally, CD4+ T cells from arthritic mice treated with CM-MSC showed increases in FOXP3 and IL-4 expression and positively affected the Treg:Th17 balance in the tissue. CM-MSC treatment reduces cartilage damage and suppresses immune responses by reducing aggrecan cleavage, enhancing Treg function and adjusting the Treg:Th17 ratio. CM-MSC may provide an effective cell-free therapy for inflammatory arthritis

Size Effects and Non-Fourier Thermal Behaviour in Rocks

The classical constitutive equation for heat conduction, Fourier’s law, plays an essential role in the engineering practice and holds only for homogeneous materials. However, most of the materials consist of some kind of heterogeneity, such as porosity, cracks, or different materials are in contact. One outstanding example is the thermal behaviour of rocks. We report the results of heat pulse (or flash) experiments. This is a standard method in the engineering practice to measure the thermal diffusivity of a material. We observed two effects in these experiments. Firstly, a size effect emerges, that is, for the same type of rock with different size, different thermal diffusivity is measured. Secondly, we also observed the deviation from Fourier’s law in a particular time interval. Thus the modelling requires some extension for the constitutive equation. The variety of their constituents and the porosity makes it difficult to derive a general constitutive law. Here, in this paper, we briefly present the framework of non-equilibrium thermodynamics in which we are able to derive an appropriate extension for Fourier’s law. The resulting model is the so-called Guyer-Krumhansl equation, which is independent of the structure, therefore able to model the thermal behaviour of various samples. We conclude that the Guyer-Krumhansl equation is an appropriate extension for Fourier’s law, in accordance with the previous measurements and evaluations. Furthermore, we observed that the deviation depends on the size of the sample, too. Finally, we communicate the measured thermal diffusivities for each sample, showing a size effect as well

Efficacy of a combination of imidacloprid 10%/moxidectin 2.5% spot-on (Advocate® for dogs) in the prevention of canine spirocercosis (Spirocerca lupi)

The nematode Spirocerca lupi is a major canine parasite in warm regions of the world, classically causing parasitic nodules in the esophagus, aortic aneurysms, and spondylitis. This study evaluated the preventive efficacy of monthly treatment with imidacloprid 10%/moxidectin 2.5% spot-on (Advocate® for dogs) administered over a period of 9 months in young dogs naturally exposed to S. lupi on Réunion island. One hundred and twelve puppies, aged from 2.0 to 4.0 months and with a negative spirocerca fecal examination at inclusion, completed the study. They were randomly allocated to two groups. Group A puppies (n = 58) received nine spot-on treatments with Advocate® at the minimum dose of 2.5 mg moxidectin/kg bw at monthly intervals. Control group B puppies (n = 54) received no treatment for S. lupi. During the study, regular clinical and fecal examinations were performed, as was final upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Endoscopy showed that 19 dogs from group B had spirocerca nodules, corresponding to a prevalence of 35.2% in dogs aged 12 to 14 months. In contrast, only one dog from group A had a nodule, corresponding to a preventive efficacy of 94.7% (p < 0.0001). None of the 378 fecal examinations were positive for spirocerca. This study confirms a high prevalence of canine spirocercosis on Réunion and shows that infestation occurs in very young puppies. Furthermore, it demonstrates that monthly spot-on administration of a combination of imidacloprid 10%/moxidectin 2.5% (Advocate® for dogs) in puppies starting at the age of 2 to 4 months achieves effective and safe prevention of canine spirocercosis

MicroRNA-145 Regulates Human Corneal Epithelial Differentiation

Epigenetic factors, such as microRNAs, are important regulators in the self-renewal and differentiation of stem cells and progenies. Here we investigated the microRNAs expressed in human limbal-peripheral corneal (LPC) epithelia containing corneal epithelial progenitor cells (CEPCs) and early transit amplifying cells, and their role in corneal epithelium.Human LPC epithelia was extracted for small RNAs or dissociated for CEPC culture. By Agilent Human microRNA Microarray V2 platform and GeneSpring GX11.0 analysis, we found differential expression of 18 microRNAs against central corneal (CC) epithelia, which were devoid of CEPCs. Among them, miR-184 was up-regulated in CC epithelia, similar to reported finding. Cluster miR-143/145 was expressed strongly in LPC but weakly in CC epithelia (P = 0.0004, Mann-Whitney U-test). This was validated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Locked nucleic acid-based in situ hybridization on corneal rim cryosections showed miR-143/145 presence localized to the parabasal cells of limbal epithelium but negligible in basal and superficial epithelia. With holoclone forming ability, CEPCs transfected with lentiviral plasmid containing mature miR-145 sequence gave rise to defective epithelium in organotypic culture and had increased cytokeratin-3/12 and connexin-43 expressions and decreased ABCG2 and p63 compared with cells transfected with scrambled sequences. Global gene expression was analyzed using Agilent Whole Human Genome Oligo Microarray and GeneSpring GX11.0. With a 5-fold difference compared to cells with scrambled sequences, miR-145 up-regulated 324 genes (containing genes for immune response) and down-regulated 277 genes (containing genes for epithelial development and stem cell maintenance). As validated by qPCR and luciferase reporter assay, our results showed miR-145 suppressed integrin β8 (ITGB8) expression in both human corneal epithelial cells and primary CEPCs.We found expression of miR-143/145 cluster in human corneal epithelium. Our results also showed that miR-145 regulated the corneal epithelium formation and maintenance of epithelial integrity, via ITGB8 targeting

Potentially toxic elements in the riparian soils of the Sava River

Purpose Riparian zone contamination is a growing problem for several European catchments due to high anthropogenic pressures. This study investigates As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn concentrations in the Sava River riparian zone, characterized by wide agricultural areas, various geological substrates, and different types of industrial pollution. The accumulation and mobility of these elements were studied because they are listed as priority substances in the Water Framework Directive and environmental objectives for surface waters. Materials and methods Sampling was performed during the sampling campaign of the EU 7th FW-funded GLOBAQUA project in September 2015 during a low-water event. Soil samples were collected along the Sava River at 12 selected sampling sites, from a depth of 0–30 cm, at a distance of 10–15 m from the river bank. The extent of pollution was estimated by determining total and readily soluble element concentrations in the soils. Potential ecological risk and the source of the selected elements in the soils was determined using the enrichment factor (EF), potential ecological risk index (RI), and statistical methods such as the principal component analysis (PCA) and multiple linear regression analysis (MLRA). Results and discussion This study showed that concentrations of the selected elements increase along the Sava. In terms of origin, PCA and MLRA indicated that Cr and Ni in soils are predominantly lithogenic, while As, Cd, Pb, and Zn are both lithogenic and anthropogenic (ore deposits, industry, and agriculture). PCA singled out Cu since its origin in soil is most probably from specific point-source pollution. EF was generally minor to moderate for most of the examined elements, apart from Cu, for which the EF was significant at one sampling site. Overall ecological risk (RI) fell within the low-risk category for most sites, apart from Belgrade sampling site (BEO), where high total Cd content affected individual and overall ecological risk indicators, indicating Cd could represent a considerable ecological risk for the downstream riparian zone. Conclusions Purpose: Riparian zone contamination is a growing problem for several European catchments due to high anthropogenic pressures. This study investigates As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn concentrations in the Sava River riparian zone, characterized by wide agricultural areas, various geological substrates, and different types of industrial pollution. The accumulation and mobility of these elements were studied because they are listed as priority substances in the Water Framework Directive and environmental objectives for surface waters. Materials and methods: Sampling was performed during the sampling campaign of the EU 7th FW-funded GLOBAQUA project in September 2015 during a low-water event. Soil samples were collected along the Sava River at 12 selected sampling sites, from a depth of 0–30 cm, at a distance of 10–15 m from the river bank. The extent of pollution was estimated by determining total and readily soluble element concentrations in the soils. Potential ecological risk and the source of the selected elements in the soils was determined using the enrichment factor (EF), potential ecological risk index (RI), and statistical methods such as the principal component analysis (PCA) and multiple linear regression analysis (MLRA). Results and discussion: This study showed that concentrations of the selected elements increase along the Sava. In terms of origin, PCA and MLRA indicated that Cr and Ni in soils are predominantly lithogenic, while As, Cd, Pb, and Zn are both lithogenic and anthropogenic (ore deposits, industry, and agriculture). PCA singled out Cu since its origin in soil is most probably from specific point-source pollution. EF was generally minor to moderate for most of the examined elements, apart from Cu, for which the EF was significant at one sampling site. Overall ecological risk (RI) fell within the low-risk category for most sites, apart from Belgrade sampling site (BEO), where high total Cd content affected individual and overall ecological risk indicators, indicating Cd could represent a considerable ecological risk for the downstream riparian zone. Conclusions: At downstream sites, there was a noticeable increase in PTE content, with Cd, Cr, Ni, and Zn exceeding the proposed threshold values for European soils, indicating rising contamination in riparian soils. In terms of the ecological risk, only Cd could pose a potential ecological threat for the downstream riparian zone

Les intérieurs aujourd’hui. Analyses, projets, usages

Les espaces intérieurs sont des territoires d’expérimentation pour différents acteurs de la conception. Seuls ou en collaboration, ils y travaillent à la frontière de plusieurs disciplines, perméables les unes aux autres, qui prennent la forme de dialogues, de transferts et de contaminations, visant à produire des effets en termes d’espaces, de perceptions et d’émotions. Depuis des perspectives critiques, expérimentales et contemporaines, cette notion d’intérieur est abordée de l’échelle du corps à celle de la métropole, à l’aune des enjeux et des pratiques d’aujourd’hui. En dépassant les partages et les oppositions traditionnelles, il s’agit de penser et redéfinir l’intérieur dans sa relation aux milieux, aux territoires et aux usages, d’en saisir la pertinence historique et synchronique, d’en cerner l’opérationnalité conceptuelle pour la démarche de projet. Qu’est-ce qui fait intérieur ? Comment le conçoit-on ? Comment le lit-on ? Comment le pratique-t-on et le ressent-on

Spirocerca lupi infection in the dog: aberrant migration

The nematode Spirocerca lupi (S. lupi), a parasite of dogs and other carnivores, affects mainly the esophagus and the aorta leading to gastrointestinal, respiratory, and circulatory signs. Aberrant migration of the worm to unusual anatomical structures, especially the thoracic cavity, resulting in atypical clinical signs is being reported more frequently. Aberrant migration of S. lupi is reviewed, and two such cases (i.e., migration to the heart, causing an aortico-pulmonary "window-like" opening, and to a subcutaneous abscess in the caudal thoracic region) are presented.</jats:p