Hierarchical Bayesian estimation of motor-evoked potential recruitment curves yields accurate and robust estimates.

Electromagnetic stimulation probes and modulates the neural systems that control movement. Key to understanding their effects is the muscle recruitment curve, which maps evoked potential size against stimulation intensity. Current methods to estimate curve parameters require large samples; however, obtaining these is often impractical due to experimental constraints.

Modulation of cerebellar cortical, cerebellar nuclear and vestibular nuclear activity using alternating electric currents.

Introduction: Cerebellar transcranial alternating current stimulation (ctACS) has shown promise as a therapeutic modality for treating a variety of neurological disorders, and for affecting normal learning processes. Yet, little is known about how electric fields induced by applied currents affect cerebellar activity in the mammalian cerebellum under conditions.

Methods: Alternating current (AC) stimulation with frequencies from 0.

Spinal cord associative plasticity improves forelimb sensorimotor function after cervical injury.

Associative plasticity occurs when two stimuli converge on a common neural target. Previous efforts to promote associative plasticity have targeted cortex, with variable and moderate effects. In addition, the targeted circuits are inferred, rather than tested directly.

Targeting Sensory and Motor Integration for Recovery of Movement After CNS Injury.

The central nervous system (CNS) integrates sensory and motor information to acquire skilled movements, known as sensory-motor integration (SMI). The reciprocal interaction of the sensory and motor systems is a prerequisite for learning and performing skilled movement. Injury to various nodes of the sensorimotor network causes impairment in movement execution and learning.

Entrainment of cerebellar Purkinje cell spiking activity using pulsed ultrasound stimulation.

Background: Focused ultrasound (FUS) has excellent characteristics over other non-invasive stimulation methods in terms of spatial resolution and steering capability of the target. FUS has not been tested in the cerebellar cortex and cellular effects of FUS are not fully understood.

Objective/hypothesis: To investigate how the activity of cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs) is modulated by FUS with varying pulse durations and pulse repetition frequencies.

Entrainment of cerebellar purkinje cells with directional AC electric fields in anesthetized rats.

Background: Transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) shows promise to treat neurological disorders. Knowledge of how the orthogonal components of the electric field (E-field) alter neuronal activity is required for strategic placement of transcranial electrodes. Yet, essentially no information exists on this relationship for mammalian cerebellum in vivo, despite the cerebellum being a target for clinical tES studies.

Modulation of Multiunit Spike Activity by Transcranial AC Stimulation (tACS) in the Rat Cerebellar Cortex.

Transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) techniques have garnered significant interest due to their non-invasiveness and potential to offer a treatment option in a wide variety of brain disorders. Among several modulation techniques, transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is favored for its ability to entrain the neural oscillations. The cerebellum is one of the targeted sites because of its involvement in motor and cognitive functions.

Electrical fields induced inside the rat brain with skin, skull, and dural placements of the current injection electrode.

Transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) is rapidly becoming an indispensable clinical tool with its different forms. Animal data are crucially needed for better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of tES. For reproducibility of results in animal experiments, the electric fields (E-Fields) inside the brain parenchyma induced by the injected currents need to be predicted accurately.

Electric Fields Induced By Transcutaneous And Intracranial Current Injections In The Rat Brain.

As a non-invasive brain stimulation technique, transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) and specifically the transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has gained popularity in recent years for treatment of a wide variety of cognitive and neurological disorders. Recent studies have shown that TES can alter the motor cortex excitability. Animal studies to demonstrate the underlying mechanisms of TES are clearly lacking in literature.

Electrophysiological Correlates of Blast-Wave Induced Cerebellar Injury.

Understanding the mechanisms underlying traumatic neural injury and the sequelae of events in the acute phase is important for deciding on the best window of therapeutic intervention. We hypothesized that evoked potentials (EP) recorded from the cerebellar cortex can detect mild levels of neural trauma and provide a qualitative assessment tool for progression of cerebellar injury in time. The cerebellar local field potentials evoked by a mechanical tap on the hand and collected with chronically implanted micro-ECoG arrays on the rat cerebellar cortex demonstrated substantial changes both in amplitude and timing as a result of blast-wave induced injury.

Indoor airborne fungal pollution in newborn units in Turkey.

Pathogenic and/or opportunistic fungal species are major causes of nosocomial infections, especially in controlled environments where immunocompromised patients are hospitalized. Indoor fungal contamination in hospital air is associated with a wide range of adverse health effects. Regular determination of fungal spore counts in controlled hospital environments may help reduce the risk of fungal infections.

PESI - a taxonomic backbone for Europe.

Background: Reliable taxonomy underpins communication in all of biology, not least nature conservation and sustainable use of ecosystem resources. The flexibility of taxonomic interpretations, however, presents a serious challenge for end-users of taxonomic concepts. Users need standardised and continuously harmonised taxonomic reference systems, as well as high-quality and complete taxonomic data sets, but these are generally lacking for non-specialists.

Airborne fungi and bacteria in indoor and outdoor environment of the Pediatric Unit of Edirne Government Hospital.

This study was performed between January 2004 and December 2004 in 13 stations in the Pediatric Unit of Edirne Government Hospital in order to determine the outdoor and indoor airborne microfungal and bacterial contents. The results of air samplings revealed that 1,376 microfungal and 2,429 bacterial colonies in total were isolated. The isolated microfungal specimens were identified and 65 species from 16 genera were determined.

Investigation of indoor molds and allergic diseases in public primary schools in Edirne city of Turkey.

Background: Studies evaluating the role of indoor molds in the development of allergic or respiratory symptoms in schools are few in childhood.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate relation between indoor molds and allergic diseases or respiratory symptoms in primary school's children in Edirne, Turkey.

Methods: Ten public primary schools were included into the study.

Indoor and outdoor airborne bacteria in child day-care centers in Edirne City (Turkey), seasonal distribution and influence of meteorological factors.

This paper presents information about airborne mesophilic bacteria in the indoor and outdoor air of child day-care centers (CDCCs) in the city of Edirne, Turkey. Air samples were collected using the Petri plate gravitational settling method from the indoor and outdoor air of CDCCs. Counts of airborne bacteria were measured as colony forming units (CFU) collected by gravity onto Brain Heart Infusion Agar plates (with 5% sheep blood).

Airborne and soilborne microfungi in the vicinity Hamitabat Thermic Power Plant in Kirklareli City (Turkey), their seasonal distributions and relations with climatological factors.

Soil and air samples of seven different localities around Hamitabat Thermic Power Plant, 10 km far away from Luleburgaz/Kirklareli (Turkey), were taken between the years 2003 and 2004 with seasonal intervals. The samples were brought to the laboratory and their microfungal identifications were done. From the air samples, 737 microfungi colonies were isolated comprising 26 species belonging to eight genera.

Fungal flora in indoor and outdoor air of different residential houses in Tekirdag City (Turkey): seasonal distribution and relationship with climatic factors.

This study was investigated the density and monthly distribution of indoor and outdoor microfungi in six different residential houses in Tekirdag City through the exposure of Petri dishes containing Rose-Bengal Streptomycin Agar media. Samples were collected in 1-month intervals over a period of 12 months between March, 2001, and February, 2002. We used 432 Petri dishes and counted a total of 4,205 microfungi colonies, 1,790 from indoor air and 2,415 from outdoor air.

Airborne fungi in child day care centers in Edirne City, Turkey.

The purpose of this study was to determine the concentration, in terms of monthly and seasonal distribution and in relation to meteorological factors, of indoor and outdoor microfungi at selected sites in several child day care centers in the city of Edirne, Turkey. Samples were collected at one month intervals over a period of 12 months between January-December 2004, by exposing petri plates containing Peptone Dextrose Agar with Rose-Bengal and Streptomycin medium to the air for 10-15 min. A total of 2,071 microfungal colonies were counted on 192 petri plates.

Airborne Alternaria and Cladosporium species and relationship with meteorological conditions in Eskisehir City, Turkey.

Alternaria and Cladosporium, known as the most allergenic spores were first collected by means of Durham gravimetric sampler from Eskisehir atmosphere from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2001. The daily, monthly and annual variations in spores/cm(2) of Cladosporium and Alternaria were recorded. During this period, a total of 10.

Microfungi in cultivated fields in Eskişehir provience (Turkey).

The soil microfungi flora was investigated in four locations of Eskişehir (Turkey). 56 soil samples were seasonaly collected from 14 stations in the areas of Karacahöyük, Bahçecik, OGU I, and OGU II. A total of 110 species belonging to 32 genera were encountered including Absidia, Acremonium, Alternaria, Aspergillus, Beauveria, Botryoderma, Chaetomium, Chrysosporium, Cladosporium, Eupenicillium, Eurotium, Fusarium, Geotrichum, Gliocladium, Gonytrichum, Metarrhizium, Mucor, Myrothecium, Paecilomyces, Penicillium, Phoma, Plectosphaerella, Rhizoctania, Rhizopus, Scopulariopsis, Septonema, Stachybotrys, Trichocladium, Trichoderma, Ulocladium, Verticillium, and Wardomyces.

Isolation, identification and seasonal distribution of airborne and waterborne fungi in Terkos Lake (Istanbul-Turkey).

This paper focuses on isolation and identification of airborne and waterborne fungi from different parts of Terkos Lake located in Istanbul (Turkey). The quantitative and qualitative fungal composition of the air and water of the Lake was surveyed monthly for a year (August 2000-July 2001). Water samples were taken at five different stations at Terkos Lake.