Resting state functional MRI connectivity predicts hypothalamus-pituitary-axis status in healthy males.

Homeostasis of the human stress response system is critically maintained by a hierarchical system of neural and endocrine elements for which intact negative feedback is important to prevent maladaptation towards stress. Such feedback is efficiently probed by the established combined dexamethasone-suppression/corticotropin-releasing hormone stimulation (dex/CRH) test. Here we investigate which suprahypothalamic networks might modulate the response assessed by this neuroendocrine test.

The LIM homeodomain transcription factor LHX6: a transcriptional repressor that interacts with pituitary homeobox 2 (PITX2) to regulate odontogenesis.

LHX6 is a LIM-homeobox transcription factor expressed during embryogenesis; however, the molecular mechanisms regulating LHX6 transcriptional activities are unknown. LHX6 and the PITX2 homeodomain transcription factor have overlapping expression patterns during tooth and craniofacial development, and in this report, we demonstrate new transcriptional mechanisms for these factors. PITX2 and LHX6 are co-expressed in the oral and dental epithelium and epithelial cell lines.

[Counseling regarding healthy lifestyles in primary healthcare and the dietary practices of clients].

This cross-sectional study examines a counseling program on healthy lifestyles run by health care professionals to establish the adoption of healthy dietary practices by patients attending a primary health care unit. Participants in the study included 417 clients of the unit, the majority of whom were women (78.9%), with an average age of 39 years, a high incidence of excessive weight, (59.

Styloid process elongation and calcification in subjects with tmd: clinical and radiographic aspects.

Knowledge of the Eagle's syndrome shows that its symptoms can be very easily confused with other types of craniomandibular disorders, especially temporomandibular disorders (TMD). The aim of this study was to find a possible correlation between the presence of TMD and elongation of the styloid process as well relate to presence of calcification of the stilohyoid chain. Fifty patients with TMD, confirmed from the RDC/TMD, were examined clinically and radiographically.

Virucidal activity of chemical biocides against mimivirus, a putative pneumonia agent.

Background: Acanthamoeba polyphaga mimivirus (APMV), the largest known virus, has been studied as a putative pneumonia agent, especially in hospital environments. Despite the repercussions of the discovery of APMV, there has been no study related to the control of APMV and the susceptibility of this virus to disinfectants.

Objectives: This work investigated the virucidal activity against mimivirus of chemical biocides commonly used in clinical practice for the disinfection of hospital equipment and rooms.

Dynamic viral populations in hypersaline systems as revealed by metagenomic assembly.

Viruses of the Bacteria and Archaea play important roles in microbial evolution and ecology, and yet viral dynamics in natural systems remain poorly understood. Here, we created de novo assemblies from 6.4 Gbp of metagenomic sequence from eight community viral concentrate samples, collected from 12 h to 3 years apart from hypersaline Lake Tyrrell (LT), Victoria, Australia.

Visuospatial deficits in posterior cortical atrophy: structural and functional correlates.

Objective: To determine the neural substrates of biased spatial orienting in posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) by using a combined structural and functional neuroimaging approach.

Background: Patients with spatial neglect typically bisect horizontal long lines towards their brain lesions but the precise neural substrates of this spatial bias remain controversial and poorly explored in neurodegenerative disorders such as PCA.

Methods: 15 patients with PCA underwent brain MRI and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and were required to bisect five 20 cm long lines, each centred on an A4 horizontal sheet.

Metabolic syndrome in obese adolescents: a comparison of three different diagnostic criteria.

Objective: To investigate the difference in the proportion of adolescents with metabolic syndrome diagnosed based on three different criteria, as well as the use of insulin resistance instead of fasting glucose.

Methods: Cross-sectional study with 121 obese adolescents, between 10 and 14 years old, from public schools of the city of Porto Alegre, Brazil, in 2011. Anthropometric, blood pressure, and biochemical variables were assessed.

Visuospatial deficits and hemispheric perfusion asymmetries in posterior cortical atrophy.

We studied visuospatial performance and obtained brain perfusion scintigraphy in 27 patients with posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) and 24 healthy controls, with two aims: (1) to determine inter-hemispheric perfusion imbalances underlying signs of spatial neglect and (2) to establish the functional substrates of patients' performance on distinct visuospatial tasks (line bisection and target cancellation). Between-groups and correlation analyses were performed on a voxel-wise basis with Statistical Parametric Mapping, and right-to-left hemispheric perfusion ratios were calculated in anatomical regions of interest. Nineteen patients had pathological spatial biases.

Influence of light source and extended time of curing on microhardness and degree of conversion of different regions of a nanofilled composite resin.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different light sources and curing time on the degree of conversion and microhardness of two surfaces within a nanofilled composite resin.

Methods: Four experimental groups (n=10) were formed in accordance with the light source (quartz-tungsten halogen (QTH - 600mW/cm(2)), or light-emitting-diode (LED - 800mW/cm(2))) and the time of curing (20 s or 40 s). The specimens were prepared with a circular mould (5 mm ∅ and 2 mm thick), according to the respective protocol, and the Knoop microhardness and degree of conversion was measured at the top and the base of the specimens.

Body stalk anomaly: adverse maternal outcomes in a series of 21 cases.

Objective: To evaluate the demographic characteristics of cases with body stalk anomaly (BSA) and describe the obstetric outcome.

Method: Retrospective review of a case series of BSA diagnosed from 2000 to 2010.

Results: Among the 21 cases, mean gestational age at diagnosis was 22 weeks (range 11-35 weeks).

Trial of experimental toothpastes regarding quality for cleaning dentures.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of experimental toothpastes for removing denture biofilm by means of a randomized crossover trial. Thirty volunteers brushed their dentures using a brush and four pastes: (1) Corega refreshing mint (control), (2) 0.2% chloramine T, (3) 1.

Statistical evaluation of recurrence quantification analysis applied on single trial evoked potential studies.

Objective: We evaluated the potential of recurrence quantification analysis (RQA) to improve the analysis of trial-by-trial-variability in event-related potentials (ERPs) experiments.

Methods: We use an acoustic oddball paradigm to compare the efficiency of RQA with a linear amplitude based analysis of single trial ERPs with regard to the power to distinguish responses to different tone types. We further probed the robustness of both analyses towards structured noise induced by parallel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Supercritical fluid extraction from spent coffee grounds and coffee husks: antioxidant activity and effect of operational variables on extract composition.

The present study describes the chemical composition and the antioxidant activity of spent coffee grounds and coffee husks extracts, obtained by supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) with CO(2) and with CO(2) and co-solvent. In order to evaluate the high pressure method in terms of process yield, extract composition and antioxidant activity, low pressure methods, such as ultrasound (UE) and soxhlet (SOX) with different organic solvents, were also applied to obtain the extracts. The conditions for the SFE were: temperatures of 313.

Adaptive strategy for multi-user robotic rehabilitation games.

In this paper, we discuss a strategy for the adaptation of the "difficulty level" in games intended to include motor planning during robotic rehabilitation. We consider concurrently the motivation of the user and his/her performance in a Pong game. User motivation is classified in three levels (not motivated, well motivated and overloaded).

Effects of rapid eye movement sleep deprivation on fear extinction recall and prediction error signaling.

In a temporal difference learning approach of classical conditioning, a theoretical error signal shifts from outcome deliverance to the onset of the conditioned stimulus. Omission of an expected outcome results in a negative prediction error signal, which is the initial step towards successful extinction and may therefore be relevant for fear extinction recall. As studies in rodents have observed a bidirectional relationship between fear extinction and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, we aimed to test the hypothesis that REM sleep deprivation impairs recall of fear extinction through prediction error signaling in humans.

Sleep spindles and hippocampal functional connectivity in human NREM sleep.

We investigated human hippocampal functional connectivity in wakefulness and throughout non-rapid eye movement sleep. Young healthy subjects underwent simultaneous EEG and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measurements at 1.5 T under resting conditions in the descent to deep sleep.

[Role of nursing in physical rehabilitation].

This study reviews the literature concerning improvement of rehabilitation nurse role, suggesting paths to reach this goal and evoking a still poorly discussed area. Some questions were raised to provoke reflection and discussion. It is evident, based on the literature, that nurses have a total role in rehabilitation, however the boundaries are not clearly defined.

The neural correlates of negative prediction error signaling in human fear conditioning.

In a temporal difference (TD) learning approach to classical conditioning, a prediction error (PE) signal shifts from outcome deliverance to the onset of the conditioned stimulus. Omission of an expected outcome results in a negative PE signal, which is the initial step towards successful extinction. In order to visualize negative PE signaling during fear conditioning, we employed combined functional magnetic resonance (fMRI) and skin conductance response (SCR) measurements in a conditioning task with visual stimuli and mild electrical shocks.

Development of a large-scale functional brain network during human non-rapid eye movement sleep.

Graph theoretical analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) time series has revealed a small-world organization of slow-frequency blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal fluctuations during wakeful resting. In this study, we used graph theoretical measures to explore how physiological changes during sleep are reflected in functional connectivity and small-world network properties of a large-scale, low-frequency functional brain network. Twenty-five young and healthy participants fell asleep during a 26.

Visual neglect in posterior cortical atrophy.

Background: In posterior cortical atrophy (PCA), there is a progressive impairment of high-level visual functions and parietal damage, which might predict the occurrence of visual neglect. However, neglect may pass undetected if not assessed with specific tests, and might therefore be underestimated in PCA. In this prospective study, we aimed at establishing the side, the frequency and the severity of visual neglect, visual extinction, and primary visual field defects in an unselected sample of PCA patients.

The neural correlates and temporal sequence of the relationship between shock exposure, disturbed sleep and impaired consolidation of fear extinction.

Consolidation of extinction learning is a primary mechanism disrupted in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), associated with hypoactivity of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. A role for rapid eye movement (REM) sleep disturbances in this failure to consolidate extinction learning has been proposed. We performed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with simultaneous skin conductance response (SCR) measurements in 16 healthy participants during conditioning/extinction and later recall of extinction.

The importance of acoustic reflex for communication.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to compare the speech recognition capacity between listeners with and without acoustic reflex using different types of noises and intensities.

Materials And Methods: We studied 18 women allocated to 2 groups: acoustic reflex present (20 ears) and absent (16 ears). They were presented with 180 disyllable words (90 to each ear), emitted randomly at a fixed intensity of 40 dB above the pure tone average hearing level.

Congenital hydrocephalus: gestational and neonatal outcomes.

Purpose: To evaluate gestational and neonatal outcomes in pregnancies complicated by fetal hydrocephalus.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of 287 cases of fetal hydrocephalus followed at the Fetal Medicine Unit of the University of Campinas in the period of 1996 to 2006.

Results: Mean maternal age was 25 years, mean gestational age at diagnosis was 27 weeks.

Acoustic oddball during NREM sleep: a combined EEG/fMRI study.

Background: A condition vital for the consolidation and maintenance of sleep is generally reduced responsiveness to external stimuli. Despite this, the sleeper maintains a level of stimulus processing that allows to respond to potentially dangerous environmental signals. The mechanisms that subserve these contradictory functions are only incompletely understood.