Rat movements reflect internal decision dynamics in an evidence accumulation task.

Perceptual decision-making involves multiple cognitive processes, including accumulation of sensory evidence, planning, and executing a motor action. How these processes are intertwined is unclear; some models assume that decision-related processes precede motor execution, whereas others propose that movements reflecting ongoing decision processes occur before commitment to a choice. Here we combine two complementary methods to study the relationship between decision processes and the movements leading up to a choice.

Photosealed Neurorrhaphy Using Autologous Tissue.

Photochemical sealing of a nerve wrap over the repair site isolates and optimizes the regenerating nerve microenvironment. To facilitate clinical adoption of the technology, we investigated photosealed autologous tissue in a rodent sciatic nerve transection and repair model. Rats underwent transection of the sciatic nerve with repair performed in three groups: standard microsurgical neurorrhaphy (SN) and photochemical sealing with a crosslinked human amnion (xHAM) or autologous vein.

Magnetic voluntary head-fixation in transgenic rats enables lifespan imaging of hippocampal neurons.

The precise neural mechanisms within the brain that contribute to the remarkable lifetime persistence of memory are not fully understood. Two-photon calcium imaging allows the activity of individual cells to be followed across long periods, but conventional approaches require head-fixation, which limits the type of behavior that can be studied. We present a magnetic voluntary head-fixation system that provides stable optical access to the brain during complex behavior.

A cross-species framework for investigating perceptual evidence accumulation.

Unlabelled: Cross-species studies are important for a comprehensive understanding of brain functions. However, direct quantitative comparison of behaviors across species presents a significant challenge. To enable such comparisons in perceptual decision-making, we developed a synchronized evidence accumulation task for human and non-human animals, by aligning mechanics, stimuli, and training.

In vivo imaging in transgenic songbirds reveals superdiffusive neuron migration in the adult brain.

Neuron migration is a key phase of neurogenesis, critical for the assembly and function of neuronal circuits. In songbirds, this process continues throughout life, but how these newborn neurons disperse through the adult brain is unclear. We address this question using in vivo two-photon imaging in transgenic zebra finches that express GFP in young neurons and other cell types.

Advances in cellular resolution microscopy for brain imaging in rats.

Rats are used in neuroscience research because of their physiological similarities with humans and accessibility as model organisms, trainability, and behavioral repertoire. In particular, rats perform a wide range of sophisticated social, cognitive, motor, and learning behaviors within the contexts of both naturalistic and laboratory environments. Further progress in neuroscience can be facilitated by using advanced imaging methods to measure the complex neural and physiological processes during behavior in rats.

Rat movements reflect internal decision dynamics in an evidence accumulation task.

Perceptual decision-making involves multiple cognitive processes, including accumulation of sensory evidence, planning, and executing a motor action. How these processes are intertwined is unclear; some models assume that decision-related processes precede motor execution, whereas others propose that movements reflecting on-going decision processes occur before commitment to a choice. Here we develop and apply two complementary methods to study the relationship between decision processes and the movements leading up to a choice.

Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Reduction of Gastroesophageal Intussusception With Gastropexy.

We report the rare case of a 71-year-old man with a medical history including dysphagia, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and achalasia with remote open transthoracic Heller myotomy who presented acutely with symptoms of esophageal obstruction. Sustained gastroesophageal intussusception was diagnosed with esophagogastroduodenoscopy and computed tomography. The patient underwent urgent robot-assisted laparoscopic reduction with gastropexy.

Assessing evidence accumulation and rule learning in humans with an online game.

Evidence accumulation, an essential component of perception and decision making, is frequently studied with psychophysical tasks involving noisy or ambiguous stimuli. In these tasks, participants typically receive verbal or written instructions that describe the strategy that should be used to guide decisions. Although convenient and effective, explicit instructions can influence learning and decision making strategies and can limit comparisons with animal models, in which behaviors are reinforced through feedback.

Everything, everywhere, all at once: Functional specialization and distributed coding in the cerebral cortex.

In this issue of Neuron, Tseng and colleagues reveal functional gradients in the mouse posterior cortex that reconcile specialized and distributed processing during flexible, goal-directed navigation.

Surgical Approaches for Prevention of Neuroma at Time of Peripheral Nerve Injury.

Painful neuroma is a frequent sequela of peripheral nerve injury which can result in pain and decreased quality of life for the patient, often necessitating surgical intervention. End neuromas are benign neural tumors that commonly form after nerve transection, when axons from the proximal nerve stump regenerate in a disorganized manner in an attempt to recreate nerve continuity. Inflammation and collagen remodeling leads to a bulbous end neuroma which can become symptomatic and result in decreased quality of life.

Light-Activated Vascular Anastomosis.

. There have been few advances in technique since vascular anastomosis was performed with silk suture on a curved needle in 1902. This technique results in disruption of the endothelium with exposed intraluminal suture, both of which may lead to thrombocyte aggregation, intimal hyperplasia, and vascular stenosis.

GraFT: Graph Filtered Temporal Dictionary Learning for Functional Neural Imaging.

Optical imaging of calcium signals in the brain has enabled researchers to observe the activity of hundreds-to-thousands of individual neurons simultaneously. Current methods predominantly use morphological information, typically focusing on expected shapes of cell bodies, to better identify neurons in the field-of-view. The explicit shape constraints limit the applicability of automated cell identification to other important imaging scales with more complex morphologies, e.

A Photosealed Cap Prevents Disorganized Axonal Regeneration and Neuroma following Nerve Transection in Rats.

Unlabelled: Neuroma is a common sequela of traumatic peripheral nerve injury that can result in pain and decreased quality of life for patients. Neuromas result from axonal outgrowth in an attempt to reestablish continuity with the disrupted distal nerve end. Photosealing is a light-activated technique whereby tissues can be securely isolated in a strong and secure manner.

Light-activated photosealing with human amniotic membrane strengthens bowel anastomosis in a hypotensive, trauma-relevant swine model.

Background: Gastrointestinal anastomotic leakage is a dreaded complication despite advancements in surgical technique. Photochemical tissue bonding (PTB) is a method of sealing tissue surfaces utilizing photoactive dye. We evaluated if crosslinked human amniotic membrane (xHAM) photosealed over the enteroenterostomy would augment anastomotic strength in a trauma-relevant swine hemorrhagic shock model.

Readability and Understandability Analysis of Online Materials Related to Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair.

Background: Patients commonly use online materials as a source of health information. Since poor health literacy has been shown to correlate with negative outcomes, it is recommended that patient-directed materials be written at a sixth-grade reading level. This study evaluates the readability and understandability of commonly accessed online materials pertaining to both endovascular and open repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Gallbladder volvulus in a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia treated with laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Gallbladder volvulus is a rare condition that most commonly occurs in elderly women and often mimics acute cholecystitis in its presentation. This condition is a surgical emergency requiring cholecystectomy as it can lead to gallbladder perforation and bilious peritonitis with high morbidity to the patient. An 85-year-old woman with chronic lymphocytic leukemia presented with acute-onset right upper-quadrant abdominal pain and associated nausea with emesis.

Robot-Assisted Thoracoscopic Mediastinal Parathyroidectomy: A Single Surgeon Case Series.

Minimally invasive (video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery) mediastinal parathyroidectomy has been described as a technique for surgical management of primary hyperparathyroidism due to ectopic parathyroid adenoma. Herein, we present the largest cohort of patients ( = 8) treated with robot-assisted mediastinal parathyroidectomy and describe our technique for this procedure, pre- and intraoperative variables, and postoperative outcomes. A single surgeon, single institution case series of eight consecutive robot-assisted mediastinal parathyroidectomies performed from April 2013 to March 2018.

Government Legislation in Response to the Opioid Epidemic.

Purpose Of Review: Opioid misuse and abuse in the USA has evolved into an epidemic of tragic pain and suffering, resulting in the estimated death of over 64,000 people in 2016. Governmental regulation has escalated alongside growing awareness of the epidemic's severity, both on the state and federal levels.

Recent Findings: This article reviews the timeline of government interventions from the late 1990s to today, including the declaration of the opioid crisis as a national public health emergency and the resultant changes in funding and policy across myriad agencies.

Safety Profiles of Fat Processing Techniques in Autologous Fat Transfer for Breast Reconstruction.

Background: Autologous fat transfer is common in breast reconstruction because of its versatility for use in contour deformities. The authors examined three different fat grafting processing techniques for complications and safety profile using their institutional database.

Methods: Retrospective review was performed of patients from a single institution who had undergone autologous fat transfer following breast reconstruction from 2012 to 2016.

Imaging Cortical Dynamics in GCaMP Transgenic Rats with a Head-Mounted Widefield Macroscope.

Widefield imaging of calcium dynamics is an emerging method for mapping regional neural activity but is currently limited to restrained animals. Here we describe cScope, a head-mounted widefield macroscope developed to image large-scale cortical dynamics in rats during natural behavior. cScope provides a 7.

Common Hepatic Artery Abutment or Encasement Is an Adverse Prognostic Factor in Patients with Borderline and Unresectable Pancreatic Cancer.

Background: Localized and unresectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) comprises one third of new diagnoses and includes borderline resectable (BR) and locally advanced (LA) unresectable disease. In a cohort of patients who were treated and followed at a single institution, we assessed clinical and radiographic predictors of outcome.

Methods: The study included 69 consecutive patients with BR or LA PDA.