Breakdown in the temporal and spatial organization of spontaneous brain activity during general anesthesia.

Which temporal features that can characterize different brain states (i.e., consciousness or unconsciousness) is a fundamental question in the neuroscience of consciousness.

Tumor Tissue Detection using Blood-Oxygen-Level-Dependent Functional MRI based on Independent Component Analysis.

Accurate delineation of gliomas from the surrounding normal brain areas helps maximize tumor resection and improves outcome. Blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) functional MRI (fMRI) has been routinely adopted for presurgical mapping of the surrounding functional areas. For completely utilizing such imaging data, here we show the feasibility of using presurgical fMRI for tumor delineation.

Origin of Fracture-Resistance to Large Volume Change in Cu-Substituted Co O Electrodes.

The electrode materials conducive to conversion reactions undergo large volume change in cycles which restrict their further development. It has been demonstrated that incorporation of a third element into metal oxides can improve the cycling stability while the mechanism remains unknown. Here, an in situ and ex situ electron microscopy investigation of structural evolutions of Cu-substituted Co O supplemented by first-principles calculations is reported to reveal the mechanism.

How much is enough-Can resting state fMRI provide a demarcation for neurosurgical resection in glioma?

This study represents a systematic review of the insights provided by resting state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) use in the glioma population. Following PRISMA guidelines, 45 studies were included in the review and were classified in glioma-related neuronal changes (n=28) and eloquent area localization (n=17). Despite the heterogeneous nature of the studies, there is considerable evidence of diffuse functional reorganization occurring in the setting of gliomas with local and interhemispheric functional connectivity alterations involving different functional networks.

Tai Chi Chuan and Baduanjin Mind-Body Training Changes Resting-State Low-Frequency Fluctuations in the Frontal Lobe of Older Adults: A Resting-State fMRI Study.

Age-related cognitive decline is a significant public health concern. Recently, non-pharmacological methods, such as physical activity and mental training practices, have emerged as promising low-cost methods to slow the progression of age-related memory decline. In this study, we investigated if Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) and Baduanjin modulated the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF) in different frequency bands (low-frequency: 0.

An automated method for identifying an independent component analysis-based language-related resting-state network in brain tumor subjects for surgical planning.

As a noninvasive and "task-free" technique, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) has been gradually applied to pre-surgical functional mapping. Independent component analysis (ICA)-based mapping has shown advantage, as no a priori information is required. We developed an automated method for identifying language network in brain tumor subjects using ICA on rs-fMRI.

Tai Chi Chuan and Baduanjin Increase Grey Matter Volume in Older Adults: A Brain Imaging Study.

The aim of this study is to investigate and compare how 12-weeks of Tai Chi Chuan and Baduanjin exercise can modulate brain structure and memory function in older adults. Magnetic resonance imaging and memory function measurements (Wechsler Memory Scale-Chinese revised, WMS-CR) were applied at both the beginning and end of the study. Results showed that both Tai Chi Chuan and Baduanjin could significantly increase grey matter volume (GMV) in the insula, medial temporal lobe, and putamen after 12-weeks of exercise.

Deterministic Symmetry Breaking of Plasmonic Nanostructures Enabled by DNA-Programmable Assembly.

The physical properties of matter rely fundamentally on the symmetry of constituent building blocks. This is particularly true for structures that interact with light via the collective motion of their conduction electrons (i.e.

Increased half-life and enhanced potency of Fc-modified human PCSK9 monoclonal antibodies in primates.

Blocking proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9 (PCSK9) binding to low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) can profoundly lower plasma LDL levels. Two anti-PCKS9 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), alirocumab and evolocumab, were approved by the FDA in 2015. The recommended dose is 75 mg to 150 mg every two weeks for alirocumab and 140mg every two weeks or 420 mg once a month for evolocumab.

Adult IDH wild-type lower-grade gliomas should be further stratified.

Background: Astrocytoma of the isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) wild-type gene is described as a provisional entity within the new World Health Organization (WHO) classification. Some groups believe that IDH wild-type lower-grade gliomas, when interrogated for other biomarkers, will mostly turn out to be glioblastoma. We hypothesize that not all IDH wild-type lower-grade gliomas have very poor outcomes and the group could be substratified prognostically.

Measuring the Autocorrelation Function of Nanoscale Three-Dimensional Density Distribution in Individual Cells Using Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy, Atomic Force Microscopy, and a New Deconvolution Algorithm.

Essentially all biological processes are highly dependent on the nanoscale architecture of the cellular components where these processes take place. Statistical measures, such as the autocorrelation function (ACF) of the three-dimensional (3D) mass-density distribution, are widely used to characterize cellular nanostructure. However, conventional methods of reconstruction of the deterministic 3D mass-density distribution, from which these statistical measures can be calculated, have been inadequate for thick biological structures, such as whole cells, due to the conflict between the need for nanoscale resolution and its inverse relationship with thickness after conventional tomographic reconstruction.

Comprehensive Enhancement of Nanostructured Lithium-Ion Battery Cathode Materials via Conformal Graphene Dispersion.

Efficient energy storage systems based on lithium-ion batteries represent a critical technology across many sectors including consumer electronics, electrified transportation, and a smart grid accommodating intermittent renewable energy sources. Nanostructured electrode materials present compelling opportunities for high-performance lithium-ion batteries, but inherent problems related to the high surface area to volume ratios at the nanometer-scale have impeded their adoption for commercial applications. Here, we demonstrate a materials and processing platform that realizes high-performance nanostructured lithium manganese oxide (nano-LMO) spinel cathodes with conformal graphene coatings as a conductive additive.

Unforgettable Ups and Downs of Acupuncture Anesthesia in China.

Background: Acupuncture anesthesia originated from the pain relief and pain prevention theory in acupuncture and moxibustion. This technique is a new exploration of anesthesiology and an original achievement of China, representing a landmark combination of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western medicine.

Objectives: The aim of this historical vignette to introduce acupuncture anesthesia with its meaningful history, especially the use in neurosurgery to the public.

Comprehensive preoperative work-up and surgical treatment of low grade tumor/benign lesion related temporal lobe epilepsy.

Objective: Generally low-grade tumor/benign lesion related temporal lobe epilepsy (LGT/BL-TLE) is considered easier to treat and has better prognosis when compared to non-lesional TLE. However, multiple disputes exist in surgical management of this epilepsy entity. This study aims to discuss comprehensive preoperative work-up, surgical strategies and outcome of it.

Reversible Li-Ion Conversion Reaction for a TiGe Alloy in a Ti/Ge Multilayer.

Group IV intermetallics electrochemically alloy with Li with stoichiometries as high as LiM (M = Si, Ge, Sn, or Pb). This provides the second highest known specific capacity (after pure lithium metal) for lithium-ion batteries, but the dramatic volume change during cycling greatly limits their use as anodes in Li-ion batteries. We describe an approach to overcome this limitation by constructing electrodes using a Ge/Ti multilayer architecture.

Multivoxel magnetic resonance spectroscopy identifies enriched foci of cancer stem-like cells in high-grade gliomas.

Objective: This study investigated the correlation between choline/creatine (Cho/Cr) ratios determined by multivoxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H-MRS) and the distribution of cancer stem-like cells (CSLCs) in high-grade gliomas.

Patients And Methods: Sixteen patients with high-grade gliomas were recruited and underwent H-MRS examination before surgery to identify distinct tumor regions with variable Cho/Cr ratios. Using intraoperative neuronavigation, tumor tissues were accurately sampled from regions with high and low Cho/Cr ratios within each tumor.

Exploring Lithium-Cobalt-Nickel Oxide Spinel Electrodes for ≥3.5 V Li-Ion Cells.

Recent reports have indicated that a manganese oxide spinel component, when embedded in a relatively small concentration in layered xLiMnO·(1-x)LiMO (M = Ni, Mn, or Co) electrode systems, can act as a stabilizer that increases their capacity, rate capability, cycle life, and first-cycle efficiency. These findings prompted us to explore the possibility of exploiting lithiated cobalt oxide spinel stabilizers by taking advantage of (1) the low mobility of cobalt ions relative to that of manganese and nickel ions in close-packed oxides and (2) their higher potential (∼3.6 V vs Li) relative to manganese oxide spinels (∼2.

Carbon-Coated Nickel Phosphide Nanosheets as Efficient Dual-Electrocatalyst for Overall Water Splitting.

Low-cost and efficient electrocatalysts for overall water splitting are in high demand for a wide range of applications across renewable and clean energy. Here, we report a simple one-step synthesis of a three-dimensional (3D) carbon-coated NiP nanosheet array as bifunctional catalyst for both hydrogen evolution reactions (HER) and oxygen evolution reactions (OER). The nanosheet array possesses low overpotentials, high current densities, and small Tafel slopes in both HER and OER and shows high electrocatalytic activities and long-term stability.

Electrochemistry of Selenium with Sodium and Lithium: Kinetics and Reaction Mechanism.

There are economic and environmental advantages by replacing Li with Na in energy storage. However, sluggishness in the charge/discharge reaction and low capacity are among the major obstacles to development of high-power sodium-ion batteries. Among the electrode materials recently developed for sodium-ion batteries, selenium shows considerable promise because of its high capacity and good cycling ability.

MicroRNA-206 Inhibited the Progression of Glioblastoma Through BCL-2.

Gliomas are the most common type of brain tumor and have a poor prognosis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small, endogenous, and non-coding RNAs that play crucial roles in cell proliferation, survival, and invasion. Deregulated expression of miR-206 has been investigated in many cancers.

Not all 1p/19q non-codeleted oligodendroglial tumors are astrocytic.

Although 1p/19q codeletion is the genetic hallmark defining oligodendrogliomas, approximately 30-40% of oligodendroglial tumors have intact 1p/19q in the literature and they demonstrate a worse prognosis. This group of 1p/19q intact oligodendroglial tumors is frequently suggested to be astrocytic in nature with TP53 and ATRX mutations but actually remains under-investigated. In the present study, we provided evidence that not all 1p/19q intact oligodendroglial tumors are astrocytic through histologic and molecular approaches.

Ultrahard stitching of nanotwinned diamond and cubic boron nitride in C2-BN composite.

Materials combining the hardness and strength of diamond with the higher thermal stability of cubic boron nitride (cBN) have broad potential value in science and engineering. Reacting nanodiamond with cBN at moderate pressures and high temperatures provides a pathway to such materials. Here we report the fabrication of Cx-BN nanocomposites, measuring up to 10 mm in longest dimension, by reacting nanodiamond with pre-synthesized cBN in a large-volume press.