Overexpression of the schizophrenia risk gene C4 in PV cells drives sex-dependent behavioral deficits and circuit dysfunction.

Fast-spiking parvalbumin (PV)-positive cells are key players in orchestrating pyramidal neuron activity, and their dysfunction is consistently observed in myriad brain diseases. To understand how immune complement dysregulation - a prevalent locus of brain disease etiology - in PV cells may drive disease pathogenesis, we have developed a transgenic mouse line that permits cell-type specific overexpression of the schizophrenia-associated complement component 4 () gene. We found that overexpression of mouse () in PV cells causes sex-specific behavioral alterations and concomitant deficits in synaptic connectivity and excitability of PV cells of the prefrontal cortex.

fNIRS Dataset During Complex Scene Analysis.

When analyzing complex scenes, humans often focus their attention on an object at a particular spatial location. The ability to decode the attended spatial location would facilitate brain computer interfaces for complex scene analysis (CSA). Here, we investigated capability of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to decode audio-visual spatial attention in the presence of competing stimuli from multiple locations.

A robust and compact population code for competing sounds in auditory cortex.

Cortical circuits encoding sensory information consist of populations of neurons, yet how information aggregates via pooling individual cells remains poorly understood. Such pooling may be particularly important in noisy settings where single-neuron encoding is degraded. One example is the cocktail party problem, with competing sounds from multiple spatial locations.

Parvalbumin neurons enhance temporal coding and reduce cortical noise in complex auditory scenes.

Cortical representations supporting many cognitive abilities emerge from underlying circuits comprised of several different cell types. However, cell type-specific contributions to rate and timing-based cortical coding are not well-understood. Here, we investigated the role of parvalbumin neurons in cortical complex scene analysis.

Diagnostic Performance of Ultrasonography Versus Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography in Biliary Obstruction.

Background In a suspected case of biliary obstruction with clinical and laboratory data suggesting obstructive jaundice, the major goal is to confirm the presence of obstruction, its nature and cause, location, and extent. Ultrasonography (USG) and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) are primarily used to diagnose suspected biliary tract illnesses. The aim of the study is to evaluate and compare the accuracy of MRCP and USG with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)/surgical/histopathological outcomes for finding the cause and level of obstruction in the case of clinically suspected biliary obstruction.

An Effect of Gaze Direction in Cocktail Party Listening.

It is well established that gaze direction can influence auditory spatial perception, but the implications of this interaction for performance in complex listening tasks is unclear. In the current study, we investigated whether there is a measurable effect of gaze direction on speech intelligibility in a "cocktail party" listening situation. We presented sequences of digits from five loudspeakers positioned at 0°,  ±  15°, and ± 30° azimuth, and asked participants to repeat back the digits presented from a designated target loudspeaker.

A biologically oriented algorithm for spatial sound segregation.

Listening in an acoustically cluttered scene remains a difficult task for both machines and hearing-impaired listeners. Normal-hearing listeners accomplish this task with relative ease by segregating the scene into its constituent sound sources, then selecting and attending to a target source. An assistive listening device that mimics the biological mechanisms underlying this behavior may provide an effective solution for those with difficulty listening in acoustically cluttered environments (e.

Evaluation of Sequential Head Computed Tomography in Traumatic Brain Injuries.

Background: The grading of the severity of head trauma plays a vital role in acute patient management and planning a case-appropriate follow-up protocol. Few studies have been published regarding the Rotterdam scoring. In this study, we have established a correlation between the Rotterdam scores, need for sequential CTs, and the cumulative radiation dose.

Barotrauma and its complications in COVID-19 patients: a retrospective study at tertiary care hospital of Eastern India.

Background: The development of barotrauma in COVID-19 patients who were ventilated and admitted to the intensive treatment unit seemed to have been a problematic issue in the COVID era. This study aimed to explore the possibility of developing the barotrauma-related issues with mechanical ventilation in the cases of individuals suffering from COVID-19.

Results: Out of 48 patients who developed barotrauma, 30 (62.

Deep Transfer Learning for Automatic Prediction of Hemorrhagic Stroke on CT Images.

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is the most common type of hemorrhagic stroke which occurs due to ruptures of weakened blood vessel in brain tissue. It is a serious medical emergency issues that needs immediate treatment. Large numbers of noncontrast-computed tomography (NCCT) brain images are analyzed manually by radiologists to diagnose the hemorrhagic stroke, which is a difficult and time-consuming process.

Emphysematous epididymo-orchitis: An unusual case report.

Introduction: Emphysematous epididymo-orchitis in the young to middle age groups without any comorbidity like diabetes or metabolic disorders is an uncommon entity.

Case Report: We present a case of a nondiabetic young patient, diagnosed with emphysematous epididymo-orchitis as a sequela to urinary tract infection.

Discussion: Clinically differentiating diagnoses of the acute scrotum may be difficult and ultrasound can be used reliably as the initial modality showing the presence of air for early diagnosis.

AIM: A network model of attention in auditory cortex.

Attentional modulation of cortical networks is critical for the cognitive flexibility required to process complex scenes. Current theoretical frameworks for attention are based almost exclusively on studies in visual cortex, where attentional effects are typically modest and excitatory. In contrast, attentional effects in auditory cortex can be large and suppressive.

Ultrasonography: An Unchartered Modality in the Current Pandemic - A Study among Patients Admitted in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit.

Background: The objectives were to perform an analysis of lung ultrasonography (LUS) findings in severely ill patients with novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) and to compare the accuracy with high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of the thorax.

Methods: Sixty-two intensive care unit (ICU) patients with COVID-19 were evaluated during their hospital stay. LUS was performed with convex and linear transducers using a designated ultrasonography machine placed in the COVID-19 ICU.

Multiple intracranial cryptococcomas in an immunocompetent patient with pulmonary involvement.

Opportunistic infections affecting central nervous system (CNS) have high prevalence in developing countries and cryptococcosis is one of them. It is associated with myriad of signs symptoms and clinical behavior. Though commonly associated with AIDS/HIV infection, it has been reported to be pathogenic in immunocompetent patients.

A comparative study of antibacterial and antifungal activities of extracts from four indigenous plants.

A repetitive and wide use of chemical antibiotics has brought a serious threat in the biomedical and clinical sectors by the emergence of multidrug resistant pathogens. Plants have secondary metabolites that make them suitable candidate for natural antimicrobial agent without any side effect. In this study, we assessed comparative antibacterial and antifungal effects of extracts from four Indigenous plants (Nerium sp; Mentha sp; Aloe vera and Eucalyptus sp).

Evaluation of intrahepatic and extrahepatic biliary tree anatomy and its variation by magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography in Odisha population: a retrospective study.

Intrahepatic and extrahepatic anatomical knowledge is essential for pre procedural planning of liver transplantation, liver resection, complex biliary reconstruction and radiological biliary tree intervention. Indian data of biliary anatomy and its variation is scant in literature. The aim of our study is to find out the prevalence of common and uncommon pattern of biliary tree anatomy in magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) in our population.

Physiological and biochemical responses of Amaranthus cruentus to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon pollution caused by thermal power units.

Pollution due to release of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from thermal power plants is a major global issue as the same is highly toxic and carcinogenic. The current research aims to investigate the responses of a dietary plant Amaranthus cruentus towards PAH pollution. For the said purpose, the plant was collected from agricultural land in close vicinity to thermal power units and the effects of PAH pollution on its chlorophyll and various nutraceutical content was evaluated.

A Physiologically Inspired Model for Solving the Cocktail Party Problem.

At a cocktail party, we can broadly monitor the entire acoustic scene to detect important cues (e.g., our names being called, or the fire alarm going off), or selectively listen to a target sound source (e.

Muscarinic receptors regulate auditory and prefrontal cortical communication during auditory processing.

Much of our understanding about how acetylcholine modulates prefrontal cortical (PFC) networks comes from behavioral experiments that examine cortical dynamics during highly attentive states. However, much less is known about how PFC is recruited during passive sensory processing and how acetylcholine may regulate connectivity between cortical areas outside of task performance. To investigate the involvement of PFC and cholinergic neuromodulation in passive auditory processing, we performed simultaneous recordings in the auditory cortex (AC) and PFC in awake head fixed mice presented with a white noise auditory stimulus in the presence or absence of local cholinergic antagonists in AC.

Critical analysis and mapping of research trends and impact assessment of polyaromatic hydrocarbon accumulation in leaves: let history tell the future.

The article is basically an attempt to provide a consolidated report on impact assessment and trends in research pertaining to accumulation and curbing the menace of polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) accumulation in leaves. Emphasis is given to understand the consequences of the fact that edible/medicinal plants cultivated in PAH contaminated soil or close to such places which are potential liberators of PAHs can virtually act as transporters for direct PAH entry into biological systems. An attempt has been made to predict the future by digging out golden facts from history.

A Novel Triage Tool: Optic Nerve Sheath Diameter in Traumatic Brain Injury and its Correlation to Rotterdam Computed Tomography (CT) Scoring.

Background: Optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) evaluated in CT imaging as well as Rotterdam CT Score (RCTS) are proven independent predictors of outcome in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). To date, no study has correlated ONSD on admission CT scan with RCTS.

Material/methods: Retrospective cohort study comprised of consecutive patients undergoing CT imaging for traumatic brain injury recruited between January and October 2015.

A Decline in Response Variability Improves Neural Signal Detection during Auditory Task Performance.

Unlabelled: The detection of a sensory stimulus arises from a significant change in neural activity, but a sensory neuron's response is rarely identical to successive presentations of the same stimulus. Large trial-to-trial variability would limit the central nervous system's ability to reliably detect a stimulus, presumably affecting perceptual performance. However, if response variability were to decrease while firing rate remained constant, then neural sensitivity could improve.

Interactions across Multiple Stimulus Dimensions in Primary Auditory Cortex.

Although sensory cortex is thought to be important for the perception of complex objects, its specific role in representing complex stimuli remains unknown. Complex objects are rich in information along multiple stimulus dimensions. The position of cortex in the sensory hierarchy suggests that cortical neurons may integrate across these dimensions to form a more gestalt representation of auditory objects.