An AI-Driven Model of Consciousness, Its Disorders, and Their Treatment.

Understanding the neural signatures of consciousness and the mechanisms underlying its disorders, such as coma and unresponsive wakefulness syndrome, remains a critical challenge in neuroscience. In this study, we present a novel computational approach for the in silico discovery of neural correlates of consciousness, the mechanisms driving its disorders, and potential treatment strategies. Inspired by generative adversarial networks, which have driven recent advancements in generative artificial intelligence (AI), we trained deep neural networks to detect consciousness across multiple brain areas and species, including humans.

Successful surgical repair of a huge left ventricular pseudoaneurysm after repair of left ventricular rupture during mitral valve replacement.

A 78-year-old man underwent pericardial patch repair for left ventricular (LV) rupture during mitral valve replacement. After the first operation, a huge (>10 cm) LV pseudoaneurysm was detected, necessitating reoperation. LV rupture is a rare but often fatal complication of mitral valve replacement.

A case of minimum invasive debranch thoracic endovascular aortic repair for isolated left vertebral artery: complete revascularization without artificial vessels via a single small incision.

Isolated left vertebral artery (ILVA) is one of the most frequent vertebral abnormalities. When performing thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR), the ILVA may have to be closed depending on the position of the stent graft; in these cases, the decision to reconstruct the ILVA depends on the state of cerebral blood flow. Here, we report a case of a 68-year-old male, in whom the Willis arterial circle was incomplete; we therefore performed a reconstructive method during zone 2-landing TEVAR that ensured ILVA and left subclavian artery blood flow without the use of artificial vessels.

Comparison of Linear and Nonlinear Twist Extrusion Processes with Crystal Plasticity Finite Element Analysis.

The mechanical characteristics of polycrystalline metallic materials are influenced significantly by various microstructural parameters, one of which is the grain size. Specifically, the strength and the toughness of polycrystalline metals exhibit enhancement as the grain size is reduced. Applying severe plastic deformations (SPDs) has a noticeable result in obtaining metallic materials with ultrafine-grained (UFG) microstructure.

Criticality supports cross-frequency cortical-thalamic information transfer during conscious states.

Consciousness is thought to be regulated by bidirectional information transfer between the cortex and thalamus, but the nature of this bidirectional communication - and its possible disruption in unconsciousness - remains poorly understood. Here, we present two main findings elucidating mechanisms of corticothalamic information transfer during conscious states. First, we identify a highly preserved spectral channel of cortical-thalamic communication that is present during conscious states, but which is diminished during the loss of consciousness and enhanced during psychedelic states.

Effect of pre-rolling aging treatment on evolutions of the microstructure and the texture of aluminium alloy 7005 subjected to heavy cold rolling.

Aluminium alloy 7005 is widely used for structural purposes because of its attractive properties such as good weldability and age-hardening capability. However, since the workability of this alloy falls after a short period of natural aging, the application of cold rolling for the production of strain-hardened sheets of this alloy is a challenge. Two solutions proposed to overcome this challenge are as follows: (a) immediate rolling of the alloy after solution treatment and (b) rolling of the alloy after artificial aging.

Endovascular Reintervention for Stent-Graft Dislocation after Open Surgical Conversion for Thoracoabdominal Aortic Aneurysm Treated by Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair.

Complex anatomical restrictions can lead to further interventions after the emergence of a postoperative aneurysm enlargement in thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for a thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA). A 75-year-old male underwent a TEVAR for a Crawford extent I TAAA. The main device and the distal extension were placed using a fenestrated technique, outside of the instructions for use.

CUX2 deficiency causes facilitation of excitatory synaptic transmission onto hippocampus and increased seizure susceptibility to kainate.

CUX2 gene encodes a transcription factor that controls neuronal proliferation, dendrite branching and synapse formation, locating at the epilepsy-associated chromosomal region 12q24 that we previously identified by a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in Japanese population. A CUX2 recurrent de novo variant p.E590K has been described in patients with rare epileptic encephalopathies and the gene is a candidate for the locus, however the mutation may not be enough to generate the genome-wide significance in the GWAS and whether CUX2 variants appear in other types of epilepsies and physiopathological mechanisms are remained to be investigated.

The Early Introduction of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Postcardiotomy Cardiogenic Shock Does Not Improve 30-Day Mortality Rates in Low-Volume Centers.

Background and objective Postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock (PCS) is one of the most critical conditions observed in cardiac surgery. Recently, the early initiation of venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) has been recommended for PCS patients to ensure end-organ perfusion, especially in high-volume centers. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of earlier initiation of VA-ECMO for PCS in low-volume centers.

Corrosion Behavior of Ultrafine-Grained CoCrFeMnNi High-Entropy Alloys Fabricated by High-Pressure Torsion.

The influence of the nanocrystalline structure produced by severe plastic deformation (SPD) on the corrosion behavior of CoCrFeMnNi alloys with Cr contents ranging from 0 to 20 at.% was investigated in aqueous 0.5 M HSO and 3.

Brain-specific heterozygous loss-of-function of ATP2A2, endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ pump responsible for Darier's disease, causes behavioral abnormalities and a hyper-dopaminergic state.

A report of a family of Darier's disease with mood disorders drew attention when the causative gene was identified as ATP2A2 (or SERCA2), which encodes a Ca2+ pump on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane and is important for intracellular Ca2+ signaling. Recently, it was found that loss-of-function mutations of ATP2A2 confer a risk of neuropsychiatric disorders including depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. In addition, a genome-wide association study found an association between ATP2A2 and schizophrenia.

K3.1 channels regulate the rate of critical period plasticity.

Experience-dependent plasticity within visual cortex is controlled by postnatal maturation of inhibitory circuits, which are both morphologically diverse and precisely connected. Gene-targeted disruption of the voltage-dependent potassium channel K3.1 broadens action potentials and reduces net inhibitory function of parvalbumin (PV)-positive GABA subtypes within the neocortex.

Analysis of a Methanogen and an Actinobacterium Dominating the Thermophilic Microbial Community of an Electromethanogenic Biocathode.

Electromethanogenesis refers to the bioelectrochemical synthesis of methane from CO by biocathodes. In an electromethanogenic system using thermophilic microorganisms, metagenomic analysis along with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and fluorescence hybridization revealed that the biocathode microbiota was dominated by the methanogen sp. strain EMTCatA1 and the actinobacterium sp.

Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule like-1 (DSCAML1) links the GABA system and seizure susceptibility.

The Ihara epileptic rat (IER) is a mutant model with limbic-like seizures whose pathology and causative gene remain elusive. In this report, via linkage analysis, we identified Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule-like 1(Dscaml1) as the responsible gene for IER. A single base mutation in Dscaml1 causes abnormal splicing, leading to lack of DSCAML1.

CRISPR/dCas9-based Scn1a gene activation in inhibitory neurons ameliorates epileptic and behavioral phenotypes of Dravet syndrome model mice.

Dravet syndrome is a severe infantile-onset epileptic encephalopathy which begins with febrile seizures and is caused by heterozygous loss-of-function mutations of the voltage-gated sodium channel gene SCN1A. We designed a CRISPR-based gene therapy for Scn1a-haplodeficient mice using multiple guide RNAs (gRNAs) in the promoter regions together with the nuclease-deficient Cas9 fused to transcription activators (dCas9-VPR) to trigger the transcription of SCN1A or Scn1a in vitro. We tested the effect of this strategy in vivo using an adeno-associated virus (AAV) mediated system targeting inhibitory neurons and investigating febrile seizures and behavioral parameters.

Impaired cortico-striatal excitatory transmission triggers epilepsy.

STXBP1 and SCN2A gene mutations are observed in patients with epilepsies, although the circuit basis remains elusive. Here, we show that mice with haplodeficiency for these genes exhibit absence seizures with spike-and-wave discharges (SWDs) initiated by reduced cortical excitatory transmission into the striatum. Mice deficient for Stxbp1 or Scn2a in cortico-striatal but not cortico-thalamic neurons reproduce SWDs.

haploinsufficient mice display a spectrum of phenotypes affecting anxiety, sociability, memory flexibility and ampakine CX516 rescues their hyperactivity.

Background: Mutations of the gene encoding a voltage-gated sodium channel alpha-II subunit Nav1.2 are associated with neurological disorders such as epilepsy, autism spectrum disorders, intellectual disability, and schizophrenia. However, causal relationships and pathogenic mechanisms underlying these neurological defects, especially social and psychiatric features, remain to be elucidated.

Nav1.2 haplodeficiency in excitatory neurons causes absence-like seizures in mice.

Mutations in the gene encoding a voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.2 are associated with epilepsies, intellectual disability, and autism. gain-of-function mutations cause early-onset severe epilepsies, while loss-of-function mutations cause autism with milder and/or later-onset epilepsies.

Variant Intestinal-Cell Kinase in Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy.

Background: In juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, data are limited on the genetic basis of networks promoting convulsions with diffuse polyspikes on electroencephalography (EEG) and the subtle microscopic brain dysplasia called microdysgenesis.

Methods: Using Sanger sequencing, we sequenced the exomes of six members of a large family affected with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy and confirmed cosegregation in all 37 family members. We screened an additional 310 patients with this disorder for variants on DNA melting-curve analysis and targeted real-time DNA sequencing of the gene encoding intestinal-cell kinase ( ICK).

DYRK1A-haploinsufficiency in mice causes autistic-like features and febrile seizures.

Mutations and copy number variants affecting DYRK1A gene encoding the dual-specificity tyrosine phosphorylation-regulated kinase 1A are among the most frequent genetic causes of neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorder (ASD) associated with microcephaly, febrile seizures and severe speech acquisition delay. Here we developed a mouse model harboring a frame-shift mutation in Dyrk1a resulting in a protein truncation and elimination of its kinase activity site. Dyrk1a mice showed significant impairments in cognition and cognitive flexibility, communicative ultrasonic vocalizations, and social contacts.

Potentiation of excitatory synaptic transmission ameliorates aggression in mice with Stxbp1 haploinsufficiency.

Genetic studies point to a major role of de novo mutations in neurodevelopmental disorders of intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorders, and epileptic encephalopathy. The STXBP1 gene encodes the syntaxin-binding protein 1 (Munc18-1) that critically controls synaptic vesicle exocytosis and synaptic transmission. This gene harbors a high frequency of de novo mutations, which may play roles in these neurodevelopmental disorders.

Regulation of spinogenesis in mature Purkinje cells via mGluR/PKC-mediated phosphorylation of CaMKIIβ.

Dendritic spines of Purkinje cells form excitatory synapses with parallel fiber terminals, which are the primary sites for cerebellar synaptic plasticity. Nevertheless, how density and morphology of these spines are properly maintained in mature Purkinje cells is not well understood. Here we show an activity-dependent mechanism that represses excessive spine development in mature Purkinje cells.

Ts1Cje Down syndrome model mice exhibit environmental stimuli-triggered locomotor hyperactivity and sociability concurrent with increased flux through central dopamine and serotonin metabolism.

Ts1Cje mice have a segmental trisomy of chromosome 16 that is orthologous to human chromosome 21 and display Down syndrome-like cognitive impairments. Despite the occurrence of affective and emotional impairments in patients with Down syndrome, these parameters are poorly documented in Down syndrome mouse models, including Ts1Cje mice. Here, we conducted comprehensive behavioral analyses, including anxiety-, sociability-, and depression-related tasks, and biochemical analyses of monoamines and their metabolites in Ts1Cje mice.

Practice reduces task relevant variance modulation and forms nominal trajectory.

Humans are capable of achieving complex tasks with redundant degrees of freedom. Much attention has been paid to task relevant variance modulation as an indication of online feedback control strategies to cope with motor variability. Meanwhile, it has been discussed that the brain learns internal models of environments to realize feedforward control with nominal trajectories.

A usage of CO2 hydrate: convenient method to increase CO2 concentration in culturing algae.

The addition of CO2 to algal culture systems can increase algal biomass effectively. Generally, gas bubbling is used to increase CO2 levels in culture systems; however, it is difficult to quantitatively operate to control the concentration using this method. In this study, we tested the usability of CO2 hydrate for phytoplankton culture.