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The growing interest in Subseasonal to Seasonal (S2S) prediction data across different industries underscores its potential use in comprehending weather patterns, extreme conditions, and important sectors such as agriculture and energy management. However, concerns about its accuracy have been raised. Furthermore, enhancing the precision of rainfall predictions remains challenging in S2S forecasts. This study enhanced the sub-seasonal to seasonal (S2S) prediction skills for precipitation amount and occurrence over the East Asian region by employing deep learning-based post-processing techniques. We utilized a modified U-Net architecture that wraps all its convolutional layers with TimeDistributed layers as a deep learning model. For the training datasets, the precipitation prediction data of six S2S climate models and their multi-model ensemble (MME) were constructed, and the daily precipitation occurrence was obtained from the three thresholds values, 0 % of the daily precipitation for no-rain events, 67 % for heavy-rain. Based on the precipitation amount prediction skills of the six climate models, deep learning-based post-processing outperformed post-processing using multiple linear regression (MLR) in the lead times of weeks 2–4. The prediction accuracy of precipitation occurrence with MLR-based post-processing did not significantly improve, whereas deep learning-based post-processing enhanced the prediction accuracy in the total lead times, demonstrating superiority over MLR. We enhanced the prediction accuracy in forecasting the amount and occurrence of precipitation in individual climate models using deep learning-based post-processing.

This study uses geo-spatial crop modeling to quantify the biophysical impact of weather extremes. More specifically, the study analyzes the weather extreme which affected maize production in the USA in 2012; it also estimates the effect of a similar weather extreme in 2050, using future climate scenarios. The secondary impact of the weather extreme on food security in the developing world is also assessed using trend analysis. Many studies have reported on the significant reduction in maize production in the USA due to the extreme weather event (combined heat wave and drought) that occurred in 2012. However, most of these studies focused on yield and did not assess the potential effect of weather extremes on food prices and security. The overall goal of this study was to use geo-spatial crop modeling and trend analysis to quantify the impact of weather extremes on both yield and, followed food security in the developing world. We used historical weather data for severe extreme events that have occurred in the USA. The data were obtained from the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In addition we used five climate scenarios: the baseline climate which is typical of the late 20th century (2000s) and four future climate scenarios which involve a combination of two emission scenarios (A1B and B1) and two global circulation models (CSIRO-Mk3.0 and MIROC 3.2). DSSAT 4.5 was combined with GRASS GIS for geo-spatial crop modeling. Simulated maize grain yield across all affected regions in the USA indicates that average grain yield across the USA Corn Belt would decrease by 29% when the weather extremes occur using the baseline climate. If the weather extreme were to occur under the A1B emission scenario in the 2050s respectively, average grain yields would decrease by 38% and 57%, under the CSIRO-Mk3.0 and MIROC 3.2 global climate models, respectively. The weather extremes that occurred in the USA in 2012 resulted in a sharp increase in the world maize price. In addition, it likely played a role in the reduction in world maize consumption and trade in 2012/13, compared to 2011/12. The most vulnerable countries to the weather extremes are poor countries with high maize import dependency ratios including those countries in the Caribbean, northern Africa and western Asia. Other vulnerable countries include low-income countries with low import dependency ratios but which cannot afford highly-priced maize. The study also highlighted the pathways through which a weather extreme would affect food security, were it to occur in 2050 under climate change. Some of the policies which could help vulnerable countries counter the negative effects of weather extremes consist of social protection and safety net programs. Medium- to long-term adaptation strategies include increasing world food reserves to a level where they can be used to cover the production losses brought by weather extremes.

This study uses a spatial bio-economic modelling framework to estimate the impact of the 2012 weather extreme in the USA on food security in the developing world. The study also quantifies the potential effects of a similar weather extreme occurring in 2050 under climate change. The study results indicate that weather extremes that affect maize productivity in key grain baskets can negatively affect food security in vulnerable countries. The 2012 weather extreme which occurred in the USA reduced US and global maize production by 29% compared to trend; maize consumption in the country decreased by 5% only and this resulted in less surplus maize for exports from the largest maize exporter in the world. Global maize production decreased by 6% compared to trend. The decrease in global maize production coupled with a reduction in the volume of global maize exports worsened food insecurity in eastern Africa, the Caribbean and Central America and India. The effects of the weather extreme on global food security would be worse, if the latter were to occur under climate change in 2050, assuming no climate change adaptation worldwide over the years. In addition, the hardest-hit regions would remain the same, whether the weather extreme occurs in 2012 instead of 2050: Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), South Asia and the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region. However, sustained growth in per capita income across world economies between 2000 and 2050 would allow few countries in SSA and the LAC region to virtually eliminate hunger within their borders. In these countries, per capita income would be high enough by 2050 to completely offset the negative effect of the weather extreme. The study results are also consistent with USDA׳s estimates on US and global maize production and consumption in 2012 after the weather extreme. Some discrepancy is found on the volume of global maize trade; this implies that the bio-economic model likely overestimates the effect of the weather extreme on food insecurity. However, the trends from the analysis are likely to be valid. Further research would involve using a CGE model that can capture the net effects of weather extremes.

Cherry blossoms, an icon of spring, are celebrated in many cultures of the temperate region. For its sensitivity to winter and early spring temperatures, the timing of cherry blossoms is an ideal indicator of the impacts of climate change on tree phenology. Here, we applied a process-based phenology model for temperate deciduous trees to predict peak bloom dates (PBD) of flowering cherry trees (Prunus×yedoensis 'Yoshino' and Prunus serrulata 'Kwanzan') in the Tidal Basin, Washington, DC and the surrounding Mid-Atlantic States in response to climate change. We parameterized the model with observed PBD data from 1991 to 2010. The calibrated model was tested against independent datasets of the past PBD data from 1951 to 1970 in the Tidal Basin and more recent PBD data from other locations (e.g., Seattle, WA). The model performance against these independent data was satisfactory (Yoshino: r(2) = 0.57, RMSE = 6.6 days, bias = 0.9 days and Kwanzan: r(2) = 0.76, RMSE = 5.5 days, bias = -2.0 days). We then applied the model to forecast future PBD for the region using downscaled climate projections based on IPCC's A1B and A2 emissions scenarios. Our results indicate that PBD at the Tidal Basin are likely to be accelerated by an average of five days by 2050 s and 10 days by 2080 s for these cultivars under a mid-range (A1B) emissions scenario projected by ECHAM5 general circulation model. The acceleration is likely to be much greater (13 days for 2050 s and 29 days for 2080s) under a higher (A2) emissions scenario projected by CGCM2 general circulation model. Our results demonstrate the potential impacts of climate change on the timing of cherry blossoms and illustrate the utility of a simple process-based phenology model for developing adaptation strategies to climate change in horticulture, conservation planning, restoration and other related disciplines.

How do the two main types of neural dynamics, aperiodic transients and oscillations, contribute to the interactions between feedforward (FF) and feedback (FB) pathways in sensory inference and predictive processing? We discuss three theoretical perspectives. First, we critically evaluate the theory that gamma and alpha/beta rhythms play a role in classic hierarchical predictive coding (HPC) by mediating FF and FB communication, respectively. Second, we outline an alternative functional model in which rapid sensory inference is mediated by aperiodic transients, whereas oscillations contribute to the stabilization of neural representations over time and plasticity processes. Third, we propose that the strong dependence of oscillations on predictability can be explained based on a biologically plausible alternative to classic HPC, namely dendritic HPC., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Left bundle branch (LBB) pacing could achieve cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in patients who cannot be resynchronized via the placement of the left ventricle (LV) lead into the coronary sinus. LBB pacing could improve cardiovascular outcomes in heart failure (HF) patients with LBB block who are affected by type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)., Study Hypothesis: LBB pacing could increase the number of CRT responders and lead to the best clinical outcomes in HF patients with T2DM, inducing cardiac remodeling and improving left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) via microRNA (miR) modulation., Methods: In a multicenter observational study, we enrolled 334 HF patients with LBB block and an indication to receive LBB pacing for CRT. In these patients, we evaluated the CRT responder rate, clinical outcomes, and miR expression at 1 year of follow-up., Results: At 1 year of follow-up, we had 223 responders (66.8%), 132 hospitalizations for HF (39.5%), 24 cardiac deaths (7.2%), and 37 all-cause deaths (11.1%), with a higher rate of HF hospitalizations (77 (69.4%) vs 55 (24.7%), p < 0.05), and cardiac deaths (13 (11.7% vs 11 (4.9%), p < 0.05) in non-responders vs responders. At the end of follow-up, we found the lowest expression of miR-26, miR-29, miR-30, miR-92, and miR-145 in LBB-pacing non-responders vs responders ( p < 0.05), and a direct correlation between miR-30 (0.340, [0.833-1.915]; p 0.001), the 6-minute-walking test (6MWT; 0.168, [0.008-0.060]; p 0.011), angiotensin-receptor-neprilysin inhibitors (ARNI; 0.157, [0.183-4.877]; p 0.035), sodium-glucose-transporter-2 inhibitors (0.245, [2.242-7.283]; p 0.001), and LVEF improvements. C reactive protein (CRP) inversely correlated with LVEF improvement (-0.220, [-(0.066-0.263)]; p 0.001). ARNI (1.373, CI 95% [1.007-1.872], p 0.045), miR-30 (2.713, CI 95% [1.543-4.769], p 0.001), and 6MWT (1.288, CI 95% [1.084-1.998], p 0.001) were predictors of LBB pacing responders at 1 year of follow-up., Conclusion: LBB-pacing responders evidenced miR modulation, which was linked to significant improvement of the cardiac pump. Specifically, miR-30 was linked to cardiac pump improvement and predicted responders at 1 year of follow-up in patients with T2DM., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision., (Copyright © 2024 Sardu, Vittoria Marfella, Giordano, Lepre, D’Amico, Volpicelli, Contaldi, Galiero, Caturano, Casolaro, Sasso, Uran, Cozzolino, Nicoletti, Signoriello, Paolisso and Marfella.)

A relevant question concerning inter-areal communication in the cortex is whether these interactions are synergistic. Synergy refers to the complementary effect of multiple brain signals conveying more information than the sum of each isolated signal. Redundancy, on the other hand, refers to the common information shared between brain signals. Here, we dissociated cortical interactions encoding complementary information (synergy) from those sharing common information (redundancy) during prediction error (PE) processing. We analyzed auditory and frontal electrocorticography (ECoG) signals in five common awake marmosets performing two distinct auditory oddball tasks and investigated to what extent event-related potentials (ERP) and broadband (BB) dynamics encoded synergistic and redundant information about PE processing. The information conveyed by ERPs and BB signals was synergistic even at lower stages of the hierarchy in the auditory cortex and between auditory and frontal regions. Using a brain-constrained neural network, we simulated the synergy and redundancy observed in the experimental results and demonstrated that the emergence of synergy between auditory and frontal regions requires the presence of strong, long-distance, feedback, and feedforward connections. These results indicate that distributed representations of PE signals across the cortical hierarchy can be highly synergistic., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Chronotype has been extensively linked to various psychological outcomes, including suicide, which significantly impacts the mortality rate among young adults worldwide. Research on the extent of these links is still ongoing. This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the complex relationships between chronotype, internet addiction, problematic social media use (PSMU), psychological pain, and suicidality in a student population. A total of 571 Turkish students (65.3% female, mean age 20.3 ± 1.63 years) completed the following scales: the Suicide Probability Scale (SPS), the Mee-Bunney Psychological Pain Assessment Scale (MBPPAS), the Social Media Disorder Scale (SMDS), the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), the Morningness - Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The results showed that the relationship between chronotype and suicidality was partially mediated by SMDS and MBPPAS but not by anxiety, depression, or IAT. These findings suggest that psychological pain and PSMU may be important factors that contribute to suicidality in evening-type individuals. These findings have significant implications for the development of interventions aimed at reducing suicidality among evening-type individuals. By addressing the underlying factors of psychological pain and PSMU, it may be possible to mitigate the increased risk of suicidality among this population.

What determines the aesthetic appeal of artworks? Recent work suggests that aesthetic appeal can, to some extent, be predicted from a visual artwork's image features. Yet a large fraction of variance in aesthetic ratings remains unexplained and may relate to individual preferences. We hypothesized that an artwork's aesthetic appeal depends strongly on self-relevance. In a first study ( N = 33 adults, online replication N = 208), rated aesthetic appeal for real artworks was positively predicted by rated self-relevance. In a second experiment ( N = 45 online), we created synthetic, self-relevant artworks using deep neural networks that transferred the style of existing artworks to photographs. Style transfer was applied to self-relevant photographs selected to reflect participant-specific attributes such as autobiographical memories. Self-relevant, synthetic artworks were rated as more aesthetically appealing than matched control images, at a level similar to human-made artworks. Thus, self-relevance is a key determinant of aesthetic appeal, independent of artistic skill and image features.

Rhythmic flicker stimulation has gained interest as a treatment for neurodegenerative diseases and as a method for frequency tagging neural activity. Yet, little is known about the way in which flicker-induced synchronization propagates across cortical levels and impacts different cell types. Here, we use Neuropixels to record from the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), the primary visual cortex (V1), and CA1 in mice while presenting visual flicker stimuli. LGN neurons show strong phase locking up to 40 Hz, whereas phase locking is substantially weaker in V1 and is absent in CA1. Laminar analyses reveal an attenuation of phase locking at 40 Hz for each processing stage. Gamma-rhythmic flicker predominantly entrains fast-spiking interneurons. Optotagging experiments show that these neurons correspond to either parvalbumin (PV+) or narrow-waveform somatostatin (Sst+) neurons. A computational model can explain the observed differences based on the neurons' capacitative low-pass filtering properties. In summary, the propagation of synchronized activity and its effect on distinct cell types strongly depend on its frequency., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

What mechanisms underlie flexible inter-areal communication in the cortex? We consider four mechanisms for temporal coordination and their contributions to communication: (1) Oscillatory synchronization (communication-through-coherence); (2) communication-through-resonance; (3) non-linear integration; and (4) linear signal transmission (coherence-through-communication). We discuss major challenges for communication-through-coherence based on layer- and cell-type-specific analyses of spike phase-locking, heterogeneity of dynamics across networks and states, and computational models for selective communication. We argue that resonance and non-linear integration are viable alternative mechanisms that facilitate computation and selective communication in recurrent networks. Finally, we consider communication in relation to cortical hierarchy and critically examine the hypothesis that feedforward and feedback communication use fast (gamma) and slow (alpha/beta) frequencies, respectively. Instead, we propose that feedforward propagation of prediction errors relies on the non-linear amplification of aperiodic transients, whereas gamma and beta rhythms represent rhythmic equilibrium states that facilitate sustained and efficient information encoding and amplification of short-range feedback via resonance., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Implantable loop recorder (ILR) is still underutilized in clinical practice, especially in the setting of elderly patients with recurrent, traumatic, unexplained syncope. Data on the actual risk of traumatic syncopal recurrence during ILR monitoring in this specific patient setting are lacking., Research Design and Methods: Prospective, multicentre registry enrolling consecutive patients undergoing ILR insertion for unexplained, recurrent, traumatic syncope. In a proportion of enrolled patients, remote monitoring (RM) was used for device follow-up. The risk of traumatic and non-traumatic syncopal recurrences during ILR observation were prospectively assessed., Results: A total of 483 consecutive patients (68±14 years, 59% male) were enrolled. During a median follow-up of 18 months, a final diagnosis was reached in 270 patients (55.9%). The risk of syncopal and traumatic syncopal recurrence was of 26.5 and 9.3%, respectively. RM significantly reduced the time to diagnosis (19.7±10.3 vs. 22.1±10.8 months; p=0.015) and was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of syncope recurrence of 48% (p<0.001), and of traumatic syncope recurrence of 49% (p=0.018)., Conclusions: ILR monitoring is effective and safe in patients with unexplained, recurrent, traumatic syncope. RM reduces the time to diagnosis and significantly reduces the risk of traumatic and non-traumatic syncopal relapses.

Background: In patients with unexplained syncope and bifascicular block (BFB), syncope may be caused by intermittent atrioventricular (AV) block. When a correlation between syncope and bradyarrhythmia is not documented in these patients, 2 alternative management strategies can be adopted: (1) empiric pacemaker (PM) implantation or (2) long-term continuous electrocardiographic monitoring by implantable loop recorder (ILR)., Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the risk of syncope recurrence associated with empiric PM implantation or ILR monitoring., Methods: A prospective, multicenter, observational study enrolled consecutive patients with unexplained, recurrent, traumatic syncope and BFB who underwent ILR monitoring or empiric PM implantation. The risk and causes of syncope recurrence were assessed and compared between the 2 groups. Individual 1:1 propensity matching of baseline characteristics was performed., Results: A total of 309 consecutive patients (age 77.2 ± 12.2 years; 60.8% male) were enrolled. Propensity matching yielded 89 matched pairs. After median follow-up of 33 months, empiric PM implantation was associated with a significantly lower risk of syncope recurrence than ILR monitoring (19.1 vs 46.1%; P <.001). A total of 35 patients (39.3%) who underwent ILR monitoring developed bradyarrhythmias (68.6% paroxysmal AV block) requiring PM implantation during follow-up. Excluding bradyarrhythmic syncope, the most frequent causes of syncope recurrence in both study groups were reflex syncope and orthostatic hypotension., Conclusion: In patients with unexplained, recurrent, traumatic syncope and BFB, empiric PM implantation significantly reduced the risk of syncope recurrence in comparison with ILR monitoring. A high rate of patients who underwent ILR monitoring developed bradyarrhythmias requiring PM implantation., (Copyright © 2022 Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Inter-areal coherence between field potentials is a widespread phenomenon in cortex. Coherence has been hypothesized to reflect phase-synchronization between oscillators and flexibly gate communication according to behavioral and cognitive demands. We reveal an alternative mechanism where coherence is not the cause but the consequence of communication and naturally emerges because spiking activity in a sending area causes post-synaptic potentials both in the same and in other areas. Consequently, coherence depends in a lawful manner on power and phase-locking in the sender and connectivity. Changes in oscillatory power explained prominent changes in fronto-parietal and LGN-V1 coherence across behavioral conditions. Optogenetic experiments and excitatory-inhibitory network simulations identified afferent synaptic inputs rather than spiking entrainment as the principal determinant of coherence. These findings suggest that unique spectral profiles of different brain areas automatically give rise to large-scale coherence patterns that follow anatomical connectivity and continuously reconfigure as a function of behavior and cognition., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Ranolazine derives from piperazine and has been approved as a drug for the therapy of chronic stable angina. It acts by selectively inhibiting the late sodium inward current. Moreover, ranolazine has other metabolic features which makes it effective in other diseases as well as coronary artery ones. In this paper I make an updated review of all possible therapeutic roles of ranolazine: through cardiology and beyond.

Aortic diseases cover a large spectrum of conditions, such as aortic aneurysm and acute aortic syndromes (i.e., dissections, intramural hematoma, penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer, traumatic aortic injuries, and pseudoaneurysms), genetic diseases (e.g., Marfan syndrome) and congenital abnormalities, such as coarctation of the aorta. These conditions may have an acute presentation; thus, if the acute aortic syndrome is the first sign of the disease, the prognosis is extremely poor. Prompt diagnosis and timely therapy are therefore mandatory. In this paper, we discuss a deceptive symptom of painless aortic dissection and its physiopathology. Furthermore, we briefly review the literature and discuss the management of diagnostic tools.

Aims: Following coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, the Italian government adopted strict rules of lockdown and social distancing. The aim of our study was to assess the admission rate for cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) replacement procedures in Campania, the 3rd-most-populous region of Italy, during COVID-19 lockdown., Methods and Results: Data were sourced from 16 referral hospitals in Campania from 10 March to 4 May 2020 (lockdown period) and during the same period in 2019. We retrospectively evaluated consecutive patients hospitalized for CIEDs replacement procedures during the two observational periods. The number and type of CIEDs replacement procedures among patients followed by remote monitoring (RM), the admission rate, and the type of hospital admission between the two observational periods were compared. In total, 270 consecutive patients were hospitalized for CIEDs replacement procedures over the two observation periods. Overall CIEDs replacement procedures showed a reduction rate of 41.2% during COVID-19 lockdown. Patients were equally distributed for sex ( P = 0.581 ), and both age [median 76 years (IQR: 68-83) vs. 79 years (IQR: 68-83); P =  0.497]. Cardiac implantable electronic devices replacement procedures in patients followed by RM significantly increased (IR: +211%; P <  0.001), mainly driven by the remarkable increase rate trend of both PM (IR: +475%; P <  0.001) and implantable cardiac defibrillator replacement procedures (IR: +67%, P =  0.01), during COVID-19 lockdown compared with 2019 timeframe., Conclusions: We showed a significant increase trend rate of replacement procedures among CIEDs patients followed by RM, suggesting the hypothesis of its increased use to closely monitoring and to optimize the hospital admission time during COVID-19 lockdown., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

We report the case of a 40-year-old man, transferred from another hospital to our ICU because of acute coronary syndrome. Coronarography did not show coronary stenosis. Twenty-four hours monitoring EKG allowed diagnosis of Prinzmetal angina and appropriate therapy was administered. Six months after discharge due recurrence of symptoms, ranolazine was added to therapy. After one year the patient is symptoms free.

Background: The standard approach to subcutaneous defibrillator (S-ICD) implantation often requires general anesthesia or anesthesiologist-delivered deep sedation. Ultrasound-guided serratus anterior plane block (SAPB) combined with parasternal block (PSB) has been proposed in order to provide anesthesia/analgesia and to reduce the need for sedation during S-ICD implantation. In this pilot study, we compared the double-block approach (SAPB + PSB) with the single-block approach (SAPB only) and with the standard approach involving local anesthesia and sedation., Methods: We prospectively enrolled 22 patients undergoing S-ICD implantation: in 10, the single-block approach was adopted; in 12, the double-block approach. As a control group, we retrospectively enrolled 14 consecutive patients who had undergone S-ICD implantation under standard local anesthesia and sedation in the previous 6 months. Intra- and postprocedural data, including patient-reported pain intensity, were collected and compared in the three study groups., Results: The double-block approach was associated with a shorter procedure duration than the single-block and standard approaches (63.3 ± 7.9 vs 70.1 ± 6.8 vs 76.9 ± 7.8 min; P < .05) and with a lower dose of local an aesthetic for infiltration (18.9 ± 1.7 vs 27.5 ± 4.6 vs 44.6 ± 4.0 cc; P < .001). Both the double- and single-block approaches were associated with lower pain intensity at the device pocket and the lateral tunneling site (P < .05). The double-block approach proved superior to the other two approaches in controlling intraoperative pain at the parasternal tunneling site (P < .05)., Conclusions: In our study, SAPB combined with PSB was superior to SAPB alone and to the standard approach in controlling intraoperative pain during S-ICD implantation. In addition, this approach resulted in shorter procedure durations., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Cortical computation depends on interactions between excitatory and inhibitory neurons. The contributions of distinct neuron types to sensory processing and network synchronization in primate visual cortex remain largely undetermined. We show that in awake monkey V1, there exists a distinct cell type (››30% of neurons) that has narrow-waveform (NW) action potentials and high spontaneous discharge rates and fires in high-frequency bursts. These neurons are more stimulus selective and phase locked to 30- to 80-Hz gamma oscillations than other neuron types. Unlike other neuron types, their gamma-phase locking is highly predictive of orientation tuning. We find evidence for strong rhythmic inhibition in these neurons, suggesting that they interact with interneurons to act as excitatory pacemakers for the V1 gamma rhythm. We did not find a similar class of NW bursting neurons in L2-L4 of mouse V1. Given its properties, this class of NW bursting neurons should be pivotal for the encoding and transmission of stimulus information., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The integration of direct bottom-up inputs with contextual information is a core feature of neocortical circuits. In area V1, neurons may reduce their firing rates when their receptive field input can be predicted by spatial context. Gamma-synchronized (30-80 Hz) firing may provide a complementary signal to rates, reflecting stronger synchronization between neuronal populations receiving mutually predictable inputs. We show that large uniform surfaces, which have high spatial predictability, strongly suppressed firing yet induced prominent gamma synchronization in macaque V1, particularly when they were colored. Yet, chromatic mismatches between center and surround, breaking predictability, strongly reduced gamma synchronization while increasing firing rates. Differences between responses to different colors, including strong gamma-responses to red, arose from stimulus adaptation to a full-screen background, suggesting prominent differences in adaptation between M- and L-cone signaling pathways. Thus, synchrony signaled whether RF inputs were predicted from spatial context, while firing rates increased when stimuli were unpredicted from context., Competing Interests: AP, CU, JK, RR, Sv, WB, JD, WS, PF, MV No competing interests declared, (© 2019, Peter et al.)

Background: The aim of this study was to report our experience with subcutaneous defibrillator (S-ICD) implantation., Methods: At our hospital, 7 procedures of S-ICD implantation were performed; 4 of these with ultrasound-guided serratus anterior plane block (SAPB) and 3 with usual local anesthesia followed by sedation., Results: Surgical operations were not burdened with peri- and postprocedural complications, with only one event of limited hematoma of the thoracic wall. Ultrasound-guided serratus anterior plane block was associated with better pain control during the procedure and the postoperative period. The disconnection between latissimus dorsi and serratus obtained by serratus anterior plane block contributed to make the creation of the pocket easier. The technique used is with two incisions., Conclusions: In our experience, S-ICD implantation with the technique of the serratus anterior plane block is safe and effective, and significantly facilitated pain control during the procedure and postoperatively.

The ability to plan and execute appropriately timed responses to external stimuli is based on a well-orchestrated balance between movement initiation and inhibition. In impulse control disorders involving the prefrontal cortex (PFC) [1], this balance is disturbed, emphasizing the critical role that PFC plays in appropriately timing actions [2-4]. Here, we employed optogenetic and electrophysiological techniques to systematically analyze the functional role of five key subareas of the rat medial PFC (mPFC) and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in action control [5-9]. Inactivation of mPFC subareas induced drastic changes in performance, namely an increase (prelimbic cortex, PL) or decrease (infralimbic cortex, IL) of premature responses. Additionally, electrophysiology revealed a significant decrease in neuronal activity of a PL subpopulation prior to premature responses. In contrast, inhibition of OFC subareas (mainly the ventral OFC, i.e., VO) significantly impaired the ability to respond rapidly after external cues. Consistent with these findings, mPFC activity during response preparation predicted trial outcomes and reaction times significantly better than OFC activity. These data support the concept of opposing roles of IL and PL in directing proactive behavior and argue for an involvement of OFC in predominantly reactive movement control. By attributing defined roles to rodent PFC sections, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of the functional heterogeneity of this brain area and thus may guide medically relevant studies of PFC-associated impulse control disorders in this animal model for neural disorders [10-12]., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)