(J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2010; 139: 181-8)”
“The flexibility of the behavior of humans and other primates comes from the cognitive capability to use different behavioral modes depending on the contextual information. To investigate the neural mechanism of such a
cognitive function, we trained monkeys to participate in a repeated category-outcome reversal. To perform the task efficiently, they had to explore and remember the relevant rule, i.e., which group of stimuli was associated VX-661 cost with which outcome, and apply that rule to the visual cue in order to predict an outcome and select a response correctly. We recorded single-unit activity from the prefrontal cortex, including dorsolateral/ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and orbitofrontal cortex, and found that many neurons in these areas showed rule-dependent changes in activity during the trial and during the inter-trial-interval.
The time period when a high proportion of neurons started to show rule-dependent activity was the precue period, and the typical activity pattern at that time was sustained and increasing firing towards the onset of the cue (“”anticipatory”" precue activity). The results indicate that the prefrontal cortex is involved in maintaining rule information in the short-term memory within and between trials and that the rule information is anticipatorily activated towards the onset of the task-relevant cue. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd and the Japan Neuroscience Pembrolizumab research buy Society. All rights reserved.”
“Objective: The study objective was to evaluate the roles of mitochondrial DNA alterations in esophageal squamous cell Neuronal Signaling carcinoma,
with emphasis on the changes in the copy number and D310 variants of mitochondrial DNA.
Methods: Paired samples microdissected from esophageal muscles, noncancerous esophageal mucosa, cancerous esophageal squamous cell carcinoma nests, and metastatic lymph nodes of 72 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma were subjected to DNA extraction. The copy number and D310 variants of mitochondrial DNA were determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and direct sequencing, respectively.
Results: Fifty-six patients (77.8%) with somatic D310 mutations had lower survival probability (P = .027). From noncancerous esophageal mucosa to cancerous esophageal squamous cell carcinoma nests and metastatic lymph nodes, the D310 variants were decreased from 2.2 to 1.7 and 1.5, respectively, with a trend to homoplasmy (P = .0009). Concurrently, the mitochondrial DNA copy number was increased from 0.159 to 0.192 and 0.206, respectively, (P = .024), especially in cigarette smokers (P = .014) and heavy wine drinkers (P = .005). Notably, a decrease in D310 variants (1.5, P < .001) and an increase in the incidence of the homoplasmic D310 pattern (P = .005) were observed in the matched esophageal muscle tissues. Among the 56 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cancer nests with somatic D310 mutations, 51 (91.