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Trends in Cognitive Sciences Feb 2022The ventral visual stream is conceived as a pathway for object recognition. However, we also recognize the actions an object can be involved in. Here, we show that... (Review)
Review
The ventral visual stream is conceived as a pathway for object recognition. However, we also recognize the actions an object can be involved in. Here, we show that action recognition critically depends on a pathway in lateral occipitotemporal cortex, partially overlapping and topographically aligned with object representations that are precursors for action recognition. By contrast, object features that are more relevant for object recognition, such as color and texture, are typically found in ventral occipitotemporal cortex. We argue that occipitotemporal cortex contains similarly organized lateral and ventral 'what' pathways for action and object recognition, respectively. This account explains a number of observed phenomena, such as the duplication of object domains and the specific representational profiles in lateral and ventral cortex.
Topics: Brain Mapping; Cerebral Cortex; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Pattern Recognition, Visual; Recognition, Psychology; Visual Pathways; Visual Perception
PubMed: 34702661
DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2021.10.003 -
Genes, Brain, and Behavior Sep 2022The hippocampus is one of the most widely investigated brain regions with its massive contributions to multiple behaviours. Especially, the hippocampus is subdivided... (Review)
Review
The hippocampus is one of the most widely investigated brain regions with its massive contributions to multiple behaviours. Especially, the hippocampus is subdivided into the dorsal and ventral parts playing distinct roles. In this review, we will focus on the ventral hippocampus, especially the ventral CA1 (vCA1), whose role is being actively discovered. vCA1 is well known to be associated with emotion-like behaviour, in both positive (reward) and negative (aversive) stimuli. How can this small region in volume mediate such variety of responses? This question will be answered with technologies up to date that have allowed us to study in-depth the specific neural circuit and to map the complex connectivity.
Topics: Fear; Hippocampus
PubMed: 35815710
DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12826 -
Updates in Surgery Aug 2023Primary and incisional ventral hernias are significant public health issues for their prevalence, variability of professional practices, and high costs associated with... (Review)
Review
Primary and incisional ventral hernias are significant public health issues for their prevalence, variability of professional practices, and high costs associated with the treatment In 2019, the Board of Directors of the Italian Society for Endoscopic Surgery (SICE) promoted the development of new guidelines on the laparoscopic treatment of ventral hernias, according to the new national regulation. In 2022, the guideline was accepted by the government agency, and it was published, in Italian, on the SNLG website. Here, we report the adopted methodology and the guideline's recommendations, as established in its diffusion policy. This guideline is produced according to the methodology indicated by the SNGL and applying the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations (GRADE) methodology. Fifteen recommendations were produced as a result of 4 PICO questions. The level of recommendation was conditional for 12 of them and conditional to moderate for one. This guideline's strengths include relying on an extensive systematic review of the literature and applying a rigorous GRADE method. It also has several limitations. The literature on the topic is continuously and rapidly evolving; our results are based on findings that need constant re-appraisal. It is focused only on minimally invasive techniques and cannot consider broader issues (e.g., diagnostics, indication for surgery, pre-habilitation).
Topics: Humans; Herniorrhaphy; Surgical Mesh; Hernia, Ventral; Incisional Hernia; Laparoscopy
PubMed: 37217637
DOI: 10.1007/s13304-023-01534-3 -
JSLS : Journal of the Society of... 2022We devised a sutureless "Slim-Mesh" technique to treat ventral hernias, including large-giant/massive ones, reduce intra- and postoperative complications, and lower...
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
We devised a sutureless "Slim-Mesh" technique to treat ventral hernias, including large-giant/massive ones, reduce intra- and postoperative complications, and lower operation time.
METHODS
Between September 1, 2009 and October 31, 2020, 43 patients with large (10 - 14.9 cm)-giant (15 - 19.9 cm) and massive (≥ 20 cm) ventral hernia were operated at our Department with the above technique. This was a prospective (79%)-retrospective study.
RESULTS
This study comprised 22 males and 21 females. Mean age was 63 years. Large-giant and massive hernias were found intraoperatively in 37 and 6 cases respectively. Mean operation time for all hernias was 116 minutes, 104 for large-giant hernias, and 190 for massive. In 53.4% of cases, hernia-neck operative measurement was larger than preoperative size. In 25.5% of cases, laparoscopy found satellite hernias previously undetected by ultrasound- and/or computed tomography scan. A composite mesh and a noncomposite mesh were used in 95% and 5% of cases respectively. For mesh fixation, titanium tacks and absorbable straps were used in 14% and 86% of cases respectively. Mean length of hospital stay was 2.3 days. Mean follow-up time was 3 years and 4 months. In our study, there were 5 early postoperative complications: 3 seromas, 1 trocar-site hernia, and 1 case of cystitis. We found 2 late small symptomless recurrences (4.6%).
CONCLUSION
The sutureless "Slim-Mesh" technique facilitates intra-abdominal introduction, as well as the handling and fixation of giant and monster (36 × 26 cm) meshes. In our experience, "Slim-Mesh" is safe, simple, and fast, and economical even for large-giant/massive ventral hernia repair.
Topics: Female; Hernia, Ventral; Herniorrhaphy; Humans; Laparoscopy; Male; Middle Aged; Prospective Studies; Retrospective Studies; Surgical Mesh
PubMed: 35391780
DOI: 10.4293/JSLS.2021.00079 -
Brain Structure & Function Sep 2023The Subthalamic Nucleus (STh) is a lens-shaped subcortical structure located ventrally to the thalamus, that despite being embryologically derived from the diencephalon,... (Review)
Review
The Subthalamic Nucleus (STh) is a lens-shaped subcortical structure located ventrally to the thalamus, that despite being embryologically derived from the diencephalon, is functionally implicated in the basal ganglia circuits. Because of this strict structural and functional relationship with the circuits of the basal ganglia, the STh is a current target for deep brain stimulation, a neurosurgical procedure employed to alleviate symptoms in movement disorders, such as Parkinson's disease and dystonia. However, despite the great relevance of this structure for both basal ganglia physiology and pathology, the neurochemical and molecular anatomy of the STh remains largely unknown. Few studies have specifically addressed the detection of neurotransmitter systems and their receptors within the structure, and even fewer have investigated their topographical distribution. Here, we have reviewed the scientific literature on neurotransmitters relevant in the STh function of rodents, non-human primates and humans including glutamate, GABA, dopamine, serotonin, noradrenaline with particular focus on their subcellular, cellular and topographical distribution. Inter-species differences were highlighted to provide a framework for further research priorities, particularly in humans.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Subthalamic Nucleus; Basal Ganglia; Thalamus; Dopamine; Parkinson Disease
PubMed: 37479801
DOI: 10.1007/s00429-023-02678-z -
Neurobiology of Learning and Memory Sep 2021At the encounter with a novel environment, contextual memory formation is greatly enhanced, accompanied with increased arousal and active exploration. Although this... (Review)
Review
At the encounter with a novel environment, contextual memory formation is greatly enhanced, accompanied with increased arousal and active exploration. Although this phenomenon has been widely observed in animal and human daily life, how the novelty in the environment is detected and contributes to contextual memory formation has lately started to be unveiled. The hippocampus has been studied for many decades for its largely known roles in encoding spatial memory, and a growing body of evidence indicates a differential involvement of dorsal and ventral hippocampal divisions in novelty detection. In this brief review article, we discuss the recent findings of the role of mossy cells in the ventral hippocampal moiety in novelty detection and put them in perspective with other novelty-related pathways in the hippocampus. We propose a mechanism for novelty-driven memory acquisition in the dentate gyrus by the direct projection of ventral mossy cells to dorsal dentate granule cells. By this projection, the ventral hippocampus sends novelty signals to the dorsal hippocampus, opening a gate for memory encoding in dentate granule cells based on information coming from the entorhinal cortex. We conclude that, contrary to the presently accepted functional independence, the dorsal and ventral hippocampi cooperate to link the novelty and contextual information, and this dorso-ventral interaction is crucial for the novelty-dependent memory formation.
Topics: Animals; Dentate Gyrus; Hippocampus; Humans; Mossy Fibers, Hippocampal; Neural Pathways; Neurons; Open Field Test; Recognition, Psychology
PubMed: 34214666
DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107486 -
Current Biology : CB Nov 2023The elephant trunk operates as a muscular hydrostat and is actuated by the most complex musculature known in animals. Because the number of trunk muscles is unclear, we...
The elephant trunk operates as a muscular hydrostat and is actuated by the most complex musculature known in animals. Because the number of trunk muscles is unclear, we performed dense reconstructions of trunk muscle fascicles, elementary muscle units, from microCT scans of an Asian baby elephant trunk. Muscle architecture changes markedly across the trunk. Trunk tip and finger consist of about 8,000 extraordinarily filigree fascicles. The dexterous finger consists exclusively of microscopic radial fascicles pointing to a role of muscle miniaturization in elephant dexterity. Radial fascicles also predominate (at 82% volume) the remainder of the trunk tip, and we wonder if radial muscle fascicles are of particular significance for fine motor control of the dexterous trunk tip. By volume, trunk-shaft muscles comprise one-third of the numerous, small radial muscle fascicles; two-thirds of the three subtypes of large longitudinal fascicles (dorsal longitudinals, ventral outer obliques, and ventral inner obliques); and a small fraction of transversal fascicles. Shaft musculature is laterally, but not radially, symmetric. A predominance of dorsal over ventral radial muscles and of ventral over dorsal longitudinal muscles may result in a larger ability of the shaft to extend dorsally than ventrally and to bend inward rather than outward. There are around 90,000 trunk muscle fascicles. While primate hand control is based on fine control of contraction by the convergence of many motor neurons on a small set of relatively large muscles, evolution of elephant grasping has led to thousands of microscopic fascicles, which probably outnumber facial motor neurons.
Topics: Animals; Elephants; Muscle, Skeletal; Motor Neurons
PubMed: 37757829
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.09.007 -
Journal of Neurochemistry Feb 2020The ventral striatum is a collection of brain structures, including the nucleus accumbens, ventral pallidum and the olfactory tubercle (OT). While much attention has... (Review)
Review
The ventral striatum is a collection of brain structures, including the nucleus accumbens, ventral pallidum and the olfactory tubercle (OT). While much attention has been devoted to the nucleus accumbens, a comprehensive understanding of the ventral striatum and its contributions to neurological diseases requires an appreciation for the complex neurochemical makeup of the ventral striatum's other components. This review summarizes the rich neurochemical composition of the OT, including the neurotransmitters, neuromodulators and hormones present. We also address the receptors and transporters involved in each system as well as their putative functional roles. Finally, we end with briefly reviewing select literature regarding neurochemical changes in the OT in the context of neurological disorders, specifically neurodegenerative disorders. By overviewing the vast literature on the neurochemical composition of the OT, this review will serve to aid future research into the neurobiology of the ventral striatum.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Olfactory Tubercle; Ventral Striatum
PubMed: 31755104
DOI: 10.1111/jnc.14919 -
Journal of Ayub Medical College,... 2023Incarcerated gravid uterus for in ventral hernia is an extremely rare obstetrical and surgical problem which contributes to pregnancy related complications. We searched... (Review)
Review
Incarcerated gravid uterus for in ventral hernia is an extremely rare obstetrical and surgical problem which contributes to pregnancy related complications. We searched for literature to identify aetiology, presentation, complications, and management options for incarcerated gravid uterus, and are presenting this case with literature review. This extremely rare case report, first ever from Pakistan, of an incisional hernia containing gravid uterus as its contents and is bulging out of abdominal cavity. She presented at 27 weeks with ulceration of ventral hernia skin. She was offered a conservative treatment keeping in view maternal and foetal monitoring until term. A full-term elective lower segment caesarean section (LSCS) followed by open mesh repair was done. A successful outcome was observed. There are limited treatment options for uterine incarceration into ventral hernia, but definitive diagnosis allows procedures to treat and to reduce severe maternal and foetal complications. There is no consensus over the management of this rare condition. A tailor approach should be opted in each case. If uncomplicated, a conservative approach until term followed by delivery or LSCS and hernioplasty is a good option.
Topics: Female; Humans; Pregnancy; Cesarean Section; Hernia, Ventral; Incisional Hernia; Obstetrics; Uterus
PubMed: 36849402
DOI: 10.55519/JAMC-01-11054