Intraoperative ultrasound for surgical resection of high-grade glioma and glioblastoma: a meta-analysis of 732 patients

PURPOSE

Here, we conducted a meta-analysis to explore the use of intraoperative ultrasound (iUS)-guided resection in patients diagnosed with high-grade glioma (HGG) or glioblastoma (GBM). Our aim was to determine whether iUS improves clinical outcomes compared to conventional neuronavigation (CNN).

METHODS

Databases were searched until April 21, 2023 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational cohort studies that compared surgical outcomes for patients with HGG or GBM with the use of either iUS in addition to standard approach or CNN. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS). Secondary outcomes include volumetric extent of resection (EOR), gross total resection (GTR), and progression-free survival (PFS). Outcomes were analyzed by determining pooled relative risk ratios (RR), mean difference (MD), and standardized mean difference (SMD) using random-effects model.

RESULTS

Of the initial 867 articles, only 7 articles specifically met the inclusion criteria (1 RCT and 6 retrospective cohorts). The analysis included 732 patients. Compared to CNN, the use of iUS was associated with higher OS (SMD = 0.26,95%CI=[0.12,0.39]) and GTR (RR = 2.02; 95% CI=[1.31,3.1]) for both HGG and GBM. There was no significant difference in PFS or EOR.

CONCLUSION

The use of iUS in surgical resections for HGG and GBM can improve OS and GTR compared to CNN, but it did not affect PFS. These results suggest that iUS reduces mortality associated with HGG and GBM but not the risk of recurrence. These results can provide valuable cost-effective interventions for neurosurgeons in HGG and GBM surgery.

The detrimental effect of biopsy preceding resection in surgically accessible glioblastoma: results from the national cancer database

PURPOSE

Aggressive resection in surgically-accessible glioblastoma (GBM) correlates with improved survival over less extensive resections. However, the clinical impact of performing a biopsy before definitive resection have not been previously evaluated.

METHODS

We analyzed 17,334 GBM patients from the NCDB from 2010-2014. We categorized them into: "upfront resection" and "biopsy followed by resection". The outcomes of interes included OS, 30-day readmission/mortality, 90-day mortality, and length of hospital stay (LOS). The Kaplan-Meier methods and accelerated failure time (AFT) models were applied for survival analysis. Multivariable binary logistic regression were performed to compare differences among groups. Multiple imputation and propensity score matching (PSM) were conducted for validation.

RESULTS

"Upfront resection" had superior OS over "biopsy followed by resection" (median OS:12.4 versus 11.1 months, log-rank p = 0.001). Similarly, multivariable AFT models favored "upfront resection" (time ratio[TR]:0.83, 95%CI: 0.75-0.93, p = 0.001). Patients undergoing "upfront gross-total resection (GTR)" had higher OS over "upfront subtotal resection (STR)", "GTR following STR", and "GTR or STR following initial biopsy" (14.4 vs. 10.3, 13.5, 13.3, and 9.1 months;TR: 1.00 [Ref.], 0.75, 0.82, 0.88, and 0.67). Recent years of diagnosis, higher income, facilities located in Southern regions, and treatment at academic facilities were significantly associated with the higher likelihood of undergoing upfront resection. Multivariable regression showed a decreased 30 and 90-day mortality for patients undergoing "upfront resection", 73% and 44%, respectively (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Pre-operative biopsies for surgically accessible GBM are associated with worse survival despite subsequent resection compared to patients undergoing upfront resection.

The value of additional electrodes when stereo-electroencephalography is inconclusive

OBJECTIVE

Stereo-electroencephalography (SEEG) is the preferred method for intracranial localization of the seizure-onset zone (SOZ) in drug-resistant focal epilepsy. Occasionally SEEG evaluation fails to confirm the pre-implantation hypothesis. This leads to a decision tree regarding whether the addition of SEEG electrodes (two-step SEEG - 2sSEEG) or placement of subdural electrodes (SDEs) after SEEG (SEEG2SDE) would help. There is a dearth of literature encompassing this scenario, and here we aimed to characterize outcomes following unplanned two-step intracranial EEG (iEEG).

METHODS

All 225 adult SEEG cases over 8 years at our institution were reviewed to extract patient data and outcomes following a two-step evaluation. Three raters independently quantified benefits of additional intracranial electrodes. The relationship between two-step iEEG benefit and clinical outcome was then analyzed.

RESULTS

Fourteen patients underwent 2sSEEG and nine underwent SEEG2SDE. In the former cohort, the second SEEG procedure was performed for these reasons-precise localization of the SOZ (36%); defining margins of eloquent cortex (21%); and broadening coverage in the setting of non-localizable seizure onsets (43% of cases). Sixty-four percent of 2sSEEG cases were consistently deemed beneficial (Light's κ = 0.80). 2sSEEG performed for the first two indications was much more beneficial than when onsets were not localizable (100% vs 17%, p = .02). In the SEEG2SDE cohort, SDEs identified the SOZ and enabled delineation of margins relative to eloquent cortex in all cases.

SIGNIFICANCE

The two-step iEEG is useful if the initial evaluation is broadly concordant with the original electroclinical hypothesis, where it can clarify onset zones or delineate safe surgical margins; however, it provides minimal benefit when the implantation hypothesis is erroneous, and we recommend that 2sSEEG not be generally utilized in such cases. SDE implantation after SEEG minimizes the need for SDEs and is helpful in delineating surgical boundaries relative to ictal-onset zones and eloquent cortex.

Ictal Central Apnea Is Predictive of Mesial Temporal Seizure Onset: An Intracranial Investigation

OBJECTIVE

Ictal central apnea (ICA) is a semiological sign of focal epilepsy, associated with temporal and frontal lobe seizures. In this study, using qualitative and quantitative approaches, we aimed to assess the localizational value of ICA. We also aimed to compare ICA clinical utility in relation to other seizure semiological features of focal epilepsy.

METHODS

We analyzed seizures in patients with medically refractory focal epilepsy undergoing intracranial stereotactic electroencephalographic (SEEG) evaluations with simultaneous multimodal cardiorespiratory monitoring. A total of 179 seizures in 72 patients with reliable artifact-free respiratory signal were analyzed.

RESULTS

ICA was seen in 55 of 179 (30.7%) seizures. Presence of ICA predicted a mesial temporal seizure onset compared to those without ICA (odds ratio = 3.8, 95% confidence interval = 1.3-11.6, p = 0.01). ICA specificity was 0.82. ICA onset was correlated with increased high-frequency broadband gamma (60-150Hz) activity in specific mesial or basal temporal regions, including amygdala, hippocampus, and fusiform and lingual gyri. Based on our results, ICA has an almost 4-fold greater association with mesial temporal seizure onset zones compared to those without ICA and is highly specific for mesial temporal seizure onset zones. As evidence of symptomatogenic areas, onset-synchronous increase in high gamma activity in mesial or basal temporal structures was seen in early onset ICA, likely representing anatomical substrates for ICA generation.

INTERPRETATION

ICA recognition may help anatomoelectroclinical localization of clinical seizure onset to specific mesial and basal temporal brain regions, and the inclusion of these regions in SEEG evaluations may help accurately pinpoint seizure onset zones for resection. ANN NEUROL 2024.

Dissociation of reading and naming in ventral occipitotemporal cortex

Lesions in language-dominant ventral occipitotemporal cortex (vOTC) can result in selective impairment of either reading and naming, resulting in alexia or anomia. Yet, functional imaging studies that show differential activation for naming and reading do not reveal activity exclusively tuned to one of these inputs. To resolve this dissonance in the functional architecture of vOTC, we used focused stimulation to the vOTC in 49 adult patients during reading and naming, and generated a population-level, probabilistic map to evaluate if reading and naming are clearly dissociable within individuals. Language mapping (50 Hz, 2,829 stimulations) was performed during passage reading (216 positive sites) and visual naming (304 positive sites). Within vOTC we isolated sites that selectively disrupted reading (24 sites, 11 patients) or naming (27 sites in 12 patients), and those that disrupted both processes (75 sites in 21 patients). The anteromedial vOTC had a higher probability of producing naming disruption while posterolateral regions resulted in greater reading specific disruption. Between them lay a multi-modal region where stimulation disrupted both reading and naming. This work provides a comprehensive view of vOTC organization - the existence of heteromodal cortex critical to both reading and naming, along with causally dissociable unimodal naming cortex, and a reading-specific visual word form area in vOTC. Their distinct roles as associative regions may thus relate to their connectivity within the broader language network that is disrupted by stimulation, more than to highly selective tuning properties. Our work also implies that pre-surgical mapping of both reading and naming is essential for patients requiring vOTC resections, as these functions are not co-localized and such mapping may prevent the occurrence of unexpected deficits.

Surgical management and outcome of newly diagnosed glioblastoma without contrast enhancement (low-grade appearance): a report of the RANO resect group

BACKGROUND

Resection of the contrast-enhancing (CE) tumor represents the standard of care in newly diagnosed glioblastoma. However, some tumors ultimately diagnosed as glioblastoma lack contrast enhancement and have a 'low-grade appearance' on imaging (non-CE glioblastoma). We aimed to (a) volumetrically define the value of non-CE tumor resection in the absence of contrast enhancement, and to (b) delineate outcome differences between glioblastoma patients with and without contrast enhancement.

METHODS

The RANO resect group retrospectively compiled a global, eight-center cohort of patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma per WHO 2021 classification. The associations between postoperative tumor volumes and outcome were analyzed. Propensity score-matched analyses were constructed to compare glioblastomas with and without contrast enhancement.

RESULTS

Among 1323 newly diagnosed IDH-wildtype glioblastomas, we identified 98 patients (7.4%) without contrast enhancement. In such patients, smaller postoperative tumor volumes were associated with more favorable outcome. There was an exponential increase in risk for death with larger residual non-CE tumor. Accordingly, extensive resection was associated with improved survival compared to lesion biopsy. These findings were retained on a multivariable analysis adjusting for demographic and clinical markers. Compared to CE glioblastoma, patients with non-CE glioblastoma had a more favorable clinical profile and superior outcome as confirmed in propensity score analyses by matching the patients with non-CE glioblastoma to patients with CE glioblastoma using a large set of clinical variables.

CONCLUSIONS

The absence of contrast enhancement characterizes a less aggressive clinical phenotype of IDH-wildtype glioblastomas. Maximal resection of non-CE tumors has prognostic implications and translates into favorable outcome.

The spatiotemporal dynamics of semantic integration in the human brain

Language depends critically on the integration of lexical information across multiple words to derive semantic concepts. Limitations of spatiotemporal resolution have previously rendered it difficult to isolate processes involved in semantic integration. We utilized intracranial recordings in epilepsy patients (n = 58) who read written word definitions. Descriptions were either referential or non-referential to a common object. Semantically referential sentences enabled high frequency broadband gamma activation (70-150 Hz) of the inferior frontal sulcus (IFS), medial parietal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and medial temporal lobe in the left, language-dominant hemisphere. IFS, OFC and posterior middle temporal gyrus activity was modulated by the semantic coherence of non-referential sentences, exposing semantic effects that were independent of task-based referential status. Components of this network, alongside posterior superior temporal sulcus, were engaged for referential sentences that did not clearly reduce the lexical search space by the final word. These results indicate the existence of complementary cortical mosaics for semantic integration in posterior temporal and inferior frontal cortex.

Endogenous fluctuations in cortical state selectively enhance different modes of sensory processing in human temporal lobe

The degree of synchronized fluctuations in neocortical network activity can vary widely during alertness. One influential idea that has emerged over the past few decades is that perceptual decisions are more accurate when the state of population activity is desynchronized. This suggests that optimal task performance may occur during a particular cortical state - the desynchronized state. Here we show that, contrary to this view, cortical state can both facilitate and suppress perceptual performance in a task-dependent manner. We performed electrical recordings from surface-implanted grid electrodes in the temporal lobe while human subjects completed two perceptual tasks. We found that when local population activity is in a synchronized state, network and perceptual performance are enhanced in a detection task and impaired in a discrimination task, but these modulatory effects are reversed when population activity is desynchronized. These findings indicate that the brain has adapted to take advantage of endogenous fluctuations in the state of neural populations in temporal cortex to selectively enhance different modes of sensory processing during perception in a state-dependent manner.

Prognostic evaluation of re-resection for recurrent glioblastoma using the novel RANO classification for extent of resection: A report of the RANO resect group

BACKGROUND

The value of re-resection in recurrent glioblastoma remains controversial as a randomized trial that specifies intentional incomplete resection cannot be justified ethically. Here, we aimed to (1) explore the prognostic role of extent of re-resection using the previously proposed Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) classification (based upon residual contrast-enhancing (CE) and non-CE tumor), and to (2) define factors consolidating the surgical effects on outcome.

METHODS

The RANO resect group retrospectively compiled an 8-center cohort of patients with first recurrence from previously resected glioblastomas. The associations of re-resection and other clinical factors with outcome were analyzed. Propensity score-matched analyses were constructed to minimize confounding effects when comparing the different RANO classes.

RESULTS

We studied 681 patients with first recurrence of Isocitrate Dehydrogenase (IDH) wild-type glioblastomas, including 310 patients who underwent re-resection. Re-resection was associated with prolonged survival even when stratifying for molecular and clinical confounders on multivariate analysis; ≤1 cm3 residual CE tumor was associated with longer survival than non-surgical management. Accordingly, "maximal resection" (class 2) had superior survival compared to "submaximal resection" (class 3). Administration of (radio-)chemotherapy in the absence of postoperative deficits augmented the survival associations of smaller residual CE tumors. Conversely, "supramaximal resection" of non-CE tumor (class 1) was not associated with prolonged survival but was frequently accompanied by postoperative deficits. The prognostic role of residual CE tumor was confirmed in propensity score analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

The RANO resect classification serves to stratify patients with re-resection of glioblastoma. Complete resection according to RANO resect classes 1 and 2 is prognostic.

The Phytochemical Tactics for Battling Antibiotic Resistance in Microbes: Secondary Metabolites and Nano Antibiotics Methods

One of the most serious threats to human health is antibiotic resistance, which has left the world without effective antibiotics. While continuous research and inventions for new antibiotics are going on, especially those with new modes of action, it is unlikely that this alone would be sufficient to win the battle. Furthermore, it is also important to investigate additional approaches. One such strategy for improving the efficacy of existing antibiotics is the discovery of adjuvants. This review has collected data from various studies on the current crisis and approaches for combating multi-drug resistance in microbial pathogens using phytochemicals. In addition, the nano antibiotic approaches, are discussed, highlighting the high potentials of essential oils, alkaloids, phenolic compounds, and nano antibiotics in combating antibiotic resistance.

Decoding articulatory and phonetic components of naturalistic continuous speech from the distributed language network

Objective.The speech production network relies on a widely distributed brain network. However, research and development of speech brain-computer interfaces (speech-BCIs) has typically focused on decoding speech only from superficial subregions readily accessible by subdural grid arrays-typically placed over the sensorimotor cortex. Alternatively, the technique of stereo-electroencephalography (sEEG) enables access to distributed brain regions using multiple depth electrodes with lower surgical risks, especially in patients with brain injuries resulting in aphasia and other speech disorders.Approach.To investigate the decoding potential of widespread electrode coverage in multiple cortical sites, we used a naturalistic continuous speech production task. We obtained neural recordings using sEEG from eight participants while they read aloud sentences. We trained linear classifiers to decode distinct speech components (articulatory components and phonemes) solely based on broadband gamma activity and evaluated the decoding performance using nested five-fold cross-validation.Main Results.We achieved an average classification accuracy of 18.7% across 9 places of articulation (e.g. bilabials, palatals), 26.5% across 5 manner of articulation (MOA) labels (e.g. affricates, fricatives), and 4.81% across 38 phonemes. The highest classification accuracies achieved with a single large dataset were 26.3% for place of articulation, 35.7% for MOA, and 9.88% for phonemes. Electrodes that contributed high decoding power were distributed across multiple sulcal and gyral sites in both dominant and non-dominant hemispheres, including ventral sensorimotor, inferior frontal, superior temporal, and fusiform cortices. Rather than finding a distinct cortical locus for each speech component, we observed neural correlates of both articulatory and phonetic components in multiple hubs of a widespread language production network.Significance.These results reveal the distributed cortical representations whose activity can enable decoding speech components during continuous speech through the use of this minimally invasive recording method, elucidating language neurobiology and neural targets for future speech-BCIs.

Intraoperative cortical localization of music and language reveals signatures of structural complexity in posterior temporal cortex

Language and music involve the productive combination of basic units into structures. It remains unclear whether brain regions sensitive to linguistic and musical structure are co-localized. We report an intraoperative awake craniotomy in which a left-hemispheric language-dominant professional musician underwent cortical stimulation mapping (CSM) and electrocorticography of music and language perception and production during repetition tasks. Musical sequences were melodic or amelodic, and differed in algorithmic compressibility (Lempel-Ziv complexity). Auditory recordings of sentences differed in syntactic complexity (single vs. multiple phrasal embeddings). CSM of posterior superior temporal gyrus (pSTG) disrupted music perception and production, along with speech production. pSTG and posterior middle temporal gyrus (pMTG) activated for language and music (broadband gamma; 70-150 Hz). pMTG activity was modulated by musical complexity, while pSTG activity was modulated by syntactic complexity. This points to shared resources for music and language comprehension, but distinct neural signatures for the processing of domain-specific structural features.

Stimulation-induced respiratory enhancement in corticothalamic regions

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to identify corticothalamic areas and electrical stimulation paradigms that optimally enhance breathing.

METHODS

Twenty-nine patients with medically intractable epilepsy were prospectively recruited in an epilepsy monitoring unit while undergoing stereoelectroencephalographic evaluation. Direct electrical stimulation in cortical and thalamic regions was carried out using low (<1 Hz) and high (≥10 Hz) frequencies, and low (<5 mA) and high (≥5 mA) current intensities, with pulse width of .1 ms. Electrocardiography, arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2 ), end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2 ), oronasal airflow, and abdominal and thoracic plethysmography were monitored continuously during stimulations. Airflow signal was used to estimate breathing rate, tidal volume, and minute ventilation (MV) changes during stimulation, compared to baseline.

RESULTS

Electrical stimulation increased MV in the amygdala, anterior cingulate, anterior insula, temporal pole, and thalamus, with an average increase in MV of 20.8% ± 28.9% (range = 0.2%-165.6%) in 19 patients. MV changes were associated with SpO2 and ETCO2 changes (p < .001). Effects on respiration were parameter and site dependent. Within amygdala, low-frequency stimulation of the medial region produced 78.49% greater MV change (p < .001) compared to high-frequency stimulation. Longer stimulation produced greater MV changes (an increase of 4.47% in MV for every additional 10 s, p = .04).

SIGNIFICANCE

Stimulation of amygdala, anterior cingulate gyrus, anterior insula, temporal pole, and thalamus, using certain stimulation paradigms, enhances respiration. Among tested paradigms, low-frequency, low-intensity, long-duration stimulation of the medial amygdala is the most effective breathing enhancement stimulation strategy. Such approaches may pave the way for the future development of neuromodulatory techniques that aid rescue from seizure-related apnea, potentially as a targeted sudden unexpected death in epilepsy prevention method.

Magnetite-supported montmorillonite (K10) (nanocat-Fe-Si-K10): an efficient green catalyst for multicomponent synthesis of amidoalkyl naphthol

Montmorillonite (K₁₀) loaded on magnetite silica-coated nanoparticles was made using simple co-precipitation methods. The prepared nanocat-Fe-Si-K₁₀ was analyzed using some techniques including field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), inductive coupling plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transmission-infrared spectra (FT-IR), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and wavelength-dispersive spectroscopy (WDX). The catalytic activity of the synthesized nanocat-Fe-Si-K₁₀ has been examined in one-pot multicomponent transformations for the synthesis of 1-amidoalkyl 2-naphthol derivatives under solvent-free conditions. Nanocat-Fe-Si-K₁₀ was determined to be very active, having the ability to be reused 15 times without significant loss of catalytic activity. The suggested technique has several advantages, including excellent yield, minimum reaction time, a straightforward workup, and catalyst recycling, all of which are essential green synthetic aspects.

Pulvinar neuromodulation for seizure monitoring and network modulation in temporal plus epilepsy

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a promising treatment for drug-refractory epilepsies (DRE) when targeting the anterior nuclei of thalamus (ANT). However, targeting other thalamic nuclei, such as the pulvinar, shows therapeutic promise. Our pioneering case study presents the application of ambulatory seizure monitoring using spectral fingerprinting (12.15-17.15 Hz) recorded through Medtronic Percept DBS implanted bilaterally in the medial pulvinar thalami. This technology offers unprecedented opportunities for real-time monitoring of seizure burden and thalamocortical network modulation for effective seizure reduction in patients with bilateral mesial temporal and temporal plus epilepsies that are not suitable for resection.

Spatiotemporally distributed frontotemporal networks for sentence reading

Reading a sentence entails integrating the meanings of individual words to infer more complex, higher-order meaning. This highly rapid and complex human behavior is known to engage the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and middle temporal gyrus (MTG) in the language-dominant hemisphere, yet whether there are distinct contributions of these regions to sentence reading is still unclear. To probe these neural spatiotemporal dynamics, we used direct intracranial recordings to measure neural activity while reading sentences, meaning-deficient Jabberwocky sentences, and lists of words or pseudowords. We isolated two functionally and spatiotemporally distinct frontotemporal networks, each sensitive to distinct aspects of word and sentence composition. The first distributed network engages the IFG and MTG, with IFG activity preceding MTG. Activity in this network ramps up over the duration of a sentence and is reduced or absent during Jabberwocky and word lists, implying its role in the derivation of sentence-level meaning. The second network engages the superior temporal gyrus and the IFG, with temporal responses leading those in frontal lobe, and shows greater activation for each word in a list than those in sentences, suggesting that sentential context enables greater efficiency in the lexical and/or phonological processing of individual words. These adjacent, yet spatiotemporally dissociable neural mechanisms for word- and sentence-level processes shed light on the richly layered semantic networks that enable us to fluently read. These results imply distributed, dynamic computation across the frontotemporal language network rather than a clear dichotomy between the contributions of frontal and temporal structures.

Abstract 3769: Intracellular miR-1290 promotes breast cancer stemness in HER2-enriched and triple-negative breast cancer

HER2-enriched breast cancer and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) have the highest propensity to metastasize to the brain; patients with breast cancer brain metastasis (BCBM) survive only 6-18 months after diagnosis. Mechanisms that drive brain metastasis remain unclear, contributing to limited effective treatments and poor prognoses for HER2-enriched breast cancer and TNBC patients. Our lab recently reported that breast cancer with truncated glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1, a BCBM-promoting transcription factor, secretes high levels of extracellular vesicle (EV)-derived miR-1290 (Cancer Letters 540:215726, 2022). EV-miR-1290 activates astrocytes in the brain microenvironment. Using mammosphere assays, which enrich breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs), we found conditioned media from miR-1290-activated astrocytes promotes mammosphere formation of breast cancer cells. Furthermore, miR-1290-activated astrocytes secrete high levels of ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) to promote the progression of brain metastases through the novel EV-miR-1290-FOXA2-CNTF signaling axis. However, it remains unknown whether intratumoral miR-1290 promotes BCSCs and BCBM. To help fill this knowledge gap, we first examined whether a miR-1290 mimic enhanced expression of known BCSC markers in SKBR3, HER2-enriched breast cancer, and CN34, TNBC, cells. Our results showed that overexpression of miR-1290 significantly increased the expression of stemness genes, CD44, Nanog, and OCT4, in both cell lines. Furthermore, we determined whether miR-1290 promotes formation of mammospheres that are enriched with BCSCs, and the results indicated that ectopic miR-1290 expression significantly enriched BCSCs in SKBR3 and CN34 cells. Conversely, inhibition of miR-1290 suppressed mammosphere-forming ability of SKBRM and CN34-BRM cells, two brain metastatic breast cancer cell lines derived from SKBR3 and CN34 cells, respectively. We further observed that miR-1290 overexpression in SKBR3 cells significantly increased the percentage of CD44+/CD24− cells, indicative of the BCSCs. Analysis of Gene Expression Omnibus breast cancer patient datasets revealed that miR-1290 expression is significantly increased in HER2-positive and basal subtypes of breast cancer patient tumors. Using the publicly available miR-1290 gene signature, we performed Gene Set Enrichment Analysis and found that high miR-1290 gene activation signature is positively enriched with multiple pathway gene signatures that are known to be upregulated in breast cancer, such as EGFR, MAPK, PI3K, and STAT3 pathways. Furthermore, the miR-1290 gene signature is upregulated in HER2-positive breast cancer and TNBC tumors, and is correlated with worse metastasis-free survival (MFS) and brain-MFS in breast cancer patients. In summary, our study suggests an important role for intratumoral miR-1290 in BCSCs and BCBM.

Citation Format: Grace L. Wong, Mariana Najjar, Yoshua Esquenazi, Nitin Tandon, Angelina T. Regua, Hui-Wen Lo. Intracellular miR-1290 promotes breast cancer stemness in HER2-enriched and triple-negative breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 3769.

Critical role of the ventral temporal lobe in naming

OBJECTIVE

Lexical retrieval deficits are characteristic of a variety of different neurological disorders. However, the exact substrates responsible for this are not known. We studied a large cohort of patients undergoing surgery in the dominant temporal lobe for medically intractable epilepsy (n = 95) to localize brain regions that were associated with anomia.

METHODS

We performed a multivariate voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping analysis to correlate surgical lesions within the temporal lobe with changes in naming ability. Additionally, we used a surface-based mixed-effects multilevel analysis to estimate group-level broadband gamma activity during naming across a subset of patients with electrocorticographic recordings and integrated these results with lesion-deficit findings.

RESULTS

We observed that ventral temporal regions, centered around the middle fusiform gyrus, were significantly associated with a decline in naming. Furthermore, we found that the ventral aspect of temporal lobectomies was linearly correlated to a decline in naming, with a clinically significant decline occurring once the resection extended 6 cm from the anterior tip of the temporal lobe on the ventral surface. On electrocorticography, the majority of these cortical regions were functionally active following visual processing. These loci coincide with the sites of susceptibility artifacts during echoplanar imaging, which may explain why this region has been previously underappreciated as the locus responsible for postoperative naming deficits.

SIGNIFICANCE

Taken together, these data highlight the crucial contribution of the ventral temporal cortex in naming and its important role in the pathophysiology of anomia following temporal lobe resections. As such, surgical strategies should attempt to preserve this region to mitigate postoperative language deficits.

Sensing local field potentials with a directional and scalable depth electrode array

Objective. A variety of electrophysiology tools are available to the neurosurgeon for diagnosis, functional therapy, and neural prosthetics. However, no tool can currently address these three critical needs: (a) access to all cortical regions in a minimally invasive manner; (b) recordings with microscale, mesoscale, and macroscale resolutions simultaneously; and (c) access to spatially distant multiple brain regions that constitute distributed cognitive networks.Approach.We modeled, designed, and demonstrated a novel device for recording local field potentials (LFPs) with the form factor of a stereo-electroencephalographic electrode and combined with radially distributed microelectrodes.Main results. Electro-quasistatic models demonstrate that the lead body amplifies and shields LFP sources based on direction, enablingdirectional sensitivity andscalability, referred to as thedirectional andscalable (DISC) array.In vivo,DISC demonstrated significantly improved signal-to-noise ratio, directional sensitivity, and decoding accuracy from rat barrel cortex recordings during whisker stimulation. Critical for future translation, DISC demonstrated a higher signal to noise ratio (SNR) than virtual ring electrodes and a noise floor approaching that of large ring electrodes in an unshielded environment after common average referencing. DISC also revealed independent, stereoscopic current source density measures whose direction was verified after histology.Significance. Directional sensitivity of LFPs may significantly improve brain-computer interfaces and many diagnostic procedures, including epilepsy foci detection and deep brain targeting.

Structure activity relationship (SAR) and anticancer activity of pyrrolidine derivatives: Recent developments and future prospects (A review)

Pyrrolidine molecules are a significant class of synthetic and natural plant metabolites, which show the diversity of pharmacological activities. An extensive variety of synthetic pyrrolidine compounds with numerous derivatization like spirooxindole, thiazole, metal complexes, coumarin, etc have revealed significant anticancer activity. Pyrrolidine molecules are found not only as potential anticancer candidates but also retain the lowest side effects. Depending upon the diverse substitution patterns of the derivatives, these molecules have demonstrated an incredible ability to regulate the various targets to give excellent anti-proliferative activities. Taking these into consideration, efforts have been taken by the scientific fraternity to design and develop a potent anticancer scaffold with negligible side effects. In the present review, we cover the latest advancements in the synthesis of pyrrolidine molecules which have promising anticancer activity toward numerous cancer cell lines. Additionally, it also highlights the effectiveness of derivatives via elucidation of Structural-Activity-Relationship (SAR) which is discussed in detail.

Safety and efficacy of bihemispheric sampling via transmidline stereoelectroencephalography

OBJECTIVE

Stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) is designed to target distributed cortical networks responsible for electroclinical seizure syndrome and to enable localization of the site of seizure onset in patients with intractable epilepsy. When the preimplantation hypothesis invokes the bilateral mesial frontal lobes, sampling of several deep-seated cortical sites in both hemispheres is required. In this study, the authors have demonstrated the feasibility of sampling bihemispheric areas with intentional implantation of an SEEG electrode crossing the midline (SECM) for sampling the cortex on both sides of the interhemispheric fissure.

METHODS

An analysis of 231 consecutive SEEG procedures over 8 years was used to identify instances of bihemispheric sampling by using the transmidline SEEG technique.

RESULTS

The authors identified 53 SEEG cases, with a total of 126 electrodes that crossed the interhemispheric fissure; all were in the frontal lobes. Eighty-three electrodes targeted the cingulate gyrus (18 rostral, 43 anterior, and 22 middle), 31 targeted the posterior orbitofrontal region, 8 sampled the medial prefrontal cortex, and 4 targeted nodular heterotopia around the frontal horns. The ictal onset zone was localized to the frontal lobe in 16 cases. SECM isolated interictal and ictal activity in the contralateral hemisphere in 6 cases and independent bihemispheric seizure activity in 2 cases. No hemorrhagic or infectious complications were noted in any of these cases.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on this extensive experience of bihemispheric sampling, the authors concluded that this technique is safe and effective. In this series, SECM showed contralateral interictal and/or ictal epileptiform activity in 8 (15%) cases, and 9 (16%) cases (with unilateral implantation) had sufficient data to discard contralateral involvement, contributing to support of the epileptogenic network. SECM may reduce the number of electrodes used to sample bilateral mesial frontal or orbitofrontal cortices, and such an approach may lower the risk of hemorrhage and costs.

SURG-19. PROGNOSTIC VALIDATION OF A NEW CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM FOR EXTENT OF RESECTION IN GLIOBLASTOMA: A REPORT OF THE RANO RESECT GROUP

BACKGROUND

Terminology to describe extent of resection in glioblastoma is inconsistent across clinical trials. A surgical classification system was previously proposed based upon residual contrast-enhancing (CE) tumor. We aimed to (I) explore the prognostic utility of the classification system and (II) define how much removed non-CE tumor translates into a survival benefit.

METHODS

The international RANO resect group retrospectively searched the databases from seven neuro-oncological centers in the USA and Europe for patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma per WHO 2021 classification. Clinical and volumetric information from pre- and post-operative MRI were collected.

RESULTS

We collected 1021 patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma, including 1008 IDHwt patients. 744 IDHwt glioblastomas were treated with radiochemotherapy per EORTC 26981/22981 (TMZ/RT→TMZ) following surgery. Among such homogenously treated patients, lower absolute residual tumor volumes (in cm3) were favorably associated with outcome: patients with ‘maximal CE resection’ (class 2) had superior outcome compared to patients with ‘submaximal CE resection’ (class 3) or ‘biopsy’ (class 4) (median OS: 19 versus 15 versus 10 months; p=0.001). Extensive resection of non-CE tumor (≤ 5 cm3 residual non-CE tumor) provided an additional survival benefit in patients with complete CE resection, thus defining class 1 (‘supramaximal CE resection’) (median OS: 24 versus 19 months; p=0.008). The prognostic value of the resection classes was retained on multivariate analysis when adjusting for molecular and clinical markers including MGMT promotor status. Relative tumor reduction (in percentage) was not prognostic for outcome on multivariate analysis, and inter-rater agreement for CE and non-CE tumor on post-operative MRI was sufficient.

CONCLUSION

The proposed “RANO categories for extent of resection in glioblastoma” are highly prognostic and may serve for stratification of clinical trials. Removal of non-CE tumor beyond the CE tumor borders translates into additional survival benefit, providing a rationale to explicitly denominate such a ‘supramaximal CE resection’.

Pyrrolidine derivatives as antibacterial agents, current status and future prospects: a patent review

Bacterial infections are increasingly epitomizing major global health concerns, with rising death rates. Since the most complete assessment of the worldwide impact of antimicrobial resistance to date, with over 1.2 million people dead in 2019 as a direct result of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. The majority of antimicrobial drugs have been associated with a multitude of adverse effects including financial costs as well. Pyrrolidine derivatives have sparked the interest of researchers to create novel synthetic molecules with minimal side effect and drawbacks. To close the research gap, the current review discusses the synthetic compounds with active pyrrolidine scaffolds, critical findings and most crucially the structure-activity relationship that affects the activity of the ring over the last one and half decade.

Recent developments in silver nanoparticles utilized for cancer treatment and diagnosis: a patent review

Nanotheranostics is a young but rapidly expanding science that incorporates elements of therapy and diagnostics in a unique and miniscule area of research. The potential to combine diagnostic and therapeutic abilities inside a complete unit opens up interesting possibilities for innovative biomedical research. Silver-based nanoparticles, for instance, are widely utilized as pharmacological and biomedical imaging molecules, and hence offer a lot of potential for the development of versatile targeted therapy compositions. These nanoparticles have been used for cancer diagnosis and cancer treatments recently. We evaluate major innovations based on silver nanotheranostics technologies in this review paper, with an emphasis on cancer treatment implications. The present review covers papers, from 2010 to 2020.

BRAF/MEK Dual Inhibitors Therapy in Progressive and Anaplastic Pleomorphic Xanthoastrocytoma: Case Series and Literature Review

Recurrent and anaplastic pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (r&aPXA) is a rare primary brain tumor that is challenging to treat. Two-thirds of PXA tumors harbor a BRAF gene mutation. BRAF inhibitors have been shown to improve tumor control. However, resistance to BRAF inhibition develops in most cases. Concurrent therapy with MEK inhibitors may improve tumor control and patient survival. In this study, we identified 5 patients diagnosed with BRAF-mutated PXA who received BRAF and MEK inhibitors over a 10-year interval at our institution. Patient records were evaluated, including treatments, adverse effects (AEs), outcomes, pathology, next-generation sequencing, and MRI. The median age was 22 years (range, 14-66 years), 60% male, and 60% anaplastic PXA. Median overall survival was 72 months (range, 19-112 months); 1 patient died of tumor-related hemorrhage while off therapy, and the other 4 experienced long-term disease control (21, 72, 98, and 112 months, respectively). Dual BRAF/MEK inhibitors were well tolerated, with only grade 1-2 AEs, including rash, neutropenia, fatigue, abdominal discomfort, and diarrhea. No grade 3-5 AEs were detected. A literature review was also performed of patients diagnosed with BRAF-mutated PXA and treated with BRAF and/or MEK inhibitors through August 2021, with a total of 32 cases identified. The median age was 29 years (range, 8-57 years) and the median PFS and OS were 8.5 months (range, 2-35 months) and 35 months (range, 10-80 months), respectively. The most common AEs were grade 1-2 fatigue and skin rash. Results of this case series and literature review indicate that dual-drug therapy with BRAF and MEK inhibitors for r&aPXA with BRAF V600E mutation may delay tumor progression without unexpected AEs.

Prognostic validation of a new classification system for extent of resection in glioblastoma: a report of the RANO resect group

BACKGROUND

Terminology to describe extent of resection in glioblastoma is inconsistent across clinical trials. A surgical classification system was previously proposed based upon residual contrast-enhancing (CE) tumor. We aimed to (I) explore the prognostic utility of the classification system and (II) define how much removed non-CE tumor translates into a survival benefit.

METHODS

The international RANO resect group retrospectively searched previously compiled databases from seven neuro-oncological centers in the USA and Europe for patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma per WHO 2021 classification. Clinical and volumetric information from pre- and post-operative MRI were collected.

RESULTS

We collected 1008 patients with newly diagnosed IDHwt glioblastoma. 744 IDHwt glioblastomas were treated with radiochemotherapy per EORTC 26981/22981 (TMZ/RT→TMZ) following surgery. Among these homogenously treated patients, lower absolute residual tumor volumes (in cm 3) were favorably associated with outcome: patients with 'maximal CE resection' (class 2) had superior outcome compared to patients with 'submaximal CE resection' (class 3) or 'biopsy' (class 4). Extensive resection of non-CE tumor (≤5 cm 3 residual non-CE tumor) was associated with better survival among patients with complete CE resection, thus defining class 1 ('supramaximal CE resection'). The prognostic value of the resection classes was retained on multivariate analysis when adjusting for molecular and clinical markers.

CONCLUSIONS

The proposed "RANO categories for extent of resection in glioblastoma" are highly prognostic and may serve for stratification within clinical trials. Removal of non-CE tumor beyond the CE tumor borders may translate into additional survival benefit, providing a rationale to explicitly denominate such 'supramaximal CE resection'.

Magnetically Recoverable Silica-Decorated Ferromagnetic-Nanoceria Nanocatalysts and Their Use with O- and N-Butyloxycarbonylation Reaction via Solvent-Free Condition

Silica-decorated ferrite nanoparticles, a new kind, coated with ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN), have been prepared successfully by simple coprecipitation techniques. Powder X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (PXRD), Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), field emission-scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), wavelength-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (WDX), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), inductive coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) techniques were used to characterize these nanoparticles. The catalysts are further studied for catalytic activity in solvent-free conditions. Importantly, these nanoparticles have been collected from the reaction mixture using an external magnet and recycled up to minimum of 15 cycles with no substantial loss of catalytic characteristics.

A Spatiotemporal Map of Reading Aloud

Reading words aloud is a fundamental aspect of literacy. The rapid rate at which multiple distributed neural substrates are engaged in this process can only be probed via techniques with high spatiotemporal resolution. We probed this with direct intracranial recordings covering most of the left hemisphere in 46 humans (26 male, 20 female) as they read aloud regular, exception and pseudo-words. We used this to create a spatiotemporal map of word processing and to derive how broadband γ activity varies with multiple word attributes critical to reading speed: lexicality, word frequency, and orthographic neighborhood. We found that lexicality is encoded earliest in mid-fusiform (mFus) cortex, and precentral sulcus, and is represented reliably enough to allow single-trial lexicality decoding. Word frequency is first represented in mFus and later in the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and inferior parietal sulcus (IPS), while orthographic neighborhood sensitivity resides solely in IPS. We thus isolate the neural correlates of the distributed reading network involving mFus, IFG, IPS, precentral sulcus, and motor cortex and provide direct evidence for parallel processes via the lexical route from mFus to IFG, and the sublexical route from IPS and precentral sulcus to anterior IFG.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Reading aloud depends on multiple complex cerebral computations: mapping from a written letter string on a page to a sequence of spoken sound representations. Here, we used direct intracranial recordings in a large cohort while they read aloud known and novel words, to track, across space and time, the progression of neural representations of behaviorally relevant factors that govern reading speed. We find, concordant with cognitive models of reading, that known and novel words are differentially processed through a lexical route, sensitive to frequency of occurrence of known words in natural language, and a sublexical route, performing letter-by-letter construction of novel words.

Event-Related Phase Synchronization Propagates Rapidly across Human Ventral Visual Cortex

Visual inputs to early visual cortex integrate with semantic, linguistic and memory inputs in higher visual cortex, in a manner that is rapid and accurate, and enables complex computations such as face recognition and word reading. This implies the existence of fundamental organizational principles that enable such efficiency. To elaborate on this, we performed intracranial recordings in 82 individuals while they performed tasks of varying visual and cognitive complexity. We discovered that visual inputs induce highly organized posterior-to-anterior propagating patterns of phase modulation across the ventral occipitotemporal cortex. At individual electrodes there was a stereotyped temporal pattern of phase progression following both stimulus onset and offset, consistent across trials and tasks. The phase of low frequency activity in anterior regions was predicted by the prior phase in posterior cortical regions. This spatiotemporal propagation of phase likely serves as a feed-forward organizational influence enabling the integration of information across the ventral visual stream. This phase modulation manifests as the early components of the event related potential; one of the most commonly used measures in human electrophysiology. These findings illuminate fundamental organizational principles of the higher order visual system that enable the rapid recognition and characterization of a variety of inputs.

Minimal Phrase Composition Revealed by Intracranial Recordings

The ability to comprehend phrases is an essential integrative property of the brain. Here, we evaluate the neural processes that enable the transition from single-word processing to a minimal compositional scheme. Previous research has reported conflicting timing effects of composition, and disagreement persists with respect to inferior frontal and posterior temporal contributions. To address these issues, 19 patients (10 male, 9 female) implanted with penetrating depth or surface subdural intracranial electrodes, heard auditory recordings of adjective-noun, pseudoword-noun, and adjective-pseudoword phrases and judged whether the phrase matched a picture. Stimulus-dependent alterations in broadband gamma activity, low-frequency power, and phase-locking values across the language-dominant left hemisphere were derived. This revealed a mosaic located on the lower bank of the posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS), in which closely neighboring cortical sites displayed exclusive sensitivity to either lexicality or phrase structure, but not both. Distinct timings were found for effects of phrase composition (210-300 ms) and pseudoword processing (∼300-700 ms), and these were localized to neighboring electrodes in pSTS. The pars triangularis and temporal pole encoded anticipation of composition in broadband low frequencies, and both regions exhibited greater functional connectivity with pSTS during phrase composition. Our results suggest that the pSTS is a highly specialized region composed of sparsely interwoven heterogeneous constituents that encodes both lower and higher level linguistic features. This hub in pSTS for minimal phrase processing may form the neural basis for the human-specific computational capacity for forming hierarchically organized linguistic structures.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Linguists have claimed that the integration of multiple words into a phrase demands a computational procedure distinct from single-word processing. Here, we provide intracranial recordings from a large patient cohort, with high spatiotemporal resolution, to track the cortical dynamics of phrase composition. Epileptic patients volunteered to participate in a task in which they listened to phrases (red boat), word-pseudoword or pseudoword-word pairs (e.g., red fulg). At the onset of the second word in phrases, greater broadband high gamma activity was found in posterior superior temporal sulcus in electrodes that exclusively indexed phrasal meaning and not lexical meaning. These results provide direct, high-resolution signatures of minimal phrase composition in humans, a potentially species-specific computational capacity.

Intraoperative localization and preservation of reading in ventral occipitotemporal cortex

OBJECTIVE

Resective surgery in language-dominant ventral occipitotemporal cortex (vOTC) carries the risk of causing impairment to reading. Because it is not on the lateral surface, it is not easily accessible for intraoperative mapping, and extensive stimulation mapping can be time-consuming. Here the authors assess the feasibility of using task-based electrocorticography (ECoG) recordings intraoperatively to help guide stimulation mapping of reading in vOTC.

METHODS

In 11 patients undergoing extraoperative, intracranial seizure mapping, the authors recorded induced broadband gamma activation (70-150 Hz) during a visual category localizer. In 2 additional patients, whose pathologies necessitated resections in language-dominant vOTC, task-based functional mapping was performed intraoperatively using subdural ECoG alongside direct cortical stimulation.

RESULTS

Word-responsive cortex localized using ECoG showed a high sensitivity (72%) to stimulation-induced reading deficits, and the confluence of ECoG and stimulation-positive sites appears to demarcate the visual word form area. Intraoperative task-based ECoG mapping was possible in < 3 minutes, providing a high signal quality, and initial intraoperative data analysis took < 3 minutes, allowing for rapid assessment of broad areas of cortex. Cortical areas critical for reading were mapped and successfully preserved, while also enabling pathological tissue to be completely removed.

CONCLUSIONS

Eloquent cortex in ventral visual cortex can be rapidly mapped intraoperatively using ECoG. This method acts to guide high-probability targets for stimulation with limited patient participation and can be used to avoid iatrogenic dyslexia following surgery.

Optimal targeting of the anterior nucleus of the thalamus for epilepsy: a meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the anterior nucleus of the thalamus (ANT) has been shown to be an effective therapeutic option for select patients with limbic epilepsy. However, the optimal target and electrode position for this indication remains undefined. Therefore, the objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to quantify the association between active contact location and outcomes across all published series of ANT DBS.

METHODS

A literature search using PRISMA criteria was performed to identify all studies that reported both active contact locations and outcomes of DBS in the ANT for epilepsy. Patient, disease, treatment, and outcome data were extracted for statistical analysis. Contact locations of responders (defined as ≥ 50% seizure reduction at last follow-up) versus nonresponders to DBS were analyzed on a common reference frame. Centers of mass, weighted by clinical response, were computed for the contacts in each cohort.

RESULTS

From 555 studies that were screened for review, a total of 7 studies comprising 162 patients met criteria for inclusion and were analyzed. Across the cohort, the mean duration of epilepsy was 23 years and the mean pre-DBS seizure frequency was 56 seizures per month. DBS electrodes were implanted using direct targeting in 5 studies (n = 62, 38% of patient cohort) via a transventricular electrode trajectory in 4 studies (n = 123, 76%). At the mean follow-up duration of 2.3 years, 56% of patients were considered responders. Active contacts of responders were 1.6 mm anterior (95% CI 1.5-1.6 mm, p < 0.001) compared to those of nonresponders and were adjacent to the mammillothalamic tract (MTT).

CONCLUSIONS

Accurate targeting of the ANT is crucial to successful DBS outcomes in epilepsy. These findings suggest that stimulation within the ANT subregions adjacent to the MTT improves outcomes.

The Listening Zone of Human Electrocorticographic Field Potential Recordings

Intracranial electroencephalographic (icEEG) recordings provide invaluable insights into neural dynamics in humans because of their unmatched spatiotemporal resolution. Yet, such recordings reflect the combined activity of multiple underlying generators, confounding the ability to resolve spatially distinct neural sources. To empirically quantify the listening zone of icEEG recordings, we computed correlations between signals as a function of distance (full width at half maximum; FWHM) between 8752 recording sites in 71 patients (33 female) implanted with either subdural electrodes (SDEs), stereo-encephalography electrodes (sEEG), or high-density sEEG electrodes. As expected, for both SDEs and sEEGs, higher frequency signals exhibited a sharper fall off relative to lower frequency signals. For broadband high γ (BHG) activity, the mean FWHM of SDEs (6.6 ± 2.5 mm) and sEEGs in gray matter (7.14 ± 1.7 mm) was not significantly different; however, FWHM for low frequencies recorded by sEEGs was 2.45 mm smaller than SDEs. White matter sEEGs showed much lower power for frequencies 17-200 Hz (q < 0.01) and a much broader decay (11.3 ± 3.2 mm) than gray matter electrodes (7.14 ± 1.7 mm). The use of a bipolar referencing scheme significantly lowered FWHM for sEEGs, relative to a white matter reference or a common average reference (CAR). These results outline the influence of array design, spectral bands, and referencing schema on local field potential recordings and source localization in icEEG recordings in humans. The metrics we derive have immediate relevance to the analysis and interpretation of both cognitive and epileptic data.

Dataset of human intracranial recordings during famous landmark identification

For most people, recalling information about familiar items in a visual scene is an effortless task, but it is one that depends on coordinated interactions of multiple, distributed neural components. We leveraged the high spatiotemporal resolution of direct intracranial recordings to better delineate the network dynamics underpinning visual scene recognition. We present a dataset of recordings from a large cohort of humans while they identified images of famous landmarks (50 individuals, 52 recording sessions, 6,775 electrodes, 6,541 trials). This dataset contains local field potential recordings derived from subdural and penetrating electrodes covering broad areas of cortex across both hemispheres. We provide this pre-processed data with behavioural metrics (correct/incorrect, response times) and electrode localisation in a population-normalised cortical surface space. This rich dataset will allow further investigation into the spatiotemporal progression of multiple neural processes underlying visual processing, scene recognition and cued memory recall.

Interleukin Receptor Antagonists and Janus Kinase Inhibitors Repurposed for Treatment of COVID-19

SARS-CoV-2 infection is the most contagious among the three coronavirus infections the world has witnessed to date which has affected almost all parts of the world in millions of population since its outbreak in china in Dec. 2019. Moreover, it has severely hit the world economy and therefore there is a dire need to develop the treatment of this deadly disease. The numbers of potential vaccines are in the early or advanced stage of clinical trials. But the development of a vaccine is a very tedious and time-consuming task. Therefore, various groups are working on the repurposing of drugs with already known safety and efficacy profiles to shorten the time of development of the potential treatment. The main aim of this review article is to summarize the clinical outcomes of Interleukin receptor antagonists and Janus kinase inhibitors based drugs which have been repurposed for the treatment of COVID-19 associated with SARS-CoV-2.

Ethical commitments, principles, and practices guiding intracranial neuroscientific research in humans

Leveraging firsthand experience, BRAIN-funded investigators conducting intracranial human neuroscience research propose two fundamental ethical commitments: (1) maintaining the integrity of clinical care and (2) ensuring voluntariness. Principles, practices, and uncertainties related to these commitments are offered for future investigation.

Magnetically recyclable silica-coated magnetite-molybdate nanocatalyst and its applications in N-formylation reactions under solvent-free conditions-

Abstract:

A novel magnetite silica-coated nanoparticle-supported molybdate nanocatalyst has been prepared successfully by a simple co-precipitation method. Prepared nanocatalyst has been characterized by different techniques like Fourier Transmission Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX). Further, the catalytic activity of the nanocatalyst was explored for N-formylation reactions under solvent-free conditions. Interestingly, the catalyst could be reused for 10 cycles and only 2 mol % of the catalyst was sufficient to catalyze the N-formylation reaction at 700C under solvent-free conditions.