In this review, we consider the potential functional role of beta-band oscillations, which at present is not yet well understood. We discuss evidence from recent studies on top-down mechanisms involved in cognitive processing, on the motor system and on the pathophysiology of movement disorders that suggest a unifying hypothesis: beta-band activity seems related to the maintenance of the current sensorimotor or cognitive state. We hypothesize that beta oscillations and/or coupling in the beta-band are expressed more strongly if the maintenance of the status quo is intended or predicted, than if a change is expected. Moreover, we suggest that pathological enhancement of beta-band activity is likely to result in an abnormal persistence of the status quo and a deterioration of flexible behavioural and cognitive control.

Beta-band oscillations--signalling the status quo?

社会生活 = Social life

/pdf/an-overview-of-artificial-intelligence-techniques-for-1awnlgr4.pdf

An overview of artificial intelligence techniques for diagnosis of Schizophrenia based on magnetic resonance imaging modalities: Methods, challenges, and future works

Doxorubicin (DOX) is an anthracycline chemotherapy drug used in the treatment of various types of cancer. However, short-term and long-term cardiotoxicity limits the clinical application of DOX. Currently, dexrazoxane is the only approved treatment by the United States Food and Drug Administration to prevent DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. However, a recent study found that pre-treatment with dexrazoxane could not fully improve myocardial toxicity of DOX. Therefore, further targeted cardioprotective prophylaxis and treatment strategies are an urgent requirement for cancer patients receiving DOX treatment to reduce the occurrence of cardiotoxicity. Accumulating evidence manifested that Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) could play a crucially protective role in heart diseases. Recently, numerous studies have concentrated on the role of SIRT1 in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity, which might be related to the activity and deacetylation of SIRT1 downstream targets. Therefore, the aim of this review was to summarize the recent advances related to the protective effects, mechanisms, and deficiencies in clinical application of SIRT1 in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. Also, the pharmaceutical preparations that activate SIRT1 and affect DOX-induced cardiotoxicity have been listed in this review.

Molecular mechanisms of doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity: novel roles of sirtuin 1-mediated signaling pathways

Our decision to believe what another person says can be influenced by vocally expressed confidence in speech and by whether the speaker-listener are members of the same social group. The dynamic effects of these two information sources on neurocognitive processes that promote believability impressions from vocal cues are unclear. Here, English Canadian listeners were presented personal statements (She has access to the building) produced in a confident or doubtful voice by speakers of their own dialect (in-group) or speakers from two different "out-groups" (regional or foreign-accented English). Participants rated how believable the speaker is for each statement and event-related potentials (ERPs) were analysed from utterance onset. Believability decisions were modulated by both the speaker's vocal confidence level and their perceived in-group status. For in-group speakers, ERP effects revealed an early differentiation of vocally expressed confidence (i.e., N100, P200), highlighting the motivational significance of doubtful voices for drawing believability inferences. These early effects on vocal confidence perception were qualitatively different or absent when speakers had an accent; evaluating out-group voices was associated with increased demands on contextual integration and re-analysis of a non-native representation of believability (i.e., increased N400, late negativity response). Accent intelligibility and experience with particular out-group accents each influenced how vocal confidence was processed for out-group speakers. The N100 amplitude was sensitive to out-group attitudes and predicted actual believability decisions for certain out-group speakers. We propose a neurocognitive model in which vocal identity information (social categorization) dynamically influences how vocal expressions are decoded and used to derive social inferences during person perception.

To believe or not to believe? How voice and accent information in speech alter listener impressions of trust.

Advanced EEG-based learning approaches to predict schizophrenia: Promises and pitfalls.

In a dynamically changing social environment, humans have to face the challenge of prioritizing stimuli that compete for attention. In the context of social communication, the voice is the most important sound category. However, the existing studies do not directly address whether and how the salience of an unexpected vocal change in an auditory sequence influences the orientation of attention. In this study, frequent tones were interspersed with task-relevant infrequent tones and task-irrelevant infrequent vocal sounds (neutral, happy and angry vocalizations). Eighteen healthy college students were asked to count infrequent tones. A combined event-related potential (ERP) and EEG time-frequency approach was used, with the focus on the P3 component and on the early auditory evoked gamma band response, respectively. A spatial-temporal principal component analysis was used to disentangle potentially overlapping ERP components. Although no condition differences were observed in the 210-310 ms window, larger positive responses were observed for emotional than neutral vocalizations in the 310-410 ms window. Furthermore, the phase synchronization of the early auditory evoked gamma oscillation was enhanced for happy vocalizations. These findings support the idea that the brain prioritizes the processing of emotional stimuli, by devoting more attentional resources to salient social signals even when they are not task-relevant.

Salience in a social landscape: electrophysiological effects of task-irrelevant and infrequent vocal change

Is laughter a better vocal change detector than a growl

Laughter catches attention

The authors are grateful to the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) for funding through the R&D project FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-022601 (reference FCT PTDC/CPE-PEC/122329/2010).

/pdf/rephys-a-multidisciplinary-experience-in-remote-22x0t5dvbj.pdf

Carla Barros

Papers

Advanced EEG-based learning approaches to predict schizophrenia: Promises and pitfalls.

Salience in a social landscape: electrophysiological effects of task-irrelevant and infrequent vocal change

Is laughter a better vocal change detector than a growl

Laughter catches attention

RePhyS : a multidisciplinary experience in remote physiological systems laboratory