SUMMARY Cognitive abilities, such as volitional attention, operate under top-down, executive frontal cortical control of hierarchically lower structures. The circuit mechanisms underlying this process are unresolved. The claustrum possesses interconnectivity with many cortical areas and, thus, is hypothesized to orchestrate the cortical mantle for top-down control. Whether the claustrum receives top-down input and how this input may be processed by the claustrum have yet to be formally tested, however. We reveal that a rich anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) input to the claustrum encodes a preparatory top-down information signal on a five-choice response assay that is necessary for optimal task performance. We further show that ACC input monosynaptically targets claustrum inhibitory interneurons and spiny glutamatergic projection neurons, the latter of which amplify ACC input in a manner that is powerfully constrained by claustrum inhibitory microcircuitry. These results demonstrate ACC input to the claustrum is critical for top-down control guiding action.

Background: Many studies in evolutionary biology and genetics are limited by the rate at which phenotypic information can be acquired. The wings of Drosophila species are a favorable target for automated analysis because of the many interesting questions in evolution and development that can be addressed with them, and because of their simple structure.

Macaque monkeys are frequently used in models for studies of infectious diseases, immunity, transplantation and vaccine development. Such use is largely due to the conservation of functionally important cell surface molecules and the phylogenetic proximity of their immune systems to that of humans. Some monoclonal antibodies (mAb) raised against human leukocyte antigens can be utilized in the monkey. Until recently, many primate centers have utilized the CD2 monoclonal antibody to enumerate T lymphocytes. We have evaluated the anti-human CD3 mAb in macaques and sooty mangabeys. Using this monoclonal antibody, pigtailed macaques were found to have a much higher proportion of CD2+ CD3- CD8+ cells as compared with rhesus macaques and sooty mangabeys. Such cells comprised approximately one-half of all CD8+ cells in the pigtailed macaque, but only one-quarter of CD8+ cells in the rhesus, and one-fifth in the sooty mangabey. Use of the CD2 monoclonal antibody as the T-cell marker resulted in underestimating CD4/CD8 ratios compared with using the CD3 mAb in pigtailed macaques. Phenotypic characterization of this subset of CD3- CD8+ cells indicated that they are CD16+, CD45RA+, CD11b+, CD69+ and CD28-. This would indicate that these cells represent an activated natural killer cell subset.

Incomplete anatomic surveys were associated with gestational age less than 18 weeks and maternal habitus. Five percent of patients had anomalies or aneuploidy markers on subsequent scans, and the majority of these were cardiac defects were cardiac defects. No spine abnormality was detected in any fetus with incomplete visualization of the spine with normal intracranial anatomy. These data that indicate the optimal timing for anatomic survey is beyond 18 weeks and more than 20 weeks for patients with body mass index greater than 30 kg/m and highlight the importance of subsequent ultrasounds to complete anatomy surveys.

A new Janus-type dianionic bis­(maloNHC) (1) was synthesized and characterized by NMR spectroscopy. The utility of this extended biscarbene for the construction of homobimetallic systems has been demonstrated by its coordination to two coinage metals. The resulting zwitterionic metal complexes of the type [(Ph3P)­M­(1)­M­(PPh3)] (M = Au, Ag) have been fully characterized. The X-ray crystallography shows that the new ligand positions the two metal centers at a distance of 24.2 Å, the longest distance reported to date for any related NHC ligand.

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Art as a way of healing is primordial in many cultures. Expressive Arts Therapy (ExAT) uses art, music, dance, and writing to help individuals navigate their healing journey. Patient self-expression as a mode of recovery has been observed in patients with Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and cancer. Complementary medical approaches such as acupuncture and mindfulness have also demonstrated benefits in patients suffering from neurological injury. Complementary medicine and ExAT are not mainstream approaches following neurosurgical procedures. There are very few systematic studies evaluating the benefits of expressive arts in neurosurgery. Advances in telemedicine and mobile applications may facilitate the incorporation of complementary medicine and ExAT into patient recovery. The purpose of our study is to explore the use of complementary medicine and ExAT in neurosurgical recovery. We start with a brief introduction of ExAT followed by available treatments offered. We discuss the benefits of multidisciplinary care and emerging technologies and how they can facilitate incorporation of complementary medicine and ExAT in neurosurgery. Finally, we review several clinical studies that have demonstrated success in using complementary medicine. Our goal is to provide alternative approaches to neurosurgery recovery so that patients may receive with the best care possible.

In 2017, the Virginia Department of Health implemented billing of insurance in local health department sexually transmitted disease clinics. We examined data collected by Virginia Department of Health related to clinic encounters, billing, and revenue from sexually transmitted disease clinics statewide. Implementing insurance billing created a new revenue stream for local health departments.