The middle fusiform gyrus (MFG) and the inferior occipital gyrus (IOG) are activated by both detection and identification of faces. Paradoxically, patients with acquired prosopagnosia following lesions to either of these regions in the right hemisphere cannot identify faces, but can still detect faces. Here we acquired functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data during face processing in a patient presenting a specific deficit in individual face recognition, following lesions encompassing the right IOG. Using an adaptation paradigm we show that the fMRI signal in the rMFG of the patient, while being larger in response to faces as compared to objects, does not differ between conditions presenting identical and distinct faces, in contrast to the larger response to distinct faces observed in controls. These results suggest that individual discrimination of faces critically depends on the integrity of both the rMFG and the rIOG, which may interact through re-entrant cortical connections in the normal brain.

This study was carried out to determine the relationships between leptin concentrations, lipid alterations, oxidant/ antioxidant status, in vitro LDL oxidizability and LDL-fatty acid composition in overweight breast cancer patients. Glucose, insulin, leptin, lipids, LDL-cholesteryl ester fatty acids, markers of oxidant status (MDA, Hydroperoxides, carbonyl proteins, conjugated dienes) and markers of antioxidant status (vitamins A, C, E, erythrocyte activities of the enzymes superoxide dismutase, SOD, catalase, glutathione peroxidase,GPx, and glutathione reductase, GR and the serum total antioxidant status, ORAC) were investigated in breast cancer patients and in control women. Our findings showed that insulin, leptin, triglyceride, cholesterol and LDL-C concentrations were increased in patients compared to controls. ORAC and vitamin C and E values were lower while plasma hydroperoxide, carbonyl protein and conjugated diene levels, SOD and GPx activities were higher than in controls. Alterations in LDL-fatty acid composition were associated with their enhanced oxidative susceptibility. There were significant positive correlations between leptin concentrations and LDL-C, hydroperoxides, carbonyl proteins, SOD activity, baseline conjugated diene levels and oxidation rate, and significant negative correlations between leptin and ORAC, lag time and LDL-PUFA in patients. In conclusion, breast cancer is associated with lipid alterations and enhanced oxidative stress linked to high leptin levels in overweight.

This study aimed to explore knowledge, attitude, perceptions, and willingness regarding vaccination among university students in Pakistan. This cross-sectional study was carried out using an open online self-administered survey via Google Forms. The survey data were collected between the 15 to 30 of October 2022. A total of 946 respondents participated in the study, of which the majority were female (514, 54.3%). Most students belonged to a medical background, specifically pharmaceutical sciences. Most of the respondents did not know about monkeypox before 2022 (646, 68.3%). Regarding overall knowledge of monkeypox, most of the respondents had average knowledge (726, 76.7%), with very few having good knowledge (60, 6.3%). Regarding overall attitudes towards monkeypox, most of the respondents had neutral attitudes (648, 68.5%). There was a significant association between knowledge of Monkeypox with the type of academic degree (p < 0.001), type of discipline (p < 0.001), and region of respondents (p < 0.001). The willingness to vaccinate among the population was (67.7%). The current study pointed out that the overall knowledge of monkeypox was average in most respondents, with considerable knowledge gaps in most aspects. The overall attitude towards monkeypox was neutral. Further, the knowledge about monkeypox was strongly associated with academic degree, study discipline, and region of respondents. Our findings emphasize the need to raise public awareness by educating students on the monkeypox virus. This will improve adherence to preventative recommendations.

Olanzapine is an atypical antipsychotic drug used in the treatment of schizophrenia. Controversial results have been obtained measuring different serum antioxidant enzymes and serum malondialdehyde (MDA) in schizophrenic patients treated with olanzapine. The aim of this study is to find the effect of olanzapine on total antioxidant status (TAS) and lipid peroxidation in schizophrenic patients. Thirty schizophrenic patients were treated orally with olanzapine (10–20 mg/day) for 2 months. Thirty healthy subjects were also included as a control group. Blood samples were taken from patients before and after olanzapine therapy, and analyzed for serum TAS and MDA. In schizophrenic patients, mean values of pretreatment serum TAS were significantly less (difference = 37.4% of control) than the control value, whereas serum MDA levels were significantly higher (difference = 176% of control) than the control values . Olanzapine treatment for 2 months significantly increased serum TAS levels (37.8%) and reduced serum MDA levels (22.2%) in comparison to respective pretreatment values. In conclusion, the data suggest that olanzapine therapy for 2 months at least partially ameliorates adverse effects on the antioxidant defense mechanism in schizophrenia.

Objectives: Studies using convergent neurocognitive and structural imaging paradigms in adolescent posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are limited; in the current study we used both voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to obtain between-group volumetric differences, and Freesurfer to examine the relationship between cognition and regional brain volumes. Methods: Participants were 21 traumatized adolescents with PTSD matched with 32 traumatized adolescents without PTSD. Magnetic resonance images were obtained on a 1.5-Tesla MAGNETOM Siemens Symphony scanner. VBM implemented on FSL was then used to compare between-group grey matter volumes, after which Freesurfer was used to obtain global volume and thickness measurements in different brain regions. Results: Significant between-group neurocognitive differences were found for tests of attention, delayed recall and visual reconstruction. On VBM, reduced grey matter was found in three regions in the PTSD group: left insula, right precuneus and right cingulate gyrus, using uncorrected values (p < 0.001), while no statistically significant between-group differences were found on the initial Freesurfer stream. Further Freesurfer analysis on Qdec revealed significant reductions in the insula for the PTSD group. In addition, volumetric changes in the corpus callosum and insula were significantly associated with deficits in logical memory and visual reproduction on Freesurfer analysis. Conclusions: Trauma exposure of itself may be sufficient to cause structural changes in adolescents regardless of PTSD development.