Contractile tissues demonstrate a pronounced capacity to remodel their composition in response to mechanical challenges. Descriptive evidence suggests the upstream involvement of the phosphotransfer enzyme FAK (focal adhesion kinase) in the molecular control of load-dependent muscle plasticity. Thereby FAK evolves as a myocellular transducer of mechanical signals towards downstream transcript e...

Initially described as task-induced deactivations during goal-directed paradigms of high attentional load, the unresolved functionality of default mode regions has long been assumed to interfere with task performance. However, recent evidence suggests a potential default mode network involvement in fulfilling cognitive demands. We tested this hypothesis in a finger opposition paradigm with task...

Patients with a tuberculoma typically present with pulmonary involvement of tuberculosis and have risk factors for tuberculosis (TB). The risk factors for tuberculosis include bacillary load, proximity to infectious case, immunosuppressive conditions, malnutrition, young age, diabetes mellitus, working in healthcare, recent incarceration, alcohol use, and tobacco use. Although rare, it is possi...

Auditory change detection has been studied extensively with mismatch negativity (MMN), an event-related potential. Because it is unresolved if the duration MMN depends on sound pressure level (SPL), we studied effects of different SPLs (56, 66, and 76dB) on the duration MMN. Further, previous research suggests that the MMN is reduced by a concurrent visual task. Because a recent behavioral stud...

OBJECTIVE Attention research in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has produced conflicting results. Some findings demonstrate greater distractibility while others suggest superior focused attention. Applying Lavie's load theory of attention to account for this discrepancy led us to hypothesize increased perceptual capacity in ASD. Preliminary support for our hypothesis has so far ...

The cognitive reserve hypothesis proposes that the brain actively attempts to cope with age-related changes by using pre-existing cognitive networks (neural reserve) or enlisting compensatory processes (neural compensation). In a context of visual selective attention, the current study compared task-related activation with BOLD fMRI signals in younger (N=16) and older (N=16) adults using a lett...

background the immune system plays important roles in determining the outcomes of hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection. interleukin-23 and -27 (il-23 and il-27) are two novel il-12 cytokine family members known to enhance the t-lymphocyte response, but their precise involvement in hcv infection is not well known. objectives we investigated the serum il-27 and il-23 levels in patients with hcv infe...