Neurons in primate V4 exhibit various types of selectivity for contour shapes, including curves, angles, and simple shapes. How are these neurons organized in V4 remains unclear. Using intrinsic signal optical imaging and two-photon calcium imaging, we observed submillimeter functional domains in V4 that contained neurons preferring curved contours over rectilinear ones. These curvature domains had similar sizes and response amplitudes as orientation domains but tended to separate from these regions. Within the curvature domains, neurons that preferred circles or curve orientations clustered further into finer scale subdomains. Nevertheless, individual neurons also had a wide range of contour selectivity, and neighboring neurons exhibited a substantial diversity in shape tuning besides their common shape preferences. In strong contrast to V4, V1 and V2 did not have such contour-shape-related domains. These findings highlight the importance and complexity of curvature processing in visual object recognition and the key functional role of V4 in this process.Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are ubiquitous in cultivated soils, forming symbiotic relationships with the roots of major crop species. Studies in controlled conditions have demonstrated the potential of AMF to enhance the growth of host plants. However, it is difficult to estimate the actual benefit in the field, not least because of the lack of suitable AMF-free controls. Here we implement a novel strategy using the selective incorporation of AMF-resistance into a genetic mapping population to evaluate maize response to AMF. We found AMF to account for about one-third of the grain production in a medium input field, as well as to affect the relative performance of different plant genotypes. Characterization of the genetic architecture of the host response indicated a trade-off between mycorrhizal dependence and benefit. We identified several QTL linked to host benefit, supporting the feasibility of breeding crops to maximize profit from symbiosis with AMF.As one of the most-studied receptors, Robo plays functions in many biological processes, and its functions highly depend on Slit, the ligand of Robo. Here we uncover a Slit-independent role of Robo in glial migration and show that neurons can release an extracellular fragment of Robo upon cleavage to attract glia during migration in Caenorhabditis elegans. Furthermore, we identified the conserved cell adhesion molecule SYG-1/Neph as a receptor for the cleaved extracellular Robo fragment to mediate glial migration and SYG-1/Neph functions through regulation of the WAVE complex. Our studies reveal a previously unknown Slit-independent function and regulatory mechanism of Robo and show that the cleaved extracellular fragment of Robo can function as a ligand for SYG-1/Neph to guide glial migration. As Robo, the cleaved region of Robo, and SYG-1/Neph are all highly conserved across the animal kingdom, our findings may present a conserved Slit-independent Robo mechanism during brain development.An important aspect of visual object recognition is the ability to perceive object shape. Two basic components of complex shapes are straight and curved contours. A large body of evidence suggests a modular hierarchy for shape representation progressing from simple and complex orientation in early areas V1 and V2, to increasingly complex stages of curvature representation in V4, TEO, and TE. Here, we reinforce and extend the concept of modular representation. Using intrinsic signal optical imaging in Macaque area V4, we find sub-millimeter sized modules for curvature representation that are organized from low to high curvatures as well as domains with complex curvature preference. We propose a possible ‘curvature hypercolumn’ within V4. DZNeP nmr In combination with previous studies, we suggest that the key emergent functions at each stage of cortical processing are represented in systematic, modular maps.

The kidney is the most commonly injured organ of the genitourinary system during trauma. We describe the associated risk factors for the development of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients with renal trauma (RT).

We prospectively analyzed data from 65 patients who suffered RT from 2015 to 2019 at the Hospital Civil de Guadalajara. Demographic variables, clinical characteristics, and AKI risk factors were described. We assessed the risk factors related to AKI development.

In our study cohort, 60 (92.3%) patients were men, mean age 25 (20-30) years; the most common cause of RT was firearm injury in 26 (40%) of patients and 46 (70%) required surgery. AKI associated with RT developed in 39 (60%) patients. There were no differences between patients with or without AKI requiring nephrectomy (35.9 vs. 19.2%, p=0.15). RT was classified as high-grade in 37 (56.9%) cases; high-grade RT increased four-fold the probability of AKI (adjusted OR 3.95, p=0.05). A model for AKI prediction during RT was built with the most relevant variables firearm injury, shock, emergency surgery, high-grade RT, and liver injury, all predicting AKI (ROC-AUC of 0.74 p=0.02).

AKI occurred in 60% of cases with RT, and it was significantly associated with high-grade RT. Further studies will be required to confirm this association in other populations, which could lead to an earlier and proactive management of AKI in this setting.

AKI occurred in 60% of cases with RT, and it was significantly associated with high-grade RT. Further studies will be required to confirm this association in other populations, which could lead to an earlier and proactive management of AKI in this setting.

Ectopic calcification is associated with secondary hyperparathyroidism (HPT) in patients with end-stage renal failure (ESRD). Metastatic pulmonary calcification (MPC) is another rare type of ectopic calcification, and there are a few reports on MPC in dialysis patients.

We report the case of a 52-year-old woman admitted with general fatigue and appetite loss, who was on peritoneal dialysis (PD) for 7 years. Although she was initially suspected of having secondary HPT due to ESRD, we finally diagnosed ectopic HPT that was caused by a cystic mass behind her thyroid gland overlapping with secondary HPT. We carefully observed her under conservative therapy because she refused surgery. On admission, she was diagnosed as having MPC because she had ground-glass-like opacification in her lung fields on high-resolution computed tomography scan, which was caused by a parathyroid tumor complicated by secondary HPT associated with ESRD. After she began intravenous injection of etelcalcetide hydrochloride, serum calcium, and intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH), values were adjusted, and the opacification disappeared.