Functional MRI (fMRI) studies have traditionally relied on intersubject normalization based on global brain morphology, which cannot establish proper functional correspondence between subjects due to ...substantial intersubject variability in functional organization. Here, we reliably identified a set of discrete, homologous functional regions in individuals to improve intersubject alignment of fMRI data. These functional regions demonstrated marked intersubject variability in size, position, and connectivity. We found that previously reported intersubject variability in functional connectivity maps could be partially explained by variability in size and position of the functional regions. Importantly, individual differences in network topography are associated with individual differences in task-evoked activations, suggesting that these individually specified regions may serve as the "localizer" to improve the alignment of task-fMRI data. We demonstrated that aligning task-fMRI data using the regions derived from resting state fMRI may lead to increased statistical power of task-fMRI analyses. In addition, resting state functional connectivity among these homologous regions is able to capture the idiosyncrasies of subjects and better predict fluid intelligence (gF) than connectivity measures derived from group-level brain atlases. Critically, we showed that not only the connectivity but also the size and position of functional regions are related to human behavior. Collectively, these findings suggest that identifying homologous functional regions across individuals can benefit a wide range of studies in the investigation of connectivity, task activation, and brain-behavior associations.
Prenatal cannabis use and maternal stress have been proposed as risk factors for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Black mothers and mothers of lower socioeconomic status (SES) may be especially likely ...to experience high levels of stress. This study examined the impact of prenatal cannabis use and maternal stress (i.e., prenatal distress, racial discrimination, and lower SES) on child ASD-related behaviors in a sample of 172 Black mother-child pairs. We found that prenatal stress was significantly associated with ASD-related behaviors. Prenatal cannabis use did not predict ASD-related behaviors and did not interact with maternal stress to predict ASD-related behaviors. These findings replicate previous work on prenatal stress-ASD associations and add to the limited literature on prenatal cannabis-ASD associations in Black samples.
The aquatic environment is increasingly bombarded by a wide variety of noise pollutants whose range and intensity are increasing with each passing decade. Yet, little is known about how aquatic noise ...affects marine communities. To determine the implications that changes to the soundscape may have on fishes, a meta‐analysis was conducted focusing on the ramifications of noise on fish behavior and physiology. Our meta‐analysis identified 42 studies that produced 2,354 data points, which in turn indicated that anthropogenic noise negatively affects fish behavior and physiology. The most predominate responses occurred within foraging ability, predation risk, and reproductive success. Additionally, anthropogenic noise was shown to increase the hearing thresholds and cortisol levels of numerous species while tones, biological, and environmental noise were most likely to affect complex movements and swimming abilities. These findings suggest that the majority of fish species are sensitive to changes in the aquatic soundscape, and depending on the noise source, species responses may have extreme and negative fitness consequences. As such, this global synthesis should serve as a warning of the potentially dire consequences facing marine ecosystems if alterations to aquatic soundscapes continue on their current trajectory.
A variety of noise pollutants bombards the aquatic environment. However, little is known about how noise affects marine communities. To address this concern, a meta‐analysis on the ramifications of sound on fish behavior and physiology was conducted. The most predominate responses to anthropogenic noise occurred within foraging ability, predation risk, hearing thresholds, cortisol levels, and reproductive success. Tones, biological, and environmental noise affected complex movements and swimming abilities. These findings suggest that the majority of fish species are sensitive to changes in the aquatic soundscape, and depending on the noise source, species responses may have negative fitness consequences.
The detection limit is one of the most important performance parameters for bioanalytical techniques. Here we present a generic method to estimate the detection limit of biomolecular assays based on ...a step-by-step analysis of the assay procedure. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is used here as an example; however, much of the information presented in this article may be applied to other types of biomolecular assays and analytical techniques. A clear understanding of what affects the detection limit can help researchers to evaluate different bio-analytical techniques properly, and to design better strategies to optimize and achieve the best analytical performance.
In healthcare, approximately 1 in 20 hospital admissions has some form of error.2 This might be something relatively minor, like forgetting to arrange an outpatient follow-up appointment or complete ...a discharge summary. For now, we will consider HF as how humans work, how we interact with others, and how our analysis, decision making and behaviour can potentially adversely affect patient care, safety and professional relationships. ...missing lunch can result in the same biochemical fasting state and it is well known that this can reduce performance.6 A 1–2 kg loss in total body water due to lack of rehydration can reduce analysis and decision making by up to 20%.7 Taking short breaks every 3–4 hours during a long, complex operation to eat, drink and regain energy can help to maintain performance levels. An easily remembered mini brief called PPP (patient, procedure, people) can be useful to focus team discussion.8 Behaviour towards others Incivility, bullying, sexual misconduct and discrimination are not HF in its purest definition but these behaviours affect performance, decision making and team morale, and they can have hugely detrimental effects.9,10 Similarly, shouting and venting anger, particularly during stressful times, increases the risk of error, not to mention its effect on the team.
Much of the early structural definition of the cell wall of
Mycobacterium spp. was initiated in the 1960s and 1970s. There was a long period of inactivity, but more recent developments in NMR and ...mass spectral analysis and definition of the
M. tuberculosis genome have resulted in a thorough understanding, not only of the structure of the mycobacterial cell wall and its lipids but also the basic genetics and biosynthesis. Our understanding nowadays of cell-wall architecture amounts to a massive “core” comprised of peptidoglycan covalently attached
via a linker unit (
l-Rha–
d-GlcNAc-P) to a linear galactofuran, in turn attached to several strands of a highly branched arabinofuran, in turn attached to mycolic acids. The mycolic acids are oriented perpendicular to the plane of the membrane and provide a truly special lipid barrier responsible for many of the physiological and disease-inducing aspects of
M. tuberculosis. Intercalated within this lipid environment are the lipids that have intrigued researchers for over five decades: the phthiocerol dimycocerosate, cord factor/dimycolyltrehalose, the sulfolipids, the phosphatidylinositol mannosides, etc. Knowledge of their roles in “signaling” events, in pathogenesis, and in the immune response is now emerging, sometimes piecemeal and sometimes in an organized fashion. Some of the more intriguing observations are those demonstrating that mycolic acids are recognized by CD1-restricted T-cells, that antigen 85, one of the most powerful protective antigens of
M. tuberculosis, is a mycolyltransferase, and that lipoarabinomannan (LAM), when “capped” with short mannose oligosaccharides, is involved in phagocytosis of
M. tuberculosis. Definition of the genome of
M. tuberculosis has greatly aided efforts to define the biosynthetic pathways for all of these exotic molecules: the mycolic acids, the mycocerosates, phthiocerol, LAM, and the polyprenyl phosphates. For example, we know that synthesis of the entire core is initiated on a decaprenyl-P with synthesis of the linker unit, and then there is concomitant extension of the galactan and arabinan chains while this intermediate is transported through the cytoplasmic membrane. The final steps in these events, the attachment of mycolic acids and ligation to peptidoglycan, await definition and will prove to be excellent targets for a new generation of anti-tuberculosis drugs.
Children of depressed mothers not only have higher risk of depression, but also may experience both elevated and continuing exposure to stressful experiences. The study tested hypotheses of the ...intergenerational transmission of stress and depression and examined the role of early childhood adversity and maternal depression in the interplay between youth depression and stress over 20 years.
In a longitudinal community study of 705 families selected for history or absence of maternal depression, mothers and youth were studied from pregnancy to age 5 years and at youth ages 15 and 20 years. Youth and maternal depression were assessed with diagnostic interviews, acute and chronic interview-based stress assessment in the youth and contemporaneous measures of childhood adversity obtained between pregnancy and youth age 5 years.
Regression analyses indicated evidence of intergenerational transmission and continuity of depression over time, continuity of acute and chronic stress and reciprocal predictive associations between depression and stress. Maternal depression and exposure to adversities by child's age 5 years contributed to the youth's continuing experiences of depression and stress. An overall path model was consistent with stress continuity and intergenerational transmission and highlighted the mediating role of age 15 youth chronic interpersonal stress.
Youth of depressed mothers are at risk not only for depression but also for continuing experiences of acute and chronic stress from childhood to age 20. The associations among depression and stress are bidirectional and portend continuing experiences of depression and further stress.
During the current coronavirus pandemic, social distancing and restrictions on travel have resulted in a dramatic rise in the use of technology (including video conferencing) for remote meetings. ...From local multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings to national and international committees, this form of communication has been vital to ensure patient-related and other business can continue, albeit in a sometimes unfamiliar environment.
In this article we consider some of the human factors elements of remote meetings and provide suggestions to enhance the experience of team and committee members during this unsettling time. It is possible that this form of communication will continue to flourish after the pandemic is over.
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