Functional specialization within rostral prefrontal cortex (Area 10): a meta-analysis

One of the least well understood regions of the human brain is rostral prefrontal cortex, approximating Brodmann's area 10. Here, we investigate the possibility that there are functional subdivisions within this region by conducting a meta-analysis of 104 functional neuroimaging studies (using positron emission tomography/functional magnetic resonance imaging). Studies involving working memory and episodic memory retrieval were disproportionately associated with lateral activations, whereas studies involving mentalizing (i.e., attending to one's own emotions and mental states or those of other agents) were disproportionately associated with medial activations. Functional variation was also observed along a rostral-caudal axis, with studies involving mentalizing yielding relatively caudal activations and studies involving multiple-task coordination yielding relatively rostral activations. A classification algorithm was trained to predict the task, given the coordinates of each activation peak. Performance was well above chance levels (74% for the three most common tasks; 45% across all eight tasks investigated) and generalized to data not included in the training set. These results point to considerable functional segregation within rostral prefrontal cortex

Is the evidence for dark energy secure?

Several kinds of astronomical observations, interpreted in the framework of the standard Friedmann-Robertson-Walker cosmology, have indicated that our universe is dominated by a Cosmological Constant. The dimming of distant Type Ia supernovae suggests that the expansion rate is accelerating, as if driven by vacuum energy, and this has been indirectly substantiated through studies of angular anisotropies in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and of spatial correlations in the large-scale structure (LSS) of galaxies. However there is no compelling direct evidence yet for (the dynamical effects of) dark energy. The precision CMB data can be equally well fitted without dark energy if the spectrum of primordial density fluctuations is not quite scale-free and if the Hubble constant is lower globally than its locally measured value. The LSS data can also be satisfactorily fitted if there is a small component of hot dark matter, as would be provided by neutrinos of mass 0.5 eV. Although such an Einstein-de Sitter model cannot explain the SNe Ia Hubble diagram or the position of the `baryon acoustic oscillation' peak in the autocorrelation function of galaxies, it may be possible to do so e.g. in an inhomogeneous Lemaitre-Tolman-Bondi cosmology where we are located in a void which is expanding faster than the average. Such alternatives may seem contrived but this must be weighed against our lack of any fundamental understanding of the inferred tiny energy scale of the dark energy. It may well be an artifact of an oversimplified cosmological model, rather than having physical reality.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures; to appear in a special issue of General Relativity and Gravitation, eds. G.F.R. Ellis et al; Changes: references reformatted in journal style - text unchange

To what extent do frameworks of reading development and the phonics screening check support the assessment of reading development in England?

The purpose of this article is to question the suitability of the phonics screening check in relation to models and theories of reading development. The article questions the appropriateness of the check by drawing on theoretical frameworks which underpin typical reading development. I examine the Simple View of Reading developed by Gough and Tunmer and Ehri’s model of reading development. The article argues that the assessment of children’s development in reading should be underpinned and informed by a developmental framework which identifies the sequential skills in reading development

The parent?infant dyad and the construction of the subjective self

Developmental psychology and psychopathology has in the past been more concerned with the quality of self-representation than with the development of the subjective agency which underpins our experience of feeling, thought and action, a key function of mentalisation. This review begins by contrasting a Cartesian view of pre-wired introspective subjectivity with a constructionist model based on the assumption of an innate contingency detector which orients the infant towards aspects of the social world that react congruently and in a specifically cued informative manner that expresses and facilitates the assimilation of cultural knowledge. Research on the neural mechanisms associated with mentalisation and social influences on its development are reviewed. It is suggested that the infant focuses on the attachment figure as a source of reliable information about the world. The construction of the sense of a subjective self is then an aspect of acquiring knowledge about the world through the caregiver's pedagogical communicative displays which in this context focuses on the child's thoughts and feelings. We argue that a number of possible mechanisms, including complementary activation of attachment and mentalisation, the disruptive effect of maltreatment on parent-child communication, the biobehavioural overlap of cues for learning and cues for attachment, may have a role in ensuring that the quality of relationship with the caregiver influences the development of the child's experience of thoughts and feelings

Antimicrobial use and stewardship practices on Australian beef feedlots

Objective Improving antimicrobial stewardship in the livestock sector requires an understanding of the motivations for antimicrobial use and the quantities consumed. However,detailed information on antimicrobial use in livestock sectors is lacking. This cross‐sectional study aimed to better understand antimicrobial use in the beef feedlot sector in Australia. Design A self‐administered questionnaire asking about antimicrobial use and reasons for use was designed and mailed to beef feedlot operators in Australia. Respondents were asked to report the percentage of animals treated, purpose of use, and disease conditions targeted for 26antimicrobial agents. Results In total, 83 of 517 (16.1%) beef feedlot operators completed the survey. Monensin (61.0%of respondents) and virginiamycin (19.5%of respondents) were the most commonly reported in‐feed antimicrobials. In‐feed antimicrobial agents were most frequently used by respondents for treatment of gastrointestinal diseases (52.8%). Antimicrobials were used for growth promotion by 42.1% of respondents, with most (85.7%) reporting the use of ionophores(a group of compounds not used in human medicine). Short‐acting penicillin(69.1%), short‐acting oxytetracycline, and tulathromycin (both 57.3%) werethe most common injectable antimicrobial agents used. Injectable antimicrobials were most frequently used to treat respiratory (72.3%) and musculoskeletal (67.5%) conditions. Conclusion Overall,the use of antimicrobials was appropriate for the purpose indicated, and there was a strong preference for drugs of low‐importance in human medicine. The data described here stand to be a strong influence on the implementation of an antimicrobial stewardship program in the sector

Antimicrobial use and stewardship practices on Australian beef feedlots

OBJECTIVE:Improving antimicrobial stewardship in the livestock sector requires an understanding of the motivations for antimicrobial use and the quantities consumed. However,detailed information on antimicrobial use in livestock sectors is lacking. This cross-sectional study aimed to better understand antimicrobial use in the beef feedlot sector in Australia. DESIGN:A self-administered questionnaire asking about antimicrobial use and reasons for use was designed and mailed to beef feedlot operators in Australia. Respondents were asked to report the percentage of animals treated, purpose of use, and disease conditions targeted for 26antimicrobial agents. RESULTS:In total, 83 of 517 (16.1%) beef feedlot operators completed the survey. Monensin (61.0%of respondents) and virginiamycin (19.5%of respondents) were the most commonly reported in-feed antimicrobials. In-feed antimicrobial agents were most frequently used by respondents for treatment of gastrointestinal diseases (52.8%). Antimicrobials were used for growth promotion by 42.1% of respondents, with most (85.7%) reporting the use of ionophores(a group of compounds not used in human medicine). Short-acting penicillin(69.1%), short-acting oxytetracycline, and tulathromycin (both 57.3%) werethe most common injectable antimicrobial agents used. Injectable antimicrobials were most frequently used to treat respiratory (72.3%) and musculoskeletal (67.5%) conditions. CONCLUSION:Overall,the use of antimicrobials was appropriate for the purpose indicated, and there was a strong preference for drugs of low-importance in human medicine. The data described here stand to be a strong influence on the implementation of an antimicrobial stewardship program in the sector.SM Badger, KF Sullivan, D Jordan, CGB Caraguel, SW Page, PMV Cusack, D Frith, DJ Trot

The use of QBO, ENSO, and NAO perturbations in the evaluation of GOME-2 MetOp A total ozone measurements

In this work we present evidence that quasi-cyclical perturbations in total ozone (quasi-biennial oscillation - QBO, El Niño-Southern Oscillation - ENSO, and North Atlantic Oscillation - NAO) can be used as independent proxies in evaluating Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME) 2 aboard MetOp A (GOME-2A) satellite total ozone data, using ground-based (GB) measurements, other satellite data, and chemical transport model calculations. The analysis is performed in the frame of the validation strategy on longer time scales within the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) Satellite Application Facility on Atmospheric Composition Monitoring (AC SAF) project, covering the period 2007-2016. Comparison of GOME-2A total ozone with ground observations shows mean differences of about <span classCombining double low lineinline-formula><math xmlnsCombining double low linehttp://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML idCombining double low lineM1 displayCombining double low lineinline overflowCombining double low linescroll dspmathCombining double low linemathml><mrow><mo>-</mo><mn mathvariantCombining double low linenormal>0.7</mn><mo>±</mo><mn mathvariantCombining double low linenormal>1.4</mn></mrow></math><span><svg:svg xmlns:svgCombining double low linehttp://www.w3.org/2000/svg widthCombining double low line52pt heightCombining double low line10pt classCombining double low linesvg-formula dspmathCombining double low linemathimg md5hashCombining double low linedba8c66e297c0601baccc6ab115a0086><svg:image xmlns:xlinkCombining double low linehttp://www.w3.org/1999/xlink xlink:hrefCombining double low lineamt-12-987-2019-ie00001.svg widthCombining double low line52pt heightCombining double low line10pt srcCombining double low lineamt-12-987-2019-ie00001.png/></svg:svg></span></span> % in the tropics (0-30<span classCombining double low lineinline-formula>ĝ</span>), about <span classCombining double low lineinline-formula><math xmlnsCombining double low linehttp://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML idCombining double low lineM3 displayCombining double low lineinline overflowCombining double low linescroll dspmathCombining double low linemathml><mrow><mo>+</mo><mn mathvariantCombining double low linenormal>0.1</mn><mo>±</mo><mn mathvariantCombining double low linenormal>2.1</mn></mrow></math><span><svg:svg xmlns:svgCombining double low linehttp://www.w3.org/2000/svg widthCombining double low line52pt heightCombining double low line10pt classCombining double low linesvg-formula dspmathCombining double low linemathimg md5hashCombining double low line63d75ddfa7d430e7ceb7a4033cb0075f><svg:image xmlns:xlinkCombining double low linehttp://www.w3.org/1999/xlink xlink:hrefCombining double low lineamt-12-987-2019-ie00002.svg widthCombining double low line52pt heightCombining double low line10pt srcCombining double low lineamt-12-987-2019-ie00002.png/></svg:svg></span></span> % in the mid-latitudes (30-60<span classCombining double low lineinline-formula>ĝ</span>), and about <span classCombining double low lineinline-formula><math xmlnsCombining double low linehttp://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML idCombining double low lineM5 displayCombining double low lineinline overflowCombining double low linescroll dspmathCombining double low linemathml><mrow><mo>+</mo><mn mathvariantCombining double low linenormal>2.5</mn><mo>±</mo><mn mathvariantCombining double low linenormal>3.2</mn></mrow></math><span><svg:svg xmlns:svgCombining double low linehttp://www.w3.org/2000/svg widthCombining double low line52pt heightCombining double low line10pt classCombining double low linesvg-formula dspmathCombining double low linemathimg md5hashCombining double low linecc8aa294436c6f7026458ba098d8c81e><svg:image xmlns:xlinkCombining double low linehttp://www.w3.org/1999/xlink xlink:hrefCombining double low lineamt-12-987-2019-ie00003.svg widthCombining double low line52pt heightCombining double low line10pt srcCombining double low lineamt-12-987-2019-ie00003.png/></svg:svg></span></span> % and <span classCombining double low lineinline-formula>0.0±4.3</span> % over the northern and southern high latitudes (60-80<span classCombining double low lineinline-formula>ĝ</span>), respectively. In general, we find that GOME-2A total ozone data depict the QBO-ENSO-NAO natural fluctuations in concurrence with the co-located solar backscatter ultraviolet radiometer (SBUV), GOME-type Total Ozone Essential Climate Variable (GTO-ECV; composed of total ozone observations from GOME, SCIAMACHY - SCanning Imaging Absorption SpectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY, GOME-2A, and OMI - ozone monitoring instrument, combined into one homogeneous time series), and ground-based observations. Total ozone from GOME-2A is well correlated with the QBO (highest correlation in the tropics of <span classCombining double low lineinline-formula>+</span>0.8) in agreement with SBUV, GTO-ECV, and GB data which also give the highest correlation in the tropics. The differences between deseazonalized GOME-2A and GB total ozone in the tropics are within <span classCombining double low lineinline-formula>±1</span> %. These differences were tested further as to their correlations with the QBO.<span idCombining double low linepage988/> The differences had practically no QBO signal, providing an independent test of the stability of the long-term variability of the satellite data. Correlations between GOME-2A total ozone and the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) were studied over the tropical Pacific Ocean after removing seasonal, QBO, and solar-cycle-related variability. Correlations between ozone and the SOI are on the order of <span classCombining double low lineinline-formula>+</span>0.5, consistent with SBUV and GB observations. Differences between GOME-2A and GB measurements at the station of Samoa (American Samoa; 14.25<span classCombining double low lineinline-formula>ĝ</span> S, 170.6<span classCombining double low lineinline-formula>ĝ</span> W) are within <span classCombining double low lineinline-formula>±1.9</span> %. We also studied the impact of the NAO on total ozone in the northern mid-latitudes in winter. We find very good agreement between GOME-2A and GB observations over Canada and Europe as to their NAO-related variability, with mean differences reaching the <span classCombining double low lineinline-formula>±1</span> % levels. The agreement and small differences which were found between the independently produced total ozone datasets as to the influence of the QBO, ENSO, and NAO show the importance of these climatological proxies as additional tool for monitoring the long-term stability of satellite-ground-truth biases. © 2019. This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License