Naturalistic language input is associated with resting-state functional connectivity in infancy

The quantity and quality of the language input that infants receive from their caregivers affects their future language abilities; however, it is unclear how variation in this input relates to preverbal brain circuitry. The current study investigated the relation between naturalistic language input and the functional connectivity (FC) of language networks in human infancy using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI). We recorded the naturalistic language environments of five- to eight-month-old male and female infants using the Linguistic ENvironment Analysis (LENA) system and measured the quantity and consistency of their exposure to adult words (AWs) and adult-infant conversational turns (CTs). Infants completed an rsfMRI scan during natural sleep, and we examined FC among regions of interest (ROIs) previously implicated in language comprehension, including the auditory cortex, the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), and the bilateral superior temporal gyrus (STG). Consistent with theory of the ontogeny of the cortical language network (Skeide and Friederici, 2016), we identified two subnetworks posited to have distinct developmental trajectories: a posterior temporal network involving connections of the auditory cortex and bilateral STG and a frontotemporal network involving connections of the left IFG. Independent of socioeconomic status (SES), the quantity of CTs was uniquely associated with FC of these networks. Infants who engaged in a larger number of CTs in daily life had lower connectivity in the posterior temporal language network. These results provide evidence for the role of vocal interactions with caregivers, compared with overheard adult speech, in the function of language networks in infancy

Resistance to wheat rusts identified in wheat/Amblyopyrum muticum chromosome introgressions

© 2020 The Authors. Crop Science © 2020 Crop Science Society of America Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) rusts are a worldwide production problem. Plant breeders have used genetic resistance to combat these fungi. However, single-gene resistance is rapidly overcome as a result of frequent occurrence of new virulent fungal strains. Thus, a supply of new resistance sources is continually needed, and new resistance sources are limited within hexaploid wheat genetic stocks. Wild relatives are able to be a resource for new resistance genes but are hindered because of chromosome incapability with domesticated wheats. Twenty-eight double-haploid hexaploid wheat/Amblyopyrum muticum (Boiss.) Eig introgression lines, with introgressions covering the majority of the T genome, were evaluated for resistance to Puccinia triticina Erikss., P. graminis Pers.:Pers. f.sp. tritici Erikss. & E. Henning, and P. striiformis Westend. f.sp. tritici Erikss. At the seedling level, four lines were resistant to races of P. triticina, six lines were resistant to P. graminis, and 15 lines were resistant to P. striiformis. At the adult stage, 16 lines were resistant to P. triticina. Line 355 had resistance to all three rusts and line 161 had resistance to all tested races of P. triticina. Some of these lines will require further work to reduce the size of the introgressed segment; however, lines 92 and 355 have very small fragments and can be used directly as new resistance donors

Genetic mixed stock analysis of an interceptory Atlantic salmonfishery in the Northwest Atlantic

Interceptory fisheries represent an ongoing threat to migratory fish stocks particularly when managed in the absence of stock specific catch and exploitation information. Atlantic salmon from the southern portion of the North American range may be subject to exploitation in the commercial and recreational salmon fisheries occurring in the French territorial waters surrounding St. Pierre and Miquelon off southern Newfoundland. We evaluated stock composition of Atlantic salmon harvested in the St. Pierreand Miquelon Atlantic salmon fishery using genetic mixture analysis and individual assignment with a microsatellite baseline (15 loci, 12,409 individuals, 12 regional groups) encompassing the species western Atlantic range. Individual salmon were sampled from the St. Pierre and Miquelon fishery over four years (2004, 2011, 2013, and 2014). Biological characteristics indicate significant variation among years in the size and age distribution. Nonetheless, estimates of stock composition of the samples showed consistent dominance of three regions (i.e., Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence, Gaspe Peninsula, and New-foundland). Together salmon from these regions accounted for more than 70% of annual harvest over the decade examined. Comparison of individual assignments and biological characteristics revealed a trend of declining fresh water age with latitude of assigned region. Moreover, locally harvested Newfoundland salmon were ten times more likely to be small or one sea winter individuals whereas Quebec and Gaspe Peninsula salmon were two-three times more likely to be harvested as large or two sea winter salmon.Estimates of region specific catch were highest for salmon from the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence region ranging from 242 to 887 individuals annually. This work illustrates how genetic analysis of interceptory marine fisheries can directly inform assessment and management efforts in highly migratory marines pecies

Selective Inhibitors of the JMJD2 Histone Demethylases: Combined Nondenaturing Mass Spectrometric Screening and Crystallographic Approaches†

Ferrous ion and 2-oxoglutarate (2OG) oxygenases catalyze the demethylation of N(epsilon)-methylated lysine residues in histones. Here we report studies on the inhibition of the JMJD2 subfamily of histone demethylases, employing binding analyses by nondenaturing mass spectrometry (MS), dynamic combinatorial chemistry coupled to MS, turnover assays, and crystallography. The results of initial binding and inhibition assays directed the production and analysis of a set of N-oxalyl-d-tyrosine derivatives to explore the extent of a subpocket at the JMJD2 active site. Some of the inhibitors were shown to be selective for JMJD2 over the hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase PHD2. A crystal structure of JMJD2A in complex with one of the potent inhibitors was obtained; modeling other inhibitors based on this structure predicts interactions that enable improved inhibition for some compounds

P‐NEXFS Analysis of Aerosol Phosphorus Delivered to the Mediterranean Sea

Biological productivity in many ocean regions is controlled by the availability of the nutrient phosphorus. In the Mediterranean Sea, aerosol deposition is a key source of phosphorus and understanding its composition is critical for determining its potential bioavailability. Aerosol phosphorus was investigated in European and North African air masses using phosphorus near‐edge X‐ray fluorescence spectroscopy (P‐NEXFS). These air masses are the main source of aerosol deposition to the Mediterranean Sea. We show that European aerosols are a significant source of soluble phosphorus to the Mediterranean Sea. European aerosols deliver on average 3.5 times more soluble phosphorus than North African aerosols and furthermore are dominated by organic phosphorus compounds. The ultimate source of organic phosphorus does not stem from common primary emission sources. Rather, phosphorus associated with bacteria best explains the presence of organic phosphorus in Mediterranean aerosols

GABAergic Neuron-Specific Loss of Ube3a Causes Angelman Syndrome-Like EEG Abnormalities and Enhances Seizure Susceptibility

Loss of maternal UBE3A causes Angelman syndrome (AS), a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with severe epilepsy. We previously implicated GABAergic deficits onto layer (L) 2/3 pyramidal neurons in the pathogenesis of neocortical hyperexcitability, and perhaps epilepsy, in AS model mice. Here we investigate consequences of selective Ube3a loss from either GABAergic or glutamatergic neurons, focusing on the development of hyperexcitability within L2/3 neocortex and in broader circuit and behavioral contexts. We find that GABAergic Ube3a loss causes AS-like increases in neocortical EEG delta power, enhances seizure susceptibility, and leads to presynaptic accumulation of clathrin-coated vesicles (CCVs) – all without decreasing GABAergic inhibition onto L2/3 pyramidal neurons. Conversely, glutamatergic Ube3a loss fails to yield EEG abnormalities, seizures, or associated CCV phenotypes, despite impairing tonic inhibition onto L2/3 pyramidal neurons. These results substantiate GABAergic Ube3a loss as the principal cause of circuit hyperexcitability in AS mice, lending insight into ictogenic mechanisms in AS

'Drowning in here in his bloody sea' : exploring TV cop drama's representations of the impact of stress in modern policing

The Criminal Justice System is a part of society that is both familiar and hidden. It is familiar in that a large part of daily news and television drama is devoted to it (Carrabine, 2008; Jewkes, 2011). It is hidden in the sense that the majority of the population have little, if any, direct contact with the Criminal Justice System, meaning that the media may be a major force in shaping their views on crime and policing (Carrabine, 2008). As Reiner (2000) notes, the debate about the relationship between the media, policing, and crime has been a key feature of wider societal concerns about crime since the establishment of the modern police force. He outlines the recurring themes in post-war debates in this field. For Conservatives there has been an ongoing concern that the media is criminongenic, as it serves to undermine traditional institutions, including the police. From the viewpoint of radical criminology, the impact of the media is two-fold: it exaggerates legitimate concerns about crime and emphasises the bureaucratic and other restrictions under which the police operate (Reiner, 2000). This is seen as undermining due process and legitimatising what can be termed a ‘maverick’ approach to policing. An early example of this can be seen in Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry movies (Siegel, 1971) where Harry Callaghan acts as a one-man law enforcement system outside of the formal legal process, a process portrayed as corrupt, inefficient, and concerned with offenders’ rights rather than protecting victims. From a policing perspective, Reiner (2000) argues that film and TV drama creates a simplistic narrative of crime solving that is almost completely divorced from the reality of modern police work, a finding consistent with more recent work by Cummins et al., (2014)

A divergent heritage for complex organics in Isheyevo lithic clasts

Primitive meteorites are samples of asteroidal bodies that contain a high proportion of chemically complex organic matter (COM) including prebiotic molecules such as amino acids, which are thought to have been delivered to Earth via impacts during the early history of the Solar System. Thus, understanding the origin of COM, including their formation pathway(s) and environment(s), is critical to elucidate the origin of life on Earth as well as assessing the potential habitability of exoplanetary systems. The Isheyevo CH/CBb carbonaceous chondrite contains chondritic lithic clasts with variable enrichments in 15N believed to be of outer Solar System origin. Using transmission electron microscopy (TEM-EELS) and in situ isotope analyses (SIMS and NanoSIMS), we report on the structure of the organic matter as well as the bulk H and N isotope composition of Isheyevo lithic clasts. These data are complemented by electron microprobe analyses of the clast mineral chemistry and bulk Mg and Cr isotopes obtained by inductively coupled plasma and thermal ionization mass spectrometry, respectively (MC-ICPMS and TIMS). Weakly hydrated (A) clasts largely consist of Mg-rich anhydrous silicates with local hydrated veins composed of phyllosilicates, magnetite and globular and diffuse organic matter. Extensively hydrated clasts (H) are thoroughly hydrated and contain Fe-sulfides, sometimes clustered with organic matter, as well as magnetite and carbonates embedded in a phyllosilicate matrix. The A-clasts are characterized by a more 15N-rich bulk nitrogen isotope composition (δ15N = 200–650‰) relative to H-clasts (δ15N = 50–180‰) and contain extremely 15N-rich domains with δ15N 15N-rich domains show that the lithic clast diffuse organic matter is typically more 15N-rich than globular organic matter. The correlated δ15N values and C/N ratios of nanoglobules require the existence of multiple organic components, in agreement with the H isotope data. The combined H and N isotope data suggest that the organic precursors of the lithic clasts are defined by an extremely 15N-poor (similar to solar) and D-rich component for H-clasts, and a moderately 15N-rich and D-rich component for A-clasts. In contrast, the composition of the putative fluids is inferred to include D-poor but moderately to extremely 15N-rich H- and N-bearing components. The variable 15N enrichments in H- and A-clasts are associated with structural differences in the N bonding environments of their diffuse organic matter, which are dominated by amine groups in H-clasts and nitrile functional groups in A-clasts. We suggest that the isotopically divergent organic precursors in Isheyevo clasts may be similar to organic moieties in carbonaceous chondrites (CI, CM, CR) and thermally recalcitrant organic compounds in ordinary chondrites, respectively. The altering fluids, which are inferred to cause the 15N enrichments observed in the clasts, may be the result of accretion of variable abundances of NH3 and HCN ices. Finally, using bulk Mg and Cr isotope composition of clasts, we speculate on the accretion regions of the various primitive chondrites and components and the origin of the Solar System’s N and H isotope variability