Neurobehavioral evidence of interoceptive sensitivity in early infancy

Interoception, the sensitivity to visceral sensations, plays an important role in homeostasis and guiding motivated behaviour. It is also considered to be fundamental to self-awareness. Despite its importance, the developmental origins of interoceptive sensitivity remain unexplored. We here provide the first evidence for implicit, flexible interoceptive sensitivity in 5 month old infants using a novel behavioural measure, coupled with an established cortical index of interoceptive processing. These findings have important implications for the understanding of the early developmental stages of self-awareness, self-regulation and socio-emotional abilities

How the serotonin transporter 5-HTTLPR polymorphism influences amygdala function: the roles of in vivo serotonin transporter expression and amygdala structure

The serotonin transporter-linked promoter region (5-HTTLPR) polymorphism of the serotonin transporter gene is associated with amygdala response during negative emotion. The aim of this study was to investigate whether this genotype effect on amygdala function is mediated by current serotonin transporter (5-HTT) levels or rather by genetically induced influences during neurodevelopment, shaping brain structure. A total of 54 healthy subjects underwent functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging, [11C]DASB positron emission tomography and 5-HTTLPR genotyping to analyze the interrelationships between amygdala activation during processing of unpleasant stimuli, 5-HTTLPR genotype, amygdala volumes and 5-HTT levels in the midbrain and in other brain regions. In line with previous research, carriers of the short allele (S) showed increased amygdala activation. Path analysis demonstrated that this genotype effect was not procured by current 5-HTT availability but by amygdala structure, with smaller amygdala volumes in the S than in the LL genotype, as well as smaller volumes being associated with increased amygdala activation. Our findings stress the role of genetic effects during neurodevelopment

Financial difficulties but not other types of recent negative life events show strong interactions with 5-HTTLPR genotype in the development of depressive symptoms

Several studies indicate that 5-HTTLPR mediates the effect of childhood adversity in the development of depression, while results are contradictory for recent negative life events. For childhood adversity the interaction with genotype is strongest for sexual abuse, but not for other types of childhood maltreatment; however, possible interactions with specific recent life events have not been investigated separately. The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of four distinct types of recent life events in the development of depressive symptoms in a large community sample. Interaction between different types of recent life events measured by the List of Threatening Experiences and the 5-HTTLPR genotype on current depression measured by the depression subscale and additional items of the Brief Symptom Inventory was investigated in 2588 subjects in Manchester and Budapest. Only a nominal interaction was found between life events overall and 5-HTTLPR on depression, which failed to survive correction for multiple testing. However, subcategorising life events into four categories showed a robust interaction between financial difficulties and the 5-HTTLPR genotype, and a weaker interaction in the case of illness/injury. No interaction effect for the other two life event categories was present. We investigated a general non-representative sample in a cross-sectional approach. Depressive symptoms and life event evaluations were self-reported. The 5-HTTLPR polymorphism showed a differential interaction pattern with different types of recent life events, with the strongest interaction effects of financial difficulties on depressive symptoms. This specificity of interaction with only particular types of life events may help to explain previous contradictory findings

Sex differences modulating serotonergic polymorphisms implicated in the mechanistic pathways of risk for depression and related disorders:

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/137310/1/jnr23877.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/137310/2/jnr23877_am.pd

Closing the Gap: the e4d Design Series and the Mediation of Digital Design Skills

The e4d design series is looking for an innovative use of digital technology in architectural education to overcome the gap between design development and the acquisition of digital skills. Digital design approaches include multimedia technology, the crossover of analogue and digital techniques, rapid-prototyping, visualization, and the presentation in artistic movies. Over the past two years a problem- based design approach was developed, which enabled students to learn digital and architectural skills simultaneously and efficiently. The educational concept consisted generally of four steps, which, though independent of each other, are determined by questions of the ongoing design process. The first step consists of an abstract or subjective research phase, in the second step the findings are transferred into dynamic spatial structures. Later, the detected qualities are used to develop a given building program. Finally, the different traces are connected, when site-specific parameters are blended with the design traces. This paper examines and evaluates textual and visual design approaches, the precise use of different kinds of media for the projectsi visualization, and the way architectural projects can be discussed, in addition, a competent monitoring of the process and outcome of innovative and efficient design strategies in architectural and pedagogical aspect is included.

Thinking the Fourth Dimension - the E4d Design Series and the Education of Digital Design Skills

The e4d design series is looking for new aspects of digital technology in the education of Digital Architecture approaches - overcoming the gap between the development of architectural and the necessary digital skills. Digital Design approaches using the full variety of multimedia technology, the parallelism and crossover of analogue and digital techniques, 3d-modelling, rapid-prototyping and visualization tools and finally the presentation in artistic movies or websites are characteristic for the e4d design method. This method was refined during several design projects within the last two years. A problem based design method was developed, that enabled students to learn digital and architectural skills simultaneously in an efficient manner

Transformative Design

The paper presents an architectural design method, which was tested in a master class for four times. It combines the education of complex digital tools with their simultaneous use in the whole design process of an architectural (experimental) building design. The design method contains four steps: thematic association, idea to form, form to function, site implementation. The four steps are open to subjective conceptions as well as to individual use of different digital tools but all related to the overall building brief. Tools mostly used and educated were 3d animation softwares. Scripting, rapid prototyping and VR have also been included. The presentation format is film or other interactive, time based media

My grandmother lived in yonder little green

voiceCollected by Merlin Mitchell Sung by Mary Kobiella Transcribed by Mary C. Parler Fayetteville, Arkansas March 19, 1950 Reel 41, Item 5 Mitchell: Where did the song come from? Mrs. Kobiella: It came originally from my great-grandmother in (?) County, England. My Grandmother's Advice My grandmother lived in yonder little green As fine an old lady as ever was seen. She often cautioned me with care Of all false young men to beware. The bold young men they flatter and deceive, So, my love, you must not believe; They'll flatter, they'll coax you till you are in their snare, Away goes poor old grandma's care. Tiny-yi-tiny-yum-tum-tiny-yumpa-tay, And away goes poor old grandma's care. The first came a-courting was little Johnny Green, As fine a young man as ever was seen, But the words of my grandma run in my head, And I could not hear one word be said. Tiny-yi-tiny-yum-tum-tiny-yumpa-tay, I could not hear one word be said. The next came courting was young Ellis Grove, 'Twa then we met with a joyous love; Our love so true I couldn't be afraid. You'd better get married than to die an old maid. Tiny-yi-tiny-yum-tum-tiny-yumpa-tay, You'd better get married than to die an old maid. Thinks I to myself there's some mistake, What a fuss these old folks make, If the boys and the girls had all be so afraid, Then grandma herself would have died an old maid. Tiny-yi-tiny-yum-tum-tiny-yumpa-tay, Grandma herself would have died an old maid.Funding for digitization provided by the Arkansas Humanities Council and the Happy Hollow Foundation