Test–retest Reliability and Minimal Detectable Change of Corticospinal Tract Integrity in Chronic Stroke

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) can be used to index white matter integrity of the corticospinal tract (CST) after stroke; however, the psychometric properties of DTI‐based measures of white matter integrity are unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine test–retest reliability as determined by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and calculate minimal detectable change (MDC) of DTI‐based measures of CST integrity using three different approaches: a Cerebral Peduncle approach, a Probabilistic Tract approach, and a Tract Template approach. Eighteen participants with chronic stroke underwent DTI on the same magnetic resonance imaging scanner 4 days apart. For the Cerebral Peduncle approach, a researcher hand drew masks at the cerebral peduncle. For the Probabilistic Tract approach, tractography was seeded in motor areas of the cortex to the cerebral peduncle. For the Tract Template approach, a standard CST template was transformed into native space. For all approaches, the researcher performing analyses was blind to participant number and day of data collection. All three approaches had good to excellent test–retest reliability for fractional anisotropy (FA; ICCs \u3e0.786). Mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity were less reliable than FA. The ICC values were highest and MDC values were the smallest for the most automated approach (Tract Template), followed by the combined manual/automated approach (Probabilistic Tract) then the manual approach (Cerebral Peduncle). The results of this study may have implications for how DTI‐based measures of CST integrity are used to define impairment, predict outcomes, and interpret change after stroke

The Characteristics and Biological Relevance of Inorganic Amorphous Calcium Carbonate (ACC) Precipitated from Seawater

The importance of amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) as a precursor phase in the biomineralization of marine calcifiers is increasingly being reported, particularly as the presence of ACC has been observed or inferred in several major groups. Here, we investigate the structure of ACC and the conditions required for its precipitation from seawater-based solutions, with an emphasis on the coinfluence of the carbonate system (pH, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentration), seawater Mg/Ca ratio, and presence of amino acids. We find that Mg2+ and the presence of aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and glycine strongly inhibit ACC precipitation. Moreover, we were unable to precipitate ACC from seawater with a carbonate chemistry within the range of that thought to characterize the calcification site of certain marine calcifiers (i.e., DIC < 6 mM, pH < 9.3), although substantial modification of the seawater Mg/Ca ratio (Mg/Casw) allowed precipitation at a reduced DIC with the implication that this could be an important component of utilizing an ACC pathway. In addition, the degree to which Mg/Casw and the presence of amino acids influences the structure of ACC and the necessary seawater [CO3 2-] for precipitation is strongly pH dependent. At lower, more biologically relevant pH than that typical of much inorganic work, decreasing Mg/Casw can result in greater long-range order and less water of crystallization but facilitates precipitation at a considerably lower [CO3 2-] than at higher pH

Biogeochemistry of upland to wetland soils, sediments, and surface waters across Mid-Atlantic and Great Lakes coastal interfaces

Transferable and mechanistic understanding of cross-scale interactions is necessary to predict how coastal systems respond to global change. Cohesive datasets across geographically distributed sites can be used to examine how transferable a mechanistic understanding of coastal ecosystem control points is. To address the above research objectives, data were collected by the EXploration of Coastal Hydrobiogeochemistry Across a Network of Gradients and Experiments (EXCHANGE) Consortium – a regionally distributed network of researchers that collaborated on experimental design, methodology, collection, analysis, and publication. The EXCHANGE Consortium collected samples from 52 coastal terrestrial-aquatic interfaces (TAIs) during Fall of 2021. At each TAI, samples collected include soils from across a transverse elevation gradient (i.e., coastal upland forest, transitional forest, and wetland soils), surface waters, and nearshore sediments across research sites in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic regions (Chesapeake and Delaware Bays) of the continental USA. The first campaign measures surface water quality parameters, bulk geochemical parameters on water, soil, and sediment samples, and physicochemical parameters of sediment and soil

Radiative association and inverse predissociation of oxygen atoms

The formation of \mbox{O}_2 by radiative association and by inverse predissociation of ground state oxygen atoms is studied using quantum-mechanical methods. Cross sections, emission spectra, and rate coefficients are presented and compared with prior experimental and theoretical results. At temperatures below 1000~K radiative association occurs by approach along the $1\,{}^3\Pi_u$ state of \mbox{O}_2 and above 1000~K inverse predissociation through the \mbox{B}\,{}^3\Sigma_u^- state is the dominant mechanism. This conclusion is supported by a quantitative comparison between the calculations and data obtained from hot oxygen plasma spectroscopy.Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev. A (Sept. 7., 1994), 19 pages, 4 figures, latex (revtex3.0 and epsf.sty

Effect of Behavioural Practice Targeted at the Motor Action Selection Network After Stroke

Motor action selection engages a network of frontal and parietal brain regions. After stroke, individuals activate a similar network, however, activation is higher, especially in the contralesional hemisphere. The current study examined the effect of practice on action selection performance and brain activation after stroke. Sixteen individuals with chronic stroke (Upper Extremity Fugl–Meyer motor score range: 18–61) moved a joystick with the more-impaired hand in two conditions: Select (externally cued choice; move right or left based on an abstract rule) and Execute (simple response; move same direction every trial). On Day 1, reaction time (RT) was longer in Select compared to Execute, which corresponded to increased activation primarily in regions in the contralesional action selection network including dorsal premotor, supplementary motor, anterior cingulate and parietal cortices. After 4 days of practice, behavioural performance improved (decreased RT), and only contralesional parietal cortex significantly increased during Select. Higher brain activation on Day 1 in the bilateral action selection network, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and contralesional sensory cortex predicted better performance on Day 4. Overall, practice led to improved action selection performance and reduced brain activation. Systematic changes in practice conditions may allow the targeting of specific components of the motor network during rehabilitation after stroke

Neural correlates of enhanced visual short-term memory for angry faces: An fMRI study

Copyright: © 2008 Jackson et al.Background: Fluid and effective social communication requires that both face identity and emotional expression information are encoded and maintained in visual short-term memory (VSTM) to enable a coherent, ongoing picture of the world and its players. This appears to be of particular evolutionary importance when confronted with potentially threatening displays of emotion - previous research has shown better VSTM for angry versus happy or neutral face identities.Methodology/Principal Findings: Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, here we investigated the neural correlates of this angry face benefit in VSTM. Participants were shown between one and four to-be-remembered angry, happy, or neutral faces, and after a short retention delay they stated whether a single probe face had been present or not in the previous display. All faces in any one display expressed the same emotion, and the task required memory for face identity. We find enhanced VSTM for angry face identities and describe the right hemisphere brain network underpinning this effect, which involves the globus pallidus, superior temporal sulcus, and frontal lobe. Increased activity in the globus pallidus was significantly correlated with the angry benefit in VSTM. Areas modulated by emotion were distinct from those modulated by memory load.Conclusions/Significance: Our results provide evidence for a key role of the basal ganglia as an interface between emotion and cognition, supported by a frontal, temporal, and occipital network.The authors were supported by a Wellcome Trust grant (grant number 077185/Z/05/Z) and by BBSRC (UK) grant BBS/B/16178

Cosmological parameter estimation using Very Small Array data out to l=1500

We estimate cosmological parameters using data obtained by the Very Small Array (VSA) in its extended configuration, in conjunction with a variety of other CMB data and external priors. Within the flat $\Lambda$CDM model, we find that the inclusion of high resolution data from the VSA modifies the limits on the cosmological parameters as compared to those suggested by WMAP alone, while still remaining compatible with their estimates. We find that $\Omega_{\rm b}h^2=0.0234^{+0.0012}_{-0.0014}$, $\Omega_{\rm dm}h^2=0.111^{+0.014}_{-0.016}$, $h=0.73^{+0.09}_{-0.05}$, $n_{\rm S}=0.97^{+0.06}_{-0.03}$, $10^{10}A_{\rm S}=23^{+7}_{-3}$ and $\tau=0.14^{+0.14}_{-0.07}$ for WMAP and VSA when no external prior is included.On extending the model to include a running spectral index of density fluctuations, we find that the inclusion of VSA data leads to a negative running at a level of more than 95% confidence ($n_{\rm run}=-0.069\pm 0.032$), something which is not significantly changed by the inclusion of a stringent prior on the Hubble constant. Inclusion of prior information from the 2dF galaxy redshift survey reduces the significance of the result by constraining the value of $\Omega_{\rm m}$. We discuss the veracity of this result in the context of various systematic effects and also a broken spectral index model. We also constrain the fraction of neutrinos and find that $f_{\nu}< 0.087$ at 95% confidence which corresponds to $m_\nu<0.32{\rm eV}$ when all neutrino masses are the equal. Finally, we consider the global best fit within a general cosmological model with 12 parameters and find consistency with other analyses available in the literature. The evidence for $n_{\rm run}<0$ is only marginal within this model

International meta-analysis of PTSD genome-wide association studies identifies sex- and ancestry-specific genetic risk loci.

The risk of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following trauma is heritable, but robust common variants have yet to be identified. In a multi-ethnic cohort including over 30,000 PTSD cases and 170,000 controls we conduct a genome-wide association study of PTSD. We demonstrate SNP-based heritability estimates of 5-20%, varying by sex. Three genome-wide significant loci are identified, 2 in European and 1 in African-ancestry analyses. Analyses stratified by sex implicate 3 additional loci in men. Along with other novel genes and non-coding RNAs, a Parkinson's disease gene involved in dopamine regulation, PARK2, is associated with PTSD. Finally, we demonstrate that polygenic risk for PTSD is significantly predictive of re-experiencing symptoms in the Million Veteran Program dataset, although specific loci did not replicate. These results demonstrate the role of genetic variation in the biology of risk for PTSD and highlight the necessity of conducting sex-stratified analyses and expanding GWAS beyond European ancestry populations

Parameterization Effects in the analysis of AMI Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Observations

Most Sunyaev--Zel'dovich (SZ) and X-ray analyses of galaxy clusters try to constrain the cluster total mass and/or gas mass using parameterised models and assumptions of spherical symmetry and hydrostatic equilibrium. By numerically exploring the probability distributions of the cluster parameters given the simulated interferometric SZ data in the context of Bayesian methods, and assuming a beta-model for the electron number density we investigate the capability of this model and analysis to return the simulated cluster input quantities via three rameterisations. In parameterisation I we assume that the T is an input parameter. We find that parameterisation I can hardly constrain the cluster parameters. We then investigate parameterisations II and III in which fg(r200) replaces temperature as a main variable. In parameterisation II we relate M_T(r200) and T assuming hydrostatic equilibrium. We find that parameterisation II can constrain the cluster physical parameters but the temperature estimate is biased low. In parameterisation III, the virial theorem replaces the hydrostatic equilibrium assumption. We find that parameterisation III results in unbiased estimates of the cluster properties. We generate a second simulated cluster using a generalised NFW (GNFW) pressure profile and analyse it with an entropy based model to take into account the temperature gradient in our analysis and improve the cluster gas density distribution. This model also constrains the cluster physical parameters and the results show a radial decline in the gas temperature as expected. The mean cluster total mass estimates are also within 1 sigma from the simulated cluster true values. However, we find that for at least interferometric SZ analysis in practice at the present time, there is no differences in the AMI visibilities between the two models. This may of course change as the instruments improve.Comment: 19 pages, 13 tables, 24 figure

Dormancy within Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilms : a transcriptomic analysis by RNA-seq

The proportion of dormant bacteria within Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilms may determine its inflammatory profile. Previously, we have shown that S. epidermidis biofilms with higher proportions of dormant bacteria have reduced activation of murine macrophages. RNA-sequencing was used to identify the major transcriptomic differences between S. epidermidis biofilms with different proportions of dormant bacteria. To accomplish this goal, we used an in vitro model where magnesium allowed modulation of the proportion of dormant bacteria within S. epidermidis biofilms. Significant differences were found in the expression of 147 genes. A detailed analysis of the results was performed based on direct and functional gene interactions. Biological processes among the differentially expressed genes were mainly related to oxidation-reduction processes and acetyl-CoA metabolic processes. Gene set enrichment revealed that the translation process is related to the proportion of dormant bacteria. Transcription of mRNAs involved in oxidation-reduction processes was associated with higher proportions of dormant bacteria within S. epidermidis biofilm. Moreover, the pH of the culture medium did not change after the addition of magnesium, and genes related to magnesium transport did not seem to impact entrance of bacterial cells into dormancy.The authors thank Stephen Lorry at Harvard Medical School for providing CLC Genomics software. This work was funded by Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT) and COMPETE grants PTDC/BIA-MIC/113450/2009, FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-014309, FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-022718 (FCT PEst-C/SAU/LA0002/2011), QOPNA research unit (project PEst-C/QUI/UI0062/2011), and CENTRO-07-ST24-FEDER-002034. The following authors had an individual FCT fellowship: VC (SFRH/BD/78235/2011) and AF (2SFRH/BD/62359/2009)