Specialization of neural mechanisms underlying face recognition in human infants

Newborn infants respond preferentially to simple face-like patterns, raising the possibility that the face-specific region, identified in the adult cortex are functioning from birth. We sought to evaluate this hypothesis by characterizing the specificity Of infants' electrocortical responses to faces in two ways: (1) comparing responses to faces of humans with those to faces of nonhuman primates; and 2) comparing responses to upright and inverted faces. Adults' face-responsive N170 event-related potential (ERP) component showed specificity to upright human faces that was not observable at any point in the ERPs Of infants. A putative "infant N170" did show sensitivity to the species of the face, but the orientation of the face did not influence processing until a later stage. These findings suggest a process of gradual specialization of cortical face processing systems during postnatal development

A short history of IVF

Abstract The history of IVF in humans from the early attempts in the USA through to the first definitive achievement of IVF by Edwards, Steptoe and Purdy (1969-1978), and the brief period of innovative IVF achievements to Melbourne, Australia, cut short by the passage of restrictive legislation (1979-1984) is recorded. A summary of the key achievements since the mid 1980s is then given. The shameful connotations of engaging in IVF of those esrly days is contrasted with its wide acceptance today, in which IVF is setting the norms for modern families

Reflections on 40 years of IVF.

The past For many practitioners of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) today, it must be hard to comprehend the disdain and disgust with which the introduction of IVF as therapy for infertility was greeted. The ethical and legal wrangling about human reproductive cloning and the current debate over trans-generational (germline) genome editing gives a small flavour of how IVF was seen then. What was regarded as an irrelevant, disruptive and unethical practice is now effectively mainstream treatment in most countries of the world

Neuroimaging of typical and atypical development: A perspective from multiple levels of analysis

To date, research involving functional neuroimaging of typical and atypical development has depended on several assumptions about the postnatal maturation of the brain. We consider evidence from multiple levels of analysis that brings into question these underlying assumptions and advance an alternative view. This alternative view, based on an “interactive specialization” approach to postnatal brain development, indicates that there is a need to: obtain data from early in development; focus more on differences in interregional interactions rather than searching for localized, discrete lesions; examine the temporal dynamics of neural processing; and move away from deficits to image tasks in which atypical participants perform as well as typically developing participant

Shiny app to predict agricultural tire dimensions

The main objective of this project, carried out in an industrial context, was to apply a multivariate analysis to variables related to the specifications required for the production of an agricultural tire and the dimensional test results. With the exploratory data analysis, it was possible to identify strong correlations between predictor variables and with the response variables of each test. In this project, the principal component analysis (PCA) serves to eliminate the effects of multicollinearity. The use of regression analysis was intended to predict the behavior of the agricultural tire considering the selected variables of each test. In the case of Test 1, when applying the Stepwise methods to select the variables, the model with the lowest value of Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) was achieved with the technique “Both”. However, the lowest value of AIC for Test 2 was achieved with “Backward”. Regarding the validation of assumptions, both Test 1 and Test 2 were validated. Therefore, all the quantitative variables are important, both in Test 1 and Test 2, because they are a linear combination that determines the principal components. In order to make it easier to compute predictions for future agricultural tires, an application that was developed in Shiny allows the company to know the behavior of the tire before it was produced. Using the application, it is possible to reduce the industrialization time, materials and resources, thus increasing efficiency and profits.This work has been supported by FCT – Fundação para a Ciˆencia e Tecnologia within the R&D Units Project Scope: UIDB/00319/2020

Does free-living physical activity improve one-year following total knee arthroplasty in patients with osteoarthritis : a prospective study

Objective Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is the gold-standard treatment for end-stage knee osteoarthritis, and the primary expectations are reduced pain and improved function. However, there is conflicting evidence regarding functional changes post-TKA. Commonly, functional changes are measured using Oxford Knee Score (OKS). No previous study has investigated physical behaviour (PB) changes in terms of volume and patterns post-TKA. The aims of this study were to explore volume and pattern changes in PB following TKA using an objective tool and to assess the correlation between this and OKS. Design An activPAL measured the PB of individuals on a waiting list for TKA for a period of 7–8 days pre-TKA, and for the same length of time at 12 months post-TKA. OKS was completed at similar follow-up time points. Results Thirty-three individuals completed the study, where stepping time, the number of steps and the time spent on moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) (>100 steps/minute) improved significantly post-TKA p = 0.0001. Steps at 12 months post-TKA improved by 45.6% (from 4,240 to 6,174) and stepping time increased by 38.8% (from 0.98 to 1.36 hours). MVPA improved by 35 minutes at 12 months (from 6.6 to 41.7 minutes). There were no significant correlations between PB and OKS. Conclusion This is the first study to explore PB volumes and event-based patterns post-TKA. Activity improved in terms of volume and patterns. No correlation was found between OKS and ActivPAL, which emphasises the need to use objective methods in addition to patient reported outcome measures

Infant cortex responds to other humans from shortly after birth

A significant feature of the adult human brain is its ability to selectively process information about conspecifics. Much debate has centred on whether this specialization is primarily a result of phylogenetic adaptation, or whether the brain acquires expertise in processing social stimuli as a result of its being born into an intensely social environment. Here we study the haemodynamic response in cortical areas of newborns (1–5 days old) while they passively viewed dynamic human or mechanical action videos. We observed activation selective to a dynamic face stimulus over bilateral posterior temporal cortex, but no activation in response to a moving human arm. This selective activation to the social stimulus correlated with age in hours over the first few days post partum. Thus, even very limited experience of face-to-face interaction with other humans may be sufficient to elicit social stimulus activation of relevant cortical regions

Melanosomes or microbes: Testing an alternative hypothesis for the origin of microbodies in fossil feathers

Microbodies associated with fossil feathers, originally attributed to microbial biofilm, have been reinterpreted as melanosomes: pigment-containing, eukaryotic organelles. This interpretation generated hypotheses regarding coloration in non-avian and avian dinosaurs. Because melanosomes and microbes overlap in size, distribution and morphology, we re-evaluate both hypotheses. We compare melanosomes within feathers of extant chickens with patterns induced by microbial overgrowth on the same feathers, using scanning (SEM), field emission (FESEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopy. Melanosomes are always internal, embedded in a morphologically distinct keratinous matrix. Conversely, microbes grow across the surface of feathers in continuous layers, more consistent with published images from fossil feathers. We compare our results to both published literature and new data from a fossil feather ascribed to Gansus yumenensis (ANSP 23403). 'Mouldic impressions' were observed in association with both the feather and sediment grains, supporting a microbial origin. We propose criteria for distinguishing between these two microbodies

Motor development in children at-risk of autism: A follow-up study of infant siblings.

Recently, evidence of poor or atypical motor skills in autism spectrum disorder has led some to argue that motor impairment is a core feature of the condition. The current study uses a longitudinal prospective design to assess the development of motor skills of 20 children at increased risk of developing autism spectrum disorder, who were recruited and tested at 9 and 40 months of age, on the basis of having an older sibling diagnosed with the condition. All children completed a range of motor, face processing, IQ and diagnostic assessments at a follow-up visit (aged 5–7 years), providing a detailed profile of development in this group from a number of standardised, parental report and experimental measures. A higher proportion of children than expected demonstrated motor difficulties at the follow-up visit and those highlighted by parental report as having poor motor skills as infants and toddlers were also more likely to have lower face processing scores and elevated autism-related social symptoms at 5–7 years, despite having similar IQ levels. These data lend support to the argument that early motor difficulties may be a risk factor for later motor impairment as well as differences in social communication and cognition, traits that are related to autism spectrum disorder

The Weight-of-Evidence Approach and the Need for Greater International Acceptance of Its Use in Tackling Questions of Chemical Harm to the Environment

© 2021 The Authors. As we attempt to manage chemicals in the environment we need to be sure that our research efforts are being directed at the substances of greatest threat. All too often we focus on a chemical of concern and then cast around for evidence of its effects in an unstructured way. Risk assessment based on laboratory ecotoxicity studies, combined with field chemical measurements, can only take us so far. Uncertainty about the range and sufficiency of evidence required to take restorative action often puts policymakers in a difficult situation. We review this conundrum and reflect on how the “Hill criteria,” used widely by epidemiologists, have been applied to a weight-of-evidence approach (a term sometimes used interchangeably with ecoepidemiology) to build a case for causation. While using a set of such criteria to address sites of local environmental distress has been embraced by the US Environmental Protection Agency, we urge a wider adoption of weight-of-evidence approaches by policymakers, regulators, and scientists worldwide. A simplified series of criteria is offered. Progress will require a sustained commitment to long-term wildlife and chemical monitoring over a sufficient geographic spread. Development of a comprehensive monitoring network, coupled with assembling evidence of harm in a structured manner, should be the foundation for protecting our ecosystems and human health. This will enable us to not only judge the success or failure of our efforts but also diagnose underlying causes. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;00:1–10. © 2021 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.Natural Environment Research Council. Grant Number: NE/S000100/