Links between television exposure and toddler dysregulation : Does culture matter?

Television exposure in early childhood has increased, with concerns raised regarding adverse effects on social-emotional development, and emerging self-regulation in particular. The present study addressed television exposure (i.e., amount of time watching TV) and its associations with toddler behavioral/emotional dysregulation, examining potential differences across 14 cultures. The sample consisted of an average of 60 toddlers from each of the 14 countries from the Joint Effort Toddler Temperament Consortium (JETTC; Gartstein & Putnam, 2018). Analyses were conducted relying on the multi-level modeling framework (MLM), accounting for between- and within-culture variability, and examining the extent to which TV exposure contributions were universal vs. variable across sites. Effects of time watching TV were evaluated in relation to temperament reactivity and regulation, as well as measures of emotional reactivity, attention difficulties, and aggression. Results indicated that more time spent watching TV was associated with higher ratings on Negative Emotionality, emotional reactivity, aggression, and attention problems, as well as lower levels of soothability. However, links between TV exposure and both attention problems and soothability varied significantly between cultures. Taken together, results demonstrate that increased time spent watching television was generally associated with dysregulation, although effects were not consistently uniform, but rather varied as a function of culturally-dependent contextual factors.acceptedVersionPeer reviewe

The genetic architecture of the human cerebral cortex

The cerebral cortex underlies our complex cognitive capabilities, yet little is known about the specific genetic loci that influence human cortical structure. To identify genetic variants that affect cortical structure, we conducted a genome-wide association meta-analysis of brain magnetic resonance imaging data from 51,665 individuals. We analyzed the surface area and average thickness of the whole cortex and 34 regions with known functional specializations. We identified 199 significant loci and found significant enrichment for loci influencing total surface area within regulatory elements that are active during prenatal cortical development, supporting the radial unit hypothesis. Loci that affect regional surface area cluster near genes in Wnt signaling pathways, which influence progenitor expansion and areal identity. Variation in cortical structure is genetically correlated with cognitive function, Parkinson's disease, insomnia, depression, neuroticism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Longitudinal clinical and biomarker characteristics of non-manifesting LRRK2 G2019S carriers in the PPMI cohort

We examined 2-year longitudinal change in clinical features and biomarkers in LRRK2 non-manifesting carriers (NMCs) versus healthy controls (HCs) enrolled in the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI). We analyzed 2-year longitudinal data from 176 LRRK2 G2019S NMCs and 185 HCs. All participants were assessed annually with comprehensive motor and non-motor scales, dopamine transporter (DAT) imaging, and biofluid biomarkers. The latter included cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Abeta, total tau and phospho-tau; serum urate and neurofilament light chain (NfL); and urine bis(monoacylglycerol) phosphate (BMP). At baseline, LRRK2 G2019S NMCs had a mean (SD) age of 62 (7.7) years and were 56% female. 13% had DAT deficit (defined as <65% of age/sex-expected lowest putamen SBR) and 11% had hyposmia (defined as ≤15th percentile for age and sex). Only 5 of 176 LRRK2 NMCs developed PD during follow-up. Although NMCs scored significantly worse on numerous clinical scales at baseline than HCs, there was no longitudinal change in any clinical measures over 2 years or in DAT binding. There were no longitudinal differences in CSF and serum biomarkers between NMCs and HCs. Urinary BMP was significantly elevated in NMCs at all time points but did not change longitudinally. Neither baseline biofluid biomarkers nor the presence of DAT deficit correlated with 2-year change in clinical outcomes. We observed no significant 2-year longitudinal change in clinical or biomarker measures in LRRK2 G2019S NMCs in this large, well-characterized cohort even in the participants with baseline DAT deficit. These findings highlight the essential need for further enrichment biomarker discovery in addition to DAT deficit and longer follow-up to enable the selection of NMCs at the highest risk for conversion to enable future prevention clinical trials

The hybrid histidine kinase Slr1759 of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 contains FAD at its PAS domain

Michel K-P, Schröder A-K, Zimmermann M, et al. The hybrid histidine kinase Slr1759 of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 contains FAD at its PAS domain. Archives of Microbiology. 2009;191(6):553-559.The cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 harbours 47 histidine kinases (Hiks). Among these are hybrid histidine kinases with one or two response regulator domains as well as numerous Hiks with several sensory domains. One example is the hybrid histidine kinase Slr1759 (Hik14) that has two PAS domains arranged in tandem linked to a predicted GAF domain. Here, we show that a Slr1759 derivative recombinantly expressed in Escherichia coli has a flavin cofactor. Using truncated Slr1759 variants, it is shown that the flavin associates with the first PAS domain. The cofactor reconstitutes the activity of d -amino acid oxidase apoprotein from pig kidney, indicating that the flavin derivative is FAD. Furthermore, the Slr1759 histidine kinase domain indeed undergoes autophosphorylation in vitro. The phosphorylated product of a recombinant Slr1759 derivative is sensitive to acids, pointing to a histidine residue as the phosphate-accepting group

Diode-pumped femtosecond oscillators using ultra-broad-band Yb-doped crystals and modelocked using low-temperature grown or ion implanted saturable-absorber mirrors

Femtosecond modelocked lasers using new ytterbium-doped borate crystals (Yb:Sr3Y(BO3)(3), Yb: Ca4GdO(BO3)(3) and Yb: Ca4YO(BO3)(3)) are demonstrated. Pulse duration as short as 69 fs has been obtained. To modelock such lasers, fast saturable absorbers need to be used. Two different types of fast saturable absorbers have been studied: low-temperature-grown semiconductor mirrors ( SESAM) and high-energy-ion-implanted semiconductor Bragg reflectors (SBR). We demonstrated, for the. first time to our knowledge, that ion-implanted SBR can be used to modelock oscillators using Yb-doped materials

Cultural contributors to negative emotionality : A multilevel analysis from the Joint Effort Toddler Temperament Consortium

This study advances the cross-cultural temperament literature by comparing temperament ratings of toddlers from 14 nations. Multilevel modeling (MLM) procedures were utilized to regress negative emotionality (NE) and component subscales on Hofstede’s cultural value dimensions while controlling for age and gender. More individualistic values were associated with lower NE, and component discomfort, fear, motor activity, perceptual sensitivity, and soothability scales. The discomfort subscale was negatively associated with power distance and positively associated with masculine cultural values. Higher ratings of shyness were related to a more long-term cultural orientation. Results illustrate the feasibility of an MLM approach to cross-cultural research and provide a new perspective on the intersection of culture and temperament development. Limitations and future implications are discussed.acceptedVersionPeer reviewe