Adolescent cannabis use, change in neurocognitive function, and high-school graduation: A longitudinal study from early adolescence to young adulthood

The main objective of this prospective longitudinal study was to investigate bidirectional associations between adolescent cannabis use (CU) and neurocognitive performance in a community sample of 294 young men from ages 13 to 20 years. The results showed that in early adolescence, and prior to initiation to CU, poor short-term and working memory, but high verbal IQ, were associated with earlier age of onset of CU. In turn, age of CU onset and CU frequency across adolescence were associated with (a) specific neurocognitive decline in verbal IQ and executive function tasks tapping trial and error learning and reward processing by early adulthood and (b) lower rates of high-school graduation. The association between CU onset and change in neurocognitive function, however, was found to be accounted for by CU frequency. Whereas the link between CU frequency across adolescence and change in verbal IQ was explained (mediated) by high school graduation, the link between CU frequency and tasks tapping trial and error learning were independent from high school graduation, concurrent cannabis and other substance use, adolescent alcohol use, and externalizing behaviors. Findings support prevention efforts aimed at delaying onset and reducing frequency of CU

Co-Transcriptomic Analysis of the Maize–Western Corn Rootworm Interaction

The Western corn rootworm (WCR; Diabrotica virgifera virgifera) is an economically important belowground pest of maize. Belowground feeding by WCR is damaging because it weakens the roots system, diminishes nutrient uptake, and creates entry points for fungal and bacterial pathogens and increases lodging, all of which can significantly suppress maize yields. Previously, it was demonstrated that belowground herbivory can trigger plant defense responses in the roots and the shoots, thereby impacting intraplant communication. Although several aspects of maize-WCR interactions have been reported, co-transcriptomic remodeling in the plant and insect are yet to be explored. We used a maize genotype, Mp708, that is resistant to a large guild of herbivore pests to study the underlying plant defense signaling network between below and aboveground tissues. We also evaluated WCR compensatory transcriptome responses. Using RNA-seq, we profiled the transcriptome of roots and leaves that interacted with WCR infestation up to 5 days post infestation (dpi). Our results suggest that Mp708 shoots and roots had elevated constitutive and WCR-feeding induced expression of genes related to jasmonic acid and ethylene pathways, respectively, before and after WCR feeding for 1 and 5 days. Similarly, extended feeding by WCR for 5 days in Mp708 roots suppressed many genes involved in the benzoxazinoid pathway, which is a major group of indolederived secondary metabolites that provides resistance to several insect pests in maize. Furthermore, extended feeding by WCR on Mp708 roots revealed several genes that were downregulated in WCR, which include genes related to proteolysis, neuropeptide signaling pathway, defense response, drug catabolic process, and hormone metabolic process. These findings indicate a dynamic transcriptomic dialog between WCR and WCR-infested maize plants

Combining multivariate genomic approaches to elucidate the comorbidity between autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

BACKGROUND: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are two highly heritable neurodevelopmental disorders. Several lines of evidence point towards the presence of shared genetic factors underlying ASD and ADHD. We conducted genomic analyses of common risk variants (i.e. single nucleotide polymorphisms, SNPs) shared by ASD and ADHD, and those specific to each disorder. METHODS: With the summary data from two GWAS, one on ASD (N = 46,350) and another on ADHD (N = 55,374) individuals, we used genomic structural equation modelling and colocalization analysis to identify SNPs shared by ASD and ADHD and SNPs specific to each disorder. Functional genomic analyses were then conducted on shared and specific common genetic variants. Finally, we performed a bidirectional Mendelian randomization analysis to test whether the shared genetic risk between ASD and ADHD was interpretable in terms of reciprocal relationships between ASD and ADHD. RESULTS: We found that 37.5% of the SNPs associated with ASD (at p < 1e-6) colocalized with ADHD SNPs and that 19.6% of the SNPs associated with ADHD colocalized with ASD SNPs. We identified genes mapped to SNPs that are specific to ASD or ADHD and that are shared by ASD and ADHD, including two novel genes INSM1 and PAX1. Our bidirectional Mendelian randomization analyses indicated that the risk of ASD was associated with an increased risk of ADHD and vice versa. CONCLUSIONS: Using multivariate genomic analyses, the present study uncovers shared and specific genetic variants associated with ASD and ADHD. Further functional investigation of genes mapped to those shared variants may help identify pathophysiological pathways and new targets for treatment

Association Between Continued Cannabis Use and Risk of Relapse in First-Episode Psychosis: A Quasi-Experimental Investigation Within an Observational Study

IMPORTANCE: Cannabis use after first-episode psychosis is associated with poor outcomes, but the causal nature of this association is unclear. OBJECTIVE: To examine the precise nature of the association between continued cannabis use after the onset of psychosis and risk of relapse of psychosis. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This prospective cohort study followed up for at least 2 years after the onset of psychosis 220 patients who presented to psychiatric services in South London, England, from April 12, 2002, to July 26, 2013, with first-episode psychosis. Longitudinal modeling (fixed-effects analysis, cross-lagged path analysis) was used to examine whether the association between changes in cannabis use and risk of relapse over time is the result of shared vulnerability between psychosis and cannabis use, psychosis increasing the risk of cannabis use (reverse causation), or a causal effect of cannabis use on psychosis relapse. INTERVENTIONS: Exposure to cannabis within the first and second years after onset of psychosis. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The main outcome measure was relapse of psychosis, defined as subsequent hospitalization for psychosis. Effect of cannabis use status in the first year (Ct1) and second year (Ct2) and pattern of cannabis use continuation in the first year and second year were modeled for risk of relapse in the first year (Rt1) and risk of relapse in the second year (Rt2) after psychosis onset. RESULTS: A total of 220 patients with first-episode psychosis were included in the analysis (mean [SD] age, 28.62 [8.58] years; age range, 18-65 years; 90 women [40.9%] and 130 men [59.1%]). Fixed-effects models that adjusted for time-variant (other illicit drug use, antipsychotic medication adherence) and time-invariant (eg, genetic or premorbid environment) unobserved confounders revealed that there was an increase in the odds of experiencing a relapse of psychosis during periods of cannabis use relative to periods of no use (odds ratio, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.03-1.24). Change in the pattern of continuation significantly increased the risk (odds ratio, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.02-1.13), suggesting a dose-dependent association. Cross-lagged analysis confirmed that this association reflected an effect of cannabis use on subsequent risk of relapse (Ct1→Rt2: β = 0.44, P = .04) rather than an effect of relapse on subsequent cannabis use (Rt1→Ct2: β = -0.29, P = .59). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: These results reveal a dose-dependent association between change in cannabis use and relapse of psychosis that is unlikely to be a result of self-medication or genetic and environmental confounding

Nernst and Seebeck Coefficients of the Cuprate SuperconductorYBa2_2Cu3_3O6.67_{6.67}: A Study of Fermi Surface Reconstruction

The Seebeck and Nernst coefficients $S$ and $\nu$ of the cuprate superconductor YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_y$ (YBCO) were measured in a single crystal with doping $p = 0.12$ in magnetic fields up to H = 28 T. Down to T=9 K, $\nu$ becomes independent of field by $H \simeq 30$ T, showing that superconducting fluctuations have become negligible. In this field-induced normal state, $S/T$ and $\nu/T$ are both large and negative in the $T \to 0$ limit, with the magnitude and sign of $S/T$ consistent with the small electron-like Fermi surface pocket detected previously by quantum oscillations and the Hall effect. The change of sign in $S(T)$ at $T \simeq 50$ K is remarkably similar to that observed in La$_{2-x}$Ba$_x$CuO$_4$, La$_{2-x-y}$Nd$_y$Sr$_x$CuO$_4$ and La$_{2-x-y}$Eu$_y$Sr$_x$CuO$_4$, where it is clearly associated with the onset of stripe order. We propose that a similar density-wave mechanism causes the Fermi surface reconstruction in YBCO.Comment: Final version accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Lett. New title, shorter abstract, minor revision of text and added reference

Maternal depression symptoms and internalising problems in the offspring : the role of maternal and family factors

Maternal depression symptoms (MDS) are a robust risk factor for internalising problems (IP) in the offspring. However, the relative importance of MDS and other factors associated with it (i.e. other types of maternal psychopathology, maternal parenting practices, family characteristics) is not well understood. To (a) identify a group of children with high levels of IP between 6 and 12 years using combined maternal and teacher assessments and (b) to quantify the associations between trajectories of MDS during early childhood and children’s IP trajectories before and after controlling for family factors associated with MDS. MDS and family factors were assessed in a population-based sample in Canada (n = 1537) between 5 months and 5 years. The outcome variable was membership in trajectories of teacher- and mother-rated IP between ages 6 and 12 years. Family factors were included as covariates in a multinomial logistic regression model. There was a strong association between MDS and children’s atypically high levels of IP in unadjusted analyses [OR 4.14 (95% CI 2.60; 6.61)]. The association was reduced, but remained strong [2.60 (1.55; 4.36)] when maternal psychopathology, maternal parenting, and family socioeconomic status were entered in the model. MDS, maternal anxiety, and low parental self-efficacy were associated with offspring’s high IP trajectories. MDS is associated with high levels of children’s IP independently of other maternal and family characteristics. Intervention targeting maternal psychopathology and parenting self-efficacy and testing the impact on children’s IP would provide information on the putative causal pathways between maternal and offspring’s symptomatology

All-Optical Control of the Silicon-Vacancy Spin in Diamond at Millikelvin Temperatures.

The silicon-vacancy center in diamond offers attractive opportunities in quantum photonics due to its favorable optical properties and optically addressable electronic spin. Here, we combine both to achieve all-optical coherent control of its spin states. We utilize this method to explore spin dephasing effects in an impurity-rich sample beyond the limit of phonon-induced decoherence: Employing Ramsey and Hahn-echo techniques at temperatures down to 40 mK we identify resonant coupling to a substitutional nitrogen spin bath as limiting decoherence source for the electron spin.This research has been partially funded by the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under Grant agreement No. 611143 (DIADEMS). M. A. gratefully acknowledges financial support by the European Research Council ERC Consolidator Grant Agreement No. 617985 and the EPSRC National Quantum Technologies Programme NQIT EP/M013243/1. B. P. thanks Wolfson College (University of Cambridge) for financial support. P. B. gratefully acknowledges financial support by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Grants No. BU2510/2-1, No. INST256/415-1)

A joint stocktaking of CGIAR work on forest and landscape restoration

Despite the high level of political engagement and the wide range of organizations involved in restoration projects from local to global levels, beyond some success stories, restoration is not happening at scale. To address this issue, three CGIAR Research Programs (CRPs) – Forests, Trees and Agroforestry (FTA); Policies, Institutions and Markets (PIM) and Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE) – decided to bring together their expertise in a joint stocktaking of CGIAR work on restoration. This publication illustrates with concrete examples the powerful contribution of forest and landscape restoration to the achievement of most, if not all the 17 sustainable development goals. It can be used to support the design of future restoration activities, programs and projects. We hope that this document will help upscale restoration efforts and deliver enhanced impact from our CGIAR research