Controlling automatic imitative tendencies: interactions between mirror neuron and cognitive control systems

Humans have an automatic tendency to imitate others. Although several regions commonly observed in social tasks have been shown to be involved in imitation control, there is little work exploring how these regions interact with one another. We used fMRI and dynamic causal modeling to identify imitation-specific control mechanisms and examine functional interactions between regions. Participants performed a pre-specified action (lifting their index or middle finger) in response to videos depicting the same two actions (biological cues) or dots moving with similar trajectories (non-biological cues). On congruent trials, the stimulus and response were similar (e.g. index finger response to index finger or left side dot stimulus), while on incongruent trials the stimulus and response were dissimilar (e.g. index finger response to middle finger or right side dot stimulus). Reaction times were slower on incongruent compared to congruent trials for both biological and non-biological stimuli, replicating previous findings that suggest the automatic imitative or spatially compatible (congruent) response must be controlled on incongruent trials. Neural correlates of the congruency effects were different depending on the cue type. The medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate, inferior frontal gyrus pars opercularis (IFGpo) and the left anterior insula were involved specifically in controlling imitation. In addition, the IFGpo was also more active for biological compared to non-biological stimuli, suggesting that the region represents the frontal node of the human mirror neuron system (MNS). Effective connectivity analysis exploring the interactions between these regions, suggests a role for the mPFC and ACC in imitative conflict detection and the anterior insula in conflict resolution processes, which may occur through interactions with the frontal node of the MNS. We suggest an extension of the previous models of imitation control involving interactions between imitation-specific and general cognitive control mechanisms

Математическое моделирование для оценки роли метрополитена в транспортных системах крупных городов.

In this study, using the model of passenger flow formation on a conditional transport network based on the iterative process of changes in the passenger flows and velocities, the need for high-speed public transport, in particular, the subway, is estimated. The model allows the formation of the route of potential high-speed transport based on the calculated passenger flows. The results of the experiment are presented for the example of the Krasnodar transport system for three periods – 2007, 2017, 2022.В настоящей работе с помощью модели формирования пассажиропотоков на условной транспортной сети, основанной на итерационном процессе изменения пассажиропотоков и скоростей, оценивается необходимость скоростных видов общественного транспорта, в частности, метрополитена. Модель предполагает формирование трассы потенциальных скоростных маршрутов на основе расчетных пассажиропотоков. Представлены результаты эксперимента на примере транспортной системы г. Краснодар для трех расчетных периодов – 2007 г., 2017 г., 2022 г

Исследование влияния параметров транспортной модели на результаты расчетов пассажиропотоков (на примере Санкт-Петербурга)

   Исследуются методы математического моделирования, применяемые в транспортном и градостроительном планировании. Разработана математическая модель совместного расчета интенсивности пассажирских и транспортных потоков в городских агломерациях с использованием транспортного графа, проведена оценка влияния ее ограничений на параметры функционирования подсистем индивидуального и общественного транспорта в масштабе города (городской агломерации). Для верификации модели проведен ряд экспериментальных расчетов на примере транспортной системы Санкт-Петербургской агломерации. Полученные результаты могут быть использованы при проведении исследований в сфере градостроительства и транспортного планирования, а также при обосновании проектных решений в городах.   This study focuses on the development of mathematical modelling methods for transport and urban planning. The current research focuses on an innovative mathematical model for simultaneous calculation of passenger and transport flow intensity in urban agglomerations using a common transport graph. An assessment of the model limitation impact on the parameters of individual and public transportation systems in a city (urban agglomeration) is conducted. To verify the model, several experimental calculations are performed for the transport system of the St. Petersburg agglomeration. The model presented by the authors can be used in scientific research in urban and transport planning and in the development of design solutions in cities.   Исследуются методы математического моделирования, применяемые в транспортном и градостроительном планировании. Разработана математическая модель совместного расчета интенсивности пассажирских и транспортных потоков в городских агломерациях с использованием транспортного графа, проведена оценка влияния ее ограничений на параметры функционирования подсистем индивидуального и общественного транспорта в масштабе города (городской агломерации). Для верификации модели проведен ряд экспериментальных расчетов на примере транспортной системы Санкт-Петербургской агломерации. Полученные результаты могут быть использованы при проведении исследований в сфере градостроительства и транспортного планирования, а также при обосновании проектных решений в городах

Group-regularized individual prediction: Theory and application to pain

Multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) has become an important tool for identifying brain representations of psychological processes and clinical outcomes using fMRI and related methods. Such methods can be used to predict or ‘decode’ psychological states in individual subjects. Single-subject MVPA approaches, however, are limited by the amount and quality of individual-subject data. In spite of higher spatial resolution, predictive accuracy from single-subject data often does not exceed what can be accomplished using coarser, group-level maps, because single-subject patterns are trained on limited amounts of often-noisy data. Here, we present a method that combines population-level priors, in the form of biomarker patterns developed on prior samples, with single-subject MVPA maps to improve single-subject prediction. Theoretical results and simulations motivate a weighting based on the relative variances of biomarker-based prediction—based on population-level predictive maps from prior groups—and individual-subject, cross-validated prediction. Empirical results predicting pain using brain activity on a trial-by-trial basis (single-trial prediction) across 6 studies (N = 180 participants) confirm the theoretical predictions. Regularization based on a population-level biomarker—in this case, the Neurologic Pain Signature (NPS)—improved single-subject prediction accuracy compared with idiographic maps based on the individuals' data alone. The regularization scheme that we propose, which we term group-regularized individual prediction (GRIP), can be applied broadly to within-person MVPA-based prediction. We also show how GRIP can be used to evaluate data quality and provide benchmarks for the appropriateness of population-level maps like the NPS for a given individual or study.FSW – Publicaties zonder aanstelling Universiteit Leide

Cultural Diversity and Saccade Similarities: Culture Does Not Explain Saccade Latency Differences between Chinese and Caucasian Participants

A central claim of cultural neuroscience is that the culture to which an individual belongs plays a key role in shaping basic cognitive processes and behaviours, including eye movement behaviour. We previously reported a robust difference in saccade behaviour between Chinese and Caucasian participants; Chinese participants are much more likely to execute low latency express saccades, in circumstances in which these are normally discouraged. To assess the extent to which this is the product of culture we compared a group of 70 Chinese overseas students (whose primary cultural exposure was that of mainland China), a group of 45 participants whose parents were Chinese but who themselves were brought up in the UK (whose primary cultural exposure was western European) and a group of 70 Caucasian participants. Results from the Schwartz Value Survey confirmed that the UK-Chinese group were culturally similar to the Caucasian group. However, their patterns of saccade latency were identical to the mainland Chinese group, and different to the Caucasian group. We conclude that at least for the relatively simple reflexive saccade behaviour we have investigated, culture cannot explain the observed differences in behaviour

Group membership and racial bias modulate the temporal estimation of in-group/out-group body movements

Social group categorization has been mainly studied in relation to ownership manipulations involving highly-salient multisensory cues. Here, we propose a novel paradigm that can implicitly activate the embodiment process in the presence of group affiliation information, whilst participants complete a task irrelevant to social categorization. Ethnically White participants watched videos of White- and Black-skinned models writing a proverb. The writing was interrupted 7, 4 or 1 s before completion. Participants were tasked with estimating the residual duration following interruption. A video showing only hand kinematic traces acted as a control condition. Residual duration estimates for out-group and control videos were significantly lower than those for in-group videos only for the longest duration. Moreover, stronger implicit racial bias was negatively correlated to estimates of residual duration for out-group videos. The underestimation bias for the out-group condition might be mediated by implicit embodiment, affective and attentional processes, and finalized to a rapid out-group categorization

Left Hemisphere Specialization for Oro-Facial Movements of Learned Vocal Signals by Captive Chimpanzees

The left hemisphere of the human brain is dominant in the production of speech and signed language. Whether similar lateralization of function for communicative signal production is present in other primates remains a topic of considerable debate. In the current study, we examined whether oro-facial movements associated with the production of learned attention-getting sounds are differentially lateralized compared to facial expressions associated with the production of species-typical emotional vocalizations in chimpanzees.Still images captured from digital video were used to quantify oro-facial asymmetries in the production of two attention-getting sounds and two species-typical vocalizations in a sample of captive chimpanzees. Comparisons of mouth asymmetries during production of these sounds revealed significant rightward biased asymmetries for the attention-getting sounds and significant leftward biased asymmetries for the species-typical sounds.These results suggest that the motor control of oro-facial movements associated with the production of learned sounds is lateralized to the left hemisphere in chimpanzees. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the antecedents for lateralization of human speech may have been present in the common ancestor of chimpanzees and humans approximately 5 mya and are not unique to the human lineage

Molecular basis of structure and function of the microvillus membrane of intestinal epithelial cells

Correlation of molecular structure with biochemical functions of the plasma membrane of the microvilli of intestinal epithelial cells has been investigated by biochemical and electron microscopic procedures. Repeating particles, measuring approximately 60 &#197;in diameter, were found on the surface of the microvilli membrane which had been isolated or purified from rabbit intestinal epithelial cells and negatively stained with phosphotungstic acid. These particles were proved to be inherent components of the microvillus membrane, attached to the outer surface of its trilaminar structure, and were designated as the elementary particles of the microvilli of intestinal epithelial cells. Biochemical and electron microscopic identification of these elementary particles has been carried out by isolation of the elementary particles with papain from the isolated microvillus membrane, followed by purification of the particles by chromatographies on DEAE-cellulose and Sephadex columns. The partially purified particles containing invertase and leucine aminopeptidase are similar in size and structure to those of the elementary particles in the microvillus membrane. Evidence indicates that each of the elementary particles coincide with or include an enzyme molecule such as disaccharidase or peptidase, which carry out the terminal hydrolytic digestion of carbohydrates and proteins, respectively, on the surface of the microvillus membrane. Magnesium ionactivated adenosine triphosphatase and alkaline phosphatase cannot be solubilized with papain but remains in the smooth-surface membrane after the elementary particles have been removed. Cytochemical electron microscopic observation revealed that the active site of magnesium ion-activated adenosine triphosphatase is localized predominantly in the inner surface of the trilaminar structure of the microvillus membrane.</p