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ENeuro Jun 2024Language is an evolutionarily salient faculty for humans that relies on a distributed brain network spanning across frontal, temporal, parietal, and subcortical regions....
Language is an evolutionarily salient faculty for humans that relies on a distributed brain network spanning across frontal, temporal, parietal, and subcortical regions. To understand whether the complex language network shares common or distinct genetic mechanisms, we examined the relationships between the genetic effects underlying the brain responses to language and a set of object domains that have been suggested to coevolve with language: tools, faces (indicating social), and body parts (indicating social and gesturing). Analyzing the twin datasets released by the Human Connectome Project (HCP) that had fMRI data from human twin subjects (monozygotic and dizygotic) undergoing language and working memory tasks contrasting multiple object domains (198 females and 144 males for the language task; 192 females and 142 males for the working memory task), we identified a set of cortical regions in the frontal and temporal cortices and subcortical regions whose activity to language was significantly genetically influenced. The heterogeneity of the genetic effects among these language clusters were corroborated by significant differences of the human gene expression profiles (AHBA dataset). Among them, the bilateral basal ganglia (mainly dorsal caudate) exhibited a common genetic basis for language, tool, and body part processing, and the right superior temporal gyrus exhibited a common genetic basis for language and tool processing across multiple types of analyses. These results uncovered the heterogeneous genetic patterns of language neural processes, shedding light on the evolution of language and its shared origins with tools and bodily functions. Human language entails a distributed brain network spanning across frontal, temporal, parietal, and subcortical regions. To elucidate the genetic basis underlying this complex language network, we adopted the HCP fMRI twin data to examine the relationship between the genetic effects for the brain responses to language and to object domains that have been hypothesized to coevolve with language (tools, social, and body actions). The bilateral basal ganglia exhibited a common genetic basis for language, tool, and body part processing, and the right superior temporal gyrus for language and tool processing. These results provide evidence for the heterogeneous genetic patterns of language neural processes and shed light on its potential origin with tools and bodily actions.
PubMed: 38886065
DOI: 10.1523/ENEURO.0138-24.2024 -
BMJ Open Jun 2024Diagnostic imaging is vital in emergency departments (EDs). Accessibility and reporting impacts ED workflow and patient care. With radiology workforce shortages,...
Assessing the effectiveness of artificial intelligence (AI) in prioritising CT head interpretation: study protocol for a stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial (ACCEPT-AI).
INTRODUCTION
Diagnostic imaging is vital in emergency departments (EDs). Accessibility and reporting impacts ED workflow and patient care. With radiology workforce shortages, reporting capacity is limited, leading to image interpretation delays. Turnaround times for image reporting are an ED bottleneck. Artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms can improve productivity, efficiency and accuracy in diagnostic radiology, contingent on their clinical efficacy. This includes positively impacting patient care and improving clinical workflow. The ACCEPT-AI study will evaluate Qure.ai's qER software in identifying and prioritising patients with critical findings from AI analysis of non-contrast head CT (NCCT) scans.
METHODS AND ANALYSIS
This is a multicentre trial, spanning four diverse sites, over 13 months. It will include all individuals above the age of 18 years who present to the ED, referred for an NCCT. The project will be divided into three consecutive phases (pre-implementation, implementation and post-implementation of the qER solution) in a stepped-wedge design to control for adoption bias and adjust for time-based changes in the background patient characteristics. Pre-implementation involves baseline data for standard care to support the primary and secondary outcomes. The implementation phase includes staff training and qER solution threshold adjustments in detecting target abnormalities adjusted, if necessary. The post-implementation phase will introduce a notification (prioritised flag) in the radiology information system. The radiologist can choose to agree with the qER findings or ignore it according to their clinical judgement before writing and signing off the report. Non-qER processed scans will be handled as per standard care.
ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION
The study will be conducted in accordance with the principles of Good Clinical Practice. The protocol was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of East Midlands (Leicester Central), in May 2023 (REC (Research Ethics Committee) 23/EM/0108). Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and disseminated in scientific findings (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT06027411) TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT06027411.
Topics: Humans; Artificial Intelligence; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Emergency Service, Hospital; Head; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Multicenter Studies as Topic; Algorithms
PubMed: 38885990
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-078227 -
ELife Jun 2024Despite the central role of T cells in tumor immunity, attempts to harness their cytotoxic capacity as a therapy have met limited efficacy, partially as a result of the...
Despite the central role of T cells in tumor immunity, attempts to harness their cytotoxic capacity as a therapy have met limited efficacy, partially as a result of the suppressive microenvironment which limits their migration and activation. In contrast, myeloid cells massively infiltrate tumors and are well adapted to survive these harsh conditions. While they are equipped with cell-killing abilities, they often adopt an immunosuppressive phenotype upon migration to tumors. Therefore, the questions of how to modify their activation programming against cancer, and what signaling cascades should be activated in myeloid cells to elicit their cytotoxicity have remained unclear. Here, we found that activation of IgM-induced signaling in murine myeloid cells results in secretion of lytic granules and massive tumor cell death. These findings open venues for designing novel immunotherapy by equipping monocytes with chimeric receptors that target tumor antigens and consequently, signal through IgM receptor. Nonetheless, we found that myeloid cells do not express the antibody-derived portion used to recognize the tumor antigen due to the induction of an ER stress response. To overcome this limitation, we designed chimeric receptors that are based on the high-affinity FcγRI for IgG. Incubation of macrophages expressing these receptors along with tumor-binding IgG induced massive tumor cell killing and secretion of reactive oxygen species and Granzyme B. Overall, this work highlights the challenges involved in genetically reprogramming the signaling in myeloid cells and provides a framework for endowing myeloid cells with antigen-specific cytotoxicity.
Topics: Animals; Receptors, IgG; Mice; Myeloid Cells; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Cell Line, Tumor; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; Immunoglobulin M; Signal Transduction; Macrophages; Neoplasms
PubMed: 38885133
DOI: 10.7554/eLife.91999 -
Journal of Medical Internet Research Jun 2024Human biological rhythms are commonly assessed through physical activity (PA) measurement, but mental activity may offer a more substantial reflection of human... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
Developing Methods for Assessing Mental Activity Using Human-Smartphone Interactions: Comparative Analysis of Activity Levels and Phase Patterns in General Mental Activities, Working Mental Activities, and Physical Activities.
BACKGROUND
Human biological rhythms are commonly assessed through physical activity (PA) measurement, but mental activity may offer a more substantial reflection of human biological rhythms.
OBJECTIVE
This study proposes a novel approach based on human-smartphone interaction to compute mental activity, encompassing general mental activity (GMA) and working mental activity (WMA).
METHODS
A total of 24 health care professionals participated, wearing wrist actigraphy devices and using the "Staff Hours" app for more than 457 person-days, including 332 workdays and 125 nonworkdays. PA was measured using actigraphy, while GMA and WMA were assessed based on patterns of smartphone interactions. To model WMA, machine learning techniques such as extreme gradient boosting and convolutional neural networks were applied, using human-smartphone interaction patterns and GPS-defined work hours. The data were organized by date and divided into person-days, with an 80:20 split for training and testing data sets to minimize overfitting and maximize model robustness. The study also adopted the M10 metric to quantify daily activity levels by calculating the average acceleration during the 10-hour period of highest activity each day, which facilitated the assessment of the interrelations between PA, GMA, and WMA and sleep indicators. Phase differences, such as those between PA and GMA, were defined using a second-order Butterworth filter and Hilbert transform to extract and calculate circadian rhythms and instantaneous phases. This calculation involved subtracting the phase of the reference signal from that of the target signal and averaging these differences to provide a stable and clear measure of the phase relationship between the signals. Additionally, multilevel modeling explored associations between sleep indicators (total sleep time, midpoint of sleep) and next-day activity levels, accounting for the data's nested structure.
RESULTS
Significant differences in activity levels were noted between workdays and nonworkdays, with WMA occurring approximately 1.08 hours earlier than PA during workdays (P<.001). Conversely, GMA was observed to commence about 1.22 hours later than PA (P<.001). Furthermore, a significant negative correlation was identified between the activity level of WMA and the previous night's midpoint of sleep (β=-0.263, P<.001), indicating that later bedtimes and wake times were linked to reduced activity levels in WMA the following day. However, there was no significant correlation between WMA's activity levels and total sleep time. Similarly, no significant correlations were found between the activity levels of PA and GMA and sleep indicators from the previous night.
CONCLUSIONS
This study significantly advances the understanding of human biological rhythms by developing and highlighting GMA and WMA as key indicators, derived from human-smartphone interactions. These findings offer novel insights into how mental activities, alongside PA, are intricately linked to sleep patterns, emphasizing the potential of GMA and WMA in behavioral and health studies.
Topics: Humans; Smartphone; Exercise; Actigraphy; Adult; Female; Male; Sleep; Middle Aged
PubMed: 38885499
DOI: 10.2196/56144 -
PloS One 2024This study explores the influence of situational context on parent-adolescent communication about sexual and reproductive health (SRH) issues in the urban slums of...
This study explores the influence of situational context on parent-adolescent communication about sexual and reproductive health (SRH) issues in the urban slums of Ibadan, Nigeria. A qualitative exploratory study was conducted in the Southeast and Northeast LGAs of Ibadan. Eight (8) vignette-based focus group discussions (FGDs) with parents and adolescents of both sexes were conducted in addition to four (4) key informant interviews (KIIs) with community and women's leaders. Interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed, and translated into English. Thematic analysis was adopted using ATLAS Ti 9 software. Findings portray SRH meanings and experiences, intergenerational cultural norms, and expectations for SRH, gender double standards in SRH discussion, streetwise SRH knowledge, and social media exposure as contexts that interfere with parent-adolescent communication on SRH issues. The findings show that despite understanding the need for SRH discussion, parents and adolescents lack effective communication on SRH issues due to the interference of unfiltered streetwise SRH knowledge and social media exposure. Also, SRH conversation between parents and adolescents promotes gender inequalities as different information is passed to adolescent girls and boys. Interventions that take into account situational occurrences must be geared towards enabling parents to give their adolescents early exposure to relevant, context-specific SRH knowledge.
Topics: Humans; Nigeria; Female; Male; Adolescent; Sex Education; Poverty Areas; Adult; Qualitative Research; Urban Population; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Middle Aged; Focus Groups; Parents; Sexual Health; Reproductive Health; Young Adult; Sexual Behavior
PubMed: 38885279
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304200 -
PloS One 2024With the rapid development of technologies, blended learning is widespread in English writing instruction. The effect of blended learning on EFL writing outcomes is...
With the rapid development of technologies, blended learning is widespread in English writing instruction. The effect of blended learning on EFL writing outcomes is affected by various factors. This study examines the relationship between EFL students' writing performance and influencing factors and the relationship between these factors in a blended learning context based on the Activity Theory. The study used a quantitative method: English argumentative writing tests and questionnaires with 33 undergraduates. The results reveal that EFL students' argumentative writing performance is significantly and positively correlated with five influencing factors, in descending order of correlation: subject, community, object, rules, and division of labor. Moreover, the findings suggest a significant positive relationship within each factor in the blended learning environment, except for no relationship between rules and division of labor. Furthermore, the research provides useful references and insights for further research and educational practice in blended writing instruction. Due to limitations such as the relatively small sample size, the focus on argumentative writing, and the reliance on quantitative data, this study gives the impression that the results only represent a portion of the population and situation. Therefore, future research could consider enlarging the sample size, adopting a more comprehensive range of writing genres, involving qualitative methods, or expanding the scope of research on the impact of BL on other disciplines.
Topics: Humans; Writing; Students; Female; Male; Learning; Young Adult; Surveys and Questionnaires; Adult
PubMed: 38885270
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0305668 -
PloS One 2024In this study, a simple calcination route was adopted to prepare hausmannite Mn3O4 nanoparticles using rice powder as soft bio-template. Prepared Mn3O4 was characterized...
In this study, a simple calcination route was adopted to prepare hausmannite Mn3O4 nanoparticles using rice powder as soft bio-template. Prepared Mn3O4 was characterized by Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy (FTIR), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDX), Powder X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and Solid state UV-Vis spectroscopic techniques. Mn-O stretching in tetrahedral site was confirmed by FTIR and Raman spectra. % of Mn and O content supported Mn3O4 formation. The crystallinity and grain size was found to be 68.76% and 16.43 nm, respectively; tetragonal crystal system was also cleared by XRD. TEM clarified the planes of crystal formed which supported the XRD results and BET demonstrated mesoporous nature of prepared Mn3O4 having low pore volume. Low optical band gap of 3.24 eV of prepared Mn3O4 nanoparticles indicated semiconductor property and was used as cathode material to fabricate CR-2032 coin cell of Aqueous Rechargeable Zinc Ion Battery (ARZIB). A reversible cyclic voltammogram (CV) showed good zinc ion storage performance. Low cell resistance was confirmed by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). The coin cell delivered high specific discharge capacity of 240.75 mAhg-1 at 0.1 Ag-1 current density. The coulombic efficiency was found to be 99.98%. It also delivered excellent capacity retention 94.45% and 64.81% after 300 and 1000 charge-discharge cycles, respectively. This work offers a facile and cost effective approach for preparing cathode material of ARZIBs.
Topics: Oryza; Manganese Compounds; Electric Power Supplies; Zinc; Oxides; Powders; Nanoparticles; X-Ray Diffraction; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
PubMed: 38885268
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0305611 -
PloS One 2024Neuronal ferroptosis is closely related to the disease of the nervous system, and the objective of the present study was to recognize and verify the potential...
BACKGROUND
Neuronal ferroptosis is closely related to the disease of the nervous system, and the objective of the present study was to recognize and verify the potential ferroptosis-related genes to forecast the neurological outcome after cardiac arrest.
METHODS
Cardiac Arrest-related microarray datasets GSE29540 and GSE92696 were downloaded from GEO and batch normalization of the expression data was performed using "sva" of the R package. GSE29540 was analyzed to identify DEGs. Venn diagram was applied to recognize ferroptosis-related DEGs from the DEGs. Subsequently, The Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis were performed, and PPI network was applied to screen hub genes. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were adopted to determine the predictive value of the biomarkers, and the GSE92696 dataset was applied to further evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of the biomarkers. We explore transcription factors and miRNAs associated with hub genes. The "CIBERSORT" package of R was utilized to analyse the proportion infiltrating immune cells. Finally, validated by a series of experiments at the cellular level.
RESULTS
112 overlapping ferroptosis-related DEGs were further obtained via intersecting these DEGs and ferroptosis-related genes. The GO and KEGG analysis demonstrate that ferroptosis-related DEGs are mainly involved in response to oxidative stress, ferroptosis, apoptosis, IL-17 signalling pathway, autophagy, toll-like receptor signalling pathway. The top 10 hub genes were selected, including HIF1A, MAPK3, PPARA, IL1B, PTGS2, RELA, TLR4, KEAP1, SREBF1, SIRT6. Only MAPK3 was upregulated in both GSE29540 and GAE92696. The AUC values of the MAPK3 are 0.654 and 0.850 in GSE29540 and GSE92696 respectively. The result of miRNAs associated with hub genes indicates that hsa-miR-214-3p and hsa-miR-483-5p can regulate the expression of MAPK3. MAPK3 was positively correlated with naive B cells, macrophages M0, activated dendritic cells and negatively correlated with activated CD4 memory T cells, CD8 T cells, and memory B cells. Compared to the OGD4/R24 group, the OGD4/R12 group had higher MAPK3 expression at both mRNA and protein levels and more severe ferroptosis.
CONCLUSION
In summary, the MAPK3 ferroptosis-related gene could be used as a biomarker to predict the neurological outcome after cardiac arrest. Potential biological pathways provide novel insights into the pathogenesis of cardiac arrest.
Topics: Ferroptosis; Humans; Heart Arrest; Protein Interaction Maps; Gene Expression Profiling; Gene Regulatory Networks; Gene Ontology; Biomarkers; MicroRNAs; ROC Curve
PubMed: 38885209
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301647 -
PloS One 2024Jackson Pollock's abstract poured paintings are celebrated for their striking aesthetic qualities. They are also among the most financially valued and imitated artworks,...
Jackson Pollock's abstract poured paintings are celebrated for their striking aesthetic qualities. They are also among the most financially valued and imitated artworks, making them vulnerable to high-profile controversies involving Pollock-like paintings of unknown origin. Given the increased employment of artificial intelligence applications across society, we investigate whether established machine learning techniques can be adopted by the art world to help detect imitation Pollocks. The low number of images compared to typical artificial intelligence projects presents a potential limitation for art-related applications. To address this limitation, we develop a machine learning strategy involving a novel image ingestion method which decomposes the images into sets of multi-scaled tiles. Leveraging the power of transfer learning, this approach distinguishes between authentic and imitation poured artworks with an accuracy of 98.9%. The machine also uses the multi-scaled tiles to generate novel visual aids and interpretational parameters which together facilitate comparisons between the machine's results and traditional investigations of Pollock's artistic style.
Topics: Paintings; Machine Learning; Humans; Artificial Intelligence; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
PubMed: 38885208
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0302962 -
ChemistryOpen Jun 2024Isoguanosine (isoG) is a natural structural isomer of guanosine (G) with significant potential for applications in ionophores, genetics, gel formation, and cancer...
Isoguanosine (isoG) is a natural structural isomer of guanosine (G) with significant potential for applications in ionophores, genetics, gel formation, and cancer therapy. However, the cost of commercially available isoG on a gram scale is relatively high. To date, a detailed method for the large-scale preparation of high-purity isoG has not been reported. This study presented a simple and convenient approach for the large-scale synthesis of isoG through the diazotization of 2,6-diaminopurine riboside with sodium nitrite and acetic acid at room temperature. Further, this method could synthesize isoG derivatives (2'-fluoro-isoguanosine (1) and 2'-deoxy-isoguanosine (2)) from 2,6-diaminopurine nucleoside derivatives using diazotization. The structural information of natural and modified nucleosides is crucial for the modification and substitution of DNA/RNA. This study obtained the single-crystal structure of isoG for the first time and analyzed it in detail using microcrystal electron diffraction. The three-dimensional supramolecular structure of isoG adopted similarly base-pair motifs from π-π stacking interaction of diverse layers, intramolecular hydrogen bonding, and distinct hydrogen bonding interactions from sugar residues. This study has contributed to further isoG modification and its applications in medicinal chemistry and materials.
PubMed: 38884382
DOI: 10.1002/open.202400141