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While researchers have gained a richer understanding of the neural correlates of executive function in adulthood, much less is known about how these abilities are represented in the developing brain and what structural brain networks underlie them. Thus, the current study examined how individual differences in executive function, as measured by the Trail Making Test (TMT), relate to structural covariance in the pediatric brain. The sample included 146 unrelated, typically developing youth (80 females), ages 9-14 years, who completed a structural MRI scan of the brain and the Halstead-Reitan TMT (intermediate form). TMT scores used to index executive function included those that evaluated set-shifting ability: Trails B time (number-letter sequencing) and the difference in time between Trails B and A (number sequencing only). Anatomical coupling was measured by examining correlations between mean cortical thickness (MCT) across the entire cortical ribbon and individual vertex thickness measured at ~81,000 vertices. To examine how TMT scores related to anatomical coupling strength, linear regression was utilized and the interaction between age-normed TMT scores and both age and sex-normed MCT was used to predict vertex thickness. Results revealed that stronger Trails B scores were associated with greater anatomical coupling between a large swath of prefrontal cortex and the rest of cortex. For the difference between Trails B and A, a network of regions in the frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes was found to be more tightly coupled with the rest of cortex in stronger performers. This study is the first to highlight the importance of structural covariance in in the prediction of individual differences in executive function skills in youth. Thus, it adds to the growing literature on the neural correlates of childhood executive functions and identifies neuroanatomic coupling as a biological substrate that may contribute to executive function and dysfunction in childhood.

Iron redox flow batteries (IRFBs) are cost-efficient RFBs that have the potential to develop low-cost grid energy storage. Electrode kinetics are pivotal in defining the cycle life and energy efficiency of the battery. In this study, graphite felt (GF) is heat-treated at 400, 500 and 600 °C, and its physicochemical and electrochemical properties are studied using XPS, FESEM, Raman and cyclic voltammetry. Surface morphology and structural changes suggest that GF heat-treated at 500 °C for 6 h exhibits acceptable thermal stability while accessing the benefits of heat treatment. Specific capacitance was calculated for assessing the wettability and electrochemical properties of pristine and treated electrodes. The 600 °C GF has the highest specific capacitance of 34.8 Fg−1 at 100 mV s−1, but the 500 °C GF showed the best battery performance. The good battery performance of the 500 °C GF is attributed to the presence of oxygen functionalities and the absence of thermal degradation during heat treatment. The battery consisting of 500 °C GF electrodes offered the highest voltage efficiency of ~74%, Coulombic efficiency of ~94%, and energy efficiency of ~70% at 20 mA cm−2. Energy efficiency increased by 7% in a battery consisting of heat-treated GF in comparison to pristine GF. The battery is capable of operating for 100 charge–discharge cycles with an average energy efficiency of ~ 67% for over 100 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Microtubule plus‐end directed trafficking is dominated by kinesin motors, yet kinesins differ in terms of cargo identity, movement rate, and distance travelled. Functional diversity of kinesins is especially apparent in polarized neurons, where long distance trafficking is required for efficient signal transduction‐behavioral response paradigms. The Kinesin‐3 superfamily are expressed in neurons and are hypothesized to have significant roles in neuronal signal transduction due to their high processivity. Although much is known about Kinesin‐3 motors mechanistically in vitro, there is little known about their mechanisms in vivo. Here, we analyzed KLP‐4, the Caenorhabditis elegans homologue of human KIF13A and KIF13B. Like other Kinesin‐3 superfamily motors, klp‐4 is highly expressed in the ventral nerve cord command interneurons of the animal, suggesting it might have a role in controlling movement of the animal. We characterized an allele of klp‐4 that contains are large indel in the cargo binding domain of the motor, however, the gene still appears to be expressed. Behavioral analysis demonstrated that klp‐4 mutants have defects in locomotive signaling, but not the strikingly uncoordinated movements such as those found in unc‐104/KIF1A mutants. Animals with this large deletion are hypersensitive to the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor aldicarb but are unaffected by exogenous serotonin. Interestingly, this large klp‐4 indel does not affect gross neuronal development but does lead to aggregation and disorganization of RAB‐3 at synapses. Taken together, these data suggest a role for KLP‐4 in modulation of cholinergic signaling in vivo and shed light on possible in vivo mechanisms of Kinesin‐3 motor regulation.

Absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2), a DNA sensor that plays an important role in natural immunity system, has been reported to participate in colorectal cancer (CRC) development. However, the functional role of AIM2 in BRAF-mutant CRC remains unclear. In this study, we first investigated AIM2 expression level in BRAF-mutant CRC tumor tissues. Overexpression of AIM2 in CRC cells was performed to investigate the effect of AIM2 on CRC cell viability, and cell death detection and caspase activity assay were performed to explore the mechanism that AIM2 impacts the growth of BRAF-mutant CRC cells. Moreover, we confirmed the antitumor effect of AIM2 in BRAF-mutant CRC cell-derived tumor xenograft (CDX) models as well as patient-derived organoids (PDOs). Herein, we reported that AIM2 expression was lower in BRAF-mutant than that in BRAF wild-type CRC tumor tissues. Restoring the expression of AIM2 in BRAF-mutant CRC cells greatly inhibits the tumor cell growth by inducing necrotic cell death. Mechanism studies revealed that AIM2-induced cell death is in a caspase-1-dependent manner. Additionally, overexpression of AIM2 significantly inhibits tumor growth and metastasis in BRAF-mutant CRC in vivo, which was further confirmed in BRAF-mutant CRC PDOs. Taken together, our data suggested that AIM2 inhibits BRAF-mutant colon cancer growth in a caspase-1-dependent manner, which may provide evidence to understand the pathogenesis of CRC with BRAF-mutant, as well as new strategies for manipulation of CRC.

AimTo examine individual variability between perceived physical features and hormones of pubertal maturation in 9–10-year-old children as a function of sociodemographic characteristics.MethodsCross-sectional metrics of puberty were utilized from the baseline assessment of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study—a multi-site sample of 9–10 year-olds (n = 11,875)—and included perceived physical features via the pubertal development scale (PDS) and child salivary hormone levels (dehydroepiandrosterone and testosterone in all, and estradiol in females). Multi-level models examined the relationships among sociodemographic measures, physical features, and hormone levels. A group factor analysis (GFA) was implemented to extract latent variables of pubertal maturation that integrated both measures of perceived physical features and hormone levels.ResultsPDS summary scores indicated more males (70%) than females (31%) were prepubertal. Perceived physical features and hormone levels were significantly associated with child’s weight status and income, such that more mature scores were observed among children that were overweight/obese or from households with low-income. Results from the GFA identified two latent factors that described individual differences in pubertal maturation among both females and males, with factor 1 driven by higher hormone levels, and factor 2 driven by perceived physical maturation. The correspondence between latent factor 1 scores (hormones) and latent factor 2 scores (perceived physical maturation) revealed synchronous and asynchronous relationships between hormones and concomitant physical features in this large young adolescent sample.ConclusionsSociodemographic measures were associated with both objective hormone and self-report physical measures of pubertal maturation in a large, diverse sample of 9–10 year-olds. The latent variables of pubertal maturation described a complex interplay between perceived physical changes and hormone levels that hallmark sexual maturation, which future studies can examine in relation to trajectories of brain maturation, risk/resilience to substance use, and other mental health outcomes.

Although social-communication difficulties and repetitive behaviors are hallmark features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and persist across the lifespan, very few studies have compared age-related differences in these behaviors between youth with ASD and same-age typically developing (TD) peers. We examined this issue using SRS-2 (Social Responsiveness Scale-Second Edition) measures of social-communicative functioning and repetitive behaviors in a stratified cross-sectional sample of 324 youth with ASD in the absence of intellectual disability, and 438 TD youth (aged 4-29 years). An age-by-group interaction emerged indicating that TD youth exhibited age-related improvements in social-communication scores while the ASD group demonstrated age-related declines in these scores. This suggests that adolescents/adults with ASD may fall increasingly behind their same-age peers in social-communicative skills.

Background:. Subpectoral tissue expander breast reconstruction is often associated with muscle spasms, pain, and discomfort during tissue expansion. In this study, we hypothesized that an intraoperative injection of botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) in the pectoralis major muscle reduces the pain associated with tissue expansion and improves women’s physical well-being. Methods:. Between May 2012 and May 2017, women undergoing immediate subpectoral tissue expander breast reconstruction were randomized to administer 100 units of BTX-A or a placebo injection. A numeric pain intensity scale and the physical well-being scale of the BREAST-Q: Reconstruction Module were used to test our hypothesis. Data on postoperative oral narcotic consumption were not collected. Results:. Of the 131 women included in the analysis, 48% were randomized to placebo and 52% to BTX-A. The preoperative median pain intensity score was 0 [interquartile range (IQR), 0–1], and the median preoperative BREAST-Q score was 91 (IQR, 81–100). The median slopes for the change in pain intensity scores from baseline throughout tissue expansion for those randomized to placebo and BTX-A were −0.01 (IQR, −0.02 to 0.00) and −0.01 (IQR, −0.02 to 0.00), respectively (P = 0.55). The median slopes for the change in BREAST-Q scores from baseline throughout tissue expansion for those randomized to placebo and BTX-A were 0.04 (IQR, −0.17 to 0.14) and 0.02 (IQR, −0.06 to 0.13), respectively (P = 0.89). Conclusion:. In this study, we found that an intraoperative intramuscular injection of 100 units of BTX-A in the pectoralis major muscle did not reduce postoperative pain and patient-reported physical well-being when compared with placebo.

Abstract The Global Alliance for Infections in Surgery appreciates the great effort of the task force who derived and validated the Sepsis-3 definitions and considers the new definitions an important step forward in the evolution of our understanding of sepsis. Nevertheless, more than a year after their publication, we have a few concerns regarding the use of the Sepsis-3 definitions.

Abstract Objective The demanding nature of dental education, both academically and clinically, results in higher levels of perceived stress among its students. The aim of this study was to determine how dental students at the College of Dentistry, University of Saskatchewan perceived stress. During the 2013–2014 academic year, all students were asked to complete a modified dental environmental survey (DES). Results Of the 111 students enrolled at the College that year 92 completed the survey (response rate = 83%). In general, female students reported higher stress levels than males. Higher stress levels were associated with living away from home, concerns about manual dexterity and the transition from pre-clinical to clinical studies. Additionally, students who enter dental school with higher debt loads (> 100,000) report high stress levels relating to finances. This study found that financial and clinical workloads result in high stress levels among dental students.

The Philippines is a hotspot of biodiversity due to its high species richness and endemism and the great threat of species and habitat loss brought about by anthropogenic activities. While efforts have been made to document animal and plant biodiversity in the country, only a little can be said of the so-called hidden biodiversity - the microbial world. To contribute to the documentation of the total biodiversity in the country, we conducted a systematic literature review of novel microorganisms described in the Philippines. Novel microorganisms are potentially new sources of compounds for pharmaceutical, environmental, and biotechnological applications and could play key roles in many ecosystem processes; their continued discovery and further research allow the science community to study these microorganisms to impact local communities. Our checklist reported species of archaea, bacteria, protists, algae, and fungi, including lichens, that were discovered as new to science by Filipino or foreign-based scientists from specimens collected in the country. We recorded 708 novel species as reported in published literature until October 2023. These are grouped as Archaea (n = 12), Bacteria (n = 28), lower fungi (n = 11), higher fungi (n = 142), protists (n = 13), algae (n = 251), and lichens (n = 251). Most of the discovered novel microbes were isolated or collected from major islands of the country, particularly Luzon, and this highlights the numerous areas where studies on microbial diversity are limited or nonexistent. In addition, the research also identified challenges that impeded the progress of Philippine microbial taxonomy and offered solutions. This checklist is the first attempt to document novel species of microorganisms as a strategy to raise awareness of the need to document our microbial biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrocatalytic proton exchange membranes (PEMs) represent a promising avenue for advancing the field of electrochemical energy conversion and storage by combining the proton-conducting function of PEMs with enhanced catalytic activity by incorporation of metal ions. Here, we systematically studied the ZnO-based metal-organic framework (MOF) and found the introduction of pegylated ZnO to the (diethyl methylamine)/(H2PO4) matrix to form the p-type conducting MOF membrane with a bandgap of 3.67 eV. This membrane not only has a high protonic conductivity of 0.027 S/cm at 300 K with a transference number >0.99 but also possesses high activity (Tafel slope ∼36 mV/decade). The high reaction kinetics supported by finite element modeling simulations shows its ability to produce efficient and sustainable hydrogen. Our results suggest high current density of 1.52 mA/cm2, a turn over frequency [H2 (s−1)] ∼ 0.474 × 1 0 18 s − 1 , and a stability of 168 h in neutral medium (pH = 7). This work will enhance new strategies for fabricating membranes with ionic liquid in order to get membranes with protonic conductivity along with high activity for large-scale water electrolysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]