The promise of precision functional mapping for neuroimaging in psychiatry.

Precision functional mapping (PFM) is a neuroimaging approach to reliably estimate metrics of brain function from individual people via the collection of large amounts of fMRI data (hours per person). This method has revealed much about the inter-individual variation of functional brain networks. While standard group-level studies, in which we average brain measures across groups of people, are important in understanding the generalizable neural underpinnings of neuropsychiatric disorders, many disorders are heterogeneous in nature.

Brain Engagement During a Cognitive Flexibility Task Relates to Academic Performance in English Learners.

English Learners (ELs), students from non-English-speaking backgrounds, are a fast-growing, understudied, group of students in the U.S. with unique learning challenges.

Risk factors for diabetes mellitus after acute pancreatitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Within 5 years of having acute pancreatitis (AP), approximately 20% of patients develop diabetes mellitus (DM), which later increases to approximately 40%. Some studies suggest that the prevalence of prediabetes (PD) and/or DM can grow as high as 59% over time. However, information on risk factors is limited.

Computer-aided diagnostic screen for Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome with facial phenotype.

Background: Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome (CCHS) has devastating consequences if not diagnosed promptly. Despite identification of the disease-defining gene PHOX2B and a facial phenotype, CCHS remains underdiagnosed. This study aimed to incorporate automated techniques on facial photos to screen for CCHS in a diverse pediatric cohort to improve early case identification and assess a facial phenotype-PHOX2B genotype relationship.

Brain connectivity and academic skills in English learners.

English learners (ELs) are a rapidly growing population in schools in the United States with limited experience and proficiency in English. To better understand the path for EL's academic success in school, it is important to understand how EL's brain systems are used for academic learning in English. We studied, in a cohort of Hispanic middle-schoolers (n = 45, 22F) with limited English proficiency and a wide range of reading and math abilities, brain network properties related to academic abilities.

Probiotic supplementation during antibiotic treatment is unjustified in maintaining the gut microbiome diversity: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Probiotics are often used to prevent antibiotic-induced low-diversity dysbiosis, however their effect is not yet sufficiently summarized in this regard. We aimed to investigate the effects of concurrent probiotic supplementation on gut microbiome composition during antibiotic therapy.

Methods: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials reporting the differences in gut microbiome diversity between patients on antibiotic therapy with and without concomitant probiotic supplementation.

Resting-state cortical hubs in youth organize into four categories.

During childhood, neural systems supporting high-level cognitive processes undergo periods of rapid growth and refinement, which rely on the successful coordination of activation across the brain. Some coordination occurs via cortical hubs-brain regions that coactivate with functional networks other than their own. Adult cortical hubs map into three distinct profiles, but less is known about hub categories during development, when critical improvement in cognition occurs.

A somato-cognitive action network alternates with effector regions in motor cortex.

Motor cortex (M1) has been thought to form a continuous somatotopic homunculus extending down the precentral gyrus from foot to face representations, despite evidence for concentric functional zones and maps of complex actions. Here, using precision functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) methods, we find that the classic homunculus is interrupted by regions with distinct connectivity, structure and function, alternating with effector-specific (foot, hand and mouth) areas. These inter-effector regions exhibit decreased cortical thickness and strong functional connectivity to each other, as well as to the cingulo-opercular network (CON), critical for action and physiological control, arousal, errors and pain.

Centering inclusivity in the design of online conferences-An OHBM-Open Science perspective.

As the global health crisis unfolded, many academic conferences moved online in 2020. This move has been hailed as a positive step towards inclusivity in its attenuation of economic, physical, and legal barriers and effectively enabled many individuals from groups that have traditionally been underrepresented to join and participate. A number of studies have outlined how moving online made it possible to gather a more global community and has increased opportunities for individuals with various constraints, e.

Brainhack: Developing a culture of open, inclusive, community-driven neuroscience.

Brainhack is an innovative meeting format that promotes scientific collaboration and education in an open, inclusive environment. This NeuroView describes the myriad benefits for participants and the research community and how Brainhacks complement conventional formats to augment scientific progress.

The spinosyns, spinosad, spinetoram, and synthetic spinosyn mimics - discovery, exploration, and evolution of a natural product chemistry and the impact of computational tools.

Natural products (NPs) have long been a source of insecticidal crop protection products. Like many macrolide NPs, the spinosyns originated from a soil inhibiting microorganism (Saccharopolyspora spinosa). More than 20 years after initial registration, the spinosyns remain a unique class of NP-based insect control products that presently encompass two insecticidal active ingredients, spinosad, a naturally occurring mixture of spinosyns, and spinetoram, a semi-synthetic spinosyn product.

Heterogeneity of executive function revealed by a functional random forest approach across ADHD and ASD.

Background: Those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and/or attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) exhibit symptoms of hyperactivity and inattention, causing significant hardships for families and society. A potential mechanism involved in these conditions is atypical executive function (EF). Inconsistent findings highlight that EF features may be shared or distinct across ADHD and ASD.

Functional Connectivity Fingerprints at Rest Are Similar across Youths and Adults and Vary with Genetic Similarity.

Distinguishing individuals from brain connectivity, and studying the genetic influences on that identification across different ages, improves our basic understanding of functional brain network organization. We applied support vector machine classifiers to two datasets of twins (adult, pediatric) and two datasets of repeat-scan individuals (adult, pediatric). Classifiers were trained on resting state functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fcMRI) data and used to predict individuals and co-twin pairs from independent data.

Discovery of highly insecticidal synthetic spinosyn mimics - CAMD enabled de novo design simplifying a complex natural product.

Simplifying complex natural products: Computer modeling-based design leads to highly insecticidal, chemically simpler synthetic mimics of the spinosyn natural products that are active in the field. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Individual differences in functional brain connectivity predict temporal discounting preference in the transition to adolescence.

The transition from childhood to adolescence is marked by distinct changes in behavior, including how one values waiting for a large reward compared to receiving an immediate, yet smaller, reward. While previous research has emphasized the relationship between this preference and age, it is also proposed that this behavior is related to circuitry between valuation and cognitive control systems. In this study, we examined how age and intrinsic functional connectivity strength within and between these neural systems relate to changes in discounting behavior across the transition into adolescence.

De Novo Design of Potent, Insecticidal Synthetic Mimics of the Spinosyn Macrolide Natural Products.

New insect pest control agents are needed to meet the demands to feed an expanding global population, to address the desire for more environmentally-friendly insecticide tools, and to fill the loss of control options in some crop-pest complexes due to development of insecticide resistance. The spinosyns are a highly effective class of naturally occurring, fermentation derived insecticides, possessing a very favorable environmental profile. Chemically, the spinosyns are composed of a large complex macrolide tetracycle coupled to two sugars.

Subtyping cognitive profiles in Autism Spectrum Disorder using a Functional Random Forest algorithm.

DSM-5 Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) comprises a set of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by deficits in social communication and interaction and repetitive behaviors or restricted interests, and may both affect and be affected by multiple cognitive mechanisms. This study attempts to identify and characterize cognitive subtypes within the ASD population using our Functional Random Forest (FRF) machine learning classification model. This model trained a traditional random forest model on measures from seven tasks that reflect multiple levels of information processing.

Reduced fronto-amygdalar connectivity in adolescence is associated with increased depression symptoms over time.

Depression is common among adolescents, affecting greater than 12% of youth in a given year. Studies have shown aberrant amygdala connectivity in depressed adolescents, compared with controls; however, no studies have examined whether these abnormalities precede and heighten risk for depressive symptom expression. This study used resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) magnetic resonance imaging to examine neurobiological markers of escalating depression symptoms in adolescents (ages 12-16 years; free from psychopathology at baseline).

A Redox-Active Binder for Electrochemical Capacitor Electrodes.

A promising strategy for increasing the performance of supercapacitors is proposed. Until now, a popular strategy for increasing the specific capacity of the electrode consists of grafting redox molecules onto a high surface area carbon structure to add a faradaic contribution to the charge storage. Unfortunately, the grafting of molecules to the carbon surface leads to a dramatic decrease of the electrochemical performances of the composite material.

Implications of newborn amygdala connectivity for fear and cognitive development at 6-months-of-age.

The first year of life is an important period for emergence of fear in humans. While animal models have revealed developmental changes in amygdala circuitry accompanying emerging fear, human neural systems involved in early fear development remain poorly understood. To increase understanding of the neural foundations of human fear, it is important to consider parallel cognitive development, which may modulate associations between typical development of early fear and subsequent risk for fear-related psychopathology.

Synthesis and Insecticidal Activity of Spinosyns with C9-O-Benzyl Bioisosteres in Place of the 2',3',4'-Tri-O-methyl Rhamnose.

The spinosyns are fermentation-derived natural products active against a wide range of insect pests. They are structurally complex, consisting of two sugars (forosamine and rhamnose) coupled to a macrocyclic tetracycle. Removal of the rhamnose sugar results in a >100-fold reduction in insecticidal activity.

Push-Pull Triphenylamine Chromophore Syntheses and Optoelectronic Characterizations.

A series of push-pull molecules combining a diarylamine donor block with various electron-acceptor units through phenylthienyl (PT) and bithienyl (TT) π-conjugating spacers have been synthesized. Optical and electrochemical results, supported by theoretical calculations, show that the electronic properties of the molecules can be modulated by varying the strength of the acceptor group and/or the structure of the conjugating spacer. As a first evaluation of the potential of these compounds as donors in organic solar cells (OSC), simple planar heterojunction (PHJ) prototypes using fullerene C as electron acceptor have been fabricated.

Structure-properties relationships in triarylamine-based donor-acceptor molecules containing naphtyl groups as donor material for organic solar cells.

The effects of replacing the phenyl rings of triphenylamine (TPA) by naphtyl groups are analysed on a series of push-pull molecules containing a 2-thienyl-dicyanovinyl acceptor group. UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry show that the introduction of one or two naphtyl groups in the structure has limited effects on the optical properties and energy levels of the molecule. On the other hand, the evaluation of the compounds as donor material in bi-layer solar cells with C60 as acceptor shows that the number and mode of linkage of the naphtyl groups exert a marked influence on the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the cell.

Simple and versatile molecular donors for organic photovoltaics prepared by metal-free synthesis.

Donor-acceptor molecules (D-π-A) built by connecting a diphenylhydrazone block to a dicyanovinyl acceptor group via various thiophene-based π-conjugating spacers (1-5) were synthesized from mono- or dialdehydes by a simple metal-free procedure. Cyclic voltammetry and UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy show that the extension and/or increase of the donor strength of the spacer produces a decrease of the HOMO and LUMO energy level, a red shift of the absorption spectrum and an increase of the molecular absorption coefficient. Compared to solutions, the optical spectra of spin-cast thin films of compounds 1-3 show a broadening and red shift of the absorption bands, consistent with the formation of J-aggregates.