Effects of peritraumatic reactions on post-traumatic stress among Kahramanmaras earthquake survivors.

PURPOSE: Peritraumatic reactions play a crucial role in the development of mental health problems, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Therefore, this study sought to examine the influence of the peritraumatic reactions, including peritraumatic dissociation, peritraumatic distress, mental defeat, and tonic immobility, on post-traumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder in earthquake survivors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 261 adult participants aged between 18 and 65 (Mage=29.20, SD = 28.06, 162 were female, and 99 were male) who were exposed to the Kahramanmaras earthquake in February 2023 were recruited in the study. Data were collected between April 10 and 18 2023, two months after the earthquake. Participants completed questionnaires, including The International Trauma Questionnaire, The International Depression Questionnaire, The Mental Defeat Questionnaire, The Tonic Immobility Scale, and The Peritraumatic Dissociative Experiences Questionnaire. RESULTS: Two-step multiple linear regression analyses indicated all peritraumatic reactions predicted both post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. Dominance analysis results showed that the contribution of peritraumatic dissociation in predicting PTSD and depression was higher among other peritraumatic reactions. CONCLUSION: The findings of the study revealed a robust association between peritraumatic reactions and both depression and PTSD, shedding light on the underlying processes in the development of trauma-related disorders. Early assessment of peritraumatic reactions may be useful in identifying individuals at risk of developing PTSD and depression.

Changes in the superior longitudinal fasciculus and anterior thalamic radiation in the left brain are associated with developmental dyscalculia.

Developmental dyscalculia is a neurodevelopmental disorder specific to arithmetic learning even with normal intelligence and age-appropriate education. Difficulties often persist from childhood through adulthood lowering the individual's quality of life. However, the neural correlates of developmental dyscalculia are poorly understood. This study aimed to identify brain structural connectivity alterations in developmental dyscalculia. All participants were recruited from a large scale, non-referred population sample in a longitudinal design. We studied 10 children with developmental dyscalculia (11.3 ± 0.7 years) and 16 typically developing peers (11.2 ± 0.6 years) using diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. We assessed white matter microstructure with tract-based spatial statistics in regions-of-interest tracts that had previously been related to math ability in children. Then we used global probabilistic tractography for the first time to measure and compare tract length between developmental dyscalculia and typically developing groups. The high angular resolution diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and crossing-fiber probabilistic tractography allowed us to evaluate the length of the pathways compared to previous studies. The major findings of our study were reduced white matter coherence and shorter tract length of the left superior longitudinal/arcuate fasciculus and left anterior thalamic radiation in the developmental dyscalculia group. Furthermore, the lower white matter coherence and shorter pathways tended to be associated with the lower math performance. These results from the regional analyses indicate that learning, memory and language-related pathways in the left hemisphere might be related to developmental dyscalculia in children.

A new UltraScan module for the characterization and quantification of analytical buoyant density equilibrium experiments to determine AAV capsid loading.

A method for characterizing and quantifying peaks formed in an analytical buoyant density equilibrium (ABDE) experiment is presented. An algorithm is derived to calculate the concentration of the density forming gradient material at every point in the cell, provided the rotor speed, temperature, meniscus position, bottom of the cell position, and the loading concentration, molar mass, and partial specific volume of the density gradient-forming material are known. In addition, a new peak fitting algorithm has been developed which allows the user to automatically quantify the peaks formed in terms of density, apparent partial specific volume, and relative abundance. The method is suitable for both ionic and non-ionic density forming materials and can be used with data generated from the UV optical system as well as the AVIV fluorescence optical system. These methods have been programmed in a new UltraScan-III module (us_abde). Examples are shown that demonstrate the application of the new module to adeno-associated viral vector preparations and proteins.

Beyond the US-SOMO-AF database: a new website for hydrodynamic, structural, and circular dichroism calculations on user-supplied structures.

At the 25th International Analytical Ultracentrifugation Workshop and Symposium, we described the recent implementation of the UltraScan SOlution MOdeler AlphaFold (US-SOMO-AF) database, containing hydrodynamic, structural, CD calculations, and other ancillary information, performed on the entire AF v2 database of predicted protein structures, containing more than 1,000,000 entries. The scope of the US-SOMO-AF database was that of providing direct access to pre-calculated physicochemical parameters for rapid assessment against their experimentally determined counterparts to test the compatibility in solution of predicted AlphaFold structures. In the meantime, the AlphaFold consortium has extended its database of predicted structures to an astonishing > 200 million entries, making it quite impractical for their coverage in the US-SOMO-AF database. Therefore, we have created the US-SOMO-Web site, allowing the rapid calculations of all the properties, as present in the US-SOMO-AF database, on user-supplied PDB and mmCIF structures, as well as allowing direct processing of the latest AlphaFold models. Major features on the website are described, along with current limitations and potential future developments.

Protocol to examine the neural basis of symbolic and non-symbolic quantity processing in human brain with fMRI.

Number perception is among the basic cognitive abilities necessary to understand our environment. Here, we present a protocol to examine the neural underpinnings of numerosity comparison regarding symbolic and non-symbolic stimuli using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). This protocol gives instructions for screening participants, followed by steps to perform an event-related fMRI experiment and data analysis with SPM12. This protocol will be informative for investigating numerical cognition in various groups including children with dyscalculia or people at different developmental stages. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Üstün et al. (2021) and Vatansever et al. (2020).

Children With Dyscalculia Show Hippocampal Hyperactivity During Symbolic Number Perception.

Dyscalculia is a learning disability affecting the acquisition of arithmetical skills in children with normal intelligence and age-appropriate education. Two hypotheses attempt to explain the main cause of dyscalculia. The first hypothesis suggests that a problem with the core mechanisms of perceiving (non-symbolic) quantities is the cause of dyscalculia (core deficit hypothesis), while the alternative hypothesis suggests that dyscalculics have problems only with the processing of numerical symbols (access deficit hypothesis). In the present study, the symbolic and non-symbolic numerosity processing of typically developing children and children with dyscalculia were examined with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Control (n = 15, mean age: 11.26) and dyscalculia (n = 12, mean age: 11.25) groups were determined using a wide-scale screening process. Participants performed a quantity comparison paradigm in the fMRI with two number conditions (dot and symbol comparison) and two difficulty levels (0.5 and 0.7 ratio). The results showed that the bilateral intraparietal sulcus (IPS), left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and left fusiform gyrus (so-called "number form area") were activated for number perception as well as bilateral occipital and supplementary motor areas. The task difficulty engaged bilateral insular cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, IPS, and DLPFC activation. The dyscalculia group showed more activation in the left orbitofrontal cortex, left medial prefrontal cortex, and right anterior cingulate cortex than the control group. The dyscalculia group showed left hippocampus activation specifically for the symbolic condition. Increased left hippocampal and left-lateralized frontal network activation suggest increased executive and memory-based compensation mechanisms during symbolic processing for dyscalculics. Overall, our findings support the access deficit hypothesis as a neural basis for dyscalculia.

Intolerance of uncertainty, rumination, post-traumatic stress symptoms and aggression during COVID-19: a serial mediation model.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic can be identified as a source of traumatic stress. Previous studies have shown that post-traumatic stress and intolerance of uncertainty are associated with aggressive behaviour. OBJECTIVE: In the present study, we aimed to test a serial mediation model, considering rumination and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) as mediators that link intolerance of uncertainty and aggression, while controlling the confounding effect of crisis-induced health and socioeconomic stressors during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHOD: A total of 714 participants [533 (74.6%) females, 176 (24.7%) males, aged 18-64 years (M age = 25.16, SD age = 9.34)] completed the following self-reported scales: Aggression Scale, COVID-19 stressors checklist, Short Version of the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale, Impact of Event Scale with Modifications for COVID-19, and Ruminative Thought Style Questionnaire. RESULTS: The results revealed that there was an association between intolerance of uncertainty and aggressive behaviours. Moreover, the results of serial mediation analysis showed that intolerance of uncertainty predicts aggressive behaviours via rumination and PTSS. Besides, socioeconomic stressors are significantly associated with the level of PTSS and aggression, while health stressors are not significantly association with the level of PTSS and aggression. CONCLUSIONS: The findings provide several contributions to understand the link between intolerance of uncertainty and aggressive behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic, and confirm the importance of early psychological intervention, especially for those who are more likely to ruminate and suffer from PTSS, to prevent aggression and violence in the long run. In addition to health-related regulations, it is important to take the social and economic aspects of the crisis into account and develop intervention strategies accordingly. Nevertheless, the limitations of cross-sectional mediation analysis in explaining causal relationships should be kept in mind, and future studies should extend these findings using longitudinal data.

Antecedentes: La pandemia por COVID-19 se puede identificar como una fuente de estrés traumático, y estudios previos mostraron que el estrés postraumático y la intolerancia a la incertidumbre están asociados con el comportamiento agresivo.Objetivo: En el presente estudio, nuestro objetivo fue probar un modelo de mediación en serie, considerando la rumiación y los síntomas de estrés postraumático (SEPT) como mediadores que vinculan la intolerancia a la incertidumbre y la agresión, controlando el efecto de confusión de los factores estresantes socioeconómicos y de salud inducidos por crisis durante la pandemia de COVID-19.Método: Un total de 714 participantes (533 [74,6%] mujeres, 176 [24,7%] hombres de entre 18 y 64 años (Medad = 25.16, DEedad = 9.34) completaron las siguientes escalas de auto-reporte: Escala de agresión, Lista de Chequeo de Factores Estresantes por COVID-19, Versión Corta de la Escala de Intolerancia a la incertidumbre, Escala de Impacto de Eventos con modificaciones para COVID-19 y Cuestionario de Estilo de Pensamiento Rumiante.Resultados: Los resultados revelaron una asociación entre la intolerancia a la incertidumbre y las conductas agresivas. Además, el resultado del análisis de mediación en serie mostró que la intolerancia a la incertidumbre predice comportamientos agresivos a través de la rumiación y los SEPT. Además, los factores de estrés socioeconómico están significativamente asociados con el nivel de SEPT y la agresión, mientras que los estresores de salud no están significativamente asociados con el nivel de SEPT y la agresión.Conclusiones: Los hallazgos brindan varias contribuciones para comprender el vínculo entre la intolerancia a la incertidumbre y los comportamientos agresivos durante la pandemia de COVID-19 y la importancia de la intervención psicológica temprana, especialmente para aquellos que tienen más probabilidades de presentar rumiación y sufrir SEPT para prevenir la agresión y la violencia a largo plazo. Además de las regulaciones relacionadas con la salud, es importante tener en cuenta los aspectos sociales y económicos de las crisis, y desarrollar en concordancia estrategias de intervención. No obstante, deben tenerse en cuenta las limitaciones del análisis de mediación transversal para explicar las relaciones causales y los estudios futuros deben ampliar los hallazgos mediante el uso de datos longitudinales.

Norbornadiene Chain-End Functional Polymers as Stable, Readily Available Precursors to Cyclopentadiene Derivatives.

A novel method for facile postpolymerization functionalization of synthetic polymers using terminal norbornadiene (NBD) building blocks is presented. Incorporation of the NBD functionality streamlines the synthesis of a wide array of block polymers utilizing multistep click chemistry strategies. Previously, the use of NBD-functionalized initiators produced polymers that underwent a cascade of Diels-Alder (DA) reactions to unveil a reactive cyclopentadiene (Cp) chain end. When coupled with a maleimide-bearing counterpart, a highly efficient DA cycloaddition with the terminal Cp can occur. To extend this concept to a range of polyacrylates and commercially available poly(ethylene glycol) systems, we developed a novel NBD acid building block for postpolymerization functionalization. Employing this process, we have demonstrated straightforward access to a library of block polymers that leverage this NBD click platform.

Serum endocan and preoperative systemic inflammatory markers in patients with epilepsy.

OBJECTIVE: The mechanisms underlying epileptogenesis are still a focus of experimental and clinical research. Inflammation and angiogenesis are the two main topics that have been an area of interest recently. The present study assessed serum levels of endocan, an inflammatory and angiogenesis-promoting molecule, and of preoperative inflammatory markers (neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR)) in adult patients undergoing epilepsy surgery. METHODS: Twenty-one patients with epilepsy and 21 healthy controls were included. From patients, serum was collected twice: before and within a week after surgery. From controls, serum was collected once. Serum endocan was studied by ELISA and preoperative NLR and PLR were obtained from preoperative hemogram parameters. RESULTS: Preoperative serum endocan levels in patients were significantly higher than in controls. There was no difference between patients and controls regarding preoperative NLR and PLR. After surgery, serum endocan levels decreased in patients, with no further difference compared to controls. Serum endocan levels, NLR and PLR correlated positively, but not significantly, with epilepsy duration and seizure frequency. CONCLUSIONS: Angiogenesis and low-grade inflammation may play a role in the development and progression of epilepsy. We suggest that larger cohort of epilepsy patients with longer-term follow-up should be studied.

Norbornadienes: Robust and Scalable Building Blocks for Cascade "Click" Coupling of High Molecular Weight Polymers.

Herein, we report the development of a scalable and synthetically robust building block based on norbornadiene (NBD) that can be broadly incorporated into a variety of macromolecular architectures using traditional living polymerization techniques. By taking advantage of a selective and rapid deprotection with tetrazine, highly reactive "masked" cyclopentadiene (Cp) functionalities can be introduced into synthetic polymers as chain-end groups in a quantitative and efficient manner. The orthogonality of this platform further enables a cascade "click" process where the "unmasked" Cp can rapidly react with dienophiles, such as maleimides, through a conventional Diels-Alder reaction. Coupling proceeds with quantitative conversions allowing high molecular weight star and dendritic block copolymers to be prepared in a single step under ambient conditions.

Amygdala-prefrontal cortex connectivity increased during face discrimination but not time perception.

Time sensitivity is affected by emotional stimuli such as fearful faces. The effect of threatening stimuli on time perception depends on numerous factors, including task type and duration range. We applied a two-interval forced-choice task using face stimuli to healthy volunteers to evaluate time perception and emotion interaction using functional magnetic resonance imaging. We conducted finite impulse response analysis to examine time series for the significantly activated brain areas and psycho-physical interaction to investigate the connectivity between selected regions. Time perception engaged a right-lateralised frontoparietal network, while a face discrimination task activated the amygdala and fusiform face area (FFA). No voxels were active with regard to the effect of expression (fearful versus neutral). In parallel with this, our behavioural results showed that attending to the fearful faces did not cause duration overestimation. Finally, connectivity of the amygdala and FFA to the middle frontal gyrus increased during the face processing condition compared to the timing task. Overall, our results suggest that the prefrontal-amygdala connectivity might be required for the emotional processing of facial stimuli. On the other hand, attentional load, task type and task difficulty are discussed as possible factors that influence the effects of emotion on time perception.

BEES: Bayesian Ensemble Estimation from SAS.

Many biomolecular complexes exist in a flexible ensemble of states in solution that is necessary to perform their biological function. Small-angle scattering (SAS) measurements are a popular method for characterizing these flexible molecules because of their relative ease of use and their ability to simultaneously probe the full ensemble of states. However, SAS data is typically low dimensional and difficult to interpret without the assistance of additional structural models. In theory, experimental SAS curves can be reconstituted from a linear combination of theoretical models, although this procedure carries a significant risk of overfitting the inherently low-dimensional SAS data. Previously, we developed a Bayesian-based method for fitting ensembles of model structures to experimental SAS data that rigorously avoids overfitting. However, we have found that these methods can be difficult to incorporate into typical SAS modeling workflows, especially for users that are not experts in computational modeling. To this end, we present the Bayesian Ensemble Estimation from SAS (BEES) program. Two forks of BEES are available, the primary one existing as a module for the SASSIE web server and a developmental version that is a stand-alone Python program. BEES allows users to exhaustively sample ensemble models constructed from a library of theoretical states and to interactively analyze and compare each model's performance. The fitting routine also allows for secondary data sets to be supplied, thereby simultaneously fitting models to both SAS data as well as orthogonal information. The flexible ensemble of K63-linked ubiquitin trimers is presented as an example of BEES' capabilities.

What happens in the dark? Assessing the temporal control of photo-mediated controlled radical polymerizations.

A signature of photo-mediated controlled polymerizations is the ability to modulate the rate of polymerization by turning the light source 'on' and 'off.' However, in many reported systems, growth can be reproducibly observed during dark periods. In this study, emerging photo-mediated controlled radical polymerizations are evaluated with in situ 1H NMR monitoring to assess their behavior in the dark. Interestingly, it is observed that Cu-mediated systems undergo long-lived, linear growth during dark periods in organic media.

Integrated assessment of visual perception abnormalities in psychotic disorders and relationship with clinical characteristics.

BACKGROUND: The visual system is recognized as an important site of pathology and dysfunction in schizophrenia. In this study, we evaluated different visual perceptual functions in patients with psychotic disorders using a potentially clinically applicable task battery and assessed their relationship with symptom severity in patients, and with schizotypal features in healthy participants. METHODS: Five different areas of visual functioning were evaluated in patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder (n = 28) and healthy control subjects (n = 31) using a battery that included visuospatial working memory (VSWM), velocity discrimination (VD), contour integration, visual context processing, and backward masking tasks. RESULTS: The patient group demonstrated significantly lower performance in VD, contour integration, and VSWM tasks. Performance did not differ between the two groups on the visual context processing task and did not differ across levels of interstimulus intervals in the backward masking task. Performances on VSWM, VD, and contour integration tasks were correlated with negative symptom severity but not with other symptom dimensions in the patient group. VSWM and VD performances were also correlated with negative sychizotypal features in healthy controls. CONCLUSION: Taken together, these results demonstrate significant abnormalities in multiple visual processing tasks in patients with psychotic disorders, adding to the literature implicating visual abnormalities in these conditions. Furthermore, our results show that visual processing impairments are associated with the negative symptom dimension in patients as well as healthy individuals.

Simultaneous Preparation of Multiple Polymer Brushes under Ambient Conditions using Microliter Volumes.

The fabrication of well-defined, multifunctional polymer brushes under ambient conditions is described. This facile method uses light-mediated, metal-free atom-transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) to grow polymer brushes with only microliter volumes required. Key to the success of this strategy is the dual action of N-phenylphenothiazine (PTH) as both an oxygen scavenger and polymerization catalyst. Use of simple glass cover slips results in a high degree of spatial and temporal control and allows for multiple polymer brushes to be grown simultaneously. The preparation of arbitrary 3D patterns and functional/emissive polymer brushes demonstrates the practicality and versatility of this novel strategy.

Endo and Exo Diels-Alder Adducts: Temperature-Tunable Building Blocks for Selective Chemical Functionalization.

The development and application of a novel endo furan-protected maleimide building block is reported. The endo isomer undergoes deprotection at temperatures ∼50 °C below the exo derivative. This enables a simple and powerful approach to quantitatively and selectively introduce functional maleimide groups via temperature modulation.

Neural Mechanisms Underlying Time Perception and Reward Anticipation.

Findings suggest that the physiological mechanisms involved in the reward anticipation and time perception partially overlap. But the systematic investigation of a potential interaction between time and reward systems using neuroimaging is lacking. Eighteen healthy volunteers (all right-handed) participated in an event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiment that employs a visual paradigm that consists monetary reward to assess whether the functional neural representations of time perception and reward prospection are shared or distinct. Subjects performed a time perception task in which observers had to extrapolate the velocity of an occluded moving object in "reward" vs. "no-reward" sessions during fMRI scanning. There were also "control condition" trials in which participants judged about the color tone change of the stimuli. Time perception showed a fronto-parietal (more extensive in the right) cingulate and peristriate cortical as well as cerebellar activity. On the other hand, reward anticipation activated anterior insular cortex, nucleus accumbens, caudate nucleus, thalamus, cerebellum, postcentral gyrus, and peristriate cortex. Interaction between the time perception and the reward prospect showed dorsolateral, orbitofrontal, medial prefrontal and caudate nucleus activity. Our findings suggest that a prefrontal-striatal circuit might integrate reward and timing systems of the brain.

One-Pot Synthesis of ABCDE Multiblock Copolymers with Hydrophobic, Hydrophilic, and Semi-Fluorinated Segments.

The scope and accessibility of sequence-controlled multiblock copolymers is demonstrated by direct "in situ" polymerization of hydrophobic, hydrophilic and fluorinated monomers. Key to the success of this strategy is the ability to synthesize ABCDE, EDCBA and EDCBABCDE sequences with high monomer conversions (>98 %) through iterative monomer additions, yielding excellent block purity and low overall molar mass dispersities (Ð<1.16). Small-angle X-ray scattering showed that certain sequences can form well-ordered mesostructures. This synthetic approach constitutes a simple and versatile platform for expanding the availability of tailored polymeric materials from readily available monomers.

Evaluation of carotid intima-media thickness with vascular endothelial growth factor and malondialdehyde levels in patients with sarcoidosis.

PURPOSE: To assess the impact of sarcoidosis on endothelial function by measuring carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and serum levels of malondialdehyde and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We prospectively analyzed 41 patients with sarcoidosis (9 men, 32 women) with a mean age of 44.9±10.2 (SD) years and 34 healthy subjects (9 men, 24 women) with a mean age of 37.26±8.9 (SD) years who served as a control group. Sarcoidosis patients receiving steroids were included in Group 1 while those not under steroid treatment were included in Group 2. CIMT measurements were performed using B-mode ultrasound. Malondialdehyde and VEGF serum levels were obtained in all sarcoidosis patients and control subjects. RESULTS: Both right and left CIMT was significantly higher in Group 1 and Group 2 than in control subjects. Serum levels of malondialdehyde and VEGF in Group 1 and Group 2 were significantly higher than in healthy subjects. No differences in CIMT, malondialdehyde and VEGF were found between Group 1 and Group 2. CONCLUSION: Sarcoidosis results in increased CIMT, VEGF and malondialdehyde serum levels. However, there was no difference in terms of CIMT, VEGF and malondialdehyde levels between sarcoidosis patients with or without steroid treatment, suggesting that new treatment strategies for sarcoidosis vascular involvement should consider this result.