The cross-domain functional organization of posterior lateral temporal cortex: insights from ALE meta-analyses of 7 cognitive domains spanning 12,000 participants.

The posterior lateral temporal cortex is implicated in many verbal, nonverbal, and social cognitive domains and processes. Yet without directly comparing these disparate domains, the region's organization remains unclear; do distinct processes engage discrete subregions, or could different domains engage shared neural correlates and processes? Here, using activation likelihood estimation meta-analyses, the bilateral posterior lateral temporal cortex subregions engaged in 7 domains were directly compared. These domains comprised semantics, semantic control, phonology, biological motion, face processing, theory of mind, and representation of tools. Although phonology and biological motion were predominantly associated with distinct regions, other domains implicated overlapping areas, perhaps due to shared underlying processes. Theory of mind recruited regions implicated in semantic representation, tools engaged semantic control areas, and faces engaged subregions for biological motion and theory of mind. This cross-domain approach provides insight into how posterior lateral temporal cortex is organized and why.

Neurochemical and functional interactions for improved perceptual decisions through training.

Learning and experience are known to improve our ability to make perceptual decisions. Yet, our understanding of the brain mechanisms that support improved perceptual decisions through training remains limited. Here, we test the neurochemical and functional interactions that support learning for perceptual decisions in the context of an orientation identification task. Using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), we measure neurotransmitters (i.e., glutamate, GABA) that are known to be involved in visual processing and learning in sensory [early visual cortex (EV)] and decision-related [dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC)] brain regions. Using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI), we test for functional interactions between these regions that relate to decision processes. We demonstrate that training improves perceptual judgments (i.e., orientation identification), as indicated by faster rates of evidence accumulation after training. These learning-dependent changes in decision processes relate to lower EV glutamate levels and EV-DLPFC connectivity, suggesting that glutamatergic excitation and functional interactions between visual and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex facilitate perceptual decisions. Further, anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in EV impairs learning, suggesting a direct link between visual cortex excitation and perceptual decisions. Our findings advance our understanding of the role of learning in perceptual decision making, suggesting that glutamatergic excitation for efficient sensory processing and functional interactions between sensory and decision-related regions support improved perceptual decisions.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Combining multimodal brain imaging [magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), functional connectivity] with interventions [transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)], we demonstrate that glutamatergic excitation and functional interactions between sensory (visual) and decision-related (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) areas support our ability to optimize perceptual decisions through training.

CLIC-01: Manufacture and distribution of non-cryopreserved CAR-T cells for patients with CD19 positive hematologic malignancies.

Access to commercial CD19 CAR-T cells remains limited even in wealthy countries like Canada due to clinical, logistical, and financial barriers related to centrally manufactured products. We created a non-commercial academic platform for end-to-end manufacturing of CAR-T cells within Canada's publicly funded healthcare system. We report initial results from a single-arm, open-label study to determine the safety and efficacy of in-house manufactured CD19 CAR-T cells (entitled CLIC-1901) in participants with relapsed/refractory CD19 positive hematologic malignancies. Using a GMP compliant semi-automated, closed process on the Miltenyi Prodigy, T cells were transduced with lentiviral vector bearing a 4-1BB anti-CD19 CAR transgene and expanded. Participants underwent lymphodepletion with fludarabine and cyclophosphamide, followed by infusion of non-cryopreserved CAR-T cells. Thirty participants with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (n=25) or acute lymphoblastic leukemia (n=5) were infused with CLIC-1901: 21 males (70%), median age 66 (range 18-75). Time from enrollment to CLIC-1901 infusion was a median of 20 days (range 15-48). The median CLIC-1901 dose infused was 2.3 × 106 CAR-T cells/kg (range 0.13-3.6 × 106/kg). Toxicity included ≥ grade 3 cytokine release syndrome (n=2) and neurotoxicity (n=1). Median follow-up was 6.5 months. Overall response rate at day 28 was 76.7%. Median progression-free and overall survival was 6 months (95%CI 3-not estimable) and 11 months (95% 6.6-not estimable), respectively. This is the first trial of in-house manufactured CAR-T cells in Canada and demonstrates that administering fresh CLIC-1901 product is fast, safe, and efficacious. Our experience may provide helpful guidance for other jurisdictions seeking to create feasible and sustainable CAR-T cell programs in research-oriented yet resource-constrained settings. Clinical trial registration: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03765177, identifier NCT03765177.

Multiple dimensions underlying the functional organization of the language network.

Understanding the different neural networks that support human language is an ongoing challenge for cognitive neuroscience. Which divisions are capable of distinguishing the functional significance of regions across the language network? A key separation between semantic cognition and phonological processing was highlighted in early meta-analyses, yet these seminal works did not formally test this proposition. Moreover, organization by domain is not the only possibility. Regions may be organized by the type of process performed, as in the separation between representation and control processes proposed within the Controlled Semantic Cognition framework. The importance of these factors was assessed in a series of activation likelihood estimation meta-analyses that investigated which regions of the language network are consistently recruited for semantic and phonological domains, and for representation and control processes. Whilst semantic and phonological processing consistently recruit many overlapping regions, they can be dissociated (by differential involvement of bilateral anterior temporal lobes, precentral gyrus and superior temporal gyri) only when using both formal analysis methods and sufficient data. Both semantic and phonological regions are further dissociable into control and representation regions, highlighting this as an additional, distinct dimension on which the language network is functionally organized. Furthermore, some of these control regions overlap with multiple-demand network regions critical for control beyond the language domain, suggesting the relative level of domain-specificity is also informative. Multiple, distinct dimensions are critical to understand the role of language regions. Here we present a proposal as to the core principles underpinning the functional organization of the language network.

Classification of main meal patterns--a latent class approach.

Relatively little examination of the meals that are prepared in households has been conducted, despite their well-defined properties and widespread community interest in their preparation. The purpose of the present study was to identify the patterns of main meal preparation among Australian adult household meal preparers aged 44 years and younger and 45 years and over, and the relationships between these patterns and likely socio-demographic and psychological predictors. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted by Meat and Livestock Australia among a representative sample of people aged 18­65 years in Australia in 2011. A total of 1076 usable questionnaires were obtained, which included categorical information about the main meal dishes that participants had prepared during the previous 6 months along with demographic information, the presence or absence of children at home, confidence in seasonal food knowledge and personal values. Latent class analysis was applied and four types of usage patterns of thirty-three popular dishes were identified for both age groups, namely, high variety, moderate variety, high protein but low beef and low variety. The meal patterns were associated differentially with the covariates between the age groups. For example, younger women were more likely to prepare a high or moderate variety of meals than younger men, while younger people who had higher levels of education were more likely to prepare high-protein but low-beef meals. Moreover, young respondents with higher BMI were less likely to prepare meals with high protein but low beef content. Among the older age group, married people were more likely to prepare a high or moderate variety of meals than people without partners. Older people who held strong universalist values were more likely to prepare a wide variety of meals with high protein but low beef content. For both age groups, people who had children living at home and those with better seasonal food knowledge were more likely to prepare a high variety of dishes. The identification of classes of meal users would enable health communication to be tailored to improve meal patterns. Moreover, the concept of meals may be useful for health promotion, because people may find it easier to change their consumption of meals rather than individual foods.