Neural processing of prototypicality and simplicity of product design in forming design preferences.

The current study investigates the neural correlates when processing prototypicality and simplicity-affecting the preference of product design. Despite its significance, not much is known about how our brain processes these visual qualities of design when forming design preferences. We posit that, although fluency is the perceptual judgment accounting for the positive effects of both prototypicality and simplicity on design preference, the neural substrates for the fluency judgment associated with prototypicality would differ from those associated with simplicity. To investigate these issues, we conducted an fMRI study of preference decisions for actual product designs with different levels of prototypicality and simplicity. The results show a significant functional gradient between the preference processing of simplicity and prototypicality-i.e., involvement of the early ventral stream of visual information processing for simplicity evaluation but recruitment of the late ventral stream and parietal-frontal brain regions for prototypicality evaluation. The interaction between the simplicity and prototypicality evaluations was found in the extrastriate cortex in the right hemisphere. The segregated brain involvements suggest that the fluency judgment for prototypicality and simplicity contribute to preference choice in different levels of cognitive hierarchy in the perceptual mechanism of the design preference.

Real-Time Prediction for Neonatal Endotracheal Intubation Using Multimodal Transformer Network.

Neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) are at risk for respiratory decompensation and may require endotracheal intubation. Delayed intubation is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, particularly in urgent unplanned intubation. By accurately predicting the need for intubation in real-time, additional time can be made available for preparation, thereby increasing the safety margins by avoiding high-risk late intubation. In this study, the probability of intubation in neonatal patients with respiratory problems was predicted using a deep neural network. A multimodal transformer model was developed to simultaneously analyze time-series data (1-3 h of vital signs and Fi[Formula: see text] setting value) and numeric data including initial clinical information. Over a dataset including information of 128 neonatal patients who underwent noninvasive ventilation, the proposed model successfully predicted the need for intubation 3 h in advance (area under the receiver operator characteristic curve = 0.880 ± 0.051, F1-score = 0.864 ± 0.031, sensitivity = 0.886 ± 0.041, specificity = 0.849 ± 0.035, and accuracy = 0.857 ± 0.032). Moreover, the proposed model showed high generalization ability by achieving AUROC 0.890, F1-score 0.893, specificity 0.871, sensitivity 0.745, and accuracy 0.864 with an additional 91 dataset for testing.

Imaging cell lineage with a synthetic digital recording system.

During multicellular development, spatial position and lineage history play powerful roles in controlling cell fate decisions. Using a serine integrase-based recording system, we engineered cells to record lineage information in a format that can be read out in situ. The system, termed integrase-editable memory by engineered mutagenesis with optical in situ readout (intMEMOIR), allowed in situ reconstruction of lineage relationships in cultured mouse cells and flies. intMEMOIR uses an array of independent three-state genetic memory elements that can recombine stochastically and irreversibly, allowing up to 59,049 distinct digital states. It reconstructed lineage trees in stem cells and enabled simultaneous analysis of single-cell clonal history, spatial position, and gene expression in Drosophila brain sections. These results establish a foundation for microscopy-readable lineage recording and analysis in diverse systems.

Fractional exhaled nitric oxide and forced expiratory volume in 1 second/forced vital capacity have predictive value of asthma exacerbation in Korean school children.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of asthma exacerbation (AE) and the predictive value of spirometry and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) in school children have not been evaluated. OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate the efficacy of spirometry measurement and FeNO monitoring for predicting AE in school children in the Cheongju area in Korea. METHODS: With parental agreement, we studied 170 students aged 7-12 years. Children were evaluated by an asthma specialist using baseline spirometry, skin prick test, seasonal FeNO measurement, and asthma control test. The study participants underwent a physical examination and their medical history was also evaluated by the specialist. They were assessed for asthma control status during regular doctor visits for 1 year. RESULTS: In total, 160 children (94.1%) completed follow-up and FeNO monitoring. Of which, 26 children (16.3%) had AE. AE was associated with male children and children with allergic rhinitis (p < 0.05). While, children with AE tended to have higher FeNO than those without AE, no significant difference was found. The maximum value of FeNO ≥35 ppb was associated with AE (p < 0.05). Children with AE had a significantly decreased baseline forced expiratory volume in 1 second/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC), %predicted, forced expiratory flow at 25%-75% of FVC (FEF25%-75%). FEV1/FVC < 80% was associated with AE in children regardless of inhalant allergen sensitization (all p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Baseline spirometry had a predictive value of AE in school children. Sensitive spirometric parameters such as FEV1/FVC and FEF25%-75% can be used as prognostic factors to predict future childhood AE. FeNO value ≥ 35 ppb during monitoring was associated with AE in school children.

Individuality manifests in the dynamic reconfiguration of large-scale brain networks during movie viewing.

Individuality, the uniqueness that distinguishes one person from another, may manifest as diverse rearrangements of functional connectivity during heterogeneous cognitive demands; yet, the neurobiological substrates of individuality, reflected in inter-individual variations of large-scale functional connectivity, have not been fully evidenced. Accordingly, we explored inter-individual variations of functional connectivity dynamics, subnetwork patterns and modular architecture while subjects watched identical video clips designed to induce different arousal levels. How inter-individual variations are manifested in the functional brain networks was examined with respect to four contrasting divisions: edges within the anterior versus posterior part of the brain, edges with versus without corresponding anatomically-defined structural pathways, inter- versus intra-module connections, and rich club edge types. Inter-subject variation in dynamic functional connectivity occurred to a greater degree within edges localized to anterior rather than posterior brain regions, without adhering to structural connectivity, between modules as opposed to within modules, and in weak-tie local edges rather than strong-tie rich-club edges. Arousal level significantly modulates inter-subject variability in functional connectivity, edge patterns, and modularity, and particularly enhances the synchrony of rich-club edges. These results imply that individuality resides in the dynamic reconfiguration of large-scale brain networks in response to a stream of cognitive demands.

Everyday conversation requires cognitive inference: neural bases of comprehending implicated meanings in conversations.

In ordinary conversations, literal meanings of an utterance are often quite different from implicated meanings and the inference about implicated meanings is essentially required for successful comprehension of the speaker's utterances. Inference of finding implicated meanings is based on the listener's assumption that the conversational partner says only relevant matters according to the maxim of relevance in Grice's theory of conversational implicature. To investigate the neural correlates of comprehending implicated meanings under the maxim of relevance, a total of 23 participants underwent an fMRI task with a series of conversational pairs, each consisting of a question and an answer. The experimental paradigm was composed of three conditions: explicit answers, moderately implicit answers, and highly implicit answers. Participants were asked to decide whether the answer to the Yes/No question meant 'Yes' or 'No'. Longer reaction time was required for the highly implicit answers than for the moderately implicit answers without affecting the accuracy. The fMRI results show that the left anterior temporal lobe, left angular gyrus, and left posterior middle temporal gyrus had stronger activation in both moderately and highly implicit conditions than in the explicit condition. Comprehension of highly implicit answers had increased activations in additional regions including the left inferior frontal gyrus, left medial prefrontal cortex, left posterior cingulate cortex and right anterior temporal lobe. The activation results indicate involvement of these regions in the inference process to build coherence between literally irrelevant but pragmatically associated utterances under the maxim of relevance. Especially, the left anterior temporal lobe showed high sensitivity to the level of implicitness and showed increased activation for highly versus moderately implicit conditions, which imply its central role in inference such as semantic integration. The right hemisphere activation, uniquely found in the anterior temporal lobe for highly implicit utterances, suggests its competence for integrating distant concepts in implied utterances under the relevance principle.

Different clinical courses of central precocious girls according to their age at presentation and treatment.

PURPOSE: The progressivity of central precocious puberty (CPP) seems to depend on the age at presentation. We evaluated the clinical courses of CPP girls according to their age at initiation of treatment. METHODS: One hundred thirty five girls with CPP diagnosed between Jan. 2003 and Dec. 2009 and regularly followed for more than one year were included. They were treated with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa) every four weeks. Subjects were divided into two groups based on whether they were treated before (Group I, N=20) or after seven years of age (Group II, N=115). We compared the anthropometric parameters, the predicted adult height (PAH), predicted treatment periods, and the laboratory findings of the two groups every six months. RESULTS: Out of 135 CPP patients, 123 were idiopathic and twelve had neurogenic problems. At the baseline, patients' average bone age (BA) was significantly older than chronologic age (CA) and PAH was significantly shorter than target height (TH). BA and CA were significantly older in group II, but the BA/CA ratio was significantly greater in group I. The average treatment period required to overcome the CA-BA difference was 4.64 yr (group I vs II; 7.98 yr vs 4.24 yr, P < 0.01), and the period needed to overcome PAH-TH difference was 2.49 yr (group I vs II; 4.37 yr vs 2.32 yr, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Among the girls with CPP, the younger age group had more advanced BA than CA, and needed significantly longer treatment periods to overcome the BA-CA gap and PAH-TH gaps.

Tuberculous pericarditis presenting as multiple free floating masses in pericardial effusion.

Pericarditis is a rare manifestation of tuberculosis (Tb) in children. A 14-yr-old Korean boy presented with cardiac tamponade during treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis. He developed worsening anemia and persistent fever in spite of anti-tuberculosis medications. Echocardiography found free floating multiple discoid masses in the pericardial effusion. The masses and exudates were removed by pericardiostomy. The masses were composed of pink, amorphous meshwork of threads admixed with degenerated red blood cells and leukocytes with numerous acid-fast bacilli, which were confirmed as Mycobacterium species by polymerase chain reaction. The persistent fever and anemia were controlled after pericardiostomy. This is the report of a unique manifestation of Tb pericarditis as free floating masses in the effusion with impending tamponade.