Distinct Sets Research Articles

‘Unbecoming’ a Professional: The Role of Memory during Field Transitions in Japan and the USA

AbstractExisting scholarship documents how, in becoming a professional, such as a partner in a professional services firm (PSF), one's habitus comes into alignment with field expectations. Less understood, however, is what happens to habitus and, relatedly, to professionals' accumulated cultural, social, and economic capitals, as individuals ‘unbecome’ a professional and transition away from the field. We examine this overlooked phenomenon via individual and focus group interviews with partners retired from PSFs in Japan and the USA. We find that, in unbecoming a professional, aspects of ex‐partners' habitus may be misaligned with the field they operate in, prompting a hysteresis effect. The lack of fit of habitus with one's current circumstances is induced by ex‐partners' nostalgia regarding accumulated capitals, that is, wistful memories capable of structuring present and future actions. By demonstrating how nostalgia informs ex‐partners' experience of the hysteresis effect, this paper contributes to understandings of the importance of memory when detaching from one's profession. Furthermore, given that our investigation is carried out across two distinct cultural settings, we also theorize how country‐specific historical work arrangements may condition memory in professionals' unbecoming from PSFs.

Nationwide Survey of Vector-Borne Diseases in Rodents and Mites in Korea: Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, and Rickettsia.

Rodents are reservoirs for zoonotic pathogens, making it essential to study both rodents and their ectoparasites. In 2022 and 2023, we investigated the spatial distribution of rodents and their mites across Korea, focusing on three vector-borne diseases (VBDs): Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, and Rickettsia. A total of 835 wild rodents were collected from 16 locations, each consisting of five distinct environmental settings (mountains, waterways, reservoirs, fields, and paddy fields), with 20 traps per setting, totaling 100 Sherman live folding traps per site. Each rodent was identified using a taxonomic key, and post-mortem examinations led to the collection of 7971 mites (498 pools), followed by PCR analysis. Among the rodents, Anaplasma phagocytophilum was detected in 10.3%, Ehrlichia muris in 0.5%, Ehrlichia ruminantium in 0.2%, and Rickettsia raoultii in 2.9%. In mites, A. phagocytophilum was found in 8.8%, E. muris in 0.2%, R. raoultii in 0.2%, R. endosymbiont in 1.6%, and R. australis in 1.2%. This study marks the first detection of E. muris and R. raoultii in Korean rodents and the first global discovery of E. ruminantium in rodents. The detection of multiple pathogens in mites worldwide highlights the importance of continuous VBD monitoring to mitigate public health risks.

Synergistic Role of Amino Acids in Enhancing mTOR Activation Through Lysosome Positioning.

Lysosome positioning, or lysosome cellular distribution, is critical for lysosomal functions in response to both extracellular and intracellular cues. Amino acids, as essential nutrients, have been shown to promote lysosome movement toward the cell periphery. Peripheral lysosomes are involved in processes such as lysosomal exocytosis, cell migration, and metabolic signaling-functions that are particularly important for cancer cell motility and growth. However, the specific types of amino acids that regulate lysosome positioning, their underlying mechanisms, and their connection to amino acid-regulated metabolic signaling remain poorly understood. In this study, we developed a high-content imaging system for unbiased, quantitative analysis of lysosome positioning. We examined the 15 amino acids present in cell culture media and found that 10 promoted lysosome redistribution toward the cell periphery to varying extents, with aromatic amino acids showing the strongest effect. This redistribution was mediated by promoting outward transport through SLC38A9-BORC-kinesin 1/3 axis and simultaneously reducing inward transport via inhibiting the recruitment of Rab7 and JIP4 onto lysosomes. When examining the effects of amino acids on mTOR activation-a central regulator of cell metabolism-we found that the amino acids most strongly promoting lysosome dispersal, such as phenylalanine, did not activate mTOR on their own. However, combining phenylalanine with arginine, which activates mTOR without affecting lysosome positioning, synergistically enhanced mTOR activity. This synergy was lost when lysosomes failed to localize to the cell periphery, as observed in kinesin 1/3 knockout (KO) cells. Furthermore, breast cancer cells exhibited heightened sensitivity to phenylalanine-induced lysosome dispersal compared to noncancerous breast cells. Inhibition of LAT1, the amino acid transporter responsible for phenylalanine uptake, reduced peripheral lysosomes and impaired cancer cell migration and proliferation, highlighting the importance of lysosome positioning in these coordinated cellular activities. In summary, amino acid-regulated lysosome positioning and mTOR signaling depend on distinct sets of amino acids. Combining lysosome-dispersing amino acids with mTOR-activating amino acids synergistically enhances mTOR activation, which may be particularly relevant in cancer cells.

The influence of major faults and fractures on the development of non-matrix porosity system in a pre-salt carbonate reservoir, Santos Basin – Brazil

Faults and fractures are central for characterizing the permeability distribution in carbonate reservoirs since they act as pathways for diagenetic fluids that often favor intense rock dissolution and permeability. Usually, high permeability zones and fractures are not easily recognized in seismic data due to limited resolution and they are often associated with higher concentrations of hydrocarbons or even significant fluid losses during drilling, thus creating a challenge for hydrocarbon exploration. In the Santos Basin, southeast Brazil, the pre-salt carbonate reservoirs from the Barra Velha Formation (BVE) are the main hydrocarbon producers in Brazilian Atlantic margin and well-known for being extremely heterogeneous, exhibiting complex dual-porosity systems. In this study, we built a conceptual model of these fracture zones and non-matrix porosity formation that helped narrowing the understanding of these complex systems. The characterization of faults and fractures was carried out using seismic, well-logs, and borehole image data to understand the influence of these structures in the porosity formation along the Barra Velha Formation. In the study area, three fault sets were defined (F1, F2, and F3) from seismic data. F1 represents to the larger faults, while the F3 fault set represents the smaller faults related to the reactivation of F1; both sets being oriented NE-SW. The F2 fault set is associated with the rift formation and is oriented to NNE-SSW. These three fault sets compartmentalized the studied area into different domains, each exhibiting distinct fracture sets. The natural open fractures were formed during the reactivation of rift faults and are oriented mainly NW, NNE-NNW, NE, and ENE and were identified across the entire study area, but with different intensity values. The fracture intensity closely relates to the distance from major faults where the wells with the highest fracture intensity occurs located 150–590 m from the larger F1 fault set. Scan-lines were conducted throughout the area to determine the fault width, and an average value of 1.2 km was established. Seven non-matrix porosity classes were characterized and classified into stratigraphically concordant and discordant non-matrix pore types at well scale through borehole image interpretation. The Barra Velha Formation exhibit higher occurrence of stratigraphically discordant non-matrix porosity related to fractured zones while stratigraphically concordant non-matrix porosity is mainly controlled by the paleotopography of the study area. Overall, non-matrix porosity formation tends to follow an orientation that suggests a preferential dissolution flow towards NE and ENE directions. Intervals with higher silica content shows a positive correlation with both fracture intensity and stratigraphically discordant non-matrix porosities. This work provides a conceptual model about the fractures and non-matrix porosity distribution in pre-salt carbonate rocks that can help address some of associated structural and stratigraphic uncertainties during field appraisal and development.

An archive-assisted multi-modal multi-objective evolutionary algorithm

The multi-modal multi-objective optimization problems (MMOPs) pertain to characteristic of the decision space that exhibit multiple sets of Pareto optimal solutions that are either identical or similar. The resolution of these problems necessitates the utilization of optimization algorithms to locate multiple Pareto sets (PSs). However, existing multi-modal multi-objective evolutionary algorithms (MMOEAs) encounter difficulties in concurrently enhancing solution quality in both decision space and objective space. In order to deal with this predicament, this paper presents an Archive-assisted Multi-modal Multi-objective Evolutionary Algorithm, called A-MMOEA. This algorithm maintains a main population and an external archive, which is leveraged to improve the fault tolerance of individual screening. To augment the quality of solutions in the archive, an archive evolution mechanism (AEM) is formulated for updating the archive and an archive output mechanism (AOM) is used to output the final solutions. Both mechanisms incorporate a comprehensive crowding distance metric that employs objective space crowding distance to facilitate the calculation of decision space crowding distance. Besides, a data screening method is employed in the AOM to alleviate the negative impact on the final results arising from undesirable individuals resulting from diversity search. Finally, in order to enable individuals to effectively escape the limitation of niches and further enhance diversity of population, a diversity search method with level-based evolution mechanism (DSMLBEM) is proposed. The proposed algorithm’s performance is evaluated through extensive experiments conducted on two distinct test sets. Final results indicate that, in comparison to other commonly used algorithms, this approach exhibits favorable performance.

Cassiterite and zircon U-Pb ages and compositions from ore-bearing and barren granites in Thailand: Constraints on the formation of tin deposits in Southeast Asia

The Southeast Asian Tin Province comprises western, central, and eastern belts and hosts significant granite-related Sn deposits. The genetic links between granites and Sn mineralization are still unclear. Most Sn deposits are in Thailand’s western and central belts, but their origin remains poorly elucidated due to the absence of direct dating of mineralization. Herein in-situ U-Pb age data of wolframite and cassiterite grains from nine representative Sn deposits in Thailand are obtained, which fall into two stages. Triassic deposits (224–210 Ma) are found in the Central belt, with Cretaceous deposits (78–67 Ma) in the Central belt being younger than those in the Western belt (84–74 Ma). However, ore-bearing granites, spanning two periods (227–205 Ma and 85–69 Ma), occur in central and western belts. Some Triassic ore-bearing granites exhibit significantly older ages than ore-forming ages. Newly identified ore-forming granites contain zircon grains with relatively low εHf(t) values (−29.5 to + 4.1; average = − 11.8), indicative of an origin from supracrustal sediments from the Sibumasu block. In contrast, barren granites have ages from 303–224 Ma and higher zircon εHf(t) values (−9.9 to + 13.2; average = +1.2), which suggests that they were derived from the juvenile mafic crust. Even after experiencing hydrothermal fluids exsolution, some low-fractionated ore-forming granites (D.I. < 90) still maintain remarkably high tin contents. Both ore-forming and barren granites crystallized under reducing conditions. Our study highlights the importance of Sn-rich sources of parental magmas in forming Sn deposits. The metasediment-rich basement of the Sibumasu block distributing along the continental margin is likely the Sn-rich source. These sources played a crucial role in forming two stages of tin deposits in distinct tectonic settings, that are syn-collisional crustal thickening in Paleo-Tethys and post-collisional extension-related settings in Neo-Tethys.

Addressing the second victim phenomenon among community pharmacists and its impact on clinical pharmacy practice: a consensus study.

The second victim phenomenon, denoting the harmful effects of patient safety incidents on healthcare practitioners, remains insufficiently examined within the pharmacy workforce. This study aimed to investigate the second victim phenomenon in community pharmacies, focusing on its triggers, impacts on pharmacists' well-being, and effects on pharmaceutical care and safety. This consensus study with the Nominal Group Technique involved 27 community pharmacists in three equal groups. The final ranks of the statements scored by participants from 5 to 1 were recalculated using the Van Breda method, combining three distinct data sets with higher values for a higher impact on the output evaluated. Statistics were applied to ascertain event distribution and investigate the potential relationships between event categories and outcomes for patients and pharmacists. "Patient-centric anxiety" (6.8) was the top mental health issue, followed by "Personal responsibility and resilience" and "Future concerns and career aspirations" (6.0 each). The dominant support was "Colleague/Peer support" (5.3). The most frequent patient safety incidents were "Inadequate pharmaceutical service" (8.0) and "Wrong drug dispensed" (7.8). Most errors (63%) were dispensing failures, primarily wrong drug dispensed (44.4%). Of these, 50% were near misses, 25.0% caused no harm, and 16.7% had serious consequences. Field notes suggest contributing factors like inadequate supervision, crowding, and storage issues. This study revealed the second victim phenomenon among pharmacists, which potentially stems from breaches in practice standards. The impact on the quality and safety of pharmaceutical care and its influence on pharmacists' well-being should be studied in further studies.

Tunable Coassembly of Octaarginine with Thiazolyl Benzenesulfonamides Exerts Variable Antibacterial Activity.

The cationic peptide octaarginine (R8) is a prominent cell-penetrating peptide and has been extensively researched as a carrier of diverse cell-destined cargo. In this work, we describe the coassembly of R8 with small molecule thiazolyl benzenesulfonamide (TBS) derivatives. Physical complexation of R8 with three TBS derivatives across a range of weight ratios results in the formation of a distinctive set of nano- and microstructures. A detailed structural characterization of the R8:TBS-derivative coassemblies has been performed by a combination of FTIR, XRD, SEM, and DSC. The major functional groups that facilitate coassembly include sulfonamide SO2 and NH groups of the TBS derivatives, and the guanidinium of R8, via a combination of cation-π and hydrogen-bonding interactions. The R8:4F-TBS coassembly displays singular topological features compared to R8:4Br-TBS and R8:4CH3-TBS complexes. These differences are attributed to the changes in the preferred orientation of the guanidino groups of R8 with respect to the π-surface of TBS derivatives. The modulation of forces of interaction across the R8:TBS-derivative coassemblies aligns with their respective thermal stabilities. The single-crystal structure of bare 4F-TBS has been subjected to Hirshfeld and 2D fingerprinting analysis and indicates notable variations from the crystal packing of the R8:4F-TBS coassembly. The structural differences among the R8:TBS-derivative coassemblies correlate with distinctive profiles of antibacterial activity in each case. The coassembled structures exert a variable extent of bacterial membrane disruption and damage based on the unique disposition of R8 and the potency of small molecule in each case. The aqueous suspension of R8:4F-TBS displays significant outer membrane disruption and bacterial killing compared with the other complexes. This work successfully demonstrates the hitherto unreported potential for coassembly of cell-penetrating peptides with other entities. The coassembly of R8 with small molecules highlights an attractive strategy for tuning the functional properties of each component.

Seasonal influence on miRNA expression dynamics of extracellular vesicles in equine follicular fluid.

Ovarian follicular fluid (FF) is a dynamic environment that changes with the seasons, affecting follicle development, ovulation, and oocyte quality. Cells in the follicles release tiny particles called extracellular vesicles (EVs) containing vital regulatory molecules, such as microRNAs (miRNAs). These miRNAs are pivotal in facilitating communication within the follicles through diverse signaling and information transfer forms. EV-coupled miRNA signaling is implicated to be associated with ovarian function, follicle and oocyte growth and response to various environmental insults. Herein, we investigated how seasonal variations directly influence the ovulatory and anovulatory states of ovarian follicles and how are they associated with follicular fluid EV-coupled miRNA dynamics in horses. Ultrasonographic monitoring and follicular fluid aspiration of preovulatory follicles in horses during the anovulatory (spring: non-breeding) and ovulatory (spring, summer, and fall: breeding) seasons and subsequent EV isolation and miRNA profiling identified significant variation in EV-miRNA cargo content. We identified 97 miRNAs with differential expression among the groups and specific clusters of miRNAs involved in the spring transition (miR-149, -200b, -206, -221, -328, and -615) and peak breeding period (including miR-143, -192, -451, -302b, -100, and let-7c). Bioinformatic analyses showed enrichments in various biological functions, e.g., transcription factor activity, transcription and transcription regulation, nucleic acid binding, sequence-specific DNA binding, p53 signaling, and post-translational modifications. Cluster analyses revealed distinct sets of significantly up- and down-regulated miRNAs associated with spring anovulatory (Cluster 1) and summer ovulation-the peak breeding season (Clusters 4 and 6). The findings from the current study shed light on the dynamics of FF-EV-coupled miRNAs in relation to equine ovulatory and anovulatory seasons, and their roles in understanding the mechanisms involved in seasonal shifts and ovulation during the breeding season warrant further investigation.

Critical Impact of Working Distance on OCT Imaging: Correction of Optical Distortion and Its Effects on Measuring Retinal Curvature.

To assess the impact of working distance (WD) on optical distortion in optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging and to evaluate the effectiveness of optical distortion correction in achieving consistent retinal Bruch's membrane (BM) layer curvature, regardless of variations in WD. Ten subjects underwent OCT imaging with four serial macular volume scans, each employing distinct WD settings adjusted by balancing the sample and reference arm of the OCT interferometer (eye length settings changed). Either of two types of 30° standard objectives (SOs) was used. A ray tracing model was used to correct optical distortion, and BM layer curvature (represented as the second derivative of the curve) was measured. Linear mixed effects (LME) modeling was used to analyze factors associated with BM layer curvature, both before and after distortion correction. WD exhibited significant associations with axial length (β = -1.35, P < 0.001), SO type (P < 0.001), and eye length settings (P < 0.001). After optical distortion correction, the mean ± SD BM layer curvature significantly increased from 16.80 ± 10.08µm-1 to 49.31 ± 7.50µm-1 (P < 0.001). The LME model showed a significant positive association between BM layer curvature and WD (β = 1.94, P < 0.001). After distortion correction, the percentage change in BM layer curvature due to a 1-mm WD alteration decreased from 9.75% to 0.25%. Correcting optical distortion in OCT imaging significantly mitigates the influence of WD on BM layer curvature, enabling a more accurate analysis of posterior eye morphology, especially when variations in WD are unavoidable.

What Socrates Learned From Parmenides. Part 1. Parmenides’ Gymnasia and Socrates’ Intellectual Virtues

This is the first of two studies in which I examine Plato’s account of Parmenides’ contribution to Socrates’ education. This account suggests, I argue, that Socrates became a virtuoso of the elenchos and the embodiment of fundamental intellectual virtues thanks to the gymnasia depicted in the Parmenides. I show how Parmenides’ eightfold routine is not a method of philosophical investigation strictly speaking; rather, it is a skill-building exercise that relies on memory and whose virtue is partly defensive. My demonstration is based on three sets of distinctions required to do justice to the preparatory character of Parmenides’ gymnasia. The first differentiates three types of intellectual virtues, the second two kinds of training methods, and the third, three telic modes.

The Effect of Emotional Labour on Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment among Ayurveda Physicians in Sri Lanka

Similar to other medical specialities, Ayurvedic physicians have a distinct set of duties and responsibilities, with patient interaction playing a big role. In interpersonal interactions with patients, Ayurvedic physicians need to control their emotions. Emotional labour (EL) is the term used to describe the extreme patience and emotional control required to provide effective patient care. Previous researchers have not given adequate attention to studying the effect of EL on-job satisfaction (JS) and organizational commitment (OC), of Ayurvedic physicians. This research attempts to explore the effect of EL on JS and thereby OC, particularly among Ayurveda physicians in Sri Lanka. Primary data was gathered using multistage sampling from 331 Ayurvedic physicians in Sri Lanka for a structured questionnaire. The Partial Least Squires Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM) was utilized to analyse the data, with the support of SmartPLS software. The results revealed that EL has a positive influence on OC while EL positively affects JS. The results further confirmed that JS has a positive effect on OC. Finally, the findings demonstrated that JS plays a partially mediating function in the connection between EL and OC. These findings help the advancement of existing knowledge by providing empirical evidence in the context of Ayurvedic physicians in Sri Lanka. Healthcare administrators and policymakers should pay attention to improving emotional labour, job happiness, and organizational commitment of Ayurvedic physicians to enhance patient care efficiency.

Association of RDoC dimensions with post-mortem brain transcriptional profiles in Alzheimer's Disease.

Neuropsychiatric symptoms are common in people with Alzheimer's disease (AD) across all severity stages. Their heterogeneous presentation and variable temporal association with cognitive decline suggest shared and distinct biological mechanisms. We hypothesized that specific patterns of gene expression associate with distinct NIMH Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) domains in AD. Post-mortem bulk RNAseq on the insula and anterior cingulate cortex from 60 brain donors representing the spectrum of canonical AD neuropathology combined with natural language processing approaches based on the RDoC Clinical Domains. Distinct sets of >100 genes (p FDR <0.05) were specifically associated with at least one clinical domain (Cognitive, Social, Negative, Positive, Arousal). In addition, dysregulation of immune response pathways was shared across domains and brain regions. Our findings provide evidence for distinct transcriptional profiles associated with RDoC domains suggesting that each dimension is characterized by specific sets of genes providing insight into the underlying mechanisms.

Genomic and transcriptomic profiling of pre- and postneoadjuvant chemotherapy triple negative breast cancer tumors.

Our understanding of neoadjuvant treatment with microtubule inhibitors (MTIs) for triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains limited. To advance our understanding of the role of breast cancer driver genes' mutational status with pathological complete response (pCR; ypT0/isypN0) prediction and to identify distinct gene sets for MTIs like eribulin and paclitaxel, we carried out targeted genomic (n = 50) and whole transcriptomic profiling (n = 64) of TNBC tumor samples from the Japan Breast Cancer Research Group 22 (JBCRG-22) clinical trial. Lower PIK3CA, PTEN, and HRAS mutations were found in homologous recombination deficiency (HRD)-high (HRD score ≥ 42) tumors with higher pCR rates. When HRD-high tumors were stratified by tumor BRCA mutation status, the pCR rates in BRCA2-mutated tumors were higher (83% vs. 36%). Transcriptomic profiling of TP53-positive tumors identified downregulation of FGFR2 (false discovery rate p value = 2.07e-7), which was also the only common gene between HRD-high and -low tumors with pCR/quasi-pCR treated with paclitaxel and eribulin combined with carboplatin, respectively. Differential enrichment analysis of the HRD-high group posttreatment tumors revealed significant correlation (p = 0.006) of the glycan degradation pathway. FGFR2 expression and the differentially enriched pathways play a role in the response and resistance to MTIs containing carboplatin treatment in TNBC patients.

Antenatal Risk of Coarctation for Newborns at Hartford Hospital (ARCH) Pathway: A Predictor of Postnatal Management Strategy.

The diagnosis of coarctation of the aorta (CoA) prior to birth can be challenging due to the physiologic changes during postnatal transition. Prenatal risk stratification can standardize postnatal management and improve outcome. CT Children's Fetal Cardiology created the Antenatal Risk of CoA in Hartford (ARCH) clinical pathway defining four distinct postnatal order sets based on degree of suspicion for ductal dependency on fetal evaluation: low, low-moderate, moderate-high, and high risk. This study aims to evaluate safety and efficacy of the ARCH pathway in neonates with suspected CoA. This study was a single-center, retrospective chart review evaluating maternal-infant dyads with findings concerning for CoA between July 2004 and July 2021, before and after ARCH pathway implementation. Neonates were evaluated for the presence or absence of critical CoA and postnatal clinical data were collected. Statistical analysis was performed using chi square and Fisher's exact test. There were 108 maternal-infant dyads studied, comprising 53 non-pathway patients and 55 ARCH pathway participants. Thirty-three neonates had critical CoA, comprising 23 non-pathway and 10 ARCH pathway subjects.Patients categorized in the high-risk group were highly associated with critical CoA (P = 0.003). Non-pathway neonates with CoA demonstrated higher likelihood of hospital transfer compared to ARCH pathway neonates (56.5% vs. 10.0%, P = 0.021).NICU admission, prostaglandin administration, and intubation were not significantly different between before and after ARCH implementation (P < 0.05). More echocardiograms were performed in ARCH pathway neonates without CoA than their non-pathway counterparts (1.586 vs. 2.133, P = 0.049). The ARCH pathway is a safe, reliable prenatal risk stratification system to help guide management of patients with critical CoA. These results identify effective targets of modification to the pathway to reduce resource utilization without compromising safety.

Determinants of livelihood diversification in an integrated agricultural and non-agricultural livelihood system in Ghana

The diversification of livelihoods by households has been widely acknowledged as a way to overcome food insecurity and poverty challenges in developing countries. Diversification of livelihoods helps spread the risk among multiple livelihood earning activities to provide households with a range of their food needs all year round. By examining the integrated livelihood systems of 405 rural farm households in the Upper East Region of Ghana, empirical evidence is provided in this study using the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework to advance arguments in the literature for the creation of sustainable strategies that improve diversified livelihood systems. The mean diversification indices estimated were 0.45 for agricultural diversification systems, 0.32 for non-agricultural diversification systems and 0.59 for integrated agricultural and non-agricultural diversification systems. With the use of the Cragg two-step regression model, we demonstrate that the decision to diversify and the extent of diversification of rural livelihoods are distinct decisions and are influenced by distinct sets of factors. Similarly, for the three categories of livelihood diversification studied, the effect of these factors also differed. The results emphasize the significance of access to good road network, credit and market information in encouraging rural farm households to diversify their livelihoods. In the short term, improving access to credit and market information through community-based initiatives can provide immediate support to rural households. Communities should also organize local markets and cooperatives to strengthen their economic resilience. While government and stakeholders should focus on long-term infrastructure projects, these community actions can complement such efforts and contribute to achieving global and regional goals targeting food insecurity and poverty eradication.

Multiple Brain Activation Patterns for the Same Perceptual Decision-Making Task.

Meaningful variation in internal states that impacts cognition and behavior remains challenging to discover and characterize. Here we leveraged trial-to-trial fluctuations in the brain-wide signal recorded using functional MRI to test if distinct sets of brain regions are activated on different trials when accomplishing the same task. Across three different perceptual decision-making experiments, we estimated the brain activations for each trial. We then clustered the trials based on their similarity using modularity-maximization, a data-driven classification method. In each experiment, we found multiple distinct but stable subtypes of trials, suggesting that the same task can be accomplished in the presence of widely varying brain activation patterns. Surprisingly, in all experiments, one of the subtypes exhibited strong activation in the default mode network, which is typically thought to decrease in activity during tasks that require externally focused attention. The remaining subtypes were characterized by activations in different task-positive areas. The default mode network subtype was characterized by behavioral signatures that were similar to the other subtypes exhibiting activation with task-positive regions. These findings demonstrate that the same perceptual decision-making task is accomplished through multiple brain activation patterns.

Nonprojective Bell-state measurements

The Bell-state measurement (BSM) is the projection of two qubits onto four orthogonal maximally entangled states. Here we first propose how to appropriately define more general BSMs, which have more than four possible outcomes, and then study whether they exist in quantum theory. We observe that nonprojective BSMs can be defined in a systematic way in terms of equiangular tight frames of maximally entangled states, i.e., a set of maximally entangled states, where every pair is equally, and in a sense maximally, distinguishable. We show that there exists a five-outcome BSM through an explicit construction and find that it admits a simple geometric representation. Then we prove that there exists no larger BSM on two qubits by showing that no six-outcome BSM is possible. We also determine the most distinguishable set of six equiangular maximally entangled states and show that it falls only somewhat short of forming a valid quantum measurement. Finally, we study the nonprojective BSM in the contexts of both local state discrimination and entanglement-assisted quantum communication. Our results put forward natural forms of nonprojective joint measurements and provide insight into the geometry of entangled quantum states. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

8805 Nucleostemin is a novel bifunctional transcriptional coregulator of theandrogenreceptorin prostate cancer cells

Abstract Disclosure: E. Cheung: None. C. Zhang: None. Androgen receptor (AR) is a master transcriptional regulator in prostate cancer, interacting with and recruiting distinct sets of coregulator proteins to mediate the expression of direct target genes. What are the coregulators of AR and how they function in AR transcriptional activity and prostate cancer biology are still unclear. Using chromatin-immunoprecipitation coupled with mass spectrometry, we identified a set of AR interacting proteins that are present in multiple prostate cancer cell lines. We provide biochemical, cell-based, and genomic evidence to show that Nucleostemin, also known as Guanine nucleotide-binding protein-like 3, is a novel AR coregulator. Specifically, we demonstrate Nucleostemin has dual coregulator activities, functioning as both a coactivator and a corepressor of AR-dependent transcription to regulate the expression of genes that are involved for prostate cancer progression and immune response. From cellular and animal studies, we found that inhibiting Nucleostemin sensitizes prostate cancer cells to Enzalutamide. Clinical analyses of Nucleostemin from prostate cancer patient cohorts revealed that it is expressed significantly higher in cancer than normal in tissues. Finally, we found Nucleostemin expression is an excellent predictor of disease-free survival. In conclusion, our work suggests that Nucleostemin is a novel AR coregulator and is a promising diagnostic and therapeutic target for prostate cancer treatment. Presentation: 6/2/2024

Vocal usage learning and vocal comprehension learning in harbor seals

BackgroundWhich mammals show vocal learning abilities, e.g., can learn new sounds, or learn to use sounds in new contexts? Vocal usage and comprehension learning are submodules of vocal learning. Specifically, vocal usage learning is the ability to learn to use a vocalization in a new context; vocal comprehension learning is the ability to comprehend a vocalization in a new context. Among mammals, harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) are good candidates to investigate vocal learning. Here, we test whether harbor seals are capable of vocal usage and comprehension learning.ResultsWe trained two harbor seals to (i) switch contexts from a visual to an auditory cue. In particular, the seals first produced two vocalization types in response to two hand signs; they then transitioned to producing these two vocalization types upon the presentation of two distinct sets of playbacks of their own vocalizations. We then (ii) exposed the seals to a combination of trained and novel vocalization stimuli. In a final experiment, (iii) we broadcasted only novel vocalizations of the two vocalization types to test whether seals could generalize from the trained set of stimuli to only novel items of a given vocal category. Both seals learned all tasks and took ≤ 16 sessions to succeed across all experiments. In particular, the seals showed contextual learning through switching the context from former visual to novel auditory cues, vocal matching and generalization. Finally, by responding to the played-back vocalizations with distinct vocalizations, the animals showed vocal comprehension learning.ConclusionsIt has been suggested that harbor seals are vocal learners; however, to date, these observations had not been confirmed in controlled experiments. Here, through three experiments, we could show that harbor seals are capable of both vocal usage and comprehension learning.