Functional Metrics Research Articles

Taxonomic and Functional Diversity of Bees in Traditional Agroecosystems and Tropical Forest Patches on the Yucatan Peninsula

Background and Research Objectives: Habitat matrices of intensive agricultural use are generally inhospitable to native bees in fragmented forests. However, in some tropical regions of the world, agricultural landscapes are dominated by traditional agroecosystems, which harbor high plant diversity and are subject to low-intensity management. These agroecosystems can therefore provide suitable habitats and important floral resources for the bee community. The objective of this study was to compare the taxonomic and functional diversity of bees in traditional agroecosystems and forest patches within an agricultural landscape of the Yucatan Peninsula. Methods: Sampling was conducted in two traditional agroecosystems (homegardens and a rainfed polyculture known as milpa) and forest patches as a control (N= 24 sites in total. Hereafter: habitats), using two complementary sampling techniques: pan traps and a sweep net. Taxonomic and functional diversity metrics were calculated and compared among habitats. Results: The three habitats were generally similar in terms of taxonomic and functional diversity. Differences were only detected among habitats in the inverse of Simpson’s diversity index and number of functional groups (functional entities), with higher values in the agroecosystems than in the forest. Conclusion: Taxonomic and functional diversity was similar in the traditional agroecosystems and forest patches, suggesting that these agroecosystems can provide temporal adequate resources for most bee functional groups and that movement of bees is possible among these habitats. Conservation Implications: Maintenance of low-intensity management practices and high (agro)biodiversity found in traditional agroecosystems is crucial for the conservation of native bees. It is therefore important to incorporate these systems into management strategies at the landscape level. Since traditional agroecosystems and forests have different land tenure systems (government, private, and communal), conservation strategies at this level require the involvement of different sectors of society.

Functional diversity in human song.

Functional diversity-i.e., the diversity of morphophysiological characteristics of species in a biological community-revolutionized ecology in recent decades, shifting the focus of the field from species to ecosystems. While its ecological applications are known, its adaptability to other disciplines, specifically music, is explored here. We retrieved fourteen characteristics of 12,944 songs by the top 100 artists of the 2010s decade on four streaming platforms. Then, we calculated the three main components of functional diversity-richness, evenness, and divergence-to each artist using probabilistic hypervolumes. Furthermore, we investigated to what extent functional diversity and the traits of an artist, its albums and songs has an effect on their popularity across streaming platforms such as Spotify. High functional richness, where an artist's songs differ greatly sonically, correlated with increased listens of up to 244,300,000. This would lead to estimated profit earnings exceeding $1,000,000 per richness gain. Danceable, highly-energetic, melodic, pop, and, notably, melancholic songs, albums, and artists are more listened to than their counterparts in streaming services. We captured how patterns in human song might reflects the social state of human societies in recent years and demonstrate the potential of applying functional diversity concepts and tools across scientific and economic domains, extending its relevance beyond ecology. By demonstrating applications of state-of-the-art functional diversity metrics using music as a case study, we intent to communicate the often-complex concepts of functional diversity using the familiar realm of music, which is an intrinsic trait of human cultures across the globe.

Impact of TearCare on Reading Speed in Patients with Dry Eye Disease.

To evaluate the impact of TearCare (TC) treatment on clinical, quality of life, and functional visual outcome metrics in patients with dry eye disease (DED) and meibomian gland disease (MGD). This is a prospective, single-center clinical trial. Adults with MGD and a DED diagnosis and tear break-up time (TBUT) <10seconds were included. All subjects had at least 20/40 vision and no surgery or new treatment for DED within 60 days prior to enrollment. All patients had one baseline visit prior to undergoing TC and one follow-up visit 1 month after TC. At each visit, the meibomian gland secretion score (MGSS), TBUT, and corneal fluorescein staining (KFL) were assessed. DED symptoms were evaluated using the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire, Visual Function Questionnaire 25 (VFQ-25), and the Fatigue Severity Scale. Reading speed was determined through the International Reading Speed Texts (IReST), Minnesota Low Vision Reading Test (MNREAD), and Wilkins Rate of Reading Test (WRRT). Thirty-two subjects were included. The average age was 55.9 years. Sixteen (52%) participants had a clinically significant improvement in reading speed after treatment with TC, defined as >10 words per minute increase in their IReST score. Improvement on the IReST and the MNREAD reached statistical significance (p = 0.012 and p = 0.028, respectively). OSDI scores significantly decreased and VFQ-25 scores significantly increased after TC treatment (p < 0.001). All of the clinical exam parameters showed statistically significant improvements after treatment (p < 0.001). TC is an effective treatment both clinically and with respect to visual function. Patients who had TC exhibited improvements in quality of life and improved reading speed after a single treatment. This treatment should be frequently considered and utilized to reduce the disease burden of DED related to MGD.

Diskontinuum Gornje Neretve: gradienti taksonomske in funkcionalne raznolikosti bentoških nevretenčarjev v divji balkanski reki

Free-flowing rivers are highly valuable to understand the taxonomic and functional community structure of organisms that inhabit fluvial ecosystems. We investigated patterns of macroinvertebrate community composition and food web structure using stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N), including potential environmental drivers, over a free-flowing river continuum in the upper course of the Neretva River in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Results showed a high taxonomic diversity, a high percentage of EPT taxa (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera), and a slightly heterotrophic ecosystem (average allochthonous assimilation = 54%). The taxonomic composition differed prominently between a tributary located upstream and the mainstem. However, we also found notable species turnover between the upper (headwater and midsection) reaches and the downstream reaches of the mainstem. Macroinvertebrate abundance and the percentage of EPT peaked downstream while midsection reaches showed the highest taxonomic richness and diversity and allochthonous assimilation. Most of the functional metrics (maximum and average trophic position and isotopic richness and evenness) showed pronounced discontinuities in their spatial patterns, which did not follow the predictions of the River Continuum Concept. These results highlight the uniqueness of this section of the Neretva, where natural discontinuities structure macroinvertebrate communities in ways and by mechanisms not captured by smooth ecological concepts.

Multi-view robust regression for feature extraction

Recently, Multi-view Discriminant Analysis (MVDA) has been proposed and achieves good performance in multi-view recognition tasks. However, as an extension of LDA, this method still suffers from the small-class problem and has the sensitivity to outliers. In order to address these drawbacks and achieve better performance on multi-view recognition tasks, we proposed Multi-view Robust Regression (MVRR) for multi-view feature extraction. MVRR is a regression based method that imposes L2,1 norm as the metric of the loss function and the regularization term to improve robustness and obtain jointly sparse projection matrices for effective feature extraction. Moreover, we incorporate an orthogonal matrix to regress the extracted features to their scaled label to avoid the small-class problem. Therefore, MVRR guarantees the projection matrix to break through the restriction of the number of class for solving the small-class problem. We also propose an iterative algorithm to compute the optimal solution of MVRR and the convergence of MVRR is proved. Experiments are conducted on four databases to verify the performance of MVRR and the result illustrates that MVRR is robust on multi-view feature extraction.

Noninvasive Quantification of Contractile Dynamics in Cardiac Cells, Spheroids, and Organs-on-a-Chip Using High-Frequency Ultrasound.

Cell-based models that mimic in vivo heart physiology are poised to make significant advances in cardiac disease modeling and drug discovery. In these systems, cardiomyocyte (CM) contractility is an important functional metric, but current measurement methods are inaccurate and low-throughput or require complex setups. To address this need, we developed a standalone noninvasive, label-free ultrasound technique operating at 40-200 MHz to measure the contractile kinetics of cardiac models, ranging from single adult CMs to 3D microtissue constructs in standard cell culture formats. The high temporal resolution of 1000 fps resolved the beat profile of single mouse CMs paced at up to 9 Hz, revealing limitations of lower speed optical based measurements to resolve beat kinetics or characterize aberrant beats. Coupling of ultrasound with traction force microscopy enabled the measurement of the CM longitudinal modulus and facile estimation of adult mouse CM contractile forces of 2.34 ± 1.40 μN, comparable to more complex measurement techniques. Similarly, the beat rate, rhythm, and drug responses of CM spheroid and microtissue models were measured, including in configurations without optical access. In conclusion, ultrasound can be used for the rapid characterization of CM contractile function in a wide range of commonly studied configurations ranging from single cells to 3D tissue constructs using standard well plates and custom microdevices, with applications in cardiac drug discovery and cardiotoxicity evaluation.

Cold compared with room temperature compress on the repaired primiparous perineum following injury at normal vaginal delivery: a randomized controlled trial

The perineum is typically injured at the first vaginal birth. The application of a cold compress to the perineal repair site can reduce pain; however, the effect usually dissipates after a couple of hours. Repeated applications may be needed for sustained analgesia. However, the medium-term effect of repeated applications of cold compress on the perineal repair site on the recovery of sexual function and perineal healing is not known. This study aimed to evaluate repeated applications of cold vs room temperature (placebo control) compress to the repaired primiparous perineum on pain upon movement. A randomized controlled trial was conducted in a university hospital in Malaysia from May 2022 to February 2023. A total of 224 women with a repaired episiotomy or spontaneous second-degree tear sustained at normal delivery were randomized as follows: 113 to frozen gel pack and 111 to room temperature gel pack, as wound compress. The compress was applied to the perineal repair site at 3 timepoints: immediately after repair, and at 4 and 8 hours after delivery, for 20 minutes at each application. The primary outcomes were pain during movement at 12 and 24 hours after delivery, scored using the 0 to 10 numerical rating scale. The secondary outcomes include duration of hospital stay; analgesic consumption; recovery and functional metrics of reestablishing flatus, mobilization, and urination, breastfeeding; maternal satisfaction with the allocated compress; and after hospital discharge for up to 6 weeks after birth through telephone interview, analgesic consumption, perineal pain, resumption of vaginal sex, and women's perception of perineal wound healing. The median (interquartile range) of pain at movement scores were 4 (4-5) vs 5 (4-5) (P=.018) at 12 hours and 2 (1-3) vs 2 (2-3) (P=.173) at 24 hours after birth for cold vs room temperature compress, respectively. Maternal satisfaction scores were 8 (7-9) vs 7 (6-8) (P=.119), oral analgesic for perineal pain while at the postnatal ward was taken by 94 of 113 (83.2%) vs 85 of 109 (78.0%) (relative risk, 1.07; 95% confidence interval, 0.94-1.21), and time to the first satisfactory breastfeeding episode was 11.6 (7.9-15.5) vs 13.0 (8.0-20.7) hours (P=.303) for cold vs room temperature compress, respectively. At 2 weeks telephone follow-up, analgesic intake and perineal pain were not different. At 6 weeks, analgesic intake, perineal pain, resumption of vaginal sex, exclusive breastfeeding, and maternal perception of perineal healing were not different. Intermittent cold compress in the first 8 hours to the repaired perineum reduces pain at 12 hours but the effect attenuates by 24 hours. Maternal satisfaction with their allocated compress was not different. There was no suggestion of harm or benefit on the other secondary outcomes.

Revitalisasi Sistem ATS: Integrasi Smart Relay dan Teknologi Otomatisasi Suhu.

This research delves into the intricacies of an Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) system anchored on the Zelio SR2A101BD smart relay. The exploration primarily centers on the functionality and performance metrics of the system's components, notably the PZEM-004T sensor for electrical data acquisition and the DS18B20 for temperature sensing. Through meticulous experimentation and testing, the research underscores the system's capability to seamlessly transition between primary (PLN) and secondary (PLTS) power sources during interruptions or failures. Utilizing the Zelio Soft 2 software as an analytical tool, the research gauges the system's efficiency and responsiveness. Noteworthy findings highlight an average transition time of 4.39 seconds from PLN to PLTS and 1.06 seconds in the opposite direction. This research culminates in affirming the ATS system's reliability and its potential as a pivotal component in modern electrical infrastructures.

Restoration of metabolic functional metrics from label-free, two-photon human tissue images using multiscale deep-learning-based denoising algorithms.

Label-free, two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) imaging captures morphological and functional metabolic tissue changes and enables enhanced understanding of numerous diseases. However, noise and other artifacts present in these images severely complicate the extraction of biologically useful information. We aim to employ deep neural architectures in the synthesis of a multiscale denoising algorithm optimized for restoring metrics of metabolic activity from low-signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), TPEF images. TPEF images of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (phosphate) (NAD(P)H) and flavoproteins (FAD) from freshly excised human cervical tissues are used to assess the impact of various denoising models, preprocessing methods, and data on metrics of image quality and the recovery of six metrics of metabolic function from the images relative to ground truth images. Optimized recovery of the redox ratio and mitochondrial organization is achieved using a novel algorithm based on deep denoising in the wavelet transform domain. This algorithm also leads to significant improvements in peak-SNR (PSNR) and structural similarity index measure (SSIM) for all images. Interestingly, other models yield even higher PSNR and SSIM improvements, but they are not optimal for recovery of metabolic function metrics. Denoising algorithms can recover diagnostically useful information from low SNR label-free TPEF images and will be useful for the clinical translation of such imaging.

Spironolactone improves left atrial function and atrioventricular coupling in patients with resistant hypertension.

To determine the blood pressure independent effects of spironolactone on left atrial (LA) size and function in patients with resistant hypertension (RHTN). Patients with RHTN (n = 36, mean age 55 ± 7) were prospectively recruited. Spironolactone was initiated at 25mg/day and increased to 50mg/day after 4 weeks. Other antihypertensives were withdrawn to maintain constant blood pressure. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging was performed at baseline and after 6 months of spironolactone treatment and changes in LA functional metrics were assessed. LA size and function parameters were improved (p < 0.05) from baseline to month-6: LA volumes indexed to body surface area (LAVI) were reduced (LAVImaximum 41.4±12 vs. 33.2±9.7 mL/m2; LAVIpre-A 32.6±9.8 vs. 25.6±8.1 mL/m2; median LAVIminimum 18.5 [13.9-24.8] vs. 14.1 [10.9-19.2] mL/m2); left atrioventricular coupling index was reduced (28.2±11.5 vs. 22.7±9.2%); LA emptying fractions (LAEF) were increased (median total LAEF 52.4 [48.7-60.3] vs. 55.9 [50.3-61.1] %; active LAEF 40.2±8.6 vs. 43.1±7.8%). LA global longitudinal strain in the active phase was increased (16.3±4.1 vs. 17.8±4.2%). The effect of spironolactone was similar in patients with high (N = 18) and normal (N = 18) aldosterone status (defined by plasma renin activity and 24-h urine aldosterone). Treatment of RHTN with spironolactone is associated with improvements in LA size and function, and atrioventricular coupling, regardless of whether aldosterone levels were normal or high at baseline. This study suggests the need for larger prospective studies examining effects of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists on atrial function and atrioventricular coupling.

Autism Spectrum Disorder Detection by Hybrid Convolutional Recurrent Neural Networks from Structural and Resting State Functional MRI Images.

This study aims to increase the accuracy of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis based on cognitive and behavioral phenotypes through multiple neuroimaging modalities. We apply machine learning (ML) algorithms to classify ASD patients and healthy control (HC) participants using structural magnetic resonance imaging (s-MRI) together with resting state functional MRI (rs-f-MRI and f-MRI) data from the large multisite data repository ABIDE (autism brain imaging data exchange) and identify important brain connectivity features. The 2D f-MRI images were converted into 3D s-MRI images, and datasets were preprocessed using the Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) atlas. The data were then denoised to remove any confounding factors. We show, by using three fusion strategies such as early fusion, late fusion, and cross fusion, that, in this implementation, hybrid convolutional recurrent neural networks achieve better performance in comparison to either convolutional neural networks (CNNs) or recurrent neural networks (RNNs). The proposed model classifies subjects as autistic or not according to how functional and anatomical connectivity metrics provide an overall diagnosis based on the autism diagnostic observation schedule (ADOS) standard. Our hybrid network achieved an accuracy of 96% by fusing s-MRI and f-MRI together, which outperforms the methods used in previous studies.

The role of seedbanks and hyporheic refuges in supporting benthic invertebrate community resistance and resilience to dry phases

In intermittent streams, aquatic organisms use various strategies to face dry phases, but the relative contribution of these strategies to persist during dry phase remains unclear. Here, we investigated the in situ persistence of benthic invertebrates in the saturated hyporheic sediments and the “invertebrate seedbank” that persists in dry sediments across six Mediterranean intermittent streams. Taxonomic and functional responses within hyporheic and seedbank assemblages were compared with those in the benthic assemblages under connected flow conditions by combining field and mesocosms data. The dry phase duration in each stream was calculated to assess the responses of hyporheic and seedbank assemblages. Taxonomic composition and abundance-weighted traits related to resistance and resilience to face the dry phase in each assemblage type (benthic, hyporheic, seedbank) were determined. Taxonomic (richness and diversity) and functional (richness and dispersion) metrics were also calculated. We found that seedbank and hyporheic assemblages supported up to 16% and 40% of the benthic taxa, respectively. Only taxonomic and functional richness differed between assemblage types. Contrary to previous research, no clear relationship was established between diversity or the abundance of resistance traits and the duration of dry phase; however, a negative linear relationship was identified between the abundance of resilience traits and the duration of the dry phase. The increase in the frequency and duration of drying events due to climate change will reduce water availability in both saturated and unsaturated streambed sediments, compromising the persistence of aquatic biodiversity in intermittent streams.

Multidimensional trait variability in a widespread, Paleoarctic macrophyte: functional, spectral and genetic drivers

Understanding how environmental conditions and plant functional variation are mutually related is critical to improving our comprehension of plant adaptations. In this context, our knowledge of the interlinks between plant functional, spectral and genetic traits and environmental filters is still very limited, especially for wetland species. To gain new insights on this topic, a multidimensional dataset, centred on the widespread macrophyte species Nuphar lutea, was assembled by collecting data on functional traits (including spectral traits), genetic metrics and environmental determinants from 28 plots spanning north‐central Italy. A strong environmental filter acts on all traits (morphological, biochemical, spectral and the genetic diversity metrics) resulting in significant local control over trait patterns, exemplified by the discrimination value of water electrical conductivity. This is further reinforced by the key contribution of sediment variables in explaining traits variation. Site‐specific environmental conditions were reflected in different patterns of genetic diversity, suggesting a long‐term effect of environmental filters on genotypes as well. High water conductivity – in our study sites indicative of long‐term hydrogeological settings – is linked to more acquisitive behaviour in N. lutea and a progressive reduction in its genetic diversity, while high nutrients availability in sediments promotes higher leaf traits performance. This study better explores how high variability in leaf traits reinforces current genetic and mechanistic knowledge about competitive strategies in the key aquatic plant N. lutea, by testing the effectiveness of a novel integrative approach to assess multiple sources of plant functional variation.

Distance from main arteries influences microstructural and functional brain tissue characteristics

Given the substantial dependence of neurons on continuous supply of energy, the distribution of major cerebral arteries opens a question whether the distance from the main supply arteries constitutes a modulating factor for the microstructural and functional properties of brain tissue. To tackle this question, multimodal MRI acquisitions of 102 healthy volunteers over the full adult age span were utilised. Relaxation along a fictitious field in the rotating frame of rank n = 4 (RAFF4), adiabatic T1ρ, T2ρ, and intracellular volume fraction (fICVF) derived from diffusion-weighted imaging were implemented to quantify microstructural (cellularity, myelin density, iron concentration) tissue characteristics and degree centrality and fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations to probe for functional metrics. Inverse correlation of arterial distance with robust homogeneity was detected for T1ρ, T2ρ and RAFF4 for cortical grey matter and white matter, showing substantial complex microstructural differences between brain tissue close and farther from main arterial trunks. Albeit with wider variability, functional metrics pointed to increased connectivity and neuronal activity in areas farther from main arteries. Surprisingly, multiple of these microstructural and functional distance-based gradients diminished with higher age, pointing to uniformization of brain tissue with ageing. All in all, this pilot study provides a novel insight on brain regionalisation based on artery distance, which merits further investigation to validate its biological underpinnings.

Elevation filters bat, rodent and shrew communities differently by morphological traits

AbstractAimMountains are geographic features that provide sharp elevational gradients which can accommodate a diversity of terrestrial flora and fauna. In the face of climate change, many of these species are being pushed higher to escape ever‐increasing temperatures. Despite this, we have little understanding of how species distribute themselves across mountains. African mountains in particular are less studied than mountains elsewhere and the small mammal groups that inhabit them are also poorly studied when compared to other groups. In this study, we examined the responses of three functionally distinct small mammal taxonomic groups to changes in elevation across Africa.LocationAfrica.MethodsWe calculated four functional diversity metrics for 166, 97 and 153 communities of rodents, bats and shrews comprising 225, 183 and 109 species, respectively. We employed RLQ and fourth‐corner analyses to identify any associations between the functional traits of the small mammals and elevation and other climatic variables.ResultsWe show that the species richness of the three taxa responded differently to increases in elevation, with only rodents showing a mid‐elevational hump. The composition of rodent and bat communities differed significantly in upland versus lowland sites, but bat communities showed far more overlap across the elevational gradient. Functional diversity metrics responded differently for each taxon highlighting the importance of using different taxonomic groups when studying elevational patterns of functional diversity.Main ConclusionsOur study shows that functional divergence increases with elevation in all three taxa, indicating a pervasive and broadly applicable strong environmental filtering at higher elevations. Our findings suggest that species at higher elevations may be at higher risk due to specialization. These species are losing habitat due to ongoing climate change that will force them up the elevational gradient. At the same time, the human population in Africa is predicted to triple in size by the year 2100, which will also likely contribute to further habitat loss and fragmentation. As small mammals often play essential roles in ecosystems, from seed dispersal to soil aeration and predation, understanding the susceptibility of the specialization of species at higher elevations is crucial for the effective conservation and management of mountain ecosystems, especially in light of climatic change and human expansion.

The relative importance of salinization in lowland stream zooplankton: Implications of the ecosystem nutrient status

Salinization of aquatic systems is predicted to increase due to climate and land use changes. Nevertheless, community responses may be different according to the ecosystem characteristics and contextual scenarios. Small flowing waters are particularly vulnerable to salinization, which may impact on the biodiversity and ecosystem processes, but this remains unclear. We conducted a study in 42 lowland streams characterized by overall high nutrient levels along a salinity gradient between 2 and 160 g L−1 to analyze changes in zooplankton structural and functional metrics, and the grazing effects of zooplankton on phytoplankton affecting the energy transfer. Generalized additive models revealed that the analyzed metrics were relatively influenced by salinity, with factors related to trophic conditions playing an important role as well. Total abundance and biomass decreased along the salinity gradient while increasing at intermediate soluble reactive phosphorous concentrations (SRP) in the former and with a linear increase in the SRP in the latter case. Taxonomic richness decreased with salinity and dissolved inorganic nitrogen, with species replacement toward saline-tolerant ones according to the compositional and optimums analyses. In opposite, functional richness did not display any specific trend within the environmental gradients. This explains why zooplankton compositional changes were not reflected into shifts in the grazing pattern on phytoplankton, which was in turn driven by SRP and dissolved oxygen concentrations. Further research is a critical requirement in these poorly studied ecosystems for planning mitigation actions to the co-occurrence of eutrophication and salinization in a fast changing world.

Selectively predicting the onset of ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder, and conduct disorder in early adolescence with high accuracy.

The externalizing disorders of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and conduct disorder (CD) are common in adolescence and are strong predictors of adult psychopathology. While treatable, substantial diagnostic overlap complicates intervention planning. Understanding which factors predict the onset of each disorder and disambiguating their different predictors is of substantial translational interest. We analyzed 5,777 multimodal candidate predictors from children aged 9-10 years and their parents in the ABCD cohort to predict the future onset of ADHD, ODD, and CD at 2-year follow-up. We used deep learning optimized with an innovative AI algorithm to jointly optimize model training, perform automated feature selection, and construct individual-level predictions of illness onset and all prevailing cases at 11-12 years and examined relative predictive performance when candidate predictors were restricted to only neural metrics. Multimodal models achieved ~86-97% accuracy, 0.919-0.996 AUROC, and ~82-97% precision and recall in testing in held-out, unseen data. In neural-only models, predictive performance dropped substantially but nonetheless achieved accuracy and AUROC of ~80%. Parent aggressive and externalizing traits uniquely differentiated the onset of ODD, while structural MRI metrics in the limbic system were specific to CD. Psychosocial measures of sleep disorders, parent mental health and behavioral traits, and school performance proved valuable across all disorders. In neural-only models, structural and functional MRI metrics in subcortical regions and cortical-subcortical connectivity were emphasized. Overall, we identified a strong correlation between accuracy and final predictor importance. Deep learning optimized with AI can generate highly accurate individual-level predictions of the onset of early adolescent externalizing disorders using multimodal features. While externalizing disorders are frequently co-morbid in adolescents, certain predictors were specific to the onset of ODD or CD vs. ADHD. To our knowledge, this is the first machine learning study to predict the onset of all three major adolescent externalizing disorders with the same design and participant cohort to enable direct comparisons, analyze >200 multimodal features, and include many types of neuroimaging metrics. Future study to test our observations in external validation data will help further test the generalizability of these findings.

Effect on Kidney Function Recovery Guiding Decongestion with VExUS in Patients with Cardiorenal Syndrome 1: A Randomized Control Trial

Plain Language SummaryDuring cardiorenal syndrome type 1 (CRS1), congestion is a major contributor to worsening renal function, but promoting decongestion with routine clinical evaluation is ineffective in some patients. The venous evaluation by ultrasound (VExUS) may optimize its management when evaluating for improvement in kidney function and other metrics related to decongestion. In this randomized clinical trial conducted in patients with CRS1, guiding decongestion with VExUS compared to the usual evaluation did not improve kidney function recovery, but decongestion was achieved more effectively.

A multimodal study of the interplay between stress, executive function, and biometrics in game-based assessment

Managing stress is a crucial soft skill that affects cognitive performance and health. Stress detection through biometrics can be used to improve and evaluate stress management. However, measuring the effects of stress on biometrics and executive functions is difficult and dependent on the individual. Despite these challenges, this paper presents a case study that collects a comprehensive multimodal dataset with two stress metrics, four biometric signals, and twenty-two executive function metrics from Game-based Assessment (GBA) trace data specifically designed for this purpose. The experiments suggest that biometrics, especially the heart rate and skin temperature, are effective predictors of stress. Additionally, noteworthy correlations were observed between heart rate and certain executive function variables. The levels of GBA that measured shifting and processing speed showed a higher heart rate than the response inhibition levels. This case study, together with the developed stress detectors, enables the detection of persons who struggle to manage stress and measure their executive function performance under stressful situations.

Heightened OAEs in young adult musicians: Influence of current noise exposure and training recency

Otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) are a non-invasive metric of cochlear function. Studies of OAEs in musicians have yielded mixed results, ranging from evidence of diminished OAEs in musicians—suggesting noise-induced hearing loss—to no difference when compared to non-musicians, or even a trend for stronger OAEs in musicians. The goal of this study was to use a large sample of college students with normal hearing (n = 160) to compare OAE SNRs in musicians and non-musicians and to explore potential effects of training recency and noise exposure on OAEs in these cohorts. The musician cohort included both active musicians (who at the time of enrollment practiced at least weekly) and past musicians (who had at least 6 years of training). All participants completed a questionnaire about recent noise exposure (previous 12 months), and a subset of participants (71 musicians and 15 non-musicians) wore a personal noise dosimeter for one week to obtain a more nuanced and objective measure of exposure to assess how different exposure levels may affect OAEs before the emergence of a clinically significant hearing loss. OAEs were tested using both transient-evoked OAEs (TEOAEs) and distortion-product OAEs (DPOAEs). As predicted from the literature, musicians experienced significantly higher noise levels than non-musicians based on both subjective (self-reported) and objective measures. Yet we found stronger TEOAEs and DPOAEs in musicians compared to non-musicians in the ∼1–5 kHz range. Comparisons between past and active musicians suggest that enhanced cochlear function in young adult musicians does not require active, ongoing musical practice. Although there were no significant relations between OAEs and noise exposure as measured by dosimetry or questionnaire, active musicians had weaker DPOAEs than past musicians when the entire DPOAE frequency range was considered (up to ∼16 kHz), consistent with a subclinical noise-induced hearing loss that only becomes apparent when active musicians are contrasted with a cohort of individuals with comparable training but without the ongoing risks of noise exposure. Our findings suggest, therefore, that separate norms should be developed for musicians for earlier detection of incipient hearing loss. Potential explanations for enhanced cochlear function in musicians include pre-existing (inborn or demographic) differences, training-related enhancements of cochlear function (e.g., upregulation of prestin, stronger efferent feedback mechanisms), or a combination thereof. Further studies are needed to determine if OAE enhancements offer musicians protection against damage caused by noise exposure.