Local Matter Research Articles

Greeks and Romans on the Latin American Stage ed. by Rosa Andújar and Konstantinos P. Nikoloustos

Reviewed by: Greeks and Romans on the Latin American Stage ed. by Rosa Andújar and Konstantinos P. Nikoloustos Edmund P. Cueva Greeks and Romans on the Latin American Stage. Edited By Rosa Andújar and Konstantinos P. Nikoloustos. Bloomsbury Studies in Classical Reception. London, UK and New York, NY: Bloomsbury Academic, 2020. Pp. xii + 296. Hardback, £95.00. ISBN: 978-1-350-12561-2. Greeks and Romans on the Latin American Stage is the product of a 2014 international conference held at University College London and sponsored by the Institute of Classical Studies, the Institue for Latin American Studies, the A. G. Leventis Foundation, the Gilbert Murray Trust and the [End Page 488] Hellenic Society and Classical Association. The conference aimed to shift the examination of the reception of classical drama to Latin America, which, although the subject of a handful of scholarly reception studies, continues to be comparatively unknown and a relatively neglected scholarly area. The meeting in London included presentations on works from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Martinique, Mexico and Puerto Rico. In addition to an introduction to the topic, notes, bibliography and index, Rosa Andújar and Konstantinos P. Nikoloutsos supply fourteen essays grouped by geographical area: the Southern Cone of South America, Brazil and the Caribbean and North America. Thirteen of these essays had been delivered at the conference. From the very start, the editors make clear the varied difficulties that scholars face in this area. For example, a vast number of these Latin American texts and their creators are mainly unknown and, indeed, even the term “Latin American” is challenging because it masks “a series of particular problems unique to the region” (1) in which these texts arose and its connection to European colonial and imperial history—the use of this term privileges Europe. Another complicating factor is the paradox that arises from the manifest increase in “Latin American” engagement with European and classical literary models in the 19th century, which is the very time when wars of independence from European powers were being fought. Moreover, in Latin America, the Greek and Roman classics were not part of the “colonial curriculum or experience” (3), as found, for example, in the former British colonies in other parts of the world. In other words, it would be wrong to consider Latin America as being in the same postcolonial mode as it would require “a new framework which would need to account for multiple and varied transmitters of the classical, which crucially include religion as well as encounters with foreign ideas”—this results in having “sub-regional and local histories matter enormously” (3). Additionally, the approaches to classical reception taken in this book differ because, in Spanish-speaking Latin America, colonial classics tend to be overwhelmingly Latin and taught and transmitted by such religious orders as the Jesuits and Franciscans. In Brazil, which the Portuguese had colonized, there is no real break in the transmittal of classical culture because the Portuguese royal court had only moved to Brazil in the 19th century, and any university education that took place among Brazilians before that transference involved studying in European universities. Lastly, regarding the Graeco-Roman classics and the Caribbean, the challenge of a unified approach is even more daunting. As the editors note, there “have been recent attempts to conceptualize the Caribbean as a single region, [End Page 489] but when it comes to classical reception, we must still rely on a fragmented view of this intensely diverse region: it matters by whom you were colonized, as classical receptions in Cuba have far more in common with other countries formerly colonized by Spain than its immediate neighbor Jamaica” (5). Due to the space limitations, I cannot review each of the fourteen essays. However, it must be said that the quality of all of the essays is quite good, but as often happens in volumes of collected essays, some essays are better than others. Konstantinos P. Nikoloutsos’ “From Epic to Tragedy: The Theatre and Politics in Juan Cruz Varela’s Dido” is the first essay in Part I, the Southern Cone. Nikoloutsos explores the historical circumstances and cultural...

Seasonal and Longitudinal Variations in Suspended Load Connectivity Between River Channels and Their Margins

AbstractInput of organic matter into stream channels is the primary energy source for headwater ecosystems and ultimately carbon to the oceans and hence is an important component of the global carbon cycle. Here, we quantify organic‐rich fine sediment mobilization, transport, and storage in a Strahler fourth‐order stream during individual intermediate‐sized storm events. By combining measurements of fallout radionuclides (FRNs) 7Be and 210Pb and stable water isotopes with a conceptual model of suspended load trapping by channel margins, we find that the channel bed was consistently a source of suspended load to the channel margins. Relative to storage on the channel margins, suspended load export increased through the spring and summer, perhaps related to the in‐channel decomposition of organic debris as indicated by its FRN exposure age and changing bulk δ13C composition. Trapping of suspended load by riparian margins limits sediment transport distances, which, given sufficient discharge to fully suspend the load, is nearly independent of stream discharge for sub‐bankfull discharges. Limited data indicate that the fractional size of the channel margins where trapping occurs decreases with increasing watershed area. Increasing transport length and decreasing fractional margin area with increasing watershed area results in a systematic downstream decoupling of the channel from local terrestrial organic matter exchange. These findings provide a framework for understanding suspended load dynamics in formerly glaciated regions where sediment production and fluxes are generally low and thus the annual input of organic debris is a major component of suspended load budget.

Influence of sex, season and environmental air quality on experimental human pneumococcal carriage acquisition: a retrospective cohort analysis.

Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is the most commonly identified bacterial cause of pneumonia and the leading infectious cause of death in children under 5 years of age worldwide. Pneumococcal disease follows a seasonal pattern with increased incidence during winter. Pneumonia burden is also associated with poor air quality. Nasopharyngeal carriage of the bacterium is a pre-requisite of invasive disease.We aimed to determine if susceptibility to nasopharyngeal pneumococcal carriage varied by season and which environmental factors might explain such variation. We also evaluated the influence of sex on susceptibility of carriage. We collated data from five studies in which human volunteers underwent intranasal pneumococcal challenge. Generalised linear mixed-effects models were used to identify factors associated with altered risk of carriage acquisition, specifically climate and air-quality data.During 2011–2017, 374 healthy adults were challenged with type 6B pneumococcus. Odds of carriage were significantly lower in males (OR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.40–0.92; p=0.02), and higher with cooler temperatures (OR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.63–0.99; p=0.04). Likelihood of carriage was also associated with lower concentrations of local fine particulate matter concentrations (PM2.5) and increased local rainfall.In contrast to epidemiological series, experimental challenge allowed us to test propensity to acquisition during controlled exposures; immunological explanations for sex and climatic differences should be sought.

Simple traversable wormholes violating energy conditions only near the Planck scale

We present a static and axisymmetric traversable wormhole spacetime with vanishing Arnowitt-Deser-Misner (ADM) mass which is characterized by a length parameter l and a deformation parameter a and reduces to the massless Kerr vacuum wormhole as l → 0. The spacetime is analytic everywhere and regularizes a ring-like conical singularity of the massless Kerr wormhole by virtue of a localized exotic matter which violates the standard energy conditions only near the wormhole throat. In the spherically symmetric case (a = 0), the areal radius of the wormhole throat is exactly l and all the standard energy conditions are respected outside the proper radial distance approximately 1.60l from the throat. While the curvature at the throat is beyond the Planck scale if l is identical to the Planck length l p, our wormhole may be a semi-classical model for l ≃ 10l p. With l = 10l p, the total amount of the negative energy supporting this wormhole is only E ≃ −26.5m p c 2, which is the rest mass energy of about −5.77 × 10−4 g. It is shown that the geodesic behavior on the equatorial plane does not qualitatively change by the localization of an exotic matter.

Housing loan default in Malaysia: an analytical insight and policy implications

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the drivers of default in the Malaysian housing market in the light of various policy interventions by the country’s central bank, and the government’s expressed concern to ensure balanced growth in the market. This paper assesses the importance of considering the endogeneity of loan-to-value (LTV) in predicting housing loan default and its implications.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, the author addresses the endogeneity problem in the LTV variable using two instrumental variables (IV) in this probit regression: national residential property gains tax and the statutory reserve ratio of Bank Negara Malaysia. This study uses the instrumental variable probit model to consider endogeneity bias. This study assumes a latent (unobservable) variable (Y*), representing a borrower’s tendency to default, which is associated linearly with the borrower’s and loan characteristics and other variables (Xi). This study uses individual borrower-level information of 43,156 housing loan borrowers from the files of a well-established housing bank in Malaysia.FindingsThis study’s results confirm that endogeneity causes a substantial difference in the magnitude of the estimated effects of LTV on the default tendency. At the lower values of LTV, the probability of default is over-estimated, and at the higher values, the default probability is substantially underestimated. Endogeneity bias also affects the estimated coefficients of loan and borrower characteristics. The authors find that the interest rate is less relevant in predicting loan default. Other loan characteristics, such as loan age, tenure, payment amount and the built-up area, are relevant. This study’s result confirms that the borrower’s location matters, and an increase in state gross domestic product per capita and an increase in the supply of residential units reduce default probability.Research limitations/implicationsThe present study did not explore the applicability of the “equity theory of default” in the Malaysian housing market. This study did not assess “strategic default” issues and the effect of borrowers’ characteristics, personality traits and self-control of Malaysian housing loan borrowers in the mortgage decision-making process. The evolving dynamics of the Malaysian housing market microstructure in property valuation remained unexplored in the present study.Practical implicationsThe findings have crucial relevance in the decision-making process of commercial banks, the central bank and the government to frame policies to foster balanced growth and development in the housing market. The authors argue that striking a subtle balance between the concerns of financial stability and productive risk-taking by commercial banks in Malaysia remains a continuing challenge for the country’s central bank. The authors also argue that designing suitable taxation policies by the government can deliver its cherished goal of balanced development in the housing market.Originality/valueEmpirical research on the Malaysian housing market based on micro-level data is scarce due to a paucity of relevant data. This study is based on the individual borrower-level information of 43,156 housing loan borrowers from the files of a well-established housing bank in Malaysia. In this analysis, the authors find clear evidence of endogeneity in LTV and argue that any attempts to decipher the default drivers of housing loans without addressing the issue of endogeneity may lead to faulty interpretation. Therefore, this study is unique in recognizing endogeneity and has gone deeper in identifying the default drivers in the Malaysian housing market not addressed by earlier papers.

Study on the Spatial and Temporal Distribution Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Particulate Matter Pollution in Coal Production Cities in China.

In recent years, with the continuous advancement of China’s urbanization process, regional atmospheric environmental problems have become increasingly prominent. We selected 12 cities as study areas to explore the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of atmospheric particulate matter in the region, and analyzed the impact of socioeconomic and natural factors on local particulate matter levels. In terms of time variation, the particulate matter in the study area showed an annual change trend of first rising and then falling, a monthly change trend of “U” shape, and an hourly change trend of double-peak and double-valley distribution. Spatially, the concentration of particulate matter in the central and southern cities of the study area is higher, while the pollution in the western region is lighter. In terms of social economy, PM2.5 showed an “inverted U-shaped” quadratic polynomial relationship with Second Industry and Population Density, while it showed a U-shaped relationship with Generating Capacity and Coal Output. The results of correlation analysis showed that PM2.5 and PM10 were significantly positively correlated with NO2, SO2, CO and air pressure, and significantly negatively correlated with O3 and air temperature. Wind speed was significantly negatively correlated with PM2.5, and significantly positively correlated with PM10. In terms of pollution transmission, the southwest area of Taiyuan City is a high potential pollution source area of fine particles, and the long-distance transport of PM2.5 in Xinjiang from the northwest also has a certain contribution to the pollution of fine particles. This study is helpful for us to understand the characteristics and influencing factors of particulate matter pollution in coal production cities.

Language ideologies, language policies, and shifting regional dialect proficiencies in three Chinese cities

ABSTRACT Governmental language policies in China have varied across recent decades, including the intensive promotion of Mandarin as a language of unification and public championing of regional varieties. Concomitantly, increasing urbanisation, regional migration, and cross-linguistic marriage have led to greater use of Mandarin in private domains. Given the varied status of regional language varieties by city, language ideologies and home practices play an increasingly important role in shaping youth language proficiencies, and maintaining dialect diversity. This paper examines links between parental language ideologies and child language proficiencies in three Chinese cities. The analysis of 167 interviews with young adult children and their parents reveals that parents tend to hold one of four ideological stances: Mandarin-dominant, dialect-dominant, bilingual diglossic, and ‘whatever works’. Furthermore, we find that location matters: families differ by region in their ideologies and support for local varieties. Moreover, parental language ideology predicted children’s current language proficiencies: parents who reported having explicit pro-Mandarin language ideology tended to have young adult children with lower levels of reported skill in the regional dialect. However, the strength of that relationship varies by city. We conclude by considering the implications of these findings for language policy and the promotion of dialect diversity.

Cross-Sectional Investigation of Brain Volume in Dyslexia

The goal of the study was to determine whether dyslexia is associated with differences in local brain volume, and whether these local brain volume differences show cross-sectional age-effects. We investigated the local volume of gray and white brain matter with voxel-based morphometry (VBM) as well as reading performance in three age groups of dyslexic and neurotypical normal reading subjects (children, teenagers and adults). Performance data demonstrate a steady improvement of reading skills in both neurotypical as well as dyslexic readers. However, the pattern of gray matter volumes tell a different story: the children are the only group with significant differences between neurotypical and dyslexic readers in local gray matter brain volume. These differences are localized in brain areas associated with the reading network (angular, middle temporal and inferior temporal gyrus as well as the cerebellum). Yet the comparison of neurotypical and normal readers over the age groups shows that the steady increase in performance in neurotypical readers is accompanied by a steady decrease of gray matter volume, whereas the brain volumes of dyslexic readers do not show this linear correlation between brain volume and performance. This is further evidence that dyslexia is a disorder with a neuroanatomical basis in the form of a lower volume of gray matter in parts of the reading network in early dyslexic readers. The present data point out that network shaping processes in gray matter volume in the reading network does take place over age in dyslexia. Yet this neural foundation does not seem to be sufficient to allow normal reading performances even in adults with dyslexia. Thus dyslexia is a disorder with lifelong consequences, which is why consistent support for affected individuals in their educational and professional careers is of great importance. Longitudinal studies are needed to verify whether this holds as a valid pattern or whether there is evidence of greater interindividual variance in the neuroanatomy of dyslexia.

Easy to interpret coordinate based meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies: Analysis of brain coordinates (ABC)

BackgroundFunctional MRI and voxel-based morphometry are important in neuroscience. They are technically challenging with no globally optimal analysis method, and the multiple approaches have been shown to produce different results. It is useful to be able to meta-analyse results from such studies that tested a similar hypothesis potentially using different analysis methods. The aim is to identify replicable results and infer hypothesis specific effects. Coordinate based meta-analysis (CBMA) offers this, but the multiple algorithms can produce different results, making interpretation conditional on the algorithm. New methodHere a new model based CBMA algorithm, Analysis of Brain Coordinates (ABC), is presented. ABC aims to be simple to understand by avoiding empirical elements where possible and by using a simple to interpret statistical threshold, which relates to the primary aim of detecting replicable effects. ResultsABC is compared to both the most used and the most recently developed CBMA algorithms, by reproducing a published meta-analysis of localised grey matter changes in schizophrenia. There are some differences in results and the type of data that can be analysed, which are related to the algorithm specifics. Comparison to other methodsCompared to other algorithms ABC eliminates empirical elements where possible and uses a simple to interpret statistical threshold. ConclusionsThere may be no optimal way to meta-analyse neuroimaging studies using CBMA. However, by eliminating some empirical elements and relating the statistical threshold directly to the aim of finding replicable effects, ABC makes the impact of the algorithm on any conclusion easier to understand.

Does location matter? Unpacking the dynamic relationship between the spatial context and embeddedness in women’s entrepreneurship

ABSTRACT Responding to calls for research that stresses the importance of embeddedness in entrepreneurship research, this paper examines the relationship between the spatial context and the social embeddedness in shaping and influencing women’s entrepreneurial behaviour. A particular focus is placed on gender norms, through exploring how embeddedness is gendered and that the gender norms of the context in which women entrepreneurs are and were located can constrain and/or enable their entrepreneurial actions. Furthermore, knowledge about different spatial contexts means that women can orient themselves to different gender norms and entrepreneurial behaviours. This study draws on 27 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with Saudi women entrepreneurs operating businesses within or beyond conservative, patriarchal contexts which feature different gender norms (enforced or relaxed). The findings show that when remaining within or moving between contexts, individuals have the potential to embed themselves to very different extents – through processes of over-embedding, reduce-embedding and re-mbedding – reflecting the options available for entrepreneurial action-taking and access to resources.

Matter-wave gap solitons and vortices in three-dimensional parity-time-symmetric optical lattices

SummaryPast decades have witnessed the emergence and increasing expansion of parity-time ()-symmetric systems in diverse physical fields and beyond as they manifest entirely all-real spectra, although being non-Hermitian. Nonlinear waves in low-dimensional -symmetric non-Hermitian systems have recently been explored broadly; however, understanding these systems in higher dimensions remains abstruse and has yet to be revealed. We survey, theoretically and numerically, matter-wave nonlinear gap modes of Bose-Einstein condensates with repulsive interparticle interactions in three-dimensional optical lattices with emphasis on multidimensional gap solitons and vortices. Utilizing direct perturbed simulations, we address the stability and instability areas of both localized modes in the underlying linear band gap spectra. Our study provides deep and consistent understandings of the formation, structural property, and dynamics of coherent localized matter waves supported by optical lattices in multidimensional space, thus opening a way for exploring and stabilizing three-dimensional localized gap modes in non-Hermitian systems

A longer-term view on benthic communities on artificial reefs: it’s all about location

A recommendation of: sylvain blouet, Katell Guizien, lorenzo Bramanti Artificial reefs geographical location matters more than its age and depth for sessile invertebrate colonization in the Gulf of Lion (NorthWestern Mediterranean Sea) https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.10.08.463669

One-Dimensional Matter Waves as a Multi-State Bit

We design a simple technique to control the position of a localized matter wave. Our system is composed of two counter-phased periodic potentials and a third optical lattice, which can be either periodic or disordered. The only control needed on the system is a three-state switch that allows the sudden selection of the desired potential. The method is proposed as a possible new alternative to achieving the realization of a multi-state bit. We show that this framework is robust, and that the multi-state bit behavior can be observed under weak assumptions. Given the current degree of development of matter wave control in optical lattices, we believe that the proposed device would be easily reproducible in a laboratory, allowing for testing and industrial applications.

Inhibitory Control and the Structural Parcelation of the Right Inferior Frontal Gyrus.

The right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) has most strongly, although not exclusively, been associated with response inhibition, not least based on covariations of behavioral performance measures and local gray matter characteristics. However, the white matter microstructure of the rIFG as well as its connectivity has been less in focus, especially when it comes to the consideration of potential subdivisions within this area. The present study reconstructed the structural connections of the three main subregions of the rIFG (i.e., pars opercularis, pars triangularis, and pars orbitalis) using diffusion tensor imaging, and further assessed their associations with behavioral measures of inhibitory control. The results revealed a marked heterogeneity of the three subregions with respect to the pattern and extent of their connections, with the pars orbitalis showing the most widespread inter-regional connectivity, while the pars opercularis showed the lowest number of interconnected regions. When relating behavioral performance measures of a stop signal task to brain structure, the data indicated an association between the dorsal opercular connectivity and the go reaction time and the stopping accuracy.

The impact of local fugitive particulate matter and emission inventories on air quality and health in dry and arid areas

The arid and semi-arid regions are facing a huge brunt of fugitive Particulate Matter (fPM) pollution, usually ascribed to the natural dust generated at the regional level (>100 km). In this study, the contribution of locally generated fPM to air pollution and it's environmental risk were assessed at a typical dry-arid area in the Middle East (i.e., State of Qatar, 200 × 200 km2 domain) with the use of different emission and dispersion models. Four modelling scenarios were constructed to reflect standard practices (e.g., regional emission models and the World Health Organization's (WHO) Environmental Burden of Disease (EBD) method) and higher resolution calculations with emission models that were developed in past field campaigns. Emphasis was given to the effect on the WHO methodology beyond the typical emission estimates and ambient concentration levels. Eventually, the use of higher spatial resolution population and concentration data revealed fPM hot spots yielding up to 11.0 times higher short-term excess mortalities (an average increase of 1.8 times) compared to the baseline WHO methodology, where the whole population was exposed to a single average concentration. A difference that could be attributed to the improvement of the emission estimations for barren lands and traffic. For example, the estimated PM10 emission fluxes from barren lands, within the main metropolitan area, using the improved emissions model ranged from 0.05 to 42.0 μg m−2 s−1, which is considerably higher than the emissions predicted using just the literature models (0.03 to 2.0 μg m−2 s−1). Overall, the barren lands emissions accounted for more than 90% of the fPM emissions during the study period. Consequently, this study is one of the first to quantify the significance of locally induced fPM and highlight the need for dedicated field studies and improved emissions estimation tools.

Flood resilience in paired US–Mexico border cities: a study of binational risk perceptions

Disastrous floods in the twin cities of Nogales, Arizona, USA, and Nogales, Sonora, Mexico (collectively referred to as Ambos Nogales) occur annually in response to monsoonal summer rains. Flood-related hazards include property damage, impairment to sewage systems, sewage discharge, water contamination, erosion, and loss of life. Flood risk, particularly in Nogales, Sonora, is amplified by informal, “squatter” settlements in the watershed floodplain and associated development and infrastructure. The expected increase in precipitation intensity, resulting from climate change, poses further risk to flooding therein. We explore binational community perceptions of flooding, preferences for watershed management, and potential actions to address flooding and increase socio-ecological resilience in Ambos Nogales using standardized questionnaires and interviews to collect data about people and their preferences. We conducted 25 semi-structured interviews with local subject matter experts and gathered survey responses from community members in Ambos Nogales. Though survey response was limited, expected frequencies were high enough to conduct Chi-squared tests of independence to test for statistically significant relationships between survey variables. Results showed that respondents with previous experience with flooding corresponded with their level of concern about future floods. Additionally, respondents perceived greater flood-related risks from traveling across town and damage to vehicles than from inundation or damages to their homes or neighborhoods. Binationally, women respondents felt less prepared for future floods than men. On both sides of the border, community members and local experts agreed that Ambos Nogales lacks adequate preparation for future floods. To increase preparedness, they recommended flood risk education and awareness campaigns, implementation of green infrastructure, additional stormwater infrastructure (such as drainage systems), enhanced flood early warning systems, and reduction of flood flows through regulations to reduce the expansion of hard surfaces. This study contributes systematic collection of information about flood risk perceptions across an international border, including novel data regarding risks related to climate change and gender-based assessments of flood risk. Our finding of commonalities across both border communities, in perceptions of flood risk and in the types of risk reduction solutions recommended by community members, provides clear directions for flood risk education, outreach, and preparedness, as well as measures to enhance cross-border cooperation.

Why am I satisfied? See my reviews – Price and location matter in the restaurant industry

The main purpose of this study is to identify relationships between customers’ service evaluations embedded in online reviews and customer satisfaction and demonstrate the unique role of price and location in the restaurant industry. Approximately 250,000 online reviews of restaurants were analyzed to answer (1) How cognitive and affective evaluations written in a review influence customer satisfaction and (2) How price plays a moderating role in the relationship between text-based service evaluations and customer satisfaction. By incorporating spatial dependency, geographically weighted regression analysis was conducted to identify the pure impact of affective and cognitive evaluations of restaurant services and to develop a sophisticated satisfaction prediction model. This study found the significant impact of cognitive and affective service evaluations on customer satisfaction, which was moderated by price. Moreover, this study highlighted geo-spatial dependency by demonstrating that spatial auto-correlation matters only for restaurants in the lowest ($) and highest ($$$$) price groups.

Biological motion gains preferential access to awareness during continuous flash suppression: Local biological motion matters.

Humans have developed excellent capabilities for the detection of biological motion (BM) that facilitate survival and interpersonal interactions. However, whether and how such capabilities allow BM to access our awareness remain unanswered questions. Therefore, this study aimed to explore these questions across four experiments that relied on the breaking continuous flash suppression paradigm (b-CFS). We found that intact BM, which consists of both global-configuration and local BM information, gained preferential access to awareness compared with inverted BM and non-BM (Experiment 1). Subsequently, we tested two opposing hypotheses regarding factors that modulate the prioritized effect: (a) the global-precedence hypothesis (global configuration plays a major role in BM's preferential access) and (b) the local-precedence hypothesis (local BM information plays a major role in BM's preferential access). The results showed that scrambled BM consisting of only local BM information-but not limited-lifetime BM consisting of global-configuration information and disrupted local BM information-had the same conscious accessibility level as intact BM (Experiment 2). Moreover, scrambled BM-but not limited-lifetime BM-had preferential access to awareness compared with non-BM (Experiment 3). Furthermore, using a reverse-correlation method, we showed that the conscious accessibility of local BM was not governed by a priori body structure (Experiment 4). This study provides substantial evidence that BM gains preferential access to awareness during b-CFS. Moreover, local BM information rather than global configuration plays a major role in conscious accessibility. These findings support the local-precedence hypothesis and suggest that local BM information can serve as a "life detector" in the visual system. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Parcellation-Free prediction of task fMRI activations from dMRI tractography

The relationship between brain structure and function plays a crucial role in cognitive and clinical neuroscience. We present a supervised machine learning based approach that captures this relationship by predicting the spatial extent of activations that are observed with task based functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) from the local white matter connectivity, as reflected in diffusion MRI (dMRI) tractography. In particular, we explore three different feature representations of local connectivity patterns that do not require a pre-defined parcellation of cortical and subcortical structures. Instead, they employ cluster-based Bag of Features, Gaussian Mixture Models, and Fisher vectors. We demonstrate that our framework can be used to test the statistical significance of structure-function relationships, compare it to parcellation-based and group-average benchmarks, and propose an algorithm for visualizing our chosen feature representations that permits a neuroanatomical interpretation of our results.

Cover Image, Volume 36, Issue 1

The cover image is based on the Original Article Location matters: Overlooked ethnic-geographic effect in China and Austria on propofol/cisatracurium sex differences among a population pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PopPK/PD) covariate analysis in men, women, and one transgender subject by Ashraf A. Dahaba et al., https://doi.org/10.1111/fcp.12704.