Hub Organization Research Articles

Formation of Competences of Librarian-Bibliographer — Popularizer of Open Science in Vocational Training

There is a lack of attention to the practical implementation by libraries of citizen science projects, science communication and popularization of open science, including outside the academic environment. This situation is due to their relatively recent appearance in the field of researchers’ attention, as well as to the insufficient formation of the necessary competencies among librarians (especially those who graduated before the introduction of competency-based bachelor’s degree programmes).The study aims to address two objectives: 1) identification of specific competences required for a popularizer of open science in a library; 2) development of a structural and functional model of formation of such competences in vocational training.The competences necessary for a librarian-bibliographer — popularizer of open science are proposed. They are related to project and communicative activities, social partnership, support of scientific research, formation and presentation of content, including media content. The methods of mass work are important, as well as the organization of multifunctional library space, its zoning and navigation in order to ensure the comfort of users needed for the organization of citizen science hubs or centers of scientific cooperation. The structural and functional model of formation of such competences in the framework of additional professional education is presented, taking into account the presence of the following factors: previous unsystematized knowledge, skills and abilities based on the librarian’s work experience; theoretical and practical training; application of the acquired knowledge, skills and abilities in practical activities immediately after successful completion of the advanced training course. Such realization is based both on the presence of external motivation of the librarian and on his/her knowledge of open science (most often related to the concept of open access) and principles of its functioning. Interactive forms and technologies are noted, including in the assessment phase, using remote working tools to keep the trainees motivated as well as integrating them into the open science environment. In addition, the specific working conditions of the librarian should be analyzed when selecting tasks — this can be a decisive factor in the personal interest of the learner. The basis for the implementation and testing of this approach is laid in three modules of the advanced training course “Library for Open Science” of the State Public Scientific and Technical Library of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The results of the course show a high degree of development of skills linked to communication and project activities, but further adaptation of the material related to the legal framework is required.

Project ECHO®: a global cross-sectional examination of implementation success

BackgroundOrganizations implement innovations to disrupt the status quo and create value. Within sectors such as healthcare, innovations need to navigate large scale system and organizational factors to succeed. This research explores the implementation of a global innovation– Project ECHO®. Project ECHO® is a validated virtual communities of practice model organizational teams implement to build workforce capacity and capability. Project ECHO® has experienced broad global adoption, particularly within the healthcare sector, and is experiencing growth across other sectors. This study sought to examine the state of implementation success for Project ECHO® globally, to understand how these implementations compare across geographic and sectoral contexts, and understand what enablers/barriers exist for organizational teams implementing the innovation.MethodsAn empirical study was conducted to collect data on 54 Project ECHO® implementation success indicators across an international sample. An online survey questionnaire was developed and distributed to all Project ECHO® hub organizations globally to collect data. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics.ResultsThe 54 implementation success indicators measured in this survey revealed that the adoption of Project ECHO® across 13 organizations varied on a case-by-case basis, with a strong rate of adoption within the healthcare sector. Implementation teams from these organizations successfully implemented Project ECHO® within 12–18 months after completing Immersion partner launch training and operated 51 ECHO® Networks at the time of data collection. Implementation teams which liaised more regularly with ECHO® Superhub mentors often went on to launch a higher number of ECHO® Networks that were sustained over the longer term. This suggests that these implementation teams better aligned and consolidated their Project ECHO® pilots as new innovations within the local context and strategic organizational priorities. Access to research and evaluation capability, and a more automated digital client relationship management system were key limitations to showcasing implementation success outcomes experienced by the majority of implementation teams.ConclusionsThese findings make a valuable contribution to address a knowledge gap regarding how a global sample of organizations adopting Project ECHO® measured and reported their implementation successes. Key successes included pre-launch experimentation and expansion, Superhub mentorship, stakeholder engagement, and alignment to strategic priorities.

Abstract 5492: Spatial organization and cellular composition of immunity hubs in human colorectal cancer

Abstract Background: Among colorectal cancer (CRC) tumors, mismatch repair deficient (MMRd) tumors have more immunogenic neo-antigens, hence more cytotoxic T-cell mediated anti-tumor immunity than mismatch repair proficient (MMRp) tumors. Previously1, we transcriptionally profiled over 300,000 cells from 62 MMRd and MMRp CRC tumors and found an MMRd-unique network of immunologically active transcriptional states enriched in interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs). With 4-color imaging, we showed that this program arises from spatially organized hubs of at least 3 cell types: IFNã-secreting T and interferon-responsive CXCL9/10/11+ myeloid and tumor cells. To characterize the breadth of cells involved in tumor immunity hubs, we must simultaneously measure the expression of 100s of genes in situ. Methods: To describe the cellular composition, structural organization and intercellular spatial interactions of these immunity hubs, we profiled primary untreated resection specimens from 17 CRC donors (n=12 MMRd, 5 MMRp) using multiplexed error-robust FISH (MERFISH) mRNA microscopy. Efforts were made to sample both the tumor body and the invasive border of the tumor. We designed a panel of 479 genes to capture key transcriptional programs from our single-cell atlas1. We wrote analytical pipelines to segment transcripts into cells, select high-quality cells, and organize cells into distinct zones in tissue. To leverage the rich information in the scRNA-seq atlas1, we designed a robust label transfer analysis to assign cell state labels to MERFISH cells by comparison to scRNAseq cells. Results: We profiled 7.5 million high quality MERFISH cells across 21 CRC tissue sections and labeled the cells into 7 major lineages: 63.19% epithelial, 22.52% stromal, 7.75% myeloid, 3.72% T/NK/ILCs, 1.45% plasma, 1.2% B, and 0.17% mast cells. We visualized the spatial location of these cell types. T cells aggregated into 3 distinct regions of tissue: tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) outside the tumor, and smaller clusters near the invasive border and in the tumor center. We identified immunity hubs defined by colocalized CXCL9/10/11 expressing cells and T cells near the invasive border and in the center of MMRd tumors. As expected, we found enrichment of CXCL13, IFNG, and ISGs such as CD74 and MHCII genes at these locations. In contrast, we found evidence of CCL17+CCL19+LAMP3+ activated dendritic cells and B cells enriched in the TLS. These results support a distinct composition and localization of immunity hubs in tumors, in contrast to TLS outside tumors. Conclusions: Our study defines the composition, spatial organization, and intercellular interactions of immunity hubs, shedding light on the anti-tumor immune response in CRC. Ethics Approval: Approved by the DF/HCC Institutional Review Board (protocol #02-240).(1) Pelka, K. et al. Spatially organized multicellular immune hubs in human colorectal cancer. Cell 184, 4734-4752.e20 (2021) Citation Format: Mukta G. Palshikar, Maxwell Spurrell, Jack Demaray, Han Chen, Scott Engels, Roopa Madhu, Milan Parikh, Izabella Gazmora, Arnav Mehta, Nicolas Fernandez, Colles Price, Jiang He, Sonia Cohen, Karin Pelka, Nir Hacohen, Jonathan Chen, Ilya Korsunsky. Spatial organization and cellular composition of immunity hubs in human colorectal cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 5492.

Project “Educational and Rehabilitation Hub” in the Conditions of War and Post-War Times: the Alternative Model

The article offers the basics of creating an educational hub with rehabilitation potential. Approaches to the peculiarities of the organization of this type of activity, including in extreme conditions, were analyzed and systematized. The peculiarities and experience of the organization of educational hubs, relevant during the war and in the post-war period, were analyzed from the point of view of the effectiveness of educational and rehabilitation processes and their compliance with modern educational standards. The authors also propose their vision of an alternative educational hub. Its main sense is to focus attention on the possibilities of the individual’s self-organization in extreme conditions, as well as actualization of potential possibilities of self-rehabilitation, learning the art of self-help. The hub is created in the context of the professional training of specialists in the socionomic profile and provides the supervision of teachers-scientists, who ensure the appropriate content and methodical support of the educational and rehabilitation process. The effectiveness of this approach was determined due to approbation of the part of educational and rehabilitation program, in particular, the organization of a psychotherapeutic space for students with the aim of forming their professional and personal resistance to traumatic events caused by war and other challenges of the time.

A Proposed Framework for the Automobile Registration System Using Blockchain

The Automobile Registration System on Blockchain is a groundbreaking solution that utilizes blockchain technology to secure the process of automobile registration. Traditional systems often face challenges such as data manipulation, fraud, and inefficiency. In contrast, this proposed system leverages blockchain’s transparency, immutability, and decentralized consensus to overcome these issues. The central idea of this system is to establish a trustworthy, reliable, and impenetrable registration system for vehicles. The framework uses blockchain innovation to guarantee that enlistment records are immutable and safely put away. Exchanges and records are confirmed and approved through a decentralized organization of hubs, imparting an elevated degree of confidence in the enrolment cycle. The system’s ownership transfer functionality is critical, enabling secure and efficient transactions between vehicle owners. Whether it involves transferring ownership between individuals or manufacturers, the blockchain-based system ensures transparency and traceability throughout the process

Abnormal Spatial and Temporal Overlap of Time-Varying Brain Functional Networks in Patients with Schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia (SZ) is a complex psychiatric disorder with unclear etiology and pathological features. Neuroscientists are increasingly proposing that schizophrenia is an abnormality in the dynamic organization of brain networks. Previous studies have found that the dynamic brain networks of people with SZ are abnormal in both space and time. However, little is known about the interactions and overlaps between hubs of the brain underlying spatiotemporal dynamics. In this study, we aimed to investigate different patterns of spatial and temporal overlap of hubs between SZ patients and healthy individuals. Specifically, we obtained resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from the public dataset for 43 SZ patients and 49 healthy individuals. We derived a representation of time-varying functional connectivity using the Jackknife Correlation (JC) method. We employed the Betweenness Centrality (BC) method to identify the hubs of the brain's functional connectivity network. We then applied measures of temporal overlap, spatial overlap, and hierarchical clustering to investigate differences in the organization of brain hubs between SZ patients and healthy controls. Our findings suggest significant differences between SZ patients and healthy controls at the whole-brain and subnetwork levels. Furthermore, spatial overlap and hierarchical clustering analysis showed that quasi-periodic patterns were disrupted in SZ patients. Analyses of temporal overlap revealed abnormal pairwise engagement preferences in the hubs of SZ patients. These results provide new insights into the dynamic characteristics of the network organization of the SZ brain.

Conceptuality and rationality in underground spaces transport interchange hub organization

The article substantiates the necessity of combining modern methods of underground urban planning in areas of special urban planning value, which include transport interchanges and their adjacent territories. Techniques for the rational organization of service facilities and prospects for the development of accompanying functional areas are formulates. A modern multi-functional complex as part of a transport interchange hubs requires the use of new means of forming the architectural environment: external and internal organization of underground space. The purpose of the publication is to argue for the optimization of the development of public service facilities of transport interchanges due to the organization of underground spaces and to determine the main advantages of rationality. Analysis of the Utrecht and Berlin stations as examples of European experience in the operation and development of transport hubs demonstrates the main advantages of rationality in the organization of underground spaces. The concept, which reorganizes transfer points into small businesses and shopping centers, integrates them into underground spaces: places for holding exhibitions and business events, conference halls. Effective using of land resources helps to free up the territory for pedestrian areas. Using of modern technologies in the field of energy efficiency and ecology correspond to the direction of sustainable development; separation of traffic and pedestrian flows, organization of the shortest paths to various types of transport and evacuation are beneficial when used as a shelter; economic efficiency increases the urban value of the territory. The topic of conceptual design, introduced at the Department of Architectural Environment Design in Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture when developing a highly urbanized transport hub in accordance with the concept of the location of high-rise buildings in Kyiv, approved by the Academy of Architecture of Ukraine.

MODERN FORMS OF ORGANIZATION OF THE LEISURE INDUSTRY

Purpose. The conditions for the existence of the tourist industry have been put in a strict framework over the past few years. The pandemic and military actions forced this industry to look for new extraordinary ways of organizing its work, aimed both at meeting the most urgent needs of people in recreation, and at their own profitability. Therefore, the purpose of the work is to study the existing modern forms of leisure organization, as well as the introduction of new promising directions for the organization and development of leisure in the tourism business. Method. The article uses the methods of scientific research, analysis and synthesis to substantiate the modern forms of organization of the leisure industry, the method of comparison to compare and identify the necessary but missing elements in the presented forms. Results. As a result of a number of changes in tourist activity, adaptation to new business conditions, further development and transformation of the leisure industry, introduction of new forms and new types of entertainment and recreation are needed. The article presents types of new modern forms of leisure. Scientific novelty. The proposed organization of HUBs in hotels, which can simultaneously solve many tasks: from entertainment to work, and a number of new forms of leisure organization. Practical significance. Implementation of the proposed forms of leisure will allow to compete effectively on the market and increase the profitability of tourism companies.

Analysis of research related to the experience of creating innovative airports focusing on multimodal passenger transportation

Multimodal transportation is becoming the new norm. The center of providing the transportation process is changing from the vehicle to the passenger experience and related services provided. Multimodal transportation is becoming an important player in transportation systems because it can facilitate high-quality intermodal transportation. However, these innovative transportations are not yet widespread enough. The paper is devoted to the analysis of the experience of using theoretical and practical aspects of the use of multimodal transportation in innovative airport hubs, the search for means of integrating multimodality into the transport hub, the evaluation and selection of new alternative ways of determining the level of integration of various participants in the transport process. The study is aimed at studying the previous experience of using hub airports as multimodal transport hubs. The experience of combining several transport modes into one large transport hub with a diverse range of services indicates unconditional competitive advantages. However, hub airports have some features that create difficulties when transitioning to multimodal transport complexes. The paper examines the theoretical foundations of the use and integration of alternative airport hubs at hub airports. In particular, how to evaluate and select new alternative methods, how to determine the appropriate level of participation at different stages and how to integrate new methods into airport hubs in future studies. The proposed approach to the organization of airport hubs, overcoming obstacles on the way to the creation of a multimodal transport complex and solving a scientific and applied problem that will successfully contribute to innovations in the transport modality. In particular, a growing demand among passengers at airports to facilitate the transfer process from one type of transport to another has been revealed. Which leads to benefits and rapid adoption of innovations in airports. The importance of theoretical research lies in identifying the growing demand for multimodal transport complexes, infrastructure development and customer service at airports.

Using the node-place model on the example of Moscow metro stations

The policy of urban development focused on public transport involves the formation of high-density multifunctional areas within walking distance of passenger transport nodes. This practice has found application in Moscow, where the organization of transport hubs as multifunctional centers is being carried out - mainly on the basis of metro stations. Often the nodes are the actual centers of urban areas, so it is important to take into account the characteristics of the territories adjacent to the nodes and evaluate their interaction. As a tool for such an analysis, the empirical model "Node-Place" is proposed. It explores the relationship between transport security and the functional diversity of the territory. A number of heterogeneous indicators are combined into node and place indices, the values of which are plotted on a two-axis graph. The model assumes five "ideal-typical" situations indicating potential directions of development. Cases of using the model in Russia are unknown. The "Node-Place" model is tested on the example of eight stations of the Moscow Metro. Based on the experience of previous studies, some indicators are replaced to calculate the node index, taking into account local conditions. Difficulties with obtaining and verifying data for calculating the place index are noted. The model reveals two types of situations, which allows us to conclude that it can be used in Russian conditions to assess the development potential of territories around passenger transport hubs. It is possible to use the Node-Place model more widely at different scale levels based on the idea of a territorial optimum.

Intrinsic Organization of Occipital Hubs Predicts Depression: A Resting-State fNIRS Study.

Dysfunctional brain networks have been found in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). In this study, to verify this in a more straightforward way, we investigated the intrinsic organization of brain networks in MDD by leveraging the resting-state functional near-infrared spectroscopy (rs-fNIRS). Thirty-four MDD patients (24 females, 38.41 ± 13.14 years old) and thirty healthy controls (22 females, 34.43 ± 5.03 years old) underwent a 10 min rest while their brain activity was recorded via fNIRS. The results showed that MDD patients and healthy controls exhibited similar resting-state functional connectivity. Moreover, the depression group showed lower small-world Lambda (1.12 ± 0.04 vs. 1.16 ± 0.10, p = 0.04) but higher global efficiency (0.51 ± 0.03 vs. 0.48 ± 0.05, p = 0.03) than the control group. Importantly, MDD patients, as opposed to healthy controls, showed a significantly lower nodal local efficiency at the left middle occipital gyrus (0.56 ± 0.36 vs. 0.81 ± 0.20, pFDR < 0.05), which predicted the level of depression in MDD (r = 0.45, p = 0.01, R2 = 0.15). In sum, we found a more integrated brain network in MDD patients with a lower nodal local efficiency at the occipital hub, which could predict depressive symptoms.

Epilepsy and brain network hubs.

Epilepsy is a disorder of brain networks. A better understanding of structural and dynamic network properties may improve epilepsy diagnosis, treatment, and prognostics. Hubs are brain regions with high connectivity to other parts of the brain and are typically situated along the brain's most efficient communication pathways, supporting large-scale brain wiring and many higher order neural functions. The visualization and analysis of hubs offers a perspective on regional and global network organization and can provide novel insights into brain disorders and epilepsy. By notably supporting the interaction between various brain networks, hubs may be implicated in seizure spread and in epilepsy-related phenotypes. In this review, we will discuss the growing literature on atypical hub organization in common epilepsy syndromes, both related to neuroimaging of brain structure and function, and related to neurophysiological data from magneto- and electroencephalographic measures of neural dynamics. With studies increasingly exploring the clinical utility of network neuroscience approaches, we highlight the potential of hub mapping as a candidate biomarker of cognitive dysfunction and postsurgical seizure outcome. We will conclude the review with a discussion of current limitations and outlook for future research.

CLASSIFICATION OF PASSENGER TRANSPORT HUBS

Problem statement. At the moment, the topic of passenger transport hubs has not been fully explored in global practice. In this connection, the problem of accurate definition and classification of such objects arises. The purpose of this article is to define and justify the classification of passenger transport hubs. The methodology is based on a systematic approach in two stages: analysis of the situation with the selection of the main classification features and formalization: establishing regularity between the studied facts, ensuring the commonality of approaches to solving the architectural and planning organization of transport hubs. The results. The article analyzes the components of passenger transport hubs and provides a detailed classification of multifunctional complexes of this type. Scientific novelty. An extensive classification of passenger transport hubs has been developed and schematized. The practical significance of the material presented in the article is to expand the understanding of the functional content of modern complexes of transport and transfer hubs, to reveal important features of the organization of passenger transport hubs. Along with this, the material provides an opportunity for further use in scientific works, DBN and in the design of new or reconstruction of already existing similar objects.

Capabilities and skills to orchestrate innovation networks

Purpose This study aims to present a theoretical analysis on the capabilities (at the organizational) and skills (at the individual level) of the hub organization (orchestrator) in an innovation network. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted literature reviews on the orchestration of innovation networks; and networking capabilities. Findings This study presents a theoretical model and a research agenda. Originality/value In interorganizational relations, a central actor can stand out the role of intentionally creating, extracting and distributing value in the network, generating gains for all members. Literature recognizes this set of intentional and deliberate actions as the “orchestration” of resources in the network. Despite the increasing interest regarding the theme, the phases and specific capabilities for orchestration still lack further investigation.

ОПТИМИЗАЦИЯ ТРАНСПОРТНОГО СООБЩЕНИЯ БЕЛГОРОДСКОЙ СУБУРБИИ

The development of urban agglomerations as one of the most important urbanization processes in the modern world was considered. The economic expansion, as well as the increase in the motorization level in the middle of the 20th century, changed the vector of urban development from a vertical to a horizontal direction. This direction is also typical for the Belgorod region. The specificity of the development of the Belgorod suburbia is the massifs of individual residential buildings form a dense ring around the center of the region - Belgorod city. Statistical data that characterize the development of social infrastructure (general education and medical institutions), as well as transport infrastructure, were analyzed. It was revealed that in the emerging microdistricts of the suburbias, the transport, social and cultural infrastructure is not fully developed. It was shown that the reorganization of the transport infrastructure of the Belgorod suburbia should include some actions. One of them is the organization of transport interchange hubs as elements of transport infrastructure that can significantly change the current situation: to relieve roads, reduce car commuting, and provide people with the opportunity to comfortably transfer from one mode of transport to another. The organization of transport hubs will allow organizing a comfortable living environment for the population living in the agglomerated Belgorod suburban areas and reduce the load on the city's transport network.

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Big data analytics to identify illegal activities on Bitcoin Blockchain for IoMT

These days, numerous medical services versatile applications are widely utilized which should be charged by the end-clients with paying BTC-cryptocurrency. These portable applications make a major organization of hubs towards the idea of Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) with basic security prerequisites that ought to be truly examined. Since its commencement in 2009, BTC-cryptocurrency has been buried in debates for giving a safe house to criminal operations. A few kinds of illegal clients take cover of secrecy. Discovering these elements is key for scientific examinations. Latest strategies use AI for distinguishing these illegal elements. In any case, the current methodologies just spotlight on a restricted class of illegal clients. This paper addresses by executing a troupe of choice trees for managed learning. Extra boundaries permit the outfit system to pick up segregating highlights that can order numerous gatherings of illegal clients from licit clients. To assess the system, data of 1216 genuine elements on BTC-cryptocurrency was separated that were on the distributed ledger technology. Nine features were designed to prepare the system for isolating 16 diverse licit-unlawful classifications of clients. The implemented system gave a solid instrument to legal examination. Experimental assessment of the system opposite testing systems was done to feature its adequacy. Examinations proved particularity and affectability of the implemented system were similar to different systems. Computer chip and random-access memory use were additionally checked to show the value of the implemented work for true arrangement.

Characterizing changes in network connectivity following chronic head trauma in special forces military personnel: a combined resting-fMRI and DTI study

ABSTRACT Background Soldiers are exposed to significant repetitive head trauma, which may disrupt functional and structural brain connectivity patterns. Purpose/hypothesis Integrate resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to characterize changes in connectivity biomarkers within Canadian Special Operations Forces (CANSOF), hypothesizing that alterations in architectural organization of cortical hubs may follow chronic repetitive head trauma. Methods Fifteen CANSOFs with a history of chronic exposure to sub-concussive head trauma and concussive injuries (1.9 ± 2.0 concussions (range: [0–6])), as well as an equal age-matched cohort of controls (CTLs) were recruited. BOLD-based rs-fMRI was combined with DTI to reconstruct functional and structural networks using independent component analyses and probabilistic tractography. Connectivity markers were computed based on the distance between functional seeds to assess for possible differences in injury susceptibility of short- and long-range connections. Results/discussion Significant hyper- and hypo-connectivity differences in cortical connections were observed suggesting that chronic head trauma may predispose soldiers to changes in the functional organization of brain networks. Significant structural alterations in axonal fibers directly connecting disrupted functional nodes were specific to hyper-connected long-range connections, suggesting a potential relationship between axonal injury and increases in neural recruitment following repetitive head trauma from high-exposure military duties.

Spatial Separability in Hub Location Problems with an Application to Brain Connectivity Networks

Motivated by the need to solve large hub location problems efficiently and accurately, we discover an important characteristic of optimal solutions to p-hub median problems that we call spatial separability. It refers to the partitioning of the network into allocation clusters with nonoverlapping convex hulls. We illustrate numerically that the property persists over a wide range of randomly generated instances and propose a data-driven approach based on an insight from the property to tackle very large problem sizes. Computational experiments corroborate the effectiveness of the proposed approach in generating high-quality solutions within reasonable computational times. We then explore a new application area of hub location problems in brain connectivity networks and introduce the largest and the first set of three-dimensional instances in the literature. Computational results demonstrate the capability of hub location models in successfully depicting the hub organization of the human brain, as validated by the medical literature, thus revealing that hub location models can play an important role in investigating the intricate connectivity of the human brain.

White matter structural network disturbances in first-episode, drug-naïve adolescents with generalized anxiety disorder

BackgroundPrevious studies have suggested that individuals with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) would show inefficient whole-brain communication and dysconnectivity in the fronto-parietal-subcortical sub-networks in the white matter (WM) structural network. However, these hypotheses have yet to be tested. MethodsIndividual WM structural networks were constructed based on diffusion MRI data and deterministic tractography in 34 first-episode, medication-naïve adolescents with GAD and 27 healthy controls (HCs). Graph theory was applied to investigate the topological organization alterations of the structural network. ResultsGAD patients showed disrupted small-world configurations (i.e., increased path length and decreased clustering coefficient) and hub organization (i.e., less connection strength in the feeder and local connections). A decreased connection strength was found in a GAD-related sub-network (mainly involving the frontal-subcortical circuits), which was able to distinguish GAD patients from HCs with higher accuracy (area under the curve of 0.96, sensitivity of 94%, specificity of 89%) than clinical scores and other topological alternations. LimitationsThe current study just compared GAD patients with HCs based on a small sample, leaving whether the alternations found here are specific to GAD still an open question. Future studies are recommended to recruit patients with other anxiety disorders (e.g., social anxiety disorder) and/or comorbid mood disorders to identify the GAD-specific WM alterations using a larger sample. ConclusionsOur findings highlight the disruption of the topological organization of the whole-brain WM structural network (especially the frontal-subcortical circuits) in GAD, and suggest the potential of using structural connectivity of the GAD-related sub-network as a biomarker for GAD patients.

Community structure of the creative brain at rest

Recent studies have provided insight into inter-individual differences in creative thinking, focusing on characterizations of distributed large-scale brain networks both at the local level of regions and their pairwise interactions and at the global level of the brain as a whole. However, it remains unclear how creative thinking relates to mesoscale network features, e.g. community and hub organization. We applied a data-driven approach to examine community and hub structure in resting-state functional imaging data from a large sample of participants, and how they relate to individual differences in creative thinking. First, we computed for every participant the co-assignment probability of brain regions to the same community. We found that greater capacity for creative thinking was related to increased and decreased co-assignment of medial-temporal and subcortical regions to the same community, respectively, suggesting that creative capacity may be reflected in inter-individual differences in the meso-scale organization of brain networks. We then used participant-specific communities to identify network hubs—nodes whose connections form bridges across the boundaries of different communities—quantified based on their participation coefficients. We found that increased hubness of DMN and medial-temporal regions were positively and negatively related with creative ability, respectively. These findings suggest that creative capacity may be reflected in inter-individual differences in community interactions of DMN and medial-temporal structures. Collectively, these results demonstrate the fruitfulness of investigating mesoscale brain network features in relation to creative thinking.