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Decades of neuroimaging studies have shown modest differences in brain structure and connectivity in depression, hindering mechanistic insights or the identification of risk factors for disease onset 1 . Furthermore, whereas depression is episodic, few longitudinal neuroimaging studies exist, limiting understanding of mechanisms that drive mood-state transitions. The emerging field of precision functional mapping has used densely sampled longitudinal neuroimaging data to show behaviourally meaningful differences in brain network topography and connectivity between and in healthy individuals 2 – 4 , but this approach has not been applied in depression. Here, using precision functional mapping and several samples of deeply sampled individuals, we found that the frontostriatal salience network is expanded nearly twofold in the cortex of most individuals with depression. This effect was replicable in several samples and caused primarily by network border shifts, with three distinct modes of encroachment occurring in different individuals. Salience network expansion was stable over time, unaffected by mood state and detectable in children before the onset of depression later in adolescence. Longitudinal analyses of individuals scanned up to 62 times over 1.5 years identified connectivity changes in frontostriatal circuits that tracked fluctuations in specific symptoms and predicted future anhedonia symptoms. Together, these findings identify a trait-like brain network topology that may confer risk for depression and mood-state-dependent connectivity changes in frontostriatal circuits that predict the emergence and remission of depressive symptoms over time. Precision functional mapping shows that the frontostriatal salience network occupies nearly twice as much of the cortex in people with depression, and this was unaffected by mood changes and detected in children before onset of symptoms.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a devastating and heterogenous disorder for which there are no approved biomarkers in clinical practice. We recently identified anticipatory hypo-arousal indexed by pupil responses as a candidate mechanism subserving depression symptomatology. Here, we conducted a replication and extension study of these findings. We analyzed a replication sample of 40 unmedicated patients with a diagnosis of depression and 30 healthy control participants, who performed a reward anticipation task while pupil responses were measured. Using a Bayesian modelling approach taking measurement uncertainty into account, we could show that the negative correlation between pupil dilation and symptom load during reward anticipation is replicable within MDD patients, albeit with a lower effect size. Furthermore, with the combined sample of 136 participants (81 unmedicated depressed and 55 healthy control participants), we further showed that reduced pupil dilation in anticipation of reward is inversely associated with anhedonia items of the Beck Depression Inventory in particular. Moreover, using simultaneous fMRI, particularly the right anterior insula as part of the salience network was negatively correlated with depressive symptom load in general and anhedonia items specifically. The present study supports the utility of pupillometry in assessing noradrenergically mediated hypo-arousal during reward anticipation in MDD, a physiological process that appears to subserve anhedonia.

Ample evidence links dysregulation of the stress response to the risk for psychiatric disorders. However, we lack an integrated understanding of mechanisms that are adaptive during the acute stress response but potentially pathogenic when dysregulated. One mechanistic link emerging from rodent studies is the interaction between stress effectors and neurovascular coupling, a process that adjusts cerebral blood flow according to local metabolic demands. Here, using task-related fMRI, we show that acute psychosocial stress rapidly impacts the peak latency of the hemodynamic response function (HRF-PL) in temporal, insular, and prefrontal regions in two independent cohorts of healthy humans. These latency effects occurred in the absence of amplitude effects and were moderated by regulatory genetic variants of KCNJ2, a known mediator of the effect of stress on vascular responsivity. Further, hippocampal HRF-PL correlated with both cortisol response and genetic variants that influence the transcriptional response to stress hormones and are associated with risk for major depression. We conclude that acute stressmodulates hemodynamic response properties as part of the physiological stress response and suggest that HRF indices could serve as endophenotype of stress-related disorders.

The Lactobacillus plantarum strain was isolated from grass silage that produces a broad spectrum of antifungal compound, active against food and feed-borne filamentous fungi in agar plate assay. Aspergillus fumigatus and Rhizopus stolonifer were the most sensitive among molds. No inhibitory activity could be detected against mold Penicillium roqueforti. Enhanced antifungal activity was observed at 30 °C in pH 6.5. Minimum inhibitory concentration values against fungal cultures were ranged from 6.5 to 12.0 mg/ml for commercial 3-phenyllactic acid. The production of antifungal compound phenyllactic acid (PLA), lactic acid, and acetic acid by L. plantarum strain was also investigated. Structure characterization of the antifungal compound was carried out by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and gas chromatography. The produced compound (PLA) acted as a fungistatic and delayed the growth of a variety of fungal contaminants.

The present study was undertaken to biosynthesize zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) using a mangrove-associated actinobacterium Streptomyces olivaceus (MSU3) under in vitro conditions. The synthesized ZnONPs were structurally characterized through UV, FT-IR, TG–DTA, XRD, SEM and EDX analysis. Analysis of biosynthesized ZnONPs in UV–Vis spectroscopy showed presence of functional groups between the wavelengths 325 and 380 nm. FT-IR analysis showed the functional groups, such as halo bromide (C–Br), alkyne (C≡C), carboxylic acid (O–H), nitro (N–O), fluoro (C–F), alkene (C=C) and aromatic (R–C–H) groups, respectively, within the wave numbers between 614.30 and 3074.41 cm−1. The crystalline poly-dispersed quasi spherical nature of ZnONPs expressed the average particle size of 37.9 nm with the 2θ values of 11.802–37.885°. Antibacterial activity of ZnONPs showed pronounced inhibitory zone (25 mm) and least MIC and MBC values (125 and 250 µg ml−1) against Escherchia sp. In the antifouling study, ZnONPs strongly inhibited byssal thread formation in mussel Perna indica and recorded LC50 value of 424.47 µg ml−1. Mollusc foot adherence assay inferred that the ZnONPs effectively inhibited settlement of limpet Patella vulgata and showed minimal fouling (26.43%) at 350 µg ml−1 and recorded LC50 value of 218.77 µg ml−1. Results of anticrustacean assay depicted that, ZnONPs had registered LC50 value of 676.08 µg ml−1 against Artemia salina nauplii. From this study, it could be concluded that an eco-friendly approach could be used to open a new avenue for biosynthesis of ZnONPs from a mangrove associated actinobacterium S. olivaceus (MSU3) in antifouling studies.

Progress in psychiatric research has been hindered by the use of artificial disease categories to map distinct biological substrates. Efforts to overcome this obstacle have led to the misconception that relevant psychiatric dimensions are not biologically reducible. Consequently, the return to phenomenology is once again advocated. We propose a process-centered paradigm of biological reduction compatible with non-reductive materialism.

The cellulolytic enzyme-endoglucanase activity against coir fibre, a major biowaste by bacteria such as Cellulomonas , Bacillus and Micrococcus spp. isolated from coir retting effluents of estuarine environment was studied. The enzyme assay was carried out by using various concentrations (0.5 - 2%) of substrate of coir powder as a carbohydrate in different pH (5 - 9) and temperature (20 - 50 °C). The enzyme activity was minimum in 0.5% substrate concentration at lower pH 5 (0.0087, 0.0143 and 0.0071 U/mL) and at 20 °C temperature (0.0151, 0.0154 and 0.0122 U/mL) by the bacterial strains such as Cellulomonas, Bacillus and Micrococcus spp respectively. Then this level was increased and reached maximum at the neutral pH (0.0172, 0.0165 and 0.0121 U/mL) and at 40 °C (0.0336, 0.0196 and 0.0152 U/mL) by the selected bacterial species. Further increase of pH and temperature, the enzyme activity reduced considerably to 0.0083, 0.0143 and 0.0037 U/mL at pH 9 and 0.0154, 0.0197 and 0.0121 U/mL at 50 °C by the tested bacterial strains. The same trend was also obtained in oth er substrate concentrations such as 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 %. With in the four substrate concentrations, the endoglucanase enzyme activity was more in 1.5% concentration at the tested pH and temperatures. From the over all result, it was observed that, among the three bacterial strains, the enzyme activity was more in Cellulomonas sp, followed by Bacillus and Micrococcus spp. in varying pH and temperature.

A new record of the Short–snouted scorpionfish, Scorpaenopsis obtusa Randall et Eschmeyer, 2002 is reported from India’s southeast coast. Three specimens were collected (67.6–75.1 mm SL ) as trawl-fishery bycatch at Tuticorin fishing harbour, India on 21 April 2022. Morphometric and meristic characters were measured and compared with published data. The record of this species from India expands the known distribution of S. obtusa , previously reported from Myanmar eastward. The above species is a new addition to the list of marine fishes of Indian coastal waters.

Depression is a debilitating disorder with high prevalence and socioeconomic cost, but the brain-physiological processes that are altered during depressive states are not well understood. Here, we build on recent findings in macaques that indicate a direct causal relationship between pupil dilation and anterior cingulate cortex mediated arousal during anticipation of reward. We translated these findings to human subjects with concomitant pupillometry/fMRI in a sample of unmedicated participants diagnosed with major depression and healthy controls. We could show that the upregulation and maintenance of arousal in anticipation of reward was disrupted in patients in a symptom-load dependent manner. We could further show that the failure to maintain reward anticipatory arousal showed state-marker properties, as it tracked the load and impact of depressive symptoms independent of prior diagnosis status. Further, group differences of anticipatory arousal and continuous correlations with symptom load were not traceable only at the level of pupillometric responses, but were mirrored also at the neural level within salience network hubs. The upregulation and maintenance of arousal during reward anticipation is a novel translational and well-traceable process that could prove a promising gateway to a physiologically informed patient stratification and targeted interventions.

Mobile weather stations are needed because of their better coverage balance than stationary stations. Center for Climate Risk and Opportunity Management in Southeast Asia Pacific (CCROM-SEAP) of Bogor Agricultural University (Institut Pertanian Bogor or IPB University) developed a low-cost mini observation system using Espressif ESP32 DOIT Development Kit V1 module, which based on the internet of things (IoT) to monitor real-time meteorological elements (such as temperature, humidity, and pressure), CO 2 , PM 2.5 , and PM 10 concentration for Bogor (Center of Bogor City). With Firebase (database service by Google) integration, the system records data every 2 minutes and sent automatically to Firebase. We also create an unpublished android application called ServMo for exporting JSON to CSV format. The results show this system has a good performance for real-time monitoring purposes for a better balance of measurements coverage.