Catalogue Search | MBRL
Are you sure you want to remove the book from the shelf?
{{itemTitle}}
2,913
result(s) for
"Lee, Victoria"
Sort by:
Analyzing changes in respiratory rate to predict the risk of COVID-19 infection
COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, can cause shortness of breath, lung damage, and impaired respiratory function. Containing the virus has proven difficult, in large part due to its high transmissibility during the pre-symptomatic incubation. The study’s aim was to determine if changes in respiratory rate could serve as a leading indicator of SARS-CoV-2 infections. A total of 271 individuals (age = 37.3 ± 9.5, 190 male, 81 female) who experienced symptoms consistent with COVID-19 were included– 81 tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and 190 tested negative; these 271 individuals collectively contributed 2672 samples (days) of data (1856 healthy days, 231 while infected with COVID-19 and 585 while negative for COVID-19 but experiencing symptoms). To train a novel algorithm, individuals were segmented as follows; (1) a training dataset of individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 (n = 57 people, 537 samples); (2) a validation dataset of individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 (n = 24 people, 320 samples); (3) a validation dataset of individuals who tested negative for COVID-19 (n = 190 people, 1815 samples). All data was extracted from the WHOOP system, which uses data from a wrist-worn strap to produce validated estimates of respiratory rate and other physiological measures. Using the training dataset, a model was developed to estimate the probability of SARS-CoV-2 infection based on changes in respiratory rate during night-time sleep. The model’s ability to identify COVID-positive individuals not used in training and robustness against COVID-negative individuals with similar symptoms were examined for a critical six-day period spanning the onset of symptoms. The model identified 20% of COVID-19 positive individuals in the validation dataset in the two days prior to symptom onset, and 80% of COVID-19 positive cases by the third day of symptoms.
Journal Article
Ancient Clostridium DNA and variants of tetanus neurotoxins associated with human archaeological remains
The analysis of microbial genomes from human archaeological samples offers a historic snapshot of ancient pathogens and provides insights into the origins of modern infectious diseases. Here, we analyze metagenomic datasets from 38 human archaeological samples and identify bacterial genomic sequences related to modern-day
Clostridium tetani
, which produces the tetanus neurotoxin (TeNT) and causes the disease tetanus. These genomic assemblies had varying levels of completeness, and a subset of them displayed hallmarks of ancient DNA damage. Phylogenetic analyses revealed known
C. tetani
clades as well as potentially new
Clostridium
lineages closely related to
C. tetani
. The genomic assemblies encode 13 TeNT variants with unique substitution profiles, including a subgroup of TeNT variants found exclusively in ancient samples from South America. We experimentally tested a TeNT variant selected from an ancient Chilean mummy sample and found that it induced tetanus muscle paralysis in mice, with potency comparable to modern TeNT. Thus, our ancient DNA analysis identifies DNA from neurotoxigenic
C. tetani
in archaeological human samples, and a novel variant of TeNT that can cause disease in mammals.
The analysis of microbial genomes from human archaeological samples offers a snapshot of ancient pathogens. Here, Hodgins et al. analyze metagenomic datasets from 38 human archaeological samples and identify bacterial genomic sequences related to modern-day
Clostridium tetani
, encoding tetanus neurotoxins.
Journal Article
How social cognition can inform social decision making
Social decision-making is often complex, requiring the decision-maker to make inferences of others' mental states in addition to engaging traditional decision-making processes like valuation and reward processing. A growing body of research in neuroeconomics has examined decision-making involving social and non-social stimuli to explore activity in brain regions such as the striatum and prefrontal cortex, largely ignoring the power of the social context. Perhaps more complex processes may influence decision-making in social vs. non-social contexts. Years of social psychology and social neuroscience research have documented a multitude of processes (e.g., mental state inferences, impression formation, spontaneous trait inferences) that occur upon viewing another person. These processes rely on a network of brain regions including medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), superior temporal sulcus (STS), temporal parietal junction, and precuneus among others. Undoubtedly, these social cognition processes affect social decision-making since mental state inferences occur spontaneously and automatically. Few studies have looked at how these social inference processes affect decision-making in a social context despite the capability of these inferences to serve as predictions that can guide future decision-making. Here we review and integrate the person perception and decision-making literatures to understand how social cognition can inform the study of social decision-making in a way that is consistent with both literatures. We identify gaps in both literatures-while behavioral economics largely ignores social processes that spontaneously occur upon viewing another person, social psychology has largely failed to talk about the implications of social cognition processes in an economic decision-making context-and examine the benefits of integrating social psychological theory with behavioral economic theory.
Journal Article
Adverse Childhood Experiences and Aging-Associated Functional Impairment in a National Sample of Older Community-Dwelling Adults
Background
Prior research on the health implications of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) has focused on early or midlife adults, not older adults who bear the greatest burden of health-related functional impairment.
Objective
To examine associations between ACEs, objectively measured physical mobility and cognitive impairment, and functional disability in older community-dwelling adults.
Design
Cross-sectional analysis.
Participants
Community-dwelling older U.S. adults ages 50 years and older.
Main Measures
Participants completed structured questionnaires assessing history of ACEs (childhood experience of violence/abuse, witnessing of violence, financial insecurity, parental separation, or serious illness), underwent standardized physical performance testing (tandem balance, 3-m walk, chair stand test) and cognitive testing (survey adaptation of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment), and reported functional disability (difficulty with activities of daily living).
Key Results
Among the 3387 participants (aged 50 to 97 years; 54% female), 44% reported a history of one or more types of ACEs. Thirty-five percent met criteria for physical mobility impairment, 24% for cognitive impairment, and 24% for functional disability. After adjusting for age, gender, race, and ethnicity, participants reporting any ACE history were more likely to demonstrate physical mobility impairment (OR 1.30, 95% CI 1.11–1.52) and cognitive impairment (OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.03–1.54) and report functional disability (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.38–2.07), compared to those with no ACE history. Childhood experience of violence was associated with greater physical mobility impairment (OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.11–1.71) and functional disability (OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.49–2.33).
Conclusions
Older adults with a history of ACEs are more likely to experience physical and cognitive functional impairment, suggesting that efforts to mitigate ACEs may have implications for aging-associated functional decline. Findings support the need for trauma-informed approaches to geriatric care that consider the potential role of early life traumatic experiences in shaping or complicating late-life functional challenges.
Journal Article
Wild jackdaws recognise the contact calls of their mate
In stable social environments, the ability to recognise other group members and integrate individual cues with previous experience is likely to be beneficial in mediating social interactions. Under these conditions, selection for individual discrimination and learning of conspecific vocalisations is expected. Recognition may be particularly important in structured societies in which individuals form enduring pair bonds and coordinate biparental care. Many corvids, famed for their sophisticated cognitive abilities, form long-term pair bonds and are considered ideal subjects for investigating the cognitive mechanisms associated with pair bonding; however, evidence that corvids individually recognise their partner under natural conditions remains limited. Here, we tested whether wild jackdaws (
Corvus monedula
), a colonial corvid, discriminate between the contact calls of individual conspecifics. Incubating females were presented with contact call playbacks from their long-term breeding partner, a male from a neighbouring nest, and an unfamiliar male. Females were quicker to respond to the calls of their partner, providing evidence of mate recognition in corvids in the wild.
Journal Article
Emotion in animal contests
Emotions encompass cognitive and behavioural responses to reward and punishment. Using contests as a case-study, we propose that short-term emotions underpin animals' assessments, decision-making and behaviour. Equating contest assessments to emotional ‘appraisals', we describe how contestants appraise more than resource value and outcome probability. These appraisals elicit the cognition, drive and neurophysiology that governs aggressive behaviour. We discuss how recent contest outcomes induce long-term moods, which impact subsequent contest behaviour. Finally, we distinguish between integral (objectively relevant) and incidental (objectively irrelevant) emotions and moods (affective states). Unlike existing ecological models, our approach predicts that incidental events influence contest dynamics, and that contests become incidental influences themselves, potentially causing maladaptive decision-making. As affective states cross contexts, a more holistic ethology (incorporating emotions and moods) would illuminate animal cognition and behaviour.
Journal Article
Higher self-assessed subjective social status is associated with worse perception of others’ emotions
The ability to accurately perceive others’ emotions is arguably critical for successful social interaction and may facilitate upward social mobility through personal and career advancement. Yet, prior research suggests that individuals of lower social status are better at perceiving others’ emotions. These competing viewpoints lead to the question of whether emotion perception ability—often referred to as empathic accuracy—shapes or is shaped by social status. In a preregistered experiment (n = 1197), we tested these alternate perspectives and found a robust negative relationship between individuals’ self-reported social status and behavioral measures of emotion perception. These effects were limited to emotions expressed by an individual actor and did not extend either to emotions expressed in a group or to similar judgments in a nonsocial control context. In addition, we found preliminary evidence that self-assessed increases in social status over the lifespan were also associated with worse emotion perception. These patterns support the perspective that social status shapes emotion perception abilities, but importantly, this relationship depends on one’s subjective sense of their status, both in comparison to others and in evaluations of one’s own lifespan trajectory.
Journal Article
YAP/TAZ: Molecular pathway and disease therapy
The Yes‐associated protein and its transcriptional coactivator with PDZ‐binding motif (YAP/TAZ) are two homologous transcriptional coactivators that lie at the center of a key regulatory network of Hippo, Wnt, GPCR, estrogen, mechanical, and metabolism signaling. YAP/TAZ influences the expressions of downstream genes and proteins as well as enzyme activity in metabolic cycles, cell proliferation, inflammatory factor expression, and the transdifferentiation of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts. YAP/TAZ can also be regulated through epigenetic regulation and posttranslational modifications. Consequently, the regulatory function of these mechanisms implicates YAP/TAZ in the pathogenesis of metabolism‐related diseases, atherosclerosis, fibrosis, and the delicate equilibrium between cancer progression and organ regeneration. As such, there arises a pressing need for thorough investigation of YAP/TAZ in clinical settings. In this paper, we aim to elucidate the signaling pathways that regulate YAP/TAZ and explore the mechanisms of YAP/TAZ‐induce diseases and their potential therapeutic interventions. Furthermore, we summarize the current clinical studies investigating treatments targeting YAP/TAZ. We also address the limitations of existing research on YAP/TAZ and propose future directions for research. In conclusion, this review aims to provide fresh insights into the signaling mediated by YAP/TAZ and identify potential therapeutic targets to present innovative solutions to overcome the challenges associated with YAP/TAZ. YAP/TAZ lies at the center of regulatory networks as a core component. At present, YAP/TAZ is considered to be regulated by Hippo signaling, Wnt signaling, GPCR signaling, estrogen signaling, mechanical signaling, and metabolism signaling. In the functions of various signaling pathways, YAP/TAZ participates in the regeneration medicine as well as the development of diverse diseases including metabolism‐related diseases, cancers, organ fibrosis. Therefore, YAP/TAZ can serve as a potential treatment target in multiple organ diseases.
Journal Article