Identifying natural images from human brain activity

A challenging goal in neuroscience is to be able to read out, or decode, mental content from brain activity. Recent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have decoded orientation, position and object category from activity in visual cortex. However, these studies typically used relatively simple stimuli (for example, gratings) or images drawn from fixed categories (for example, faces, houses), and decoding was based on previous measurements of brain activity evoked by those same stimuli or categories. To overcome these limitations, here we develop a decoding method based on quantitative receptive-field models that characterize the relationship between visual stimuli and fMRI activity in early visual areas. These models describe the tuning of individual voxels for space, orientation and spatial frequency, and are estimated directly from responses evoked by natural images. We show that these receptive-field models make it possible to identify, from a large set of completely novel natural images, which specific image was seen by an observer. Identification is not a mere consequence of the retinotopic organization of visual areas; simpler receptive-field models that describe only spatial tuning yield much poorer identification performance. Our results suggest that it may soon be possible to reconstruct a picture of a person's visual experience from measurements of brain activity alone.     

Mapping copy number variation by population-scale genome sequencing

Genomic structural variants (SVs) are abundant in humans, differing from other forms of variation in extent, origin and functional impact. Despite progress in SV characterization, the nucleotide resolution architecture of most SVs remains unknown. We constructed a map of unbalanced SVs (that is, copy number variants) based on whole genome DNA sequencing data from 185 human genomes, integrating evidence from complementary SV discovery approaches with extensive experimental validations. Our map encompassed 22,025 deletions and 6,000 additional SVs, including insertions and tandem duplications. Most SVs (53%) were mapped to nucleotide resolution, which facilitated analysing their origin and functional impact. We examined numerous whole and partial gene deletions with a genotyping approach and observed a depletion of gene disruptions amongst high frequency deletions. Furthermore, we observed differences in the size spectra of SVs originating from distinct formation mechanisms, and constructed a map of SV hotspots formed by common mechanisms. Our analytical framework and SV map serves as a resource for sequencing-based association studies.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">O</Emphasis>-Mannosylation and human disease

Glycosylation of proteins is arguably the most prevalent co- and post-translational modification. It is responsible for increased heterogeneity and functional diversity of proteins. Here we discuss the importance of one type of glycosylation, specifically O-mannosylation and its relationship to a number of human diseases. The most widely studied O-mannose modified protein is alpha-dystroglycan (α-DG). Recent studies have focused intensely on α-DG due to the severity of diseases associated with its improper glycosylation. O-mannosylation of α-DG is involved in cancer metastasis, arenavirus entry, and multiple forms of congenital muscular dystrophy [1, 2]. In this review, we discuss the structural and functional characteristics of O-mannose-initiated glycan structures on α-DG, enzymes involved in the O-mannosylation pathway, and the diseases that are a direct result of disruptions within this pathway.     

Regulation of the bacterial cell cycle by an integrated genetic circuit

How bacteria regulate cell cycle progression at a molecular level is a fundamental but poorly understood problem. In Caulobacter crescentus, two-component signal transduction proteins are crucial for cell cycle regulation, but the connectivity of regulators involved has remained elusive and key factors are unidentified. Here we identify ChpT, an essential histidine phosphotransferase that controls the activity of CtrA, the master cell cycle regulator. We show that the essential histidine kinase CckA initiates two phosphorelays, each requiring ChpT, which lead to the phosphorylation and stabilization of CtrA. Downregulation of CckA activity therefore results in the dephosphorylation and degradation of CtrA, which in turn allow the initiation of DNA replication. Furthermore, we show that CtrA triggers its own destruction by promoting cell division and inducing synthesis of the essential regulator DivK, which feeds back to downregulate CckA immediately before S phase. Our results define a single integrated circuit whose components and connectivity can account for the cell cycle oscillations of CtrA in Caulobacter.     

Distribution of a renin-like enzyme in the bovine adrenal gland

Résumé La glande surrénale bovine contient un enzyme qui réagit avec l'angiotensinogène pour former de l'angiotensine. L'enzyme est distribué dans toute la glande surrénale, en plus grande quantité dans la médullosurrénale et dans la veine centrale. Vu les effects bien connus de l'angiotensine sur la sécrétion de l'aldostérone et sur les catécholamines de la médullosurrénale, il est possible que l'enzyme «rénine-semblable» influence les fonctions spécifiques de la glande surrénale.     

Metabolism of diphenylamine in the rat and rabbit

Zusammenfassung Nach oraler Verabreichung von Diphenylamin wurde das Kaliumsalz des 4-Oxydiphenylaminsulfatesters aus dem Harn des Kaninchens isoliert. Die enzymatische Hydrolyse des Kaninchenharns ergab kleine Mengen von 2-Oxydiphenylamin, die mit Hilfe von Dünnschicht-Chromatographie identifiziert wurden. Bei der Ratte gelang nach intraperitonealer Verabreichung von Diphenylamin bei enzymatischer und saurer Hydrolyse des Harns der chromatographische Nachweis des 4-Oxydiphenylamins als Hauptprodukt der Umwandlung.

---

---

This work forms part of a programme supported by Grant EF.258 of the National Institute of Health, U.S. Public Health Service, the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia and the Council of the Australian Food Technologists Association.     

Role for DNA methylation in the control of cell type specific maspin expression

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is a source of unique individual odors that influence individual recognition, mating preferences, nesting behavior and selective block of pregnancy in animals. Such phenomena have been difficult to study in humans, because the human leukocyte antigen (HLA, human MHC) loci are the most polymorphic loci in the human genome, with the potential to generate millions of unique combinations of genotypes. In addition, high variability in background odors, encoded by the rest of the genome and influenced by cultural practices, contribute to a low signal-to-noise ratio that could mask HLA-based olfactory cues. Here we show that women can detect differences of one HLA allele among male odor donors with different MHC genotypes. Notably, the mechanism for a woman's ability to discriminate and choose odors is based on HLA alleles inherited from her father but not her mother. The parents' HLA alleles that she does not inherit show no relationship with odor choice, despite exposure to these HLA-encoded odors throughout her life. Our data indicate that paternally inherited HLA-associated odors influence odor preference and may serve as social cues.     

Measuring intense rotation and dissipation in turbulent flows

Turbulent flows are highly intermittent--for example, they exhibit intense bursts of vorticity and strain. Kolmogorov theory describes such behaviour in the form of energy cascades from large to small spatial and temporal scales, where energy is dissipated as heat. But the causes of high intermittency in turbulence, which show non-gaussian statistics, are not well understood. Such intermittency can be important, for example, for enhancing the mixing of chemicals, by producing sharp drops in local pressure that can induce cavitation (damaging mechanical components and biological organisms), and by causing intense vortices in atmospheric flows. Here we present observations of the three components of velocity and all nine velocity gradients within a small volume, which allow us to determine simultaneously the dissipation (a measure of strain) and enstrophy (a measure of rotational energy) of a turbulent flow. Combining the statistics of all measurements and the evolution of individual bursts, we find that a typical sequence for intense events begins with rapid strain growth, followed by rising vorticity and a final sudden decline in stretching. We suggest two mechanisms which can produce these characteristics, depending whether they are due to the advection of coherent structures through our observed volume or caused locally.     

The effect of chronic heat stress on cortisol levels in the antarctic fishPagothenia borchgrevinki

Radioimmunoassay was used to determine levels of the stress-inducible glucocorticoid, cortisol, circulating in the plasma of the extremely stenothermal Antarctic fishPagothenia borchgrevinki at rest and after heat stress. Fish sampled immediately after capture (–1.9°C) had low cortisol levels (10.4±1.4 ng ml^–1, mean±SEM) as did fish which were laboratory rested for 3 days. Sudden exposure to 5°C (48h) resulted in a peak cortisol value after 3 h (69.9±6.8 ng ml^–1) whereas exposure to 8°C (6h) resulted in a peak value after 1 h (73.5±8.0 ng ml^–1). At both temperatures levels remained significantly elevated (p<0.05) for the entire period of exposure. Increased temperature also resulted in a significant change in haemoglobin, haematocrit and mean cell haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) (p<0.05). Plasma lactate was significantly elevated only after exposure to 8°C (p<0.05). Plasma cortisol levels fromP. borchgrevinki are reported here for the first time and show this cryopelagic Antarctic species to have an unusual hormonal stress profile.