Distinct Regionalization Patterns of Cortical Morphology are Associated with Cognitive Performance Across Different Domains

Cognitive performance in children is predictive of academic and social outcomes; therefore, understanding neurobiological mechanisms underlying individual differences in cognition during development may be important for improving quality of life. The belief that a single, psychological construct underlies many cognitive processes is pervasive throughout society. However, it is unclear if there is a consistent neural substrate underlying many cognitive processes. Here, we show that a distributed configuration of cortical surface area and apparent thickness, when controlling for global imaging measures, is differentially associated with cognitive performance on different types of tasks in a large sample (N = 10 145) of 9–11-year-old children from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive DevelopmentSM (ABCD) study. The minimal overlap in these regionalization patterns of association has implications for competing theories about developing intellectual functions. Surprisingly, not controlling for sociodemographic factors increased the similarity between these regionalization patterns. This highlights the importance of understanding the shared variance between sociodemographic factors, cognition and brain structure, particularly with a population-based sample such as ABCD.

Fluid and crystallised intelligence are associated with distinct regionalisation patterns of cortical morphology

ABSTRACTCognitive performance in children is predictive of academic and social outcomes; therefore, understanding neurobiological mechanisms underlying individual differences in cognition during development may be important for improving quality of life. Some theories of intelligence argue that a single latent, psychological construct with a specific neural substrate underlies many cognitive processes. Here we show that a distributed configuration of cortical surface area and apparent thickness, when controlling for global imaging measures, is associated with cognitive performance in a large sample (N=10,145) of nine and ten year old children from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive DevelopmentSM (ABCD) study. Measures of fluid and crystallised intelligence were associated with strikingly distinct regionalisation patterns of cortical areal expansion and apparent thickness. The minimal overlap in these associations has important implications for competing theories about developing intellectual functions. Importantly, not controlling for sociodemographic factors increased the similarity between these regionalisation patterns altering the inferences that would be made. This highlights the importance of understanding the shared variance between sociodemographic factors, cognition and brain structure particularly with a population-based sample such as with ABCD.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTA lack of statistical power in studies with small sample sizes has hindered research exploring associations between cognitive performance and cortical regionalisation patterns (when controlling for global imaging measures). Using the unprecedented ABCD study® sample, this paper demonstrates that individual variability in the regionalisation of the cortex relates to cognitive function and, importantly, distinct patterns of cortical morphology predict individual differences across different domains of cognitive performance. This heterogeneity highlights that the biology underlying “intelligence” is multifaceted. Moreover, we demonstrate that the sociodemographic diversity within ABCD impacts the association between cortical morphology and cognition similarly across cognitive domains highlighting the importance of understanding how these confounding factors can modify our conclusions regarding the association between brain structure and cognition.

Regularities of Fluoropolymer Coating Growth on Pretreated Surfaces from Active Gas Phase

The kinetic and morphological peculiarities of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) coating growth onset from the active gas phase on differently pretreated substrates are considered. The substrate surface energy was found to exert an effect on distribution of polymer micro-and nanoparticles both at the initial stage so during coating growth. The substrate surface activation was proved to result in the increasing growth rate and formation of a continuous coating with a thinner apparent thickness. The physicomathematical model of presented regularities was elaborated.

Isotope-geochemical investigation of glacio-nival systems of the Tabyn-Bogdo-Ola mountain massif (Western Mongolia)

Results of investigation of glacio-nival systems made in the Tabyn-Bogdo-Ola mountains (Western Mongolia) are presented in the paper. Average content of δ18О in the Tsagan-Us river water amounts to 17.44‰ that is almost equal to the isotope content in the clear glacier runoff near the edge of the Kozlov Glacier (−17.43‰). It means that the isotope content in water doesn’t significantly change over a distance of 30 km along the Tsagan-Us river. Hence, it appears that for this distance the river has no additional non-glacial feed. The magnitude 17.4±0.1‰ can be considered as the average content of isotopes in the glacio-nival system in the Tabyn-Bogdo-Ola mountain massif. This value can also be the precipitation-weighted average isotope content in the solid precipitations which are accumulated in glaciers of this massif. Seasonal isotope fluctuations are partly preserved in the snow-firn mass in the accumulation area of the Kozlov Glacier. A rate of annual accumulation was estimated by multiplying the apparent thickness (160 cm) of an annual layer into the snow density. According to our observations, it is equal to 800 mm w.e./year during 2013–2014. Accumulation is increased due to the wind and avalanche transportation of snow. During the ablation season, summer and spring snowfalls over the Kozlov Glacier area melt. Thus, it is possible to suppose that the autumn snowfalls play the important role in the accumulation. We may also suppose that the main source of the moisture for the Tabyn-Bogdo-Ola massif is located somewhere in the Inner Asia.

Influences of Specimen Size and Temperature on Viscoelastic Tensile Properties of SU-8 Photoresist Films

In this paper, the influences of specimen size and test temperature on the viscoelastic properties of SU-8 photoresist films are described. Films with the thicknesses of 1 μm and 10 μm are subjected to quasi-static uniaxial tensile tests and stress relaxation tests at temperatures ranging from 293 K to 473 K. The average glassy modulus at 293 K is 3.2 GPa, which decreases with an increase in the test temperature irrespective of specimen size. The mean fracture strain depends on film thickness as well as temperature. The fracture strain of the 1-μm thick films is approximately half of that of the 10-μm thick films at each temperature. Stress relaxation tests are conducted for constructing the master curves of the relaxation moduli. There is no apparent thickness dependence on the master curve. Above glass transition temperature, Tg, apparent activation energies for the two films are almost identical, whereas the activation energy for the thinner films is smaller than that for the thicker films below Tg. This size effect is discussed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).

A Novel Micro-Nano Structure Profile Control Agent: Graphene Oxide Dispersion

Graphite oxide sheet, now referred to as graphene oxide (GO), is the product of chemical exfoliation of graphite and has been known for more than a century. A GO sheet is characterized by two abruptly different length scales; the apparent thickness of the functionalized carbon sheet is approximately 1 nm, but the lateral dimensions can range from a few nanometers to micrometers. In this paper, an improved method for the preparation of graphene oxide within a mild condition is described. We have found that cancelling the high-temperature stage and prolonging the reaction time of mid-temperature can improve the efficiency of oxidation process. We utilized FTIR, XRD, Ultraviolet-visible, TGA, Raman spectrum, and XPS measurements to characterize the successfully synthesized GO. SEM images were employed to reveal the interior microstructure of as-prepared GO dispersion. We also wondrously found that the GO dispersion could be used as profile control agent in the oilfield water-flooding. Flooding experiments showed that the GO dispersion has an ability to adjust water injection profile, reduce permeability ratio, and improve conformance factor. So the GO dispersion would have potential applications in oilfield exploitation.