Biology subjects

Slater, H.

Publications and source records attributed to Slater, H..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Gastrointestinal colonization as a source of Staphylococcus aureus in atopic dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a prevalent inflammatory skin disease with complex pathogenesis. Both skin and gut microbiota influence AD, with Staphylococcus aureus, in particular, exacerbating the disease. However, the relationship between S. aureus colonization in the gut and skin, and whether it affects AD, remains unclear. Using a combination of culture-based methods, microbiome analysis, and genome sequencing of S. aureus from multiple body sites of children with and without AD, we found that the gut represents a major reservoir of genetically diverse S. aureus that is transmitted to the skin, including mutants associated with worse disease. We validated this association between S. aureus gastrointestinal colonization and AD in an independent human cohort and demonstrated its direct effect on disease in an infantile AD mouse model, wherein S. aureus gastrointestinal colonization worsened skin inflammation. Overall, this study identifies a previously unrecognized S. aureus reservoir, with implications for microbiota-targeting therapies in AD.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2025

Learning new perceptual skills: Individual differences in the computations that integrate novel sensory cues into depth perception

Sensory substitution and augmentation rely on the brains ability to integrate novel sensory cues into its perceptual repertoire. However, the flexibility of the computations that support augmented perception is still not fully known. Here, we contrasted how a novel depth cue is processed, as compared with familiar depth cues, following one hour of training. Observers (N=78) made forced-choice comparisons of surface distances (depths), while we assessed three markers of integration with familiar and newly learned cues: (1) cue combination, predicting precision benefits; (2) re-weighting, predicting reliability-weighted biases; and (3) congruence sensitivity, predicting increased sensitivity for the learned cue mapping. We found that, (1) while familiar cues (size and binocular disparity) were combined near-optimally, there was little evidence for a novel cue (auditory pitch) being combined with binocular disparity. Measures of repeatability across two sessions suggest that this was due to reliable inter-individual differences in combination with the novel cue. In contrast, (2) both familiar and novel cue pairs were re-weighted by their relative reliabilities and (3) showed sensitivity to incongruence. These direct comparisons show that, while a novel cue was rapidly mapped onto depth and weighted in line with its relative reliability, it was not integrated into the native perceptual repertoire by everyone. Reliable individual differences suggest that abilities to combine novel sensory cues may vary between people. These findings provide insight into the flexibility of human sensory processing and suggest that learning to interpret new sensory information depends in part on individual flexibility in perceptual computations. Highlights- We evaluated evidence for integration of novel and familiar cues to depth - After short training, direct comparisons show dissociations in integration - At a group level, novel cues, unlike familiar, were not combined overall - Strong individual differences suggest varied abilities to combine new cues - Individual differences seem to play an important role in integration of new cues

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2021

A New Sensory Skill Shows Automaticity and Integration Features in Multisensory Interactions

People can learn new sensory skills that augment their perception, such as human echolocation. However, it is not clear to what extent these can become an integral part of the perceptual repertoire. Can they show automatic use, integrated with the other senses, or do they remain cognitively-demanding, cumbersome, and separate? Here, participants learned to judge distance using an echo-like auditory cue. We show that use of this new skill met three key criteria for automaticity and sensory integration: (1) enhancing the speed of perceptual decisions; (2) processing through a non-verbal route and (3) integration with vision in an efficient, Bayes-like manner. We also show some limits following short training: integration was less-than-optimal, and there was no mandatory fusion of signals. These results demonstrate key ways in which new sensory skills can become automatic and integrated, and suggest that sensory augmentation systems may have benefits beyond current applications for sensory loss.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2019

Evaluating the performance of malaria genomics for inferring changes in transmission intensity using transmission modelling

Advances in genetic sequencing and accompanying methodological approaches have resulted in pathogen genetics being used in the control of infectious diseases. To utilise these methodologies for malaria we first need to extend the methods to capture the complex interactions between parasites, human and vector hosts, and environment. Here we develop an individual-based transmission model to simulate malaria parasite genetics parameterised using estimated relationships between complexity of infection and age from 5 regions in Uganda and Kenya. We predict that cotransmission and superinfection contribute equally to within-host parasite genetic diversity at 11.5% PCR prevalence, above which superinfections dominate. Finally, we characterise the predictive power of six metrics of parasite genetics for detecting changes in transmission intensity, before grouping them in an ensemble statistical model. The best performing model successfully predicted malaria prevalence with mean absolute error of 0.055, suggesting genetic tools could be used for monitoring the impact of malaria interventions.

genetics↗