Space and Value in the Primate Amygdala and Basal Forebrain

A stimulus predicting reinforcement can trigger emotional responses, such as arousal, as well as cognitive ones, such as increasing attention towards that stimulus. Neuroscientists have long appreciated that the amygdala mediates spatially non-specific emotional responses, but it remains unclear whether the amygdala links motivational and spatial representations in a way that may be important for the emotional-guidance of attention. To test whether amygdala neurons encode spatial and motivational information, we presented reward-predictive cues in different spatial configurations while assessing whether these cues influenced spatial attention. Cue configuration and predicted reward magnitude modulated amygdala neural activity in a coordinated fashion. Moreover, fluctuations in activity were correlated with trial-to-trial variability in spatial attention. Thus the amygdala integrates spatial and motivational information, which may influence the spatial allocation of cognitive resources. When surveying the environment, animals must be acutely aware of associations between stimuli and aversive outcomes in addition to those resulting in appetitive outcomes. This involves attending to appetitive stimuli in order to obtain positive outcomes, and aversive stimuli in order to avoid negative outcomes. While we first demonstrated that amygdala might play a role in influencing spatial attention towards appetitive stimuli, it is unclear whether the activity of individual amygdala neurons are modulated in a similar way by aversive stimuli that also attract attention. Recording from amygdala neurons while monkeys allocated attention both towards appetitive and aversive stimuli revealed that firing rates reflected where attention was allocated irrespective of valence. We also found that amygdala neurons preferentially encode appetitive and aversive stimuli relative to those of little motivational significance in a conditioning paradigm where spatial characteristics were irrelevant. Thus, amygdala neurons respond with respect to the motivational significance of stimuli, which is tied to spatial attention in contexts involving multiple stimuli. While the amygdala might be involved in guiding attention towards motivationally significant stimuli, this process is likely dependent on its interactions with anatomically linked brain areas. The basal forebrain is a candidate brain area for interacting with the amygdala in influencing emotionally-guided attention given its anatomical connectivity and influence over attentional processes. Here, we analyzed data from amygdala and basal forebrain neurons recorded while spatial attention was captured by appetitive and aversive stimuli. Neurons in the basal forebrain were spatial selective for appetitive and aversive stimuli much like the amygdala. We also found that the timing of value signals differed across brain areas in a manner dependent on the spatial configuration of stimuli. Together, these results demonstrate how the amygdala and basal forebrain may participate in coordinating cognitive and emotional processes and are suggestive of how dysfunction within this pathway might contribute to disorders where emotionally-guided attention is impaired

Closed-Eye Visualizations in the Setting of Hyponatremia.

Purpose: To report a case of closed-eye visualizations and to clarify the different types of hallucinations and their etiologies. Methods: Retrospective case report of a patient with closed-eye visualizations secondary to hyponatremia. Clinical findings, physical exam, laboratory assessment, treatment, and disease course from the patient\u27s hospitalization were used in creating this report. Follow-up data after discharge were also obtained. Results: Closed-eye visualizations were diagnosed as secondary to hyponatremia, as they did not occur with the eyes open, and potential alternate causes were excluded. Serum sodium nadir was 119 mEq/L. Symptoms resolved with correction of hyponatremia via fluid resuscitation and electrolyte replenishment. There has been no recurrence of the symptoms. Conclusion: This patient had hallucinations exclusively with the eyes closed, which must be differentiated from the release hallucinations seen with the eyes open in Charles Bonnet syndrome. This patient had no visual loss or retinal disease, which should be suspected in open eye hallucinations

Swimming with ShARCS: Comparison of On-sky Sensitivity With Model Predictions for ShaneAO on the Lick Observatory 3-meter Telescope

The Lick Observatory's Shane 3-meter telescope has been upgraded with a new infrared instrument (ShARCS - Shane Adaptive optics infraRed Camera and Spectrograph) and dual-deformable mirror adaptive optics (AO) system (ShaneAO). We present first-light measurements of imaging sensitivity in the Ks band. We compare measured results to predicted signal-to-noise ratio and magnitude limits from modeling the emissivity and throughput of ShaneAO and ShARCS. The model was validated by comparing its results to the Keck telescope adaptive optics system model and then by estimating the sky background and limiting magnitudes for IRCAL, the previous infra-red detector on the Shane telescope, and comparing to measured, published results. We predict that the ShaneAO system will measure lower sky backgrounds and achieve 20\% higher throughput across the $JHK$ bands despite having more optical surfaces than the current system. It will enable imaging of fainter objects (by 1-2 magnitudes) and will be faster to reach a fiducial signal-to-noise ratio by a factor of 10-13. We highlight the improvements in performance over the previous AO system and its camera, IRCAL.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures, SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, Montreal 201

Temporal Trend Analysis of Meteorological Variables and Reference Evapotranspiration in the Inter-Mountain Region ofWyoming

Long-term trends in reference evapotranspiration (ETref) and its controlling factors are critical pieces of information in understanding how agricultural water requirements and water resources respond to a variable and changing climate. In this study, ETref, along with climate variables that directly and indirectly impact it, such as air temperature (T), incoming solar radiation (Rs), wind speed (u), relative humidity (RH), and precipitation (P), are discussed. All variables are analyzed for four weather stations located in irrigated agricultural regions of inter-mountain Wyoming: Pinedale, Torrington, Powell, andWorland. Non-parametric MannKendall (MK) trend test and Theil–Sen’s slope estimator were used to determine the statistical significance of positive or negative trends in climate variables and ETref. Three non-parametric methods—(i) Pettitt Test (PT), (ii) Alexandersson’s Standard Normal Homogeneity Test (SNHT), and (iii) Buishand’s Range Test (BRT)—were used to check the data homogeneity and to detect any significant Trend Change Point (TCP) in the measured data time-series. For the data influenced by serial correlation, a modified version of the MK test (pre-whitening) were applied. Over the study duration, a statistically significant positive trend in maximum, minimum, and average annual temperature (Tmax, Tmin, and Tavg, respectively) was observed at all stations, except for Torrington in the southeast part of Wyoming, where these temperature measures had negative trends. The study indicated that the recent warming trends are much more pronounced than during the 1930s Dust Bowl Era. For all the stations, no TCPs were observed for P; however, significant changes in trends were observed for Tmax and Tmin on both annual and seasonal timescales. Both grass and alfalfa reference evapotranspiration (ETo and ETr) had statistically significant positive trends in at least one season (in particular, the spring months of March, April, and May (MAM) or summer months of June, July, and August (JJA) at all stations, except the station located in southeastWyoming (Torrington) where no statistically significant positive trends were observed. Torrington instead experienced statistically significant negative trends in ETo and ETr, particularly in the fall months of SON and winter months of DJF. Over the period-of-record, an overall change of +26, +31, -48, and +34 mm in ETo and +28, +40, -80, and +39 mm in ETr was observed at Pinedale, Powell, Torrington, andWorland, respectively. Our analysis indicated that both ETo (-3.4 mm year-1) and ETr (-5.3 mm year-1) are decreasing at a much faster rate in recent years at Torrington compared to other stations. Relationships between climate variables and ETo and ETr on an annual time-step reveal that ETo and ETr were significantly and positively correlated to Tavg, Tmax, Rs, Rn, and VPD, as well as significantly and negatively correlated to RH

Pseudohomozygous dysfibrinogenemia

Abstract Hypodysfibrinogenemia (HD) is a heterogeneous disorder in which plasma fibrinogen antigen and function are both reduced but discordant. This report addresses the key clinical question of whether genetic analysis enables clinically useful subclassification of patients with HD. We report a new case and identify a further eight previously documented cases that have the laboratory features of HD but biallelic inheritance of quantitative and qualitative fibrinogen gene variants. The cases displayed both bleeding and thrombosis and sometimes had undetectable fibrinogen activity. In all cases, the predicted effect of the coinherited variants is reduced levels of circulating fibrinogen that is all dysfunctional. We propose the term pseudohomozygous dysfibrinogenemia for this subtype of recessively inherited HD that is distinct from the more commonly recognized monoallelic HD caused by a single fibrinogen gene variant

Response Prepared to White House Analysis of Judge Bork’s Record (Biden Report)

Originally published as a Report to the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Joseph Biden, on the nomination of Robert H. Bork to the United States Supreme Court

The ICDP Lake Bosumtwi Drilling Project: A First Report

The 10.5 -km-diameter, 1.07-Ma Bosumtwi impact crater was the subject of a multi-disciplinary and international drilling effort of the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) from July to October 2004. Sixteen different holes were drilled at six locations within the lake, to a maximum depth of 540 m. A total of about 2.2 km of core material was obtained. Despite some technical and logistical challenges, the project has been very successful and it is anticipated that the first scientific results will be available in late 2005

Eustace, Son of King Stephen: The Model Prince in Twelfth-Century England

During the twelfth century in England, there were three viable princes who were their father’s eldest sons – yet all three died before the age of thirty, and none lived long enough to fully take the throne. This had important implications for English politics, for the process of Anglo-Norman royal succession, and for what it meant to be a prince. Eustace (c.1130-1153), the central figure in this essay, was the prince of England under his father King Stephen, and was also the count of Boulogne from 1147 until his death in 1153. Curiously enough, he is notably absent from modern scholarship and is only brought up in connection to his father, or other places and events with historical significance. The primary objective of this essay is to begin to consider Eustace’s life and his deeds – an objective which is accomplished by the first two sections of this essay. The third section is then dedicated to the comparison of Eustace to the two other English princes of the twelfth century, William Aetheling and Henry the Young King, who similarly met an early end. Based on a model of kingship, these three princes are juxtaposed against one another, and their aptitudes and deeds are assessed and evaluated based largely upon the opinions of the contemporary chroniclers. Eustace, though flawed in the eyes of many of these chroniclers, shines through as the model English prince of the twelfth century. This study on Eustace provides further insights into adjacent topics such as English politics during Stephen’s reign, the role of a prince, and also provides a framework for the historical evaluation of princes

Alcohol consumption predicts violent victimisation, impulsive decision making predicts violence

Aims: First, to assess whether perpetrators of violence are also more likely to be victims of violence in a sample of drinkers who socialize in a city centre night-time economy. Second, to test whether extent of alcohol use and impulsive decision making, both associated with violence and violent injury, are associated with violence and victimization equally. Design: A cross-sectional street survey conducted in an area characterized by a high density of licensed premises collected data on socio-economic status, gender, alcohol consumption, impulsive decision making and whether respondents had been victims of violence or had perpetrated violence. Impulsive decision making was assessed using a delay discounting task with hypothetical monetary rewards. Participants: Data from 271 female and 294 male respondents who regularly socialized in the local night time economy were available for analysis. Findings: Perpetrators of violence were more likely to be victims of violence; impulsive decision making predicted violence whereas alcohol consumption and the frequency that respondents visited the night time economy predicted victimization. Men were more likely to be perpetrators of violence than women. Conclusions: Heavy alcohol consumption in areas densely populated with licensed premises increases the likelihood of victimization and perpetrators of violence are more likely to disregard the future consequences of their action. Measures that either reduce the impact of drunken behavior or reduce excessive alcohol consumption will reduce alcohol related harm

Review of productivity decline in sown grass pastures

Productivity decline in sown grass pastures is widespread in northern Australia and reduces production by approximately 50%, a farm gate cost to industry of > $17B over the next 30 years. Buffel grass is the most widely established sown species (>75% of plantings) and has been estimated to be “dominant” on 5.8 M hectares and “common” on a further 25.9 M hectares of Queensland. Legumes are the most cost effective mitigation option and can reclaim 30-50% of lost production. Commercial use of legumes has achieved mixed results with notable successes but many failures. There is significant opportunity to improve commercial results from legumes using existing technologies, however there is a need for targeted research to improve the reliability of establishment and productivity of legumes. This review recommends the grazing industry invest in targeted R,D&E to assist industry in improving production and sustainability of rundown pastures