Hipokampální neuronální reprezentace pohybujícího se objektu v nové úloze vyhýbání se prostoru

V reálném prostředí musí zvířata přizpůsobovat své chování jiným pohybujícím se zvířatům nebo předmětům; při lovu dravce, při migraci ve skupinách nebo při různých sociálních interakcích. Ve všech těchto situacích se zvíře musí orientovat vzhledem k jinému pohybujícímu se zvířeti/předmětu. Při studiu role hipokampu v těchto procesech jsme postupovali ve dvou krocích. Vyvinuli jsme behaviorální úlohu reflektující klíčové prvky tohoto chování v laboratorních podmínkách. Řešení úlohy vyžadovalo, aby testovaný potkan vyhodnotil nejen svoji vzdálenost od pohybujícího se objektu, ale také svoji polohu vzhledem k tomuto objektu. Dále jsme studovali, jak neurony v hipokampální oblasti CA1 v tomto behaviorálním paradigmatu kódují subjekt, pohybující se objekt a okolní prostředí a jak tyto reprezentace mezi sebou interagují. Zaměřili jsme se na charakterizaci prostorového chování potkanů ve vztahu k pohybujícím se objektům a na prozkoumání kognitivních mechanismů regulujících toto chování. Tři skupiny zvířat byly natrénovány, aby se vyhýbaly mírnému elektrickému stimulu, který byl aplikován v jedné ze tří oblastí vůči pohybujícímu se robotovi: před robotem, po jeho levé nebo pravé straně. Pomocí různých modifikací úlohy jsme také zkoumali, zda k vyhýbání docházelo na základě vnímání zvýšené úrovně hluku,...In real world environments, animals need to organize their behavior relative to other moving animals or objects; when hunting a predator, when migrating in groups or during various social interactions. In all of these situations, the animal needs to orient relative to another moving animal/object. To understand the role of the hippocampus in this ability we adopted a two-step approach. We developed a task that would mimic important elements of this behavior in the laboratory. The task required the rats to assess not only their distance from the moving object but also their position relative to the object. We further studied how neurons in the hippocampal CA1 subfield encode the subject, the moving object and the environment in the behavioral paradigm and how do these representations interact among themselves. In rats, we aimed to characterize spatial behaviors relative to moving objects and to explore the cognitive mechanisms controlling these behaviors. Three groups of animals were trained to avoid a mild foot-shock delivered in one of three positions: either in front, on the left side, or the right side of a moving robot. Using different variations of the task, we also probed whether avoidance was simply due to increased noise level or size of the retinal image or appearance of the robot. As the...Katedra fyziologieDepartment of PhysiologyPřírodovědecká fakultaFaculty of Scienc

ObserVR

According to Superdata Digital Market Research, investors have poured more than $6 billion into the virtual reality market in the last three years, mostly to catalyze application development for virtual reality gaming. In the last decade, watching live streams of other gamers playing video games has skyrocketed, with the world’s largest esports streaming platform Twitch.tv receiving 53 million unique visitors daily. ObserVR intends to package these technologies and change the way users watch multiple 2D video streams in an immersive 3D environment. By accessing our service, a user can embed URLs for existing video streams through our online application and then launch a motion controlled multi-screen view within their virtual reality headset. By utilizing existing 2D content, our service is changing the current viewing experience by eliminating the hassle of manually changing web browser tabs and offering a way to become your own producer by choosing what camera angles you want to watch at any given time. By providing this service in three dimensions, we are able to bring benefits to each user that current technology does not allow. These benefits include saving time, decreasing hardware space, and providing a community base while enhancing current viewing methods. While most of the technology’s early adopters are gamers, virtual reality devices are expected to become the next household entertainment standard, meaning that the applications for this technology beyond gaming are boundless. To meet our customers’ needs, we will be building an online application that allows users to incorporate any available online video stream into our interface and create a customized viewing layout. Our initial interface will support up to four streams at any one time. By allowing users to embed and launch personally selected content, we are decreasing the amount of behavioral change needed for user adoption. We plan to include the ability to select content directly through our application dashboard, providing a library of all online streamable content

“Waterpipe Is Like a Wife”: Qualitative Assessment of Perspectives on Waterpipe Smoking Dependence

Background: Waterpipe (WP) smoking has become a global public health problem in recent decades and growing evidence indicates that it can cause nicotine dependence. Most evidence on WP dependence to date has been derived from survey- or laboratory based studies. This study employed qualitative methods to explore WP users’ perceptions of dependence in Aleppo, Syria.Methods: A total of 15 focus groups were conducted with 64 adult WP smokers (51 males and 13 females) using a semi-structured interview. All focus group discussions were audiotaped, transcribed, and coded using directed content analysis. Findings: Several WP dependence features were consistent with those commonly reported by cigarette smokers. These included positively reinforced features, such as smoking’s association with social gatherings and cultural connectedness, and negatively reinforced features including relief of withdrawal symptoms, stress, and boredom. Although interest in quitting was low, many users perceived quitting WP to be difficult and an indicator of loss of control over smoking, a common marker of dependence. Several observed dependence features were specific to WP, including transitioning from social smoking to smoking alone, and adapting one’s behavior to the considerable effort normally required to engage in WP smoking despite inconvenience or cost, and often atthe expense of other reinforcers such as social interaction.Conclusion: The general and specific features of WP dependence need to be considered in developing instruments to measure WP dependence, in clinical assessment of WP dependence, and in developing cessation programs

Hippocampal neuronal representation of a moving object in a novel spatial avoidance task

In real world environments, animals need to organize their behavior relative to other moving animals or objects; when hunting a predator, when migrating in groups or during various social interactions. In all of these situations, the animal needs to orient relative to another moving animal/object. To understand the role of the hippocampus in this ability we adopted a two-step approach. We developed a task that would mimic important elements of this behavior in the laboratory. The task required the rats to assess not only their distance from the moving object but also their position relative to the object. We further studied how neurons in the hippocampal CA1 subfield encode the subject, the moving object and the environment in the behavioral paradigm and how do these representations interact among themselves. In rats, we aimed to characterize spatial behaviors relative to moving objects and to explore the cognitive mechanisms controlling these behaviors. Three groups of animals were trained to avoid a mild foot-shock delivered in one of three positions: either in front, on the left side, or the right side of a moving robot. Using different variations of the task, we also probed whether avoidance was simply due to increased noise level or size of the retinal image or appearance of the robot. As the..

Factors Associated with E-cigarette Quit Intention and Behavior among Adolescents in the United States

Adolescent e-cigarette use has reached an epidemic level in the United States (US). It is therefore critical to encourage adolescents to quit e-cigarettes. The present research draws upon the Stages of Change (SOC) of the Trans-theoretical Model (TTM) and the Socio-Ecological Model to examine: 1) the association of socio-ecological factors with the SOC for intention to quit e-cigarettes among US adolescents; 2) the transitions across stages of e-cigarette quitting and its association with socio-ecological factors; and 3) the association of socio-ecological factors among US adolescents who quit using e-cigarettes (quitters) vs. those who did not quit (non-quitters). We conducted one cross-sectional (n=349) and two prospective observational studies (n=243 and n=177) using data from past 30-day adolescent exclusive e-cigarette users participating in Wave 3 and/or Wave 4 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) survey. Data analyses were performed using weighted unadjusted and/or adjusted multivariate and multinomial logistic regression analysis, and structural equation modeling (SEM). At the individual level, we found that adolescents who perceived that people cause a “lot of harm” to themselves relative to “no harm” when they use e-cigarettes were approximately 11 times more likely to be in the preparation stage than pre-contemplation stage. Furthermore, adolescents were significantly less likely to quit e-cigarettes if they perceived that people harm themselves “a little/some” from e-cigarettes and nicotine in e-cigarettes was “slightly/somewhat harmful” to health. At the interpersonal level, those adolescents who reported that important people in their life used e-cigarettes were significantly less likely to transition from pre-contemplation to action stage and 6.8 times more likely to remain stagnant in the pre-contemplation stage. At the environmental/policy level factors, adolescents who “often/very often” and “rarely/sometimes” noticed health warnings on e-cigarette packages relative to those who “never” noticed such warnings were approximately 4.7 times and 3.2 times, respectively, more likely to be in the contemplation stage than pre-contemplation stage. The SEM findings showed direct significant relationship of individual (b =0.206, p = 0.02) and interpersonal factors (b = 0.170, p = 0.04) with e-cigarette quitting behavior. Multi-level interventions are needed to encourage adolescents to positively navigate through stages of quitting e-cigarettes, and eventually help them to quit using these products

Invasive cystic hypersecretory carcinoma of the breast

Cystic hypersecretory carcinoma (CHC) of the breast is a rare variant of ductal carcinoma, characterized by variably sized cysts lined by micropapillary fronds to proliferative pseudostratified columnar epithelium. It includes a spectrum of morphological features ranging from clearly benign cystic hypersecretory hyperplasia (CHH), CHH with atypia to invasive CHC. Only 20 cases of invasive CHC have been reported to date. We report a case of a 49-year-old female who presented with a palpable breast lump and nipple discharge. Gross examination showed variable-sized cysts lined by solid grey white tumors. On microscopic examination, cysts were lined by micropapillary fronds with eosinophilic colloid-like secretion with a focus of invasion. A diagnosis of invasive CHC was made. Since there are limited case reports, our understanding of its biological behavior, prognostic factors, and genetic basis is limited