Motion adaptation and attention: A critical review and meta-analysis

The motion aftereffect (MAE) provides a behavioural probe into the mechanisms underlying motion perception, and has been used to study the effects of attention on motion processing. Visual attention can enhance detection and discrimination of selected visual signals. However, the relationship between attention and motion processing remains contentious: not all studies find that attention increases MAEs. Our meta-analysis reveals several factors that explain superficially discrepant findings. Across studies (37 independent samples, 76 effects) motion adaptation was significantly and substantially enhanced by attention (Cohen's d = 1.12, p < .0001). The effect more than doubled when adapting to translating (vs. expanding or rotating) motion. Other factors affecting the attention-MAE relationship included stimulus size, eccentricity and speed. By considering these behavioural analyses alongside neurophysiological work, we conclude that feature-based (rather than spatial, or object-based) attention is the biggest driver of sensory adaptation. Comparisons between naïve and non-naïve observers, different response paradigms, and assessment of 'file-drawer effects' indicate that neither response bias nor publication bias are likely to have significantly inflated the estimated effect of attention

The CAG trinucleotide repeat length in the androgen receptor does not predict the early onset of prostate cancer

Objective To relate the repeat length of the androgen-receptor CAG trinucleotide to the age of onset of prostate cancer, stage and grade of disease. Patients and methods After obtaining ethical approval, 265 patients with locally confined or locally advanced/metastatic prostate cancer were identified and evaluated for age at diagnosis (less than 65 years and greater than 75 years). DNA was extracted from peripheral blood lymphocytes and 1 mug aliquots subjected to polymerase chain reaction using fluorescently labelled primers. Samples were then run on an ABI 377 gene scan analysis gel with an internal molecular weight marker. The length of the CAG repeat was determined by comparing the gene scan product size to samples where the CAG repeat length had been quantified using direct sequencing. The Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon two sample tests were used to analyse the data. Results The mean (range) length of the CAG repeat in the androgen receptor was 22.2 (10-31) in the younger and 22.5 (16-32) in the older group, and was not statistically different. There was no significant association between the CAG repeat length and the age of onset of prostate cancer (P = 0.568) or with stage (P = 0.577) and grade (P = 0.891) of prostate cancer. Conclusion These results suggest that there is no correlation between the androgen receptor CAG repeat length and the age of onset, stage and grade of prostate cancer, confirming recent doubts from other similar studies of a suggested correlation between shorter androgen receptor CAG repeat and early onset and aggressiveness of prostate cancer

The unitary-model-operator approach to nuclear many-body problems

Microscopic nuclear structure calculations have been performed within the framework of the unitary-model-operator approach. Ground-state and single-particle energies are calculated for nuclei around ^{14}C, ^{16}O and ^{40}Ca with modern nucleon-nucleon interactions.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, Talk presented at the International Symposium on Correlation Dynamics in Nuclei (CDN05), Jan. 1 - Feb. 4, 2005, Tokyo, Japa

The unitary-model-operator approach to nuclear many-body problems

Microscopic nuclear structure calculations have been performed within the framework of the unitary-model-operator approach. Ground-state and single-particle energies are calculated for nuclei around ^{14}C, ^{16}O and ^{40}Ca with modern nucleon-nucleon interactions.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, Talk presented at the International Symposium on Correlation Dynamics in Nuclei (CDN05), Jan. 1 - Feb. 4, 2005, Tokyo, Japa

A molecular perspective on the limits of life: Enzymes under pressure

From a purely operational standpoint, the existence of microbes that can grow under extreme conditions, or "extremophiles", leads to the question of how the molecules making up these microbes can maintain both their structure and function. While microbes that live under extremes of temperature have been heavily studied, those that live under extremes of pressure have been neglected, in part due to the difficulty of collecting samples and performing experiments under the ambient conditions of the microbe. However, thermodynamic arguments imply that the effects of pressure might lead to different organismal solutions than from the effects of temperature. Observationally, some of these solutions might be in the condensed matter properties of the intracellular milieu in addition to genetic modifications of the macromolecules or repair mechanisms for the macromolecules. Here, the effects of pressure on enzymes, which are proteins essential for the growth and reproduction of an organism, and some adaptations against these effects are reviewed and amplified by the results from molecular dynamics simulations. The aim is to provide biological background for soft matter studies of these systems under pressure.Comment: 16 pages, 8 figure

The unitary-model-operator approach to nuclear many-body problems

Microscopic nuclear structure calculations have been performed within the framework of the unitary-model-operator approach. Ground-state and single-particle energies are calculated for nuclei around ^{14}C, ^{16}O and ^{40}Ca with modern nucleon-nucleon interactions.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, Talk presented at the International Symposium on Correlation Dynamics in Nuclei (CDN05), Jan. 1 - Feb. 4, 2005, Tokyo, Japa

Profiles of Fatigue Severity and Variability Among Adolescents and Young Adults with Cerebral Palsy

Background: Individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) experience progressive changes in functional status with the development of secondary impairments such as fatigue. Detailed accounts of the fatigue experience in CP are lacking. Purpose: This study describes the severity and variability of fatigue in CP using the Fatigue Impact and Severity Self-Assessment. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study surveying 130 (61 males) individuals (mean age 18 years, 11 months; SD four years, six months) with CP. Analyses comprised comparisons between two groups (Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) I and II-V), frequency counts and proportions. Results: Significant differences exist between GMFCS groups for all fatigue severity questions. In addition, 38% of individuals classified as GMFCS level I reported their average fatigue as moderate to severe and 53% experienced fatigue on three or more days in the previous week. Sixty-eight percent of individuals classified as GMFCS II-V reported their average fatigue to be moderate to severe and 78% were fatigued on three or more days in the previous week. Conclusions: Fatigue is a highly individualized phenomenon with significant burden for individuals with CP regardless of functional ability. Individuals in GMFCS Levels II-V reported increased fatigue severity and would benefit from specific management interventions

Validity and reliability of two abbreviated versions of the Gross Motor Function Measure.

Aim: The “gold standard” to measure gross motor functioning for children with cerebral palsy (CP) is the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-66). The purpose of this study was to estimate the validity and reliability of two abbreviated versions (item set (GMFM-66 IS) and basal and ceiling (GMFM-66 B&C) approaches) of the GMFM-66. Methods: Twenty-six children with CP aged 2 to 6 years across all GMFCS levels participated. At session one, both abbreviated versions were administered by two independent raters, followed by the full GMFM-66. In the subsequent session, only the abbreviated versions were administered, by the same raters. Concurrent validity, comparability between versions and test-retest reliability were determined using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC 2,1). Results: Both versions demonstrated high levels of validity with ICCs reflecting associations with the GMFM-66 of 0.99 (95% CIs ranging from 0.972-0.997). Both versions were also shown to be highly reliable with ICCs greater than 0.98 (95% CIs ranging from 0.965-0.994). Interpretation: Both versions can be used in clinical practice or research. However, the GMFM-66-B&C is recommended as the preferred abbreviated version

Construction and validation of the fatigue impact and severity self-assessment for youth and young adults with cerebral palsy.

Purpose: The Fatigue Impact and Severity Self-Assessment (FISSA) was created to assess the impact, severity and self-management of fatigue for individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) aged 14-31. Methods Used: Items were generated from a review of measures and interviews with individuals with CP. Focus groups with healthcare professionals were used for item reduction. A mailed survey was conducted (n=163/367) to assess the factor structure, known-groups validity and test-retest reliability. Results Obtained: The final measure contained 31-items in two factors and discriminated between individuals expected to have different levels of fatigue. Individuals with more functional abilities reported less fatigue (p\u3c 0.002) and those with higher pain reported higher fatigue (p\u3c 0.001). The FISSA was shown to have adequate test-retest reliability, ICC(3,1)=0.74 (95% CI 0.53-0.87). Conclusions Reached: The FISSA valid and reliable for individuals with CP. It allows for identification of the activities that may be compromised by fatigue to enhance collaborative goal setting and intervention planning

Universal continuous-variable quantum computation: Requirement of optical nonlinearity for photon counting

Although universal continuous-variable quantum computation cannot be achieved via linear optics (including squeezing), homodyne detection and feed-forward, inclusion of ideal photon counting measurements overcomes this obstacle. These measurements are sometimes described by arrays of beam splitters to distribute the photons across several modes. We show that such a scheme cannot be used to implement ideal photon counting and that such measurements necessarily involve nonlinear evolution. However, this requirement of nonlinearity can be moved "off-line," thereby permitting universal continuous-variable quantum computation with linear optics.Comment: 6 pages, no figures, replaced with published versio