Anticipatory eye movements evoked after active following versus passive observation of a predictable motion stimulus.

We used passive and active following of a predictable smooth pursuit stimulus in order to establish if predictive eye movement responses are equivalent under both passive and active conditions. The smooth pursuit stimulus was presented in pairs that were either ‘predictable’ in which both presentations were matched in timing and velocity, or ‘randomized’ in which each presentation in the pair was varied in both timing and velocity. A visual cue signaled the type of response required from the subject; a green cue indicated the subject should follow both the target presentations (Go-Go), a pink cue indicated that the subject should passively observe the 1st target and follow the 2nd target (NoGo-Go), and finally a green cue with a black cross revealed a randomized (Rnd) trial in which the subject should follow both presentations. The results revealed better prediction in the Go-Go trials than in the NoGo-Go trials, as indicated by higher anticipatory velocity and earlier eye movement onset (latency). We conclude that velocity and timing information stored from passive observation of a moving target is diminished when compared to active following of the target. This study has significant consequences for understanding how visuomotor memory is generated, stored and subsequently released from short-term memory

Various products of category densities and liftings

AbstractWe extend earlier work [M.R. Burke, N.D. Macheras, K. Musiał, W. Strauss, Category product densities and liftings, Topology Appl. 153 (2006) 1164–1191] of the authors on the existence of category liftings in the product of two topological spaces X and Y such that X×Y is a Baire space. For given densities ρ, σ on X and Y, respectively, we introduce two ‘Fubini type’ products ρ⊙σ and ρ⊡σ on X×Y. We present a necessary and sufficient condition for ρ⊙σ to be a density. Provided (X,Y) and (Y,X) have the Kuratowski–Ulam property, we prove for given category liftings ρ, σ on the factors the existence of a category lifting π on the product, dominating the density ρ⊡σ and such thatπ(A×B)=ρ(A)×σ(B)for Baire subsets A of X and B of Y,andρ([π(E)]y)=[π(E)]yfor all y∈Y and Baire subsets E of X×Y.We show that further properties of consistency with the product structure cannot be expected.We prove also that contrary to measure theoretical liftings, in case of Baire spaces there might exist countably additive liftings. This answers, assuming the existence of a compact cardinal, a question from [M.R. Burke, N.D. Macheras, K. Musiał, W. Strauss, Category product densities and liftings, Topology Appl. 153 (2006) 1164–1191]. The example we present is a version of an example of D.H. Fremlin of a space whose category algebra has a countably additive lifting

The role of acetylcholinesterase in Alzheimer’s disease: Enzymatic inhibition studies

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia and causes a progressive and irreversible neurodegeneration. It is related with loss of cholinergic function, which affects memory, learning and behavior [1]. Neurophathologically, AD is characterized by the presence of beta-amyloid plaques (A ) and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) [2] and consequent degeneration of the basal forebrain cholinergic neurons [3]. The loss of cholinergic neurons leads to the progressive reduction of acetylcholine (ACh) in the brain and resulting cognitive impairment in AD [3]. As such, the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) has been one of the prime targets in search for a treatment for AD, which uses reversible inhibitors of AChE, in order to increase levels of acetylcholine (ACh) in the brain [4]. In the present study a small library of quinolinone and indole derivatives was screened for their eeAChE inhibitory activity using the Ellman method

Improved Squeaky Wheel Optimisation for Driver Scheduling

This paper presents a technique called Improved Squeaky Wheel Optimisation for driver scheduling problems. It improves the original Squeaky Wheel Optimisations effectiveness and execution speed by incorporating two additional steps of Selection and Mutation which implement evolution within a single solution. In the ISWO, a cycle of Analysis-Selection-Mutation-Prioritization-Construction continues until stopping conditions are reached. The Analysis step first computes the fitness of a current solution to identify troublesome components. The Selection step then discards these troublesome components probabilistically by using the fitness measure, and the Mutation step follows to further discard a small number of components at random. After the above steps, an input solution becomes partial and thus the resulting partial solution needs to be repaired. The repair is carried out by using the Prioritization step to first produce priorities that determine an order by which the following Construction step then schedules the remaining components. Therefore, the optimisation in the ISWO is achieved by solution disruption, iterative improvement and an iterative constructive repair process performed. Encouraging experimental results are reported

Identifying the needs of people with long COVID: a qualitative study in the UK

Objectives To identify the needs of people with long COVID (LC) in the UK. Design Qualitative study using the Framework Analysis to analyse focus group discussions. Participants 25 adults with LC aged 19–76 years including 17 men and 8 women. Average disease duration was 80.1 weeks. Setting Eight focus groups were conducted in April 2023 online and in-person at the University of Leeds (UoL), UK. Recruitment routes included advertisement via Leeds Community Healthcare services, the English National Opera Breathe Programme and within the UoL. Results Three key themes/needs were identified. (Theme 1) Support systems including community groups, disability benefits, clinical services and employment support should be accessible and tailored to the needs of people with LC. (Theme 2) Research should investigate the physiology of symptoms, new clinical tests and treatment interventions to improve clinical understanding of the condition and symptom management. (Theme 3) Societal awareness should be promoted via local and national initiatives to educate the public about the condition and reduce stigma. Conclusions Participants experienced varied and individual challenges to daily life due to LC. There is a need for government acknowledgement of LC as a disability to ensure people with LC have access to disability support and legal protection. Policy development should be patient-driven and acknowledge the individual needs of people with LC in order to improve their quality of life

Does repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation improve cognitive function in age‐related neurodegenerative diseases? A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Objective: High-frequency, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) targeted over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is widely used in research to promote neuroplasticity and cognitive enhancement. RTMS is a promising intervention to tackle cognitive decline in people with age-related neurodegenerative diseases. However, there is currently no systematic evidence examining the effects of DLPFC-targeted, high-frequency rTMS on cognitive function in this population. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the efficacy and moderators of this treatment intervention. Methods: A comprehensive literature search of five electronic databases was performed to identify articles published before October, 2022. Following PRISMA guidelines, the identified articles were screened, data was extracted, and the methodological quality was assessed using the Cochrane tool, Risk of Bias 2. Meta-analyses were performed using R Studio (v.4.1.2). Results: Sixteen studies involving 474 participants met the inclusion criteria, of which 8 studies measured global cognitive function. The results from the random-effects meta-analysis showed rTMS significantly improved global cognitive function relative to control groups shown by a large, significant effect size (g = 1.39, 95% CI, 0.34–2.43; p = 0.017). No significant effects were found between subgroups or for individual cognitive domains. Conclusions: High-frequency rTMS, targeted over the DLPFC, appears to improve global cognitive function in people with age-related neurodegenerative diseases. However, these results should be interpreted with caution due to the small number of studies included, and high between-study heterogeneity

Exclusive Queueing Process with Discrete Time

In a recent study [C Arita, Phys. Rev. E 80, 051119 (2009)], an extension of the M/M/1 queueing process with the excluded-volume effect as in the totally asymmetric simple exclusion process (TASEP) was introduced. In this paper, we consider its discrete-time version. The update scheme we take is the parallel one. A stationary-state solution is obtained in a slightly arranged matrix product form of the discrete-time open TASEP with the parallel update. We find the phase diagram for the existence of the stationary state. The critical line which separates the parameter space into the regions with and without the stationary state can be written in terms of the stationary current of the open TASEP. We calculate the average length of the system and the average number of particles

A Rare Disease Patient Manager

ABSTRACT publicado: 6th International Conference on Practical Applications of Computational Biology & Bioinformatics (PACBB. Salamanca, 28-30 Março 2012The personal health implications behind rare diseases are seldom considered in widespread medical care. The low incidence rate and complex treatment process makes rare disease research an underrated field in the life sciences. However, it is in these particular conditions that the strongest relations between genotypes and phenotypes are identified. The rare disease patient manager, detailed in this manuscript, presents an innovative perspective for a patient-centric portal integrating genetic and medical data. With this strategy, patient’s digital records are transparently integrated and connected to wet-lab genetics research in a seamless working environment. The resulting knowledge base offers multiple data views, geared towards medical staff, with patient treatment and monitoring data; genetics researchers, through a custom locus-specific database; and patients, who for once play an active role in their treatment and rare diseases research