In the blink of an eye: Value and novelty drive saccades

Evidence accumulation is an essential component of value-based decisions. Recent human studies suggest that overt attention correlates with evidence accumulation necessary for optimal decisions. However, the influence of covert attention on decision-making remains relatively unexplored. To investigate this issue, two monkeys were trained to perform a decision-making task where they chose between two stimuli, which were either ‘Overtrained’ or learned that day (‘Novel’). Subjects could freely saccade during choice evaluation and indicated their decision by moving a joystick. Saccades were made within 170 ms of stimulus presentation and were strongly driven by both value and novelty, implying covert stimulus evaluation prior to saccade. This effect was strongest for ‘Overtrained’ choices, but rapidly emerged during learning of ‘Novel’ choices. Though novel stimuli attracted initial saccades, final decisions were guided only by value; implying attentional value comparison processes are at least partially dissociable from value comparison processes that govern final decisions. While subjects made highly optimal decisions, they frequently viewed only one stimulus; final choice was thus best explained by assuming covert evidence accumulation. Our results suggest that the primate brain contains multiple value comparison systems for guiding attention toward highly valuable or novel information while simultaneously optimizing final decision value

Fake news and critical thinking in information evaluation

In the post-truth era we are constantly bombarded with “news” which is fabricated, distorted, and massaged information, published with the intention to deceive and mislead others. Such “news” has come to be known as “fake news”. The influence of fake news can have profound socio-political and cultural effects when translated into action. The ability to distinguish between real facts, fabricated stories, rumours, propaganda, or opinions is of paramount importance. The rapid proliferation of information through social media is now the norm. In this paper we consider the challenge of preparing students, in developing skills for recognising mis-information, dis-information and mal-information. We argue that critical thinking for evaluating information should now be considered a basic literacy, equally important to literacy itself, as well as information and information technology literacies. In this paper we revisit Bloom’s taxonomy of cognitive skills and represent what a learner can achieve at each level. We customise the traditional moral and ethical concepts suggested by the US Content Subcommittee of the ImpactCS Steering Committee to flag the ethical concerns over mis-information, dis-information and mal-information. We report on current levels of awareness and practices at the authors’ five higher education institutions, and reveal varying levels of awareness of the significance of critical literacy and different practices in each location. The paper concludes with an outline of future work

High-Q terahertz Bragg resonances within a metal parallel plate waveguide

One-dimensional (1D) Bragg waveguides are demonstrated at terahertz (THz) frequencies. Lithographically made 1D symmetric and asymmetric dielectric gratings on metallized high conductivity Si chips are incorporated within metal parallel plate waveguides to form Bragg waveguides. These waveguides have high throughput and have Bragg resonances with linewidths approaching 6 GHz and Q as high as 430. These high-Q resonant Bragg waveguides are excellent structures for applications in THz sensing.Peer reviewedElectrical and Computer Engineerin

Design and implementation of a low-cost mechatronic shoe for biomechanical analysis of the human locomotion

In this paper the development of a low-cost and easy wearable mechatronic system for the measurement of ground reaction forces (GRF) for the biomechanical analysis of the human locomotion is presented. The system consists of an insole, a conditioning device for the signals produced by the sensors applied to the insole and a data acquisition system connected to a USB portable storage. The sensors applied to the insole can measure the reaction forces in the horizontal and vertical directions during locomotion. The prototype was validated by comparing the data from the sensors with the values obtained using a force platform

Ultrathin Oxide Films by Atomic Layer Deposition on Graphene

In this paper, a method is presented to create and characterize mechanically robust, free standing, ultrathin, oxide films with controlled, nanometer-scale thickness using Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) on graphene. Aluminum oxide films were deposited onto suspended graphene membranes using ALD. Subsequent etching of the graphene left pure aluminum oxide films only a few atoms in thickness. A pressurized blister test was used to determine that these ultrathin films have a Young's modulus of 154 \pm 13 GPa. This Young's modulus is comparable to much thicker alumina ALD films. This behavior indicates that these ultrathin two-dimensional films have excellent mechanical integrity. The films are also impermeable to standard gases suggesting they are pinhole-free. These continuous ultrathin films are expected to enable new applications in fields such as thin film coatings, membranes and flexible electronics.Comment: Nano Letters (just accepted

Endoscopic Ultrasound Guided Drainage of Peri-Rectal Collections: A Salvage Approach

Abdominal and pelvic abscesses can occur as a consequence of surgery and are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. It is well accepted that the primary treatment is antibiotic therapy and minimally invasive drainage. Surgical measures are typically reserved for patients with luminal perforations or those who do not respond to conservative measures. Previously available modalities of drainage involved percutaneous and computed tomography guided access. Recently, endoscopic ultrasound guided aspiration has emerged as a safe alternative for management of intra-abdominal abscesses. Since its first application for peripancreatic drainage, endoscopic ultrasound techniques and technologies have significantly evolved. Endoscopic ultrasound interventions can now be performed quickly, safely and precisely, even outside of the operating room. Multiple reports and case series demonstrate the utility for endoscopic ultrasound guided drainage of fluid collections, providing they are in close proximity to the intestinal lumen. As a result, extension of this approach’s indications has been considered. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided drainage and stenting is an emerging approach which provides an accurate, efficient and safe alternative for the management of intra-abdominal collections. Furthermore, endoscopic ultrasound techniques may allow access to areas that are inaccessible or technically challenging with computed tomography guided or surgical approaches as illustrated in our case. Additionally, the internal nature of the access point may offer patients a more comfortable experience; and can facilitate preservation of enteral feeding routes or intestinal transit. This case demonstrated the clinical complexity that often characterizes the management of post surgical complications, particularly inflammatory collections. It further delineates the utility of Endoscopic ultrasound-fine needle aspiration techniques in the treatment of pelvic abscesses, even as a salvage therapy, where other approaches fail. EUS guided drainage should strongly be considered at multiple tiers of all treatment algorithms as a viable, and in some instances preferable therapeutic modality for patients presenting with intra-abdominal collections

A missense mutation (c.184C>T) in ovine CLN6 causes neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis in Merino sheep whereas affected South Hampshire sheep have reduced levels of CLN6 mRNA

AbstractThe neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCLs, Batten disease) are a group of fatal recessively inherited neurodegenerative diseases of humans and animals characterised by common clinical signs and pathology. These include blindness, ataxia, dementia, behavioural changes, seizures, brain and retinal atrophy and accumulation of fluorescent lysosome derived organelles in most cells. A number of different variants have been suggested and seven different causative genes identified in humans (CLN1, CLN2, CLN3, CLN5, CLN6, CLN8 and CTSD). Animal models have played a central role in the investigation of this group of diseases and are extremely valuable for developing a better understanding of the disease mechanisms and possible therapeutic approaches. Ovine models include flocks of affected New Zealand South Hampshires and Borderdales and Australian Merinos. The ovine CLN6 gene has been sequenced in a representative selection of these sheep. These investigations unveiled the mutation responsible for the disease in Merino sheep (c.184C>T; p.Arg62Cys) and three common ovine allelic variants (c.56A>G, c.822G>A and c.933_934insCT). Linkage analysis established that CLN6 is the gene most likely to cause NCL in affected South Hampshire sheep, which do not have the c.184C>T mutation but show reduced expression of CLN6 mRNA in a range of tissues as determined by real-time PCR. Lack of linkage precludes CLN6 as a candidate for NCL in Borderdale sheep

Viral Bimolecular Fluorescence Complementation: A Novel Tool to Study Intracellular Vesicular Trafficking Pathways

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1) accessory protein Nef interacts with a multitude of cellular proteins, manipulating the host membrane trafficking machinery to evade immune surveillance. Nef interactions have been analyzed using various in vitro assays, co-immunoprecipitation studies, and more recently mass spectrometry. However, these methods do not evaluate Nef interactions in the context of viral infection nor do they define the sub-cellular location of these interactions. In this report, we describe a novel bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) lentiviral expression tool, termed viral BiFC, to study Nef interactions with host cellular proteins in the context of viral infection. Using the F2A cleavage site from the foot and mouth disease virus we generated a viral BiFC expression vector capable of concurrent expression of Nef and host cellular proteins; PACS-1, MHC-I and SNX18. Our studies confirmed the interaction between Nef and PACS-1, a host membrane trafficking protein involved in Nef-mediated immune evasion, and demonstrated co-localization of this complex with LAMP-1 positive endolysosomal vesicles. Furthermore, we utilized viral BiFC to localize the Nef/MHC-I interaction to an AP-1 positive endosomal compartment. Finally, viral BiFC was observed between Nef and the membrane trafficking regulator SNX18. This novel demonstration of an association between Nef and SNX18 was localized to AP-1 positive vesicles. In summary, viral BiFC is a unique tool designed to analyze the interaction between Nef and host cellular proteins by mapping the sub-cellular locations of their interactions during viral infection

Drawing the Line: How African, Caribbean and White British Women Live Out Psychologically Abusive Experiences

The final, definitive version of this paper has been published in Violence Against Women, 19 (9):1104-32, Sept 2013 by SAGE Publications Ltd, All rights reserved. © The Author(s) 2013. The online version of this article can be found at: http://vaw.sagepub.com/content/19/9/110