Inhibition of Return in the visual field

Inhibition of return (IOR) as an indicator of attentional control is characterized by an eccentricity effect, that is, the more peripheral visual field shows a stronger IOR magnitude relative to the perifoveal visual field. However, it could be argued that this eccentricity effect may not be an attention effect, but due to cortical magnification. To test this possibility, we examined this eccentricity effect in two conditions: the same-size condition in which identical stimuli were used at different eccentricities, and the size-scaling condition in which stimuli were scaled according to the cortical magnification factor (M-scaling), thus stimuli being larger at the more peripheral locations. The results showed that the magnitude of IOR was significantly stronger in the peripheral relative to the perifoveal visual field, and this eccentricity effect was independent of the manipulation of stimulus size (same-size or size-scaling). These results suggest a robust eccentricity effect of IOR which cannot be eliminated by M-scaling. Underlying neural mechanisms of the eccentricity effect of IOR are discussed with respect to both cortical and subcortical structures mediating attentional control in the perifoveal and peripheral visual field

Oral Health Literacy and Oral Hygiene Habits in a Kentucky Appalachian Community

This study sought to identify the level of oral health literacy held by people who live in transitional and distressed Kentucky Appalachian areas and if this effects how often they are using oral hygiene techniques. Data were also collected to describe the attitudes Kentucky Appalachian adults hold toward oral hygiene and oral health status. Current documentation shows that poor oral health remains a public health threat in this population despite efforts such as school-based sealant programs and increased dental insurance coverage. This study followed a quantitative design and 99 participants were polled using a survey specifically developed for this study\u27s use. Composite median scores and Spearman\u27s correlation values established the existence of a low oral health literacy level across the participant pool, an also documented that oral hygiene techniques are not used in frequencies recommended for proper oral health. A poor self-efficacy towards the ability to utilize these techniques properly was also identified. Using the Mann-Whitney U test, responses were compared based on county designation and few significant differences were found. These findings show that oral health status and related beliefs are similar across the region and not just isolated to the economically poorest areas as the currently available literature suggests. Applying the health belief model it is predicted that Kentucky Appalachians are unlikely to adopt proper oral hygiene habits until their self-efficacy is improved. A recommendation of this study is that public health officials should promote personal control when designing public health programs geared towards improving the oral health status of this population. To do so would introduce a positive social change in that people with good oral health are less likely to experience the pain, malnutrition, and negative social stigma that is associated with poor oral health

Ultra-high speed OCT allows measurement of intraocular pressure, corneal geometry, and corneal stiffness using a single instrument

Screening for ocular diseases, such as glaucoma and keratoconus, includes measuring the eye-globe intraocular pressure (IOP) and corneal biomechanical properties. However, currently available clinical tools cannot quantify corneal tissue material parameters, which can provide critical information for detecting diseases and evaluating therapeutic outcomes. Here, we demonstrate measurement of eye-globe IOP, corneal elasticity, and corneal geometry of in situ porcine corneas with a technique termed applanation optical coherence elastography (Appl-OCE) with single instrument. We utilize an ultrafast phase-sensitive optical coherence tomography system comprised of a 4X buffered Fourier domain mode-locked swept source laser with an Ascan rate of ~1.5 MHz and a 7.3 kHz resonant scanner. The IOP was measured by imaging the response of in situ porcine corneas to a large force air-puff. As with other noncontact tonometers, the time when the cornea was applanated during the inwards and outwards motion was correlated to a measure air-pressure temporal profile. The IOP was also measured with a commercially available rebound tonometer for comparison. The stiffness of the corneas was assessed by directly imaging and analyzing the propagation of a focused micro air-pulse induced elastic wave, and the corneal geometry was obtained from the OCT structural image. Our results show that corneal thickness decreased as IOP increased, and that corneal stiffness increased with IOP. Moreover, the IOP measurements made by Appl-OCE were more closely correlated with the artificially set IOP than the rebound tonometer, demonstrating the capabilities of Appl-OCE to measure corneal stiffness, eye-globe IOP, and corneal geometry with a single instrument

Applanation optical coherence elastography: noncontact measurement of intraocular pressure, corneal biomechanical properties, and corneal geometry with a single instrument

Current clinical tools provide critical information about ocular health such as intraocular pressure (IOP). However, they lack the ability to quantify tissue material properties, which are potent markers for ocular tissue health and integrity. We describe a single instrument to measure the eye-globe IOP, quantify corneal biomechanical properties, and measure corneal geometry with a technique termed applanation optical coherence elastography (Appl-OCE). An ultrafast OCT system enabled visualization of corneal dynamics during noncontact applanation tonometry and direct measurement of micro air-pulse induced elastic wave propagation. Our preliminary results show that the proposed Appl-OCE system can be used to quantify IOP, corneal biomechanical properties, and corneal geometry, which builds a solid foundation for a unique device that can provide a more complete picture of ocular health

Integrated pathway modules using time-course metabolic profiles and EST data from Milnesium tardigradum

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Tardigrades are multicellular organisms, resistant to extreme environmental changes such as heat, drought, radiation and freezing. They outlast these conditions in an inactive form (tun) to escape damage to cellular structures and cell death. Tardigrades are apparently able to prevent or repair such damage and are therefore a crucial model organism for stress tolerance. Cultures of the tardigrade <it>Milnesium tardigradum</it> were dehydrated by removing the surrounding water to induce tun formation. During this process and the subsequent rehydration, metabolites were measured in a time series by GC-MS. Additionally expressed sequence tags are available, especially libraries generated from the active and inactive state. The aim of this integrated analysis is to trace changes in tardigrade metabolism and identify pathways responsible for their extreme resistance against physical stress.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In this study we propose a novel integrative approach for the analysis of metabolic networks to identify modules of joint shifts on the transcriptomic and metabolic levels. We derive a tardigrade-specific metabolic network represented as an undirected graph with 3,658 nodes (metabolites) and 4,378 edges (reactions). Time course metabolite profiles are used to score the network nodes showing a significant change over time. The edges are scored according to information on enzymes from the EST data. Using this combined information, we identify a key subnetwork (functional module) of concerted changes in metabolic pathways, specific for de- and rehydration. The module is enriched in reactions showing significant changes in metabolite levels and enzyme abundance during the transition. It resembles the cessation of a measurable metabolism (e.g. glycolysis and amino acid anabolism) during the tun formation, the production of storage metabolites and bioprotectants, such as DNA stabilizers, and the generation of amino acids and cellular components from monosaccharides as carbon and energy source during rehydration.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The functional module identifies relationships among changed metabolites (e.g. spermidine) and reactions and provides first insights into important altered metabolic pathways. With sparse and diverse data available, the presented integrated metabolite network approach is suitable to integrate all existing data and analyse it in a combined manner.</p

Harnessing the power of volunteers, the internet and Google Earth to collect and validate global spatial information using Geo-Wiki

Information about land cover and land use is needed for a wide range of applications such as nature protection and biodiversity, forest and water management, urban and transport planning, natural hazard prevention and mitigation, monitoring of agricultural policies and economic land use modelling. A number of different remotely-sensed global land cover products are available but studies have shown that there are large spatial discrepancies between these different products when compared. To address this issue of land cover uncertainty, a tool called Geo-Wiki was developed, which integrates online and mobile applications, high resolution satellite imagery available from Google Earth, and data collection through crowdsourcing as a mechanism for validating and improving globally relevant spatial information on land cover and land use. Through its growing network of volunteers and a number of successful data collection campaigns, almost 5 million samples of land cover and land use have been collected at many locations around the globe. This paper provides an overview of the main features of Geo-Wiki, and then using a series of examples, illustrates how the crowdsourced data collected through Geo-Wiki have been used to improve information on land cover and land use