Recall termination in free recall

Although much is known about the dynamics of memory search in the free recall task, relatively little is known about the factors related to recall termination. Reanalyzing individual trial data from 14 prior studies (1,079 participants in 28,015 trials) and defining termination as occurring when a final response is followed by a long nonresponse interval, we observed that termination probability increased throughout the recall period and that retrieval was more likely to terminate following an error than following a correct response. Among errors, termination probability was higher following prior-list intrusions and repetitions than following extralist intrusions. To verify that this pattern of results can be seen in a single study, we report a new experiment in which 80 participants contributed recall data from a total of 9,122 trials. This experiment replicated the pattern observed in the aggregate analysis of the prior studies

The "Statinth" wonder of the world: a panacea for all illnesses or a bubble about to burst

After the introduction of statins in the market as effective lipid lowering agents, they were shown to have effects other than lipid lowering. These actions were collectively referred to as 'pleiotropic actions of statins.' Pleiotropism of statins formed the basis for evaluating statins for several indications other than lipid lowering. Evidence both in favour and against is available for several of these indications. The current review attempts to critically summarise the available data for each of these indications

SOSORT consensus paper: school screening for scoliosis. Where are we today?

This report is the SOSORT Consensus Paper on School Screening for Scoliosis discussed at the 4th International Conference on Conservative Management of Spinal Deformities, presented by SOSORT, on May 2007. The objectives were numerous, 1) the inclusion of the existing information on the issue, 2) the analysis and discussion of the responses by the meeting attendees to the twenty six questions of the questionnaire, 3) the impact of screening on frequency of surgical treatment and of its discontinuation, 4) the reasons why these programs must be continued, 5) the evolving aim of School Screening for Scoliosis and 6) recommendations for improvement of the procedure

Verification of a formula for determination of preexcision surgical margins from fixed-tissue melanoma specimens

Background. Recently our group reported on the shrinkage of 199 malignant melanoma surgical-excision specimens. In that report, a multivariate analysis revealed that the age of the patient was the only factor that significantly affected the percentage shrinkage of a surgical specimen. In addition, a formula was presented that extrapolates the actual surgical margins (in vivo) from the (contracted) fixed-tissue pathology report measurement and the reported in vivo lesion diameter. Objective. The goals of this study are to verify that shrinkage of surgical specimens is approximately 20% and that the margin formula can be successfully applied to a different group of patients. Methods: Four hundred seven patients with malignant melanoma were prospectively enrolled to measure preexcision (outlined with ink) surgical margins, fixed-tissue (contracted) surgical margins, and overall specimen shrinkage. Results. It is verified that overall shrinkage of cutaneous surgical specimens is approximately 20%. Surgical specimens from patients younger than 50 years of age have approximately 25% shrinkage. Those specimens from patients 50 to 59 years of age have approximately 20% shrinkage and those from patients 60 years of age or older have about 15% shrinkage. The surgical margins predicted by the margin formula were within +/- 3.5 mm of the actual measured surgical margin 86.5% of the time. Conclusion: The actual surgical margins (in vivo) of a malignant melanoma can be reasonably estimated from the fixed-tissue pathology measurement via the margin formula. The shrinkage of a surgical specimen is 15% to 25% depending on the patient's age

Rethinking the experiences and entitlements of people with dementia: Taking vision into account

A large proportion of people with dementia will have some kind of problem with their vision. Such problems may be the result of disturbances to low-level visual functions such as contrast sensitivity, colour vision, or visual acuity, for example. In addition, dementia can have detrimental effects on higher cognitive aspects of visual function such as visual attention, spatial localization, object recognition, facial recognition, and visual memory. The underlying cause of these visual problems is likely to be a result of a combination of a number of different factors (it is recognized that medication can also affect vision, but this will not be discussed here): (1) the direct patho-physiological effects of dementia on the brain and visual system, (2) the losses in visual function that occur as part and parcel of the normal ageing process, and (3) the losses in visual function that are a consequence of ocular diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, or cataracts, which are more common in older people.In this article, the likely prevalence of visual problems among people with dementia is highlighted and the ways in which dementia, ageing, and common eye conditions affect a person's vision are briefly described. The main aim of this article is to increase knowledge of visual issues and, in particular, eye health, and to argue that people with dementia are entitled to have their visual experiences and sight problems fully recognized and eye sight routinely tested.A second aim of this article is to report on the findings of a small-scale scoping study commissioned by Thomas Pocklington Trust - a charity for people with sight loss. Drawing on work completed for this study, the article explores the extent to which existing models of dementia care, such as Kitwood's enriched model, and best practice guidelines take account of the visual experiences and problems that people with dementia have. Some of the shortcomings of these models are identified and the general lack of awareness in the best practice literature is highlighted. Reporting on this study provides further context for arguing that vision must be taken into account when working with people with dementia. Finally, the article concludes with some recommendations for practice development, including a call for the development of an online practice development network. <br/