Oculomotor capture by search-irrelevant features in visual working memory: on the crucial role of target–distractor similarity

Foerster RM, Schneider WX. Oculomotor capture by search-irrelevant features in visual working memory: on the crucial role of target–distractor similarity. Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics. 2020;82:2379–2392.When searching for varying targets in the environment, a target template has to be maintained in visual working memory (VWM). Recently, we showed that search-irrelevant features of a VWM template bias attention in an object-based manner, so that objects sharing such features with a VWM template capture the eyes involuntarily. Here, we investigated whether target–distractor similarity modulates capture strength. Participants saccaded to a target accompanied by a distractor. A single feature (e.g., shape) defined the target in each trial indicated by a cue, and the cue also varied in one irrelevant feature (e.g., color). The distractor matched the cue’s irrelevant feature in half of the trials. Nine experiments showed that target–distractor similarity consistently influenced the degree of oculomotor capture. High target–distractor dissimilarity in the search-relevant feature reduced capture by the irrelevant feature (Experiments 1, 3, 6, 7). However, capture was reduced by high target–distractor similarity in the search-irrelevant feature (Experiments 1, 4, 5, 8). Strong oculomotor capture was observed if target–distractor similarity was reasonably low in the relevant and high in the irrelevant feature, irrespective of whether color or shape were relevant (Experiments 2 and 5). These findings argue for involuntary and object-based, top-down control by VWM templates, whereas its manifestation in oculomotor capture depends crucially on target–distractor similarity in relevant and irrelevant feature dimensions of the search object

Involuntary top-down control by search-irrelevant features: Visual working memory biases attention in an object-based manner

Foerster RM, Schneider WX. Involuntary top-down control by search-irrelevant features: Visual working memory biases attention in an object-based manner. Cognition. 2018;172:37-45.Many everyday tasks involve successive visual-search episodes with changing targets. Converging evidence suggests that these targets are retained in visual working memory (VWM) and bias attention from there. It is unknown whether all or only search-relevant features of a VWM template bias attention during search. Bias signals might be configured exclusively to task-relevant features so that only search-relevant features bias at- tention. Alternatively, VWM might maintain objects in the form of bound features. Then, all template features will bias attention in an object-based manner, so that biasing effects are ranked by feature relevance. Here, we investigated whether search-irrelevant VWM template features bias attention. Participants had to saccade to a target opposite a distractor. A colored cue depicted the target prior to each search trial. The target was pre- defined only by its identity, while its color was irrelevant. When target and cue matched not only in identity (search-relevant) but also in color (search-irrelevant), saccades went more often and faster directly to the target than without any color match (Experiment 1). When introducing a cue-distractor color match (Experiment 2), direct target saccades were most likely when target and cue matched in the search-irrelevant color and least likely in case of a cue-distractor color match. When cue and target were never colored the same (Experiment 3), cue-colored distractors still captured the eyes more often than different-colored distractors despite color being search-irrelevant. As participants were informed about the misleading color, the result argues against a strate- gical and voluntary usage of color. Instead, search-irrelevant features biased attention obligatorily arguing for involuntary top-down control by object-based VWM templates

Expectation-violations in sensorimotor sequences: shifting from LTM-based attentional selection to visual search

Foerster RM, Schneider WX. Expectation-violations in sensorimotor sequences: shifting from LTM-based attentional selection to visual search. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 2015;1339(1):45-59

Ultrahigh temporal resolution of visual presentation using gaming monitors and G-Sync

Poth CH, Foerster RM, Behler C, Schwanecke U, Schneider WX, Botsch M. Ultrahigh temporal resolution of visual presentation using gaming monitors and G-Sync. Behavior Research Methods. 2018;50(1):26-38.all implementations, we confirmed the ultra-high temporal resolution of visual presentation with external measurements using a photodiode. Moreover, a psychophysical experiment revealed that the ultra-high temporal resolution impacts on human visual performance. Specifically, observers’ object recognition performance improved over fine-grained increases of object presentation duration in a theoretically predicted way. Taken together, the present study shows that the G- Sync-based presentation method enables to investigate visual processes whose data patterns were concealed by the low temporal resolution of previous technologies. Therefore, this new presentation method may be a valuable tool for experimental psychologists and neuroscientists studying vision and its temporal characteristics

an island endemic forest specialist and a widespread habitat generalist

Background. The bay cat Catopuma badia is endemic to Borneo, whereas its sister species the Asian golden cat Catopuma temminckii is distributed from the Himalayas and southern China through Indochina, Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra. Based on morphological data, up to five subspecies of the Asian golden cat have been recognized, but a taxonomic assessment, including molecular data and morphological characters, is still lacking. Results. We combined molecular data (whole mitochondrial genomes), morphological data (pelage) and species distribution projections (up to the Late Pleistocene) to infer how environmental changes may have influenced the distribution of these sister species over the past 120 000 years. The molecular analysis was based on sequenced mitogenomes of 3 bay cats and 40 Asian golden cats derived mainly from archival samples. Our molecular data suggested a time of split between the two species approximately 3.16 Ma and revealed very low nucleotide diversity within the Asian golden cat population, which supports recent expansion of the population. Discussion. The low nucleotide diversity suggested a population bottleneck in the Asian golden cat, possibly caused by the eruption of the Toba volcano in Northern Sumatra (approx. 74 kya), followed by a continuous population expansion in the Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene. Species distribution projections, the reconstruction of the demographic history, a genetic isolation-by-distance pattern and a gradual variation of pelage pattern support the hypothesis of a post-Toba population expansion of the Asian golden cat from south China/Indochina to Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra. Our findings reject the current classification of five subspecies for the Asian golden cat, but instead support either a monotypic species or one comprising two subspecies: (i) the Sunda golden cat, distributed south of the Isthmus of Kra: C. t. temminckii and (ii) Indochinese, Indian, Himalayan and Chinese golden cats, occurring north of the Isthmus: C. t. moormensis

COMPARAÇÃO ENTRE O MÉTODO REEQUILÍBRIO TORACOABDOMINAL E A TÉCNICA DE DRENAGEM AUTÓGENA ASSISTIDA SOBRE OS PARÂMETROS FISIOLÓGICOS E DESCONFORTO RESPIRATÓRIO EM RECÉM-NASCIDOS PRÉ-TERMO:ENSAIO CLÍNICO RANDOMIZADO

Assisted Autogenous Drainage (DAA) and the Thoracoabdominal Rebalancing (RTA) method assist in the synergism of abdominal muscles and breathing, which facilitates bronchial hygiene and improves respiratory mechanics. The aim of this study was to compare the RTA method with the DAA on physiological parameters and respiratory distress in preterm newborns (PTNB). This is a randomized clinical trial in which 30 PTNB participated, allocated in two groups (DAA and RTA group), submitted to a treatment protocol that used DAA or RTA. The variables analyzed were peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO₂), respiratory rate (RR) and heart rate (HR) in addition to respiratory distress (DR) by the Silverman Andersen Bulletin (BSA). Data were collected in 2 moments: before randomization and immediately after the end of the protocol. The HR of PTNBs, immediately after, submitted to AAD decreased significantly in relation to the RTA group (p = 0.040). For the variables SpO₂, RR and BSA score, there was no difference between the experimental groups in any of the evaluated moments. On the other hand, in the intra-group comparison, SpO₂ increased (DAA: p = 0.002; RTA: p = 0.004) and FR decreased (DAA: p = 0.015; RTA: p = 0.017) significantly. Thus, the data show that the RTA and DAA do not differ with respect to the variables analyzed in this study, but are safe and have beneficial results in the SpO₂ and RF of PTNBA Drenagem Autógena Assistida (DAA) e o método Reequilíbrio Toracoabdominal (RTA) auxiliam no sinergismo da musculatura abdominal e da respiração, o que facilita a higiene brônquica e melhora da mecânica respiratória. O objetivo deste trabalho foi comparar o método de RTA com a DAA sobre os parâmetros fisiológicos e desconforto respiratório no recém-nascido pré-termo (RNPT). Trata-se de um ensaio clínico randomizado do qual participaram 30 RNPT, alocados em dois grupos (grupo DAA e RTA), submetidos a um protocolo de tratamento que utilizou a DAA ou o RTA. As variáveis analisadas foram a saturação periférica de oxigênio (SpO₂), frequência respiratória (FR) e cardíaca (FC) além do desconforto respiratório (DR) pelo Boletim de Silverman Andersen (BSA). Os dados foram coletados em 2 momentos: antes da randomização e imediatamente após o término do protocolo. A FC dos RNPT, no momento imediatamente após, submetidos à DAA diminuiu significativamente em relação ao grupo RTA (p=0,040). Para as variáveis SpO₂, FR e escore do BSA, não houve diferença entre os grupos experimentais em nenhum dos momentos avaliados. Por outro lado, na comparação intragrupo, a SpO₂ aumentou (DAA: p=0,002; RTA: p=0,004) e a FR diminuiu (DAA: p=0,015; RTA: p=0,017) significativamente. Desta forma, os dados mostram que o RTA e DAA não diferem entre si no que se refere as variáveis analisadas neste estudo, mas se mostram seguros e apresentam resultados benéficos na SpO₂ e FR dos RNPT

Highlights from the Pierre Auger Observatory

The Pierre Auger Observatory is the world's largest cosmic ray observatory. Our current exposure reaches nearly 40,000 km$^2$ str and provides us with an unprecedented quality data set. The performance and stability of the detectors and their enhancements are described. Data analyses have led to a number of major breakthroughs. Among these we discuss the energy spectrum and the searches for large-scale anisotropies. We present analyses of our X$_{max}$ data and show how it can be interpreted in terms of mass composition. We also describe some new analyses that extract mass sensitive parameters from the 100% duty cycle SD data. A coherent interpretation of all these recent results opens new directions. The consequences regarding the cosmic ray composition and the properties of UHECR sources are briefly discussed.Comment: 9 pages, 12 figures, talk given at the 33rd International Cosmic Ray Conference, Rio de Janeiro 201

Caveolin contributes to the modulation of basal and β-adrenoceptor stimulated function of the adult rat ventricular myocyte by simvastatin: A novel pleiotropic effect

The number of people taking statins is increasing across the globe, highlighting the Importance of fully understanding statins effects on the cardiovascular system. The beneficial impact of statins extends well beyond regression of atherosclerosis to include direct effects on tissues of the cardiovascular system (pleiotropic effects). Pleiotropic effects on the cardiac myocyte are often overlooked. Here we consider the contribution of the caveolin protein, whose expression and cellular distribution is dependent on cholesterol, to statin effects on the cardiac myocyte. Caveolin is a structural and regulatory component of caveolae, and is a key regulator of cardiac contractile function and adrenergic responsiveness. We employed an experimental model in which inhibition of myocyte HMG CoA reductase could be studied in the absence of paracrine influences from non-myocyte cells. Adult rat ventricular myocytes were treated with 10 μM simvastatin for 2 days. Simvastatin treatment reduced myocyte cholesterol, caveolin 3 and caveolar density. Negative inotropic and positive lusitropic effects (with corresponding changes in [Ca2]¡) were seen in statin-treated cells. Simvastatin significantly potentiated the inotropic response to β2-, but not β1-, adrenoceptor stimulation. Under conditions of β2-adrenoceptor stimulation, phosphorylation of phospholamban at Ser16and troponin I at Ser23/24was enhanced with statin treatment. Simvastatin increased NO production without significant effects on eNOS expression or phosphorylation (Ser1177), consistent with the reduced expression of caveolin 3, its constitutive Inhibitor. In conclusion, statin treatment can reduce caveolin 3 expression, with functional consequences consistent with the known role of caveolae in the cardiac cell. These data are likely to be of significance, particularly during the early phases of statin treatment, and in patients with heart failure who have altered ß-adrenoceptor signalling. In addition, as caveolin is ubiquitously expressed and has myriad tissue-specific functions, the impact of statin-dependent changes in caveolin is likely to have many other functional sequelae