Twenty years of load theory—Where are we now, and where should we go next?

Selective attention allows us to ignore what is task-irrelevant and focus on what is task-relevant. The cognitive and neural mechanisms that underlie this process are key topics of investigation in cognitive psychology. One of the more prominent theories of attention is perceptual load theory, which suggests that the efficiency of selective attention is dependent on both perceptual and cognitive load. It is now more than 20 years since the proposal of load theory, and it is a good time to evaluate the evidence in support of this influential model. The present article supplements and extends previous reviews (Lavie, Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 9, 75–82. doi:10.​1016/​j.​tics.​2004.​12.​004, 2005, Current Directions in Psychological Science, 19, 143–148. doi:10.​1177/​0963721410370295​, 2010) by examining more recent research in what appears to be a rapidly expanding area. The article comprises five parts, examining (1) evidence for the effects of perceptual load on attention, (2) cognitive load, (3) individual differences under load, (4) alternative theories and criticisms, and (5) the future of load theory. We argue that the key next step for load theory will be the application of the model to real-world tasks. The potential benefits of applied attention research are numerous, and there is tentative evidence that applied research would provide strong support for the theory itself, as well as real-world benefits related to activities in which attention is crucial, such as driving and education

Listeriolysin S, a Novel Peptide Haemolysin Associated with a Subset of Lineage I Listeria monocytogenes

peer-reviewedStreptolysin S (SLS) is a bacteriocin-like haemolytic and cytotoxic virulence factor that plays a key role in the virulence of Group A Streptococcus (GAS), the causative agent of pharyngitis, impetigo, necrotizing fasciitis and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. Although it has long been thought that SLS and related peptides are produced by GAS and related streptococci only, there is evidence to suggest that a number of the most notorious Gram-positive pathogenic bacteria, including Listeria monocytogenes, Clostridium botulinum and Staphylococcus aureus, produce related peptides. The distribution of the L. monocytogenes cluster is particularly noteworthy in that it is found exclusively among a subset of lineage I strains; i.e., those responsible for the majority of outbreaks of listeriosis. Expression of these genes results in the production of a haemolytic and cytotoxic factor, designated Listeriolysin S, which contributes to virulence of the pathogen as assessed by murine- and human polymorphonuclear neutrophil–based studies. Thus, in the process of establishing the existence of an extended family of SLS-like modified virulence peptides (MVPs), the genetic basis for the enhanced virulence of a proportion of lineage I L. monocytogenes may have been revealed.Work is funded by the Irish Government under the National Development Plan, through a Science Foundation Ireland Investigator award to CH, PR and PC (06/IN.1/B98)

Holomorphic Supercurves and Supersymmetric Sigma Models

We introduce a natural generalisation of holomorphic curves to morphisms of supermanifolds, referred to as holomorphic supercurves. More precisely, supercurves are morphisms from a Riemann surface, endowed with the structure of a supermanifold which is induced by a holomorphic line bundle, to an ordinary almost complex manifold. They are called holomorphic if a generalised Cauchy-Riemann condition is satisfied. We show, by means of an action identity, that holomorphic supercurves are special extrema of a supersymmetric action functional.Comment: 30 page

Compactness for Holomorphic Supercurves

We study the compactness problem for moduli spaces of holomorphic supercurves which, being motivated by supergeometry, are perturbed such as to allow for transversality. We give an explicit construction of limiting objects for sequences of holomorphic supercurves and prove that, in important cases, every such sequence has a convergent subsequence provided that a suitable extension of the classical energy is uniformly bounded. This is a version of Gromov compactness. Finally, we introduce a topology on the moduli spaces enlarged by the limiting objects which makes these spaces compact and metrisable.Comment: 38 page

Bifidobacterium longum 1714 improves sleep quality and aspects of well-being in healthy adults: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial

Stress and sleep are linked with overall well-being. Bifidobacterium longum 1714 has been shown to influence stress responses and modulate neural responses during social stress, and influence sleep quality during examination stress in healthy adults. Here, we explored the ability of this strain to alter sleep quality in adults using subjective and objective measures. Eighty-nine adults (18-45y) with impaired sleep quality assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and with a global score ≥ 5 were randomized to receive B. longum 1714 or placebo daily for eight weeks. Assessing the effect of the strain on PSQI global score was the primary objective. Secondary objectives assessed sleep quality and well-being subjectively and sleep parameters using actigraphy objectively. While PSQI global score improved in both groups, B. longum 1714 significantly improved the PSQI component of sleep quality (p < 0.05) and daytime dysfunction due to sleepiness (p < 0.05) after 4 weeks and social functioning (p < 0.05) and energy/vitality (p < 0.05) after 8 weeks, compared to placebo. No significant effect on actigraphy measures were observed. The 1714 strain had a mild effect on sleep, demonstrated by a faster improvement in sleep quality at week 4 compared to placebo, although overall improvements after 8 weeks were similar in both groups. B. longum 1714 improved social functioning and increased energy/vitality in line with previous work that showed the strain modulated neural activity which correlated with enhanced vitality/reduced mental fatigue (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04167475). Recent work has highlighted the gut microbiota as a key contributor to healthy brain development, function, and emotional well-being throughout life 1 possibly through the regulation of our immune, metabolic, and nervous system 2-4. Changes in the gut microbiota composition between healthy people and those with mental health disorders such as anxiety 5-7 and depression 8-11 have pinpointed the gut microbiota as a potential significant target to influence mental health. More recently, the role of 'psychobiotics' has demonstrated considerable impact on the stress response 12-17 and symptoms of depression 18-20 and anxiety 21 via the microbiota-gut-brain-axis in a strain specific manner. Such 'psychobiotics' may alleviate symptoms of excessive stress, anxiety, and depression by affecting physiological outputs and processes in the host such as immune function 22 , tryptophan metabolism 23 , corticosterone/cortisol 17,24 , neurotransmitters 25-27 , microbial metabolites 28 , and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) 29. Indeed, given the role of the gut microbiota as a key factor contributing to mood and mental health, it is reasonable to consider the gut as a window to mental well-being. Sleep is complex and multifactorial, therefore multiple physiologic processes can influence its quality 30,31. More recently, a growing body of evidence points to the consequences of poor sleep on immune function 32 and the microbiota-gut-brain axis as a potential regulator of sleep health 33-35. Adding to this evidence, changes in the gut microbiota composition have been described following sleep deprivation 36-38 and accompanying sleep disorders 39-41 , with improvements in sleep efficiency and sleep duration contributing to enhanced gut OPE

Evacuating Damaged and Destroyed Buildings on 9/11: Behavioral and Structural Barriers

Introduction Evacuation of the World Trade Center (WTC) twin towers and surrounding buildings damaged in the September 11, 2001 attacks provides a unique opportunity to study factors that affect emergency evacuation of high rise buildings. Problem The goal of this study is to understand the extent to which structural and behavioral barriers and limitations of personal mobility affected evacuation by occupants of affected buildings on September 11, 2001. Methods This analysis included 5,023 civilian, adult enrollees within the World Trade Center Health Registry who evacuated the two World Trade Center towers and over 30 other Lower Manhattan buildings that were damaged or destroyed on September 11, 2001. Multinomial logistic regression was used to predict total evacuation time (less than 30 to ≤60 minutes, greater than 1 hour to less than 2 hours relative to ≤30 minutes) in relation to number of infrastructure barriers and number of behavioral barriers, adjusted for demographic and other factors. Results A higher percentage of evacuees reported encountering at least one behavioral barrier (84.9%) than reported at least one infrastructure barrier (51.9%). This pattern was consistent in all buildings except WTC 1, the first building attacked, where greater than 90% of evacuees reported encountering both types of barriers. Smoke and poor lighting were the most frequently-reported structural barriers. Extreme crowding, lack of communication with officials, and being surrounded by panicked crowds were the most frequently-reported behavioral barriers. Multivariate analyses showed evacuation time to be independently associated with the number of each type of barrier as well as gender (longer times for women), but not with the floor from which evacuation began. After adjustment, personal mobility impairment was not associated with increased evacuation time. Conclusion Because most high-rise buildings have unique designs, infrastructure factors tend to be less predictable than behavioral factors, but both need to be considered in developing emergency evacuation plans in order to decrease evacuation time and, consequently, risk of injury and death during an emergency evacuation