Human auditory information processing

The purpose of this study is to investigate the flow of nonsymbolic auditory information in humans. To achieve this goal the observer adjusts the loudness of a Gaussian noise (GN) signal to match the perceived intensity of an electrodermal stimulus (EDS), a cross-modality matching task. The loudness of the GN and the voltage of the EDS mere maintained within the observer's (O's) sensory probabilistic zone. The sensory probabilistic zone is a range of stimulus intensity from somewhere above "no detection" to "100% detection". The independent variable is a binary condition in that it consisted of catch trials of the time and the remaining time of an EDS at a given intensity (previously determined at an intensity that elicited a response 50% of the time). Consequently, the O's adjustment of the GN reflected his decision-making processes, analysed by signal detection theory and cybernetics. Experiment one demonstrated that neither practice nor the experimenter influenced the O's performance. Also, there are no residual carry-over effects. The 0 has difficulty assigning relative value to the auditory signals and has little or no difficulty in combining, organizing or co-ordinating the auditory information. The second experiment demonstrated that the O's difficulty in assigning relative value to the signals is due to a short memory retention of the nonsymbolic auditory signals (half-life of less than a second). However, verbal confidence ratings (VCRs) add persistency to the auditory memory (echoic memory), its half-life is extended to about 3.1 seconds. The VCR has a half-life of about four seconds. Experiment three demonstrated that nonsymbolic auditory information processing is not affected by interfering signals. From a cybernetic model of the results it is concluded that nonsymbolic auditory information is processed by a filtered, single channel, series processor. Persistency is added to the system's memory component by an interaction between the auditory (echoic) memory and the conceptual symbolic system (VCR)

TEXAS AGRICULTURE BY CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT: 1993-1996

Texas Agriculture by Congressional Districts: 1993-96 is an update of previous editions of this publication. Commodity sales by county are estimates made by county agents and, therefore, are not official. In all but 4 of 30 Texas congressional districts, production agriculture accounts for over $100 million in sales. In 18 of the districts, farm program commodities represent over$50 million in sales.Production Economics,

Phase II Study of Ifosfamide+Doxorubicin in Patients With Advanced Synovial Sarcomas (E1793): A Trial of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group

Purpose Because we had observed in the synovial sarcoma subgroup of a broad phase III advanced soft tissue sarcoma study a significantly greater objective regression rate from ifosfamide+doxorubicin (88%) than from doxorubicin alone (20%) (P = 0.02), the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) decided to further assess this two drug combination in a subsequent Phase II study

Phase II study of IfosfamideþDoxorubicin in patients with advanced synovial sarcomas (E1793): a trial of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group

Abstract Purpose Because we had observed in the synovial sarcoma subgroup of a broad phase III advanced soft tissue sarcoma study a significantly greater objective regression rate from ifosfamideþdoxorubicin (88%) than from doxorubicin alone (20%) ( P ¼ 0.02), the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) decided to further assess this two drug combination in a subsequent Phase II study. Patients Between 1994 and 1999, twelve adult patients with advanced synovial sarcomas were enrolled to receive, as their initial chemotherapy, ifosfamide 7.5 gm/m 2 plus doxorubicin 60 mg/m 2 , given intravenously over two consecutive days every 3 weeks. Methods Each day for 2 days doxorubicin 30 mg/m 2 was infused over 5 min through a running i.v., followed by ifosfamide 3750 mg/m 2 over 4 h. Continuous i.v. fluid was infused at 300 mL /h for 3 h on day 1, before chemotherapy was begun; then the infusion was continued at 100 mL /h for a total of 3 days. Mesna 750 mg/m 2 was given 15 min before ifosfamide and at 4 and 8 h after ifosfamide on days 1 and 2 of each treatment cycle. Filgrastim (G-CSF) 5 mg/kg was given subcutaneously each day for 14 days beginning on day 3 of each treatment cycle to limit the severity of neutropenia. Results Five of our 12 patients (42%) experienced partial regression of their advanced synovial sarcomas; however, this first stage result was borderline for proceeding to the second planned stage of accrual and our case accrual was quite poor. Thus, the study was closed after stage one accrual. Our patients received a median of four cycles of chemotherapy (range: 1 to 6). All patients experienced at least grade 3 neutropenia (grade 4 in nine of them), and one patient died of treatment-related sepsis following the initial cycle of chemotherapy. Median survival was 11 months

Differential Effects of Comorbidity on Antihypertensive and Glucose-Regulating Treatment in Diabetes Mellitus – A Cohort Study

BACKGROUND: Comorbidity is often mentioned as interfering with "optimal" treatment decisions in diabetes care. It is suggested that diabetes- related comorbidity will increase adequate treatment, whereas diabetes- unrelated comorbidity may decrease this process of care. We hypothesized that these effects differ according to expected priority of the conditions. METHODS: We evaluated the relationship between comorbidity and treatment intensification in a study of 11,248 type 2 diabetes patients using the GIANTT (Groningen Initiative to Analyse type 2 diabetes Treatment) database. We formed a cohort of patients with a systolic blood pressure >/= 140 mmHg (6,820 hypertensive diabetics), and a cohort of patients with an HbA1c >/= 7% (3,589 hyperglycemic diabetics) in 2007. We differentiated comorbidity by diabetes-related or unrelated conditions and by priority. High priority conditions include conditions that are life- interfering, incident or requiring new medication treatment. We performed Cox regression analyses to assess association with treatment intensification, defined as dose increase, start, or addition of drugs. RESULTS: In both the hypertensive and hyperglycemic cohort, only patients with incident diabetes-related comorbidity had a higher chance of treatment intensification (HR 4.48, 2.33-8.62 (p<0.001) for hypertensives; HR 2.37, 1.09-5.17 (p = 0.030) for hyperglycemics). Intensification of hypertension treatment was less likely when a new glucose-regulating drug was prescribed (HR 0.24, 0.06-0.97 (p = 0.046)). None of the prevalent or unrelated comorbidity was significantly associated with treatment intensification. CONCLUSIONS: Diabetes-related comorbidity induced better risk factor treatment only for incident cases, implying that appropriate care is provided more often when complications occur. Diabetes- unrelated comorbidity did not affect hypertension or hyperglycemia management, even when it was incident or life-interfering. Thus, the observed "undertreatment" in diabetes care cannot be explained by constraints caused by such comorbidity

Communications Biophysics

Contains reports on four research projects.National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 P01 NS13126-02)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 K04 NS00113-03)National Institutes of Health (Grant 2 ROI NS11153-02A1)National Science Foundation (Grant BNS77-16861)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 RO1 NS10916-03)National Institutes of Health (Fellowship 1 F32 NS05327)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 ROI NS12846-02)National Institutes of Health (Fellowship 1 F32 NS05266)Edith E. Sturgis FoundationNational Institutes of Health (Grant 1 R01 NS11680-01)National Institutes of Health (Grant 2 RO1 NS11080-04)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 T32 GIM107301-03)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 TOI GM01555-10

Communications Biophysics

Contains reports on nine research projects split into four sections.National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 PO1 NS13126)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 KO4 NS00113)National Institutes of Health (Training Grant 5 T32 NS07047)National Institutes of Health (Training Grant 1 T32 NS07099)National Science Foundation (Grant BNS77-16861)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 ROI NS10916)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 RO1 NS12846)National Science Foundation (Grant BNS77-21751)National Institutes of Health (Grant 1 RO1 NS14092)Edith E. Sturgis FoundationHealth Sciences FundNational Institutes of Health (Grant 2 R01 NS11680)National Institutes of Health (Fellowship 5 F32 NS05327)National Institutes of Health (Grant 2 ROI NS11080)National Institutes of Health (Training Grant 5 T32 GM07301

Communications Biophysics

Contains reports on nine research projects split into four sections.National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 P01 NS13126)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 K04 NS00113)National Institutes of Health (Training Grant 5 T32 NS07047)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 ROl NS11153-03)National Institutes of Health (Fellowship 1 T32 NS07099-01)National Science Foundation (Grant BNS77-16861)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 ROl NS10916)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 ROl NS12846)National Science Foundation (Grant BNS77-21751)National Institutes of Health (Grant 1 RO1 NS14092)Health Sciences FundNational Institutes of Health (Grant 2 R01 NS11680)National Institutes of Health (Grant 2 RO1 NS11080)National Institutes of Health (Training Grant 5 T32 GM07301

Recurrent Signature Patterns in HIV-1 B Clade Envelope Glycoproteins Associated with either Early or Chronic Infections

Here we have identified HIV-1 B clade Envelope (Env) amino acid signatures from early in infection that may be favored at transmission, as well as patterns of recurrent mutation in chronic infection that may reflect common pathways of immune evasion. To accomplish this, we compared thousands of sequences derived by single genome amplification from several hundred individuals that were sampled either early in infection or were chronically infected. Samples were divided at the outset into hypothesis-forming and validation sets, and we used phylogenetically corrected statistical strategies to identify signatures, systematically scanning all of Env. Signatures included single amino acids, glycosylation motifs, and multi-site patterns based on functional or structural groupings of amino acids. We identified signatures near the CCR5 co-receptor-binding region, near the CD4 binding site, and in the signal peptide and cytoplasmic domain, which may influence Env expression and processing. Two signatures patterns associated with transmission were particularly interesting. The first was the most statistically robust signature, located in position 12 in the signal peptide. The second was the loss of an N-linked glycosylation site at positions 413–415; the presence of this site has been recently found to be associated with escape from potent and broad neutralizing antibodies, consistent with enabling a common pathway for immune escape during chronic infection. Its recurrent loss in early infection suggests it may impact fitness at the time of transmission or during early viral expansion. The signature patterns we identified implicate Env expression levels in selection at viral transmission or in early expansion, and suggest that immune evasion patterns that recur in many individuals during chronic infection when antibodies are present can be selected against when the infection is being established prior to the adaptive immune response

52 Genetic Loci Influencing Myocardial Mass.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial mass is a key determinant of cardiac muscle function and hypertrophy. Myocardial depolarization leading to cardiac muscle contraction is reflected by the amplitude and duration of the QRS complex on the electrocardiogram (ECG). Abnormal QRS amplitude or duration reflect changes in myocardial mass and conduction, and are associated with increased risk of heart failure and death. OBJECTIVES: This meta-analysis sought to gain insights into the genetic determinants of myocardial mass. METHODS: We carried out a genome-wide association meta-analysis of 4 QRS traits in up to 73,518 individuals of European ancestry, followed by extensive biological and functional assessment. RESULTS: We identified 52 genomic loci, of which 32 are novel, that are reliably associated with 1 or more QRS phenotypes at p < 1 × 10(-8). These loci are enriched in regions of open chromatin, histone modifications, and transcription factor binding, suggesting that they represent regions of the genome that are actively transcribed in the human heart. Pathway analyses provided evidence that these loci play a role in cardiac hypertrophy. We further highlighted 67 candidate genes at the identified loci that are preferentially expressed in cardiac tissue and associated with cardiac abnormalities in Drosophila melanogaster and Mus musculus. We validated the regulatory function of a novel variant in the SCN5A/SCN10A locus in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our findings provide new insights into genes and biological pathways controlling myocardial mass and may help identify novel therapeutic targets