Capacity limitations of visual memory in two-interval comparison of Gabor arrays

The capacity of short-term visual memory (VSTM) was assessed in a two-interval spatial frequency (SF) discrimination task. The cued Gabor target in a multi-element array either increased or decreased in SF across a 2s interstimulus interval (ISI). Distracters as well as target were made to change across ISI so that memory of the individual SF of Gabor elements was required to solve the discrimination. The dynamics of the information loss from visual memory were analysed by manipulating the timing of spatial cues and masks. Cueing the target position before the first display gave thresholds comparable with those for a single Gabor patch. Cues placed after the first display gave higher thresholds indicating some loss of information. Within the ISI there was little increase in threshold or set size effect with cue delay. However there was a sharp rise in thresholds for cue positions after the second display. Gabor masks placed before a mid-ISI cue were more effective than noise masks or Gabor masks placed after the cue. With a cue placed late in the ISI, preceded by a Gabor mask, the masking effect decreased with increasing delay of the mask after the first display. This suggests a selective, dynamic but increasingly durable representation of the initial stimulus is built up in memory, and there is a graded form of “overwriting” of this representation by new stimuli

Dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine versus artesunate-amodiaquine for treatment of malaria infection in pregnancy in Ghana: an open-label, randomized, non-inferiority trial.

To determine whether dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DHA-PPQ) is non-inferior to artesunate-amodiaquine (ASAQ) for treating uncomplicated malaria infection in pregnancy. 417 second/ third trimester pregnant women with confirmed asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia were randomized to receive DHA-PPQ or ASAQ over 3 days. Women were followed up on days 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, 28 and 42 after treatment start and at delivery for parasitological, haematological, birth outcomes and at 6-weeks post-partum to ascertain the health status of the babies. Parasitological efficacy (PE) by days 28 and 42 were co-primary outcomes. Analysis was per-protocol (PP) and modified intention-to-treat (ITT). Non-inferiority was declared if the two-sided 95% confidence interval for PE at the endpoints excluded 5% lower efficacy for DHA-PPQ. Secondary outcomes were assessed for superiority. In PP analysis, PE was 91.6% for DHA-PPQ and 89.3% for ASAQ by day 28 and 89.0% and 86.5% respectively by day 42. DHA-PPQ was non-inferior to ASAQ with respect to uncorrected PE {adjusted difference by day 28 (DHA-PPQ-ASAQ); 3.5% (95%CI: -1.5, 8.5) and day 42: 3.9% (95%CI: -2.7, 10.4)}. ITT analysis gave similar results. PCR to distinguish recrudescence and reinfection was unsuccessful. DHA-PPQ recipients had fewer adverse events of vomiting, dizziness and general weakness compared to ASAQ. Both drugs were well-tolerated and there was no excess of adverse birth outcomes. DHA-PPQ was non-inferior to ASAQ for treatment of malaria infection during pregnancy. No safety concerns were identified. Our findings contribute to growing evidence that DHA-PPQ is useful for control of malaria in pregnancy. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Atomic structure of Cu adlayers on Au(100) and Au(111) electrodes observed by in situ scanning tunneling microscopy

The atomic structure of ordered Cu adsorbate layers on Au(111) and Au(100) electrode surfaces and of the clean substrates was resolved in scanning tunneling microscopy images taken in situ. For submonolayer coverages deposited from sulfuric acid solutions under potential control, various ordered structures were observed. The quasihexagonal arrangement of Cu atoms in these structures reflects increasingly repulsive interactions between closely spaced Cu adatoms. These structures differ from the pseudomorphic Cu adlayer formed under vacuum conditions, which demonstrates the structure-determining role of the coadsorbed anions

Changes in the capacity of visual working memory in 5- to 10-year-olds

Using the Luck and Vogel change detection paradigm, we sought to investigate the capacity of visual working memory in 5-, 7-, and 10-year-olds. We found that performance on the task improved significantly with age and also obtained evidence that the capacity of visual working memory approximately doubles between 5 and 10 years of age, where it reaches adult levels of approximately three to four items

The impact of anthelmintic treatment intervention on malaria infection and anaemia in school and preschool children in Magu district, Tanzania: an open label randomised intervention trial.

BACKGROUND: Some studies have suggested that helminth infections increase the risk of malaria infection and are associated with increased number of malaria attacks and anaemia. Thus interventions to control helminth infections may have an impact on incidence of clinical malaria and anaemia. The current study assessed the impact of two anthelmintic treatment approaches on malaria infection and on anaemia in school and pre-school children in Magu district, Tanzania. METHODS: A total of 765 children were enrolled into a prospective randomized anthelmintic intervention trial following a baseline study of 1546 children. Enrolled children were randomized to receive either repeated treatment with praziquantel and albendazole four times a year (intervention group, 394 children) or single dose treatment with praziquantel and albendazole once a year (control group, 371 children). Follow up examinations were conducted at 12 and 24 months after baseline to assess the impact of the intervention. Stool and urine samples were collected and examined for schistosome and soil transmitted helminth infections. Blood samples were also collected and examined for malaria parasites and haemoglobin concentrations. Monitoring of clinical malaria attacks was performed at each school during the two years of the intervention. RESULTS: Out of 1546 children screened for P. falciparum, S. mansoni, S. haematobium, hookworm and T. Trichiura at baseline, 1079 (69.8%) were infected with at least one of the four parasites. There was no significant difference in malaria infection (prevalence, parasite density and frequency of malaria attacks) and in the prevalence of anaemia between the repeated and single dose anthelmintic treatment groups at 12 and 24 months follow up (p>0.05). However, overall, there was significant improvement in mean haemoglobin concentrations (p<0.001) from baseline levels of 122.0 g/L and 123.0 g/L to 136.0 g/L and 136.8 g/L for the repeated and single dose treatment groups, respectively, at 24 months follow-up which resulted in significant reduction in prevalence of anaemia. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that repeated anthelmintic treatment did not have an impact on malaria infection compared to single dose treatment. However, both treatment approaches had overall impact in terms of improvements of haemoglobin levels and hence reductions in prevalence of anaemia

Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment May be Stratified by Advanced Diffusion Metrics and Neurocognitive Testing

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSEMild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a prevalent disorder, with a subset of patients progressing to dementia each year. Although MCI may be subdivided into amnestic or vascular types as well as into single or multiple cognitive domain involvement, most prior studies using advanced diffusion imaging have not accounted for these categories. The purpose of the current study was to determine if the pattern of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) metrics in patients with amnestic MCI (aMCI) correlate to specific cognitive domain impairments.METHODSNineteen consecutive patients with aMCI referred for brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were included. All subjects underwent neurocognitive testing. A z‐score was calculated for each domain and a composite of all four domains. Brain MRI included standard structural imaging and diffusion imaging. Volumetric, DTI, and DKI metrics were calculated and statistical analysis was performed with adjustments for multiple measures and comparisons.RESULTSStatistically significant correlations between diffusion metrics and cognitive z‐scores were detected: visuospatial‐visuoconstructional z‐scores only correlated with alterations in the corpus callosum splenium, executive functioning z‐scores with the corpus callosum genu, memory testing z‐scores with the left hippocampus, and composite z‐scores with the anterior centrum semiovale.CONCLUSIONNeuroimaging studies of patients with aMCI to date have assumed a population with homogeneous cognitive impairment. Our results demonstrate selective patterns of regional diffusion metric alterations correlate to specific cognitive domain impairments. Future studies should account for this heterogeneity, and this may also be useful for prognostication.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/147217/1/jon12588_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/147217/2/jon12588.pd

Treatment of Advanced Emphysema with Emphysematous Lung Sealant (AeriSeal (R))

Background: This report summarizes initial tests of an emphysematous lung synthetic polymer sealant (ELS) designed to reduce lung volume in patients with advanced emphysema. Objectives: The primary study objective was to define a therapeutic strategy to optimize treatment safety and effectiveness. Methods: ELS therapy was administered bronchoscopically to 25 patients with heterogeneous emphysema in an open-label, noncontrolled study at 6 centers in Germany. Treatment was performed initially at 2-4 subsegments. After 12 weeks, patients were eligible for repeat therapy to a total of 6 sites. Safety and efficacy were assessed after 6 months. Responses were evaluated in terms of changes from baseline in lung physiology, functional capacity, and health-related quality of life. Follow-up is available for 21 of 25 patients. Results: Treatment was well tolerated. There were no treatment-related deaths (i.e. within 90 days of treatment), and an acceptable short-and long-term safety profile. Physiological and clinical benefits were observed at 24 weeks. Efficacy responses were better among Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) stage III patients {[}n = 14; change in residual volume/total lung capacity (Delta RV/TLC) = -7.4 +/- 10.3%; Delta forced expiratory volume in 1 s (Delta FEV(1)) = +15.9 +/- 22.6%; change in forced vital capacity (Delta FVC) = +24.1 +/- 22.7%; change in carbon monoxide lung diffusion capacity (Delta DLCO) = +19.3 +/- 34.8%; change in 6-min walk test (Delta 6MWD) = +28.7 +/- 59.6 m; change in Medical Research Council Dyspnea (Delta MRCD) score = -1.0 +/- 1.04 units; change in St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (Delta SGRQ) score = -9.9 +/- 15.3 units] than for GOLD stage IV patients (n = 7; Delta RV/TLC = -0.5 +/- 6.4%; Delta FEV 1 = +2.3 +/- 12.3%; Delta FVC = +2.6 +/- 21.1%; Delta DLCO = -2.8 +/- 17.2%; Delta 6MWD = +28.3 +/- 58.4 m; Delta MRCD = 0.3 +/- 0.81 units; Delta SGRQ = -6.7 +/- 7.0 units). Conclusions: ELS therapy shows promise for treating patients with advanced heterogeneous emphysema. Additional studies to assess responses in a larger cohort with a longer follow-up are warranted. Copyright (C) 2011 S. Karger AG, Base