Pro- and antisaccades in children elicited by visual and acoustic targets - does modality matter?

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Exploring the Fundamental Dynamics of Error-Based Motor Learning Using a Stationary Predictive-Saccade Task

The maintenance of movement accuracy uses prior performance errors to correct future motor plans; this motor-learning process ensures that movements remain quick and accurate. The control of predictive saccades, in which anticipatory movements are made to future targets before visual stimulus information becomes available, serves as an ideal paradigm to analyze how the motor system utilizes prior errors to drive movements to a desired goal. Predictive saccades constitute a stationary process (the mean and to a rough approximation the variability of the data do not vary over time, unlike a typical motor adaptation paradigm). This enables us to study inter-trial correlations, both on a trial-by-trial basis and across long blocks of trials. Saccade errors are found to be corrected on a trial-by-trial basis in a direction-specific manner (the next saccade made in the same direction will reflect a correction for errors made on the current saccade). Additionally, there is evidence for a second, modulating process that exhibits long memory. That is, performance information, as measured via inter-trial correlations, is strongly retained across a large number of saccades (about 100 trials). Together, this evidence indicates that the dynamics of motor learning exhibit complexities that must be carefully considered, as they cannot be fully described with current state-space (ARMA) modeling efforts

Learning the Optimal Control of Coordinated Eye and Head Movements

Various optimality principles have been proposed to explain the characteristics of coordinated eye and head movements during visual orienting behavior. At the same time, researchers have suggested several neural models to underly the generation of saccades, but these do not include online learning as a mechanism of optimization. Here, we suggest an open-loop neural controller with a local adaptation mechanism that minimizes a proposed cost function. Simulations show that the characteristics of coordinated eye and head movements generated by this model match the experimental data in many aspects, including the relationship between amplitude, duration and peak velocity in head-restrained and the relative contribution of eye and head to the total gaze shift in head-free conditions. Our model is a first step towards bringing together an optimality principle and an incremental local learning mechanism into a unified control scheme for coordinated eye and head movements

Preliminary evaluation of the sources of variability of the platelet estimate on canine blood smears

Background The platelet estimate (PE) is based on platelet count on stained blood smears and it is usually employed in routine hematology as an indirect evaluation of the platelet mass, independently on the instrumental platelet count. No information is available on observerdependent variability of PE or on the intrinsic variability of PEs on routinely performed blood smears. Objective Aim of this study is to preliminarily assess the magnitude of the aforementioned sources of variability of PEs. Methods Fifteen blood smears were microscopically read by two independent observers on three different areas of the smear (lateral edge - LE - central monolayer - CM - feathered edge -FE). In each area the number of platelets in 10 HPF was counted by each observer. Intra- and inter- observer coefficient of variations (CVs) were calculated, and the results recorded in the three areas were compared to each other using an ANOVA test for paired measurement. Results Results of the two observers were significantly different in the FE but the intra-observer CVs were always high (from 18% to 72%) but significantly different for the two observers only in the CM. For both the observers, median and mean values were higher in the CM than in the LE and lower in FE than in the other two areas and the CVs were higher in the CM than in the two other areas. However, all the differences above were statistically significant only for one of the two observers. Conclusions The PE suffers from an observer-dependent and from an intrinsic variability that should be taken into account in routine practice. Further studies are needed to evaluate the possible impact of this variability on clinical classification of patients with low instrumental platelet counts

Quando la UTI è complicata

Viene descritto e discusso il caso clinico di un cane, giovane adulto affetto da pielone- frite complicante una nefropatia proteino- disperdente associata a enteropatia cronica. La presenza di un\u2019infezione nel paziente nefropatico non deve essere sottovalutata. Il mancato trattamento potrebbe essere cau- sa di progressione del danno e di perdita di funzionalit\ue0

Dimetilarginina simmetrica e nefropatia nel gatto : prime osservazioni

SYMMETRIC DIMETHYLARGININE IN FELINE NEPHROLOGY: PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is very common in geriatric cats. Since CKD is an irreversible and progressive disease, early detection and treatment is mandatory. A population of 45 client-owned cats with or at risk of CKD was considered. This study compares the latest renal biomarker, the symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) with other clinical and analytical parameters of these cats, especially serum creatinine (sCr), in order to evaluate its diagnostic utility in clinical practice. Most part of the population belongs to IRIS stage 2 (55,6%) and the total population is distributed as follows: 17 (37,8%) with SDMA 14 \u3bcg/dL and sCr > 1,8 mg/dL, 8 (17,7%) with SDMA > 14 \u3bcg/dL and sCr 1,8 mg/dL . SDMA shows a significant relation- ship with body weight (p<0,05), weight loss (p<0,05), IRIS stage (p<0,05), urea (p<0,01), creatinine (p<0,01), white blood cells (p<0,01), red blood cells (p<0,05), hematocrit (p<0,01), hemoglobin (p<0,05) urine specific gravity (p<0,01). Finally, SDMA can be consider a useful biomarker in early detection of feline CKD, but it needs to be considered in association with other renal biomarkers, better to define the renal condition of every patient

Urinalysis alterations in dogs affected with urinary tract infection: a retrospective case/control study

Urine culture and antimicrobial susceptibility test are the gold standard in order to select a correct treatment in urinary tract infections (UTI). However, a complete urinalysis is the first line investigation in dogs with urinary symptoms and results can help the clinician in the diagnostic workup. The aim of this study was to compare signalment and urinary parameters obtained from dogs with positive urine culture (\u201cUTI-group\u201d) to those with sterile culture (\u201cnUTI-group\u201d) in a population in which UTI was considered among the differential diagnosis. Two-hundred-eighty-two culture and urinalysis results, from urine sampled by cystocentesis in 214 dogs, between 2013 and 2019, were included in this retrospective study. Statistical analysis was performed by chi-square, Wilcoxon or Kruskal-Wallis test using JMP 14 (SAS Inc., Cary, USA). One-hundred-nine urine samples from 85 dogs were positive and 173 samples from 129 dogs were negative to culture. Single isolates were 92.7% and Escherichia coli was the main pathogen (50.5%). Dogs in UTI-group were significantly (p&lt;0.01) older (9.8\ub14.2 years) compared to nUTI-group (7.6\ub14.6). No significant difference regarding breed and sex were found. Urine appearance was predominantly yellow in both groups, but pale yellow (11% vs 5%) was overrepresented in UTI-group. Turbid aspect was predominant in UTI-group (32% vs 9%), but 35% of UTI-group samples was clear. UTI-group had lower (p=0.03) urine specific gravity (USG); pH was similar between groups. Positivity to blood and haemoglobin was higher in UTI-group (p&lt;0.01) but negative results (44% and 60% respectively) were present in UTI-group and positive (28% and 17% respectively) in nUTI- group. Nitur test was positive in 13% of UTI-group and 0% in nUTI-group. Urinary red blood cells were not significantly different between groups. White blood cells (&gt;5/hpf) were present in 72% of UTI-group and in 15% of nUTI-group showing a significant difference (p&lt;0.05). Bacteria were detected in 75% of urinary sediments of UTI-group and apparently evident in 5% of nUTI-group. In the 27 dogs of UTI-group in which bacteria were not evident, USG ranged from 1002 to 1048 and resulted below 1014 in 11 cases. Proteinuria staged according to IRIS guidelines was significantly different (p&lt;0.01) between groups: proteinuric and borderline proteinuric were respectively 44% and 28% in UTI-group, while in nUTI- group were 30% and 14%. Although the set of found alterations can lead to a suspicion of infection, urinalysis is not diagnostic of UTI; based on these results, the diagnosis could be missed in at least 25% of patients

Analytical and clinical validation of a new immunoenzymatic method for the measurement of canine parathyroid hormone

Renal hyperparathyroidism (RHPT) is one of the main complications in dogs affected with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). The measurement of serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) could be of clinical utility for the disease\u2019s treatment and follow-up; however, PTH is not routinely determined due to limited available methods, often not fully validated in dogs. The aims of this study were the analytical validation of an immunoenzymatic method for the measurement of PTH in canine serum and the analysis of preliminary association of the obtained results with renal function. Twenty-six samples obtained from dogs healthy or affected with CKD were analysed. PTH was measured using a two-site immunoenzymometric human assay (ST AIA-PACK\uae Intact PTH, Tosoh Bioscience). The analytical validation protocol evaluated the assay precision and accuracy. Also, the PTH\u2019s storage stability at 20\u25e6 C, 4\u25e6 C and 1220\u25e6 C was assessed. Clinical validation was performed by comparing PTH values with creatinine, phosphorus and International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) stage. The method showed optimal precision and accuracy, whereas stability was adequate up to 4 h at 20\u25e6 C, 24 h at 4\u25e6 C and 6 months at 1220\u25e6 C. PTH was positively associated with creatinine, phosphorus and IRIS stage. The investigated method was thus successfully validated in dogs, allowing its use for clinical purpose