Setting things straight: a comparison of measures of saccade trajectory deviation

In eye movements, saccade trajectory deviation has often been used as a physiological operationalization of visual attention, distraction, or the visual system’s prioritization of different sources of information. However, there are many ways to measure saccade trajectories and to quantify their deviation. This may lead to noncomparable results and poses the problem of choosing a method that will maximize statistical power. Using data from existing studies and from our own experiments, we used principal components analysis to carry out a systematic quantification of the relationships among eight different measures of saccade trajectory deviation and their power to detect the effects of experimental manipulations, as measured by standardized effect size. We concluded that (1) the saccade deviation measure is a good default measure of saccade trajectory deviation, because it is somewhat correlated with all other measures and shows relatively high effect sizes for two well-known experimental effects; (2) more generally, measures made relative to the position of the saccade target are more powerful; and (3) measures of deviation based on the early part of the saccade are made more stable when they are based on data from an eyetracker with a high sampling rate. Our recommendations may be of use to future eye movement researchers seeking to optimize the designs of their studies

The programming of sequences of saccades

Saccadic eye movements move the high-resolution fovea to point at regions of interest. Saccades can only be generated serially (i.e., one at a time). However, what remains unclear is the extent to which saccades are programmed in parallel (i.e., a series of such moments can be planned together) and how far ahead such planning occurs. In the current experiment, we investigate this issue with a saccade contingent preview paradigm. Participants were asked to execute saccadic eye movements in response to seven small circles presented on a screen. The extent to which participants were given prior information about target locations was varied on a trial-by-trial basis: participants were aware of the location of the next target only, the next three, five, or all seven targets. The addition of new targets to the display was made during the saccade to the next target in the sequence. The overall time taken to complete the sequence was decreased as more targets were available up to all seven targets. This was a result of a reduction in the number of saccades being executed and a reduction in their saccade latencies. Surprisingly, these results suggest that, when faced with a demand to saccade to a large number of target locations, saccade preparation about all target locations is carried out in paralle

Understanding representations of uncertainty, an eye-tracking study – Part 1: The effect of anchoring

Geoscience communicators must think carefully about how uncertainty is represented and how users may interpret these representations. Doing so will help communicate risk more effectively, which can elicit appropriate responses. Communication of uncertainty is not just a geosciences problem; recently, communication of uncertainty has come to the forefront over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the lessons learned from communication during the pandemic can be adopted across geosciences as well. To test interpretations of environmental forecasts with uncertainty, a decision task survey was administered to 65 participants who saw different hypothetical forecast representations common to presentations of environmental data and forecasts: deterministic, spaghetti plot with and without a median line, fan plot with and without a median line, and box plot with and without a median line. While participants completed the survey, their eye movements were monitored with eye-tracking software. Participants' eye movements were anchored to the median line, not focusing on possible extreme values to the same extent as when no median line was present. Additionally, participants largely correctly interpreted extreme values from the spaghetti and fan plots, but misinterpreted extreme values from the box plot, perhaps because participants spent little time fixating on the key. These results suggest that anchoring lines, such as median lines, should only be used where users should be guided to particular values and where extreme values are not as important in data interpretation. Additionally, fan or spaghetti plots should be considered instead of box plots to reduce misinterpretation of extreme values. Further study on the role of expertise and the change in eye movements across the graph area and key is explored in more detail in the companion paper to this study (Williams et al., 2023; hereafter Part 2).</p

Towards an Embodied Sociology of War

While sociology has historically not been a good interlocutor of war, this paper argues that the body has always known war, and that it is to the corporeal that we can turn in an attempt to develop a language to better speak of its myriad violences and its socially generative force. It argues that war is a crucible of social change that is prosecuted, lived and reproduced via the occupation and transformation of myriad bodies in numerous ways from exhilaration to mutilation. War and militarism need to be traced and analysed in terms of their fundamental, diverse and often brutal modes of embodied experience and apprehension. This paper thus invites sociology to extend its imaginative horizon to rethink the crucial and enduring social institution of war as a broad array of fundamentally embodied experiences, practices and regimes

Blockade of IL-33 release and suppression of type 2 innate lymphoid cell responses by helminth secreted products in airway allergy

Helminth parasites such as the nematode Heligmosomoides polygyrus strongly inhibit T helper type 2 (Th2) allergy, as well as colitis and autoimmunity. Here, we show that the soluble excretory/secretory products of H. polygyrus (HES) potently suppress inflammation induced by allergens from the common fungus Alternaria alternata. Alternaria extract, when administered to mice intranasally with ovalbumin (OVA) protein, induces a rapid (1–48 h) innate response while also priming an OVA-specific Th2 response that can be evoked 14 days later by intranasal administration of OVA alone. In this model, HES coadministration with Alternaria/OVA suppressed early IL-33 release, innate lymphoid cell (ILC) production of IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13, and localized eosinophilia. Upon OVA challenge, type 2 ILC (ILC2)/Th2 cytokine production and eosinophilia were diminished in HES-treated mice. HES administration 6 h before Alternaria blocked the allergic response, and its suppressive activity was abolished by heat treatment. Administration of recombinant IL-33 at sensitization with Alternaria/OVA/HES abrogated HES suppression of OVA-specific responses at challenge, indicating that suppression of early Alternaria-induced IL-33 release could be central to the anti-allergic effects of HES. Thus, this helminth parasite targets IL-33 production as part of its armory of suppressive effects, forestalling the development of the type 2 immune response to infection and allergic sensitization

Understanding representations of uncertainty, an eye-tracking study – Part 2: The effect of expertise

As the ability to make predictions regarding uncertainty information representing natural hazards increases, an important question for those designing and communicating hazard forecasts is how visualizations of uncertainty influence understanding amongst the intended, potentially varied, target audiences. End-users have a wide range of differing expertise and backgrounds, possibly influencing the decision-making process they undertake for a given forecast presentation. Our previous, Part 1 study (Mulder et al., 2023) examined how the presentation of uncertainty information influenced end-user decision making. Here, we shift the focus to examine the decisions and reactions of participants with differing areas of expertise (meteorology, psychology, and graphic-communication students) when presented with varied hypothetical forecast representations (boxplot, fan plot, or spaghetti plot with and without median lines) using the same eye-tracking methods and experiments. Participants made decisions about a fictional scenario involving the choices between ships of different sizes in the face of varying ice thickness forecasts. Eye movements to the graph area and key and how they changed over time (early, intermediate, and later viewing periods) were examined. More fixations (maintained gaze on one location) and more fixation time were spent on the graph and key during early and intermediate periods of viewing, particularly for boxplots and fan plots. The inclusion of median lines led to less fixations being made on all graph types during early and intermediate viewing periods. No difference in eye movement behaviour was found due to expertise; however, those with greater expertise were more accurate in their decisions, particularly during more difficult scenarios. Where scientific producers seek to draw users to the central estimate, an anchoring line can significantly reduce cognitive load, leading both experts and non-experts to make more rational decisions. When asking users to consider extreme scenarios or uncertainty, different prior expertise can lead to significantly different cognitive loads for processing information, with an impact on one's ability to make appropriate decisions.</p

Associations between serum taurine concentrations in mothers and neonates and the children's anthropometrics and early neurodevelopment:Results from the Seychelles Child Development Study, Nutrition Cohort 2

Background: High concentrations of taurine are present in the developing human brain and maternal breast milk. Taurine is thought to influence fetal growth and brain development based on experimental rodent studies. As fish is an important dietary source of taurine, we investigated associations between taurine concentrations and child outcomes in a high fish consuming population. Objective: To examine associations between maternal and cord serum taurine concentrations and birth anthropometric measures and cognitive development in children at 20 months of age. Methods: Pregnant women were recruited between 2008 and 2011 as part of Nutrition Cohort 2 (NC2) of the Seychelles Child Development Study (SCDS). Maternal taurine serum concentrations were measured at 28 week’s gestation and in cord serum. Child weight, length and head circumference were measured at birth and neurodevelopment was assessed using Bayley Scales of Infant Development II (BSID-II) at 20 months of age. Associations between taurine status, birth measures and neurodevelopmental outcomes were examined (n = 300) using regression models and adjusted for relevant covariates. Results: Mean (SD) maternal and cord taurine concentrations were 124.9 (39.2) µmol/L (range 28.2–253.9 µmol/ L) and 187.6 (60.0) µmol/L (range 55.0–417.4 µmol/L) respectively. We found no associations between maternal taurine concentrations and child anthropometric and neurodevelopmental measures (weight β = − 0.001, SE=0.001; length β = − 0.006, SE=0.006; head circumference β = − 0.002, SE=0.002; MDI β = − 0.005, SE=0.015; PDI β = − 0.004, SE=0.016; all P > 0.05), or between cord taurine concentrations and outcomes (weight β = − 0.001, SE<0.000; length β = − 0.001, SE=0.004; head circumference β < 0.000, SE=0.002; MDI β = 0.004, SE=0.010; PDI β = − 0.015, SE=0.012; all P > 0.05). Conclusion: The Seychellois population have high maternal and cord taurine concentrations owing to their high fish intake and may be considered taurine replete compared to individuals who consume a Westernised diet. This high taurine status may explain why there were no significant associations between maternal and cord taurine concentrations and outcomes after adjusting for covariates

The Building America Industrialized Housing Partnership (BAIHP)

The Building America Industrialized Housing Partnership (BAIHP) is one of five competitively selected U.S. DOE Building America teams and began work on 9/1/99. BAIHP focuses on improving the energy efficiency, durability and indoor air quality in manufactured homes. Team members, Cavalier Homes, Fleetwood Homes, Palm Harbor Homes, Southern Energy Homes, and manufacturers in the Super Good Cents/Natural Choice program produce over 100,000 manufactured homes/yr currently. In addition, the BAIHP team provides technical assistance to about 30 site builders and modular home manufacturers including Habitat for Humanity affiliates throughout the nation. BAIHP is also charged with enhancing the energy efficiency and learning environment in portable classrooms in the northwestern states of WA, OR and ID. This paper summarizes the multifaceted work being performed by BAIHP and provides specific data on 310 homes constructed in the Gainesville FL area with technical assistance from Florida Home Energy and Resources Organization. The paper also summarizes typical causes and cures for moisture problems in manufactured homes

Marine Functional Foods Research Initiative (NutraMara)

Sea Change—A Marine Knowledge, Research & Innovation Strategy for Ireland 2007-2013—was launched in early 2007 and was the outcome of extensive analysis and consultation with government departments, state agencies, industry and the third-level sector. It outlines a vision for the development of Ireland’s marine sector and sets clear objectives aimed at achieving this vision, namely to: 1. Assist existing, and largely indigenous, marine sub-sectors to improve their overall competitiveness and engage in activity that adds value to their outputs by utilising knowledge and technology arising from research. 2. Build new research capacity and capability and utilise fundamental knowledge and technology to create new marine-related commercial opportunities and companies. 3. Inform public policy, governance and regulation by applying the knowledge derived from marine research and monitoring. 4. Increase the marine sector’s competitiveness and stimulate the commercialisation of the marine resource in a manner that ensures its sustainability and protects marine biodiversity and ecosystems. 5. Strengthen the economic, social and cultural base of marine dependant regional/rural communities. The Sea Change strategy was developed as an integral part of the government’s Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation (SSTI) and the Marine Institute as the lead implementation agency is working within SSTI policy and with government departments and agencies to deliver on the Strategy. The Marine Institute managed Marine Research Sub-Programme, one of eight sub-programmes within the Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Programme of the National Development Plan 2007—2013, targets funding to meet the objectives of the Sea Change strategy. Over the lifetime of Sea Change, funding will be provided for: • Project-Based Awards o Strategic Research Projects o Applied Research Projects o Demonstration Projects o Desk/Feasibility Studies • Researcher Awards o Strategic Research Appointments o Research Capacity/Competency Building o Post-Doctoral Fellowships o PhD Scholarships • Industry-Led Research Awards o Company Awards o Collaborative Awards • Infrastructure Awards o Infrastructure Acquisition o Access to InfrastructurNutraMara – Marine Functional Foods Research Initiative: The goal was to create new research capacity and build the capabilities required to maximise the potential of Ireland’s extensive marine bioresources. By supporting a strong interdisciplinary research team, capable of exploring marine animals and plants as a sustainable source of materials for use as functional ingredients and foods, the vision for NutraMara was to position Ireland to the fore in use of marine bioresources as health beneficial ingredients.Lead Partner: Teagasc – The Irish Food and Agriculture Authority Project Partners: National University of Ireland Galway University College Dublin University of Limerick Ulster University University College Cor