The neural basis of audiovisual integration

Our perception is continuous and unified. Yet, sensory information reaches our brains through different senses and needs to be processed in order to create that unified percept. Interactions between sensory modalities occur already at primary cortical levels. The purpose of such interactions and what kind of information they transmit is still largely unknown. The current thesis aimed to reveal the interactions between auditory pitch and visual size in polar coordinates, two modality specific stimulus features that have robust topographic representations in the human brain. In Chapter 1, I present the background of cross-modal interactions in early sensory cortices and of the pitch-size relationship. In Chapter 2, we explored the pitch-size relationship in a speeded classification task and, in Chapter 3, at the level of functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging activation patterns. In Chapter 4, we investigated the effects of actively learning a specific pitch-size mapping during one session on the speeded classification task. In Chapter 5, we extended learning over multiple sessions and examined learning effects with behavioral and neural measures. Finally, in Chapter 6, I summarize the findings of the thesis, its contributions to the literature, and outline directions for future research

Educational Leaders Perceptions of Emotional Intelligence and How it Effects their Professional Practice

Researchers argue that Emotional Intelligence (EI) plays a key role in effective and successful leadership (Goleman et al., 2004; Rosete & Ciarrochi, 2005; Chan, 2007). Although other researchers claimed that these assertions lean little empirical support (Ciarrochi, Deane & Anderson, 2002), Goleman, Boyatzis, and McKee (2004) assert that EI is essential for leadership because leaders work through emotions and their primal job is emotional. With most of this research done in the business world, this study focuses on the role of EI in educational leadership. The purposes of this study are to explore and to construct new knowledge regarding educational leaders\u27 perceptions of EI and how it affects their professional practice. This is a Mixed Method study. The quantitative part of the research uses a Likert scale questionnaire that was sent to 42 educational leaders: 20 in the US Midwest and 22 in Israel. The qualitative part comprised Narrative Inquires of five educational leaders. From my findings I have learned that EI has a meaningful effect on the educational leader\u27s role. The role of the educational is emotional, not only, but mainly because of the stress and pressure that the role contains. Additional findings were that interviewees developed their understanding about EI as the interviews progressed. The study was summed up by the conclusion that educational leaders do not know enough about EI and by developing their awareness about the importance and knowledge of EI, might give them a professional tool to lead and deal more effectively with the multiple demands that the role contains

INDEPENDENT AUDITING OF PUBLIC EXPENDITURE AS A TOOL TO IMPROVE THE STATE FINANCIAL CONTROL

El control financiero estatal (SFC) es una parte integral de la administración pública. Su objetivo principal es identificar las desviaciones de las normas, las violaciones de los principios de legalidad, eficiencia y ahorro de recursos lo antes posible. Esto permite la adopción oportuna de medidas correctivas y, en algunos casos, la reparación financiera y la rendición de cuentas de los perpetradores, además de prevenir tales violaciones en el futuro. Sin embargo, si el control interno lo llevan a cabo los empleados, directamente subordinados al jefe de la organización controlada, no puede haber objetividad. En este sentido, los autores proponen utilizar la experiencia y las habilidades profesionales de los auditores independientes en la implementación del presupuesto de auditoría.State financial control (SFC) is an integral part of public administration. Its main goal is to identify deviations from standards, violations of the principles of legality, efficiency and resource saving as early as possible. This allows timely adoption of remedial measures, and, in some cases, financial reparation and accountability for perpetrators, as well as preventing such violations in the future. However, if the internal control is carried out by employees, directly subordinate to the head of controlled organization, there can be no question of objectivity. In this regard, the authors propose to use the experience and professional skills of independent auditors in auditing budget implementation.O controle financeiro estatal (SFC) é parte integrante da administração pública. Seu principal objetivo é identificar desvios dos padrões, violações dos princípios de legalidade, eficiência e economia de recursos o mais cedo possível. Isso permite a adoção oportuna de medidas corretivas e, em alguns casos, reparação financeira e prestação de contas aos autores, além de impedir essas violações no futuro. No entanto, se o controle interno for realizado pelos funcionários, diretamente subordinado ao chefe da organização controlada, não haverá questão de objetividade. Nesse sentido, os autores propõem usar a experiência e as habilidades profissionais dos auditores independentes na auditoria da implementação do orçamento

Towards real-world neuroscience using mobile EEG and augmented reality

AbstractOur visual environment impacts multiple aspects of cognition including perception, attention and memory, yet most studies traditionally remove or control the external environment. As a result, we have a limited understanding of neurocognitive processes beyond the controlled lab environment. Here, we aim to study neural processes in real-world environments, while also maintaining a degree of control over perception. To achieve this, we combined mobile EEG (mEEG) and augmented reality (AR), which allows us to place virtual objects into the real world. We validated this AR and mEEG approach using a well-characterised cognitive response—the face inversion effect. Participants viewed upright and inverted faces in three EEG tasks (1) a lab-based computer task, (2) walking through an indoor environment while seeing face photographs, and (3) walking through an indoor environment while seeing virtual faces. We find greater low frequency EEG activity for inverted compared to upright faces in all experimental tasks, demonstrating that cognitively relevant signals can be extracted from mEEG and AR paradigms. This was established in both an epoch-based analysis aligned to face events, and a GLM-based approach that incorporates continuous EEG signals and face perception states. Together, this research helps pave the way to exploring neurocognitive processes in real-world environments while maintaining experimental control using AR.</jats:p

Specificity of the human frequency following response for carrier and modulation frequency assessed using adaptation

The frequency following response (FFR) is a scalp-recorded measure of phase-locked brainstem activity to stimulus-related periodicities. Three experiments investigated the specificity of the FFR for carrier and modulation frequency using adaptation. FFR waveforms evoked by alternating-polarity stimuli were averaged for each polarity and added, to enhance envelope, or subtracted, to enhance temporal fine structure information. The first experiment investigated peristimulus adaptation of the FFR for pure and complex tones as a function of stimulus frequency and fundamental frequency (F0). It showed more adaptation of the FFR in response to sounds with higher frequencies or F0s than to sounds with lower frequency or F0s. The second experiment investigated tuning to modulation rate in the FFR. The FFR to a complex tone with a modulation rate of 213 Hz was not reduced more by an adaptor that had the same modulation rate than by an adaptor with a different modulation rate (90 or 504 Hz), thus providing no evidence that the FFR originates mainly from neurons that respond selectively to the modulation rate of the stimulus. The third experiment investigated tuning to audio frequency in the FFR using pure tones. An adaptor that had the same frequency as the target (213 or 504 Hz) did not generally reduce the FFR to the target more than an adaptor that differed in frequency (by 1.24 octaves). Thus, there was no evidence that the FFR originated mainly from neurons tuned to the frequency of the target. Instead, the results are consistent with the suggestion that the FFR for low-frequency pure tones at medium to high levels mainly originates from neurons tuned to higher frequencies. Implications for the use and interpretation of the FFR are discussed

Post-operative reflux esophagitis as a predictor of choice of restrictive operation in patients with metabolic syndrome.

The purpose of this study was to conduct a comparative analysis of the retrospective results of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG), laparoscopic gastroplication (LGP) and laparoscopic fundogastroplication (LFGP) (simultaneous performance of fundoplication by Nissen and gastroplication) obtained at the follow-up period of 1 year, to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of prevention of short-term postoperative complications, which are manifested in the form of GERD, by performing preventive antireflux procedure in combination with restrictive bariatric surgery. Evaluation of the effectiveness and long-term effects of the presented restrictive operations was carried out on the basis of retrospective data obtained during the supervision of 46 patients with obesity and metabolic syndrome (men / women - 16/30, average age – 41.19±6.07, body weight – 128.26±7.37 kg, abdominal circumference – 133.4±4.71 cm, body mass index (BMI) – 42.66±2.41 kg/m2, I-III ASA). In the preoperative and postoperative periods, during consultations, in all patients measurements of anthropometric indicators were performed, laboratory data and results of instrumental research were considered. All metabolic procedures presented were performed at the basis of the Department of Surgery and Vascular Surgery of NMAPE named after P.L. Shupik in the period from 2016 to 2019. 13 patients underwent LSG, 20 – LGP and 13 - LFGP. In order to control the results, repeated consultations were carried out at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months of the postoperative period. The average duration of the operation was: LSG – 88.5±6.49 min, LGP - 120±5.42 min, LFGP – 135.38±7.48 min. The average period of hospitalization was: LSG – 3.2±0.63 days, LGP – 3.53±0.62 days, and LFGP – 3.5±0.67 days. After a year, the body mass index (BMI) was: LSG – 31.17±0.31 kg/m2, LGP – 32.48±0.23 kg/m2, LFGP – 32.43±0.21 kg/m2. According to the results of a repeated questio­ning of patients one year after the operation, 3 (23.07%) of the LSG group and 5 (25.0%) of the LGP group had symptoms of GERD, which failed to be eliminated with the help of conservative therapy, life quality of patients became significantly worse. In the group of patients who underwent LFGP, this complication was absent. After the control gastroscopy, 1 year after, de novo signs of reflux esophagitis were detected (according to the Los Angeles clas­sification): in the LSG group – 3 (23.07%) patients (2 - grade A and 1 - grade B), in the LGP group – 5 (25.0%) patients (3 – grade A and 2 – grade B). Among patients who underwent LFGP, there were no signs of reflux esophagitis. Considering the possible development of GERD and reflux esophagitis in one year after the restrictive surgery, the use of preventive measures consisting in the simultaneous performance of antireflux and metabolic operations is relevant, this is demonstrated by the example of LFGP. We recommend to give preference to simultaneous operations for the achievement of not only high rates of weight loss, but also for improvement of the quality of patients` life in the future

Optimized high gradient magnetic separation for isolation of Plasmodium-infected red blood cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Highly purified infected red blood cells (irbc), or highly synchronized parasite cultures, are regularly required in malaria research. Conventional isolation and synchronization rely on density and osmotic fragility of irbc, respectively. High gradient magnetic separation (HGMS) offers an alternative based on intrinsic magnetic properties of irbc, avoiding exposure to chemicals and osmotic stress. Successful HGMS concentration in malaria research was previously reported using polymer coated columns, while HGMS depletion has not been described yet. This study presents a new approach to both HGMS concentration and depletion in malaria research, rendering polymer coating unnecessary.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A dipole magnet generating a strong homogenous field was custom assembled. Polypropylene syringes were fitted with one-way stopcocks and filled with stainless steel wool. Rbc from <it>Plasmodium falciparum </it>cultures were resuspended in density and viscosity optimized HGMS buffers and HGMS processed. Purification and depletion results were analysed by flow cytometer and light microscopy. Viability was evaluated by calculating the infection rate after re-culturing of isolates.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In HGMS concentration, purity of irbc isolates from asynchronous cultures consistently ranged from 94.8% to 98.4% (mean 95.7%). With further optimization, over 90% of isolated irbc contained segmented schizonts. Processing time was less than 45 min. Reinfection rates ranged from 21.0% to 56.4%. In HGMS depletion, results were comparable to treatment with sorbitol, as demonstrated by essentially identical development of cultures.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The novel HGMS concentration procedure achieves high purities of segmented stage irbc from standard asynchronous cultures, and is the first HGMS depletion alternative to sorbitol lysis. It represents a simple and highly efficient alternative to conventional irbc concentration and synchronization methods.</p