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

Biofield Therapies: Helpful or Full of Hype? A Best Evidence Synthesis

Biofield therapies (such as Reiki, therapeutic touch, and healing touch) are complementary medicine modalities that remain controversial and are utilized by a significant number of patients, with little information regarding their efficacy. This systematic review examines 66 clinical studies with a variety of biofield therapies in different patient populations. We conducted a quality assessment as well as a best evidence synthesis approach to examine evidence for biofield therapies in relevant outcomes for different clinical populations. Studies overall are of medium quality, and generally meet minimum standards for validity of inferences. Biofield therapies show strong evidence for reducing pain intensity in pain populations, and moderate evidence for reducing pain intensity hospitalized and cancer populations. There is moderate evidence for decreasing negative behavioral symptoms in dementia and moderate evidence for decreasing anxiety for hospitalized populations. There is equivocal evidence for biofield therapies' effects on fatigue and quality of life for cancer patients, as well as for comprehensive pain outcomes and affect in pain patients, and for decreasing anxiety in cardiovascular patients. There is a need for further high-quality studies in this area. Implications and future research directions are discussed

International Consensus Statement on Rhinology and Allergy: Rhinosinusitis

Background: The 5 years since the publication of the first International Consensus Statement on Allergy and Rhinology: Rhinosinusitis (ICAR‐RS) has witnessed foundational progress in our understanding and treatment of rhinologic disease. These advances are reflected within the more than 40 new topics covered within the ICAR‐RS‐2021 as well as updates to the original 140 topics. This executive summary consolidates the evidence‐based findings of the document. Methods: ICAR‐RS presents over 180 topics in the forms of evidence‐based reviews with recommendations (EBRRs), evidence‐based reviews, and literature reviews. The highest grade structured recommendations of the EBRR sections are summarized in this executive summary. Results: ICAR‐RS‐2021 covers 22 topics regarding the medical management of RS, which are grade A/B and are presented in the executive summary. Additionally, 4 topics regarding the surgical management of RS are grade A/B and are presented in the executive summary. Finally, a comprehensive evidence‐based management algorithm is provided. Conclusion: This ICAR‐RS‐2021 executive summary provides a compilation of the evidence‐based recommendations for medical and surgical treatment of the most common forms of RS

Type 1 Treg cells act as unexpected helpers

CXCR3+ regulatory T cells, known to limit type 1 immune responses, can promote tissue-resident immunity by providing bioactive transforming growth factor-β to CD8+ T cells

A central role for Notch in effector CD8(+) T cell differentiation

Activated CD8(+) T cells choose between terminal effector cell (TEC) or memory precursor cell (MPC) fates. We found that the signaling receptor Notch controls this 'choice'. Notch promoted the differentiation of immediately protective TECs and was correspondingly required for the clearance of acute infection with influenza virus. Notch activated a major portion of the TEC-specific gene-expression program and suppressed the MPC-specific program. Expression of Notch was induced on naive CD8(+) T cells by inflammatory mediators and interleukin 2 (IL-2) via pathways dependent on the metabolic checkpoint kinase mTOR and the transcription factor T-bet. These pathways were subsequently amplified downstream of Notch, creating a positive feedback loop. Notch thus functions as a central hub where information from different sources converges to match effector T cell differentiation to the demands of an infection

Plant-induced changes in the bioavailability of heavy metals in soil and biosolids assessed by DGT measurements

Purpose: This study investigated the effects of plants on the available pools of heavy metals and their re-supply potential in contaminated substrates in a short-term experiment using five metal-accumulating willow and poplar species/cultivars and in a longer-term experiment for Salix x reichardtii. Material and methods: Five species of willow and poplar were grown in either soil or biosolids for short-term experiment (4 months). Further investigations of longer-term effects of plant on metal availability were conducted with S. x reichardtii grown in biosolids in a column (100 cm height and 37.5 cm diameter) experiment over a period of 12 months. Samples collected before and after experiments were determined for pH and bioavailability of metals using diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT). Various pools of metals in biosolids were determined by sequential extraction. Concentrations of heavy metals in plant material were determined. Results and discussion: The concentration of metals determined by DGT (C) and concentration of metals in pore water (C) of Ni, Cu, Zn, and Cd in soil and biosolids generally decreased significantly compared to the initial measurements and were usually lower than those of the controls. However, C and C were higher in planted soil compared to those in the controls. There was a negative correlation between Ni, Zn, and Cd in plant shoots and C in both soil and biosolids. The R values, the ratio of C/C calculated for Ni, Cd and Zn of planted substrates, were significantly higher than the corresponding R values of initial substrates. By contrast, R values for Cu showed little change. R values for Ni, Zn, and Cd were higher in planted biosolids compared to the unplanted biosolids. While S. x reichardtii leaf Cd, Ni, and Zn concentrations increased significantly over time, leaf Cu concentration declined. The patterns of plant uptake for the metals reflected the patterns observed by DGT and soil solution measurements of R. Sequential extraction of heavy metals from biosolids after 12 month's experimentation confirmed that Cu was predominantly in the organic fraction. Conclusions: The short-term effects of plants on the bioavailability of metals in soils and biosolids were different. The R values of cultivated treatments varied between species but were not significantly different from the control in most of the cases. The longer-term experiment indicated that both C and C of Ni, Zn, and Cd decreased significantly over time in both planted and unplanted treatments. The results of this study demonstrated that R values measured by DGT may be useful in assessing the potential bioavailability of heavy metals in soil and biosolids