Looking away from faces: influence of high-level visual processes on saccade programming

Human faces capture attention more than other visual stimuli. Here we investigated whether such face-specific biases rely on automatic (involuntary) or voluntary orienting responses. To this end, we used an anti-saccade paradigm, which requires the ability to inhibit a reflexive automatic response and to generate a voluntary saccade in the opposite direction of the stimulus. To control for potential low-level confounds in the eye-movement data, we manipulated the high-level visual properties of the stimuli while normalizing their global low-level visual properties. Eye movements were recorded in 21 participants who performed either pro- or anti-saccades to a face, car, or noise pattern, randomly presented to the left or right of a fixation point. For each trial, a symbolic cue instructed the observer to generate either a pro-saccade or an anti-saccade. We report a significant increase in anti-saccade error rates for faces compared to cars and noise patterns, as well as faster pro-saccades to faces and cars in comparison to noise patterns. These results indicate that human faces induce stronger involuntary orienting responses than other visual objects, i.e., responses that are beyond the control of the observer. Importantly, this involuntary processing cannot be accounted for by global low-level visual factors

Providing Further Construct Validity for a Newly Developed Functional-Living Measure: The Movement and Activity in Physical Space (maps) Score

Older adults face many age-related changes affecting functional ability. Function is defined as the interaction between a person and their real-world environment. Currently, no objective measures of function exist assessing the environmental component. A newly-developed measure of functional-living, the Movement and Activity in Physical Space (MAPS) score, combines accelerometer and geospatial data providing quantitative measurement of real-world function. Because MAPS is a new measure of functional-living, the purpose of the current study was to provide further construct validity for MAPS as a functional-living measure in older adults and to determine what combination of 3 days, using weekend and week days, are needed to obtain reliable MAPS scores in older adults. While there are many factors known to impact function, cognitive function has a well-known relationship with physical activity. MAPS assesses physical activity. Therefore, a relationship between cognitive function and functional-living was expected. Physical activity and physical function were also expected to be related to functional-living. Thirty community-dwelling older adults aged 72.6 (± 7.0) completed the study. Five measures of cognitive function were used, each assessing a different cognitive domain (i.e., executive function, working memory, processing speed, reaction time, and spatial visualization). A physical function test and a measure of physical activity were also administered. Pearson r correlations were conducted among all measures to assess the correlations between MAPS scores and the measures of cognitive function, physical activity questionnaire, and physical function test. If a correlation was found to be significant between MAPSI and MAPSV scores with any of the cognitive function measures, physical activity questionnaire, or physical function test, then further construct validity would be provided for MAPS as a functional-living measure in older adults. MAPSI and MAPSV scores were significantly correlated with the measure of processing speed and spatial visualization. The physical function score was also significantly correlated with MAPSI scores. The remaining measures of cognitive function and the physical activity questionnaire were not found to be associated with functional-living, as measured by MAPS, due to several limitations in the measures used. Wearing the activity monitors during any 3-day combination of days provided reliable MAPS data. Results of the study provided evidence of construct validity for MAPS as a functional-living measure

ERP correlates of word production before and after stroke in an aphasic patient

No abstract available

The H-Index as a Quantitative Indicator of the Relative Impact of Human Diseases

Assessment of the relative impact of diseases and pathogens is important for agencies and other organizations charged with providing disease surveillance, management and control. It also helps funders of disease-related research to identify the most important areas for investment. Decisions as to which pathogens or diseases to target are often made using complex risk assessment approaches; however, these usually involve evaluating a large number of hazards as it is rarely feasible to conduct an in-depth appraisal of each. Here we propose the use of the H-index (or Hirsch index) as an alternative rapid, repeatable and objective means of assessing pathogen impact. H-index scores for 1,414 human pathogens were obtained from the Institute for Scientific Information's Web of Science (WOS) in July/August 2010. Scores were compared for zoonotic/non-zoonotic, and emerging/non-emerging pathogens, and across taxonomic groups. H-indices for a subset of pathogens were compared with Disability Adjusted Life Year (DALY) estimates for the diseases they cause. H-indices ranged from 0 to 456, with a median of 11. Emerging pathogens had higher H-indices than non-emerging pathogens. Zoonotic pathogens tended to have higher H-indices than human-only pathogens, although the opposite was observed for viruses. There was a significant correlation between the DALY of a disease and the H-index of the pathogen(s) that cause it. Therefore, scientific interest, as measured by the H-index, appears to be a reflection of the true impact of pathogens. The H-index method can be utilized to set up an objective, repeatable and readily automated system for assessing pathogen or disease impact

Internship Experiences Contribute to Confident Career Decision Making for Doctoral Students in the Life Sciences.

The Graduate Student Internships for Career Exploration (GSICE) program at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), offers structured training and hands-on experience through internships for a broad range of PhD-level careers. The GSICE program model was successfully replicated at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis). Here, we present outcome data for a total of 217 PhD students participating in the UCSF and UC Davis programs from 2010 to 2015 and 2014 to 2015, respectively. The internship programs at the two sites demonstrated comparable participation, internship completion rates, and overall outcomes. Using survey, focus group, and individual interview data, we find that the programs provide students with career development skills, while increasing students' confidence in career exploration and decision making. Internships, in particular, were perceived by students to increase their ability to discern a career area of choice and to increase confidence in pursuing that career. We present data showing that program participation does not change median time to degree and may help some trainees avoid "default postdocs." Our findings suggest important strategies for institutions developing internship programs for PhD students, namely: including a structured training component, allowing postgraduation internships, and providing a central organization point for internship programs

Systematic Assessment of the Climate Sensitivity of Important Human and Domestic Animals Pathogens in Europe

Climate change is expected to threaten human health and well-being via its effects on climate-sensitive infectious diseases, potentially changing their spatial distributions, affecting annual/seasonal cycles, or altering disease incidence and severity. Climate sensitivity of pathogens is a key indicator that diseases might respond to climate change, but the proportion of pathogens that is climate-sensitive, and their characteristics, are not known. The climate sensitivity of European human and domestic animal infectious pathogens, and the characteristics associated with sensitivity, were assessed systematically in terms of selection of pathogens and choice of literature reviewed. Sixty-three percent (N = 157) of pathogens were climate sensitive; 82% to primary drivers such as rainfall and temperature. Protozoa and helminths, vector-borne, foodborne, soilborne and waterborne transmission routes were associated with larger numbers of climate drivers. Zoonotic pathogens were more climate sensitive than human- or animal-only pathogens. Thirty-seven percent of disability-adjusted-life-years arise from human infectious diseases that are sensitive to primary climate drivers. These results help prioritize surveillance for pathogens that may respond to climate change. Although this study identifies a high degree of climate sensitivity among important pathogens, their response to climate change will be dependent on the nature of their association with climate drivers and impacts of other drivers