Assessing the role of accuracy-based feedback in value-driven attentional capture

© 2018, The Psychonomic Society, Inc. Despite being physically nonsalient and task-irrelevant, objects rendered in a color that once signaled monetary reward reflexively capture attention during visual search, a phenomenon known as value-driven attentional capture (VDAC). However, it remains a subject of empirical controversy whether learned reward associations are necessary to driving subsequent attentional capture: VDAC-like effects have been observed when accuracy-based feedback alone was used during the VDAC training phase, resulting in attentional capture by objects that were never associated with monetary reward; perplexingly, the presence of these VDAC-like effects in the literature conflicts with those of a number of control studies in which no such capture has been observed, leaving the issue currently unresolved. In this Registered Report, we present new empirical evidence of attentional capture by unrewarded former targets following limited accuracy-based training. We proposed to replicate these results in an independent sample and to test an empirically derived hypothesis concerning a methodological difference between the studies that have shown VDAC-like effects with accuracy-based feedback and those that have not. In short, we found no evidence that this methodological difference accounts for the inconsistencies in the literature, but our replication efforts were overwhelmingly successful, thus reinvigorating debate about the role that selection history may play in value-driven attentional capture

Sudden onsets reflexively drive spatial attention, but those that predict reward do more

© 2020 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Inc. The sudden appearance of an unexpected object elicits the automatic allocation of spatial attention. Even without eye movements, effortless, but transient, improvements in perception occur at the onset location. Much is known about the consequences of such exogenously elicited shifts of covert attention, but most research has used stimuli that carry very little, if any, additional information. In everyday life, attention is captured by sudden onsets that, due to past experience, alert us to more than just their appearance. An abundance of recent work has shed light on the interaction of associative learning and attention, leading to refinements in current models of attentional control; in this study, we tested two hypotheses concerning the efficacy of meaning-imbued onsets, specifically those that predict reward, to drive the reflexive allocation of covert spatial attention and to improve task performance more generally. First, spatially uninformative, abrupt-onset cues that are predictive of reward may elicit the involuntary allocation of attention more effectively than nonreward-predictive onsets; second, the presence of peripheral cues that are predictive of reward, regardless of validity, may impact global attentional processes in a spatially nonspecific manner. We paired monetary reward with one of two luminance-defined, abrupt-onset cues and measured each cue\u27s ability to modulate performance in a visual task. Replicating research with nonmeaning-imbued stimuli, both kinds of abrupt onsets reflexively improved visual perception at attended, relative to unattended, locations. However, when features of the onset predicted the availability of monetary reward, enhancements in perception become less constrained, spreading rapidly to other task-relevant locations

Investigating the role of exogenous cueing on selection history formation

© 2019, The Psychonomic Society, Inc. An abundance of recent empirical data suggest that repeatedly allocating visual attention to task-relevant and/or reward-predicting features in the visual world engenders an attentional bias for these frequently attended stimuli, even when they become task irrelevant and no longer predict reward. In short, attentional selection in the past hinders voluntary control of attention in the present. But do such enduring attentional biases rely on a history of voluntary, goal-directed attentional selection, or can they be generated through involuntary, effortless attentional allocation? An abrupt visual onset triggers such a reflexive allocation of covert spatial attention to its location in the visual field, automatically modulating numerous aspects of visual perception. In this Registered Report, we asked whether a selection history that has been reflexively and involuntarily derived (i.e., through abrupt-onset cueing) also interferes with goal-directed attentional control, even in the complete absence of exogenous cues. To build spatially distinct histories of exogenous selection, we presented abrupt-onset cues twice as often at one of two task locations, and as expected, these cues reflexively modulated visual processing: task accuracy increased, and response times (RTs) decreased, when the cue appeared near the target’s location, relative to that of the distractor. Upon removal of these cues, however, we found no evidence that exogenous selection history modulated task performance: task accuracy and RTs at the previously most-cued and previously least-cued sides were statistically indistinguishable. Thus, unlike voluntarily directed attention, involuntary attentional allocation may not be sufficient to engender historically contingent selection biases

The effect of the General Data Protection Regulation on medical research

Background: The enactment of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will impact on European data science. Particular concerns relating to consent requirements that would severely restrict medical data research have been raised. Objective: Our objective is to explain the changes in data protection laws that apply to medical research and to discuss their potential impact. Methods: Analysis of ethicolegal requirements imposed by the GDPR. Results: The GDPR makes the classification of pseudonymised data as personal data clearer, although it has not been entirely resolved. Biomedical research on personal data where consent has not been obtained must be of substantial public interest. Conclusions: The GDPR introduces protections for data subjects that aim for consistency across the EU. The proposed changes will make little impact on biomedical data research

In Vivo Airway Surface Liquid Cl− Analysis with Solid-State Electrodes

The pathogenesis of cystic fibrosis (CF) airways disease remains controversial. Hypotheses that link mutations in CFTR and defects in ion transport to CF lung disease predict that alterations in airway surface liquid (ASL) isotonic volume, or ion composition, are critically important. ASL [Cl−] is pivotal in discriminating between these hypotheses, but there is no consensus on this value given the difficulty in measuring [Cl−] in the “thin” ASL (∼30 μm) in vivo. Consequently, a miniaturized solid-state electrode with a shallow depth of immersion was constructed to measure ASL [Cl−] in vivo. In initial experiments, the electrode measured [Cl−] in physiologic salt solutions, small volume (7.6 μl) test solutions, and in in vitro cell culture models, with ≥93% accuracy. Based on discrepancies in reported values and/or absence of data, ASL Cl− measurements were made in the following airway regions and species. First, ASL [Cl−] was measured in normal human nasal cavity and averaged 117.3 ± 11.2 mM (n = 6). Second, ASL [Cl−] measured in large airway (tracheobronchial) regions were as follows: rabbit trachea and bronchus = 114.3 ± 1.8 mM; (n = 6) and 126.9 ± 1.7 mM; (n = 3), respectively; mouse trachea = 112.8 ± 4.2 mM (n = 13); and monkey bronchus = 112.3 ± 10.9 mM (n = 3). Third, Cl− measurements were made in small (1–2 mm) diameter airways of the rabbit (108.3 ± 7.1 mM, n = 5) and monkey (128.5 ± 6.8 mM, n = 3). The measured [Cl−], in excess of 100 mM throughout all airway regions tested in multiple species, is consistent with the isotonic volume hypothesis to describe ASL physiology

Rural congestive heart failure mortality among US elderly, 1999–2013: Identifying counties with promising outcomes and opportunities for implementation research

Objective Describe modern trends in congestive heart failure (CHF) among elderly (\u3e65 years of age) in the United States, to identify potentially successful rural areas. Compare CHF mortality using multiple- (MCOD) versus underlying-(UCOD) cause of death data. Methods U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mortality files (WONDER internet site). Results Using MCOD data, overall mortality rates/100,000 population (and 95% confidence intervals) for CHF among persons \u3e65 years of age (1999–2013) were 482.0 (481.2–482.8) for large central and large fringe metropolitan (LCLF) counties, 549.6 (548.6–550.7) in small and medium metropolitan (SM) counties, and 652.6 (650.9–654.0) in micropolitan and non-core, non-metropolitan (MNCNM) counties. Twenty positive deviance NCNM counties (collectively including 198,581 residents \u3e65 years of age) had an overall CHF rate of 300.9 (275.0–326.9) in 2013. This was significantly lower than the LCLF rate for 2013 (482.0 [481.2–482.8]), and represented a reduction of 47% since 1999. Overall CHF occurrence as estimated with MCOD was 3.4-fold higher than that obtained with UCOD. Conclusion These data illustrate underestimation of CHF by UCOD data and the importance of correct death certification. Rural CHF mortality rates are higher than urban rates, but some positive deviance counties demonstrate that this is not inevitable. Further research is needed to understand the relative contribution of research innovation, medical care, and public health to rural-urban disparities and the relative success of positive deviance counties

Decorin Expression, Straw-Like Structure, and Differentiation of Human Costal Cartilage

Costal cartilage is much understudied compared with the load-bearing cartilages. Abnormally grown costal cartilages are associated with the inherited chest wall deformities pectus excavatum and pectus carinatum resulting in sunken and pigeon chests, respectively. A lack of understanding of the ultrastructural and molecular biology of costal cartilage is a major confounder in predicting causes and outcomes of these disorders. This study analyzed the structure of marginal human costal cartilage (ribs 6-10) through scanning electron and atomic force microscopes and identified the presence of straw-like structures running longitudinally. We also demonstrated that chondrocytes tend to occur singly or as doublets and that centrally located cells produce high levels of aggrecan compared with more peripherally located cells measured using immunohistochemistry. Gene expression from mRNA extracted from cartilage showed high levels of decorin expression, likely associated with the large, complex tubular structures running through this cartilage type. COL2A1, ACAN, and TIMP1 also showed higher levels of expression compared with ACTB. Analysis of gene expression ratios demonstrate that costal cartilage is under differentiated compared with published ratios for articular cartilage, likely due to the vastly different biomechanical environments of each cartilage type. Further studies need to establish whether findings described here from the costal margins are significantly different than the cartilage of the true ribs and how these values change with age

Intravesical rAd-IFNα/Syn3 for Patients With High-Grade, Bacillus Calmette-Guerin-Refractory or Relapsed Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer: A Phase II Randomized Study.

Purpose Many patients with high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) are either refractory to bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) treatment or may experience disease relapse. We assessed the efficacy and safety of recombinant adenovirus interferon alfa with Syn3 (rAd-IFNα/Syn3), a replication-deficient recombinant adenovirus gene transfer vector, for patients with high-grade (HG) BCG-refractory or relapsed NMIBC. Methods In this open-label, multicenter (n = 13), parallel-arm, phase II study ( ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01687244), 43 patients with HG BCG-refractory or relapsed NMIBC received intravesical rAd-IFNα/Syn3 (randomly assigned 1:1 to 1 × 10(11) viral particles (vp)/mL or 3 × 10(11) vp/mL). Patients who responded at months 3, 6, and 9 were retreated at months 4, 7, and 10. The primary end point was 12-month HG recurrence-free survival (RFS). All patients who received at least one dose were included in efficacy and safety analyses. Results Forty patients received rAd-IFNα/Syn3 (1 × 10(11) vp/mL, n = 21; 3 × 10(11) vp/mL, n = 19) between November 5, 2012, and April 8, 2015. Fourteen patients (35.0%; 90% CI, 22.6% to 49.2%) remained free of HG recurrence 12 months after initial treatment. Comparable 12-month HG RFS was noted for both doses. Of these 14 patients, two experienced recurrence at 21 and 28 months, respectively, after treatment initiation, and one died as a result of an upper tract tumor at 17 months without a recurrence. rAd-IFNα/Syn3 was well tolerated; no grade four or five adverse events (AEs) occurred, and no patient discontinued treatment because of an adverse event. The most frequently reported drug-related AEs were micturition urgency (n = 16; 40%), dysuria (n = 16; 40%), fatigue (n = 13; 32.5%), pollakiuria (n = 11; 28%), and hematuria and nocturia (n = 10 each; 25%). Conclusion rAd-IFNα/Syn3 was well tolerated. It demonstrated promising efficacy for patients with HG NMIBC after BCG therapy who were unable or unwilling to undergo radical cystectomy