Looking to score: the dissociation of goal influence on eye movement and meta-attentional allocation in a complex dynamic natural scene

Several studies have reported that task instructions influence eye-movement behavior during static image observation. In contrast, during dynamic scene observation we show that while the specificity of the goal of a task influences observers’ beliefs about where they look, the goal does not in turn influence eye-movement patterns. In our study observers watched short video clips of a single tennis match and were asked to make subjective judgments about the allocation of visual attention to the items presented in the clip (e.g., ball, players, court lines, and umpire). However, before attending to the clips, observers were either told to simply watch clips (non-specific goal), or they were told to watch the clips with a view to judging which of the two tennis players was awarded the point (specific goal). The results of subjective reports suggest that observers believed that they allocated their attention more to goal-related items (e.g. court lines) if they performed the goal-specific task. However, we did not find the effect of goal specificity on major eye-movement parameters (i.e., saccadic amplitudes, inter-saccadic intervals, and gaze coherence). We conclude that the specificity of a task goal can alter observer’s beliefs about their attention allocation strategy, but such task-driven meta-attentional modulation does not necessarily correlate with eye-movement behavior

Trained Eyes: Experience Promotes Adaptive Gaze Control in Dynamic and Uncertain Visual Environments

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.This work was supported by grants from Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/F069626/1)

Interstitium: site of steroid synthesis in the ovary of the long term hypophysectomized hamster

The ovaries of hamsters hypophysectomized (H̅) on the afternoon of proestrus synthesize in vitro substantial amounts of progesterone for as long as 20 days post-H̅ (Taya and Greenwald, 1979b). The purpose of the present study was to identify by histochemistry and ultrastructure the ovarian cell type which still possessed the enzymes capable of steroidogenesis despite the long term absence of gonadotropins. After Day 6 post-H̅, the ovaries contained interstitium and viable and atretic small preantral follicles. The viable preantral follicles were histochemically devoid of Δ 5-3β -hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β -HSDH). Histochemically, there were no appreciable changes in lipids in the interstitial gland cells (IGC) until Day 20 post-H̅, followed by a slight decrease by Day 30. The 3β -HSDH activity in the IGC showed no appreciable changes until Day 6 and thereafter decreased gradually until Day 30. Trace amounts of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase were found in the IGC until Day 6 and thereafter the enzyme was undetectable. The IGC contained only trace amounts of acid phosphatase until Day 10, followed by a gradual increase by Day 30. A single i.p. injection of 5 μg ovine LH on Day 10, 20 or 30 resulted 3 h later in dramatic increases in the concentration of serum progesterone and ovarian progesterone and testosterone but not estradiol-17β . Concomitantly, the depletion of lipid droplets in viable interstitial cells was observed by histochemical and ultrastructural criteria. However, lipid accumulations in degenerating interstitial cells and atretic granulosa cells were unaffected by LH treatment. These data indicate that the interstitium is an active steroidogenic tissue for at least 30 days post-H̅ and that LH can rapidly stimulate synthesis and secretion of progesterone and testosterone by the interstitium in long term hypophysectomized hamsters

Fibroblast migration and collagen deposition during dermal wound healing: mathematical modelling and clinical implications,

The extent to which collagen alignment occurs during dermal wound healing determines the severity of scar tissue formation. We have modelled this using a multiscale approach, in which extracellular materials, for example collagen and fibrin, are modelled as continua, while fibroblasts are considered as discrete units. Within this model framework, we have explored the effects that different parameters have on the alignment process, and we have used the model to investigate how manipulation of transforming growth factor-β levels can reduce scar tissue formation. We briefly review this body of work, then extend the modelling framework to investigate the role played by leucocyte signalling in wound repair. To this end, fibroblast migration and collagen deposition within both the wound region and healthy peripheral tissue are considered. Trajectories of individual fibroblasts are determined as they migrate towards the wound region under the combined influence of collagen/fibrin alignment and gradients in a paracrine chemoattractant produced by leucocytes. The effects of a number of different physiological and cellular parameters upon the collagen alignment and repair integrity are assessed. These parameters include fibroblast concentration, cellular speed, fibroblast sensitivity to chemoattractant concentration and chemoattractant diffusion coefficient. Our results show that chemoattractant gradients lead to increased collagen alignment at the interface between the wound and the healthy tissue. Results show that there is a trade-off between wound integrity and the degree of scarring. The former is found to be optimized under conditions of a large chemoattractant diffusion coefficient, while the latter can be minimized when repair takes place in the presence of a competitive inhibitor to chemoattractants

Electrical properties of organic light emitting diodes with post fabrication heat and electric field treatments

The current work presents post-fabrication heat treatment and a combined external electric field-heat post-fabrication treatments for organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). The devices were fabricated in the same run with a standard device without annealing for comparison, with an identical structure of ITO/PVK/Rhodamine B/Pb. After depositing the Rhodamine B layer on the PVK film, the samples were thermally annealed at different temperatures before depositing Pb. Some of the samples were thermally annealed without any external electric field while others were treated by an external electric field during heating. It is found that the annealing temperature of PVK/Rhodamine B layers increases the turn-on voltage of the device. On the other hand, in the electric field-heat treatment, the turn-on voltage is observed to decrease and the maximum current density of the device is dramatically enhanced

Thermoelectricity Based on Cuo as a Semiconducting Material

In this paper, thermoelectricity based on copper(II) oxide CuO as semiconducting material is explored. The electrical properties of the samples were studied under different temperature gradients and pressures. Moreover, the effect of baking temperature was also investigated. CuO prepared using decomposition of Cu(NO3)2 as well as CuO nanopowder prepared using microwave-assisted synthesis technique were investigated and their results were compared. It was found that the current density can be enhanced with increasing the pressing pressure of the sample and when the sample undergoes a baking process. Moreover, it was found that the current density can be considerably enhanced with increasing the temperature gradient between the two ends of the sample. The CuO prepared using microwave-assisted synthesis technique was found to exhibit much better results over those of the CuO prepared using decomposition of Cu(NO3)2

Dye-sensitized solar cells using dyes extracted from flowers, leaves, parks, and roots of three trees

In this paper, eleven natural dyes were collected from three trees and used as photosensitizers for dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The cells were fabricated using TiO2 as a semiconducting layer deposited on transparent fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) conductive glass using doctor blade method. The absorption spectra of the extracts were performed in the spectral range from 400 nm to 750 nm. The JV characteristic curves of all fabricated cells were measured and analyzed. The parameters related to the solar cell performance were determined. Moreover, the impedance spectroscopy of the cell with the best performance was investigated

Prescription drug monitoring program inquiry in psychiatric assessment: detection of high rates of opioid prescribing to a dual diagnosis population

OBJECTIVE: An epidemic of prescription drug abuse is disproportionately impacting the mentally ill. We examined the utility of a state prescription drug monitoring database for assessing recent controlled substance prescribing to patients presenting for dual diagnosis treatment. METHOD: In a community mental health center that provides integrated dual diagnosis care, we queried the Indiana Scheduled Prescription Electronic Collection and Tracking (INSPECT) system for all cases that were open as of August 2, 2011, and had been practitioner-diagnosed (per DSM-IV criteria) by January 2, 2012. INSPECT provided a record of controlled substance dispensations to each patient; diagnostic evaluation was conducted blind from prescription data compilation covering the prior 12 months. Demographic data, insurance status, and DSM-IV diagnoses were compiled from the clinic's electronic medical record. RESULTS: The sample (N = 201) was 51% female, 56% white, and two-thirds uninsured. Over 80% were dually diagnosed with substance use disorders and psychotic, mood, or anxiety disorders. Nicotine and alcohol disorders were identified in most, with about a third diagnosed with cannabis, cocaine, or opioid disorders. A majority of patients (n = 115) had been prescribed opioids in the prior year, with nearly 1 in 5 prescribed an opioid and benzodiazepine simultaneously. Patients were dispensed a mean of 4 opioid prescriptions and 213 opioid pills. More opioid prescriptions correlated with opioid dependence (OR = 1.08; 95% CI, 1.016-1.145), and more prescribers correlated with personality disorder diagnoses (OR = 1.112; 95% CI, 1.001-1.235). Higher rates and riskier patterns of controlled substance prescribing were identified in patients with Medicaid/Medicare insurance compared to uninsured patients. CONCLUSIONS: Prescription drug monitoring is a powerful tool for assessing addictions and high frequencies of patient exposures to prescribed opioids in a dual diagnosis clinic. Improved prevention and treatment strategies for addictions as facilitated by more research and clinical use of prescription drug monitoring in psychiatric care are warranted

Aldimine derivatives as photosensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells

Five aldimine derivatives were prepared by condensation of the appropriate amine with salicylaldehyde (m1-m4) and 4-aminobenzoic acid with 2-thiophene carboxaldehyde (m5). A molar ratio of 1: 1 was used and the mixture was refluxed in ethanol for 2 h to obtain the corresponding aldimine derivative. These derivatives were used as photosensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The best performance was obtained for the DSSC sensitized with 2-(2-hydroxybenzylideneamino) benzoic acid, for which a short-circuit current of 2.86 mA/cm^ 2, an open-circuit voltage of 0.562 V, and an efficiency of 0.575% were obtained.Five aldimine derivatives were prepared by condensation of the appropriate amine with salicylaldehyde (m1-m4) and 4-aminobenzoic acid with 2-thiophene carboxaldehyde (m5). A molar ratio of 1: 1 was used and the mixture was refluxed in ethanol for 2 h to obtain the corresponding aldimine derivative. These derivatives were used as photosensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The best performance was obtained for the DSSC sensitized with 2-(2-hydroxybenzylideneamino) benzoic acid, for which a short-circuit current of 2.86 mA/cm^ 2, an open-circuit voltage of 0.562 V, and an efficiency of 0.575% were obtained

Morphological Identification of Parasites Found in Ducks (Family Anatidae) Along the Mississippi River: A Parasitology Class Project

Ducks (Anatidae) can be found across much of the United States and are hosts to a variety of parasites such as nematodes, trematodes or cestodes. This study focused on identifying the species of the parasites found within ducks based on their morphological features. The morphological structures consisted of body shape, internal organs, mouthparts, and length. The ducks used in this study were legally harvested and donated by hunters from areas across the Mississippi River in Buffalo County and Trempealeau County Wisconsin. A total of 108 ducks have been analyzed for parasites. It is important to identify the types of parasites that use ducks as a host, to see if they are harmful to the ducks so that they can be better managed. Necropsy was performed on different species of ducks to extract endo and ectoparasites. The extracted parasites were stained using carmine borax so they could be viewed using microscopy. While examining the parasites under the microscope, length and width measurements were taken as well as identifying key features like hold fast organs. A published key was used as a guide to identify parasites based on the measurements and key features present. The identified parasites were compared with DNA analysis from another research group to help ensure that the identification of the parasites was correct. Finally, identifications were compared to published articles containing past research found on parasites in ducks