Color Updating on the Apparent Motion Path

When a static stimulus appears successively at two distant locations, we perceive illusory motion of the stimulus across them–long-range apparent motion (AM). Previous studies have shown that when the apparent motion stimuli differ in shape, interpolation between the two shapes is perceived across the AM path. In contrast, the perceived color during AM has been shown to abruptly change from the color of the first stimulus into that of the second, suggesting interpolation does not occur for color during AM. Here, we report the first evidence to our knowledge, that an interpolated color, distinct from the colors of either apparent motion stimulus, is represented as the intermediate percept on the path of apparent motion. Using carefully chosen target colors—cyan, pink, and lime—that are perceptually and neurally intermediate between blue and green, orange and magenta, and green and orange respectively, we show that detection of a target presented on the apparent motion path was impaired when the color of the target was “in-between” the initial and terminal stimulus colors. Furthermore, we show that this feature-specific masking effect for the intermediate color cannot be accounted for by color similarity between the intermediate color and the color of the terminal inducer. Our findings demonstrate that intermediate colors can be interpolated over the apparent motion trajectory as in the case of shape, possibly involving similar interpolation processes for shape and color during apparent motion

Fulminant myocarditis managed with pulsatile extracorporeal life support; use of Twin Pulse Life support (T-PLS®)

Fulminant myocarditis frequently results in severe hemodynamic deterioration. High-dose vasopressors or sometimes mechanical circulatory support are required. We report on two cases of fulminant myocarditis successfully treated with pulsatile extracorporeal life support (T-PLS®, Twin Pulse Life support, New heart bio.BHK, Seoul, Korea). With T-PLS, we were able to provide mechanical support to patients until they recovered completely

Clinical characteristics of children who visited the emergency department with extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli urinary tract infection and its risk factors

Purpose To identify the differences in features between children with urinary tract infection (UTI) caused by extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL)-positive and -negative Escherichia coli, and analyze risk factors for the former infection. Methods We reviewed medical records of children younger than 36 months with E. coli UTI who visited the emergency department from January 2012 through January 2019. Differences in variables regarding clinical, laboratory, and microbiologic (i.e., ESBL-positive E. coli on urine culture) features, and outcomes between the ESBL-positive and -negative groups were identified. Factors associated with ESBL-positive E. coli infection were analyzed by logistic regression. Results The children were classified into the ESBL-positive (n = 151) and -negative (n = 40) groups. The former group showed higher frequency of prior UTI (P = 0.038) without other differences between the groups. The median counts of white blood cells, absolute neutrophils, and absolute lymphocytes were higher in the ESBL-positive group than in the other group (P = 0.009, 0.022, and 0.027, respectively). The former group showed longer median hospital length of stay (11.0 days [interquartile range, 8.9-12.0] vs. 6.0 [5.0-7.0]; P < 0.001), and more frequent recurrence per child (3.0 [2.5-3.0] vs. 1.0 [1.0-1.8]; P = 0.047) and presence of vesicoureteral reflux (27.5% vs. 13.2%; P = 0.001). Logistic regression showed leukocytosis (odds ratio, 12.85; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-157.69) and vesicoureteral reflux (4.00; 1.19-13.43) as the factors for ESBL-positive E. coli infection. Conclusion The ESBL-positive group showed significantly higher leukocyte count and rate of vesicoureteral reflux than the ESBL-negative group. For children with these features, empirical antibiotics should be chosen in consideration of the resistant bacteria

Spatiotemporal variability in ocean-driven basal melting of cold-water cavity ice shelf in Terra Nova Bay, East Antarctica: roles of tide and cavity geometry

Mass loss from ice shelves occurs through ocean-driven melting regulated by dynamic and thermodynamic processes in sub-ice shelf cavities. However, the understanding of these oceanic processes is quite limited because of the scant observations under ice shelves. Here, a regional coupled sea-ice/ocean model that includes physical interactions between the ocean and the ice shelf is used as an alternative tool for exploring ocean-driven melting beneath the Nansen Ice Shelf (NIS) which is a cold-water cavity ice shelf located beside Terra Nova Bay (TNB) in East Antarctica. For the first time, this study identifies the spatiotemporal variability signatures for different modes of ocean-driven melting at the base of NIS. In February (austral summer), basal melting substantially increases where the ice shelf draft is relatively small in the vicinity of the ice shelf front, contributing 78% of the total NIS melting rate. As the dominant source of NIS mass loss, this melting is driven by tide-induced turbulent mixing along the sloping ice shelf base and summer warm surface water intruding beneath and reaching the shallow parts of the ice shelf. In contrast, the NIS has relatively high basal melting rates near the grounding line in September (austral winter) primarily because of the intrusion of high-salinity shelf water produced by polynya activity in TNB that flows into the cavity beneath NIS toward the deep grounding line. Of the total melting rate of NIS in winter, 36% comes from regions near the grounding line. In addition, the contributions of tides and realistic cavity geometry to NIS basal melting are identified by conducting sensitivity experiments. Tidal effects increase the melting of NIS throughout the year, particularly contributing as much as 30% to the areas of ice draft shallower than 200 m in summer. Sensitivity results for uncertainty in cavity geometry show that spurious vertical mixing can be locally induced and enhanced by interaction between tides and the unrealistic topography, resulting in excessive basal melting near the NIS frontal band. The sensitivity experiments have shown that tides and realistic cavity geometry bring a significant improvement in the estimation of basal melt rates through a numerical model