Exploring the effectiveness of auditory, visual, and audio-visual sensory cues in a multiple object tracking environment

Maintaining object correspondence among multiple moving objects is an essential task of the perceptual system in many everyday life activities. A substantial body of research has confirmed that observers are able to track multiple target objects amongst identical distractors based only on their spatiotemporal information. However, naturalistic tasks typically involve the integration of information from more than one modality, and there is limited research investigating whether auditory and audio-visual cues improve tracking. In two experiments, we asked participants to track either five target objects or three versus five target objects amongst similarly indistinguishable distractor objects for 14 s. During the tracking interval, the target objects bounced occasionally against the boundary of a centralised orange circle. A visual cue, an auditory cue, neither or both coincided with these collisions. Following the motion interval, the participants were asked to indicate all target objects. Across both experiments and both set sizes, our results indicated that visual and auditory cues increased tracking accuracy although visual cues were more effective than auditory cues. Audio-visual cues, however, did not increase tracking performance beyond the level of purely visual cues for both high and low load conditions. We discuss the theoretical implications of our findings for multiple object tracking as well as for the principles of multisensory integration

Soluble guanylate cyclase signalling mediates etoposide resistance in progressing small cell lung cancer

From Springer Nature via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: received 2020-12-10, accepted 2021-10-19, registration 2021-10-26, pub-electronic 2021-11-17, online 2021-11-17, collection 2021-12Publication status: PublishedFunder: CRUK Manchester Institute (grant no. A27412) CRUK Manchester Centre (grant no. A25254) CRUK Manchester Experimental Cancer Medicines Centre (grant no. A20465) CRUK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence (grant no. A25146) NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research CentreAbstract: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) has a 5-year survival rate of <7%. Rapid emergence of acquired resistance to standard platinum-etoposide chemotherapy is common and improved therapies are required for this recalcitrant tumour. We exploit six paired pre-treatment and post-chemotherapy circulating tumour cell patient-derived explant (CDX) models from donors with extensive stage SCLC to investigate changes at disease progression after chemotherapy. Soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) is recurrently upregulated in post-chemotherapy progression CDX models, which correlates with acquired chemoresistance. Expression and activation of sGC is regulated by Notch and nitric oxide (NO) signalling with downstream activation of protein kinase G. Genetic targeting of sGC or pharmacological inhibition of NO synthase re-sensitizes a chemoresistant CDX progression model in vivo, revealing this pathway as a mediator of chemoresistance and potential vulnerability of relapsed SCLC

Recycling decisions in 2020, 2030, and 2040: when can substantial NdFeB extraction be expected in the EU?

In recent years, China&#8217;s dominant role in the rare earth market and the associated impacts have strengthened the interest in the recovery of rare earth elements (REE) from secondary resources. Therefore, numerous research activities have been initiated aiming at the recovery of REEs from different types of waste streams, which includes, inter alia, neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnets. Although several research projects have successfully been completed, most experts do not expect an industrial implementation in Europe within the next years. This article analyses the reasons for this situation, addressing the availability of sufficient amounts of NdFeB wastes, the technology readiness level of the developed processes in Europe, as well as the economic aspects. Based on these analyses, an estimation of a realistic timeframe for the industrial implementation of NdFeB recycling in Europe is deduced and critically discussed

Simplifying Remote Collaboration Through Spatial Mirroring

Abstract. Even though remote collaboration through telepresence is supported by a variety of devices and display environments, it still has some inherent problems. One of these problems is the definition of a unified spatial reference system for the shared workspace in combination with an immersive representation of the collaborator. To mitigate this problem we propose a technique we call spatial mirroring. It is based on a virtual collaboration environment using two curved displays and aims to eliminate possible communication errors due to left/right misunderstandings. We explain the working principle and ideas behind spatial mirroring, and present two consecutive user studies in which we were able to verify its benefits

PerspectiveTable: Blending Physical and Virtual Collaborative Workspaces

Today’s most common remote collaboration systems consist of a personal computer and a webcam. More advanced systems use multiple monitors installed at actual conference tables. Although this increases the feeling of ‘being-there ’ the cooperators and their physical workspaces are inherently separated due to the system’s design. To overcome this problem we present the PerspectiveTable, a remote collaboration system based on two curved displays. It seamlessly blends two personal physical workspaces with a shared virtual workspace and enables blends between the domain of face-to-face collaboration and digital remote collaboration. Users can easily exchange documents during collaboration as if they were sitting at an actual shared table. We describe how the different areas of our system blend into each other and which potentials this environment creates. Author Keywords Remote collaboration, shared workspaces, non-planar displays, avatar, blending. Copyright is held by the author/owner(s)

Targeting DNA damage in SCLC

SCLC accounts for 15% of lung cancer worldwide. Characterised by early dissemination and rapid development of chemo-resistant disease, less than 5% of patients survive 5 years. Despite 3 decades of clinical trials there has been no change to the standard platinum and etoposide regimen for first line treatment developed in the 1970's. The exceptionally high number of genomic aberrations observed in SCLC combined with the characteristic rapid cellular proliferation results in accumulation of DNA damage and genomic instability. To flourish in this precarious genomic context, SCLC cells are reliant on functional DNA damage repair pathways and cell cycle checkpoints. Current cytotoxic drugs and radiotherapy treatments for SCLC have long been known to act by induction of DNA damage and the response of cancer cells to such damage determines treatment efficacy. Recent years have witnessed improved understanding of strategies to exploit DNA damage and repair mechanisms in order to increase treatment efficacy. This review will summarise the rationale to target DNA damage response in SCLC, the progress made in evaluating novel DDR inhibitors and highlight various ongoing challenges for their clinical development in this disease.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio