Turning I into me: Imagining your future self.

A widely endorsed belief is that perceivers imagine their present selves using a different representational format than imagining their future selves (i.e., near future=first-person; distant future=third-person). But is this really the case? Responding to the paucity of work on this topic, here we considered how temporal distance influences the extent to which individuals direct their attention outward or inward during a brief imaginary episode. Using a non-verbal measure of visual perspective taking (i.e., letter-drawing task) our results confirmed the hypothesized relation between temporal distance and conceptions of the self. Whereas simulations of an event in the near future were dominated by a first-person representation of the self, this switched to a third-person depiction when the event was located in the distant future. Critically, this switch in vantage point was restricted to self-related simulations. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are considered

22-gauge core vs 22-gauge aspiration needle for endoscopic ultrasound-guided sampling of abdominal masses

AIM To compare the aspiration needle (AN) and core biopsy needle (PC) in endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) of abdominal masses. METHODS Consecutive patients referred for EUS-FNA were included in this prospective single-center trial. Each patient underwent a puncture of the lesion with both standard 22-gauge (G) AN (Echo Tip Ultra; Cook Medical, Bloomington, Indiana, United States) and the novel 22G PC (EchoTip ProCore; Cook Medical, Bloomington, Indiana, United States) in a randomized fashion; histology was attempted in the PC group only. The main study endpoint was the overall diagnostic accuracy, including the contribution of histology to the final diagnosis. Secondary outcome measures included material adequacy, number of needle passes, and complications. RESULTS Fifty six consecutive patients (29 men; mean age 68 years) with pancreatic lesions (n = 38), lymphadenopathy (n = 13), submucosal tumors (n = 4), or others lesions (n = 1) underwent EUS-FNA using both of the needles in a randomized order. AN and PC reached similar overall results for diagnostic accuracy (AN: 88.9 vs PC: 96.1, P = 0.25), specimen adequacy (AN: 96.4% vs PC: 91.1%, P = 0.38), mean number of passes (AN: 1.5 vs PC: 1.7, P = 0.14), mean cellularity score (AN: 1.7 vs PC: 1.1, P = 0.058), and complications (none). A diagnosis on the basis of histology was achieved in the PC group in 36 (64.3%) patients, and in 2 of those as the sole modality. In patients with available histology the mean cellularity score was higher for AN (AN: 1.7 vs PC: 1.0, P = 0.034); no other differences were of statistical significance. CONCLUSION Both needles achieved high overall diagnostic yields and similar performance characteristics for cytological diagnosis; histological analysis was only possible in 2/3 of cases with the new needle. © 2016 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved

No robust differences in fear conditioning between patients with fear-related disorders and healthy controls

Fear conditioning and extinction serve as a dominant model for the development and maintenance of pathological anxiety, particularly for phasic fear to specific stimuli or situations. The validity of this model would be supported by differences in the physiological or subjective fear response between patients with fear-related disorders and healthy controls, whereas the model's validity would be questioned by a lack of such differences. We derived pupillometry, skin conductance response and startle electromyography as well as unconditioned stimulus expectancy in a two-day fear acquisition, immediate extinction and recall task and compared an unmedicated group of patients (n = 73) with phobias or panic disorder and a group of patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD, n = 21) to a group of carefully screened healthy controls (n = 35). Bayesian statistics showed no convincing evidence for a difference in physiological and subjective responses between the groups during fear acquisition, extinction learning or recall. Only the PTSD subgroup had altered startle reactions during extinction learning. Our data do not provide evidence for general differences in associative fear or extinction learning in fear-related pathologies and thereby question the diagnostic validity of the associative fear learning model of these disorders

Quality assurance/control issues. International Academy of Cytology Task Force summary. Diagnostic Cytology Towards the 21st Century: An International Expert Conference and Tutorial.

ISSUES: General definitions of quality assurance and quality control (QA/C) have existed in many forms for decades, and a new discipline guides their application to diverse industrial and recently medical processes without much fanfare. However, in the field of cervical cytology screening, the range of QA/C options has recently broadened and become controversial. With the advent of new systems of terminology, larger-scale laboratories and new technologies--plus strong governmental and legal pressures in some nations--the range of extremely difficult and sometimes expensive QA/C choices our community faces is greater than ever. CONSENSUS POSITION: At our conference, the basic definitions of QA/C posed little difficulty. Presentation of the range of methods in use today and of those based on new technologies where use is proposed or has just begun also was achieved with little or no dispute. However, there was lack of consensus on exactly how QA/C methods are to be assessed. Indeed, there was little consistency in the use of different outcome measures with which we can judge success or failure of specific QA/C options. In addition, the tension between pressure to adopt sometimes uncertain or expensive method enhancements and pressure to maintain affordability and the widest possible access for populations that most need cervical cytology screening is greater than ever. ONGOING ISSUES: More data are required that would enable assessment of QA/C options with the clearest possible understanding of cost/benefits and current or new assumptions of risk. Other task forces, such as medicolegal, cost/benefit and those devoted to new technologies, are our essential partners in meeting the challenges described above

Real world data from a multi-centre study on the effects of cilostazol on pain symptoms and walking distance in patients with peripheral arterial disease

Objective: to assess the effects of cilostazol on pain-free walking distance in PAD patients with IC at 3 and 6 months in a real world, prospective, observational study. We included 1015 PAD patients presenting with IC (71.3% men, 93.5% white, mean age 69.2 ± 8.7 years). Patients were followed up for 6 months by their physicians. Results: Cilostazol significantly increased pain-free walking distance by a median of 285 and 387 m at 3 and 6 months, respectively (p < 0.01 for all comparisons). This effect was significant for patients 50–74 years (but not for those aged ≥ 75 years) and independent of smoking status, changes in physical activity, comorbidities and concomitant medication for PAD (i.e., acetylsalicylic acid and clopidogrel). Furthermore, significant reductions were observed in systolic (from 139 ± 16 to 133 ± 14 mmHg; p < 0.001) and diastolic blood pressure (from 84 ± 9 mmHg to 80 ± 10 mmHg; p < 0.001). Smoking cessation and increased physical activity were reported by the majority of participants. In conclusion, cilostazol was shown to safely decrease pain symptoms and improve pain-free walking in PAD patients with IC in a real world setting. Benefits also occurred in terms of BP and lifestyle changes. © 2022, The Author(s)