Conceptually plausible Bayesian inference in interval timing

In a world that is uncertain and noisy, perception makes use of optimization procedures that rely on the statistical properties of previous experiences. A well-known example of this phenomenon is the central tendency effect observed in many psychophysical modalities. For example, in interval timing tasks, previous experiences influence the current percept, pulling behavioural responses towards the mean. In Bayesian observer models, these previous experiences are typically modelled by unimodal statistical distributions, referred to as the prior. Here, we critically assess the validity of the assumptions underlying these models and propose a model that allows for more flexible, yet conceptually more plausible, modelling of empirical distributions. By representing previous experiences as a mixture of lognormal distributions, this model can be parametrized to mimic different unimodal distributions and thus extends previous instantiations of Bayesian observer models. We fit the mixture lognormal model to published interval timing data of healthy young adults and a clinical population of aged mild cognitive impairment patients and age-matched controls, and demonstrate that this model better explains behavioural data and provides new insights into the mechanisms that underlie the behaviour of a memory-affected clinical population

Bodyspace at the pub: sexual orientations and organizational space

In this article we argue that sexuality is not only an undercurrent of service environments, but is integral to the way that these workspaces are experienced and negotiated. Through drawing on Sara Ahmed’s (2006a) ‘orientation’ thesis, we develop a concept of ‘bodyspace’ to suggest that individuals understand, shape and make meaning of work spaces through complex sexually-orientated negotiations. Presenting analysis from a study of UK pubs, we explore bodyspace in the lived experience of workplace sexuality through three elements of orientation: background; bodily dwelling; and lines of directionality. Our findings show how organizational spaces afford or mitigate possibilities for particular bodies, which simultaneously shape expectations and experiences of sexuality at work. Bodyspace therefore provides one way of exposing the connection between sexual ‘orientation’ and the lived experience of service sector work

Luchtweginfecties bij paarden

Bij paarden vormen aandoeningen van de luchtwegen na kreupelheden het belangrijkste probleem op het gebied van de gezondheid

The impact of MRI scanner environment on perceptual decision-making

Despite the widespread use of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), few studies have addressed scanner effects on performance. The studies that have examined this question show a wide variety of results. In this article we report analyses of three experiments in which participants performed a perceptual decision-making task both in a traditional setting as well as inside an MRI scanner. The results consistently show that response times increase inside the scanner. Error rates also increase, but to a lesser extent. To reveal the underlying mechanisms that drive the behavioral changes when performing a task inside the MRI scanner, the data were analyzed using the linear ballistic accumulator model of decision-making. These analyses show that, in the scanner, participants exhibit a slow down of the motor component of the response and have less attentional focus on the task. However, the balance between focus and motor slowing depends on the specific task requirements

Конференции

Background Polypharmacy poses threats to patients’ health. The Systematic Tool to Reduce Inappropriate Prescribing (STRIP) is a drug optimization process for conducting medication reviews in primary care. To effectively and efficiently incorporate this method into daily practice, the STRIP Assistant—a decision support system that aims to assist physicians with the pharmacotherapeutic analysis of patients’ medical records—has been developed. It generates context-specific advice based on clinical guidelines. Objective The aim of this study was to validate the STRIP Assistant’s usability as a tool for physicians to optimize medical records for polypharmacy patients. Methods In an online experiment, 42 physicians were asked to optimize medical records for two comparable polypharmacy patients, one in their usual manner and one using the STRIP Assistant. Changes in effectiveness were measured by comparing respondents’ optimized medicine prescriptions with medication prepared by an expert panel of two geriatrician-pharmacologists. Efficiency was operationalized by recording the time the respondents took to optimize the two cases. User satisfaction was measured with the System Usability Scale (SUS). Independent and paired t tests were used for analysis. Results Medication optimization significantly improved with the STRIP Assistant. Appropriate decisions increased from 58 % without the STRIP Assistant to 76 % with it (p < 0.0001). Inappropriate decisions decreased from 42 % without the STRIP Assistant to 24 % with it (p < 0.0001). Participants spent significantly more time optimizing medication with the STRIP Assistant (24 min) than without it (13 min; p < 0.0001). They assigned it a below-average SUS score of 63.25. Conclusion The STRIP Assistant improves the effectiveness of medication reviews for polypharmacy patients

Salt marshes create more extensive channel networks than mangroves.

This is the final version. Available from Nature Research via the DOI in this record. Data availability: The data generated in this study have been deposited in the Zenodo database under accession code (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6331067).Coastal wetlands fulfil important functions for biodiversity conservation and coastal protection, which are inextricably linked to typical morphological features like tidal channels. Channel network configurations in turn are shaped by bio-geomorphological feedbacks between vegetation, hydrodynamics and sediment transport. This study investigates the impact of two starkly different recruitment strategies between mangroves (fast/homogenous) and salt marshes (slow/patchy) on channel network properties. We first compare channel networks found in salt marshes and mangroves around the world and then demonstrate how observed channel patterns can be explained by vegetation establishment strategies using controlled experimental conditions. We find that salt marshes are dissected by more extensive channel networks and have shorter over-marsh flow paths than mangrove systems, while their branching patterns remain similar. This finding is supported by our laboratory experiments, which reveal that different recruitment strategies of mangroves and salt marshes hamper or facilitate channel development, respectively. Insights of our study are crucial to understand wetland resilience with rising sea-levels especially under climate-driven ecotone shifts

A combined western and bead-based multiplex platform to characterize extracellular vesicles

In regenerative medicine, extracellular vesicles (EVs) are considered as a promising cell-free approach. EVs are lipid bilayer-enclosed vesicles secreted by cells and are key players in intercellular communication. EV-based therapeutic approaches have unique advantages over the use of cell-based therapies, such as a high biological, but low immunogenic and tumorigenic potential. To analyze the purity and biochemical composition of EV preparations, the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) has prepared guidelines recommending the analysis of multiple (EV) markers, as well as proteins coisolated/recovered with EVs. Traditional methods for EV characterization, such as Western blotting, require a relatively high EV sample/protein input for the analysis of one protein. We here evaluate a combined Western and bead-based multiplex platform, called DigiWest, for its ability to detect simultaneously multiple EV markers in an EV-containing sample with inherent low protein input. DigiWest analysis was performed on EVs from various sources and species, including mesenchymal stromal cells, notochordal cells, and milk, from human, pig, and dog. The study established a panel of nine antibodies that can be used as cross-species for the detection of general EV markers and coisolates in accordance with the ISEV guidelines. This optimized panel facilitates the parallel evaluation of EV-containing samples, allowing for a comprehensive characterization and assessment of their purity. The total protein input for marker analysis with DigiWest was 1 μg for all nine antibodies, compared with ∼10 μg protein input required for traditional Western blotting for one antibody. These findings demonstrate the potential of the DigiWest technique for characterizing various types of EVs in the regenerative medicine field