Tactile Perception of Three-Dimensional Shapes

Previous studies of three-dimensional shape perception showed that the tactile system is capable of perceiving a wide variety of shapes, ranging from small objects touched by a single finger to large objects touched by multiple fingers simultaneously. These studies, however, focused on only a limited range of perception at a time, rendering the comprehensive conclusion on general tactile shape perception impossible. In the present study, we tested subjects’ perception of both small curvature shapes presented locally on a single finger and large curvature shapes presented globally on two fingers concurrently. Systematic examination of local and global curvature perception revealed that local perception mainly relies on the detailed surface profile of the contacting curvatures, while global perception is influenced by the gross angle of contact on the stimulated fingers and the distance between them. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that tactile perception of three-dimensional shapes can be modeled as perceptual completion. Additional testing proved that both local and global shape perception in touch indeed follows the principle of completion. We conclude that global shape perception involves a completion process filling-in between the multiple contacting fingers, whereas local shape perception entails an interference process from the neighboring non-stimulated finger based on the completion model

Anticancer effects of alpelisib on PIK3CA-mutated canine mammary tumor cell lines

Canine mammary tumors (CMTs) are commonly observed in old and unspayed female dogs. Recently, dogs have been increasingly spaying at a young age to prevent mammary tumors. These CMTs require extensive local excision and exhibit a high probability of metastasis to the regional lymph nodes and lungs during malignancy. However, the molecular and biological mechanisms underlying CMT development have not been fully elucidated, and research in this area is limited. Therefore, in this study, we established new CMT cell lines by isolating cells from tumor tissues and investigated phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit alpha (PIK3CA), a target for human breast cancer. PIK3CA mutations were observed at a similar loci as in the human PIK3CA gene in half of all canine samples. Furthermore, we investigated whether alpelisib, a PIK3CA inhibitor approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for human breast cancer treatment, along with fulvestrant, is effective for CMT treatment. Alpelisib exerted stronger anticancer effects on cell lines with PIK3CA mutations than on the wild-type cell lines. In conclusion, we established new CMT cell lines with PIK3CA mutations and confirmed the efficacy of alpelisib for CMT treatment in vitro

Solution-focused brief therapy for students in schools: A comparative meta-analysis of the English and Chinese literature

Objective: This review analyzed the effectiveness of SFBT as a school-based intervention by synthesizing and comparing results from the English and Chinese literature. Method: In order to achieve a rigorous analysis, the search aligned with the Cochrane guidelines. Fifty studies, containing 246 effect size estimates and a total of 2,921 participants, were included in the review. Data on study and intervention characteristics were extracted using a pre-defined coding sheet. Analysis involved the calculation of Hedges’ g effect sizes and utilized Robust Variance Estimation in meta-regression to estimate an overall treatment effect and moderator analyses. Results: Combining both English and Chinese studies, an overall treatment effect size estimate of SFBT for student outcomes was d = 0.176, p < 0.001. The treatment effect of SFBT for student outcomes was significantly greater in comparison to waitlist control (d = 1.690, p < 0.01), but not significantly different than treatment-as-usual (d = 0.140, p < 0.05) or to alternative interventions (d = 0.103, p = 0.504). Conclusions: These findings add to the body of literature on SFBT’s effectiveness for student outcomes. Given empirical evidence from both English and Chinese studies, SFBT demonstrates promising efficacy as a mental health intervention for school-based therapists.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/167610/1/Franklin et al. 2020.pdfSEL

Tactile Perception of Three-Dimensional Shapes

Previous studies of three-dimensional shape perception showed that the tactile system is capable of perceiving a wide variety of shapes, ranging from small objects touched by a single finger to large objects touched by multiple fingers simultaneously. These studies, however, focused on only a limited range of perception at a time, rendering the comprehensive conclusion on general tactile shape perception impossible. In the present study, we tested subjects’ perception of both small curvature shapes presented locally on a single finger and large curvature shapes presented globally on two fingers concurrently. Systematic examination of local and global curvature perception revealed that local perception mainly relies on the detailed surface profile of the contacting curvatures, while global perception is influenced by the gross angle of contact on the stimulated fingers and the distance between them. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that tactile perception of three-dimensional shapes can be modeled as perceptual completion. Additional testing proved that both local and global shape perception in touch indeed follows the principle of completion. We conclude that global shape perception involves a completion process filling-in between the multiple contacting fingers, whereas local shape perception entails an interference process from the neighboring non-stimulated finger based on the completion model

Tiletamine-Zolazepam, Ketamine, and Xylazine Anesthetic Protocol for High-Quality, High-Volume Spay and Neuter of Free-Roaming Cats in Seoul, Korea

This study was performed to evaluate the anesthetic protocol used in the high-quality, high-volume spay and neuter (HQHVSN) of free-roaming cats in Seoul, Korea from 2017 to 2022. The evaluation was performed on a total of 1261 free-roaming cats, with an average weight of 3.48 ± 1.04 kg. The anesthetic combination tiletamine-zolazepam, ketamine, and xylazine (ZKX) was injected intramuscularly. The actual drug doses administered were tiletamine-zolazepam 5.52 ± 1.70 mg/kg, ketamine 8.94 ± 3.60 mg/kg, and xylazine 1.11 ± 0.34 mg/kg. Additional doses were required in 275 cats out of a total of 1261 (21.8%). Following anesthesia and surgery, 1257 cats (99.7%) were returned to their original locations. Four cats (0.3%) died postoperatively. The mean duration of anesthesia (from ZKX combination to yohimbine administration) was 26 ± 22 min for males and 55 ± 36 min for females, while the time from yohimbine administration to the recovery was 31 ± 22 min for males and 20 ± 17 min for females. The use of ZKX for HQHVSN of free-roaming cats is inexpensive, provides predictable results, can be administered quickly and easily in a small volume, and is associated with a low mortality rate during the first 72 h post-surgery

Association of Dietary Sugars and Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake with Obesity in Korean Children and Adolescents

Few studies have examined the association between dietary sugar intake and obesity in Asian children and adolescents. We evaluated the association of dietary sugar intake and its food source with obesity in Korean children and adolescents. In this cross-sectional analysis, data were obtained from five studies conducted between 2002 and 2011. The study included 2599 children and adolescents who had completed more than three days of dietary records and had anthropometric data. Total sugar intake was higher in girls than in boys (54.3 g for girls and 46.6 g for boys, p &lt; 0.0001). Sugar intake from milk and fruits was inversely associated with overweight or obesity in girls only (OR for overweight, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.32–0.84; p for trend = 0.0246 and OR for obesity, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.23–0.79; p for trend = 0.0113). Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption was not associated with obesity in girls, while boys had lower odds ratios for obesity (OR for obesity, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.26–1.05; p for trend = 0.0310). These results suggest that total sugars and SSB intake in Asian children and adolescents remains relatively low and sugar intake from milk and fruits is associated with a decreased risk of overweight or obesity, especially in girls

Autophagy as a Therapeutic Target of Natural Products Enhancing Embryo Implantation

Infertility is an emerging health issue worldwide, and female infertility is intimately associated with embryo implantation failure. Embryo implantation is an essential process during the initiation of prenatal development. Recent studies have strongly suggested that autophagy in the endometrium is the most important factor for successful embryo implantation. In addition, several studies have reported the effects of various natural products on infertility improvement via the regulation of embryo implantation, embryo quality, and endometrial receptivity. However, it is unclear whether natural products can improve embryo implantation ability by regulating endometrial autophagy. Therefore, we performed a literature review of studies on endometrial autophagy, embryo implantation, natural products, and female infertility. Based on the information from these studies, this review suggests a new treatment strategy for female infertility by proposing natural products that have been proven to be safe and effective as endometrial autophagy regulators; additionally, we provide a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between the regulation of endometrial autophagy by natural products and female infertility, with an emphasis on embryo implantation

Total Antioxidant Capacity from Dietary Supplement Decreases the Likelihood of Having Metabolic Syndrome in Korean Adults

This study was conducted to estimate antioxidant vitamin intake and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) from diet and dietary supplements and to examine their association with metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Korean adults. Out of 6308 adults 19~64 years old from the 2010~2011 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1847 adults were classified as dietary supplement users and the other 4461 adults were classified as non-users. Antioxidant intake and TAC from diet and dietary supplements were estimated using dietary intake data and linked with the antioxidant and TAC database for common Korean foods. The prevalence of MetS was lower in dietary supplement users (odds ratio (OR) = 0.82; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.68–0.98) than that in non-users. Among dietary supplement users, a lower prevalence of MetS was observed in the highest tertile for vitamin A (OR = 0.72; 95% CI, 0.53–0.99) and vitamin E (OR = 0.74; 95% CI, 0.55– 0.99) intake than that in the lowest tertile among non-users. Subjects in the highest tertile of TAC among dietary supplement users showed a lower prevalence of MetS (OR = 0.72; 95% CI, 0.52–0.99) than non-users. The results imply that intake of vitamin A, vitamin E, and TAC from dietary supplements might have a protective effect on MetS among Korean adults

Reduced Consolidation, Reinstatement, and Renewal of Conditioned Fear Memory by Repetitive Treatment of Radix Polygalae in Mice

The therapeutic goal for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is to promote extinction and to prevent the relapse of fearful memories. Research has identified pharmacological treatments that may regulate the formation and extinction of fear memories, but not many reagents that block the relapse of extinguished fear are known. Radix Polygalae (RP) is an Asian herb used for sedation, and its ingredients have anxiolytic and antidepressant properties. As various neurological effects have been identified, we tested whether RP affects the relapse of fear. Freezing in response to a conditioned context and cues was used to measure the effects of RP in mice. In cohort 1 (n = 30), consolidation, extinction, and reinstatement were tested during the course of 18 days of treatment. In cohort 2 (n = 30), consolidation, extinction, and renewal were tested during 10 days of treatment. The consolidation, extinction, reinstatement, and possibly the renewal of context-induced freezing were inhibited due to the administration of RP in animal subjects. However, the effects of RP on the freezing responses of subjects elicited by conditioned auditory cues were less obvious. Because it effectively suppresses the consolidation of fear memories, RP may be used for primary and secondary prevention of symptoms in PTSD patients. Additionally, because it effectively suppresses the reinstatement and renewal of fear memories, RP may be applied for the prevention of fear relapse in PTSD patients who have undergone exposure therapy