What is moving where? Infants’ visual attention to dynamic objects may assist with processing of spatial relations

IntroductionA central question in infant spatial cognition concerns how infants form abstract categories of spatial relations such as support (on) and containment (in). Prior work suggests two different possibilities regarding the role of attention to objects in infants’ formation of abstract categories of spatial relations: Attention to objects may compete with (and thus hamper) attention to the spatial relations between them, or assist with encoding of the spatial relation information. Using eye-tracking, we examined how infants’ visual attention to objects related to their successful formation of an abstract category of support relations (i.e., an object on another).MethodsThirty-eight 8-month-old infants’ eye movements were recorded during a support categorization task, where infants were habituated to four dynamic events depicting support relations (e.g., resting a block on a box) and then presented with test events that depicted either a support or containment relation with objects that they had seen or not seen in the habituation phase. Based on their looking time to the familiar versus novel spatial relation in the test, infants were classified into two groups: categorizers, who formed an abstract category of a support relation, and non-categorizers, who did not do so.ResultsDuring their initial phase of learning (i.e., the first habituation trial), categorizers paid greater attention to the object moved by a hand (i.e., the dynamic object) in comparison to non-categorizers, whereas their attention to the static object or their gaze shifts between the two objects did not differ. In addition, when presented with novel objects in a novel spatial relation after habituation, only categorizers displayed asymmetric attention between the objects, attending to the dynamic object more than the static object. Gaze shifts and attention to the concave area (i.e., hole) of the container did not differ between categorizers and non-categorizers.DiscussionThese findings suggest that infants’ focused attention to an object in motion may play a key role in young infants’ spatial category learning, and support the idea that attention to objects can assist with encoding of the spatial relational information

The Impact Of Object Type On The Spatial Analogies In Korean Preschool Children

The present study investigated whether the perceptual simplicity of the objects depicting relations could facilitate young children's performance on a spatial analogies task. In Study 1, children of 3 to 5 years (N = 120) were asked to generalize spatial relations to instances comprised of a novel type of objects (cross-type generalization). Children were randomly assigned to generalize spatial relations either from a schematic sample image (i.e., geometric shapes) to three rich choice images (i.e., line drawings of realistic objects) or from a rich sample image to three schematic choice images. Children across age performed better with the schematic samples than with rich samples. Study 2 examined generalization of spatial relations to instances comprised of similar types of objects, in children of the same age range (N = 121). In this within-type generalization test, only 5year-old children, but not 3- or 4-year-old children, benefited from the schematic samples. The results overall indicate that perceptually simple objects are more effective in facilitating young children's generalization of spatial relations than perceptually rich objects. Additionally, across both studies, young children's spatial vocabulary, especially their acquisition of locative terms, was positively associated with their spatial analogy skills, suggesting an intimate link between particular spatial words and spatial analogies. Keywords: spatial analogies, generalization, object features, relational learning, spatial vocabular

Presentation_1_What is moving where? Infants’ visual attention to dynamic objects may assist with processing of spatial relations.pdf

IntroductionA central question in infant spatial cognition concerns how infants form abstract categories of spatial relations such as support (on) and containment (in). Prior work suggests two different possibilities regarding the role of attention to objects in infants’ formation of abstract categories of spatial relations: Attention to objects may compete with (and thus hamper) attention to the spatial relations between them, or assist with encoding of the spatial relation information. Using eye-tracking, we examined how infants’ visual attention to objects related to their successful formation of an abstract category of support relations (i.e., an object on another).MethodsThirty-eight 8-month-old infants’ eye movements were recorded during a support categorization task, where infants were habituated to four dynamic events depicting support relations (e.g., resting a block on a box) and then presented with test events that depicted either a support or containment relation with objects that they had seen or not seen in the habituation phase. Based on their looking time to the familiar versus novel spatial relation in the test, infants were classified into two groups: categorizers, who formed an abstract category of a support relation, and non-categorizers, who did not do so.ResultsDuring their initial phase of learning (i.e., the first habituation trial), categorizers paid greater attention to the object moved by a hand (i.e., the dynamic object) in comparison to non-categorizers, whereas their attention to the static object or their gaze shifts between the two objects did not differ. In addition, when presented with novel objects in a novel spatial relation after habituation, only categorizers displayed asymmetric attention between the objects, attending to the dynamic object more than the static object. Gaze shifts and attention to the concave area (i.e., hole) of the container did not differ between categorizers and non-categorizers.DiscussionThese findings suggest that infants’ focused attention to an object in motion may play a key role in young infants’ spatial category learning, and support the idea that attention to objects can assist with encoding of the spatial relational information.</p

Performance Evaluation of Multiple Electrodes Based Electrical Impedance Spectroscopic Probe for Screening of Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia

As regular cervical cancer screening becomes more common, the detection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) is increasing. We proposed a noninvasive and low-cost multi-channel electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and probe with multiple active electrodes for screening CIN. Compared with four-electrode probes for impedance spectroscopy, the multiple active electrodes facilitated more flexible combination of current injection and voltage measurement, which allowed well-designed measurement protocols for focused sensitivity underneath the large size of the probe. Furthermore, the multiple active electrodes reduced the negative effects of the cabling between the system and probe inserted into the cervix. After presenting the basic performance, the EIS probe was tested by three different experimental phantoms using four different materials of electrical properties. The corresponding experimental results were presented to prove the functionality of the EIS probe and characterize the electrical properties at a wide range of frequencies from 0.625 to 100 kHz. It had high sensitivity underneath the surface of the probe and a rapidly decreased outer. Furthermore, we verified the frequency-dependent impedance changes using the giant vesicle phantoms with different amounts of extra- and intra-fluids separated by the insulating membranes. This study facilitates the feasibility into clinical practice for identifying CIN in the future

Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Pancreatic Interstitial Laser Ablation Using a Cylindrical Laser Diffuser: A Long-Term Follow-Up Study

Background and Aims: Local ablative treatment is another option for improving outcomes and has been evaluated for locally advanced pancreatic cancer. We previously suggested endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided interstitial laser ablation using a cylindrical laser diffuser (CILA) might be a feasible therapeutic option based on experiments performed on pancreatic cancer cell lines and porcine model with a short follow-up (3 days). The aim of this study was to investigate the safety of EUS-CILA performed using optimal settings in porcine pancreas with a long-term follow-up (2 weeks). Methods: EUS-CILA (laser energy of 450 J; 5 W for 90 s) was applied to normal pancreatic tissue in porcine (n = 5) under EUS guidance. Animals were observed clinically for 2 weeks after EUS-CILA to evaluate complications. Computed tomography and laboratory tests were carried out to evaluate safety. Two weeks after EUS-CILA, all pigs were sacrificed, and histopathological safety and efficacy evaluations were conducted. Results: EUS-CILA was technically successful in all five cases. No major complications occurred during the follow-up period. Body weight of porcine did not change during the study period without any significant change in feed intake. Animals remained in excellent condition throughout the experimental period, and laboratory tests and computed tomography (CT) scans provided no evidence of a major complication. Histopathological evaluation showed complete ablation in the ablated area with clear delineation of surrounding normal pancreatic tissue. Mean ablated volume was 55.5 mm2 × 29.0 mm and mean ablated areas in the pancreatic sections of the five pigs were not significantly different (p = 0.368). Conclusions: In conclusion, our experimental study suggests that EUS-CILA is safe and has the potential to be an effective local treatment modality. No major morbidity or mortality occurred during the study period. Further evaluations are warranted before clinical application

Noninvasive Photodetachment of Stem Cells on Tunable Conductive Polymer Nano Thin Films: Selective Harvesting and Preserved Differentiation Capacity

Viable mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were efficiently and selectively harvested by near-infrared (NIR) light using the photothermal effect of a conductive polymer nano thin film. The poly(3,4-ethylenedioxy thiophene) (PEDOT)-coated cell culture surfaces were prepared <i>via</i> a simple and fast solution-casting polymerization (SCP) technique. The absorption of PEDOT thin films in the NIR region was effectively triggered cell harvesting upon exposure to an NIR source. By controlling the NIR absorption of the PEDOT film through electrochemical doping or growing PEDOT with different thin film thickness from 70 to 300 nm, the proliferation and harvesting of MSCs on the PEDOT surface were controlled quantitatively. This light-induced cell detachment method based on PEDOT films provides the temporal and spatial control of cell harvesting, as well as cell patterning. The harvested stem cells were found to be alive and well proliferated despite the use of temperature increase by NIR. More importantly, the harvested MSCs by this method preserved their intrinsic characteristics as well as multilineage differentiation capacities. This PEDOT surfaces could be used for repetitive culture and detachment of MSCs or for efficient selection or depletion of a specific subset from heterogeneous population during culture of various tissue-derived cells because there were no photodegradation and photobreakage in the PEDOT films by NIR exposure

Daily Life Changes and Life Satisfaction among Korean School-Aged Children in the COVID-19 Pandemic

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has been disrupting the daily lives of people across the world, causing a major concern for psychological well-being in children. This study aimed to examine (1) how life satisfaction and its potential predictors have been affected by the pandemic among school-aged children in Korea, and (2) which factors would predict their life satisfaction during the pandemic. We surveyed 166 fourth-graders in the Seoul metropolitan area to assess their psychological well-being and potentially related variables during the pandemic. The data were compared with those available from two pre-COVID-19 surveys, the 2018 Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey (n = 1236) and the 2019 Korean Children and Youth Well-being Index Survey (n = 334). Higher levels of stress were observed in children during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, the level of their life satisfaction remained unchanged when compared with data from the pre-COVID-19 surveys. The pandemic also affected peer relationship quality and susceptibility to smartphone addiction, but not perceived parenting style nor academic engagement. Interestingly, peer relationship quality no longer predicted life satisfaction during the pandemic; perceived parenting styles and parent-child conversation time predicted life satisfaction. The results suggest a central role of parent-child relationship in supporting the psychological well-being of school-aged children during the pandemic.Y

Daily Life Changes and Life Satisfaction among Korean School-Aged Children in the COVID-19 Pandemic

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has been disrupting the daily lives of people across the world, causing a major concern for psychological well-being in children. This study aimed to examine (1) how life satisfaction and its potential predictors have been affected by the pandemic among school-aged children in Korea, and (2) which factors would predict their life satisfaction during the pandemic. We surveyed 166 fourth-graders in the Seoul metropolitan area to assess their psychological well-being and potentially related variables during the pandemic. The data were compared with those available from two pre-COVID-19 surveys, the 2018 Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey (n = 1236) and the 2019 Korean Children and Youth Well-being Index Survey (n = 334). Higher levels of stress were observed in children during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, the level of their life satisfaction remained unchanged when compared with data from the pre-COVID-19 surveys. The pandemic also affected peer relationship quality and susceptibility to smartphone addiction, but not perceived parenting style nor academic engagement. Interestingly, peer relationship quality no longer predicted life satisfaction during the pandemic; perceived parenting styles and parent-child conversation time predicted life satisfaction. The results suggest a central role of parent-child relationship in supporting the psychological well-being of school-aged children during the pandemic