Cognitive Mechanisms of Transsaccadic Perception

Transsaccadic perception is characterised as the ability to perceive our visual world as stable and unmoving, despite the retinal image of our visual world changing each time we make rapid eye movements (called saccades). Currently the underlying mechanisms of transsaccadic perception, specifically the mechanisms that maintain an updated internal spatial map of objects in our environment during saccades, remain unclear. Although considerable progress has been made toward a better understanding of the basic mechanisms of transsaccadic perception with stationary objects in our environment, little is known about how our brain keeps track of moving objects during a saccade, which is a real-world task we do everyday (e.g. when driving or playing sports). In this thesis I describe two studies where I investigated transsaccadic perception of moving objects. The first examines how well we can track moving objects across saccades when the saccade amplitude and eccentricity of the target vary in a purely egocentric task. The second assess the extent to which we rely on visual cues in our environment (i.e. allocentric information) during transsaccadic motion tracking. My research is among the first to explore how our brain processes and integrates moving stimuli during saccades. Additionally, it sheds further light on the cognitive mechanisms of transsaccadic perception and offers insights into our everyday visual conscious experience

Comment on “Effects of Arsenite during Fetal Development on Energy Metabolism and Susceptibility to Diet-Induced Fatty Liver Diseases in Male Mice” and “Mechanisms Underlying Latent Disease Risk Associated with Early-Life Arsenic Exposure: Current Trends and Scientific Gaps”

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

An intercalated BSc degree is associated with higher marks in subsequent medical school examinations

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To compare medical students on a modern MBChB programme who did an optional intercalated degree with their peers who did not intercalate; in particular, to monitor performance in subsequent undergraduate degree exams.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This was a retrospective, observational study of anonymised databases of medical student assessment outcomes. Data were accessed for graduates, University of Aberdeen Medical School, Scotland, UK, from the years 2003 to 2007 (n = 861). The main outcome measure was marks for summative degree assessments taken after intercalating.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of 861 medical students, 154 (17.9%) students did an intercalated degree. After adjustment for cohort, maturity, gender and baseline (3^rdyear) performance in matching exam type, having done an IC degree was significantly associated with attaining high (18–20) common assessment scale (CAS) marks in three of the six degree assessments occurring after the IC students rejoined the course: the 4^thyear written exam (p < 0.001), 4^thyear OSCE (p = 0.001) and the 5^thyear Elective project (p = 0.010).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Intercalating was associated with improved performance in Years 4 and 5 of the MBChB. This improved performance will further contribute to higher academic ranking for Foundation Year posts. Long-term follow-up is required to identify if doing an optional intercalated degree as part of a modern medical degree is associated with following a career in academic medicine.</p

The Effects of a Plyometric Training Program on Jump Performance in Collegiate Figure Skaters: A Pilot Study

International Journal of Exercise Science 9(2): 175-186, 2016. Plyometric training has been implemented to increase jump height in a variety of sports, but its effects have not been researched in figure skating. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a plyometric training program on on-ice and off-ice jump performance. Six collegiate figure skaters (19.8±1.2 years; 164.7±4.9 cm; 60.3±11.6 kg) completed a six-week sport-specific plyometric training program, consisting of low to moderate intensity plyometric exercises, while eight collegiate figure skaters (21.1±3.9 years; 162.6±6.0 cm; 60.4±6.1 kg) served as the control group. Significant increases were found for vertical jump height, standing long jump distance, (F = 31.0, p \u3c 0.001), and flight time (F = 11.6, p = 0.007). No significant differences were found for self-reported jump evaluation (p = 0.101). Six weeks of plyometric training improved both on-ice and off-ice jump performance in collegiate figure skaters, while short-term skating training alone resulted in decreases. These results indicate that figure skaters could participate in off-ice plyometric training

Identification of a lipid-rich depot in the orbital cavity of the thirteen-lined ground squirrel

We discovered a previously undescribed orbital lipid depot in the thirteen-lined ground squirrel during the first ever magnetic resonance image (MRI) of this common experimental model of mammalian hibernation. In animals housed at constant ambient temperatures (5°C or 25°C, 12 h:12 h light:dark photoperiod), the volume of this depot increased in the autumn and decreased in the spring, suggesting an endogenous circannual pattern. Water-fat MRI revealed that throughout the year this depot is composed of ∼40% lipid, similar to brown adipose tissue (BAT). During arousal from torpor, thermal images showed higher surface temperatures near this depot before the rest of the head warmed, suggesting a thermoregulatory function. This depot, however, does not contain uncoupling protein 1, a BAT biomarker, or uncoupling protein 3. Histology shows blood vessels in close proximity to each other, suggesting it may serve as a vascular rete, perhaps to preferentially warm the eye and brain during arousals

Dissection of Anoplophora glabripennis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) larval tissues for physiological and molecular studies

Many biological processes are partitioned among organs and tissues, necessitating tissue-specific or organ-specific analysis (particularly for comparative -omics studies). Standardised techniques for tissue identification and dissection are therefore imperative for comparing among studies. Here we describe dissection protocols for isolating six key tissues/organs from larvae of the Asian longhorned beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae): the supraoesophageal ganglion, posterior midgut, hindgut, Malpighian tubules, fat body, and thoracic muscle. We also describe how to extract haemolymph and preserve whole larvae for measurements such as protein, lipid, and carbohydrate content. We include dissection protocols for both fresh-killed and previously frozen specimens. Although this protocol is developed for A. glabripennis, it should allow standardised tissue collection from larvae of other cerambycids and be readily transferrable to other beetle taxa with similar larval morphology

Identification of a lipid-rich depot in the orbital cavity of the 13-lined ground squirrel

We discovered a previously undescribed orbital lipid depot in the 13-lined ground squirrel during the first ever magnetic resonance image (MRI) of this common experimental model of mammalian hibernation. In animals housed at constant ambient temperatures (5ºC or 25ºC, 12h L:12h D photoperiod) the volume of this depot increased in the autumn and decreased in the spring, suggesting an endogenous circannual pattern. Water-fat MRI revealed that throughout the year this depot is composed of ~40% lipid, similar to brown adipose tissue (BAT). During arousal from torpor, thermal images showed higher surface temperatures near this depot before the rest of the head warmed, suggesting a thermoregulatory function. This depot, however, does not contain uncoupling protein 1, a BAT biomarker, or uncoupling protein 3. Histology shows blood vessels in close proximity to each other, suggesting it may serve as a vascular rete, perhaps to preferentially warm the eye and brain during arousals

Measurement of inclusive D*+- and associated dijet cross sections in photoproduction at HERA

Inclusive photoproduction of D*+- mesons has been measured for photon-proton centre-of-mass energies in the range 130 < W < 280 GeV and a photon virtuality Q^2 < 1 GeV^2. The data sample used corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 37 pb^-1. Total and differential cross sections as functions of the D* transverse momentum and pseudorapidity are presented in restricted kinematical regions and the data are compared with next-to-leading order (NLO) perturbative QCD calculations using the "massive charm" and "massless charm" schemes. The measured cross sections are generally above the NLO calculations, in particular in the forward (proton) direction. The large data sample also allows the study of dijet production associated with charm. A significant resolved as well as a direct photon component contribute to the cross section. Leading order QCD Monte Carlo calculations indicate that the resolved contribution arises from a significant charm component in the photon. A massive charm NLO parton level calculation yields lower cross sections compared to the measured results in a kinematic region where the resolved photon contribution is significant.Comment: 32 pages including 6 figure