Evidence for a role of synchrony but not common fate in the perception of biological group movements.

Extensive research has shown that observers are able to efficiently extract summary information from groups of people. However, little is known about the cues that determine whether multiple people are represented as a social group or as independent individuals. Initial research on this topic has primarily focused on the role of static cues. Here, we instead investigate the role of dynamic cues. In two experiments with male and female human participants, we use EEG frequency tagging to investigate the influence of two fundamental Gestalt principles - synchrony and common fate - on the grouping of biological movements. In Experiment 1, we find that brain responses coupled to four point-light figures walking together are enhanced when they move in sync vs. out of sync, but only when they are presented upright. In contrast, we found no effect of movement direction (i.e., common fate). In Experiment 2, we rule out that synchrony takes precedence over common fate by replicating the null effect of movement direction while keeping synchrony constant. These results suggest that synchrony plays an important role in the processing of biological group movements. In contrast, the role of common fate is less clear and will require further research.

Attentional set and explicit expectations of perceptual load determine flanker interference.

Task-irrelevant stimuli often capture our attention despite our best efforts to ignore them. It has been noted that tasks involving perceptually complex displays can lead to reduced interference from distractors. The mechanism behind this effect is debated, with some accounts emphasizing the "perceptual load" of the stimuli themselves and others emphasizing the role of proactive control. Here, in three experiments, we investigated the roles of perceptual load, proactive control, and reward motivation in determining distractor interference. Participants performed a visual search task of high, low, or intermediate load, with flanking task-irrelevant distractors. Each trial was preceded by a cue indicating the level of perceptual load (Experiments 1-3) as well as the potential reward that could be earned (Experiments 2 and 3). In all three experiments, the attentional set induced by the preceding trial and cued proactive expectation of perceptual load interacted to determine flanker interference, which was significant for all trial types except trials cued as high load which were also preceded by high load. These effects were not modulated by reward motivation, although in the final experiment reward did significantly improve performance overall. Thus, successful distractor exclusion does not depend upon motivation or load per se but does require an expectation of high load. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The LEADING Guideline: Reporting Standards for Expert Panel, Best-Estimate Diagnosis, and Longitudinal Expert All Data (LEAD) Studies.

Accurate assessments of symptoms and diagnoses are essential for health research and clinical practice but face many challenges. The absence of a single error-free measure is currently addressed by assessment methods involving experts reviewing several sources of information to achieve a more accurate or best-estimate assessment. Three bodies of work spanning medicine, psychiatry, and psychology propose similar assessment methods: The Expert Panel, the Best-Estimate Diagnosis, and the Longitudinal Expert All Data (LEAD). However, the quality of such best-estimate assessments is typically very difficult to evaluate due to poor reporting of the assessment methods and when it is reported, the reporting quality varies substantially. Here we tackle this gap by developing reporting guidelines for such studies, using a four-stage approach: 1) drafting reporting standards accompanied by rationales and empirical evidence, which were further developed with a patient organization for depression, 2) incorporating expert feedback through a two-round Delphi procedure, 3) refining the guideline based on an expert consensus meeting, and 4) testing the guideline by i) having two researchers test it and ii) using it to examine the extent previously published articles report the standards. The last step also demonstrates the need for the guideline: 18 to 58% (Mean = 33%) of the standards were not reported across fifteen randomly selected studies. The LEADING guideline comprises 20 reporting standards related to four groups: The Longitudinal design; the Appropriate data; the Evaluation - experts, materials, and procedures; and the Validity group. We hope that the LEADING guideline will be useful in assisting researchers in planning, reporting, and evaluating research aiming to achieve best-estimate assessments.

Infrared Thermographic Imaging as a Tool to Assess Inflammatory and Ischemic Response With Rubber Ring Tail Docking in Suffolk and Hampshire Lambs (Ovis Aries).

Tail docking in lambs is associated with an acute inflammatory and ischemic response correlated to pain. The present study sought to quantify these responses by utilizing infrared thermographic imaging (IRT) after tail docking lambs. Images were taken for each lamb before tail docking (T0), within a minute after the band was placed (T1), at 5 minutes (T5), and 15 minutes (T15) respectively and analyzed for pixel intensity in areas on the lamb's rump, tail base, and two locations below the docking band. The pixel intensity at 2 cm below the docking band did significantly decrease (p < 0.05) over the course of the study at 15 minutes, indicating the presence of ischemia, and a significant decrease in the pixel intensity of the rump and tail base was observed. The closest location to the rubber ring showed the presence of inflammation as an indirect indicator of acute pain . IRT is a valuable tool in the detection of inflammation and ischemic areas and has the potential to be used to quantify and measure the experience of inflammation and pain after tail docking.

Photoelectron spectroscopy of the deprotonated tryptophan anion: the contribution of deprotomers to its photodetachment channels.

Photoelectron spectroscopy and electronic structure calculations are used to investigate the electronic structure of the deprotonated anionic form of the aromatic amino acid tryptophan, and its chromophore, indole. The photoelectron spectra of tryptophan, recorded at different wavelengths across the UV, consist of two direct detachment channels and thermionic emission, whereas the hν = 4.66 eV spectrum of indole consists of two direct detachment features. Electronic structure calculations indicate that two deprotomers of tryptophan are present in the ion beam; deprotonation of the carboxylic acid group (Trp(I)-) or the N atom on the indole ring (Trp(II)-). Strong similarities are observed between the direct detachment channels in the photoelectron spectra of tryptophan and indole, which in conjunction with electronic structure calculations, indicate that electron loss from Trp(II)- dominates this portion of the spectra. However, there is some evidence that direct detachment of Trp(I)- is also observed. Thermionic emission is determined to predominantly arise from the decarboxylation of Trp(I)-, mediated by the ππ* excited state near λ = 300 nm, which results in an anionic fragment with a negative electron affinity that readily autodetaches.

Biophysical Modeling of Frontocentral ERP Generation Links Circuit-Level Mechanisms of Action-Stopping to a Behavioral Race Model.

Human frontocentral event-related potentials (FC-ERPs) are ubiquitous neural correlates of cognition and control, but their generating multiscale mechanisms remain mostly unknown. We used the Human Neocortical Neurosolver's biophysical model of a canonical neocortical circuit under exogenous thalamic and cortical drive to simulate the cell and circuit mechanisms underpinning the P2, N2, and P3 features of the FC-ERP observed after Stop-Signals in the Stop-Signal task (SST; N = 234 humans, 137 female). We demonstrate that a sequence of simulated external thalamocortical and corticocortical drives can produce the FC-ERP, similar to what has been shown for primary sensory cortices. We used this model of the FC-ERP to examine likely circuit-mechanisms underlying FC-ERP features that distinguish between successful and failed action-stopping. We also tested their adherence to the predictions of the horse-race model of the SST, with specific hypotheses motivated by theoretical links between the P3 and Stop process. These simulations revealed that a difference in P3 onset between successful and failed Stops is most likely due to a later arrival of thalamocortical drive in failed Stops, rather than, for example, a difference in the effective strength of the input. In contrast, the same model predicted that early thalamocortical drives underpinning the P2 and N2 differed in both strength and timing across stopping accuracy conditions. Overall, this model generates novel testable predictions of the thalamocortical dynamics underlying FC-ERP generation during action-stopping. Moreover, it provides a detailed cellular and circuit-level interpretation that supports links between these macroscale signatures and predictions of the behavioral race model.

Tomosyns attenuate SNARE assembly and synaptic depression by binding to VAMP2-containing template complexes.

Tomosyns are widely thought to attenuate membrane fusion by competing with synaptobrevin-2/VAMP2 for SNARE-complex assembly. Here, we present evidence against this scenario. In a novel mouse model, tomosyn-1/2 deficiency lowered the fusion barrier and enhanced the probability that synaptic vesicles fuse, resulting in stronger synapses with faster depression and slower recovery. While wild-type tomosyn-1m rescued these phenotypes, substitution of its SNARE motif with that of synaptobrevin-2/VAMP2 did not. Single-molecule force measurements indeed revealed that tomosyn's SNARE motif cannot substitute synaptobrevin-2/VAMP2 to form template complexes with Munc18-1 and syntaxin-1, an essential intermediate for SNARE assembly. Instead, tomosyns extensively bind synaptobrevin-2/VAMP2-containing template complexes and prevent SNAP-25 association. Structure-function analyses indicate that the C-terminal polybasic region contributes to tomosyn's inhibitory function. These results reveal that tomosyns regulate synaptic transmission by cooperating with synaptobrevin-2/VAMP2 to prevent SNAP-25 binding during SNARE assembly, thereby limiting initial synaptic strength and equalizing it during repetitive stimulation.

The human subthalamic nucleus transiently inhibits active attentional processes.

The subthalamic nucleus (STN) of the basal ganglia is key to the inhibitory control of movement. Consequently, it is a primary target for the neurosurgical treatment of movement disorders like Parkinson's Disease, where modulating the STN via deep-brain stimulation (DBS) can release excess inhibition of thalamo-cortical motor circuits. However, the STN is also anatomically connected to other thalamo-cortical circuits, including those underlying cognitive processes like attention. Notably, STN-DBS can also affect these processes. This suggests that the STN may also contribute to the inhibition of non-motor activity, and that STN-DBS may cause changes to this inhibition. We here tested this hypothesis in humans. We used a novel, wireless outpatient method to record intracranial local field potentials (LFP) from STN DBS implants during a visual attention task (Experiment 1, N=12). These outpatient measurements allowed the simultaneous recording of high-density EEG, which we used to derive the steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP), a well-established neural index of visual attentional engagement. By relating STN activity to this neural marker of attention (instead of overt behavior), we avoided possible confounds resulting from STN's motor role. We aimed to test whether the STN contributes to the momentary inhibition of the SSVEP caused by unexpected, distracting sounds. Furthermore, we causally tested this association in a second experiment, where we modulated STN via DBS across two sessions of the task, spaced at least one week apart (N=21, no sample overlap with Experiment 1). The LFP recordings in Experiment 1 showed that reductions of the SSVEP after distracting sounds were preceded by sound-related γ-frequency (>60Hz) activity in the STN. Trial-to-trial modeling further showed that this STN activity statistically mediated the sounds' suppressive effect on the SSVEP. In Experiment 2, modulating STN activity via DBS significantly reduced these sound-related SSVEP reductions. This provides causal evidence for the role of the STN in the surprise-related inhibition of attention. These findings suggest that the human STN contributes to the inhibition of attention, a non-motor process. This supports a domain-general view of the inhibitory role of the STN. Furthermore, these findings also suggest a potential mechanism underlying some of the known cognitive side-effects of STN-DBS treatment, especially on attentional processes. Finally, our newly-established outpatient LFP recording technique facilitates the testing of the role of subcortical nuclei in complex cognitive tasks, alongside recordings from the rest of the brain, and in much shorter time than perisurgical recordings.

Examining motor evidence for the pause-then-cancel model of action-stopping: Insights from motor system physiology.

Stopping initiated actions is fundamental to adaptive behavior. Longstanding, single-process accounts of action-stopping have been challenged by recent, two-process, 'pause-then-cancel' models. These models propose that action-stopping involves two inhibitory processes: 1) a fast Pause process, which broadly suppresses the motor system as the result of detecting any salient event, and 2) a slower Cancel process, which involves motor suppression specific to the cancelled action. A purported signature of the Pause process is global suppression, or the reduced corticospinal excitability (CSE) of task-unrelated effectors early on in action-stopping. However, unlike the Pause process, few (if any) motor system signatures of a Cancel process have been identified. Here, we used single- and paired-pulse TMS methods to comprehensively measure the local physiological excitation and inhibition of both responding and task-unrelated motor effector systems during action-stopping. Specifically, we measured CSE, short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI), and the duration of the cortical silent period (CSP). Consistent with key predictions from the pause-then-cancel model, CSE measurements at the responding effector indicated that additional suppression was necessary to counteract Go-related increases in CSE during-action-stopping, particularly at later timepoints. Increases in SICI on Stop-signal trials did not differ across responding and non-responding effectors, or across timepoints. This suggests SICI as a potential source of global suppression. Increases in CSP duration on Stop-signal trials were more prominent at later timepoints. SICI and CSP duration therefore appeared most consistent with the Pause and Cancel processes, respectively. Our study provides further evidence from motor system physiology that multiple inhibitory processes influence action-stopping.

The relative effectiveness of conditioning one or two attributes to a brand.

Attribute conditioning refers to the phenomenon that target stimuli acquire specific attributes by pairing them with stimuli possessing these attributes. We apply attribute conditioning to a marketing context where brands are often displayed with stimuli possessing semantic attributes to establish brand-attribute associations. In particular, we examine whether it is more effective from a brand image perspective to associate a brand with only one attribute, two related attributes, or two unrelated attributes. Across four experimental studies, we find that pairing a single attribute (e.g., athletic) with a brand is most effective for building brand-attribute associations and that pairing multiple, related attributes (athletic and healthy) is more effective than pairing multiple, unrelated attributes (athletic and smart). Supplementing this finding, an analysis of observational data from real brands suggests that attributing two orthogonal attributes to a brand is associated with negative effects on marketing-relevant outcomes. Our findings extend previous research on multiattribute conditioning and highlight the importance of the number and relationship between attributes for building effective brand associations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The everyday speech environments of preschoolers with and without cochlear implants.

Children who receive cochlear implants develop spoken language on a protracted timescale. The home environment facilitates speech-language development, yet it is relatively unknown how the environment differs between children with cochlear implants and typical hearing. We matched eighteen preschoolers with implants (31-65 months) to two groups of children with typical hearing: by chronological age and hearing age. Each child completed a long-form, naturalistic audio recording of their home environment (appx. 16 hours/child; >730 hours of observation) to measure adult speech input, child vocal productivity, and caregiver-child interaction. Results showed that children with cochlear implants and typical hearing were exposed to and engaged in similar amounts of spoken language with caregivers. However, the home environment did not reflect developmental stages as closely for children with implants, or predict their speech outcomes as strongly. Home-based speech-language interventions should focus on the unique input-outcome relationships for this group of children with hearing loss.

Shifting Carotid Web Due to a Wandering and Rotating Carotid Artery.

This case report describes the finding of a carotid web in combination with a wandering and rotating carotid artery, resulting in a stroke.

Electrophysiological correlates of self-related processing in adults with autism.

The term "self-bias" refers to the human propensity to prioritize self- over other-related stimuli and is believed to influence various stages of the processing stream. By means of event-related potentials (ERPs), it was recently shown that the self-bias in a shape-label matching task modulates early as well as later phases of information processing in neurotypicals. Recent claims suggest autism-related deficits to specifically impact later stages of self-related processing; however, it is unclear whether these claims hold based on current findings. Using the shape-label matching task while recording ERPs in individuals with autism can clarify which stage of self-related processing is specifically affected in this condition. Therefore, this study sought to investigate the temporal course of self-related processing in adults with and without autism. Thirty-two adults with autism and 27 neurotypicals completed a shape-label matching task while ERPs were concomitantly recorded. At the behavioral level, results furnished evidence for a comparable self-bias across groups, with no differences in task performance between adults with and without autism. At the ERP level, the two groups showed a similar self-bias at early stages of self-related information processing (the N1 component). Conversely, the autism group manifested a lessened differentiation between self- and other-related stimuli at later stages (the parietal P3 component). In line with recent claims of later phases of self-related processing being altered in autism, we found an equivalent self-bias between groups at an early, sensory stage of processing, yet a strongly diminished self-bias at a later, cognitive stage in adults with autism.

A core outcome set for trials evaluating self-management interventions in people with severe mental illness and coexisting type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: People with severe mental illness (SMI), such as schizophrenia, have higher rates of type 2 diabetes and worse outcomes, compared to those without SMI and it is not known whether diabetes self-management interventions are effective for people who have both conditions. Research in this area has been impeded by a lack of consensus on which outcomes to prioritise in people with co-existing SMI and diabetes. AIMS: To develop a core outcome set (COS) for use in effectiveness trials of diabetes self-management interventions in adults with both type 2 diabetes and SMI. METHODS: The COS was developed in three stages: (i) identification of outcomes from systematic literature review of intervention studies, followed by multi-stakeholder and service user workshops; (ii) rating of outcomes in a two-round online Delphi survey; (iii) agreement of final 'core' outcomes through a stakeholder consensus workshop. RESULTS: Seven outcomes were selected: glucose control, blood pressure, body composition (body weight, BMI, body fat), health-related quality of life, diabetes self-management, diabetes-related distress and medication adherence. CONCLUSIONS: This COS is recommended for future trials of effectiveness of diabetes self-management interventions for people with SMI and type 2 diabetes. Its use will ensure trials capture important outcomes and reduce heterogeneity so findings can be readily synthesised to inform practice and policy.

Dynamics of Anions: From Bound to Unbound States and Everything In Between.

Gas-phase anions present an ideal playground for the exploration of excited-state dynamics. They offer control in terms of the mass, extent of solvation, internal temperature, and conformation. The application of a range of ion sources has opened the field to a vast array of anionic systems whose dynamics are important in areas ranging from biology to star formation. Here, we review recent experimental developments in the field of anion photodynamics, demonstrating the detailed insight into photodynamical and electron-capture processes that can be uncovered. We consider the electronic and nuclear ultrafast dynamics of electronically bound excited states along entire reaction coordinates; electronically unbound states showing that photochemical concepts, such as chromophores and Kasha's rule, are transferable to electron-driven chemistry; and nonvalence states that straddle the interface between bound and unbound states. Finally, we consider likely developments that are sure to keep the field of anion dynamics buoyant and impactful. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Physical Chemistry, Volume 75 is April 2024. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

An interpretative phenomenological analysis of the lived experience of people with multimorbidity in low- and middle-income countries.

People living with multimorbidity (PLWMM) have multiple needs and require long-term personalised care, which necessitates an integrated people-centred approach to healthcare. However, people-centred care may risk being a buzzword in global health and cannot be achieved unless we consider and prioritise the lived experience of the people themselves. This study captures the lived experiences of PLWMM in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) by exploring their perspectives, experiences, and aspirations.We analysed 50 semi-structured interview responses from 10 LMICs across three regions-South Asia, Latin America, and Western Africa-using an interpretative phenomenological analysis approach.The bodily, social, and system experiences of illness by respondents were multidirectional and interactive, and largely captured the complexity of living with multimorbidity. Despite expensive treatments, many experienced little improvements in their conditions and felt that healthcare was not tailored to their needs. Disease management involved multiple and fragmented healthcare providers with lack of guidance, resulting in repetitive procedures, loss of time, confusion, and frustration. Financial burden was exacerbated by lost productivity and extreme finance coping strategies, creating a vicious cycle. Against the backdrop of uncertainty and disruption due to illness, many demonstrated an ability to cope with their conditions and navigate the healthcare system. Respondents' priorities were reflective of their desire to return to a pre-illness way of life-resuming work, caring for family, and maintaining a sense of independence and normalcy despite illness. Respondents had a wide range of needs that required financial, health education, integrated care, and mental health support.In discussion with respondents on outcomes, it appeared that many have complementary views about what is important and relevant, which may differ from the outcomes established by clinicians and researchers. This knowledge needs to complement and be incorporated into existing research and treatment models to ensure healthcare remains focused on the human and our evolving needs.

Spectroscopy and dynamics of the hydrated electron at the water/air interface.

The hydrated electron, e-(aq), has attracted much attention as a central species in radiation chemistry. However, much less is known about e-(aq) at the water/air surface, despite its fundamental role in electron transfer processes at interfaces. Using time-resolved electronic sum-frequency generation spectroscopy, the electronic spectrum of e-(aq) at the water/air interface and its dynamics are measured here, following photo-oxidation of the phenoxide anion. The spectral maximum agrees with that for bulk e-(aq) and shows that the orbital density resides predominantly within the aqueous phase, in agreement with supporting calculations. In contrast, the chemistry of the interfacial hydrated electron differs from that in bulk water, with e-(aq) diffusing into the bulk and leaving the phenoxyl radical at the surface. Our work resolves long-standing questions about e-(aq) at the water/air interface and highlights its potential role in chemistry at the ubiquitous aqueous interface.