Visuomotor transformation for interception:catching while fixating

Catching a ball involves a dynamic transformation of visual information about ball motion into motor commands for moving the hand to the right place at the right time. We previously formulated a neural model for this transformation to account for the consistent leftward movement biases observed in our catching experiments. According to the model, these biases arise within the representation of target motion as well as within the transformation from a gaze-centered to a body-centered movement command. Here, we examine the validity of the latter aspect of our model in a catching task involving gaze fixation. Gaze fixation should systematically influence biases in catching movements, because in the model movement commands are only generated in the direction perpendicular to the gaze direction. Twelve participants caught balls while gazing at a fixation point positioned either straight ahead or 14 degrees to the right. Four participants were excluded because they could not adequately maintain fixation. We again observed a consistent leftward movement bias, but the catching movements were unaffected by fixation direction. This result refutes our proposal that the leftward bias partly arises within the visuomotor transformation, and suggests instead that the bias predominantly arises within the early representation of target motion, specifically through an imbalance in the represented radial and azimuthal target motion.

The distribution of arsenic in soils affected by the Aznalcóllar mine spill, SW Spain

In April 1998, a holding lagoon containing pyrite ore processing waste, failed and released an estimated 5-6 million m(3) of metal rich sludge and acidic waters into the Rio Guadiamar, SW Spain. Over 2700 ha of the internationally important Doñana National and Natural Parks were contaminated. The sludge component of the waste contained up to 0.6% arsenic. This paper presents an extensive set of 0-5 cm soil analyses results from samples taken 6-8 months after the spill. Data are presented on pseudo-total arsenic levels in these samples, and on arsenic removed by both single batch and sequential extraction techniques. Pseudo-total levels of arsenic in the sludge ranged from 1521 to 3510 mg kg(-1), and a mean 4.4% of this was found to be extractable using 2.5% acetic acid. Soils in the Guadiamar Valley and Entremuros areas (those worst affected by the spill) were found to contain 85.4-782 mg kg(-1) and 7.1-196 mg kg(-1) pseudo-total arsenic, respectively. The mean acetic acid extractable component in these areas was 2.5% and 4.9%, respectively. Background pseudo-total arsenic levels in the soils of the area have been found to be 4.2-13.6 mg kg(-1). Rapid input of acidic waters, and the acidic nature of the sludge itself, may have caused depletion of Mg, Na and K, and to a lesser extent Mn, Ca and PO(4) in the upper 5 cm of the worst affected soils. Sequential extraction results suggest clear As-Fe associations, and possible As-Mn associations within the more soluble phases.

Corpus callosum size and inter-hemispheric function in schizophrenia

We studied the relationship between corpus callosum area and both inter-hemispheric facilitation and interference in schizophrenics and controls. Mid-sagittal sections through the corpus callosum were measured using structural magnetic resonance imaging on 42 patients and 43 normal controls, along with symptom profiles. In a sub-sample, a modified version of the Stroop Test was also performed (27 patients and 29 controls) to assess inter-hemispheric facilitation and interference of colour naming. In the larger sample (total subjects, n=85), there were no significant differences between patients and controls in CC area but a trend towards smaller values in patients in all but the posterior segment. In the sub-sample, bilateral facilitation was greater, and interference, less in schizophrenics compared with controls. There was a positive correlation between facilitation and posterior CC area, parallelled by a negative correlation between interference and posterior CC area, in both patients and controls, which only reached statistical significance when both groups were combined. These findings suggest that the link, between CC size and neuropsychological processes involving inter-hemispheric transfer of information, is common to both schizophrenics and normal controls. There were significant negative correlations between anterior CC area and psychomotor poverty (avolition, anhedonia and affective flattening), and a suggestion that the negative correlation between age and CC size in controls was not present in patients.

Improved Detection of Mycobacterium bovis Infection in Bovine Lymph Node Tissue Using Immunomagnetic Separation (IMS)-Based Methods

Immunomagnetic separation (IMS) can selectively isolate and concentrate Mycobacterium bovis cells from lymph node tissue to facilitate subsequent detection by PCR (IMS-PCR) or culture (IMS-MGIT). This study describes application of these novel IMS-based methods to test for M. bovis in a survey of 280 bovine lymph nodes (206 visibly lesioned (VL), 74 non-visibly lesioned (NVL)) collected at slaughter as part of the Northern Ireland bovine TB eradication programme. Their performance was evaluated relative to culture. Overall, 174 (62.1%) lymph node samples tested positive by culture, 162 (57.8%) by IMS-PCR (targeting IS6110), and 196 (70.0%) by IMS-MGIT culture. Twelve (6.9%) of the 174 culture positive lymph node samples were not detected by either of the IMS-based methods. However, an additional 78 M. bovis positive lymph node samples (26 (12.6%) VL and 54 (73.0%) NVL) were detected by the IMS-based methods and not by culture. When low numbers of viable M. bovis are present in lymph nodes (e.g. in NVLs of skin test reactor cattle) decontamination prior to culture may adversely affect viability, leading to false negative culture results. In contrast, IMS specifically captures whole M. bovis cells (live, dead or potentially dormant) which are not subject to any deleterious treatment before detection by PCR or MGIT culture. During this study only 2.7% of NVL lymph nodes tested culture positive, whereas 73% of the same samples tested M. bovis positive by the IMS-based tests. Results clearly demonstrate that not only are the IMS-based methods more rapid but they have greater detection sensitivity than the culture approach currently used for the detection of M. bovis infection in cattle.. Adoption of the IMS-based methods for lymph node testing would have the potential to improve M. bovis detection in clinical samples.

High-capacity hydrogen and nitric oxide adsorption and storage in a metal-organic framework

Gas adsorption experiments have been carried out on a copper benzene tricarboxylate metal-organic framework material, HKUST-1. Hydrogen adsorption at 1 and 10 bar (both 77 K) gives an adsorption capacity of 11.16 mmol H-2 per g of HKUST-1 (22.7 mg g(-1), 2.27 wt %) at 1 bar and 18 mmol per g (36.28 mg g(-1), 3.6 wt %) at 10 bar. Adsorption of D-2 at 1 bar (77 K) is between 1.09 (at 1 bar) and 1.20(at < 100 mbar) times the H-2 values depending on the pressure, agreeing with the theoretical expectations. Gravimetric adsorption measurements of NO on HKUST-1 at 196 K (1 bar) gives a large adsorption capacity of similar to 9 mmol g(-1), which is significantly greater than any other adsorption capacity reported on a porous solid. At 298 K the adsorption capacity at 1 bar is just over 3 mmol g(-1). Infra red experiments show that the NO binds to the empty copper metal sites in HKUST-1. Chemiluminescence and platelet aggregometry experiments indicate that the amount of NO recovered on exposure of the resulting complex to water is enough to be biologically active, completely inhibiting platelet aggregation in platelet rich plasma.

An arsenic-contaminated field trial to assess the uptake and translocation of arsenic by genotypes of rice

Compared to other cereals, rice has particular strong As accumulation. Therefore, it is very important to understand As uptake and translocation among different genotypes. A field study in Chenzhou city, Hunan province of China, was employed to evaluate the effect of arsenic-contaminated soil on uptake and distribution in 34 genotypes of rice (including unpolished rice, husk, shoot, and root). The soil As concentrations ranged from 52.49 to 83.86 mg kg-1, with mean As concentration 64.44 mg kg-1. The mean As concentrations in rice plant tissues were different among the 34 rice genotypes. The highest As concentrations were accumulated in rice root (196.27-385.98 mg kg-1 dry weight), while the lowest was in unpolished rice (0.31-0.52 mg kg-1 dry weight). The distribution of As in rice tissue and paddy soil are as follows root » soil > shoot > husk > unpolished rice. The ranges of concentrations of inorganic As in all of unpolished rice were from 0.26 to 0.52 mg kg-1 dry weight. In particular, the percentage of inorganic As in the total As was more than 67 %, indicating that the inorganic As was the predominant species in unpolished rice. The daily dietary intakes of inorganic As in unpolished rice ranged from 0.10 to 0.21 mg for an adult, and from 0.075 to 0.15 mg for a child. Comparison with tolerable daily intakes established by FAO/WHO, inorganic As in most of unpolished rice samples exceeded the recommended intake values. The 34 genotypes of rice were classified into four clusters using a criteria value of rescaled distance between 5 and 10. Among the 34 genotypes, the genotypes II you 416 (II416) with the lowest enrichment of As and the lowest daily dietary intakes of inorganic As could be selected as the main cultivar in As-contaminated field.

Evaluation of a Final Year Work-shadowing Attachment

The transition from medical student to junior doctor is well recognised to be a difficult and stressful period. To ease this transition, most UK universities have a work-shadowing period (WSP), during which students can learn practical skills needed for forthcoming employment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the WSP at Queen's University Belfast, and gain the views of both students and Foundation Programme Supervisors and Directors (FPSDs). The study utilised both qualitative (focus groups) and quantitative (questionnaires) approaches. The FPSDs completed a specific questionnaire designed for this study, while the students completed the university's internal quality assurance questionnaire. Twenty-eight of the 37 (76%) FPSDs and 106 / 196 (54%) students completed the questionnaires. Focus groups were conducted with up to 10 students in each group in both a regional centre and a district general hospital at the start and the end of the WSP as well as 8 weeks into working life. The transcripts of the focus groups were analysed and themes identified. A number of deficiencies with the current WSP were identified, including concerns about the use of log books, the timing of the attachment and relatively low levels of supervision provided by senior hospital staff members. As a result, students felt unprepared for commencing work, with particular mention given to medical emergencies, prescribing, and the emotional aspects of the job. A number of recommendations are made, including the need for more senior input to ensure better student attendance, participation and clinical interaction. Furthermore, students should be offered additional supervised responsibility for delivery of patient care and more experiential learning with respect to drug prescribing and administration. The study also suggests that more needs to be done to help ease the emotional and psychological stresses of the early FY1 period. These issues have been resolved to a large extent with the introduction of the new final year Student Assistantship module in the academic year 2010-2011. © The Ulster Medical Society, 2012.

An inherited duplication at the gene p21 Protein-Activated Kinase 7 (PAK7) is a risk factor for psychosis

Identifying rare, highly penetrant risk mutations may be an important step in dissecting the molecular etiology of schizophrenia. We conducted a gene-based analysis of large (>100kb), rare copy number variants (CNVs) in the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium 2 (WTCCC2) schizophrenia sample of 1,564 cases and 1,748 controls all from Ireland, and further extended the analysis to include an additional 5,196 UK controls. We found association with duplications at chr20p12.2 (P=0.007) and evidence of replication in large independent European schizophrenia (P=0.052) and UK bipolar disorder case-control cohorts (P=0.047). A combined analysis of Irish/UK subjects including additional psychosis cases (schizophrenia and bipolar disorder) identified 22 carriers in 11,707 cases and 10 carriers in 21,204 controls (meta-analysis CMH P value=2x10(-4) (odds ratio (OR)=11.3, 95% CI=3.7, ∞)). Nineteen of the 22 cases and 8 of the 10 controls carried duplications starting at 9.68Mb with similar breakpoints across samples. By haplotype analysis and sequencing we identified a tandem ∼149kb duplication overlapping the gene p21 Protein-Activated Kinase 7 (PAK7, also called PAK5) which was in linkage disequilibrium with local haplotypes (P=2.5x10(-21)), indicative of a single ancestral duplication event. We confirmed the breakpoints in 8/8 carriers tested and found co-segregation of the duplication with illness in two additional family members of one of the affected probands. We demonstrate that PAK7 is developmentally co-expressed with another known psychosis risk gene (DISC1) suggesting a potential molecular mechanism involving aberrant synapse development and plasticity.

Politics without the Vernacular: Liberal Culturalism and the Language Policy of the European Union

Will Kymlicka's liberal culturalism presents a tension between the idea that linguistic diversity in multilingual polities should be protected and the claim that democratic debate across linguistic boundaries is unfeasible. In this article, I resolve that tension by arguing that trans-lingual democratic deliberation in multilingual polities is necessary to legitimise those measures aimed at the protection of linguistic diversity. I conclude that my account provides a coherent normative response to the challenges faced by the European Union (EU) in the field of language policy and that an EU-wide deliberative forum is not as unfeasible as Kymlicka suggests.

Right-Wing Violence in Germany: Assessing the Objectives, Personalities and Terror Trail of the National Socialist Underground and the State's Response to It

In the last five years the forces of organised right-wing extremism have made electoral advances across many states in contemporary Europe. Germany has not been immune and the extreme right party, the National Democratic Party of Germany won its first seat in the European Parliament since 1989. The recent successes of the extreme right pose issues for European society about tolerance and immigration policy, but this scene has also been associated with an upsurge in racially motivated political violence and acts of right-wing terrorism. Much of this violence is perpetrated by small neo-Nazi styled groups. This paper looks at the most notorious and recent of such groups to emerge in Germany, the National Socialist Underground. The paper explores the origins and personalities behind this terror cell, provides derails of its criminal activities and murder spree, and questions why it took so long for the authorities to identify the NSU.

Latanoprost for open-angle glaucoma (UKGTS): a randomised, multicentre, placebo-controlled trial

Background
Treatments for open-angle glaucoma aim to prevent vision loss through lowering of intraocular pressure, but to our knowledge no placebo-controlled trials have assessed visual function preservation, and the observation periods of previous (unmasked) trials have typically been at least 5 years. We assessed vision preservation in patients given latanoprost compared with those given placebo.

Methods
In this randomised, triple-masked, placebo-controlled trial, we enrolled patients with newly diagnosed open-angle glaucoma at ten UK centres (tertiary referral centres, teaching hospitals, and district general hospitals). Eligible patients were randomly allocated (1:1) with a website-generated randomisation schedule, stratified by centre and with a permuted block design, to receive either latanoprost 0·005% (intervention group) or placebo (control group) eye drops. Drops were administered from identical bottles, once a day, to both eyes. The primary outcome was time to visual field deterioration within 24 months. Analyses were done in all individuals with follow-up data. The Data and Safety Monitoring Committee (DSMC) recommended stopping the trial on Jan 6, 2011 (last patient visit July, 2011), after an interim analysis, and suggested a change in primary outcome from the difference in proportions of patients with incident progression between groups to time to visual field deterioration within 24 months. This trial is registered, number ISRCTN96423140.

Findings
We enrolled 516 individuals between Dec 1, 2006, and March 16, 2010. Baseline mean intraocular pressure was 19·6 mm Hg (SD 4·6) in 258 patients in the latanoprost group and 20·1 mm Hg (4·8) in 258 controls. At 24 months, mean reduction in intraocular pressure was 3·8 mm Hg (4·0) in 231 patients assessed in the latanoprost group and 0·9 mm Hg (3·8) in 230 patients assessed in the placebo group. Visual field preservation was significantly longer in the latanoprost group than in the placebo group: adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 0·44 (95% CI 0·28–0·69; p=0·0003). We noted 18 serious adverse events, none attributable to the study drug.

Interpretation
This is the first randomised placebo-controlled trial to show preservation of the visual field with an intraocular-pressure-lowering drug in patients with open-angle glaucoma. The study design enabled significant differences in vision to be assessed in a relatively short observation period

Transcutaneous sacral neurostimulation for irritative voiding dysfunction

with refractory irritative voiding dysfunction. Following an initial response, patients may successfully apply this treatment themselves to ensure long-term relief. Objective: Patients with irritative voiding dysfunction are often unresponsive to standard clinical treatment. We evaluated the response of such individuals to transcutaneous electrical stimulation of the third sacral nerve. Methods: 32 patients with refractory irritative voiding dysfunction (31 female and 1 male; mean age 47 years) were recruited to the study. Ambulatory transcutaneous electrical neurostimulation was applied bilaterally to the third sacral dermatomes for 1 week. Symptoms of frequency, nocturia, urgency, and bladder pain were scored by each patient throughout and up to 6 months following treatment. Results: The mean daytime frequency was reduced from 11.3 to 7.96 (p = 0.01). Nocturia episodes were reduced from a mean of 2.6 to 1.8 (p = 0.01). Urgency and bladder pain mean symptom scores were reduced from 5.97 to 4.89 and from 1.48 to 0.64, respectively. After stopping therapy, symptoms returned to pretreatment levels within 2 weeks in 40% of the patients and within 6 months in 100%, Three patients who continued with neurostimulation remained satisfied with this treatment modality at 6 months. Conclusions: Transcutaneous third sacral nerve stimulation may be an effective and noninvasive ambulatory technique for the treatment of patients with refractory irritative voiding dysfunction. Following an initial response, patients may successfully apply this treatment themselves to ensure long-term relief.

New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution

Body fat distribution is a heritable trait and a well-established predictor of adverse metabolic outcomes, independent of overall adiposity. To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of body fat distribution and its molecular links to cardiometabolic traits, here we conduct genome-wide association meta-analyses of traits related to waist and hip circumferences in up to 224,459 individuals. We identify 49 loci (33 new) associated with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (BMI), and an additional 19 loci newly associated with related waist and hip circumference measures (P < 5 × 10(-8)). In total, 20 of the 49 waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI loci show significant sexual dimorphism, 19 of which display a stronger effect in women. The identified loci were enriched for genes expressed in adipose tissue and for putative regulatory elements in adipocytes. Pathway analyses implicated adipogenesis, angiogenesis, transcriptional regulation and insulin resistance as processes affecting fat distribution, providing insight into potential pathophysiological mechanisms.