Shared action spaces:a basis function framework for social re-calibration of sensorimotor representations supporting joint action

The article explores the possibilities of formalizing and explaining the mechanisms that support spatial and social perspective alignment sustained over the duration of a social interaction. The basic proposed principle is that in social contexts the mechanisms for sensorimotor transformations and multisensory integration (learn to) incorporate information relative to the other actor(s), similar to the "re-calibration" of visual receptive fields in response to repeated tool use. This process aligns or merges the co-actors' spatial representations and creates a "Shared Action Space" (SAS) supporting key computations of social interactions and joint actions; for example, the remapping between the coordinate systems and frames of reference of the co-actors, including perspective taking, the sensorimotor transformations required for lifting jointly an object, and the predictions of the sensory effects of such joint action. The social re-calibration is proposed to be based on common basis function maps (BFMs) and could constitute an optimal solution to sensorimotor transformation and multisensory integration in joint action or more in general social interaction contexts. However, certain situations such as discrepant postural and viewpoint alignment and associated differences in perspectives between the co-actors could constrain the process quite differently. We discuss how alignment is achieved in the first place, and how it is maintained over time, providing a taxonomy of various forms and mechanisms of space alignment and overlap based, for instance, on automaticity vs. control of the transformations between the two agents. Finally, we discuss the link between low-level mechanisms for the sharing of space and high-level mechanisms for the sharing of cognitive representations. © 2013 Pezzulo, Iodice, Ferraina and Kessler.

The de-gaying and re-gaying of AIDS:contested homophobias in lesbian and gay awareness training

From the first recognition of AIDS as a disease, it was publicly conceptualized as a 'gay plague'. In response, health education and diversity training sought to counter this association claiming that AIDS is an 'equal opportunity' virus - that it can affect anyone. In this article, we analyse talk about HIV/AIDS within a data corpus of 13 tape-recorded lesbian and gay awareness training sessions. Counter to the way in which interactions are described in the lesbian and gay awareness training literature, we found that it was trainees, rather than trainers, who pursued discussions about HIV/AIDS, and who did so in order to claim the 'de-gaying' of AIDS, which they treated as representing a 'non-prejudiced' position. By contrast, and in response to trainees' insistence on de-gaying AIDS, trainers were 're-gaying' AIDS. Our analysis highlights that in these sessions - designed explicitly to counter homophobic attitudes - apparently 'factual' claims and counter-claims about infection rates and risk groups are underpinned by essentially contested definitions of what constitutes a 'homophobic' attitude. We conclude by pointing to the value of detailed analysis of talk-in-interaction for understanding professional practices, and suggest strategies for improving the pedagogic value of training. Copyright © 2005 SAGE Publications.

A re-evaluation of the use of glyceryl trinitrate to assess the degree of adrenergic beta receptor blockade

DUE TO COPYRIGHT RESTRICTIONS ONLY AVAILABLE FOR CONSULTATION AT ASTON UNIVERSITY LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SERVICES WITH PRIOR ARRANGEMENT

Experiments and observations on the behaviour and brain of the aging female mouse with special reference to dementia of the Alzheimer type

The objective of this research was to investigate the effects of normal aging and the additional effects of chronic exposure to two experimental diets, one enriched in aluminium, the other enriched in lecithin, on aspects of the behaviour and brain histology of the female mouse. The aluminium diet was administered in an attempt to develop a rodent model of Dementia of the Alzheimer Type (DAT). With normal aging, almost all assessed aspects of behaviour were found to be impaired. As regards cognition, selective impairments of single-trial passive avoidance and Morris place learning were observed. While all aspects of open-field behaviour were impaired, the degree of impairment was directly related to the degree of motoric complexity. Deficits were also observed on non-visual sensorimotor coordination tasks and in olfactory discrimination. Histologically, neuron loss, gliosis, vacuolation and congophilic angiopathy were observed in several of the brain regions/fibre tracts believed to contribute to the control of some of the assessed behaviours. The aluminium treatment had very selective effects on both behaviour and brain histology, inducing several features observed in DAT. Behaviourally, the treatment induced impaired spatial reference memory; reduced ambulation; disturbed olfactory function and induced the premature development of the senile pattern of swimming. Histologically, significant neuron loss and gliosis were observed in the hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, amygdala, medial septum, pyriform and pr-frontal cortex. In addition, the brain distribution of congophilic angiopathy was significantly increased by the treatment. The lecithin treatment had effects on both non-cognitive and cognitive aspects of behaviour. The effects of aging on open-field ambulation and rearing were partially ameliorated by the treatment. A similar effect was observed for single-trial passive avoidance performance. Age-dependent improvements in acquisition/retention were observed in 17-23 month mice and Morris place task performance was improved in 11 and 17 month mice. Histologically, a partial sparing of neurons in the cerebellum, hippocampus, entorhinal cortex and subiculum was observed.

Effects of pharmaceutical marketing:a re-analysis of the study of Windmeijer et al

Despite a growing body of scientific research, there is still much uncertainty about the effects of marketing expenditures on the demand for pharmaceuticals. Recently it was found that higher marketing expenditures for a brand may reduce the price elasticity of demand, and hence allow firms to charge higher prices (Windmeijer et al [1]). In this study we reconsider the study by Windmeijer et al. We find that their econometric models are based on an incorrect assumption of homogeneous parameters across brands. As a consequence, our conclusions concerning the effects of pharmaceutical marketing are different from theirs.

Risks and benefits of selective (re)presentation of interviewees' talk:some insights from discourse analysis

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the quality of evidence collected during interview. Current UK national guidance on the interviewing of victims and witnesses recommends a phased approach, allowing the interviewee to deliver their free report before any questioning takes place, and stipulating that during this free report the interviewee should not be interrupted. Interviewers, therefore, often find it necessary during questioning to reactivate parts of the interviewee's free report for further elaboration. Design/methodology/approach: The first section of this paper draws on a collection of police interviews with women reporting rape, and discusses one method by which this is achieved - the indirect quotation of the interviewee by the interviewer - exploring the potential implications for the quality of evidence collected during this type of interview. The second section of the paper draws on the same data set and concerns itself with a particular method by which information provided by an interviewee has its meaning "fixed" by the interviewer. Findings: It is found that "formulating" is a recurrent practice arising from the need to clarify elements of the account for the benefit of what is termed the "overhearing audience" - in this context, the police scribe, CPS, and potentially the Court. Since the means by which this "fixing" is achieved necessarily involves the foregrounding of elements of the account deemed to be particularly salient at the expense of other elements which may be entirely deleted, formulations are rarely entirely neutral. Their production, therefore, has the potential to exert undue interviewer influence over the negotiated "final version" of interviewees' accounts. Originality/value: The paper highlights the fact that accurate re-presentations of interviewees' accounts are a crucial tool in ensuring smooth progression of interviews and that re-stated speech and formulation often have implications for the quality of evidence collected during significant witness interviews. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

A joint approach to treating dental phobia:a re-evaluation of a collaboration between community dental services and specialist psychotherapy services ten years on

Objective To audit the records of a group of patients who had previously benefited from cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for dental phobia.Aim To ascertain if they had returned to the use of intravenous (IV) sedation to facilitate dental treatment. Ten years ago these patients were routinely requiring IV sedation to facilitate dental treatment due to severe dental phobia.Method Sixty patients entered the original pilot project. Of those, 30 were offered CBT and 21 attended. Twenty of those patients (95.2%) were subsequently able to have dental treatment without IV sedation. In this follow-up study the electronic records of 19 of the 20 patients who had originally been successful with CBT were re-audited. Our purpose was to see if there was any record of subsequent IV sedation administration in the intervening ten years.Results Of the 19 successful CBT patients available to follow-up, 100% had not received IV sedation since the study ten years ago. This may suggest the initial benefit of CBT has endured over the ten-year period.Conclusion This study indicates that the use of CBT for patients with dental phobia proves beneficial not only in the initial treatment but that the benefits may endure over time. This results in a significant reduction in health risks to the patient from repeated IV sedation. It may also translate into significant financial savings for dental care providers. Our evidence for CBT as treatment for dental phobia suggests dental services should be implementing this approach now rather than pursuing further research. © 2011 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

Rapid tonicity induced re-localisation of endogenous aquaporin 4 in primary rat astrocytes - a therapeutic target for cytotoxic brain oedema?

It is estimated that 69-75 million people worldwide will suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI) or stroke each year. Brain oedema caused by TBI or following a stroke, together with other disorders of the brain cost Europe €770 billion in 2014. Aquaporins (AQP) are transmembrane water channels involved in many physiologies and are responsible for the maintenance of water homeostasis. They react rapidly to changes in osmolarity by transporting water through their highly selective central pore to maintain tonicity and aid in cell volume regulation. We have previously shown that recombinant AQP1-GFP trafficking occurs in a proteinkinase C-microtubule dependant manner in HEK-293 cells in response to hypotonicity. This trafficking mechanism is also reliant on the presence of calcium and its messenger-binding protein calmodulin and results in increased cell surface expression of AQP1 in a time-scale of ~30 seconds. There is currently very little research into the trafficking mechanisms of endogenous AQPs in primary cells. AQP4 is the most abundantly expressed AQP within the brain, it is localised to the astrocytic end-feet, in contact with the blood vessels at the blood-brain-barrier. In situations where the exquisitely-tuned osmotic balance is disturbed, high water permeability can become detrimental. AQP4-mediated water influx causes rapid brain swelling, resulting in death or long term brain damage. Previous research has shown that AQP4 knock-out mice were protected from the formation of cytotoxic brain oedema in a stroke model, highlighting AQP4 as a key drug target for this pathology. As there are currently no treatments available to restrict the flow of water through AQP4 as all known inhibitors are either cytotoxic or non-specific, controlling the mechanisms involved in the regulation of AQP4 in the brain could provide a therapeutic solution to such diseases. Using cell surface biontinylation of endogenous AQP4 in primary rat astrocytes followed by neutraavidin based ELISA we have shown that AQP4 cell surface localisation increases by 2.7 fold after 5 minutes hypotonic treatment at around 85 mOsm/kg H2O. We have also shown that this rapid relocalisation of AQP4 is regulated by PKA, calmodulin, extra-cellular calcium and actin. In summary we have shown that rapid translocation of endogenous AQP4 occurs in primary rat astrocytes in response to hypotonic stimuli; this mechanism is PKA, calcium, actin and calmodulin dependant. AQP4 has the potential to provide a treatment for the development of brain oedema.

Settlement of fill with particular reference to opencast coal mining sites

A study of information available on the settlement characteristics of backfill in restored opencast coal mining sites and other similar earthworks projects has been undertaken. In addition, the methods of opencast mining, compaction controls, monitoring and test methods have been reviewed. To consider and develop the methods of predicting the settlement of fill, three sites in the West Midlands have been examined; at each, the backfill had been placed in a controlled manner. In addition, use has been made of a finite element computer program to compare a simple two-dimensional linear elastic analysis with field observations of surface settlements in the vicinity of buried highwalls. On controlled backfill sites, settlement predictions have been accurately made, based on a linear relationship between settlement (expressed as a percentage of fill height) against logarithm of time. This `creep' settlement was found to be effectively complete within 18 months of restoration. A decrease of this percentage settlement was observed with increasing fill thickness; this is believed to be related to the speed with which the backfill is placed. A rising water table within the backfill is indicated to cause additional gradual settlement. A prediction method, based on settlement monitoring, has been developed and used to determine the pattern of settlement across highwalls and buried highwalls. The zone of appreciable differential settlement was found to be mainly limited to the highwall area, the magnitude was dictated by the highwall inclination. With a backfill cover of about 15 metres over a buried highwall the magnitude of differential settlement was negligible. Use has been made of the proposed settlement prediction method and monitoring to control the re-development of restored opencase sites. The specifications, tests and monitoring techniques developed in recent years have been used to aid this. Such techniques have been valuable in restoring land previously derelict due to past underground mining.