Functional activation during the Rapid Visual Information Processing task in a middle aged cohort: An fMRI study

The Rapid Visual Information Processing (RVIP) task, a serial discrimination task where task performance believed to reflect sustained attention capabilities, is widely used in behavioural research and increasingly in neuroimaging studies. To date, functional neuroimaging research into the RVIP has been undertaken using block analyses, reflecting the sustained processing involved in the task, but not necessarily the transient processes associated with individual trial performance. Furthermore, this research has been limited to young cohorts. This study assessed the behavioural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) outcomes of the RVIP task using both block and event-related analyses in a healthy middle aged cohort (mean age = 53.56 years, n = 16). The results show that the version of the RVIP used here is sensitive to changes in attentional demand processes with participants achieving a 43% accuracy hit rate in the experimental task compared with 96% accuracy in the control task. As shown by previous research, the block analysis revealed an increase in activation in a network of frontal, parietal, occipital and cerebellar regions. The event related analysis showed a similar network of activation, seemingly omitting regions involved in the processing of the task (as shown in the block analysis), such as occipital areas and the thalamus, providing an indication of a network of regions involved in correct trial performance. Frontal (superior and inferior frontal gryi), parietal (precuenus, inferior parietal lobe) and cerebellar regions were shown to be active in both the block and event-related analyses, suggesting their importance in sustained attention/vigilance. These networks and the differences between them are discussed in detail, as well as implications for future research in middle aged cohorts.

How information around acute events comes into being on social media?

In this digital age, as social media is emerging as a central site where information is shared and interpreted, it is essential to study information construction issues on social media sites in order to understand how social reality is constructed. While there is a number of studies taking an information-as-objective point of view, this proposed study emphasizes the constructed and interpretive nature of information and explores the processes through which information surrounding acute events comes into being on micro-blogs. In order to conduct this analysis systematically and theoretically, the concept of interpretive communities will be deployed. This research investigates if or not micro-blog based social groups can serve as interpretive communities, and, if so, what role might they play in the construction of information, and the social impacts that may arise. To understand how this process is entangled with the surrounding social, political, technical contexts, cases from both China (focusing on Sina Weibo) and Australia (focusing on Twitter) will be analysed.

Foot morphological difference between habitually shod and unshod runners

Foot morphology and function has received increasing attention from both biomechanics researchers and footwear manufacturers. In this study, 168 habitually unshod runners (90 males whose age, weight & height were 23 +/- 2.4years, 66 +/- 7.1kg & 1.68 +/- 0.13m and 78 females whose age, weight & height were 22 +/- 1.8years, 55 +/- 4.7kg & 1.6 +/- 0.11m) (Indians) and 196 shod runners (130 males whose age, weight & height were 24 +/- 2.6years, 66 +/- 8.2kg & 1.72 +/- 0.18m and 66 females whose age, weight & height were 23 +/- 1.5years, 54 +/- 5.6kg & 1.62 +/- 0.15m)(Chinese) participated in a foot scanning test using the easy-foot-scan (a three-dimensional foot scanning system) to obtain 3D foot surface data and 2D footprint imaging. Foot length, foot width, hallux angle and minimal distance from hallux to second toe were calculated to analyze foot morphological differences. This study found that significant differences exist between groups (shod Chinese and unshod Indians) for foot length (female p = 0.001), width (female p = 0.001), hallux angle (male and female p = 0.001) and the minimal distance (male and female p = 0.001) from hallux to second toe. This study suggests that significant differences in morphology between different ethnicities could be considered for future investigation of locomotion biomechanics characteristics between ethnicities and inform last shape and design so as to reduce injury risks and poor performance from mal-fit shoes.

Noninvasive imaging of atheromatous carotid plaques

Atherothrombosis is a systemic disease of the arterial wall that affects the carotid, coronary, and peripheral vascular beds, and the aorta. This condition is associated with complications such as stroke, myocardial infarction, and peripheral vascular disease, which usually result from unstable atheromatous plaques. The study of atheromatous plaques can provide useful information about the natural history and progression of the disease, and aid in the selection of appropriate treatment. Plaque imaging can be crucial in achieving this goal. In this Review, we focus on the various noninvasive imaging techniques that are being used for morphological and functional assessment of carotid atheromatous plaques in the clinical setting.

Analysis of word embeddings and sequence features for clinical information extraction

This study investigates the use of unsupervised features derived from word embedding approaches and novel sequence representation approaches for improving clinical information extraction systems. Our results corroborate previous findings that indicate that the use of word embeddings significantly improve the effectiveness of concept extraction models; however, we further determine the influence that the corpora used to generate such features have. We also demonstrate the promise of sequence-based unsupervised features for further improving concept extraction.

Medicines information sources and services for consumers : A special focus on the Internet and people with depression

The range of consumer health and medicines information sources has diversified along with the increased use of the Internet. This has led to a drive to develop medicines information services and to better incorporate the Internet and e-mail into routine practice in health care and in community pharmacies. To support the development of such services more information is needed about the use of online information by consumers, particularly of those who may be the most likely to use and to benefit from the new sources and modes of medicines communication. This study explored the role and utilization of the Internet-based medicines information and information services in the context of a wider network of information sources accessible to the public in Finland. The overall aim was to gather information to develop better and more accessible sources of information for consumers and services to better meet the needs of consumers. Special focus was on the needs and information behavior among people with depression and using antidepressant medicines. This study applied both qualitative and quantitative methods. Consumer medicines information needs and sources were identified by analyzing the utilization of the University Pharmacy operated national drug information call center (Study I) and surveying Finnish adults (n=2348) use of the different medicines information sources (Study II). The utilization of the Internet as a source of antidepressant information among people with depression was explored by focus group discussions among people with depression and with current or past use of the antidepressant(s) (n=29, Studies III & IV). Pharmacy response to the needs of consumers in term of providing e-mail counseling was assessed by conducting a virtual pseudo customer study among the Finnish community pharmacies (n=161, Study V). Physicians and pharmacists were the primary sources of medicines information. People with mental disorders were more frequent users of telephone- and Internet-based medicines information sources and patient information leaflets than people without mental disorders. These sources were used to complement rather than replace information provided face-to-face by health professionals. People with depression used the Internet to seek facts about antidepressants, to share experiences with peers, and for the curiosity. They described that the access to online drug information was empowering. Some people reported lacking the skills necessary to assess the quality of online information. E-mail medication counseling services provided by community pharmacies were rare and varied in quality. Study results suggest that rather than discouraging the use of the Internet, health professionals should direct patients to use accurate and reliable sources of online medicines information. Health care providers, including community pharmacies should also seek to develop new ways of communicating information about medicines with consumers. This study determined that people with depression and using antidepressants need services enabling interactive communication not only with health care professionals, but also with peers. Further research should be focused on developing medicines information service facilitating communication among different patient and consumer groups.

Information theory and one-dimensional disordered conductors

A novel method is proposed to treat the problem of the random resistance of a strictly one-dimensional conductor with static disorder. It is suggested, for the probability distribution of the transfer matrix of the conductor, the distribution of maximum information-entropy, constrained by the following physical requirements: 1) flux conservation, 2) time-reversal invariance and 3) scaling, with the length of the conductor, of the two lowest cumulants of ζ, where = sh2ζ. The preliminary results discussed in the text are in qualitative agreement with those obtained by sophisticated microscopic theories.

Morphological structure of bismuth-doped n-type amorphous germanium sulphide semiconductors

Recent observation of n-type conduction in amorphous Ge20Ss_xBix at large bismuth concentrations (x = 11), which otherwise shows p-type conduction, has aroused considerable interest in the international scientific community [1]. The mechanism of such impurity incorporation in a germanium chalcogenide glass is not understood and is a topic of current interest. In our recent publications [2-10] we have brought to light some hitherto unknown and interesting features of bismuth dopants in chalcogen-rich Ge-X (X -- S, Se) glassy compositions. In this communication we present our new results of investigations on vitreous semiconductors Ge20S80 Bi using electron microscopy, electron diffraction of as-prepared and annealed/pressure quenched compositions. Our results provide conclusive support to the formation of composite clusters containing all the three elements, germanium, sulphur and bismuth, which crystallize in simpler stoichiometric compounds Bi2S3 and GeS2.

ADAMIS: a database for medical information systems

This paper describes the design and implementation of ADAMIS (‘A database for medical information systems’). ADAMIS is a relational database management system for a general hospital environment. Apart from the usual database (DB) facilities of data definition and data manipulation, ADAMIS supports a query language called the ‘simplified medical query language’ (SMQL) which is completely end-user oriented and highly non-procedural. Other features of ADAMIS include provision of facilities for statistics collection and report generation. ADAMIS also provides adequate security and integrity features and has been designed mainly for use on interactive terminals.

The Influence of Constantinople on Middle Byzantine Architecture (843-1204) : A typological and morphological approach at the provincial level.

The influence of the architecture of the Byzantine capital spread to the Mediterranean provinces with travelling masters and architects. In this study the architecture of the Constantinopolitan School has been detected on the basis of the typology of churches, completed by certain morphological aspects when necessary. The impact of the Constantinopolitan workshops appears to have been more important than previously realized. This research revealed that the Constantinopolitan composite domed inscribed-cross type or cross-in-square spread everywhere to the Balkans and it was assumed soon by the local schools of architecture. In addition, two novel variants were invented on the basis of this model: the semi-composite type and the so-called Athonite type. In the latter variant lateral conches, choroi, were added for liturgical reasons. Instead, the origin of the domed ambulatory church was partly provincial. One result of this study is that the origin of the Middle Byzantine domed octagonal types was traced to Constantinople. This is attested on the basis of the archaeological evidence. Also some other architectural elements that have not been preserved in the destroyed capital have survived at the provincial level: the domed hexagonal type, the multi-domed superstructure, the pseudo-octagon and the narthex known as the lite. The Constantinopolitan architecture during the period in question was based on the Early Christian and Late Antique forms, practices and innovations and this also emerges at the provincial level.

Morphological Characteristics of Genetically-Modified Pineapple Fruit

Genetic engineering is an attractive method for changing a single characteristic of ‘Smooth Cayenne’ pineapple, without altering its other desirable attributes. Techniques used in pineapple transformation, however, such as tissue culture and biolistic-mediated or Agrobacterium-mediated gene insertion are prone to somaclonal variation, resulting in the production of several morphological mutations (Smith et al., 2002). Fruit mutations can include distortion in fruit shape (round ball, conical, fan-shaped), reduced fruit size, multiple crowns, crownless fruit, fruitless crowns, and spiny crown leaves (Dalldorf, 1975; Sanewski et al., 1992). The present paper describes the variability in fruit-shape mutations between transgenic and non-transgenic fruit, and its subsequent impact on organoleptic characteristics.

Across the Oceans : Development of Overseas Business Information Transmission, 1815-1875

Earlier studies have shown that the speed of information transmission developed radically during the 19th century. The fast development was mainly due to the change from sailing ships and horse-driven coaches to steamers and railways, as well as the telegraph. Speed of information transmission has normally been measured by calculating the duration between writing and receiving a letter, or between an important event and the time when the news was published elsewhere. As overseas mail was generally carried by ships, the history of communications and maritime history are closely related. This study also brings a postal historical aspect to the academic discussion. Additionally, there is another new aspect included. In business enterprises, information flows generally consisted of multiple transactions. Although fast one-way information was often crucial, e.g. news of a changing market situation, at least equally important was that there was a possibility to react rapidly. To examine the development of business information transmission, the duration of mail transport has been measured by a systematic and commensurable method, using consecutive information circles per year as the principal tool for measurement. The study covers a period of six decades, several of the world's most important trade routes and different mail-carrying systems operated by merchant ships, sailing packets and several nations' steamship services. The main sources have been the sailing data of mail-carrying ships and correspondence of several merchant houses in England. As the world's main trade routes had their specific historical backgrounds with different businesses, interests and needs, the systems for information transmission did not develop similarly or simultaneously. It was a process lasting several decades, initiated by the idea of organizing sailings in a regular line system. The evolution proceeded generally as follows: originally there was a more or less irregular system, then a regular system and finally a more frequent regular system of mail services. The trend was from sail to steam, but both these means of communication improved following the same scheme. Faster sailings alone did not radically improve the number of consecutive information circles per year, if the communication was not frequent enough. Neither did improved frequency advance the information circulation if the trip was very long or if the sailings were overlapping instead of complementing each other. The speed of information transmission could be improved by speeding up the voyage itself (technological improvements, minimizing the waiting time at ports of call, etc.) but especially by organizing sailings so that the recipients had the possibility to reply to arriving mails without unnecessary delay. It took two to three decades before the mail-carrying shipping companies were able to organize their sailings in an optimal way. Strategic shortcuts over isthmuses (e.g. Panama, Suez) together with the cooperation between steamships and railways enabled the most effective improvements in global communications before the introduction of the telegraph.

Climate information needs of Gascoyne-Murchison pastoralists: a representative study of the Western Australian grazing industry

The Gascoyne-Murchison region of Western Australia experiences an arid to semi-arid climate with a highly variable temporal and spatial rainfall distribution. The region has around 39.2 million hectares available for pastoral lease and supports predominantly catle and sheep grazing leases. In recent years a number of climate forecasting systems have been available offering rainfall probabilities with different lead times and a forecast period; however, the extent to which these systems are capable of fulfilling the requirements of the local pastoralists is still ambiguous. Issues can range from ensuring forecasts are issued with sufficient lead time to enable key planning or decisions to be revoked or altered, to ensuring forecast language is simple and clear, to negate possible misunderstandings in interpretation. A climate research project sought to provide an objective method to determine which available forecasting systems had the greatest forecasting skill at times of the year relevant to local property management. To aid this climate research project, the study reported here was undertaken with an overall objective of exploring local pastoralists' climate information needs. We also explored how well they understand common climate forecast terms such as 'mean', median' and 'probability', and how they interpret and apply forecast information to decisions. A stratified, proportional random sampling was used for the purpose of deriving the representative sample based on rainfall-enterprise combinations. In order to provide more time for decision-making than existing operational forecasts that are issued with zero lead time, pastoralists requested that forecasts be issued for May-July and January-March with lead times counting down from 4 to 0 months. We found forecasts of between 20 and 50 mm break-of-season or follow-up rainfall were likely to influence decisions. Eighty percent of pastoralists demonstrated in a test question that they had a poor technical understanding of how to interpret the standard wording of a probabilistic median rainfall forecast. this is worthy of further research to investigate whether inappropriate management decisions are being made because the forecasts are being misunderstood. We found more than half the respondents regularly access and use weather and climate forecasts or outlook information from a range of sources and almost three-quarters considered climate information or tools useful, with preferred methods for accessing this information by email, faxback service, internet and the Department of Agriculture Western Australia's Pastoral Memo. Despite differences in enterprise types and rainfall seasonality across the region we found seasonal climate forecasting needs were relatively consistent. It became clear that providing basic training and working with pastoralists to help them understand regional climatic drivers, climate terminology and jargon, and the best ways to apply the forecasts to enhance decision-making are important to improve their use of information. Consideration could also be given to engaging a range of producers to write the climate forecasts themselves in the language they use and understand, in consultation with the scientists who prepare the forecasts.

Morphological transitions in polymer monolayers under compression

We present a systematic investigation of morphological transitions in poly vinylacetate Langmuir monolayers. On compression, the polymer monolayer is converted to a continuous membrane with a thickness of similar to 2-3 nm. Above a certain surface concentration the monolayer, on water, undergoes a morphological transition-buckling, leading to formation of striped patterns of period of lambda(b)similar to 160 nm, as determined from in situ grazing incidence small angle x-ray scattering measurements. The obtained value is much smaller than what has been typically observed for Langmuir monolayers on water or thin films on soft substrates. Using existing theories for buckling of fluidlike films on fluid substrates, we obtain very low values of bending rigidity and Young's modulus of the polymer monolayer compared to that observed earlier for lipid or polymeric monolayers. Since buckling in these monolayers occurs only above a certain surface concentration, we have looked at the possibility that the buckling in these films occurs due to changes in their mechanical properties under compression. Using the model of Huang and Suo of buckling of solidlike films on viscoelastic substrates, we find values of the mechanical properties, which are much closer to the bulk values but still significantly lower. Although the reduction could be along the lines of what has been observed earlier for ultrathin polymer film or surface layers of polymers, the possibility of micromechanical effects also determining the buckling in such polymer monolayers cannot be ruled out. We have provided possible explanation of the buckling of the poly vinylacetate monolayers in terms of the change in isothermal compression modulus with surface concentration.