Decoding attention control and selection in visual spatial attention

Event‐related potentials (ERPs) are used extensively to investigate the neural mechanisms of attention control and selection. The univariate ERP approach, however, has left important questions inadequately answered. We addressed two questions by applying multivariate pattern classification to multichannel ERPs in two cued visual spatial attention experiments (N = 56): (a) impact of cueing strategies (instructional vs. probabilistic) on attention control and selection and (b) neural and behavioral effects of individual differences. Following cue onset, the decoding accuracy (cue left vs. cue right) began to rise above chance level earlier and remained higher in instructional cueing (~80 ms) than in probabilistic cueing (~160 ms), suggesting that unilateral attention focus leads to earlier and more distinct formation of the attention control set. A similar temporal sequence was also found for target‐related processing (cued target vs. uncued target), suggesting earlier and stronger attention selection under instructional cueing. Across the two experiments: (a) individuals with higher cue‐related decoding accuracy showed higher magnitude of attentional modulation of target‐evoked N1 amplitude, suggesting that better formation of anticipatory attentional state leads to stronger modulation of target processing, and (b) individuals with higher target‐related decoding accuracy showed faster reaction times (or larger cueing effects), suggesting that stronger selection of task‐relevant information leads to better behavioral performance. Taken together, multichannel ERPs combined with machine learning decoding yields new insights into attention control and selection that complement the univariate ERP approach, and along with the univariate ERP approach, provides a more comprehensive methodology to the study of visual spatial attention.     

中国优秀马拉松运动员ACE基因I/D多态性频率分布特征

通过分析中国马拉松运动员ACE基因I/D多态频率分布特征,探讨其作为杰出耐力基因标记的可行性。选择我国马拉松健将、国际健将级运动员26名作为马拉松运动员组,汉族学生216名作为对照组。对两组受试者进行ACE基因I/D多态性测定。结果显示:我国马拉松运动员组的等位基因频率和基因型频率与对照组比较无显著差异,其中15名国际健将中无一DD型纯合子,提示我国优秀马拉松运动员的纯合子DD型频率低下是其ACE基因多态频率分布的主要特征。     

混合Poisson分布及其应用：疾病的统计分布（五）

本文讨论了混合Ｐｏｉｓｓｏｎ分布的性质、应用条件、参数的估计及混合Ｐｏｉｓｓｏｎ分布阶数的确定，指出混合Ｐｏｉｓｓｏｎ分布可用于混合样本的判别归类，并用Ｂａｙｅｓ的思想导出其判别归类方法。模拟试验结果表明：当混合Ｐｏｉｓｓｏｎ分布中各部分的比例相差不大，而各部分的均值相差较大时，抽样效果和拟合效果越好，所得到的估计值越接近理论值；反之效果越差。     

泰安市流行性出血热(EHF)发病季节和人群分布

在这篇文章中,应用圆形分布法计算了泰安市1984—1985两年流行出血热的发病平均日期,分别为1984年11月5号和1985年11月11号,两年合计的平均发病日期为11月9号。另外,还分析了发病的年龄和职业。这将为预防工作提供准确的科学数据。     

染色内镜和放大内镜技术是提高早期大肠癌诊治水平的重要手段

应用常规内镜技术难以发现大肠平坦型病变和凹陷型病变。近年来染色内镜和放大内镜技术已经发展成熟,在国外已获广泛应用,可以发现大肠微小病变和早期大肠癌。应用腺管开口分型方法可以预测肿瘤病变的组织学类型及肿瘤的浸润深度,据此可确定行内镜下粘膜剥离术或分片粘膜剥离术将肿瘤切除,抑或行外科手术治疗。在当前我国的胃肠内镜医疗界,应广泛开展染色内镜和放大内镜的临床应用,以早期发现大肠病变,提高我国大肠癌的内镜诊治水平。     

Physiological pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of (+/-)-verapamil in female rats

Tissue distribution and pharmacodynamics of verapamil were evaluated during steady state intravenous (i.v.) infusion and after single dose intraperitoneal (i.p.) drug administration to female Sprague-Dawley rats. In one group of rats, verapamil was infused to a steady state concentration at which time animals were killed. Verapamil-induced decreases in mean arterial pressure (MAP) were monitored during infusion and correlated with concomitantly obtained plasma verapamil concentrations. Tissue (lung, liver, renal medulla, renal cortex, cardiac muscle, skeletal muscle, perirenal fat, brain stem, cerebral cortex, and cerebellum) and plasma samples were obtained immediately after animals were killed and verapamil and norverapamil concentrations determined. Another group of rats, after receiving i.p. verapamil, were killed at 1, 3, 5, 19, and 24 h. Elimination from each tissue evaluated was described by a first order process. Elimination half-life of verapamil was similar among plasma and tissues evaluated (1.5 to 2.2 h). The per cent verapamil not bound to plasma proteins was concentration-independent and similar between rats receiving i.p. (mean +/- S.D.) (2.28 +/- 0.72 per cent) and i.v. (2.08 +/- 0.03 per cent) verapamil. MAP and verapamil concentration in plasma (r = 0.75; p less than 0.01) and cardiac muscle (r = -0.82; p less than 0.01) were inversely correlated in a highly significant fashion during both i.v. and i.p. drug administrations. The tissue-to-plasma distribution ratio for verapamil and norverapamil was similar among animals receiving i.p. verapamil at all points of sampling, suggesting distribution equilibrium had been achieved. After steady state i.v. infusion, both verapamil and norverapamil tissue: plasma concentration ratios were greater than after i.p. administration. Higher tissue: plasma verapamil concentration ratios after i.v. administration than after i.p. administration suggest either only a pseudoequilibrium is attained after i.p. administration or that determinants of tissue distribution of racemic verapamil differ with different routes of drug administration. In these studies, MAP provided a reasonable pharmacodynamic marker for verapamil tissue and plasma concentrations.     

Needle electromyography

Physiologic assessment of diseases of the motor unit from the anterior horn cells to the muscles relies on a combination of needle electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction studies (NCS). Both require a unique combination of knowledge of peripheral nervous system anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, diseases, techniques, and electricity is necessary. Successful, high‐quality, reproducible EMG depends on the skills of a clinician in patient interaction during the physical insertion and movement of the needle while recording the electrical signals. These must be combined with the skill of analyzing electric signals recorded from muscle by auditory pattern recognition and semiquantitation. 10 , 52 This monograph reviews the techniques of needle EMG and waveform analysis and describes the types of EMG waveforms recorded during needle EMG. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Muscle Nerve 39: 244–270, 2009     

A study of a method for distribution analysis of skin color

Background/aims: The objective and quantitative assessment of the skin is important in medical and cosmeceutical research. Assessment of color is an important element for analyzing the surface of the skin, which is usually determined subjectively by a doctor or using color analysis devices. These devices, however, cannot provide correct color information because color is construed from the mean value of the observation region, and analysis of color distribution is impossible. The purpose of this paper is to develop an objective analysis method to permit skin color measurement of each pixel unit of an image and analyze the distribution of skin surface color. Methods: The Skin Color Distribution Analyzer (SCDA) is an analysis method newly developed at the Research Institute for Skin Image at Korea University. The SCDA system presented in this paper performed a novel form of quantitative and objective analysis of skin color distribution using each pixel color model parameter found in image wavelength information. In this paper, distribution analysis was conducted on normal skin and skin lesions and skin affected by artificially induced irritant contact dermatitis and pigmented nevous. The method selected a grade using a color model parameter. Twenty healthy Korean males participated in this study. A comparative study of the eight anatomical areas was performed, including the exposure and non‐exposure parts and the medial aspect and the lateral aspect of the forearm. A reliability test for the SCDA system was also conducted with a spectrometer (SPEC) using the color analysis method. Results: Each skin lesion was precisely segmented by grade and each parameter hada different statistical significance for results of analysis of distribution in pigmented nevous and the artificially induced irritant contact dermatitis. Parameters L^*, b^*, a^*, and EI showed salient traits. Showed resemble measured result in the SCDA system and the SPEC of normal skin. The exposed site, in comparison with the non‐exposed site, showed a notable difference in the L^* parameter and a significant statistical difference in the x and z parameters, except b^*. The comparison of the medial and lateral aspects of the forearm showed a notable difference in the L^* parameter and a significant statistical difference in the parameters except y and b^*. In the reliability test result using the SCDA system and the SPEC, the SCDA system was highly reliabile in terms of the CV value in all color model parameters. Conclusions: The color distribution analysis method using the SCDA system has revealed an aspect that the existent method of medical research has not shown, and is considered to be more reliable than other methods. This method can provide better study findings because it can be applied to other fields in addition to the medical science field and the ripple effect is thought to be bigger in other science field too.     

卡铂碳包铁纳米笼壳聚糖微球 在肝癌大鼠模型体内的分布和药动学研究

 目的 观察卡铂碳包铁纳米笼壳聚糖微球 （ carboplatin-Fe@C-loaded chitosan nanoparticles ， C - Fe@C-CN ）结合磁场在移植性肝癌大鼠模型体内的靶向分布情况和药动学过程。 方法 建立移植性肝癌大鼠模型 40 只为 A 组， 正中开腹行肝动脉插管，按卡铂 5 mg·kg^-1 体重注入 C-Fe@C-CN 的生理盐水分散液，以肿瘤组织为靶区施加 0.5 T 磁场 30 min 。分别在给药后 0.25 ， 0.5 ， 1 ， 3 ， 6 ， 12 ， 24 和 48 h 各时间点，每组取 5 只大鼠处死，采集血浆、靶区肿瘤、非靶区肝、肾、脾和肺组织标本，石墨炉原子分光光度计测定血浆和组织中卡铂浓度，药物浓度数据用 3P87 药动学程序分析处理，并组织学 观察 C-Fe@C-CN 的在各脏器分布情况。 另 40 只健康大鼠为 B 组，以左肝叶为靶区，给予相同的处理作为对照。 结果 A 组靶区肿瘤组织 <> c _max 是 65.21 μg·g^-1 ，为 B 组靶区肝组织（ 38.47 μg·g^-1 ）的 1.7 倍。 48 h 时 A 组靶区肿瘤组织药物浓度是 7.27 μg·g^-1 ，为 B 组靶区肝组织（ 3.11 μg·g^-1 ）的 2.3 倍。 A 组靶区肿瘤组织 AUC 是 906 mg·h·L^-1 ，为 B 组靶区肝组织（ 421.34 mg·h·L^-1 ）的 2.2 倍。 2 组药动学参数值相近。病理学观察 显示， C-Fe@C-CN 在磁场作用下聚集于肿瘤细胞间隙中，并可栓塞于部分细小动脉。非靶区肝组织内少见 C-Fe@C-CN 的聚集和栓塞的血管。 结论 C-Fe@C-CN 在体内具有长循环和缓释特性，在磁场的引导下对肿瘤组织具有更强的靶向性，成倍提高肿瘤组织中的药物浓度，延长维持时间。