Perceptual reversals of Necker stimuli during intermittent presentation with limited attentional resources

During prolonged viewing of ambiguous stimuli, such as Necker cubes, sudden perceptual reversals occur from one perceptual interpretation to another. The role of attention in such reversals is not clear. We tested whether perceptual reversals depend on attentional resources by manipulating perceptual load and recording event‐related potentials (ERPs) during intermittent presentation of Necker stimuli. The results did not reveal any influence for perceptual load on the frequency of reversals. The ERPs showed that perceptual load influenced electrophysiological activity over parieto‐central areas in the P1 time window (110–140 ms), but load did not modify the early enhancements of positivity (30–140 ms), which correlated with perceptual reversals at occipito‐temporal sites. We conclude that disambiguation of ambiguous figures is based on early mechanisms that can work efficiently with only a minimal amount of attentional resources.     

Electrophysiological responses to visuospatial regularity

Humans are quicker to detect reflectional than rotational or translational symmetry, despite the fact that these patterns are equally regular. We were interested in the neural correlates of these perceptual effects. Participants viewed random, reflection, rotation, and translation patterns while we recorded EEG from the scalp. Half the participants classified the pattern regularity overtly, the other half did not explicitly attend to pattern regularity but reported rare oddball trials, where two squares were embedded among the dots. The amplitude of a symmetry‐related ERP known as the sustained posterior negativity was most pronounced for reflection, then rotation and translation. We suggest that reflectional symmetry, despite its biological significance, may not be processed by unique visual mechanisms, but instead it could be a preferred stimulus for a more general regularity‐sensitive network in the extrastriate visual cortex.     

Increase of Interstitial Collagen in the Mouse Endometrium During Decidualization

Decidualization in the mouse consists of an extensive remodeling of the endometrial extracellular matrix, resulting in a reduction of the extracellular spaces, an increase in the diameter of collagen fibrils, and changes in the relative ratio of different types of glycosaminoglycans. To assess the dynamic changes of the endometrial extracellular matrix during decidualization, collagen was analyzed biochemically and immunochemically in the endometrium of nulliparous and day 5 to day 8 pregnant mice. The amount of collagen per gram dry weight was higher in the endometrium of implantation sites than in interimplantation sites. Collagen types I, III, and V were the main components of the endometrium of nulliparous and pregnant animals. The amount of collagen type V was higher in the endometrium of pregnant animals than in nulliparous ones. A relative unusual homotrimeric form of collagen type V, probably formed by [ &#102 1(V)] 3 , was detected in pregnant endometrium by gel eletrophoresis and immunoblotting.     

Comparison of video-recorded laryngeal movements during swallowing by normal young men with piezoelectric sensor and electromyographic signals

The movement of the larynx in five young men during the swallowing of a liquid was examined by simultaneously recording a video-movie, the trajectory of a piezoelectric sensor, and the surface electromyogram of the suprahyoid muscles (SH). The movies revealed swallowing was associated with four characteristic spatial points of laryngeal movement: (1) a slight movement in the superoposterior direction (1.9 ± 1.2 s; mean ± SD of the time elapsed after the command to swallow was issued); (2) the initiation of anterosuperior elevation (2.3 ± 1.3 s); (3) the turn at the highest position (3.2 ± 1.2 s); and (4) the return to the initial position (4.1 ± 1.4 s). The piezoelectric sensor and the SH electromyogram also detected characteristic temporal points that closely corresponded to the characteristic temporal points captured by the video. The advantages of using movies in swallowing research are discussed.     

应用高频超声建立未育女性腹直肌间距正常值参考范围及影响因素分析

目的 应用高频超声测量未育女性在四个位置的腹直肌间距并分析相关因素,旨在初步制定正常腹直肌间距(IRD)的参考值范围。 方法 选取2019年6月至2019年9月在我院行健康体检的106名健康未育女性志愿者,体质量指数（BMI）均≤30kg/m2,应用高频超声分别于仰卧位静息状态及卷腹动作测量脐上3cm、脐部、脐下2cm和脐下3cm四个位置的IRD,应用百分位数法计算IRD参考值范围,并分析IRD与年龄、身高、体重、BMI指数之间的关系。 结果 未育女性仰卧位静息状态IRD正常值范围如下：脐上3cm为4~15mm,脐部为5~20mm,脐下2cm为0~7mm,脐下3cm为0~3mm。相关性分析显示IRD与年龄、身高无相关性,与体重和BMI指数呈较弱的正相关。 结论 本研究应用高频超声初步建立了未育女性IRD的参考值范围,为腹直肌分离的诊断提供了依据,IRD与体重和BMI指数呈较弱的正相关。     

肺癌和癌旁正常肺组织中5种肿瘤标志物比较研究

目的 探讨肺癌组织及癌旁正常肺组织中心钠素、分泌型IgA、铁蛋白、DNA聚合酶、血管内皮生长因子的含量。方法 应用放射免疫法测定39例肺癌和癌旁正常肺组织中心钠素、分泌型IgA、铁蛋白、DNA聚合酶、血管内皮生长因子5种肿瘤标志物含量。结果 5种肿瘤标志物在肺癌组织中的含量均高于癌旁正常肺组织，差异有统计学意义（P均〈0．001）。结论 肺癌细胞具有产生物质的作用。     

Histomorphological Patterns of Endometrium in Infertility

Background

Endometrium is the most sensitive indicator of ovarian function and endometrial biopsy is one of the most important investigations in infertility. The current study was carried out to investigate the histomorphological patterns of endometrium in infertile women and to compare the results with other similar studies.

Materials and Methods

A cross-sectional study on 2,080 infertile women was carried out to find the incidence of various histomorphological patterns in hematoxylin-eosin stained sections of endometrium and compare them with other Indian studies.

Results

In the current study majority of cases (88.50 %) were of primary infertility; the highest number of cases was in the age group of 21–30 years and the oldest patient was of 50 years age. The various abnormalities observed were anovulatory endometrium (15.75 %), inadequate proliferative (1.90 %), inadequate secretory (9.52 %), glandulo-stromal disparity (GSD) (4.21 %), hyperplasia (1.10 %), and endometritis (1.63 %). In 3.0 % cases menstrual cycle history was not available and curettage was done at inappropriate period of the cycle in 11.63 %. Comparison with other studies revealed the results matching with some and differing with others.

Conclusion

In the current study, anovulatory endometrium and luteal phase defect are the major causes of infertility, and tuberculous endometritis, non-specific endometritis and GSD are minor contributing factors. These are treatable causes. Premenstrual endometrial biopsy, if accompanied by information of menstrual cycle and date of biopsy, can be a very reliable diagnostic tool for hormonal dysfunction and intrinsic endometrial factors in infertility.