Can subitizing survive the attentional blink? An ERP study

This study was done to test whether subitizing versus counting are attention demanding based on whether they can be performed during the attentional blink (AB). ERPs were recorded while participants performed a task requiring them to judge the number of dots presented and this judgment task either followed the presentation of a task-relevant item in a rapid stimulus presentation stream (dual-task) or the potential target was task irrelevant (single-task). The behavioral data demonstrated that T2 accuracies decreased as a function of the number of dots not only in counting range, but also in subitizing range. The ERP results showed a delayed P3 component in the dual-task condition, and this was equally true for both subitizing and counting conditions. Furthermore, the P3 amplitude was reduced during the AB, and this was still equally true for both the subitizing and counting conditions. The present results suggest that both subitizing and counting require attention, and that subitizing is not a purely pre-attentive process.     

基于多尺度特征增强的小样本计数

目标物体计数是计算机视觉领域的重要研究方向。针对小样本计数中存在的样本与查询图像目标物体尺寸不一致、目标物体分布不均匀的问题,该文提出了多尺度特征增强计数算法。首先,基于特征金字塔构建自上而下的特征融合网络。在各级尺度上对查询图像中和样本相似度较高的区域进行样本特征增强,随后送入上一级特征匹配。然后,将各级增强后的查询特征送入回归器中,得到各级密度图。最后,求和,生成高质量的密度图。该文在FSC-147和CARPK数据集上进行测试。实验结果表明,该文所提模型的性能优于大多数其他方法,有效改善了目标物体大小变化造成的计数精度低的问题。     

人参皂苷Rg1对软骨细胞Ⅱ型胶原表达的影响

背景：人参是具有抗炎、抗应激、调节免疫等广泛药理学活性的中草药,其主要药理活性成分是人参皂苷,而Rg1是含量较多的活性成分。 目的：探讨人参皂苷Rg1对白细胞介素1β诱导的人骨关节炎模型中软骨细胞Ⅱ型胶原及环氧合酶2 mRNA表达的影响。 方法：取因骨关节炎接受全膝关节置换患者的膝关节软骨进行体外培养,取第2代体外培养的软骨细胞,CCK-8检测0.001,0.01,0.1,1,10,100 mg/L人参皂苷Rg1对软骨细胞增殖率的影响。再将第2代体外培养的关节软骨细胞,随机分为空白组、对照组和实验组,分别加入DMEM培养液、10 μg/L白细胞介素1β,10 μg/L白细胞介素1β+0.1,1,10,100 mg/L人参皂苷Rg1,培养24 h后反转录PCR检测各组细胞中Ⅱ型胶原和环氧合酶2 mRNA的表达。 结果与结论：与对照组相比,人参皂苷Rg1质量浓度为0.001,0.01,0.1,1 mg/L时促进软骨细胞的增殖作用不明显,差异无显著性意义(P > 0.05);当人参皂苷Rg1质量浓度为10,100 mg/L时,促进软骨细胞的增殖作用明显(P < 0.05)。与空白组相比,对照组的软骨细胞Ⅱ型胶原的mRNA表达明显下降,而环氧合酶2 mRNA表达明显升高(P < 0.05);与对照组相比,联合加入人参皂苷Rg1质量浓度为0.1和1 mg/L时,人软骨细胞中Ⅱ型胶原和环氧合酶2 mRNA表达没有明显变化(P > 0.05);而联合加入人参皂苷Rg1质量浓度为10和100 mg/L时,人软骨细胞中Ⅱ型胶原mRNA表达增加,而环氧合酶2 mRNA表达降低(P < 0.05)。说明一定浓度的人参皂苷Rg1可以拮抗白细胞介素1β引起的人软骨细胞中Ⅱ型胶原的mRNA表达的降低和环氧合酶2 mRNA表达的升高。     

Targeting a cryptic allosteric site of SIRT6 with small-molecule inhibitors that inhibit the migration of pancreatic cancer cells

SIRT6 belongs to the conserved NAD⁺-dependent deacetylase superfamily and mediates multiple biological and pathological processes. Targeting SIRT6 by allosteric modulators represents a novel direction for therapeutics, which can overcome the selectivity problem caused by the structural similarity of orthosteric sites among deacetylases. Here, developing a reversed allosteric strategy AlloReverse, we identified a cryptic allosteric site, Pocket Z, which was only induced by the bi-directional allosteric signal triggered upon orthosteric binding of NAD⁺. Based on Pocket Z, we discovered an SIRT6 allosteric inhibitor named JYQ-42. JYQ-42 selectively targets SIRT6 among other histone deacetylases and effectively inhibits SIRT6 deacetylation, with an IC₅₀ of 2.33 μmol/L. JYQ-42 significantly suppresses SIRT6-mediated cancer cell migration and pro-inflammatory cytokine production. JYQ-42, to our knowledge, is the most potent and selective allosteric SIRT6 inhibitor. This study provides a novel strategy for allosteric drug design and will help in the challenging development of therapeutic agents that can selectively bind SIRT6.     

Cross-validation of the Dot Counting Test in a large sample of credible and non-credible patients referred for neuropsychological testing

Objective: To cross-validate the Dot Counting Test in a large neuropsychological sample. Method: Dot Counting Test scores were compared in credible (n = 142) and non-credible (n = 335) neuropsychology referrals. Results: Non-credible patients scored significantly higher than credible patients on all Dot Counting Test scores. While the original E-score cut-off of ≥17 achieved excellent specificity (96.5%), it was associated with mediocre sensitivity (52.8%). However, the cut-off could be substantially lowered to ≥13.80, while still maintaining adequate specificity (≥90%), and raising sensitivity to 70.0%. Examination of non-credible subgroups revealed that Dot Counting Test sensitivity in feigned mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) was 55.8%, whereas sensitivity was 90.6% in patients with non-credible cognitive dysfunction in the context of claimed psychosis, and 81.0% in patients with non-credible cognitive performance in depression or severe TBI. Thus, the Dot Counting Test may have a particular role in detection of non-credible cognitive symptoms in claimed psychiatric disorders. Alternative to use of the E-score, failure on ≥1 cut-offs applied to individual Dot Counting Test scores (≥6.0″ for mean grouped dot counting time, ≥10.0″ for mean ungrouped dot counting time, and ≥4 errors), occurred in 11.3% of the credible sample, while nearly two-thirds (63.6%) of the non-credible sample failed one of more of these cut-offs. Conclusions: An E-score cut-off of 13.80, or failure on ≥1 individual score cut-offs, resulted in few false positive identifications in credible patients, and achieved high sensitivity (64.0–70.0%), and therefore appear appropriate for use in identifying neurocognitive performance invalidity.     

A comparative study of color quenching correction methods for Cerenkov counting

The color quenching correction for Cerenkov counting is normally based on indexes defined for liquid scintillation spectra. Because of the differences in the spectrum shapes, these indexes are not optimal, and a different method was proposed based on the integral counting of the external ¹⁵²Eu source spectra of a 1200 Quantulus system. We have shown that this method, named ESAR (external source area ratio), is superior to all the other correction methods, offering the highest sensitivity and the widest range of application.     

Influences of Language and Parental Involvement on the Development of Counting Skills: Comparisons of French- and English-speaking Canadian Children

French- ( n =27) and English-speaking preschoolers ( n =38) completed four number tasks. French-speaking preschoolers performed more poorly on the rote-counting and number-recognition tasks than English-speaking preschoolers, but the groups did not differ on counting objects. Thus, French-speaking children may find it more difficult to master the number names than their English-speaking peers. Importantly, however, French-speaking parents' reported a lower frequency of teaching their children about numbers, letters, and words than English-speaking parents. Multiple regression analyses indicated that variability in counting and number recognition were predicted both by knowledge of the counting string ( i.e. , language) and by differences in parents' reports of teaching about numbers and letters ( i.e. , culture). Thus, researchers should examine potential variations in cultural factors such as parental involvement when comparing the academic skills of groups of children who ostensibly differ only in language.     

Influences of Language and Parental Involvement on the Development of Counting Skills: Comparisons of French- and English-speaking Canadian Children

French- ( n =27) and English-speaking preschoolers ( n =38) completed four number tasks. French-speaking preschoolers performed more poorly on the rote-counting and number-recognition tasks than English-speaking preschoolers, but the groups did not differ on counting objects. Thus, French-speaking children may find it more difficult to master the number names than their English-speaking peers. Importantly, however, French-speaking parents' reported a lower frequency of teaching their children about numbers, letters, and words than English-speaking parents. Multiple regression analyses indicated that variability in counting and number recognition were predicted both by knowledge of the counting string ( i.e. , language) and by differences in parents' reports of teaching about numbers and letters ( i.e. , culture). Thus, researchers should examine potential variations in cultural factors such as parental involvement when comparing the academic skills of groups of children who ostensibly differ only in language.     

FK506缓释剂对周围神经再生纤维超微结构的影响

目的 探讨FK506缓释剂对大鼠坐骨神经再生纤维超微结构的影响.方法 用梭形双通道桥接管桥接32只大鼠坐骨神经10 mm缺损,根据梭形管的两支管内加入的药物不同将大鼠按随机数字表法分为:A组,12只,在两支管内均加入几丁糖凝胶;B组:12只,其中一侧支管内注入几丁糖+FK506(B1),另一侧支管内注入几丁糖+等渗盐水...