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Illusory speeding-up and slowing-down of objects moving at constant speed emerges from natural motion detection algorithms
Get PDFThe footsteps illusion is a perceptual illusion in which two bars moving atthe same constant speed on a stripey background are seen as alternatelyaccelerating and decelerating like footsteps. The cortical mechanisms thatgive rise to footsteps and similar illusions remain to be fully understoodand may reveal important neural computations. Using an implementationof the biologically inspired correlational model of motion detection,the 2-Dimensional Motion Detector, this study had three aims. First,reproducing perceptual speed oscillations in model simulations. Second,mapping empirical reports of multiple illusion configurations onto modeloutputs. Third, inferring from the successful model, the perceptual roleof multi-scale spatio-temporal channels. We developed a 2-DimensionalMotion Detector implementation adding a global (single value) frame-by-framedynamic readout to quantify continuous and oscillating responsecomponents. We confirmed that an expected signature oscillatory motionresponse corresponded to the footsteps illusion, demonstrating that itsamplitude varied according to empirically measured illusion strength.We showed that with a global readout, the inherent pattern and contrastdependence of correlation detectors is sufficient to reproduce the surprisingperceptual illusion. This evidence suggests spacetime correlation may bea fundamental sensory computation across species, with complementaryfiltering and global pooling operations adapted for various complex phenomena
Approximating Human Strategic Reasoning with LLM-Enhanced Recursive Reasoners Leveraging Multi-agent Hypergames
Get PDFComparing Colonialisms in Dan Simmons's The Terror and its AMC Adaptation
Get PDFWhile the AMC broadcast adaptation of Dan Simmons’ horror novel The Terror is largely faithful to the book, key differences in the portrayal of the Inuit, the British expedition members and the supernatural Tuunbaq creature, as well as in the fates of certain characters, lead to contrasting messages about colonialism and resistance from each text. Broadly speaking, the book has a less sympathetic and nuanced portrayal of native people and their resistance to colonialism, but ultimately a more optimistic view of the sustainability of their relationship with the environment; the broadcast series, in contrast, provides ample space for the native perspective on colonisation and a more complex exploration of the relationship between colonizer and colonized, but is ultimately pessimistic about the outcomes of resistance against colonialism. This paper will analyse the source work and adaptation in comparison with each other, and, finally, will explore what the differences say about the authors’ contrasting perspectives on the subject of colonialism and resistance, and about changes in the social environment between the writing of the book and the production of the broadcast series. <br/
Periostin Exon 17 Skipping Enhances the Efficacy of Local Adeno-Associated Viral-Microdystrophin Administration in a Fibrotic Model of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Get PDFDuchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe, progressive genetic disorder primarily affecting boys, characterized by muscle degeneration due to mutations in the DMD gene encoding dystrophin, a crucial protein for muscle fiber integrity. The disease leads to significant muscle weakness and eventually to loss of ambulation. Adeno-associated viral (AAV)-microdystrophin (MD) gene therapy shows promise in preclinical and clinical settings. However, muscle fibrosis, a consequence of chronic inflammation and extracellular matrix remodeling, exacerbates disease progression and may hinder therapeutic efficacy. Periostin, a matricellular protein involved in fibrosis, is upregulated in DMD rodent models and correlates with collagen deposition. We previously developed an antisense oligonucleotide strategy to induce exon 17 skipping and so reduce periostin expression and collagen accumulation in the fibrotic D2.mdx mouse model of DMD. Here, we investigated the combined effects of periostin modulation and AAV-MD1 treatment. We found that systemic periostin splicing modulation significantly improved muscle function, assessed by forelimb grip strength and treadmill performance. Importantly, periostin exon skipping increased the MD protein expression. These findings suggest that targeting periostin in conjunction with MD therapy could represent a valid therapeutic strategy for DMD.</p
A Novel Sonar Image Preprocessing Method for AUV Positioning Based on Underwater SLAM
Get PDFImaging sonar, as an efficient sensor for underwater observation and measurement, plays a very important role in the positioning and mapping of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). Compared to visual simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) susceptible to the water quality and distance, sonar SLAM based on acoustic images has a better perception range and immunity to the surrounding fluid characteristics. However, due to the complexity of underwater environments, imaging sonar is often severely affected by noise, and sonar images usually exhibit low resolution, insufficient contrast, and blurred target edges, resulting in severe errors in positioning and mapping. To solve these problems, a sonar image preprocessing method is proposed to effectively eliminate noise, while feature edges preserved. First, the proposed image preprocessing method employs a threshold filter to eliminate potential noises; then, the contrast-limited adaptive histogram equalization algorithm is used to enhance the image features, and the guided filter (GF) is used to eliminate the residual noise. In addition, we introduce a factor graph-based sonar SLAM method, and the preprocessed sonar images are integrated into the SLAM process. Through numerical evaluation, the effectiveness of our proposed preprocessing method is validated, and the results show that it improves the processing speed, detection precision, and matching precision by about 73.9%, 30.8%, and 20.0%, respectively. Furthermore, simulation experiments and real experiment demonstrate that our proposed method improves both positioning accuracy and stability of the AUV
Personalised process-based psychological interventions for paediatric headaches: a single-case experimental design study
Get PDFNarrative review abstract: This review aimed to synthesise the available literature on child and adolescent coping responses towards recurrent headaches, which would help to understand which aspects may be important to focus on when delivering psychological interventions. To our knowledge, no previous review such as this has been conducted in over 20 years.Due to our relatively broad aims to synthesise the available information, the narrative review methodology was the most appropriate. PsychINFO and PubMed databases were searched using keywords. After removing duplicates, 240 papers were screened using title and abstract to determine suitability; exclusion reasons included articles which did not explicitly examine coping responses. The screening resulted in 29 articles in total, which were grouped and reported on according to overarching themes: coping responses, and factors which influence coping responses.The findings showed that children and adolescents have a wide variety of coping responses towards headaches. Some coping responses appear to be associated with improved functional outcomes, such as self-efficacy and positive mindsets towards health. We also found that coping responses and coping styles can be influenced by factors such as personality characteristics, headache intensity, having other ongoing mental health difficulties, and family contexts. The literature indicated that children and adolescents adapt how they cope to fit their circumstances, questioning the categorisation of coping as adaptive or maladaptive. To draw the findings together, we propose a preliminary conceptual framework of coping responses. Due to the observed variability in coping responses across paediatric headache samples, we propose that interventions should be enhanced and improved through personalisation and tailoring to individual needs.Empirical study abstract: This project investigated using a brief personalised psychological intervention informed by Process-Based Therapy (BPT) with adolescents experiencing headaches. PBT is an emerging approach towards psychological treatment delivery which focuses on identifying person-specific psychological processes central to the problem, and structuring interventions according to this. Existing standardised treatment packages show small to moderate effect sizes at best, which suggests that not everybody benefits from these interventions. Using an approach such as PBT to personalise interventions to fit individuals’ needs could be a promising approach to address this problem.Our broad aim was to test the feasibility and effectiveness of a personalised treatment approach. Specifically, we examined whether the intervention was associated with changes in clinically targeted psychological processes, personalised goals, perceived coping and perceived headache interference. Additionally, we examined whether the intervention would lower headache-related disability and interference. Using a single-case experimental design, we used Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) to collect longitudinal data. This data was used to inform the case conceptualisation, the selection of intervention components, and the monitoring of participants’ progress. We additionally administered weekly standardised measures of headache related interference and disability. Participants (n=5) partook in a baseline phase (lasting between 1 to 2 weeks), a treatment phase consisting of five 30-minute online therapy sessions, and a 1–2-week follow-up period. The EMA data was presented using graphs and analysed visually, with Tau-u statistical analysis to support. Change in standardised measures was assessed using Reliable Change and Clinically Significant Change Indices. For four participants, the intervention was associated with increased progress towards personalised goals. Some participants showed changes in clinically targeted processes. The intervention was not associated with decreased headache-related disability but was associated with reduced pain interference for three participants. We speculate that the intervention may have been too brief in duration to see more significant changes. Overall PBT appears to be feasible with adolescent headache samples, and we suggest that future research examines using PBT within these samples for a longer duration
From Well-Being to Values or From Values to Well-Being?:Three Longitudinal Studies in the East and West on the Same Life Transition
Get PDFTheory and research on the relationships between values and well-being have predominantly focused on how values may affect well-being, with less attention to the reverse direction—how well-being may shape values. We present three alternative theoretical perspectives on this latter direction: well-being as an activator, reinforcer, and operator of value change. Using diverse measures of well-being and personal values, we conducted three longitudinal studies centered on the same life transition—entering university—across distinct samples from Mainland China (N = 218), Hong Kong (N = 252), and the United Kingdom (N = 196). Results from parallel process latent growth models (LGMs) showed more substantial evidence for well-being predicting later value change than the reverse. Specifically, well-being predicted later value changes in three cases: Initial life satisfaction predicted increases in the openness to change value dimension in Study 1, and initial self-esteem predicted increases in both openness to change and self-enhancement value dimensions in Study 3. Values predicted later well-being changes only once: Initial self-enhancement value dimension predicted increases in positive affect in Study 2. These results illuminate the intricate nature of the relationships between well-being and values, highlighting well-being’s role as a catalyst for value development and the importance of contextual factors during life transitions
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