Incidental Effects Research Articles

Parallel transmit hybrid pulse design for controlled on-resonance magnetization transfer in R1 mapping at 7T.

This work proposes a "hybrid" RF pulse design method for parallel transmit (pTx) systems to simultaneously control flip angle and root-mean-squared ( ). These pulses are generally only designed for flip angle, however, this can lead to uncontrolled , which then leads to variable magnetization transfer (MT) effects. We demonstrate the hybrid design approach for quantitative imaging where both flip angle and are important. A dual cost function optimization is performed containing the normalized mean squared errors of the flip angle and distributions weighted by a parameter . Simulations were conducted to study the behavior of both properties when simultaneously optimizing them. In vivo experiments on a 7T MRI system with an 8-channel pTx head coil were carried out to study the effect of the hybrid design approach on variable flip angle (= 1/T1) mapping. Simulations showed that both flip angle and can be homogenized simultaneously without detriment to either when compared to an individual optimization. By homogenizing flip angle and , maps were more uniform (coefficient of variation 6.6% vs. 13.0%) compared to those acquired with pulses that only homogenized flip angle. The proposed hybrid design homogenizes on-resonance MT effects while homogenizing the flip angle distribution, with only a small detriment in the latter compared to a pulse that just homogenizes flip angle. This improved mapping by controlling incidental MT effects, yielding more uniform maps.

US Real-World Effectiveness Study of Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir in Preventing Hospitalization of High-Risk COVID-19 Patients

PurposeWe describe nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (NMV/r) effectiveness in preventing hospitalization among COVID-19 patients at high risk of severe disease. MethodsAn ongoing US population-based observational cohort study with retrospective and prospective collection of national electronic healthcare data collected from the US Optum® deidentified COVID-19 Electronic Health Record dataset during December 22, 2021−July 20, 2022. Participants were ≥12 years old; had a positive SARS-CoV-2 test, COVID-19 diagnosis, or NMV/r prescription; and were at high risk of severe COVID-19 based on demographic/clinical characteristics. Potential confounders between groups were balanced using propensity score matching. Immortal time bias was addressed. Hospitalization rates within 30 days from COVID-19 diagnosis were evaluated. Sensitivity analyses included 15-day hospitalization, chart review to investigate incidental hospitalization effects, and exclusion of patients identified as having COVID-19 based on NMV/r prescription alone. Outcomes were also evaluated by race, age, and COVID-19 vaccine status. FindingsOverall, 12,440 and 234,123 patients were included in the NMV/r and non-NMV/r groups, respectively. After propensity score matching, baseline characteristics were well balanced across groups (NMV/r, n = 12,439; non-NMV/r, n = 36,490). Incidence of hospitalization (95% CI) within 30 days was 0.90% (0.74%−1.08%) for the NMV/r group and 5.91% (5.67%−6.16%) for the non-NMV/r group, with relative risk (95% CI) of 0.15 (0.13−0.18; 85% risk reduction). NMV/r was comparably effective in Black patients (relative risk, 0.19 [0.10−0.34]; 81% risk reduction). Sensitivity analyses supported the main outcomes. ImplicationsReal-world NMV/r effectiveness against hospitalization during Omicron predominance among COVID-19 patients at high risk of severe disease supports demonstrated clinical trial efficacy. Black patients underutilized NMV/r despite high effectiveness.

Six drivers of aging identified among genes differentially expressed with age.

Many studies have compared gene expression in young and old samples to gain insights on aging, the primary risk factor for most major chronic diseases. However, these studies only describe associations, failing to distinguish drivers of aging from compensatory geroprotective responses and incidental downstream effects. Here, we introduce a workflow to characterize the causal effects of differentially expressed genes on lifespan. First, we performed a meta-analysis of 25 gene expression datasets comprising samples of various tissues from healthy, untreated adult mammals (humans, dogs, and rodents) at two distinct ages. We ranked each gene according to the number of distinct datasets in which the gene was differentially expressed with age in a consistent direction. The top age-upregulated genes were TMEM176A, EFEMP1, CP, and HLA-A; the top age-downregulated genes were CA4, SIAH, SPARC, and UQCR10. Second, the effects of the top ranked genes on lifespan were measured by applying post-developmental RNA interference of the corresponding ortholog in the nematode C. elegans (two trials, with roughly 100 animals per genotype per trial). Out of 10 age-upregulated and 9 age-downregulated genes that were tested, two age-upregulated genes (csp-3/CASP1 and spch-2/RSRC1) and four age-downregulated genes (C42C1.8/DIRC2, ost-1/SPARC, fzy-1/CDC20, and cah-3/CA4) produced significant and reproducible lifespan extension. Notably, the data do not suggest that the direction of differential expression with age is predictive of the effect on lifespan. Our study provides novel insight into the relationship between differential gene expression and aging phenotypes, pilots an unbiased workflow that can be easily repeated and expanded, and pinpoints six genes with evolutionarily conserved, causal roles in the aging process for further study.

Incidental vocabulary recognition effects of subtitled, captioned and reverse subtitled audiovisual input

This study compares effects of brief exposure to L1 subtitled, L2 captioned, and reverse subtitled audiovisual input on three aspects of vocabulary learning: meaning, form, and pronunciation of target language words. A within-subjects design was used, in which three video clips in the different viewing modes were shown to ten L1 Spanish participants who underwent a pre-test, post-test, and delayed post-test of English terms that each occurred in just one of the videos. The tests measured recognition of meaning, form, and pronunciation through translation into the L1, dictation, and reading the target words aloud with native speaker ratings, respectively. The findings show statistically significant gains in producing the accurate written form of vocabulary in reverse subtitled and L2 captioned video clips, and mixed results for the other variables, including statistically significant gains in pronunciation of vocabulary with L1 subtitles.

The role of attention in the emergence of the evaluative and incidental self-reference effects

ABSTRACT The self-reference effect (SRE) is a memory advantage produced by encoding information in a self-relevant manner. The “evaluative” SRE arises when people engage in explicit self-evaluation/reflection to process to-be-remembered items, while the “incidental” SRE occurs when self-referential information (e.g., one’s own name) is co-presented with to-be-remembered items but is irrelevant to a given task. Using a divided-attention paradigm, the present study examined potential differences in the attentional requirements of the evaluative and incidental SREs. During encoding, personality-trait words were presented simultaneously with the participant’s own or a celebrity’s name. The participants’ task was either to evaluate whether each word described themselves/the celebrity (evaluative encoding) or to indicate the location of each word (incidental encoding), in the presence or absence of a secondary task. A subsequent recognition test with a remember/know procedure showed better overall recognition and enhanced episodic recollection for words presented with one’s own name vs. another name, with this SRE being larger in the evaluative than incidental encoding condition. Critically, divided attention at encoding attenuated the magnitudes of both evaluative and incidental SREs to a comparable degree in overall recognition and episodic recollection. These findings suggest that both the evaluative and incidental SREs are resource-demanding, effortful mnemonic benefits.

Challenges and improvement opportunities in a telemedicine pilot project

Background: A pilot project for telemedicine has been underway since June 2023. However, ongoing issues have persisted since its implementation. This study aimed to review the current status and challenges of this project and recommend necessary improvements.Current Concepts: The following challenges were observed. First, the primary and incidental effects of this pilot project were not presented. It is not a small-scale project as it targets the entire population without a strict predesign. Its evaluation must have a defined implementation period. Currently, an indefinite implementation period has been proposed until the medical law is revised. Second, safety measures were found to be inadequate. Lastly, from an industrial standpoint, the government unilaterally promoted telemedicine policies.Discussion and Conclusion: Enhancements should be implemented in this telemedicine pilot project to ensure safety. First, the project objectives were clearly defined. Clear policy effects and evaluation criteria should be presented, and the project should be implemented through a rigorous policy design to verify them. Second, policy measures should be established to ensure safety. Lastly, administrative and legal improvements related to telemedicine should be implemented simultaneously.

Ensemble perception of emotion: Incidental effects of social identity.

Research in vision science suggests that people possess a perceptual mechanism-ensemble perception-which enables them to rapidly identify the characteristics of groups (e.g., emotion, sex-ratio, race-ratio). This work examined whether ensemble perceptions of groups are driven by the characteristics of group members whose behavior is most likely to impact the perceiver. Specifically, we predicted that more self-relevant group members would be weighted more heavily in ensemble perceptions than less self-relevant group members. Study 1 (n = 83) found that young adult participants' ensemble perceptions of emotion were biased in favor of more self-relevant (younger adult) group members' emotional expressions, compared to less self-relevant (older adult) group members' emotional expressions, and that these ensemble perceptions informed judgments of belonging in the group. Study 2 recruited older (n = 94) and younger (n = 97) adult participants and again found a general pattern of bias in favor of more self-relevant (younger adult) group members' emotional expressions in ensemble perceptions of emotion and that these ensemble perceptions informed evaluations of belonging in the group. Finally, Study 3 (n = 193) directly manipulated the self-relevance of older and younger adult group members and found that the extent of bias in ensemble perceptions of emotion depended on whether younger or older adults were made more self-relevant. Results suggest that incidental cues of social identity can bias ensemble perceptions of emotion and influence downstream judgments of belonging. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Supplemental Material for Ensemble Perception of Emotion: Incidental Effects of Social Identity

Supplemental Material for Ensemble Perception of Emotion: Incidental Effects of Social Identity

FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF CIPROFLOXACIN MICROSPHERES DESIGNED BY USING NATURAL POLYMERS BY IONIC GELATION TECHNIQUE

Objective: A definitive objective for supporting drug discharge is to expand the remedial movement of the medication while limiting its incidental effects. Microspheres have become a unique medicine delivery mechanism for several disorders in this area. The popular fluoroquinolone antibiotic, Ciprofloxacin, is used to treat a variety of bacterial illnesses. This research aims to create Ciprofloxacin microspheres with sustained drug delivery using natural gum polymers. Methods: To choose and assess the ideal formulation, a variety of formulations (F1–F8) were developed. This work was completed using an innovative technology, the Ionic Gelation method. Central Composite Design (CCD) used the quadratic forward regression approach to carry out the optimization. The evaluation tests include Particle size, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), FTIR, Percentage yield, Drug content, Drug Entrapment effectiveness and in vitro dissolution studies. Results: It was discovered that the best formulation was F4. From optimization, the ANOVA was found to be significant. The uneven, spherical structure of microspheres with a rough outer surface is confirmed by SEM investigation. The absence of drug-polymer interaction is confirmed by the FTIR. The formulation F4 was deemed ideal due to its high drug entrapment efficiency, drug content and maximal drug release (89.25% in 12 h). Conclusion: Due to the least plasma half-life, this drug is designed as microspheres thus maximizing the therapeutic activity and minimizing the negative effects. In this regard, microspheres have emerged as novel drug-delivery systems for various diseases. It maintains effective dose concentration, eliminates night-time dosage and decreases side effects, thus optimizing drug therapy.

What Are They Thinking? Exploring College Students' Mental Processing and Decision-Making About COVID-19 (Mis)Information on Social Media.

More and more, people are abandoning the active pursuit of news, assuming instead that important information will be pushed to them via their social media networks. This approach to news makes people susceptible to the vast amounts of misinformation online, yet research on the effects of this kind of engagement is mixed. More research is needed on technology incidental learning effects, defined as changes in knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors as a result of being exposed to information while pursuing goals other than learning (e.g., entertainment). In this study, we examined how 51 college students responded to incidental exposure to accurate and inaccurate COVID-19 information delivered via a simulated social media environment. Participants' verbalizations during think-aloud protocols indicated numerous mental processes including cognition, metacognition, epistemic cognition, motivation, and emotions. Positively valenced mental processing was more often expressed with accurate COVID-19 information and negatively valenced mental processing was more often verbalized with misinformation. Negatively valenced evaluations of knowledge claims and sources predicted less engagement with COVID-19 misinformation posts. However, in many cases the relations among verbalized mental processing and behavioral responses were complex or non-obvious. For example, participants' positive metacognition and epistemic cognition verbalizations decreased their likelihood of engaging with accurate COVID-19 information, whereas positive interest was associated with an increased likelihood of engaging with misinformation. Our findings have implications for how to accurately infer people's beliefs and intentions from their social media behaviors and how to design interventions to help people be more active and thoughtful consumers of online information.

Early Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Cancer by Nanotechnology Applications

Propels in nanotechnology have opened new wildernesses in the diagnosis and therapy of malignant growth. Nanoparticle-based innovation works on the accuracy of cancer diagnosis when joined with imaging, as well as the precision of medication target delivery, with less incidental effects. Streamlined nano systems enjoy showed benefits in many fields, including upgraded specificity of detection, diminished toxicity of medications, improved impact of contrast agents, and high level diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. In this review, we sum up the ongoing nanotechnologies in diagnosis and therapy of GI malignant growths. The improvement of nanotechnology will prompt customized approaches for early diagnosis and therapy of GI malignant growths.

Social Media as Pharmacovigilance: The Potential for Patient Reports to Inform Clinical Research on Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 (GLP-1) Receptor Agonists for Substance Use Disorders.

The surge in popularity of semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus) and other glucagon-like-peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists has been accompanied by widespread reports of unintended reductions in alcohol use (and other addictive behaviors) during treatment. With clinical trials of GLP-1 receptor agonists for substance use only recently under way, anecdotal reports (including via social media) are now a primary reason for interest in potential effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists on alcohol use in patient populations. The nature and volume of these reports raises the prospect that social media data can potentially be leveraged to inform the study of novel addiction treatments and the prioritization of behavioral or neurobiological targets for mechanistic research. This approach, which aligns with recent efforts to apply social media data to pharmacovigilance, may be particularly relevant for drug repurposing efforts. This possibility is illustrated by a thematic analysis of anonymous online reports concerning changes in alcohol use or alcohol-related effects during treatment with GLP-1 receptor agonists. These reports not only support the rationale for clinical trials but also point to potential neurobehavioral mechanisms (e.g., satiety, craving/preoccupation, aversion, altered subjective response) that might inform hypotheses for human laboratory and neuroscience studies. Refined methods for capturing patient reports of incidental medication effects on addictive behaviors at large scale could potentially lead to novel, pharmacovigilance-based approaches to identify candidate therapies for drug repurposing efforts.

Phase transformation and incidental effects of metastable crystalline TiAlN on the material removal mechanism

Spinodal decomposition of Ti1−xAlxN crystal structure significantly impacts their physical properties, particularly at the atomic scale. In this study, we employed systematic three-dimensional molecular dynamics simulations to understand the process of material removal in TiAlN. Orthogonal simulations were conducted with cutting depth and Al content as variables to analyze their impact on the phase transformation mechanism and the resulting surface finish. The simulations reveal that the aluminum content and depth of cut significantly influence the phase transformation process of supersaturated TiAlN crystals through spinodal decomposition. It is observed that the aluminum content has a maximum stable solubility of approximately 0.6 in TiAlN crystals, above which the system undergoes significant spinodal decomposition during cutting to produce hexagonal phases with lower hardness. Increasing the aluminum content leads to wider phase change and deeper sub-surface damage in the system. On the other hand, the cutting depth will promote phase transformation by affecting the stress distribution, thereby increasing the root mean square roughness of the height profile.

Traditional Ethno-Medicinal Plants Used for Treatment of Diabetes by Bhuyan Tribes in Sundargarh District of Odisha, India-An Ethnobotanical Survey

Diabetes mellitus is the most common disease which has conveyed significant well-being intimidation around the world. The accessible synthetic drugs for the fix of Diabetes mellitus are related to significant expense, different incidental effects and a few constraints. Medicinal plants are the storehouse of the phytochemicals which can be helpful for the therapy of various ailments. Medicinal and aromatic plants are the better option in contrast to compound medications with little or no side effects. Ethnomedicinal studies carried out among the Bhuyan tribal groups in the Sundargarh region, Odisha for the investigation of antidiabetic treatments. The Bhuyan tribal group has a rich knowledge of plants which are used in the treatment of different disease causes. The ethnomedicinal data was gathered from interviews and field studies with nearby healers and townspeople. Restorative plants were gathered and related to help from native healers. These kind medicines have been displayed to have huge mending power, either in their normal state or as the wellspring of new items handled by them. Our study is mainly concentrated on plants used by Bhuyan tribal groups in relation to the cure of diabetes. An extensive field survey of different parts of the district was made with the local tribal villagers and ethnomedicinal or ayurvedic drug practitioner’s perusal of published literature and herbarium specimen of different herbaria of the district was done. A sum of 25 plants having a place with 18 unique families used to treat diabetes utilized by Bhuyans of Sundargarh district has been reported. In this report we have prepared detailed notes on the method of preparation of precise doses, the part/parts of plants used and the method of application of doses with scientific names, vernacular names and family names of collected plants are also given. Further, it emphasizes strongly in this regard the optional and rational uses of traditional and natural indigenous medicine. The results of this study showed that these tribal people still depend on medicinal plants in Sundargarh district forest areas. The study thus underlines the potential of ethnobotanical research and the need for the documentation of traditional ecological knowledge pertaining to medicinal plant utilization for the greater benefit of mankind.

Effect of hyperthermia on hematological parameters and productivity of laying hens

Studies were conducted in the period 2020-2021 based on the department of ecology and noncontagious pathology of animals of the Ural Veterinary Research Institute - a structural subdivision of FSBSI “UFARC UB RAS” (Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “Ural Federal Agrarian Research Center of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences”). Significant increases in ambient temperature in industrial poultry farming have natural and incidental effects on all processes in the living organism of birds, affecting their direction and intensity. We studied the use of feed additives containing dried live yeast of different variants and concentrations before and after heat stress on changes in the live body weight of laying hens, the importance of laid eggs, and quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the blood leukocyte formula. The authors registered a significant increase in the concentration of erythrocytes and hemoglobin in birds of the control group - 18.1 and 25.5% during the period of heat stress, which indicated the beginning of a long adaptation process.Furthermore, the authors noted a significant increase in the ratio of the number of heterophils to lymphocytes (g/l) and in individuals of the control group by 44.2% (0.62 units), which confirmed the intensity of all processes in the body. During the study, the authors note that the total number of leukocytes increased against the background of a stress factor in the blood of laying hens of the control, 1st, and 2nd experimental groups - 1.4, 1.2, and 1.3 times, respectively. This increase occurs due to the release of immature heterophils into the bloodstream and the outflow of lymphocytes into peripheral tissues. The authors note the best stress resistance to 48-hour hyperthermia when using feed additives of hepatoprotective action in chickens of the 1st and 2nd groups reported the best stress resistance to 48-hour hyperthermia. This stress resistance is confirmed by regular physiological changes in the level of heterophils, basophils, monocytes, and G/L, characteristic of the period of urgent adaptation and maintenance of immune homeostasis.

Does tadalafil increase brain blood flow? The PASTIS trial

AbstractBackgroundThis trial tested the hypothesis that the PDE5 inhibitor tadalafil, a widely‐used vasodilator, increases cerebral blood flow (CBF) in older people with symptomatic small vessel disease, the main cause of vascular cognitive impairment.MethodIn a double‐blinded, placebo‐controlled, cross‐over trial, female and male participants received tadalafil (20mg) and placebo on two visits at least 7 days apart (randomized to order of treatment). The primary endpoint was change in subcortical CBF, with secondary outcome measures including change in cortical CBF and a panel of neuropsychological assays of cognition. The Perfusion by Arterial Spin Labelling Following Single Dose Tadalafil in Small Vessel Disease (PASTIS) trial was funded by the ADDF and the UK Alzheimer’s Society (Clinical trial registration: clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02450253; eudract.ema.europa.eu/2015‐001235‐20).ResultTadalafil increased CBF non‐significantly in all subcortical areas (N = 55, age: 66.8 (8.6) years) with greatest treatment effect within white matter hyperintensities (+9.8%, P = 0.0960). There were incidental treatment effects on systolic and diastolic blood pressure (‐7.8, ‐4.9 mmHg respectively; P<0.001). No serious adverse events were observed.ConclusionThe PASTIS trial did not identify a significant treatment effect of single‐administration tadalafil on subcortical CBF. To detect treatment effects may require different dosing regimens.

PENGARUH PEMBERIAN JUS ALPUKAT TERHADAP PENURUNAN TEKANAN DARAH PADA IBU HAMIL DI KELURAHAN DENAI KECAMATAN DENAI KOTA MEDAN TAHUN 2022

Hypertension in pregnancy is hypertension described by circulatory strain 140/90 mmHg following 20 weeks of growth, joined by proteinuria 300 mg/24 hours. Hypertension in pregnancy is a significant reason for maternal and fetal dismalness and mortality. Hypertension happens in 5-10% of pregnancies. 2 different ways of treating hypertension are pharmacological and non-pharmacological. This examination was directed in Denai Town, Medan City from February to June 2022. This sort of examination is a semi explore utilizing a one gathering pretest-posttest. Still up in the air in this study were pregnant ladies with hypertension who were kept in Denai Town. The quantity of accessible examples is 16 examples taken by purposive inspecting from the populace. The consequences of the bivariate examination of the impact of giving avocado juice on diminishing circulatory strain got p-upsides of systolic (0.000) and diastolic (0.000). From the aftereffects of the bivariate examination with p-esteem < (0.05), can be reasoned that there is the arrangement of avocado juice on decreasing circulatory strain of pregnant ladies in Denai Town, Medan Denai Area, Medan City in 2022. It is prescribed for pregnant ladies to exploit non-pharmacological treatments, for example, utilization of avocado juice to bring down circulatory strain and lessen the utilization of clinical medications that can cause incidental effects.

Selection and improvement of the method and tool for restoring the anatomical integrity of the retina after its detachment

Introduction. Retinal detachment (RD) is a common pathological condition that without timely surgical treatment leads to vision loss. The patients with significant RD undergo one of three retreatment procedures: Pneumatic Retinopexy, Scleral Buckling, and/or Pars Plana Vitrectomy. Techniques and tools for these procedures have been developed, but the methods themselves still have a significant number of complications. A possible alternative to their further improvement may be a fundamentally new method of treatment, coagulation of the retina with high-frequency electric current (HFEC), for which significant improvement of the tool is still possible. The purpose of the study was to determine a safer method of RD treating and to improve medical tools for restoring anatomical integrity and repositioning a detached retina under two conditions: firstly, obtaining a reliable chorioretinal adhesion, and secondly, minimizing the number of incidental effects of surgical intervention. Materials and methods. The bibliosemantic method, the system analysis method, an experiment on laboratory animals (rabbits) with RD simulation and its coagulation by HFEC, tissue biopsy of operated animals after their euthanasia on the 7th day after surgery, and the production of histological micro-preparations were used. Results. To fulfill the conditions for improving the method, a chorioretinal high-frequency electrocoagulation operation with suprachoroidal access, a modified EK-300M1 generator (Kyiv, Ukraine) with an electrode with a gold hemispherical tip of 25 gauge and electrical generation parameters of 66 kHz, 10‒16 V, 0.1 A was proposed, which causes chorioretinal adhesion in the place where the electrode is used. The method of calculating the parameters of heat transfer from the electrocoagulation tool to the tissues and fluids of the eye was selected: it was proposed to use the Fourier-Kirchhoff and Newton-Richmann equations. Destructive phenomena in the retina from the thermal effect of tissue coagulation in the form of the destruction of rods, cones, the development of cysts, the loss of bipolar, amacrine, horizontal and ganglion cells were noted. Atrophic changes in the retina were minimal at a voltage of 10‒12 V. Conclusions. The problem of improving the methods of restoring the anatomical position of the retinal layers has been relevant for many decades, but it does not lead to a significant reduction in the number of complications. The proposed method and tool for its application causes the creation of a reliable chorioretinal adhesion in a short period of time after surgical intervention with minimal thermal tissue damage. The use of the method of chorioretinal high-frequency electrocoagulation with suprachoroidal access is recommended in conditions of urgent restoration of vision, but not recommended for the prevention of retinal detachment in retinopathies. Keywords: retinal detachment, chorioretinal adhesion, high-frequency electrocoagulation, suprachoroidal access.

Sandwich spatial saturation for neuromelanin-sensitive MRI: Development and multi-center trial

Neuromelanin (NM)-sensitive MRI using a magnetization transfer (MT)-prepared T1-weighted sequence has been suggested as a tool to visualize NM contents in the brain. In this study, a new NM-sensitive imaging method, sandwichNM, is proposed by utilizing the incidental MT effects of spatial saturation RF pulses in order to generate consistent high-quality NM images using product sequences. The spatial saturation pulses are located both superior and inferior to the imaging volume, increasing MT weighting while avoiding asymmetric MT effects. When the parameters of the spatial saturation were optimized, sandwichNM reported a higher NM contrast ratio than those of conventional NM-sensitive imaging methods with matched parameters for comparability with sandwichNM (SandwichNM: 23.6 ± 5.4%; MT-prepared TSE: 20.6 ± 7.4%; MT-prepared GRE: 17.4 ± 6.0%). In a multi-vendor experiment, the sandwichNM images displayed higher means and lower standard deviations of the NM contrast ratio across subjects in all three vendors (SandwichNM vs. MT-prepared GRE; Vendor A: 28.4 ± 1.5% vs. 24.4 ± 2.8%; Vendor B: 27.2 ± 1.0% vs. 13.3 ± 1.3%; Vendor C: 27.3 ± 0.7% vs. 20.1 ± 0.9%). For each subject, the standard deviations of the NM contrast ratio across the vendors were substantially lower in SandwichNM (SandwichNM vs. MT-prepared GRE; subject 1: 1.5% vs. 8.1%, subject 2: 1.1 % vs. 5.1%, subject 3: 0.9% vs. 4.0%, subject 4: 1.1% vs. 5.3%), demonstrating consistent contrasts across the vendors. The proposed method utilizes product sequences, requiring no alteration of a sequence and, therefore, may have a wide practical utility in exploring the NM imaging.

The effect of narrative coherence and visual salience on children’s and adults’ gaze while watching video

Low-level visual features (e.g., motion, contrast) predict eye gaze during video viewing. The current study investigated the effect of narrative coherence on the extent to which low-level visual salience predicts eye gaze. Eye movements were recorded as 4-year-olds (n = 20) and adults (n = 20) watched a cohesive versus random sequence of video shots from a 4.5-min full vignette from Sesame Street. Overall, visual salience was a stronger predictor of gaze in adults than in children, especially when viewing a random shot sequence. The impact of narrative coherence on children’s gaze was limited to the short period of time surrounding cuts to new video shots. The discussion considers potential direct effects of visual salience as well as incidental effects due to overlap between salient features and semantic content. The findings are also discussed in the context of developing video comprehension.