Integration Hypothesis Research Articles

Keeping Your Head On Target

The mechanisms by which the human brain controls eye movements are reasonably well understood, but those for the head less so. Here, we show that the mechanisms for keeping the head aimed at a stationary target follow strategies similar to those for holding the eyes steady on stationary targets. Specifically, we applied the neural integrator hypothesis that originally was developed for holding the eyes still in eccentric gaze positions to describe how the head is held still when turned toward an eccentric target. We found that normal humans make head movements consistent with the neural integrator hypothesis, except that additional sensory feedback is needed, from proprioceptors in the neck, to keep the head on target. We also show that the complicated patterns of head movements in patients with cervical dystonia can be predicted by deficits in a neural integrator for head motor control. These results support ideas originally developed from animal studies that suggest fundamental similarities between oculomotor and cephalomotor control, as well as a conceptual framework for cervical dystonia that departs considerably from current clinical views.

Conceptualizing and Measuring Participation in the Age of the Internet: Is Online Political Engagement Really Different to Offline?

While the study of e-participation has gained increasing attention within political science, our understanding of its underlying structure and relationship to offline participation is limited. This article addresses these gaps by focusing on three interrelated questions: (1) Is e-participation a multidimensional phenomenon (differentiation hypothesis)? (2) If submodes exist, do they mirror existing modes of participation (replication hypothesis)? (3) If offline forms are replicated online, do they mix together (integration hypothesis) or operate in separate spheres (independence hypothesis)? We test our hypotheses through confirmatory factor analysis of original survey data from the U.K. General Election of 2010. The results show that distinct submodes of e-participation, comparable to those occurring offline, can be identified. Support for integration and independence varies according to the type of participation undertaken. Finally our results suggest that the online environment may be fostering a new s...

Development of attention networks in deaf children: Support for the integrative hypothesis

Early auditory deprivation is known to affect visual attention, yet the early effects of auditory deprivation on visual attention cannot be described simply as deficiencies or enhancements, because selected aspects of visual attention could be modified in various ways along the developmental trajectory. However, few studies have explored the development of these various aspects of visual attention in deaf children. In this paper we study the developmental trajectory of three aspects of visual attention (alerting, orienting and executive control attention networks) in a group of deaf children between 6 and 12 years of age. We used the attention network test to explore the development of the three attention networks and a child-friendly version of the cost-benefit paradigm to characterize the development of the basic operations of orienting. Our results showed a pattern of specific but varied outcomes with respect to the effects of auditory deprivation on these attention networks. First, auditory deprivation can impair development of the alerting network. Second, auditory deprivation can enhance two elementary operations of orienting: moving and engaging. Third, the executive control network showed a developmental trajectory that was neither deficient nor enhanced, but rather similar to that observed with hearing children. Taken together, these results are consistent with the integrative hypothesis of the effects of auditory deprivation on visual attention.

Is the EMU government bond market a playground for asymmetries?

We investigate the volatility dynamics of some major European Monetary Union sovereign bond markets. We provide an endogenous identification in terms of two Markov switching regimes for market volatility and analyze the impact of capital and trade flows together with policy actions on the persistence of volatility swings.The empirical findings indicate that, with some notable exceptions, capital and trade flows measures were a matter of minor importance for European Monetary Union sovereign bond markets included in our set. On the contrary, central banksʼ liquidity provision indicators had important but asymmetrical effects on the persistence of the European Monetary Unionʼs bond market volatility swings. Although we do not straightly reject the increased market integration hypothesis, these asymmetries suggest that certain domestic factors still weigh heavily in times of stress for market sentiment.

The PPARγ Agonist Efatutazone Increases the Spectrum of Well-Differentiated Mammary Cancer Subtypes Initiated by Loss of Full-Length BRCA1 in Association with TP53 Haploinsufficiency

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) agonists have anticancer activity and influence cell differentiation. We examined the impact of the selective PPARγ agonist efatutazone on mammary cancer pathogenesis in a mouse model of BRCA1 mutation. Mice with conditional loss of full-length BRCA1 targeted to mammary epithelial cells in association with germline TP53 insufficiency were treated with efatutazone through the diet starting at age 4 months and were euthanized at age 12months or when palpable tumor reached 1 cm(3). Although treatment did not reduce percentage of mice developing invasive cancer, it significantly reduced prevalence of noninvasive cancer and total number of cancers per mouse and increased prevalence of well-differentiated cancer subtypes not usually seen in this mouse model. Invasive cancers from controls were uniformly estrogen receptor α negative and undifferentiated, whereas well-differentiated estrogen receptor α-positive papillary invasive cancers appeared in efatutazone-treated mice. Expression levels of phosphorylated AKT and CDK6 were significantly reduced in the cancers developing in efatutazone-treated mice. Efatutazone treatment reduced rates of mammary epithelial cell proliferation and development of hyperplastic alveolar nodules and increased expression levels of the PPARγ target genes Adfp, Fabp4, and Pdhk4 in preneoplastic mammary tissue. Intervention efatutazone treatment in mice with BRCA1 deficiency altered mammary cancer development by promoting development of differentiated invasive cancer and reducing prevalence of noninvasive cancer and preneoplastic disease.

Does Maliseet-Passamaquoddy Have VP-Ellipsis?

Richards (2009) proposes that VP-Ellipsis relates pairs of sentences in the Eastern Algonquian language Maliseet-Passamaquoddy that contain morphologically related verbs, one of which lacks a stem component that appears in the other. Under his proposal, the polysynthetic verbs of the language are decomposed into abstract syntactic structures, and VP-Ellipsis is applicable within the word. I argue that his data are better explained without postulating VP-Ellipsis for Maliseet-Passamaquoddy. The verbs that he sees as derived via ellipsis are independently occurring lexical items. There are in fact no ellipsis gaps in the structures he considers, only null pronouns, and overt pronouns may always occur in the relevant positions. My conclusions are fully consistent with the Lexical Integrity Hypothesis of Bresnan and Mchombo (1995) .

Pro-/Anti-inflammatory Dysregulation in Patients With First Episode of Psychosis: Toward an Integrative Inflammatory Hypothesis of Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a chronic syndrome of unknown etiology, predominantly defined by signs of psychosis. The onset of the disorder occurs typically in late adolescence or early adulthood. Efforts to study pathophysiological mechanisms in early stages of the disease are crucial in order to prompt intervention. Case-control study of first-episode psychotic (FEP) patients and matched controls. We recruited 117 patients during the first year after their FEP according to the DSM-IV criteria and recruited 106 gender-, race-, and age-matched controls between September 2010 and June 2011. Biochemical studies carried out in peripheral mononuclear blood cells (PMBC) and plasma evidence a significant increase in intracellular components of a main proinflammatory pathway, along with a significant decrease in the anti-inflammatory ones. Multivariate logistic regression analyses identified the expression of inducible isoforms of nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase in PMBC and homocysteine plasma levels as the most reliable potential risk factors and the inhibitor of the inflammatory transcription factor NFκB, IκBα, and the anti-inflammatory prostaglandin 15d-PGJ2 as potential protection factors. Taken as a whole, the results of this study indicate robust phenotypical differences at the cellular machinery level in PMBC of patients with FEP. Although more scientific evidence is needed, the determination of multiple components of pro- and anti-inflammatory cellular pathways including the activity of nuclear receptors has interesting potential as biological markers and potential risk/protective factors for FEP. Due to its soluble nature, a notable finding in this study is that the anti-inflammatory mediator 15d-PGJ2 might be used as plasmatic biomarker for first episodes of psychosis.

Sensor potency of the moonlighting enzyme-decorated cytoskeleton: the cytoskeleton as a metabolic sensor

BackgroundThere is extensive evidence for the interaction of metabolic enzymes with the eukaryotic cytoskeleton. The significance of these interactions is far from clear.Presentation of the hypothesisIn the cytoskeletal integrative sensor hypothesis presented here, the cytoskeleton senses and integrates the general metabolic activity of the cell. This activity depends on the binding to the cytoskeleton of enzymes and, depending on the nature of the enzyme, this binding may occur if the enzyme is either active or inactive but not both. This enzyme-binding is further proposed to stabilize microtubules and microfilaments and to alter rates of GTP and ATP hydrolysis and their levels.Testing the hypothesisEvidence consistent with the cytoskeletal integrative sensor hypothesis is presented in the case of glycolysis. Several testable predictions are made. There should be a relationship between post-translational modifications of tubulin and of actin and their interaction with metabolic enzymes. Different conditions of cytoskeletal dynamics and enzyme-cytoskeleton binding should reveal significant differences in local and perhaps global levels and ratios of ATP and GTP. The different functions of moonlighting enzymes should depend on cytoskeletal binding.Implications of the hypothesisThe physical and chemical effects arising from metabolic sensing by the cytoskeleton would have major consequences on cell shape, dynamics and cell cycle progression. The hypothesis provides a framework that helps the significance of the enzyme-decorated cytoskeleton be determined.

Developmental Origins of Chronic Renal Disease: An Integrative Hypothesis

Cardiovascular diseases are one of the leading causes of mortality. Hypertension (HT) is one of the principal risk factors associated with death. Chronic kidney disease (CKD), which is probably underestimated, increases the risk and the severity of adverse cardiovascular events. It is now recognized that low birth weight is a risk factor for these diseases, and this relationship is amplified by a rapid catch-up growth or overfeeding during infancy or childhood. The pathophysiological and molecular mechanisms involved in the “early programming” of CKD are multiple and partially understood. It has been proposed that the developmental programming of arterial hypertension and chronic kidney disease is related to a reduced nephron endowment. However, this mechanism is still discussed. This review discusses the complex relationship between birth weight and nephron endowment and how early growth and nutrition influence long term HT and CKD. We hypothesize that fetal environment reduces moderately the nephron number which appears insufficient by itself to induce long term diseases. Reduced nephron number constitutes a “factor of vulnerability” when additional factors, in particular a rapid postnatal growth or overfeeding, promote the early onset of diseases through a complex combination of various pathophysiological pathways.

Multiculturalism and Immigration in Post-Soviet Russia

This paper addresses some social and psychological issues concerning multiculturalism and immigration in post-Soviet Russia, which is one of the most multicultural societies in the world. The paper begins by describing the current cultural and immigrant diversity in Russia, and then provides a short description of Russian immigrants and the social and psychological problems that immigrants and the larger society face. We present the conceptual framework and findings from empirical studies that examine the reciprocal acculturation and intercultural relations between migrants and members of the larger society. We analyze these studies with respect to their relevance to three hypotheses that have been advanced for examining intercultural relations: the multiculturalism hypothesis; the integration hypothesis; and contact hypothesis. Findings of the studies showed that measures of security, identity, perceived threat/discrimination have a significant relationship with ethnic tolerance, mutual attitudes, acculturation strategies and expectations, and the well-being and life satisfaction of both immigrants and members of the larger society. The results of these studies support all three hypotheses in both groups. The authors concluded that the efforts to improve relations between members of the larger society and immigrants should be directed at enhancing the basic sense of security and at developing programs that increase multicultural attitudes, ethno-cultural competence, and tolerance between both groups.

自己主体判断における手がかり統合プロセス

The sense of self-agency is the sense that "I am the one" causing an action. Previous studies showed that multiple cues (such as congruency between prediction and actual effects, and conceptual congruency between preview and effects) contributed to explicit judgments of agency. This study independently manipulated these cues to investigate how such multiple cues of agency are integrated to form an attribution of agency. The results showed that when action became a reliably predictive cue of the occurrence of the outcome through preceding learning trials, then the congruency between prediction and actual effects received a higher weighting for a judgment of agency, and conceptual congruency received a relatively lower weighting. In contrast, without a prior learning session, the conceptual congruency, instead of the congruency between prediction and actual effects, received a relatively higher weighting for a judgment of agency. These results support the optimal cue integration hypothesis that the sense of agency reflects the relative reliability of the respective agency cues in a given situation.

How Competitive is Cross-border Trade of Electricity? Theory and Evidence from European Electricity Markets

Integrating national markets is a major policy target in the European energy market. Yet, wholesale prices for electricity still differ significantly. Whether these price differences are caused only by limited interconnector capacities or also by lack of cross-border competition is an open question. To address this question, we develop a new approach to determine to which extent price differences stem from limited participation in cross-border trade. We derive a theoretical integration benchmark, using Grossman’s (1976) notion of a rational expectations equilibrium. We compare the benchmark to data from European electricity markets. The data reject the integration hypothesis and indicate that well informed traders do not engage in cross-border trade.

Applying knowledge-anchored hypothesis discovery methods to advance clinical and translational research: the OAMiner project

The conduct of clinical and translational research regularly involves the use of a variety of heterogeneous and large-scale data resources. Scalable methods for the integrative analysis of such resources, particularly when attempting to leverage computable domain knowledge in order to generate actionable hypotheses in a high-throughput manner, remain an open area of research. In this report, we describe both a generalizable design pattern for such integrative knowledge-anchored hypothesis discovery operations and our experience in applying that design pattern in the experimental context of a set of driving research questions related to the publicly available Osteoarthritis Initiative data repository. We believe that this 'test bed' project and the lessons learned during its execution are both generalizable and representative of common clinical and translational research paradigms.

Impact of the ADHD-susceptibility gene CDH13 on development and function of brain networks

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common, early onset and enduring neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by developmentally inappropriate inattention, hyperactivity, increased impulsivity and motivational/emotional dysregulation with similar prevalence rates throughout different cultural settings. Persistence of ADHD into adulthood is associated with considerable risk for co-morbidities such as depression and substance use disorder. Although the substantial heritability of ADHD is well documented the etiology is characterized by a complex coherence of genetic and environmental factors rendering identification of risk genes difficult. Genome-wide linkage as well as single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and copy-number variant (CNV) association scans recently allow to reliably define aetiopathogenesis-related genes. A considerable number of novel ADHD risk genes implicate biological processes involved in neurite outgrowth and axon guidance. Here, we focus on the gene encoding Cadherin-13 (CDH13), a cell adhesion molecule which was replicably associated with liability to ADHD and related neuropsychiatric conditions. Based on its unique expression pattern in the brain, we discuss the molecular structure and neuronal mechanisms of Cadherin-13 in relation to other cadherins and the cardiovascular system. An appraisal of various Cadherin-13-modulated signaling pathways impacting proliferation, migration and connectivity of specific neurons is also provided. Finally, we develop an integrative hypothesis of the mechanisms in which Cadherin-13 plays a central role in the regulation of brain network development, plasticity and function. The review concludes with emerging concepts about alterations in Cadherin-13 signaling contributing to the pathophysiology of neurodevelopmental disorders.

Goal-directed aimed movements with path obstructions

Studies are reported in which participants moved from a starting position to a final target, but moved around obstacles that prevented a direct path being taken. Seven experiments are reported in which subjects made multiple-component movements, defined by changes in the direction of movement, but without intervening targets (or stopping points) between components. It was found that components of movement time did not interact, contrary to the results of Gan and Hoffmann (1988b) for cases where there was an intervening target, and that component times could be added. For ballistic components, the time for the movement was linearly related to the square root of the total amplitude of movement; for components that were visually controlled, the time was related to Fitts’ Index of Difficulty based on the total amplitude of movement and the final target size. Results are compared to data for movements with intervening targets, where the movement integration hypothesis is valid. Practitioner Summary: Many movements, particularly to inaccessible places, cannot be made directly, but must be made about obstacles in the path. This research shows how times for these movements can be quantified in terms of the direct path length and the size and location of the obstacles.

Revisiting concepts of visceral nociception in irritable bowel syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder characterized by abdominal pain related to defecation with a change in bowel habit. Patients with IBS often exhibit increased visceral sensitivity, which can be tested clinically by rectal balloon distension procedures. This paper aims to give an overview of mechanisms involved in visceral hypersensitivity in IBS by reviewing recent literature. DATABASES AND DATA TREATMENT: A literature search in the electronic databases Pubmed and MEDLINE was executed using the search terms 'visceral pain' or 'visceral nociception' or 'visceral hypersensitivity' and 'irritable bowel syndrome.' Both original articles and review articles were considered for data extraction. Recent advances in molecular neurophysiology provide knowledge to better understand the underlying mechanism in pain generation in the human gut, in particular, in IBS patients. Sensitization of peripheral nociceptive afferents, more specifically high-threshold afferents, has been proposed as one of the principle mechanism in the development of visceral hypersensitivity. On the other hand, central mechanisms also play an important role. In terms of clinical testing of visceral perception, considerable discrepancies remain, however, across different centres. Alterations in the modulatory balance of pro- and antinociceptive central processing of noxious peripheral input may serve as in integrative hypothesis for explaining visceral hypersensitivity in IBS. Nevertheless, it remains troublesome to estimate the contribution of central and peripheral factors in visceral hypersensitivity, posing a challenge in determining effective therapeutic entities.

Why do rereading lag effects depend on test delay?

In previous research, rereading after a long lag versus a short lag led to greater performance on delayed tests but not on immediate tests. The current study tested two accounts of why the effects of rereading lag depend on test delay. The levels of representation (LOR) hypothesis states that the effects reflect differential emphasis on encoding of higher-level versus lower-level text information during long-lag versus short-lag rereading. The integration hypothesis states that the effect reflects a greater degree of integration of encoded information during long-lag versus short-lag rereading. Across two experiments, 341 students read a text either once, twice with a short lag, or twice with a long lag. Final free recall and cued recall tests were administered either immediately or 2days after study. Results disconfirmed the LOR hypothesis (neither the decreases in reading times across trials nor the changes in free recall across timepoints differed as a function of information level in either rereading group) and confirmed the integration hypothesis (performance on cued recall measures of within-sentence and between-sentence integration was greater with long-lag versus short-lag rereading).

Intrusions in trauma and psychosis: information processing and phenomenology

Intrusions are common symptoms of both post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and schizophrenia. It has been suggested that an information processing style characterized by weak trait contextual integration renders psychotic individuals vulnerable to intrusive experiences. This 'contextual integration hypothesis' was tested in individuals reporting anomalous experiences in the absence of a need for care. Twenty-six low schizotypes and 23 individuals reporting anomalous experiences were shown a traumatic film with and without a concurrent visuospatial task (VST). Participants rated post-traumatic intrusions for frequency and form, and completed self-report measures of information processing style. It was predicted that, because of their weaker trait contextual integration, the anomalous experiences (AE) group would (1) exhibit more intrusions following exposure to the trauma film, (2) display intrusions characterized by more PTSD qualities and (3) show a greater reduction of intrusions with the concurrent VST. As predicted, the AE group reported a lower level of trait contextual integration and more intrusions than the low schizotypes, both immediately after watching the film and during the following 7 days. Their post-traumatic intrusive memories were more PTSD-like (more intrusive, vivid and associated with emotion). The VST had no effect on the number of intrusions in either group. These findings provide some support for the proposal that weak trait contextual integration underlies the development of intrusions within both PTSD and psychosis.

The integration hypothesis: How the European Union shapes economic voting

Whereas economic perceptions influence the national vote in Western European countries, globalization, or international openness, conditions the influence of economic perceptions on that national vote. But how do attitudes toward the EU itself influence the economic vote? After establishing the presence of a national economic vote in Southern Europe (Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal) we test the hypothesis that heightened perception of European Union economic responsibility reduces the magnitude of the national economic vote coefficient. These tests are carried out on current (2009) survey data, via logistic regression analysis of fully specified voting behavior models, estimated country-by-country and in a data pool. Clearly, the national economic vote diminishes, to the extent the EU is held responsible for the economy.

The Quaternary megafaunal extinction and the fate of Neanderthals: An integrative working hypothesis

The last great extinction that has happened throughout the Earth's life history (the Quaternary Megafaunal Extinction) exterminated more than 178 species of the world's largest mammals. Different hypotheses to explain this extinction have been proposed, from environmental catastrophes to predator avoidance, or even volcanic activity and meteorite impact. Currently, many researchers see the Sixth Extinction as a total or partial result of past climatic changes. The mechanism of Neanderthal extinction is a controversial issue of broad interest among human palaeontologists and evolutionary biologists. This paper presents an integrative working hypothesis to elucidate this extinction, based on their killing/predation as habitual part of the competition strategy of anatomically modern humans, and in the context of the wider Quaternary Megafaunal Extinction. Following this working hypothesis, Neanderthal extinction should be seen as being a mere branch of the Quaternary Megafaunal Extinction. The ecologically K early Homo sapiens would exterminate other K species, most of them megafauna, including the medium-sized non-sapiens human species. Neanderthals were part of the large mammal prey potentially hunted by our species, in the same way that historically orang-utans, gorillas and chimpanzees still are. Most probably, the same happened whenever a technologically more evolved Homo species overlapped with other less technologically evolved one.