Crowderrowe3380

Thus, emotional features embedded in the target-speaker's vocal timbre are also useful for unmasking the target speech in "cocktail-party" environments.A core assumption of ideomotor theory is that learned bidirectional associations between actions and their effects enable agents to select and initiate actions by anticipating their sensory consequences. Although the acquisition of bidirectional action-effect (A-E) associations built on the experience of one's own movements has received considerable empirical support, the available evidence for A-E learning through the observation of others' actions and their effects remains limited. In two experiments, we tested whether A-E associations could be acquired through social learning in an experimental setup involving observation of virtual actions. In an acquisition phase, participants repeatedly observed finger movements on a screen, and each movement was consistently followed by a specific effect tone. In the subsequent test phase, tones were presented as imperative stimuli in a reaction-time task. In both experiments, reaction times were shorter when tones required the same response with which they had been linked in the preceding observation phase, compared with when they required a different response, revealing the impact of A-E associations acquired through observation. Similar results were obtained whether the movements observed during the acquisition phase were spatially aligned (Experiment 1) or not (Experiment 2) with participants' responses in the test phase, ruling out the possibility that the results merely reflect spatial compatibility effects. Our findings add new evidence for an acquisition of A-E associations through observation. Importantly, we generalize this acquisition process to the observation of virtual actions. These findings further confirm effect-based action control, as proposed by ideomotor theory.Humans and animals are capable of estimating and discriminating nonsymbolic numerosities via mental representation of magnitudes-the approximate number system (ANS). There are two models of the ANS system, which are similar in their prediction in numerosity discrimination tasks. The log-Gaussian model, which assumes numerosities are represented on a compressed logarithmic scale, and the scalar variability model, which assumes numerosities are represented on a linear scale. In the first experiment of this paper, we contrasted these models using averaging of numerosities. We examined whether participants generate a compressed mean (i.e., geometric mean) or a linear mean when averaging two numerosities. Our results demonstrated that half of the participants are linear and half are compressed; however, in general, the compression is milder than a logarithmic compression. In Experiments 2 and 3, we examined averaging of numerosities in sequences larger than two. We found that averaging precision increases with sequence length. #link# These results are in line with previous findings, suggesting a mechanism in which the estimate is generated by population averaging of the responses each stimulus generates on the numerosity representation.

Decision aids are patient-focused tools that have the potential to reduce the overuse of head computed tomography (CT) scans.

The objective of this study was to create a consensus among Canadian mild traumatic brain injury and emergency medicine experts on modifications required to adapt two American decision aids about head CT use for adult and paediatric mild traumatic brain injury to the Canadian context.

We invited 21 Canadian stakeholders and the two authors of the American decision aids to a Nominal Group Technique consensus meeting to generate suggestions for adapting the decision aids. This method encourages idea generation and sharing between team members. Each idea was discussed and then prioritised using a voting system. We collected data using videotaping, writing material and online collaborative writing tools. The modifications proposed were analysed using a qualitative thematic content analysis.

Twenty-one participants took part in the meeting, including researchers and clinician researg the two adapted decision aids, conducting formative evaluations with actual emergency department patients and clinicians, and measuring the impact of the adapted tools on CT scan use.

This study based on a Nominal Group Technique identified several adaptations for two American decision aids about head CT use for mild traumatic brain injury to support their use in Canada's different healthcare, social, cultural and legal context. These adaptations concerned the target users of the decision aids, the information presented, and how the benefits and risks were communicated in the decision aids. Future steps include prototyping the two adapted decision aids, conducting formative evaluations with actual emergency department patients and clinicians, and measuring the impact of the adapted tools on CT scan use.In-hospital mortality associated with cardiogenic shock (CS) remains high despite introduction of mechanical circulatory support. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether systemic inflammation is associated with clinical outcomes in CS. We retrospectively analyzed systemic cytokine levels and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), a marker of low-grade inflammation, among 134 patients with CS supported by VA-ECMO or Impella. Sixty-one percent of patients survived CS and either underwent device explantation or were bridged to LVAD or cardiac transplant. IL6 was the predominant circulating cytokine. IL6 levels were reduced after circulatory support in survivors. NLR pre-device implantation was significantly lower in patients with earlier stages of cardiogenic shock. Compared with selleck chemical -survivors, survivors had a lower pre-device NLR and NLR was independently predictive of survival after adjusting for other covariates. In summary, NLR is a widely available marker of inflammation and correlates with in-hospital mortality among patients with cardiogenic shock requiring percutaneous mechanical circulatory support. Graphical Abstract Survivors present with lower NLR levels prior to percutaneous device implantation. Both survivors and non survivors present with elevated IL6 levels. IL6 levels decrease after percutaneous support (ECMO or Impella) only in survivors and continue to rise in non-survivors.