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Visual attention is essential to performing functional tasks such as reaching out and picking up a cup of coffee from the table. To what extent is attention in individuals diagnosed with ADHD affected during such tasks? What factors influence attention in functional tasks that relate to goal-directed behaviour (i.e. affordances) is largely unknown. Researchers have used the cognitive mechanism of inhibition of return to investigate how attention works. Pragmatic inhibition of return occurs when the affordances, or pragmatic features, of the object are presented repeatedly as both cue and target stimuli, and suppress processing of similar information in the future to facilitate identification of novel stimuli. In the present study, pragmatic inhibition of return was examined by using “preferred” and “non-preferred” stimuli in the Posner cueing task in order to determine whether the stimulus with a more salient or obvious affordance would show a greater inhibition of return effect. The preferred stimuli were a soccer ball being kicked and a tennis ball being hit with a racket. The non-preferred stimuli were a soccer ball being hit by a racket and a tennis ball being kicked with the foot. Both the ADHD group and the control group exhibited inhibition of return, but the ADHD group was affected at later time delays following a cue stimulus. This suggests that the difference between ADHD and normal controls is a consequence of straightforward temporal delay, and not necessarily related to differences in the nature of attentional processing., Vizualna je pažnja ključna za izvođenje funkcionalnih zadataka poput posezanja za šalicom kave i njezina podizanja sa stola. U kojoj je mjeri pažnja osoba kojima je dijagnosticiran ADHD promijenjena kod takvih zadataka? Uglavnom je nepoznato koji čimbenici utječu na pažnju u funkcionalnim zadacima koji se odnose na cilju usmjereno ponašanje (priuštivost; engl. affordance). Znanstvenici su koristili kognitivni mehanizam inhibicije povratka da bi istražili kako pažnja funkcionira. Pragmatična inhibicija povratka događa se kada se priuštivosti ili pragmatične karakteristike objekta prezentiraju ponavljano i kao orijentirajući podražaj i kao ciljni podražaj te potiskuju procesiranje sličnih informacija u budućnosti da bi olakšali identifikaciju novih podražaja. U ovome je istraživanju pragmatična inhibicija povratka ispitana korištenjem „preferiranih” i „nepreferiranih” podražaja u Posnerovu zadatku da bi se utvrdilo hoće li podražaj sa salijentnijom ili uočljivijom priuštivošću pokazati veći efekt inhibicije povratka. Preferirani su podražaji bili nogometna lopta koju udara noga i loptica za tenis koju udara reket. Nepreferirani su podražaji bili nogometna lopta koju udara reket i loptica za tenis koju udara noga. I skupina s ADHD-om i kontrolna skupina pokazale su inhibiciju povratka, ali u skupini s ADHD-om dobiveni su efekti na duljim vremenima odgode nakon pojave orijentirajućega podražaja. Dobiveno sugerira da je razlika između sudionika s ADHD-om i zdravih sudionika posljedica jednostavne vremenske odgode, a nije nužno povezana s razlikama u prirodi procesiranja pažnje.

Emerging infectious diseases are a growing threat in sub-Saharan African countries, but the human and technical capacity to quickly respond to outbreaks remains limited. Here, we describe the experience and lessons learned from a joint project with the WHO Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO) to support the sub-Saharan African COVID-19 response. In June 2020, WHO AFRO contracted a number of consultants to reinforce the COVID-19 response in member states by providing actionable epidemiological analysis. Given the urgency of the situation and the magnitude of work required, we recruited a worldwide network of field experts, academics and students in the areas of public health, data science and social science to support the effort. Most analyses were performed on a merged line list of COVID-19 cases using a reverse engineering model (line listing built using data extracted from national situation reports shared by countries with the Regional Office for Africa as per the IHR (2005) obligations). The data analysis platform The Renku Project ( https://renkulab.io ) provided secure data storage and permitted collaborative coding. Over a period of 6 months, 63 contributors from 32 nations (including 17 African countries) participated in the project. A total of 45 in-depth country-specific epidemiological reports and data quality reports were prepared for 28 countries. Spatial transmission and mortality risk indices were developed for 23 countries. Text and video-based training modules were developed to integrate and mentor new members. The team also began to develop EpiGraph Hub, a web application that automates the generation of reports similar to those we created, and includes more advanced data analyses features (e.g. mathematical models, geospatial analyses) to deliver real-time, actionable results to decision-makers. Within a short period, we implemented a global collaborative approach to health data management and analyses to advance national responses to he