Search

Previous research has investigated the brain structure of musicians with absolute pitch (AP); however, pitch identification (PI) ability also exists in nonmusicians. The current study examined the relationship between PI ability and cortical complexity in nonmusicians using fractal dimensionality, a relatively novel way to analyze morphological patterns of cortical organization. Results showed that compared to nonmusicians with average PI ability, those with superior PI exhibited more fractal dimensionality of the left middle and transverse temporal gyrus, right paracentral lobule, superior frontal and precentral gyri, bilateral lateral orbitofrontal, medial orbitofrontal, superior temporal and postcentral gyri as well as less fractal dimensionality of the left precuneus, right superior parietal lobule and insula gyrus, and bilateral supramarginal gyrus. Moreover, the PI score for the superior PI group was positively correlated with fractal dimensionality of the left medial orbitofrontal, superior temporal, and supramarginal gyri; for the average PI group, their PI score was negatively correlated with fractal dimensionality of the left middle temporal, right superior frontal, and right insula gyri. Although the research about fractal dimensionality in young adults has been scant so far, the present study extends our understanding of the neuroanatomical correlates of AP musicians to encompass those with superior PI ability in nonmusicians.

Being choked or strangled during partnered sex is an emerging sexual behavior, prevalent among young adult women. The goal of this study was to test whether, and to what extent, frequently being choked or strangled during sex is associated with cortical surface functioning and functional connectivity. This case-control study consisted of two groups (choking vs. choking-naïve). Women who were choked four or more times during sex in the past 30 days were enrolled into the choking group, whereas those without were assigned to the choking-naïve group. We collected structural and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data and analyzed the data for amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and regional homogeneity (ReHo) using cortical surface-based resting-state fMRI analysis, followed by static and dynamic resting-state fMRI connectivity analysis. Forty-one participants (choking n=20; choking-naïve n=21) contributed to the analysis. An inter-hemispheric imbalance in neuronal activation pattern was observed in the choking group. Specifically, we observed significantly lower ALFF and ReHo in the left cortical regions (e.g., angular gyrus, orbitofrontal gyrus) and higher ALFF and ReHo in the right cortical regions (e.g., precentral/postcentral gyri) in the choking group compared with the choking-naïve group. A significant group difference was found in static functional connectivity between the bilateral angular gyrus and the whole brain, in which the choking group's angular gyrus showed hyperconnectivity with, for example, the postcentral gyrus, precentral gyrus, and Rolandic operculum, relative to the choking-naïve group. The dynamic analysis revealed hyperconnectivity between the left angular gyrus and the bilateral postcentral gyrus in the choking group compared with the choking-naïve group. Taken together, our data show that multiple experiences of sexual choking/strangulation are associated with an inter-hemispheric imbalance in neural activation pattern and hyperconnectivity between the angular gyrus and brain regions related to motor control, consciousness, and emotion. A longitudinal study using multimodal neurologic assessments is needed to clarify the acute and chronic consequences of sexual choking/strangulation.

As a lightweight material, the high-silicon aluminum alloy Al-25Si-4Cu-Mg has been widely used in aerospace, transportation and construction. Porosity is the most common welding defect in laser welding of high silicon aluminum alloy, and has a certain impact on the properties of high-silicon aluminum alloy. A comparative study of the continuous laser welding (CLW) and pulse laser welding (PLW) of Al-25Si-4Cu-Mg must be conducted to explore the influence of different laser energy output modes on welding. The TruPulse556 pulse lasers and IPG continuous lasers were used to perform the laser welding test in this study. Moreover, a comparative analysis of the PLW and CLW of Al-25Si-4Cu-Mg in terms of microstructure and mechanical properties, including the weld microstructure, hardness, the tensile properties, and porosity. The research shows that PLW inhibits the formation of porosity more effectively than CLW. The mechanical properties and microstructure of the Al-25Si-4Cu-Mg welded joint can be improved by PLW, which has significance to the research on the PLW of high-silicon aluminum alloy.

Musicians with absolute pitch ability show better spatial ability, but little is known about whether non-musicians’ pitch identification (PI) ability is associated with their spatial ability. In the present study, a PI test, two mental rotation (MR) tests (Three-Dimensional Mental Rotation [3DMR] and Spatial Relationship [SR]), and eight executive function (EF) tests were administered to a large sample ( N = 525) of Chinese college students who were non-music majors. A subsample with superior PI ability ( n = 42) was identified and compared with a sample with average PI ability matched in age and IQ ( n = 42). Two-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) (PI ability x musical training, with gender as a covariate due to a minor difference in matching by gender) revealed that superior PI ability was associated with better performance on MR and various EF tests. Musical training was associated with performance on select visual and EF tests (i.e., visual perception, working memory, and executive attention control), but not with MR performance. Additional ANCOVA showed that PI ability was significantly associated with 3DMR, but not SR, even after scores on EF tests were included as covariates. These results indicate a unique association between PI ability and 3DMR, which helps shed light on the cognitive mechanisms related to PI ability.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can lead to movement and balance deficits. In addition to physical therapy, brain-based neurorehabilitation efforts have begun to show promise in improving these deficits. The present study investigated the effectiveness of translingual neural stimulation (TLNS) on patients with mild-to-moderate TBI (mmTBI) and related brain connectivity using a resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) approach.Resting-state images with 5-min on GE750 3T scanner were acquired from nine participants with mmTBI. Paired t-test was used for calculating changes in RSFC and behavioral scores before and after the TLNS intervention. The balance and movement performances related to mmTBI were evaluated by Sensory Organization Test (SOT) and Dynamic Gait Index (DGI).Compared to pre-TLNS intervention, significant behavioral changes in SOT and DGI were observed. The analysis revealed increased RSFC between the left postcentral gyrus and left inferior parietal lobule and left Brodmann Area 40, as well as the increased RSFC between the right culmen and right declive, indicating changes due to TLNS treatment. However, there were no correlations between the sensory/somatomotor (or visual or cerebellar) network and SOT/DGI behavioral performance.Although the limited sample size may have led to lack of significant correlations with functional assessments, these results provide preliminary evidence that TLNS in conjunction with physical therapy can induce brain plasticity in TBI patients with balance and movement deficits.

Central nervous system effects of lingual strengthening exercise to treat dysphagia remain largely unknown. This pilot study measured changes in microstructural white matter to capture alterations in neural signal processing following lingual strengthening exercise.Diffusion-weighted images were acquired from seven participants with dysphagia of varying etiologies, before and after lingual strengthening exercise (20 reps, 3×/day, 3 days/week, 8 weeks), using a 10-min diffusion sequence (9 b0, 56 directions with b1000) on GE750 3T scanner. Tract-Based Spatial Statistics evaluated voxel-based group differences for fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity, radial diffusivity and local diffusion homogeneity (LDH). Paired t-tests evaluated treatment differences on each metric (P 0.05).After lingual strengthening exercise, lingual pressure generation increased (avg increase = 46.1 hPa; nonsignificant P = 0.52) with these changes in imaging metrics: (1) decrease in fractional anisotropy, forceps minor; (2) increase in mean diffusivity, right inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF); (3) decrease in mean diffusivity, left uncinate fasciculus; (4) decrease in axial diffusivity, both left IFOF and left uncinate fasciculus; (5) increase in LDH, right anterior thalamic radiation and (6) decrease in LDH, temporal portion of right superior longitudinal fasciculus. There was a positive correlation between diffusion tensor imaging metrics and change in lingual pressure generation in left IFOF and the temporal portion of right superior longitudinal fasciculus.These findings suggest that lingual strengthening exercise can induce changes in white matter structural and functional properties in a small group of patients with dysphagia of heterogeneous etiologies. These procedures should be repeated with a larger group of patients to improve interpretation of overall lingual strengthening exercise effects on cortical structure and function.

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs), for instance, HPV 16 and HPV 18, are concerned associated with cervical cancer. Thus, it is essential to suppress HPVs-in HPV-positive cervical cancer for treating cervical cancer. The purpose of this study was to explore the proposed molecular mechanisms, which that underlies the antintumor potential of juglone to treat of HPV-positive on cervical cancer cells. The results showed that juglone suppressed HPV-positive cell growth in a dose- and time-dependent way. In addition, cell invasion and metastasis were also inhibited by juglone. Nevertheless, when pin 1 was knocked down in HPV-positive cells, cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis were reduced. This study was designed to acquire an understanding of the mechanism of invasion and metastasis in HPV-positive cells suppressed by juglone. It provides evidence of the advantageous use of juglone in the future. Keywords: Juglone, HPV-positive, Cervical cancer cells, Invasion, Metastasis

Previous studies have found neural alterations in regions involved in cognitive and affective functions among Crohn’s disease (CD) patients. The present work recruited 18 CD patients and 18 age-gender matched healthy controls (HC) and specifically compared differences in resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) within the executive control network (ECN) which has been implicated in cognitive function and default mode network (DMN), which has been implicated in affective function. Additionally, we examined the correlations between RSFC in ECN and verbal fluency (VF) in both groups as well as RSFC in DMN and anxiety level in the CD group. Results showed significantly increased RSFC between the right middle frontal gyrus and right inferior parietal lobule in ECN, as well as increased RSFC between the right precuneus and right posterior cingulate cortex in DMN, among CD patients compared to HC. However, the correlations between ECN/DMN and behavioral scores in each group were not significant, which was possibility due to the limited sample size. These findings suggest that CD patients may experience changes in the connectivity patterns in ECN and DMN. Increased connectivity observed on these networks could be a potential biomarker of a neuropsychiatric manifestation of CD.

Congenital Zika virus (ZIKV) exposure results in a spectrum of disease ranging from severe birth defects to delayed onset neurodevelopmental deficits. ZIKV-related neuropathogenesis, predictors of birth defects, and neurodevelopmental deficits are not well defined in people. Here we assess the methodological and statistical feasibility of a congenital ZIKV exposure macaque model for identifying infant neurobehavior and brain abnormalities that may underlie neurodevelopmental deficits. We inoculated five pregnant macaques with ZIKV and mock-inoculated one macaque in the first trimester. Following birth, growth, ocular structure/function, brain structure, hearing, histopathology, and neurobehavior were quantitatively assessed during the first week of life. We identified the typical pregnancy outcomes of congenital ZIKV infection, with fetal demise and placental abnormalities. We estimated sample sizes needed to define differences between groups and demonstrated that future studies quantifying brain region volumes, retinal structure, hearing, and visual pathway function require a sample size of 14 animals per group (14 ZIKV, 14 control) to detect statistically significant differences in at least half of the infant exam parameters. Establishing the parameters for future studies of neurodevelopmental outcomes following congenital ZIKV exposure in macaques is essential for robust and rigorous experimental design.

The current study used diffusion tensor imaging to examine patterns/degree of brain connectivity in 12 college-aged binge drinking (BD) and 12 moderate drinking individuals. Voxel-level and region-of-interest analyses revealed increased connectivity of the BD brain in the right corona radiata, right external capsule, and both the right and left cingulum. Also, fractional anisotropy and axial diffusivity values of these regions correlated with a number of drinking behaviors of the BD as well as both groups combined. It is hypothesized that increased connectivity in the BD may produce difficulties with regulatory control, contributing to their propensity to binge.

Mirror neurons (MNs) activate when performing an action and when an observer witnesses the same action performed by another individual. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and presentation of motion captured piano performances were used to identify differences in MN activation for musicians/non-musicians when viewing piano pieces played in a "Correct" mode (i.e., emphasis on technical correctness) or an "Enjoyment" mode (i.e., simply told to "enjoy" playing the piece). Results showed greater MN activation in a variety of brain regions for musicians, with these differences more pronounced in the "Enjoyment" mode. Our findings suggest that activation of MNs is not only initiated by the imagined action of an observed movement, but such activation is modulated by the level of musical expertise and knowledge of associated motor movements that the observer brings to the viewing situation. Enhanced MN activation in musicians may stem from imagining themselves actually playing the observed piece.

College-age binge drinking is considered a developmental disturbance that may give rise to unique treatment challenges. The present study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during the completion of a spatial Stroop task to compare brain activation of 24 college-aged participants: 12 moderate drinkers (MoD) and 12 binge drinkers (BD). Overall, the BD showed a significant reduction in reaction time and accuracy in performing this task, while concurrently displaying less overall brain activation than moderate-drinking controls. In general, the BD showed decreased activity in regions related to rule discovery but hyperactivation in areas thought to mediate attention and response inhibition. Implications for treatment are discussed.

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease have been shown to have abnormal brain morphometry or function, which are associated with psychological symptoms such as stress, depression or anxiety. The present work recruited 20 Crohn’s disease patients in remission (CDs) and 20 age-gender-handedness-education matched healthy controls (HCs) and compared their brain white matter microstructural properties using Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI). Additionally, we examined the correlations between the microstructural properties and cognition (verbal fluency language task, VF) and affect (anxiety) in both groups as well as disease duration in CDs. Results showed that CDs exhibited significant alterations in microstructural properties compared to HCs in various white matter tracts relevant to language function despite no significant difference in VF scores. Furthermore, CDs’ microstructural changes exhibited correlations with anxiety level and disease duration. These findings suggest that CD patients may experience changes in white matter microstructural properties which may be a biomarker of neuropsychiatric comorbidities of CD.

Aims Dihydroartemisinin (DHA) exhibits potential anticancer activity. However, the biological functions of DHA in prostate cancer remain largely unexplored. In this study, we aim to investigate the anti-proliferative effect and glycolysis regulation of DHA on prostate cancer cell LNCaP. Main methods Cell proliferative activity and apoptosis inducing were detected. The gene expression was detected by mRNA microarray and results were analyzed by GO and KEGG pathway database. Expressions of glycolysis key enzymes and PI3K/AKT/HIF-1α were detected by Western blot. Key findings Results indicated that DHA could inhibit the LNCaP cell proliferation considerably and induce cell apoptosis. mRNA microarray showed 1293 genes were upregulated and 2322 genes were downregulated. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis suggested that glycolysis pathway was correlated with DHA inhibited the proliferation on the LNCaP cell. Western blot results showed that DHA can decrease GLUT1 and regulatory enzymes of glycolytic pathway expression probably by suppressing the activity of the intracellular Akt/mTOR and HIF-1 α. Significance Experimental validation results indicate that DHA treatment can inhibit the LNCaP cell proliferation and induce apoptosis, which may be related to glycolysis inhibition.

Emerging evidence from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) brain activation studies associated with dietary behavior reveals significant interaction of biological and behavioral mechanisms in response to visualized food stimuli. Because food intake is influenced by neurosensory stimulation and memory cues, personalized food images may be useful in prompting appropriate affective responses to food intake, which may subsequently lead to healthier eating behaviors. The current study used a cross-sectional mixed methods approach to explore neural responses and self-perceptions of eating behavior during review of personalized food images. A sample of college students (N = 16; 9 females; M age = 21.44) used cell-phone cameras and an online dietary tracking website to collect and report three days of diet. Within 2–3 weeks of completing dietary tracking activity, participants underwent an fMRI scan while reviewing recorded personal images and text descriptions of their diet. They also responded to three questions related to memory for the food items and future eating intentions. Post-scan interviews explored how participants felt after reviewing personal food images and the possible impact that such review might have on future food choices. Whole brain analyses suggested, compared to a written dietary record, that the visualization of personal images of diet evoked greater brain activation in memory regions (e.g., superior frontal gyrus) along with mediating emotion (e.g., thalamus, putamen, anterior cingulate cortex), imagery and executive functions (e.g., inferior orbitofrontal gyrus, fusiform, and parietal lobe). This study offers preliminary support for the use of personal food images to strengthen dietary monitoring.

The low recognition rate of the product coding caused by the metal surface of thermal protectors reflective,uneven and steel seal character, a new kind of code recognition based on neural network was proposed, grayscale features and extracted character block duty cycle, and the total length of the character segment between eight points as a neural network input. Firstly, the product coding region in the image is extracted, filtered, binarized and character segmentation, and then the segmented characters are normalized to 16×16 images. Finally, the results from using MATLAB programming to complete the recognition process simulation and experiments at industrial environment show that this method realizes the accurate character recognition and improves the recognition rate of similar characters.

Decision making is a complex process that involves weighing the probabilities of alternative options that can be desirable, undesirable, or neutral. Such a process necessarily involves both emotional responses and cognitive processes (Damasio, Everitt, & Bishop, 1996; Li, Lu, D'Argembeau, Ng, & Bechara, 2010). Indeed, previous studies have found that decision-making performance is associated with both emotion (Bajaj, Lamichhane, Adhikari, & Dhamala, 2013; Choi, de Melo, Woo, & Gratch, 2012; Furl, Gallagher, & Averbeck, 2012; Mussel, Goritz, & Hewig, 2013) and cognition (e.g., working memory [WM]; Dretsch & Tipples, 2008; Kerr & Zelazo, 2004; Remijnse, Nielen, Uylings, & Veltman, 2005). Previous research has further distinguished two types of decision making based on the degree of uncertainty about the outcome: decisions under ambiguity are those without knowing the precise probability distribution of the possible outcomes, and decisions under risk are those with known outcome probabilities (Bechara, Damasio, Damasio, & Anderson, 1994, Bechara, Damasio, & Damasio, 2000; He et al., 2010; Stoltenberg & Vandever, 2010). The Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) has been widely used to assess decision making under both ambiguity and risk (Bechara et al., 1994, 2000; He et al., 2010). At the early stage of the IGT, players have little explicit knowledge about IGT alternatives, so they are making decisions under ambiguity. As the task progresses, players develop explicit knowledge of the risk profile across IGT alternatives, so they make decision knowing the risks (Brand, Recknor, Grabenhorst, & Bechara, 2007; Upton, Bishara, Ahn, & Stout, 2011).Musical training has been found to improve emotional processes such as emotion perception (Alluri et al., 2015) and understanding (Schellenberg & Mankarious, 2012), as well as cognitive processes such as WM (George & Coch, 2011; Hou et al., 2014). However, no study to date has examined whether musical training can influence decision-making ability. Given the positive effects of musical training on emotional and cognitive processes, the current study tested the hypothesis that musical training (especially early training) would be associated with better performance on the IGT. In addition, this study examined whether such effects were inde- pendent of training-related improvement in WM and/or emotion perception.Method and MaterialsParticipantsData for this study came from a larger project (e.g., Chen et al., 2013; Hou et al., 2014). Five hundred sixty-seven undergraduates at Beijing Normal University took the IGT test as well as other cognitive tests (see below for details). Based on their self-report (see below), 42 participants had early musical training (e.g., piano, keyboard, violin, and accordion) starting before the age of 7 years (11 males and 31 females; Table 1); 52 participants had late musical training (e.g., piano, keyboard, clarinet, and saxophone) starting after the age of 8 years (13 males and 39 females; see Table 1). From 473 participants who had no musical training, we selected 60 participants (12 males and 48 females; see Table 1) to match, roughly, the early and late musical training participants, in terms of age, gender, and IQ.MeasuresMusical training history. Participants were asked the age at which they started formal musical training, the types of musical instruments they used, and the number of years they had such formal training.The IGT. A computerized version of the IGT (Bechara et al., 2000; He et al., 2010) was used in the current study to assess decision making under ambiguity and risk (a screen shot is displayed in Figure 1). To motivate subjects, they were informed that the amount of their winning would be converted into real money. Participants were asked to select one card at a time (100 trials in total) from one of the four decks (labeled A, B, C, and D). As described in previous studies and the IGT manual (PAR, Inc, Lutz, FL), two of the decks were disadvantageous because they yielded high immediate gain but a greater loss in the long run (i. …

Background: Changes in cortical gray matter volume is associated with cognitive impairment after ischemic stroke. Here, we investigated the differences of whole brain gray matter volume and gray matter density between acute stroke patients (AS), patients with risk factors for stroke (RS), and healthy controls (HC). Methods: Patients with acute stroke (N = 65, ischemic stroke within 8 days of stroke onset, mean age = 60.64 years, SD = 12.24, SEM = 1.71), patients with risk factors for stroke (N = 27, mean age = 64.12 years, SD = 11.96, SEM = 2.30) and age-matched healthy controls (N = 57, mean age = 58.05 years, SD = 6.06, SEM = 0.80) were scanned on a GE 3T MRI scanner. High-resolution 3D T1-weighted whole brain BRAVO FSPGR images were collected: repetition time = 8160 ms, echo time = 3.18 ms, flip angle = 12°, field-of-view = 100 х 100 mm, slice thickness = 1 mm. Gray matter volume and density changes were assessed using VBM8 toolbox and SPM8, with Gaussian Random Field as multiple comparison (voxel p < .001, cluster p < .05). Results: Two sample t-test indicated that: (1) AS had significantly decreased gray matter volume compared to RS (only on the postcentral gyrus) and HC (in sub-regions of frontal, temporal, occipital lobes, sub-lobar, cerebellum); (2) AS also had significantly decreased gray matter density compared to RS (in sub-regions of frontal, temporal, parietal, occipital lobes, limbic lobe) and to HC (in sub-regions of frontal, temporal, occipital lobes, sub-lobar, limbic lobe, cerebellum) but except two regions with increased density compared to HC (anterior and posterior cingulum). (3) RS had both significantly decreased gray matter volume and density compared to HC (in sub-regions of frontal, temporal, occipital lobes, sub-lobar, cerebellum). Conclusion: Compared to RS and HC, AS may induce changes in both gray matter volume and density, which result in subsequent cognitive impairments such as language or working memory. Significant changes in RS indicate that brain and associated behavioral changes in this population merits further investigation before progression to stroke.

Background In utero Zika virus (ZIKV) infection causes birth defects and neurodevelopmental deficits in neonates. We reasoned that a translational macaque model of congenital ZIKV infection could define disease pathophysiology not possible in human clinical studies. Methods We inoculated 5 pregnant rhesus macaques with a Puerto Rican isolate of ZIKV (ZIKV-PRVABC59) during the first trimester, monitored infection with plasma viral RNA (vRNA) loads, and evaluated infants for birth defects and neurodevelopmental deficits during their first week of life. Assessments included neurobehavioral assessments, ophthalmic examinations, optical coherence tomography, electroretinography with visual evoked potentials, hearing examinations, brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and tissue histopathological analyses. Results All five pregnant dams demonstrated plasma viremia and seroconversion following ZIKV inoculation. One of the five pregnancies resulted in a stillbirth. All liveborn infants had decreased feeding volumes and weight gain compared with control infants. A comprehensive voxel-based morphometric comparison of ZIKV-exposed and control infant brain MRIs identified increased gray matter volume and density in the frontal lobe in the ZIKV-exposed infant group, which corresponds to the pharyngeal motor cortex responsible for coordinating swallowing. Ocular studies identified differences between ZIKV-exposed and control infants in retinal layer thicknesses (inner plexiform, outer nuclear layers, photoreceptor outer segment) and visual evoked potentials (increased amplitude of waveforms). While ZIKV vRNA was detected in the decidua of 2/5 pregnancies, no ZIKV vRNA was identified in infant tissues and none of the infants developed an anti-ZIKV IgM response. Conclusion In utero ZIKV exposure resulted in decreased feeding volumes and weight gain, which may be related to the gray matter changes identified in the pharyngeal motor cortex. Changes in retinal layer thicknesses and increased cortical visual pathway waveform amplitude suggest vision may be impaired. These changes occurred despite the lack of evidence of vertical transmission, suggesting that ZIKV exposure without measurable vertical transmission affects fetal brain development. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

Objective: To examine whether exposure to curve versus sharp contours in the built healthcare setting produces systematic and identifiable patterns of amygdala activation and behavioral response in healthy adults. Background: Recent studies in cognitive neuroscience suggest that humans prefer objects with a curved contour compared with objects that have pointed features and a sharp-angled contour. An implicit perception of threat represented by sharp objects, in humans, was hypothesized to explain this bias. Method: The study adopted a within-subject experimental design, where 36 subjects (representing three age-groups and both sexes) were exposed to a randomized order of 312 real-life images (objects, interiors, exteriors, landscape, and a set of control images). Amygdala activation was simultaneously captured using functional magnetic resonance imaging technology. Subjects’ preference (like/dislike) data were also collected while in the scanner. Data were collected in 2013. Results: In case of images depicting landscape and healthcare objects, brain scans show significant higher amygdala activation associated with sharp contours. However, in relation to images depicting hospital interiors and exterior envelops, brain scans show significant higher amygdala activation associated with curve contours. These activations pertain to exposure during the precognitive stages of the subjects’ perception. Conclusion: Hospital forms do have systematic impact on fear response during precognitive stages of human perception. Whether this first impression colors the subsequent experience of an actual patient with real illness or injury is unknown.

(ProQuest: ... denotes non-US-ASCII text omitted.)Decades of research have shown that individuals vary greatly in their ability to identify musical notes. On one extreme are individuals with absolute pitch (AP), who can label or identify individual musical notes with high accuracy and fast speed without the benefit of an external reference (Levitin, 1999; Parncutt & Levitin, 2001). Researchers have examined several factors that have potential influence on AP, including cognitive (e.g., memory), environmental (e.g., early musical training before or during a critical period of auditory development), and genetic factors (Chin, 2003; Drayna, Manichaikul, DeLange, Snieder, & Spector, 2001; Theusch, Basu, & Gitschier, 2009; Zatorre, 2003).In terms of cognitive functions, some studies have shown that AP musicians tend to perform better than non-AP musicians on select cognitive tasks. For example, Zatorre and Beckett (1989) found that AP musicians performed significantly better than non-AP musicians in delayed recall of note names with verbal or tonal interference. Studies have also shown that AP musicians have better long-term pitch memory than non-AP musicians (Levitin, 1999; Levitin & Rogers, 2005; Parncutt & Levitin, 2001). Recently, Hsieh and Saberi (2008) found that AP musicians were more likely than non-AP musicians to use strategies of semantic associative memory, such as linguistic, emotional, or spatial representations, to perform a pitch matching task. Interestingly, however, AP and non-AP musicians did not differ significantly in vocal pitch reproduction of isolated, randomly selected musical notes, perhaps because the pitch memory for vocal reproduction was accessible to both groups through procedural memory, rather than semantic memory (Hsieh & Saberi, 2008). Similarly, Benassi-Werke, Queiroz, Araujo, Bueno, and Oliveira (2012) found that AP musicians and professional musicians had a general advantage over amateur musicians in their memory span of tones, but not that of digits or pseudowords.AP musicians' advantage in selected cognitive functions has also been supported by brain imaging evidence. For example, structural neuroimaging studies showed that, compared with non-AP musicians and normal controls, AP musicians showed greater left cerebral asymmetry in the planum temporale (an area implicated in long-term pitch representation; Kane, Bleckley, Conway, & Engle, 2001; Schlaug, Jancke, Huang, & Steinmetz, 1995; Wilson, Lusher, Wan, Dudgeon, & Reutens, 2009). Moreover, the white matter of the left superior longitudinal fasciculus, which connects the temporal lobe for auditory processing with the frontal lobes for executive functions such as working memory (WM) and attention, was also larger in AP musicians than in non-AP musicians (Hagmann et al., 2006; Oechslin, Imfeld, Loenneker, Meyer, & Jancke, 2010). In sum, previous research has generally shown that AP is associated with selected cognitive functions as well as relevant brain functions and structures.Although previous research has focused on AP among musicians, recent research has shown that pitch identification (PI) ability is likely to be distributed on a continuum, with AP at its extreme upper end. According to Deutsch, Moore, and Dolson (1986), AP is a complex faculty that may exist in partial form. Indeed, AP has been divided into several subtypes, such as AP-1, -2, -3, and -4(Baharloo, Johnston, Service, Gitschier, & Freimer, 1998); high-AP, middle-AP, and low-AP (Itoh, Suwazono, Arao, Miyazaki, & Nakada, 2005); and weak AP or quasi- or pseudo-AP (Bermudez & Zatorre, 2009; Levitin, 2008; Miyazaki, 1989). To better understand the cognitive mechanisms involved in AP or PI in general, it would be informative to study nonmusicians. Thus far, only three studies have tried to assess AP or PI ability among nonmusicians. Ross, Olson, Marks, and Gore (2004) designed a nonmusical paradigm to identify AP possessors among nonmusicians. …

The research progress of Fenton oxidation and its composite technology in substation wastewater treatment is introduced. Study the appropriate conditions for the Fenton oxidation process. The application prospect of Fenton oxidation method in substation wastewater treatment is discussed. The development trend of Fenton oxidation combination technology in substation sewage treatment.

OBJECTIVE: Examine whether there are unique patterns of brain activation associated with exposure to photographic sky compositions (representing nature stimuli) as compared with other positive, negative, and neutral images. BACKGROUND: The positive impact of nature images on health outcomes traditionally has been measured using behavioral and physiological indicators. However, there is a lack of understanding of the underlying neural mechanism that explains this positive influence. METHODS: A combination of behavioral responses and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technology was used to address research questions. Ten participants belonging to five age groups were subjected to short (25 seconds) exposures of 32 images while their brain activation was monitored via the BOLD response. In a separate run, participants were subjected to extended exposures (12 minutes) of a sky composition and an image of a traditional ceiling. RESULTS: The results show that the activation patterns produced by sky compositions and positive images were quite similar as compared to negative or neutral images. However, sky compositions also produced some unique areas of activation, including those associated with spatial cognition, the expanse of space, circadian rhythm, and perceived motion. In the extended exposure condition, sky compositions tended to activate regions associated with dreaming, while traditional ceiling images activated regions that are related to face processing and potentially visual hallucinations. CONCLUSIONS: Nature stimuli, with a combination of vegetation and sky, may produce unique beneficial effects not present in general positive stimuli.