• Kelleher Borch posted an update 5 hours, 20 minutes ago

    We further found that the saccadic and perceptual effects were not correlated at the trial-by-trial level, which suggest that there could be largely independent sources of noise for perception and saccadic control.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The Müller-Lyer illusion affects both perception and oculomotor control, but it is unknown whether these effects arise from the same or different underlying mechanisms. We developed a modified version of the Müller-Lyer configuration, which largely reduced the perceptual illusion effect compared with the typical configuration but reduced the saccadic effect to a much less extent. Such difference indicates that influence of the Müller-Lyer configuration on saccadic eye movements is not fully mediated by illusory perception.

    The aim of this study was to perform the cutaneous trunci reflex (CTR) in neurologically normal cats using two different instruments and determine how body condition score (BCS), body circumference, age, sex and instrument type may affect this reflex.

    Sixty-five cats without evidence of neurologic disease were prospectively enrolled. Cats were randomly assigned to have the reflex tested first using a pair of hemostatic forceps or the integrated Babinski tip of an MDF Babinski Buck Reflex Hammer. After 30 mins, the reflex was retested using the other instrument. Data collected included the reflex presence, reflex caudal border, reflex intensity (weak, moderate, strong) and reflex symmetry (unilateral or bilateral). The influence of BCS, body circumference, age and sex on these variables was statistically evaluated along with effect of the instrument used.

    The CTR was elicited bilaterally in 52 (80%) cats and unilaterally in 64 (98%) cats. In two cats, the CTR was only able to be elicited using the Buck Reflex Hammer, while in four cats, the CTR was only able to be elicited using hemostatic forceps. Body circumference, BCS, age and sex had no effect on the presence, caudal border, intensity or symmetry of the CTR, regardless of the instrument used. No difference in the bilateral presence of the CTR was noted based on the instrument used first (

     = 0.53). When assessing the influence of the instrument on reflex presence, caudal border, intensity and symmetry, the hemostatic forceps elicited the reflex further caudally (

     = 0.02) and usually bilaterally (

     = 0.02).

    The CTR could be elicited in the majority of cats with both instruments. However, hemostatic forceps elicited a reflex more caudally and bilaterally symmetrical than the Buck Reflex Hammer.

    The CTR could be elicited in the majority of cats with both instruments. However, hemostatic forceps elicited a reflex more caudally and bilaterally symmetrical than the Buck Reflex Hammer.We investigated the influence of multiple oral administration on the accumulation of dalcetrapib (JTT-705/RO4607381), a novel cholesteryl ester transfer protein inhibitor, in rats. It is well known that orally administered dalcetrapib is rapidly hydrolysed to its active form, which has a sulfhydryl group, in the body. The active form then binds covalently to endogenous thiols via mixed disulfide bonds. Following multiple once daily oral administration of 14C-dalcetrapib for seven days to rats, the concentration of radioactivity in the plasma and almost all tissues reached the steady state by day 4. At 24 h after the last dose, there was a relatively high concentration of radioactivity in the mesenteric lymph nodes, liver, adrenal glands and fat. After the last dose to rats, the radioactivity was almost completely recovered in the urine and faeces, indicating that dalcetrapib is not retained in the body, probably due to the reversibility of the disulfide bonds despite being covalent bonds.Motor behavior often occurs in environments with multiple goal options that can vary during the ongoing action. We explored this situation by requiring subjects to select between different target options during an ongoing reach. During split trials the original target was replaced with a left and a right flanking target, and participants had to select between them. This contrasted with the standard jump trials, where the original target would be replaced with a single flanking target, left or right. When participants were instructed to follow their natural tendency, they all tended to select the split target nearest the original. The near-target preference was more prominent with increased spatial disparity between the options and when participants could preview the potential options. Moreover, explicit instruction to obtain the “far” target during split trials resulted many errors compared with a “near” instruction, ~50% vs. ~15%. Online reaction times to target change were delayed in split trials compared with jump trials, ~200 ms vs. ~150 ms, but also highly automatic. check details Trials in which the instructed far target was correctly obtained were delayed by a further ~50 ms, unlike those in which the near target was incorrectly obtained. We also observed nonspecific responses from arm muscles at the jump trial latency during split trials. Taken together, our results indicate that online selection of reach targets is automatically linked to the spatial distribution of the options, though at greater delays than redirecting to a single target.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This work demonstrates that target selection during an ongoing reach is automatically linked to the option nearest a voided target. Online reaction times for two options are longer than redirection to a single option. Attempts to override the near-target tendency result in a high number of errors at the normal delay and further delays when the attempt is successful.The treatment of AL amyloidosis aims to eradicate the plasma cell clone and eliminate toxic free light chain production. Only in a minority of patients the plasma cell clone is completely eradicated; residual light chain production may still exist while clonal relapse may occur. We used sensitive next-generation flow cytometry (NGF) to detect minimal residual disease (MRD) in AL amyloidosis patients at complete haematologic response. MRD evaluation was feasible in 51 of 52 (98%) tested patients and at a median sensitivity of 2.3 × 10-6 MRD was undetectable in 23 (45%). An organ response occurred in 86% of MRDneg vs 77% in MRDpos; renal response in 15/17(88%) of MRDneg vs in 14/16(87.5%) of MRDpos and cardiac response in 10/10(100%) of MRDneg vs 11/15(73%) of MRDpos patients. After a median follow-up of 24 months post MRD testing, no MRDneg patient had a haematologic relapse vs 6/28(21%) MRDpos (p = .029). Pooling haematologic and organ progressions, 9 (32%) MRDpos patients had disease progression vs only 1 (4%) MRDneg patient (p = .