Intrinsic reinstatement of induced oscillatory context

Declarative memory retrieval is thought to rely on the reinstatement, at retrieval, of contextual cues present during encoding, as evidenced in the context and state-dependent literature. Specifically, previous work has shown that reinstating the oscillatory activity present during encoding, at retrieval, is particularly supportive of memory recall. Our study builds on previous findings suggesting that the oscillatory activity present at encoding may be automatically reinstated during retrieval. To explore the roles of consolidation, prefrontal involvement, and frequency specific activity in this process of oscillatory reinstatement, 115 healthy young adults were randomly assigned to one of five conditions. In each condition, transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) was administered at either one of two frequencies (60Hz or 6Hz), over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (left-DLPFC, Experimental) or the right primary motor cortex (right-PMC, Control), during learning of written words. This was followed by a retention interval of either 90 minutes or 1 week and a testing phase, during which EEG activity was recorded. Our results showed significant (and frequency specific) oscillatory reinstatement, after stimulation of the left-DLPFC, in the 1-week retention condition. Oscillatory reinstatement effects were non-significant after stimulation of the right-PMC, or in the 90 minutes retention interval condition. Our results highlight that the oscillatory activity induced during encoding is consolidated as context alongside the information and is reinstated intrinsically during retrieval. The implications of our findings for models of human memory, future avenues of research and clinical applications are discussed.

Interval between two sequential arrays determines their storage state in visual working memory

The visual information can be stored as either “active” representations in the active state or “activity-silent” representations in the passive state during the retention period in visual working memory (VWM). Catering to the dynamic nature of visual world, we explored how the temporally dynamic visual input was stored in VWM. In the current study, the memory arrays were presented sequentially, and the contralateral delay activity (CDA), an electrophysiological measure, was used to identify whether the memory representations were transferred into the passive state. Participants were instructed to encode two sequential arrays and retrieve them respectively, with two conditions of interval across the two arrays: 400ms and 800ms. These results provided strong evidence for the state-separated storage of two sequential arrays in different neural states if the interval between them was long enough, and the concurrent storage of them in the active state if the interval was relatively short. This conclusion was valid only when the participants encountered the task for the first time. Once participants have formed their mindset, they would apply the same storage mode to the subsequently extended or shortened interval condition.

A two-stage model of concurrent interval timing in monkeys

Accurate timing is critical for a wide range of cognitive processes and behaviors. In addition, complex environments frequently necessitate the simultaneous timing of multiple intervals, and behavioral performance in concurrent timing can constrain formal models of timing behavior and provide important insights into the corresponding neural mechanisms. However, the accuracy of such concurrent timing has not been rigorously examined. We developed a novel behavioral paradigm in which rhesus monkeys were incentivized to time two independent intervals. The onset asynchrony of two overlapping intervals varied randomly, thereby discouraging the animals from adopting any habitual responses. We found that only the first response for each interval was strongly indicative of the internal timing of that interval, consistent with previous findings and a two-stage model. In addition, the temporal precision of the first response was comparable in the single-interval and concurrent-interval conditions, although the first saccade to the second interval tended to occur sooner than in the single-interval condition. Finally, behavioral responses during concurrent timing could be well accounted for by a race between two independent stochastic processes resembling those in the single-interval condition. The fact that monkeys can simultaneously monitor and respond to multiple temporal intervals indicates that the neural mechanisms for interval timing must be sufficiently flexible for concurrent timing.

A Study on Maternal Mortality in Baba Raghav Das Medical College, Gorakhpur

ABSTRACT Introduction Prevention of maternal deaths is one of our foremost goals to provide safety to motherhood and to avoid loss to the family, society, and the nation. Maternal mortality ratio (MMR) of Uttar Pradesh is very high as compared to national average. Within the state, there is wide variation in MMR. The explanations and answers to these regional variations are complex. This study was planned with the objectives to explore each and every maternal death that had occurred in Baba Raghav Das Medical College in the last 4 years (2011—2014). Materials and methods In this study, data were collected from records of all maternal deaths that had occurred in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baba Raghav Das Medical College, Gorakhpur from March 2011 to December 2014. Records of all maternal deaths during this period were scrutinized for socio-demographic profile, obstetric history, antenatal care history, causes of maternal mortality, time trend, geographical or regional distribution, admission and death interval, condition of patients on admission, outcome of pregnancy, and reasons for delay. Records of number of maternal deaths and live births were also collected for previous 11 years (2004—2014). Results Maternal mortality ratio has dropped almost six times in the last 11 years. Early age at marriage, illiteracy, poor socioeconomic status, and multiparity were found to be important determinants of maternal mortality and can act as risk factors. The pattern of causes of maternal deaths in this institute (preeclampsia) is different from that found in the community (postpartum hemorrhage). Delay in seeking care because of unawareness and illiteracy and ignorance was found to be the major contributing factor for most of the maternal deaths. How to cite this article Shrivastava R, Tiwari HC, Sangal R. A Study on Maternal Mortality in Baba Raghav Das Medical College, Gorakhpur. J South Asian Feder Obst Gynae 2016;8(4):294-298.

Effects of a Preparatory Singing Pattern on Melodic Dictation Success

The purpose of this study was to investigate effects of a preparatory contextual singing pattern on melodic dictation test scores. Forty-nine undergraduate music education majors took melodic dictations under three conditions. After hearing an orienting chord sequence, they (1) sang a preparatory solfége pattern in the key, meter, and tempo of the target dictations in the first condition; (2) prepared themselves silently during an equivalent time interval in the second condition; and (3) took the dictations immediately in the third condition. A repeated measures ANOVA and post hoc analysis revealed that participants scored significantly higher when they heard the dictation immediately following the chord sequence than when they sang the preparatory pattern first. Participants may have been distracted by the additional task of singing, interfering with their focus on the ensuing dictation. They reported a variety of preparatory strategies during the silent interval condition, suggesting that dictation students may benefit from learning multiple strategies and choosing what works best for them. Future research might investigate the relationship between strategies used during dictation and strategies used just prior to dictation. Implications for music educators include the need for careful decisions regarding when and how to combine musical tasks for student learning.

Musical Training Enhances Automatic Encoding of Melodic Contour and Interval Structure

In music, melodic information is thought to be encoded in two forms, a contour code (up/down pattern of pitch changes) and an interval code (pitch distances between successive notes). A recent study recording the mismatch negativity (MMN) evoked by pitch contour and interval deviations in simple melodies demonstrated that people with no formal music education process both contour and interval information in the auditory cortex automatically. However, it is still unclear whether musical experience enhances both strategies of melodic encoding. We designed stimuli to examine contour and interval information separately. In the contour condition there were eight different standard melodies (presented on 80% of trials), each consisting of five notes all ascending in pitch, and the corresponding deviant melodies (20%) were altered to descending on their final note. The interval condition used one five-note standard melody transposed to eight keys from trial to trial, and on deviant trials the last note was raised by one whole tone without changing the pitch contour. There was also a control condition, in which a standard tone (990.7 Hz) and a deviant tone (1111.0 Hz) were presented. The magnetic counterpart of the MMN (MMNm) from musicians and nonmusicians was obtained as the difference between the dipole moment in response to the standard and deviant trials recorded by magnetoencephalography. Significantly larger MMNm was present in musicians in both contour and interval conditions than in nonmusicians, whereas MMNm in the control condition was similar for both groups. The interval MMNm was larger than the contour MMNm in musicians. No hemispheric difference was found in either group. The results suggest that musical training enhances the ability to automatically register abstract changes in the relative pitch structure of melodies.

Selection indexes using calving interval, condition score and milk yield in dairy cattle

Increasing genetic merit for production has been associated with a decline in dairy cow fertility. In order to sustain lactation it appears that appreciable amounts of body condition are being mobilised, which may impinge on fertility. Body condition score (BCS) of first lactation heifers is recorded by Holstein UK and Ireland (HUKI) as part of its national type classification scheme. BCS may be a useful selection criterion for improving fertility. Calving dates and hence calving interval (CI) are generally very reliably recorded, but the usefulness of CI as a selection criterion is hampered for a number of reasons, one being that only the most fertile cows have two consecutive calving dates. This is a serious issue that still needs to be addressed. Our aim here was to investigate if there is genetic covariation between BCS and CI after adjustment for milk yield and to investigate selection responses in all three traits when selection is for each trait in turn and how responses are affected by restrictions imposing no genetic change in one of the traits. Restricting a trait to no change when it is correlated to a trait under selection may be important in developing customised indexes to satisfy specific requirements.

Self-Efficacy, Response Expectancy, and Temporal Context: Moderators of Pain Tolerance and Intensity

We compared self-efficacy and response expectancy models of acute pain to determine whether self-efficacy for intensity and response expectancy are related and make distinct contributions to pain tolerance and intensity. We also hypothesized that self-efficacy expectancies would interact with temporal context to moderate acute pain. Specifically, we predicted that belief in one's ability to endure pain would maximize tolerance in an open-interval condition, and that expectancies of being able to regulate pain would minimize intensity in a fixed-interval condition. One hundred and twenty subjects were randomly assigned to four expectancy-enhancement conditions (self-efficacy for tolerance, self-efficacy for intensity, response expectancy, control) and two temporal contexts (open interval or fixed interval) after baseline pain data were collected. Correlations and regression analyses revealed that response expectancy was more strongly related to pain tolerance and intensity than was self-efficacy. A repeated measures MANOVA did not yield an Expectancy x Temporal Context interaction. We discuss the clinical and methodological implications of these findings.

Time Estimation: Effects of Attentional Focus and a Comparison of Interval Conditions

Time estimation was studied as a function of the subject's attention to the stimulus interval and the stimulus condition of the standard interval. 111 subjects from lower level psychology classes were randomly assigned to an interval condition. Time estimation of a standard interval was significantly lower when subjects attended to the stimulus material than when attending to the interval of passing time. A significant difference was not obtained among the three intervals.