Top-Down Contributions to Attention Shifting and Disengagement: A Template Model of Visual Attention

Two separate systems are involved in the control of spatial attention; one that is driven by a goal, and the other that is driven by stimuli. While the goal- and stimulus-driven systems follow different general principles, they also interplay with each other. However, the mechanism by which the goal-driven system influences the stimulus-driven system is still debated. The present study examined top-down contributions to two components of attention orienting, shifting and disengagement, with an experimental paradigm in which participants held a visual item in short-term memory (STM) and performed a prosaccade task with a manipulation of the gap between fixation offset and target onset. Four experiments showed that the STM content accelerated shifting and impaired disengagement, but the influence on disengagement depended on the utility of STM in guiding attention toward the target. Thus, the use of STM was strategic. Computational models of visual attention were fitted to the experimental data, which suggested that the top-down contributions to shifting was more prominent than those to disengagement. The results indicate that the current modeling framework was particularly useful when examining the contributions of theoretical constructs for the control of visual attention, but it also suggests limitations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved

Third-Party Gametes and the Christian

As more assisted reproductive technologies (ART) become available, Christians will find themselves grappling with thorny questions about which ones are ethical and acceptable for use by Christ-followers. Many ART technologies have already been widely accepted by the community of faith, while the appropriateness of others is controversial, due to religious convictions regarding marriage and the sanctity of life. One of the most controversial types of ART (especially among Christians) is third-party gamete donation in the context of in vitro fertilization (IVF). Infertile couples consider third-party gamete donation when one or both partners are unable to produce viable gametes. In such an instance, a couple seeks to conceive a child using either sperm or ova from another individual. This paper will reject as unethical such a practice, for three reasons: 1) it violates the sanctity of marriage, 2) it may lead to exploitation of human beings, and 3) if fails to give due consideration to the rights of the resulting children

Safeguarding Genetic Privacy

Since the completion in 2003 of the Human Genome Project’s initial goal to map all the genes and discover the complete nucleotide sequence in the human genome, opportunities for many significant medical advances have opened up to us, including gene therapies for various genetically-linked medical disorders, the ability to create “custom-made” drugs, and early, reliable diagnosis of genetic predispositions to disease. Genetic testing, the inspection of a person’s DNA to identify mutated sequences, is medically relevant for individuals. However, along with the undeniable benefits this knowledge brings, serious questions have arisen concerning how this knowledge should be handled to protect the rights of individuals. Two major areas of concern are the “privacy and confidentiality of genetic information, and fairness in the use of genetic information by insurers, employers, courts, schools, adoption agencies, and the military” as noted on the Human Genome Project website (www.ornl.gov/hgmis). Obviously, as we noted in the case study, information gained from genetic testing may be abused. This paper will examine the role of healthcare professionals to ensure that such information remains protected. We will then discuss the moral responsibility to handle genetic information in an ethical manner. We will reflect on the traditional principles of medical ethics derived from the Hippocratic Oath to inform our thinking. Finally, we will briefly examine the laws and legal protections for individuals and their genetic information that have already been established

Individual differences in structural-functional brain connections underlying curiosity

Curiosity motivates us to learn yet varies strikingly between individuals. This thesis aims to answer the following research questions: What are the brain networks associated with curiosity traits? How does curiosity benefit memory for information related and unrelated to the object of curiosity? How do curiosity traits and curiosity states interact to benefit memory? And how do variations in structural-functional brain connections relate to individual differences in curiosity-related memory? Chapters 2 and 3 investigate the neural mechanisms underlying trait curiosity, first examining its structural correlates followed by its functional correlates. In Chapter 2, inter-individual variations in the microstructure of the fornix related to Interest Epistemic Curiosity (EC), and inter-individual variation in the microstructure of the inferior longitudinal fasciculus related to both Interest and Deprivation EC. Furthermore, posterior hippocampal fornix microstructure was associated with Specific Perceptual Curiosity. These findings were not replicated in a follow-up experiment potentially due to several differences in the design. Next, Chapter 3 indicated that trait curiosity is associated with functional connectivity between the ventral tegmental area (VTA), hippocampus, and nucleus accumbens (NAcc); regions involved in the mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway. Chapter 4 transitions the focus of the thesis from trait curiosity to state curiosity, where states of high curiosity were found to predict later memory for trivia answers but not incidental information preceding curiosity elicitation. This chapter also suggests that trait curiosity does not interact with the positive effects of curiosity on later memory. Finally, a three-way relationship between white matter microstructure, resting-state functional connectivity and curiosity-related behaviours was examined. A mediation analysis revealed that functional communication between the VTA and NAcc mediates the relationship between fornix microstructure and curiosity-related memory benefit. Together, these results provide a better understanding into the underlying relationship between structural and functional connectivity in the brain and how they support curiosity-related behaviours

Gender Diversity in Canadian Surgical Residency

Background: Diversity of gender representation in surgery is known to positively influence patient outcomes and predict career trajectories for female trainees. This study aims to identify the current and recent past state of gender diversity amongst trainees entering Canadian surgical residency programs. Methods: Data were sourced from the Canadian Post-M.D. Education Registry (CAPER) and the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMs) for ten surgical specialties. CAPER data include PGY-1 trainees in all surgical specialties for the academic years 2012–2013 to 2021–2022. CaRMs provided data of total applicants and matched applicants for Canadian Medical Graduates (CMGs) in the match years 2013–2022. Results: From 2012–2022, there were 4011 PGY-1 surgical residents across Canada (50.4% female, 49.6% male). The surgical specialties with the most female representation were obstetrics/gynecology (82.1–91.9%), general surgery (40.2–70.7%), and plastic surgery (33.3–55.6%). The surgical specialties with the least female representation were neurosurgery (18.7–35.3%), urology (11.8–42%), and orthopedic surgery (17.5–38.5%). The number of female applicants to surgical programs has increased since 2013 and outnumbers male applicants each subsequent year. The match rate to surgical programs for female applicants has varied by year, with the highest being 63.9% in 2014 and the lowest in 2018 at 48.8%. Conclusions: Our study shows promising trends that reflect increased representation of female trainees. However, while the number of female trainees in general surgery and obstetrics/gynecology programs matches and even exceeds Canadian demographic proportions, this is not true for most other surgical specialties. This calls for continued efforts to improve and retain gender equity across surgical specialties in Canada