Search

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of cueing in visual search paradigm for people with and without intellectual disabilities (ID). A total of 36 subjects (18 persons with ID and 18 persons with normal intelligence) were recruited using convenient sampling method. A series of experiments were conducted to compare guided cue strategies using either motion contrast or additional cue to basic search task. Repeated measure ANOVA and post hoc multiple comparison tests were used to compare each cue strategy. Results showed that the use of guided strategies was able to capture focal attention in an autonomic manner in the ID group (Pillai's Trace = 5.99, p less than 0.0001). Both guided cue and guided motion search tasks demonstrated functionally similar effects that confirmed the non-specific character of salience. These findings suggested that the visual search efficiency of people with ID was greatly improved if the target was made salient using cueing effect when the complexity of the display increased (i.e. set size increased). This study could have an important implication for the design of the visual searching format of any computerized programs developed for people with ID in learning new tasks. (Contains 5 figures and 2 tables.)

Pulmonary hypertension and increased pulmonary blood flow cause aberrations in the endothelium-dependent pulmonary vasodilation in one month old lambs. This is accompanied with an augmented pulmonary vasoconstricting response to N(super omega)-nitro-L-arginine, decreased L-arginine plasma concentrations and increased cGMP plasma concentrations. These data indicate the increase in basal nitric oxide activity which is unaltered by further agonist-induced endothelium-dependent vasodilators.

Thr role of endothelin-1 (ET-1) in the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension was investigated using one-month-old lambs in which pulmonary hypertension was induced via in utero placement of an aorta-to-pulmonary arterial graft. The results show that in lambs with high pulmonary blood flow and pulmonary hypertension, the vasoactive response of ET-1 is vasoconstriction rather than vasodilation.

Pulmonary hypertension in intact lambs reveals the generation of pulmonary vasodilation by endothelin-1, ET-1. Endothelium-derived nitric oxide secretion and ATP-gated potassium-channel metabolism partially control hypertension. Pulmonary arterial pressure and vascular resistance are not modified by intrapulmonary infusions of ET-1. Injection of 9,11-dideoxy-11-alpha, 9-alpha-epoxymethanoprostaglandin F(2-alpha), a thromboxane A2 mimic, and alveolar hypoxia stimulate pulmonary hypertension. This period reveals a fall in pulmonary arterial pressure and vascular resistance, which is dose-reliant due to ET-1.