Publications by authors named "James Oliver"

We investigated how spatiotemporal neural dynamics underlying perceptual integration changed with the degree of conscious access to a set of backward-masked pacman-shaped inducers that generated the percept of an illusory triangle. We kept the stimulus parameters at a fixed near-threshold level throughout the experiment and recorded electroencephalography from participants who reported the orientation and subjective visibility of the illusory triangle on each trial. Our multivariate pattern analysis revealed that posterior and central areas initially used dynamic neural code and later switched to stable neural code.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To compare characteristics and treatment outcomes of spontaneous chronic corneal epithelial defects (SCCEDs) in brachycephalic non-Boxers and Boxers. We hypothesized that brachycephalic non-Boxers develop SCCEDs at a younger age and develop complications more frequently than Boxers.

Animals Studied: Retrospective review of medical records of brachycephalic dogs treated for SCCEDs between January 2018 and December 2022 in multiple ophthalmology referral centers in the UK.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Rationale & Objective: The 2021 CKD-EPI removes Black race as a factor in calculating the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). We assessed its effect on CKD prevalence in the demographically-diverse US Military Health System.

Study Design: A retrospective calculation of the eGFR from serum creatinine measured over 2016-2019 using both the 2009 and 2021 CKD-EPI equations.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Recent human brain imaging studies have identified widely distributed cortical areas that represent information about the meaning of language. Yet, the dynamic nature of widespread neural activity as a correlate of the semantic information processing remains poorly explored. Our state space analysis of electroencephalograms (EEGs) recorded during semantic match-to-category task show that depending on the semantic category and decision path chosen by participants, whole-brain delta-band dynamics follow distinct trajectories that are correlated with participants' response time on a trial-by-trial basis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Paracondylar process fractures in horses can cause issues like headshaking, neck pain, and other problems, and are more commonly found with newer imaging techniques like CT scans.
  • The study looked at 3 horses with this type of fracture to understand their symptoms, treatments, and outcomes.
  • Some horses improved with non-surgical treatment, but one needed surgery to remove the damaged area, which helped them feel better quickly.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The Homa Peninsula, in southwestern Kenya, continues to yield insights into Oldowan hominin landscape behaviors. The Late Pliocene locality of Nyayanga (∼3-2.6 Ma) preserves some of the oldest Oldowan tools.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Pathogenic loss-of-function variants in BGN, an X-linked gene encoding biglycan, are associated with Meester-Loeys syndrome (MRLS), a thoracic aortic aneurysm/dissection syndrome. Since the initial publication of five probands in 2017, we have considerably expanded our MRLS cohort to a total of 18 probands (16 males and 2 females). Segregation analyses identified 36 additional BGN variant-harboring family members (9 males and 27 females).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Monolayers containing subnanometer striations of silica and hafnia to form composite materials at varying ratios are explored as a method to develop high-index dielectric layers with increased laser-induced-damage thresholds (LIDTs). These layers can then be used in multilayer dielectric coatings for short-pulse, high-peak-power laser applications, particularly in regions of the highest electric-field intensity. Fabrication is achieved by means of exposure to two different evaporant vapor plumes, where local exposure to each plume is controlled via shielding to prevent simultaneous exposure.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * Current tests usually don’t find SCN until the kidneys are already damaged, so researchers are looking for specific signals (biomarkers) in urine to detect it sooner.
  • * In a study using mice, they found specific proteins that change when albumin (a protein in urine) levels rise, which might help in developing tests for early SCN detection in people too.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Multiocular defect has been described in different canine breeds, including the Old English Sheepdog. Affected dogs typically present with multiple and various ocular abnormalities. We carried out whole genome sequencing on an Old English Sheepdog that had been diagnosed with hereditary cataracts at the age of five and then referred to a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist due to owner-reported visual deterioration.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: We hypothesized that keratouveitis still occurs despite current widespread use of Canine adenovirus (CAV)-2 vaccinations and assessed the utility of CAV-1 and CAV-2 titers in elucidation of its etiopathogenesis.

Animals Studied: Nine dogs with unexplained keratouveitis (14 eyes) and nine control dogs.

Procedures: The Animal Health Trust clinical database was searched between 2008 and 2018 to identify cases of keratouveitis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Vibrio vulnificus is a dangerous bacteria found in warm ocean waters that can cause serious wound infections, especially for people who get cut while swimming.
  • Cases of these infections in the Eastern USA have increased a lot over the past 30 years, and researchers predict even more cases in the future due to climate change and more people living nearby.
  • By the years 2041-2060, this bacteria might spread to areas with lots of people, so it's important for everyone to be aware and take care when they're near the ocean.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The oldest Oldowan tool sites, from around 2.6 million years ago, have previously been confined to Ethiopia's Afar Triangle. We describe sites at Nyayanga, Kenya, dated to 3.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Contamination of pulse compression gratings during the manufacturing process is known to give rise to reduced laser damage performance and represents an issue that has not yet been adequately resolved. The present work demonstrates that the currently used etching methods introduce carbon contamination inside the etched region extending to a 50- to 80-nm layer below the surface. This study was executed using custom samples prepared in both, a laboratory setting and by established commercial vendors, showing results that are very similar.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study examined the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the US Military Health System (MHS) using data from 2006-2015, focusing on demographic variations within the active-duty military, retirees, and their dependents.
  • The research found a 2.9% crude CKD prevalence in 2015, with higher prevalence rates associated with older age, being Black, and having a senior enlisted rank, while being female or active-duty reduced risk.
  • The study's retrospective nature and reliance on coding for CKD diagnosis were noted as limitations, suggesting the need for further investigation into these associations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To assess in vitro antibacterial efficacy of three cross-linking (XL) protocols on bacteria associated with canine ulcerative keratitis.

Methods: Three XL protocols: UVA 3 mW/cm for 60 min, UVA 3 mW/cm for 30 min, and UVA 30 mW/cm for 3 min with and without application of riboflavin and a riboflavin-only protocol were performed in vitro on the four most common bacterial genera isolated from cases of canine ulcerative keratitis treated at Dick White Referrals, UK. Zones of bacterial growth inhibition (GIZ) associated with treatment were measured and compared.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: In humans, idiopathic orbital inflammation (IOI) is a diagnosis attributed to benign, inflammatory orbital conditions without identifiable local or systemic cause. We describe the clinical signs, imaging and histopathological findings, management and outcome of four dogs diagnosed with IOI.

Methods: Multicentric retrospective study.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: The objective of the study was to compare corneal culture results using the ESwab™ and Amies charcoal swab.

Animals Studied: One hundred fourteen canine and fifteen feline eyes.

Procedures: Retrospective analysis of Dick White Referrals bacterial and fungal corneal culture data was conducted.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Scientists studied water from early Mars to see if it could have supported life.
  • They looked at tiny living things (microbes) from a place in Canada that has conditions similar to Mars.
  • The experiments showed that these microbes could grow in the simulated Martian water and even had special types that help with sulfur, suggesting this Canadian site is a good stand-in for Mars.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to investigate gene expression changes in RA patients treated with TNF inhibitors (TNFi) to see if they could reliably predict therapy response, building on previous findings.* -
  • Researchers analyzed blood samples from RA patients receiving either the TNFi adalimumab or methotrexate, finding that most gene expression changes matched earlier reports, particularly with adalimumab.* -
  • While some gene modules indicated a transition towards a disease-free state after treatment, the results were not exclusively linked to TNFi, suggesting more research is needed to identify specific molecular markers for treatment response.*
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The waters that were present on early Mars may have been habitable. Characterising environments analogous to these waters and investigating the viability of their microbes under simulated martian chemical conditions is key to developing hypotheses on this habitability and potential biosignature formation. In this study, we examined the viability of microbes from the Anderton Brine Springs (United Kingdom) under simulated martian chemistries designed to simulate the chemical conditions of water that may have existed during the Hesperian.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To identify the key individual-level (demographics, attitudes, mobility) and contextual (COVID-19 case numbers, tiers of mobility restrictions, urban districts) determinants of adopting the NHS COVID-19 contact tracing app and continued use overtime.

Design And Setting: A three-wave panel survey conducted in England in July 2020 (background survey), November 2020 (first measure of app adoption) and March 2021 (continued use of app and new adopters) linked with official data.

Participants: N=2500 adults living in England, representative of England's population in terms of regional distribution, age and gender (2011 census).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background The Fontan circulation is a successful operative strategy for abolishing cyanosis and chronic volume overload in patients with congenital heart disease with single ventricle physiology. "Fontan failure" is a major cause of poor quality of life and mortality in these patients. We assessed the number and clinical characteristics of adult patients with Fontan physiology receiving pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) therapies across specialist centers in the United Kingdom.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF