Evolution, perception, and the mind.

The classical mind-body problem persists as one of the deepest scientific mysteries. Despite the grand claims of the new AI, some of the most basic facts of human vision cannot be explained by current or proposed theories of brain structure and function. This paper reviews some well-known mysteries including the neural binding problem, blind sight, subjective experience and prosthetics.

Computation, perception, and mind.

Advances in behavioral and brain sciences have engendered wide ranging efforts to help understand consciousness. The target article suggests that abstract computational models (such as integrated information theory [IIT]) are ill-advised. This commentary broadens the discussion to include mysteries of subjective experience that are inconsistent with current neuroscience.

Actionability and Simulation: No Representation without Communication.

There remains considerable controversy about how the brain operates. This review focuses on brain activity rather than just structure and on concepts of action and actionability rather than truth conditions. Neural Communication is reviewed as a crucial aspect of neural encoding.

The neural binding problem(s).

The famous Neural Binding Problem (NBP) comprises at least four distinct problems with different computational and neural requirements. This review discusses the current state of work on General Coordination, Visual Feature-Binding, Variable Binding, and the Subjective Unity of Perception. There is significant continuing progress, partially masked by confusing the different versions of the NBP.

Efficient Nef-mediated downmodulation of TCR-CD3 and CD28 is associated with high CD4+ T cell counts in viremic HIV-2 infection.

The role of the multifunctional accessory Nef protein in the immunopathogenesis of HIV-2 infection is currently poorly understood. Here, we performed comprehensive functional analyses of 50 nef genes from 21 viremic (plasma viral load, >500 copies/ml) and 16 nonviremic (<500) HIV-2-infected individuals. On average, nef alleles from both groups were equally active in modulating CD4, TCR-CD3, CD28, MHC-I, and Ii cell surface expression and in enhancing virion infectivity.

Comparison of refractive error measurements in adults with Z-View aberrometer, Humphrey autorefractor, and subjective refraction.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether measurements obtained with the Ophthonix Z-View aberrometer (Vista, California) and a Humphrey autorefractor (Zeiss Humphrey, Dublin, California) correlate with standard subjective refraction measurements, based on visual acuity results.

Methods: A retrospective data analysis was completed for 97 patients, age range 18 to 66 years, without evidence of systemic or ocular disease. All data were collected without dilation or cycloplegia.

Embodied language, best-fit analysis, and formal compositionality.

This review brings together two fundamental, but unreconciled, aspects of human language: embodiment and compositionality. One major scientific advance in recent decades has been Embodiment - the realization that scientific understanding of mind and language entails detailed modeling of the human brain and how it evolved to control a physical body in a social community. The ability to learn and use language is one of the most characteristically human traits.

Ecological expected utility and the mythical neural code.

Neural spikes are an evolutionarily ancient innovation that remains nature's unique mechanism for rapid, long distance information transfer. It is now known that neural spikes sub serve a wide variety of functions and essentially all of the basic questions about the communication role of spikes have been answered. Current efforts focus on the neural communication of probabilities and utility values involved in decision making.

Reduction of symptoms in binocular anomalies using computerized home therapy-HTS.

Background: Asthenopic symptoms often are associated with various accommodative/vergence disorders. Recent studies have found that symptoms associated with convergence insufficiency are reduced by in-office vision therapy with supplemental home therapy. No studies have used standardized symptom questionnaires to evaluate the effectiveness of either in-office or home-based vision therapy in binocular anomalies other than convergence insufficiency.

Modulation of the FFA and PPA by language related to faces and places.

Does sentence comprehension related to faces modulate activity in the fusiform face area (FFA) and does sentence comprehension related to places modulate activity in the parahippocampal place area (PPA)? We investigated this question in an fMRI experiment. Participants listened to sentences describing faces, places, or objects, with the latter serving as a control condition. In a separate run, we localized the FFA and PPA in each participant using a perceptual task.

A (somewhat) new solution to the variable binding problem.

To perform automatic, unconscious inference, the human brain must solve the binding problem by correctly grouping properties with objects. Temporal binding models like SHRUTI already suggest much of how this might be done in a connectionist and localist way by using temporal synchrony. We propose a set of alternatives to temporal synchrony mechanisms that instead use short signatures.

Detecting pheochromocytoma: defining the most sensitive test.

Objective: To define the most sensitive biochemical test to establish the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma and also to assess the potential role of iodine 131-labeled metaiodobenzylguanidine scintigraphy (I-MIBG) in the diagnosis of this tumor.

Summary Background Data: Pheochromocytoma is a rare, catecholamine-producing tumor with preferential localization in the adrenal gland. Despite its importance, the most sensitive test to establish the diagnosis remains to be defined.

Iodine-131 metaiodobenzylguanidine treatment for metastatic carcinoid. Results in 98 patients.

Background: Iodine-131 metaiodobenzylguanidine (131I-MIBG) is useful for imaging carcinoid tumors and recently has been applied to the palliative treatment of metastatic carcinoid in small studies. The authors now report their results on the therapeutic utility of high-dose 131I-MIBG treatment in a large group of patients with metastatic carcinoid tumors.

Methods: The authors performed a retrospective review of 98 patients with metastatic carcinoid who were treated at their institution with 131I-MIBG over a 15-year period.

Iodine -131 metaiodobenzylguanidine is an effective treatment for malignant pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma.

Introduction: Iodine 131-meta-iodobenzylguanidine ((131)I-MIBG) has been applied to the palliative treatment of metastatic pheochromocytoma in small studies. We report our institutional experience for the treatment of metastatic pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma.

Methods: We performed a retrospective review of 33 patients with metastatic pheochromocytoma (n=22) and paraganglioma (n=11) treated at our institution with (131)I-MIBG over a 10-year period.

Carcinoid and chylous ascites: an unusual association.

Chylous ascites caused by carcinoid tumors is extremely rare. While carcinoid tumors usually have an indolent course, their association with chylous ascites is a harbinger of a poor outcome.