Effects of others' gaze and facial expression on an observer's microsaccades and their association with ADHD tendencies

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of others' gaze on an observer's microsaccades. We also aimed to conduct preliminary investigations on the relationship between the microsaccadic response to a gaze and a gazer's facial expression and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) tendencies.

METHODS

Twenty healthy undergraduate and graduate students performed a peripheral target detection task by using unpredictable gaze cues. During the task, the participants' eye movements, along with changes in pupil size and response times for target detection, were recorded. ADHD tendencies were determined using an ADHD questionnaire.

RESULTS

We found that consciously perceiving the gaze of another person induced the observer's attention; moreover, microsaccades were biased in the direction opposite to the gaze. Furthermore, these microsaccade biases were differentially modulated, based on the cognitive processing of the facial expressions of the gaze. Exploratory correlation analysis indicated that microsaccade biases toward gazes with fearful expressions may specifically be correlated with participant characteristics, including inattention.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings support that microsaccades reflect spatial attention processing and social cognitive processing. Moreover, the exploratory correlation analysis results suggested the potential benefit of using microsaccade bias toward spatial attention to assess pathophysiological responses associated with ADHD tendencies.

AB0045 THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CD14 AND VIMENTIN-POSITIVE SYNOVIAL DENDRITIC-SHAPED CELLS AND SYNOVITIS IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Background:

Inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is caused by multiple cell types, including infiltrating inflammatory cells, such as lymphocytes, neutrophils, macrophages, and spindle-shaped fibroblasts. Especially, we are focusing on fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs). In our previous study, we have reported that FLSs were positive for multiple markers including CD14, CD68 and HLA-DR, and were dendritic-shaped cells constituting nursing phenomenon between lymph or plasma cells. In addition, in our recent study, we found that CD14+FLSs were positive for vimentin (VIM), which is a marker for mesenchymal cells. There are still many issues to be discussed regarding CD14+VIM+ cells.

Objectives:

To investigate the relationship between CD14+VIM+ cells and the degree of synovitis in rheumatoid arthritis.

Methods:

Synovial tissues collected from RA patients who underwent joint surgeries were prepared for this study. First, the proportions of CD14+ cells in RA synovial tissue and control were analyzed using flow cytometry and the concentrations of inflammatory cytokines released by CD14+ cells in RA synovial tissue and control were examined by ELISA. Next, the proportions of CD14+VIM+ cells in RA synovial tissue and control were examined immunohistologically and then we analyzed the results using image analysis software. Also, we statistically analyzed the relationship between the proportion of CD14+VIM+ cells, the degree of synovitis, and clinical data.

Results:

Results of flow cytometry showed that CD14+ cells were frequently observed in RA synovial tissue than control. Cultured CD14+ cells released more inflammatory cytokines than cultured CD14- cells. Also, results of immunohistological staining showed that many CD14+VIM+ cells were observed in RA synovial tissue than in control. The proportion of CD14+VIM+ cells was correlated with Krenn synovitis score. High proportion cases significantly showed high level of CRP and MMP-3.

Conclusion:

CD14+VIM+ cells might be involved in the mechanism of chronic immunological inflammation in RA and the proportion of these cells might influence the clinical data.

References:

[1]Ochi T, Yoshikawa H, Toyosaki-Maeda T, Lipsky PE. Mesenchymal stromal cells. Nurse-like cells reside in thesynovial tissue and bone marrow in rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Research&Therapy 2007; 9(1): 201.

[2]Ochi T, Sawai T, Murakami K, Kamataki A, Uzuki M, Tomita T, et al. Nurse-like cells in rheumatoid arthritis: Formation of survival niches cooperating between the cell types. Mod Rheum 2018; 29: 1-5.

[3]Krenn V, Morawietz L, Burmester GR, Kinne RW, Muller-Ladner U, Muller B, Haupl T. Synovitis score: discrimination between chronic low-grade and high-grade synovitis. Histopathology 2006; 49: 358-64.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

AB0200 SHORT AND MID-TERM OUTCOME OF FOREFOOT SURGERY FOR PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Background:

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have frequently painful foot deformities. These deformities including hallux valgus, dorsal dislocation of the metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joints and hammer toe deformity of the lesser toes are associated with disability in daily activities.

Objectives:

The aim of this study is to investigate short and mid-term outcome of forefoot surgery for patients with RA.

Methods:

We investigated 28 patients with 39 foots who underwent forefoot surgery between January 2010 and December 2018 and followed for more than one year after surgery. Swanson implant arthroplasty or metatarsal osteotomy was performed for big toe, and shortening oblique osteotomy (SOO) was performed for the II-V toes. Examination items were as follows; plain X-ray changes in the angle of hallux valgus (HVA), the angle between the first and second metatarsal bones (M1/2), and the angle between the first and fifth metatarsal bones (M1/5) after surgery. The progress of painful hyperkeratosis and bunion, Japanese Society for Surgery of the foot standard rating system (JSSF scale), the recurrence of deformity and bone fusion, complications, and patient satisfaction were also examined.

Results:

The patients followed were 24 women with 34 feet and 4 men with 5 feet, and average age at the time of surgery was 66.1 years. HVA improved from average of 39.7 degrees to 20.2 degrees one month after surgery, but increased slightly to 23.5 degrees one year after surgery. Painful hyperkeratosis and bunion tended to disappear one month after surgery, and JSSF scale significantly improved at the final observation. One year after surgery, the bone fusion rate of big toe was 100%, but 7.8% of the metatarsal bone underwent SOO had non-union. The complications after surgery were one infection at the surgical site, one necrosis at the tip of the toe, and one infection of Swanson implant. Patient satisfaction at the final observation was high

Conclusion:

Forefoot surgery for RA has problems such as recurrence, non-union, and infections, but it is considered to be a useful treatment because that pain by hyperkeratosis and bunion disappears and ADL improves.

References:

[1]Sung IH, Sung YK, Huh DR, Kim SJ. A comparative study on the results of the modified Ludloff osteotomy for hallux valgus deformities with minimal erosion of the metatarsophalangeal joints in rheumatoid patients versus non-rheumatoid patients.. Mod Rheumatol 2015; 25(5): 694-700.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

Turbulence effect on cloud radiation

The effect of turbulent clustering of water droplets on radiative transfer is investigated by means of both a three-dimensional direct numerical simulation of particle-laden homogeneous isotropic turbulence and a radiative transfer simulation based on a Monte Carlo photon tracing method. The results show that turbulent clustering causes the formation of void regions of droplets and hence increases the direct transmittance. This effect decreases as the turbulent Reynolds number increases and is estimated to be negligibly small under the conditions in real clouds.