Ocular stability and set-point adaptation

PubMed Central

Jareonsettasin, P.; Leigh, R. J.

2017-01-01

A fundamental challenge to the brain is how to prevent intrusive movements when quiet is needed. Unwanted limb movements such as tremor impair fine motor control and unwanted eye drifts such as nystagmus impair vision. A stable platform is also necessary to launch accurate movements. Accordingly, nature has designed control systems with agonist (excitation) and antagonist (inhibition) muscle pairs functioning in push–pull, around a steady level of balanced tonic activity, the set-point. Sensory information can be organized similarly, as in the vestibulo-ocular reflex, which generates eye movements that compensate for head movements. The semicircular canals, working in coplanar pairs, one in each labyrinth, are reciprocally excited and inhibited as they transduce head rotations. The relative change in activity is relayed to the vestibular nuclei, which operate around a set-point of stable balanced activity. When a pathological imbalance occurs, producing unwanted nystagmus without head movement, an adaptive mechanism restores the proper set-point and eliminates the nystagmus. Here we used 90 min of continuous 7 T magnetic field labyrinthine stimulation (MVS) in normal humans to produce sustained nystagmus simulating vestibular imbalance. We identified multiple time-scale processes towards a new zero set-point showing that MVS is an excellent paradigm to investigate the neurobiology of set-point adaptation. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Movement suppression: brain mechanisms for stopping and stillness’. PMID:28242733

Trunk posture monitoring with inertial sensors

PubMed Central

Wong, Man Sang

2008-01-01

Measurement of human posture and movement is an important area of research in the bioengineering and rehabilitation fields. Various attempts have been initiated for different clinical application goals, such as diagnosis of pathological posture and movements, assessment of pre- and post-treatment efficacy and comparison of different treatment protocols. Image-based methods for measurements of human posture and movements have been developed, such as the radiography, photogrammetry, optoelectric technique and video analysis. However, it is found that these methods are complicated to set up, time-consuming to operate and could only be applied in laboratory environments. This study introduced a method of using a posture monitoring system in estimating the spinal curvature changes during trunk movements on the sagittal and coronal planes and providing trunk posture monitoring during daily activities. The system consisted of three sensor modules, each with one tri-axial accelerometer and three uni-axial gyroscopes orthogonally aligned, and a digital data acquisition and feedback system. The accuracy of this system was tested with a motion analysis system (Vicon 370) in calibration with experimental setup and in trunk posture measurement with nine human subjects, and the performance of the posture monitoring system during daily activities with two human subjects was reported. The averaged root mean squared differences between the measurements of the system and motion analysis system were found to be <1.5° in dynamic calibration, and <3.1° for the sagittal plane and ≤2.1° for the coronal plane in estimation of the trunk posture change during trunk movements. The measurements of the system and the motion analysis system was highly correlated (>0.999 for dynamic calibration and >0.829 for estimation of spinal curvature change in domain planes of movement during flexion and lateral bending). With the sensing modules located on the upper trunk, mid-trunk and the pelvic levels, the inclination of trunk segment and the change of spinal curvature in trunk movements could be estimated. The posture information of five subjects was recorded at 30 s intervals during daily activity over a period of 3 days and 2 h a day. The preliminary results demonstrated that the subjects could improve their posture when feedback signals were provided. The posture monitoring system could be used for the purpose of posture monitoring during daily activity. PMID:18196296

Trunk posture monitoring with inertial sensors.

PubMed

Wong, Wai Yin; Wong, Man Sang

2008-05-01

Measurement of human posture and movement is an important area of research in the bioengineering and rehabilitation fields. Various attempts have been initiated for different clinical application goals, such as diagnosis of pathological posture and movements, assessment of pre- and post-treatment efficacy and comparison of different treatment protocols. Image-based methods for measurements of human posture and movements have been developed, such as the radiography, photogrammetry, optoelectric technique and video analysis. However, it is found that these methods are complicated to set up, time-consuming to operate and could only be applied in laboratory environments. This study introduced a method of using a posture monitoring system in estimating the spinal curvature changes during trunk movements on the sagittal and coronal planes and providing trunk posture monitoring during daily activities. The system consisted of three sensor modules, each with one tri-axial accelerometer and three uni-axial gyroscopes orthogonally aligned, and a digital data acquisition and feedback system. The accuracy of this system was tested with a motion analysis system (Vicon 370) in calibration with experimental setup and in trunk posture measurement with nine human subjects, and the performance of the posture monitoring system during daily activities with two human subjects was reported. The averaged root mean squared differences between the measurements of the system and motion analysis system were found to be < 1.5 degrees in dynamic calibration, and < 3.1 degrees for the sagittal plane and < or = 2.1 degrees for the coronal plane in estimation of the trunk posture change during trunk movements. The measurements of the system and the motion analysis system was highly correlated (> 0.999 for dynamic calibration and > 0.829 for estimation of spinal curvature change in domain planes of movement during flexion and lateral bending). With the sensing modules located on the upper trunk, mid-trunk and the pelvic levels, the inclination of trunk segment and the change of spinal curvature in trunk movements could be estimated. The posture information of five subjects was recorded at 30 s intervals during daily activity over a period of 3 days and 2 h a day. The preliminary results demonstrated that the subjects could improve their posture when feedback signals were provided. The posture monitoring system could be used for the purpose of posture monitoring during daily activity.

Biomedical research on the International Space Station postural and manipulation problems of the human upper limb in weightlessness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neri, Gianluca; Zolesi, Valfredo

2000-01-01

Accumulated evidence, based on information gathered on space flight missions and ground based models involving both humans and animals, clearly suggests that exposure to states of microgravity conditions for varying duration induces certain physiological changes; they involve cardiovascular deconditioning, balance disorders, bone weakening, muscle hypertrophy, disturbed sleep patterns and depressed immune responses. The effects of the microgravity on the astronauts' movement and attitude have been studied during different space missions, increasing the knowledge of the human physiology in weightlessness. The purpose of the research addressed in the present paper is to understand and to assess the performances of the upper limb, especially during grasp. Objects of the research are the physiological changes related to the long-term duration spaceflight environment. Specifically, the changes concerning the upper limb are investigated, with particular regard to the performances of the hand in zero-g environments. This research presents also effects on the Earth, improving the studies on a number of pathological states, on the health care and the rehabilitation. In this perspective, a set of experiments are proposed, aimed at the evaluation of the effects of the zero-g environments on neurophysiology of grasping movements, fatigue assessment, precision grip. .

In Vivo Neuromechanics: Decoding Causal Motor Neuron Behavior with Resulting Musculoskeletal Function.

PubMed

Sartori, Massimo; Yavuz, Utku Ş; Farina, Dario

2017-10-18

Human motor function emerges from the interaction between the neuromuscular and the musculoskeletal systems. Despite the knowledge of the mechanisms underlying neural and mechanical functions, there is no relevant understanding of the neuro-mechanical interplay in the neuro-musculo-skeletal system. This currently represents the major challenge to the understanding of human movement. We address this challenge by proposing a paradigm for investigating spinal motor neuron contribution to skeletal joint mechanical function in the intact human in vivo. We employ multi-muscle spatial sampling and deconvolution of high-density fiber electrical activity to decode accurate α-motor neuron discharges across five lumbosacral segments in the human spinal cord. We use complete α-motor neuron discharge series to drive forward subject-specific models of the musculoskeletal system in open-loop with no corrective feedback. We perform validation tests where mechanical moments are estimated with no knowledge of reference data over unseen conditions. This enables accurate blinded estimation of ankle function purely from motor neuron information. Remarkably, this enables observing causal associations between spinal motor neuron activity and joint moment control. We provide a new class of neural data-driven musculoskeletal modeling formulations for bridging between movement neural and mechanical levels in vivo with implications for understanding motor physiology, pathology, and recovery.

Structural Brain Damage and Upper Limb Kinematics in Children with Unilateral Cerebral Palsy.

PubMed

Mailleux, Lisa; Simon-Martinez, Cristina; Klingels, Katrijn; Jaspers, Ellen; Desloovere, Kaat; Demaerel, Philippe; Fiori, Simona; Guzzetta, Andrea; Ortibus, Els; Feys, Hilde

2017-01-01

Background: In children with unilateral cerebral palsy (uCP) virtually nothing is known on the relation between structural brain damage and upper limb (UL) kinematics quantified with three-dimensional movement analysis (3DMA). This explorative study aimed to (1) investigate differences in UL kinematics between children with different lesion timings, i.e., periventricular white matter (PWM) vs. cortical and deep gray matter (CDGM) lesions and (2) to explore the relation between UL kinematics and lesion location and extent within each lesion timing group. Methods: Forty-eight children (age 10.4 ± 2.7 year; 29 boys; 21 right-sided; 33 PWM; 15 CDGM) underwent an UL 3DMA during a reach-to-grasp task. Spatiotemporal parameters [movement duration, (timing of) maximum velocity, trajectory straightness], the Arm Profile Score (APS) and Arm Variable Scores (AVS) were extracted. The APS and AVS refer to the total amount of movement pathology and movement deviations of the wrist, elbow, shoulder, scapula and trunk respectively. Brain lesion location and extent were scored based on FLAIR-images using a semi-quantitative MRI-scale. Results: Children with CDGM lesions showed more aberrant spatiotemporal parameters ( p < 0.03) and more movement pathology (APS, p = 0.003) compared to the PWM group, mostly characterized by increased wrist flexion ( p = 0.01). In the CDGM group, moderate to high correlations were found between lesion location and extent and duration, timing of maximum velocity and trajectory straightness ( r = 0.53-0.90). Lesion location and extent were further moderately correlated with distal UL movement pathology (wrist flexion/extension, elbow pronation/supination, elbow flexion/extension; r = 0.50-0.65) and with the APS ( r = 0.51-0.63). In the PWM group, only a few and low correlations were observed, mostly between damage to the PLIC and higher AVS of elbow flexion/extension, shoulder elevation and trunk rotation ( r = 0.35-0.42). Regression analysis revealed damage to the temporal lobe with lesion timing as interactor (27%, p = 0.002) and the posterior limb of the internal capsule (PLIC) (7%, p = 0.04) as the strongest predictors, explaining 34% of the variance in APS. Conclusion: UL kinematic deviations are more influenced by lesion location and extent in children with later (CDGM) versus earlier lesions (PWM), except for proximal movement pathology. Damage to the PLIC is a significant predictor for UL movement pathology irrespective of lesion timing.

[The importance of movement-directed interventions in the multidisciplinary treatment of binge eating disorder: an overview].

PubMed

Vancampfort, D; Vanderlinden, J; Pieters, G; De Herdt, A; Schueremans, A; Adriaens, A; Van Der Borght, W; De Hert, M; Probst, M

2012-01-01

More than three out of four persons with binge eating disorder do not get enough physical exercise. To collect scientific evidence of the effects and benefits that movement and physical exercise can have on persons with a binge eating disorder. PubMed, PsychInfo, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Cochrane Library, Physiotherapy Evidence Database, the Dutch Journal of Psychiatry (Tijdschrift voor Psychiatrie), het Tijdschrift voor Vaktherapie and Actual Themata derived from psychomotor therapy were screened for the period January 1994 to August 2011. The methodological quality of the studies was determined on the basis of a checklist. Evidence for the effectiveness of the interventions was summarised by best-evidence synthesis. Eight studies met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Strong evidence was found for: 1) significant weight-loss after movement interventions; 2) fewer symptoms of depression after a combination of both movement and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) than after CBT on its own. There was only limited evidence for 1) the fact that the combination of movement and CBT leads to less eating disorder pathology than does CBT alone; 2) the beneficial effects of yoga on weight-loss as well as on the reduction of eating disorder pathology.There are indications that walking can be helpful in reducing of eating disorder pathology. Activities involving movement and physical exercise deserve to play an important role in the multidisciplinary treatment of binge eating disorders.

Use of induced acceleration to quantify the (de)stabilization effect of external and internal forces on postural responses.

PubMed

van Asseldonk, Edwin H F; Carpenter, Mark G; van der Helm, Frans C T; van der Kooij, Herman

2007-12-01

Due to the mechanical coupling between the body segments, it is impossible to see with the naked eye the causes of body movements and understand the interaction between movements of different body parts. The goal of this paper is to investigate the use of induced acceleration analysis to reveal the causes of body movements. We derive the analytical equations to calculate induced accelerations and evaluate its potential to study human postural responses to support-surface translations. We measured the kinematic and kinetic responses of a subject to sudden forward and backward translations of a moving platform. The kinematic and kinetics served as input to the induced acceleration analyses. The induced accelerations showed explicitly that the platform acceleration and deceleration contributed to the destabilization and restabilization of standing balance, respectively. Furthermore, the joint torques, coriolis and centrifugal forces caused by swinging of the arms, contributed positively to stabilization of the Center of Mass. It is concluded that induced acceleration analyses is a valuable tool in understanding balance responses to different kinds of perturbations and may help to identify the causes of movement in different pathologies.

What do eye movements tell us about patients with neurological disorders? — An introduction to saccade recording in the clinical setting —

PubMed Central

TERAO, Yasuo; FUKUDA, Hideki; HIKOSAKA, Okihide

2017-01-01

Non-invasive and readily implemented in the clinical setting, eye movement studies have been conducted extensively not only in healthy human subjects but also in patients with neurological disorders. The purpose of saccade studies is to “read out” the pathophysiology underlying neurological disorders from the saccade records, referring to known primate physiology. In the current review, we provide an overview of studies in which we attempted to elucidate the patterns of saccade abnormalities in over 250 patients with neurological disorders, including cerebellar ataxia and brainstem pathology due to neurodegenerative disorders, and what they tell about the pathophysiology of patients with neurological disorders. We also discuss how interventions, such as deep brain stimulation, affect saccade performance and provide further insights into the workings of the oculomotor system in humans. Finally, we argue that it is important to understand the functional significance and behavioral correlate of saccade abnormalities in daily life, which could require eye tracking methodologies to be performed in settings similar to daily life. PMID:29225306

[Vojta's method as the early neurodevelopmental diagnosis and therapy concept].

PubMed

Banaszek, Grazyna

2010-01-01

Vaclav Vojta (1917-2000) developed an early diagnostic method of the neurodevelopmental disorder of infants and came up with therapeutic concept consisting in releasing of global motor complexes by means of the stimulation of proper areas on patients body. In the diagnostics apart from very careful observation of the spontaneous movement of the infant and examination of the reflexes that are characteristic for the first weeks of human's life, Vojta applied the examination of the 7 postural reactions. Presence of the trouble in patterns and dynamics of the postural reactions Vojta called Central Nervous Coordination Disorder--CNCD and regarded as work diagnosis or alarm signal indicating necessity of application of the therapy, especially when asymmetry of the muscle tone and primitive reflexes beyond their physiological appearance period are observed or the number of the abnormal reactions exceeds 5. Global motor complexes as reflex locomotion--crawling and rotation--consist of all the partial motion patterns, which are gradually used by healthy infant in the process of postural and motor ontogenesis. Providing the central nervous system with proper external stimulation allows to, using neuronal plasticity, recreate an access to the human's postural development program and gradually replace pathological motor patterns by those more regular. Exercises repeated several times a day rebuilt support, erectile and vertical mechanisms, improve automatic postural control and phase lower limb movement. Affecting especially on autochtonic muscles of the spine exercises balance synergic cooperation of muscle groups in the trunk and those surrounding key body joints. This way they correct body's posture and peripheral motion and pathology of the outlasted primitive reflexes gradually withdraws.

Pilot study on quantitative assessment of muscle imbalance: differences of muscle synergies, equilibrium-point trajectories, and endpoint stiffness in normal and pathological upper-limb movements.

PubMed

Oku, Takanori; Uno, Kanna; Nishi, Tomoki; Kageyama, Masayuki; Phatiwuttipat, Pipatthana; Koba, Keitaro; Yamashita, Yuto; Murakami, Kenta; Uemura, Mitsunori; Hirai, Hiroaki; Miyazaki, Fumio; Naritomi, Hiroaki

2014-01-01

This paper proposes a novel method for assessment of muscle imbalance based on muscle synergy hypothesis and equilibrium point (EP) hypothesis of motor control. We explain in detail the method for extracting muscle synergies under the concept of agonist-antagonist (AA) muscle pairs and for estimating EP trajectories and endpoint stiffness of human upper limbs in a horizontal plane using an electromyogram. The results of applying this method to the reaching movement of one normal subject and one hemiplegic subject suggest that (1) muscle synergies (the balance among coactivation of AA muscle pairs), particularly the synergies that contributes to the angular directional kinematics of EP and the limb stiffness, are quite different between the normal subject and the hemiplegic subject; (2) the concomitant EP trajectory is also different between the normal and hemiplegic subjects, corresponding to the difference of muscle synergies; and (3) the endpoint (hand) stiffness ellipse of the hemiplegic subject becomes more elongated and orientation of the major axis rotates clockwise more than that of the normal subject. The level of motor impairment would be expected to be assessed from a comparison of these differences of muscle synergies, EP trajectories, and endpoint stiffness among normal and pathological subjects using the method.

Industrial toxicants and Parkinson’s disease

PubMed Central

Caudle, W. Michael; Guillot, Thomas S.; Lazo, Carlos R.; Miller, Gary W.

2012-01-01

The exposure of the human population to environmental contaminants is recognized as a significant contributing factor for the development of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and other forms of parkinsonism. While pesticides have repeatedly been identified as risk factors for PD, these compounds represent only a subset of environmental toxicants that we are exposed to on a regular basis. Thus, non-pesticide contaminants, such as metals, solvents, and other organohalogen compounds have also been implicated in the clinical and pathological manifestations of these movement disorders and it is these non-pesticide compounds that are the subject of this review. As toxic exposures to these classes of compounds can result in a spectrum of PD or PD-related disorders, it is imperative to appreciate shared clinico-pathological characteristics or mechanisms of action of these compounds in order to further delineate the resultant disorders as well as identify improved preventive strategies or therapeutic interventions. PMID:22309908

[Nystagmus].

PubMed

Jutila, Topi; Hirvonen, Timo P

2013-01-01

Physiological nystagmus stabilizes gaze during head movements and pathological nystagmus reflects a disorder of the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR). Pathological nystagmus appears or strengthens usually during change in head position. Therefore, dizziness or nystagmus associated with head movements is not specific to benign paroxysmal positional vertigo unless it is verified in specific positional test. Peripheral nystagmus decelerates during visual fixation, accelerates when gaze is turned towards the fast phase, does not change direction, and is usually composed of several directional components unlike central nystagmus. The velocity and frequency of the slow phase of nystagmus can be measured with electronystagmography or video-oculography.

Pathology smorgasboard: Biocontrol, pathogen movement, and recent fumigation results

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Research on soilborne pathogens, disease control, and new forest diseases of interest were presented at the Western Forest and Conservation Nursery Association meeting in 2016. Research topics included reduced-rate soil fumigation, Pythium diversity and biocontrol, pathogen movement among nurseries,...

Abnormalities in whisking behaviour are associated with lesions in brain stem nuclei in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

PubMed

Grant, Robyn A; Sharp, Paul S; Kennerley, Aneurin J; Berwick, Jason; Grierson, Andrew; Ramesh, Tennore; Prescott, Tony J

2014-02-01

The transgenic SOD1(G93A) mouse is a model of human amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and recapitulates many of the pathological hallmarks observed in humans, including motor neuron degeneration in the brain and the spinal cord. In mice, neurodegeneration particularly impacts on the facial nuclei in the brainstem. Motor neurons innervating the whisker pad muscles originate in the facial nucleus of the brain stem, with contractions of these muscles giving rise to "whisking" one of the fastest movements performed by mammals. A longitudinal study was conducted on SOD1(G93A) mice and wild-type litter mate controls, comparing: (i) whisker movements using high-speed video recordings and automated whisker tracking, and (ii) facial nucleus degeneration using MRI. Results indicate that while whisking still occurs in SOD1(G93A) mice and is relatively resistant to neurodegeneration, there are significant disruptions to certain whisking behaviours, which correlate with facial nuclei lesions, and may be as a result of specific facial muscle degeneration. We propose that measures of mouse whisker movement could potentially be used in tandem with measures of limb dysfunction as biomarkers of disease onset and progression in ALS mice and offers a novel method for testing the efficacy of novel therapeutic compounds. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Desensitization of triggers and urge reprocessing for pathological gambling: a case series.

PubMed

Bae, Hwallip; Han, Changwoo; Kim, Daeho

2015-03-01

This case series introduces the desensitization of triggers and urge reprocessing (DeTUR), as a promising adjunctive therapy in addition to comprehensive treatment package for pathological gambling. This addiction protocol of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing was delivered to four male inpatients admitted to a 10-week inpatient program for pathological gambling. The therapist gave three 60-min weekly sessions of the DeTUR using bilateral stimulation (horizontal eye movements or alternative tactile stimuli) focusing on the hierarchy of triggering situations and the urge to initiate gambling behaviors. After treatment, self-reported gambling symptoms, depression, anxiety, and impulsiveness were all improved, and all the participants reported satisfaction with the therapy. They were followed up for 6 months and all maintained their abstinence from gambling and their symptomatic improvements. Given the efficiency (i.e., brevity and efficacy) of the treatment, a controlled study to confirm the effects of the DeTUR on pathological gambling would be justified.

Respiratory ultradian rhythms of mean and low frequencies: a comparative physiological approach.

PubMed

Stupfel, M; Pletan, Y

1983-01-01

Recent developments in human rhythmic respiratory pathology lead to this review of the literature for ultradian rhythms of middle and low frequencies, that is having periods longer than the usual respiratory rates, whose periods are seconds or fractions of seconds. Ultradian respiratory movements for respiratory periods (5 less than tau less than 50 min) have been reported in many species of small laboratory animals (mice, rats, guinea-pigs, rabbits, quails). Long-period respiratory rates (20 less than tau less than 90 min) have been found in human fetuses and infants. But they are more difficult to detect in human adults, except during sleep where they have been related to REM and NONREM activities. These respiratory rhythms of middle and low frequencies are supposed to result from dissipative energy structures related to surface-volume relationships, with interlocking chemical clocks, and to be relevant to a basic rest-activity cycle.

A perceptual map for gait symmetry quantification and pathology detection.

PubMed

Moevus, Antoine; Mignotte, Max; de Guise, Jacques A; Meunier, Jean

2015-10-29

The gait movement is an essential process of the human activity and the result of collaborative interactions between the neurological, articular and musculoskeletal systems, working efficiently together. This explains why gait analysis is important and increasingly used nowadays for the diagnosis of many different types (neurological, muscular, orthopedic, etc.) of diseases. This paper introduces a novel method to quickly visualize the different parts of the body related to an asymmetric movement in the human gait of a patient for daily clinical usage. The proposed gait analysis algorithm relies on the fact that the healthy walk has (temporally shift-invariant) symmetry properties in the coronal plane. The goal is to provide an inexpensive and easy-to-use method, exploiting an affordable consumer depth sensor, the Kinect, to measure the gait asymmetry and display results in a perceptual way. We propose a multi-dimensional scaling mapping using a temporally shift invariant distance, allowing us to efficiently visualize (in terms of perceptual color difference) the asymmetric body parts of the gait cycle of a subject. We also propose an index computed from this map and which quantifies locally and globally the degree of asymmetry. The proposed index is proved to be statistically significant and this new, inexpensive, marker-less, non-invasive, easy to set up, gait analysis system offers a readable and flexible tool for clinicians to analyze gait characteristics and to provide a fast diagnostic. This system, which estimates a perceptual color map providing a quick overview of asymmetry existing in the gait cycle of a subject, can be easily exploited for disease progression, recovery cues from post-operative surgery (e.g., to check the healing process or the effect of a treatment or a prosthesis) or might be used for other pathologies where gait asymmetry might be a symptom.

Clinical assessment and three-dimensional movement analysis: An integrated approach for upper limb evaluation in children with unilateral cerebral palsy

PubMed Central

Ortibus, Els; Simon-Martinez, Cristina; Desloovere, Kaat; Molenaers, Guy; Klingels, Katrijn; Feys, Hilde

2017-01-01

Introduction The clinical application of upper limb (UL) three-dimensional movement analysis (3DMA) in children with unilateral cerebral palsy (uCP) remains challenging, despite its benefits compared to conventional clinical scales. Moreover, knowledge on UL movement pathology and how this relates to clinical parameters remains scarce. Therefore, we investigated UL kinematics across different manual ability classification system (MACS) levels and explored the relation between clinical and kinematic parameters in children with uCP. Patients and methods Fifty children (MACS: I = 15, II = 26, III = 9) underwent an UL evaluation of sensorimotor impairments (grip force, muscle strength, muscle tone, two-point discrimination, stereognosis), bimanual performance (Assisting Hand Assessment, AHA), unimanual capacity (Melbourne Assessment 2, MA2) and UL-3DMA during hand-to-head, hand-to-mouth and reach-to-grasp tasks. Global parameters (Arm Profile Score (APS), duration, (timing of) maximum velocity, trajectory straightness) and joint specific parameters (angles at task endpoint, ROM and Arm Variable Scores (AVS)) were extracted. The APS and AVS refer respectively to the total amount of movement pathology and movement deviations of wrist, elbow, shoulder, scapula and trunk. Results Longer movement durations and increased APS were found with higher MACS-levels (p<0.001). Increased APS was also associated with more severe sensorimotor impairments (r = -0.30-(-0.73)) and with lower AHA and MA2-scores (r = -0.50-(-0.86)). For the joint specific parameters, stronger movement deviations distally were significantly associated with increased muscle weakness (r = -0.32-(-0.74)) and muscle tone (r = 0.33-(-0.61)); proximal movement deviations correlated only with muscle weakness (r = -0.35–0.59). Regression analysis exposed grip force as the most important predictor for the variability in APS (p<0.002). Conclusion We found increased movement pathology with increasing MACS-levels and demonstrated the adverse impact of especially muscle weakness. The lower correlations suggest that 3DMA provides additional information regarding UL motor function, particularly for the proximal joints. Integrating both methods seems clinically meaningful to obtain a comprehensive representation of all aspects of a child’s UL functioning. PMID:28671953

Clinical assessment and three-dimensional movement analysis: An integrated approach for upper limb evaluation in children with unilateral cerebral palsy.

PubMed

Mailleux, Lisa; Jaspers, Ellen; Ortibus, Els; Simon-Martinez, Cristina; Desloovere, Kaat; Molenaers, Guy; Klingels, Katrijn; Feys, Hilde

2017-01-01

The clinical application of upper limb (UL) three-dimensional movement analysis (3DMA) in children with unilateral cerebral palsy (uCP) remains challenging, despite its benefits compared to conventional clinical scales. Moreover, knowledge on UL movement pathology and how this relates to clinical parameters remains scarce. Therefore, we investigated UL kinematics across different manual ability classification system (MACS) levels and explored the relation between clinical and kinematic parameters in children with uCP. Fifty children (MACS: I = 15, II = 26, III = 9) underwent an UL evaluation of sensorimotor impairments (grip force, muscle strength, muscle tone, two-point discrimination, stereognosis), bimanual performance (Assisting Hand Assessment, AHA), unimanual capacity (Melbourne Assessment 2, MA2) and UL-3DMA during hand-to-head, hand-to-mouth and reach-to-grasp tasks. Global parameters (Arm Profile Score (APS), duration, (timing of) maximum velocity, trajectory straightness) and joint specific parameters (angles at task endpoint, ROM and Arm Variable Scores (AVS)) were extracted. The APS and AVS refer respectively to the total amount of movement pathology and movement deviations of wrist, elbow, shoulder, scapula and trunk. Longer movement durations and increased APS were found with higher MACS-levels (p<0.001). Increased APS was also associated with more severe sensorimotor impairments (r = -0.30-(-0.73)) and with lower AHA and MA2-scores (r = -0.50-(-0.86)). For the joint specific parameters, stronger movement deviations distally were significantly associated with increased muscle weakness (r = -0.32-(-0.74)) and muscle tone (r = 0.33-(-0.61)); proximal movement deviations correlated only with muscle weakness (r = -0.35-0.59). Regression analysis exposed grip force as the most important predictor for the variability in APS (p<0.002). We found increased movement pathology with increasing MACS-levels and demonstrated the adverse impact of especially muscle weakness. The lower correlations suggest that 3DMA provides additional information regarding UL motor function, particularly for the proximal joints. Integrating both methods seems clinically meaningful to obtain a comprehensive representation of all aspects of a child's UL functioning.

Modeling and simulation of normal and hemiparetic gait

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luengas, Lely A.; Camargo, Esperanza; Sanchez, Giovanni

2015-09-01

Gait is the collective term for the two types of bipedal locomotion, walking and running. This paper is focused on walking. The analysis of human gait is of interest to many different disciplines, including biomechanics, human-movement science, rehabilitation and medicine in general. Here we present a new model that is capable of reproducing the properties of walking, normal and pathological. The aim of this paper is to establish the biomechanical principles that underlie human walking by using Lagrange method. The constraint forces of Rayleigh dissipation function, through which to consider the effect on the tissues in the gait, are included. Depending on the value of the factor present in the Rayleigh dissipation function, both normal and pathological gait can be simulated. First of all, we apply it in the normal gait and then in the permanent hemiparetic gait. Anthropometric data of adult person are used by simulation, and it is possible to use anthropometric data for children but is necessary to consider existing table of anthropometric data. Validation of these models includes simulations of passive dynamic gait that walk on level ground. The dynamic walking approach provides a new perspective of gait analysis, focusing on the kinematics and kinetics of gait. There have been studies and simulations to show normal human gait, but few of them have focused on abnormal, especially hemiparetic gait. Quantitative comparisons of the model predictions with gait measurements show that the model can reproduce the significant characteristics of normal gait.

The neuropsychiatry of hyperkinetic movement disorders: insights from neuroimaging into the neural circuit bases of dysfunction.

PubMed

Hayhow, Bradleigh D; Hassan, Islam; Looi, Jeffrey C L; Gaillard, Francesco; Velakoulis, Dennis; Walterfang, Mark

2013-01-01

Movement disorders, particularly those associated with basal ganglia disease, have a high rate of comorbid neuropsychiatric illness. We consider the pathophysiological basis of the comorbidity between movement disorders and neuropsychiatric illness by 1) reviewing the epidemiology of neuropsychiatric illness in a range of hyperkinetic movement disorders, and 2) correlating findings to evidence from studies that have utilized modern neuroimaging techniques to investigate these disorders. In addition to diseases classically associated with basal ganglia pathology, such as Huntington disease, Wilson disease, the neuroacanthocytoses, and diseases of brain iron accumulation, we include diseases associated with pathology of subcortical white matter tracts, brain stem nuclei, and the cerebellum, such as metachromatic leukodystrophy, dentatorubropallidoluysian atrophy, and the spinocerebellar ataxias. Neuropsychiatric symptoms are integral to a thorough phenomenological account of hyperkinetic movement disorders. Drawing on modern theories of cortico-subcortical circuits, we argue that these disorders can be conceptualized as disorders of complex subcortical networks with distinct functional architectures. Damage to any component of these complex information-processing networks can have variable and often profound consequences for the function of more remote neural structures, creating a diverse but nonetheless rational pattern of clinical symptomatology.

Neuropathology in movement disorders.

PubMed Central

Gibb, W R

1989-01-01

This review concentrates on the definition and classification of degenerative movement disorders in which Parkinsonian symptoms are often prominent. The pathological spectrum and clinical manifestations of Lewy body disease are described, and associations with Alzheimer's disease and motor neuron disease are explored. A classification of pallidonigral degenerations is based on clinical features, distribution of pathology, and morphological abnormalities; some of these patients have mild nigral degeneration and no Parkinsonian features. Many other juvenile and familial Parkinsonian cases are not included among the pallidonigral degenerations. Most of these latter syndromes have been organised into preliminary groups, in particular, autosomal dominant dystonia-Parkinson syndrome, juvenile Parkinsonian disorder and autosomal dominant Lewy body disease. Images PMID:2547027

The Amniote Oculomotor Complex.

PubMed

Company, Verónica; Moreno-Bravo, Juan Antonio; Perez-Balaguer, Ariadna; Puelles, Eduardo

2018-04-16

The oculomotor (OM) complex is a combination of somatic and parasympatethic neurons. The correct development and wiring of this cranial pair is essential to perform basic functions: eyeball and eyelid movements, pupillary constriction, and lens accommodation. The improper formation or function of this nucleus leads pathologies such as strabismus. We describe the OM organization and function in different vertebrate brains, including chick, mouse, and human. The morphological localization is detailed, as well as the spatial relation with the trochlear nucleus in order to adjust some misleading anatomical topographic descriptions. We detailed the signaling processes needed for the specification of the OM neurons. The transcriptional programs driven the specification and differentiation of these neurons are partially determined. We summarized recent genetic studies that have led to the identification of guidance mechanisms involved in the migration, axon pathfinding, and targeting of the OM neurons. Finally, we overviewed the pathology associated to genetic malformations in the OM development and related clinical alterations. Anat Rec, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

CEP63 deficiency promotes p53-dependent microcephaly and reveals a role for the centrosome in meiotic recombination.

PubMed

Marjanović, Marko; Sánchez-Huertas, Carlos; Terré, Berta; Gómez, Rocío; Scheel, Jan Frederik; Pacheco, Sarai; Knobel, Philip A; Martínez-Marchal, Ana; Aivio, Suvi; Palenzuela, Lluís; Wolfrum, Uwe; McKinnon, Peter J; Suja, José A; Roig, Ignasi; Costanzo, Vincenzo; Lüders, Jens; Stracker, Travis H

2015-07-09

CEP63 is a centrosomal protein that facilitates centriole duplication and is regulated by the DNA damage response. Mutations in CEP63 cause Seckel syndrome, a human disease characterized by microcephaly and dwarfism. Here we demonstrate that Cep63-deficient mice recapitulate Seckel syndrome pathology. The attrition of neural progenitor cells involves p53-dependent cell death, and brain size is rescued by the deletion of p53. Cell death is not the result of an aberrant DNA damage response but is triggered by centrosome-based mitotic errors. In addition, Cep63 loss severely impairs meiotic recombination, leading to profound male infertility. Cep63-deficient spermatocytes display numerical and structural centrosome aberrations, chromosome entanglements and defective telomere clustering, suggesting that a reduction in centrosome-mediated chromosome movements underlies recombination failure. Our results provide novel insight into the molecular pathology of microcephaly and establish a role for the centrosome in meiotic recombination.

CEP63 deficiency promotes p53-dependent microcephaly and reveals a role for the centrosome in meiotic recombination

PubMed Central

Marjanović, Marko; Sánchez-Huertas, Carlos; Terré, Berta; Gómez, Rocío; Scheel, Jan Frederik; Pacheco, Sarai; Knobel, Philip A.; Martínez-Marchal, Ana; Aivio, Suvi; Palenzuela, Lluís; Wolfrum, Uwe; McKinnon, Peter J.; Suja, José A.; Roig, Ignasi; Costanzo, Vincenzo; Lüders, Jens; Stracker, Travis H.

2015-01-01

CEP63 is a centrosomal protein that facilitates centriole duplication and is regulated by the DNA damage response. Mutations in CEP63 cause Seckel syndrome, a human disease characterized by microcephaly and dwarfism. Here we demonstrate that Cep63 deficient mice recapitulate Seckel syndrome pathology. The attrition of neural progenitor cells involves p53-dependent cell death and brain size is rescued by the deletion of p53. Cell death is not the result of an aberrant DNA damage response but is triggered by centrosome-based mitotic errors. In addition, Cep63 loss severely impairs meiotic recombination, leading to profound male infertility. Cep63 deficient spermatocytes display numerical and structural centrosome aberrations, chromosome entanglements and defective telomere clustering, suggesting that a reduction in centrosome-mediated chromosome movements underlies recombination failure. Our results provide novel insight into the molecular pathology of microcephaly and establish a role for the centrosome in meiotic recombination. PMID:26158450

Oscillatory activity in the basal ganglia and deep brain stimulation.

PubMed

Guridi, Jorge; Alegre, Manuel

2017-01-01

Over the past 10 years, research into the neurophysiology of the basal ganglia has provided new insights into the pathophysiology of movement disorders. The presence of pathological oscillations at specific frequencies has been linked to different signs and symptoms in PD and dystonia, suggesting a new model to explain basal ganglia dysfunction. These advances occurred in parallel with improvements in imaging and neurosurgical techniques, both of which having facilitated the more widespread use of DBS to modulate dysfunctional circuits. High-frequency stimulation is thought to disrupt pathological activity in the motor cortex/basal ganglia network; however, it is not easy to explain all of its effects based only on changes in network oscillations. In this viewpoint, we suggest that a return to classic anatomical concepts might help to understand some apparently paradoxical findings. © 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. © 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Motor stereotypies.

PubMed

Singer, Harvey S

2009-06-01

Stereotypic movements are ubiquitous, occur in a variety of forms, and exist in different populations, ranging from individuals with autism to typically developing children. Although such movements are required to be restricted, repetitive, and purposeless, their definition and included activities remain broad and imprecise. Movements are typically classified into 2 groups, primary (physiological) and secondary (pathological), depending upon the presence of additional signs or symptoms. Although some view these movements as behaviors produced to alter a state of arousal, there is increasing evidence to support a neurobiological mechanism. Behavioral and pharmacological therapies have been used with varying effect.

Euromir 95 T4 experiment 'Human Posture in microgravity': global results and future perspectives.

PubMed

Pedrocchi, A; Baroni, G; Ferrigno, G; Massion, J; Pedotti, A

2002-07-01

After 7 years of studies on Euromir 95 T4 experiment 'Human Posture in microgravity' dataset, some important remarks can be proposed for best exploiting future experimental campaigns as well as for neurophysiological investigations on-ground. The main focus of such experiments was to monitor the process of learning and adapting to the new environment in performing complex voluntary movements. Euromir 95 was the first quantitative investigation with high technology instrumentation (ELITE-S) involving two subjects starting from 15 days after the launch until 5 months of mission. Results confirm the excellent capability of mutation of motor planning by the central nervous system (CNS) in order to best exploit environmental constraints and advantages. Under this view, the results offer a unique cue for improving the design of rehabilitation processes in motor pathologies.

Interhemispheric Control of Unilateral Movement

PubMed Central

Beaulé, Vincent; Tremblay, Sara; Théoret, Hugo

2012-01-01

To perform strictly unilateral movements, the brain relies on a large cortical and subcortical network. This network enables healthy adults to perform complex unimanual motor tasks without the activation of contralateral muscles. However, mirror movements (involuntary movements in ipsilateral muscles that can accompany intended movement) can be seen in healthy individuals if a task is complex or fatiguing, in childhood, and with increasing age. Lateralization of movement depends on complex interhemispheric communication between cortical (i.e., dorsal premotor cortex, supplementary motor area) and subcortical (i.e., basal ganglia) areas, probably coursing through the corpus callosum (CC). Here, we will focus on transcallosal interhemispheric inhibition (IHI), which facilitates complex unilateral movements and appears to play an important role in handedness, pathological conditions such as Parkinson's disease, and stroke recovery. PMID:23304559

Human movement tracking based on Kalman filter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yi; Luo, Yuan

2006-11-01

During the rehabilitation process of the post-stroke patients is conducted, their movements need to be localized and learned so that incorrect movement can be instantly modified or tuned. Therefore, tracking these movement becomes vital and necessary for the rehabilitative course. In the technologies of human movement tracking, the position prediction of human movement is very important. In this paper, we first analyze the configuration of the human movement system and choice of sensors. Then, The Kalman filter algorithm and its modified algorithm are proposed and to be used to predict the position of human movement. In the end, on the basis of analyzing the performance of the method, it is clear that the method described can be used to the system of human movement tracking.

Modifying upper-limb inter-joint coordination in healthy subjects by training with a robotic exoskeleton.

PubMed

Proietti, Tommaso; Guigon, Emmanuel; Roby-Brami, Agnès; Jarrassé, Nathanaël

2017-06-12

The possibility to modify the usually pathological patterns of coordination of the upper-limb in stroke survivors remains a central issue and an open question for neurorehabilitation. Despite robot-led physical training could potentially improve the motor recovery of hemiparetic patients, most of the state-of-the-art studies addressing motor control learning, with artificial virtual force fields, only focused on the end-effector kinematic adaptation, by using planar devices. Clearly, an interesting aspect of studying 3D movements with a robotic exoskeleton, is the possibility to investigate the way the human central nervous system deals with the natural upper-limb redundancy for common activities like pointing or tracking tasks. We asked twenty healthy participants to perform 3D pointing or tracking tasks under the effect of inter-joint velocity dependant perturbing force fields, applied directly at the joint level by a 4-DOF robotic arm exoskeleton. These fields perturbed the human natural inter-joint coordination but did not constrain directly the end-effector movements and thus subjects capability to perform the tasks. As a consequence, while the participants focused on the achievement of the task, we unexplicitly modified their natural upper-limb coordination strategy. We studied the force fields direct effect on pointing movements towards 8 targets placed in the 3D peripersonal space, and we also considered potential generalizations on 4 distinct other targets. Post-effects were studied after the removal of the force fields (wash-out and follow up). These effects were quantified by a kinematic analysis of the pointing movements at both end-point and joint levels, and by a measure of the final postures. At the same time, we analysed the natural inter-joint coordination through PCA. During the exposition to the perturbative fields, we observed modifications of the subjects movement kinematics at every level (joints, end-effector, and inter-joint coordination). Adaptation was evidenced by a partial decrease of the movement deviations due to the fields, during the repetitions, but it occurred only on 21% of the motions. Nonetheless post-effects were observed in 86% of cases during the wash-out and follow up periods (right after the removal of the perturbation by the fields and after 30 minutes of being detached from the exoskeleton). Important inter-individual differences were observed but with small variability within subjects. In particular, a group of subjects showed an over-shoot with respect to the original unexposed trajectories (in 30% of cases), but the most frequent consequence (in 55% of cases) was the partial persistence of the modified upper-limb coordination, adopted at the time of the perturbation. Temporal and spatial generalizations were also evidenced by the deviation of the movement trajectories, both at the end-effector and at the intermediate joints and the modification of the final pointing postures towards targets which were never exposed to any field. Such results are the first quantified characterization of the effects of modification of the upper-limb coordination in healthy subjects, by imposing modification through viscous force fields distributed at the joint level, and could pave the way towards opportunities to rehabilitate pathological arm synergies with robots.

Comparison of Urban Human Movements Inferring from Multi-Source Spatial-Temporal Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Rui; Tu, Wei; Cao, Jinzhou; Li, Qingquan

2016-06-01

The quantification of human movements is very hard because of the sparsity of traditional data and the labour intensive of the data collecting process. Recently, much spatial-temporal data give us an opportunity to observe human movement. This research investigates the relationship of city-wide human movements inferring from two types of spatial-temporal data at traffic analysis zone (TAZ) level. The first type of human movement is inferred from long-time smart card transaction data recording the boarding actions. The second type of human movement is extracted from citywide time sequenced mobile phone data with 30 minutes interval. Travel volume, travel distance and travel time are used to measure aggregated human movements in the city. To further examine the relationship between the two types of inferred movements, the linear correlation analysis is conducted on the hourly travel volume. The obtained results show that human movements inferred from smart card data and mobile phone data have a correlation of 0.635. However, there are still some non-ignorable differences in some special areas. This research not only reveals the citywide spatial-temporal human dynamic but also benefits the understanding of the reliability of the inference of human movements with big spatial-temporal data.

Critical Postmodernism in Human Movement, Physical Education, and Sport.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fernandez-Balboa, Juan-Miguel, Ed.

This collection of texts proposes alternative ways to examine human movement, discussing the traditional role of human movement professionals as agents of social and cultural reproduction. Part 1, The Human Movement Profession in the Postmodern Era: Critical Analyses, includes the first 10 chapters: (1) "Introduction: The Human Movement…

Effects of exercise training on the cardiovascular system: pharmacological approaches.

PubMed

Zanesco, Angelina; Antunes, Edson

2007-06-01

Physical exercise promotes beneficial health effects by preventing or reducing the deleterious effects of pathological conditions, such as arterial hypertension, coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer disease. Human movement studies are becoming an emerging science in the epidemiological area and public health. A great number of studies have shown that exercise training, in general, reduces sympathetic activity and/or increases parasympathetic tonus either in human or laboratory animals. Alterations in autonomic nervous system have been correlated with reduction in heart rate (resting bradycardia) and blood pressure, either in normotensive or hypertensive subjects. However, the underlying mechanisms by which physical exercise produce bradycardia and reduces blood pressure has not been fully understood. Pharmacological studies have particularly contributed to the comprehension of the role of receptor and transduction signaling pathways on the heart and blood vessels in response to exercise training. This review summarizes and examines the data from studies using animal models and human to determine the effect of exercise training on the cardiovascular system.

Which ante mortem clinical features predict progressive supranuclear palsy pathology?

PubMed

Respondek, Gesine; Kurz, Carolin; Arzberger, Thomas; Compta, Yaroslau; Englund, Elisabet; Ferguson, Leslie W; Gelpi, Ellen; Giese, Armin; Irwin, David J; Meissner, Wassilios G; Nilsson, Christer; Pantelyat, Alexander; Rajput, Alex; van Swieten, John C; Troakes, Claire; Josephs, Keith A; Lang, Anthony E; Mollenhauer, Brit; Müller, Ulrich; Whitwell, Jennifer L; Antonini, Angelo; Bhatia, Kailash P; Bordelon, Yvette; Corvol, Jean-Christophe; Colosimo, Carlo; Dodel, Richard; Grossman, Murray; Kassubek, Jan; Krismer, Florian; Levin, Johannes; Lorenzl, Stefan; Morris, Huw; Nestor, Peter; Oertel, Wolfgang H; Rabinovici, Gil D; Rowe, James B; van Eimeren, Thilo; Wenning, Gregor K; Boxer, Adam; Golbe, Lawrence I; Litvan, Irene; Stamelou, Maria; Höglinger, Günter U

2017-07-01

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a neuropathologically defined disease presenting with a broad spectrum of clinical phenotypes. To identify clinical features and investigations that predict or exclude PSP pathology during life, aiming at an optimization of the clinical diagnostic criteria for PSP. We performed a systematic review of the literature published since 1996 to identify clinical features and investigations that may predict or exclude PSP pathology. We then extracted standardized data from clinical charts of patients with pathologically diagnosed PSP and relevant disease controls and calculated the sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value of key clinical features for PSP in this cohort. Of 4166 articles identified by the database inquiry, 269 met predefined standards. The literature review identified clinical features predictive of PSP, including features of the following 4 functional domains: ocular motor dysfunction, postural instability, akinesia, and cognitive dysfunction. No biomarker or genetic feature was found reliably validated to predict definite PSP. High-quality original natural history data were available from 206 patients with pathologically diagnosed PSP and from 231 pathologically diagnosed disease controls (54 corticobasal degeneration, 51 multiple system atrophy with predominant parkinsonism, 53 Parkinson's disease, 73 behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia). We identified clinical features that predicted PSP pathology, including phenotypes other than Richardson's syndrome, with varying sensitivity and specificity. Our results highlight the clinical variability of PSP and the high prevalence of phenotypes other than Richardson's syndrome. The features of variant phenotypes with high specificity and sensitivity should serve to optimize clinical diagnosis of PSP. © 2017 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. © 2017 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Research on the position estimation of human movement based on camera projection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yi, Zhang; Yuan, Luo; Hu, Huosheng

2005-06-01

During the rehabilitation process of the post-stroke patients is conducted, their movements need to be localized and learned so that incorrect movement can be instantly modified or tuned. Therefore, tracking these movement becomes vital and necessary for the rehabilitative course. During human movement tracking, the position estimation of human movement is very important. In this paper, the character of the human movement system is first analyzed. Next, camera and inertial sensor are used to respectively measure the position of human movement, and the Kalman filter algorithm is proposed to fuse the two measurement to get a optimization estimation of the position. In the end, the performance of the method is analyzed.

Structure-Specific Movement Patterns in Patients With Chronic Low Back Dysfunction Using Lumbar Combined Movement Examination.

PubMed

Monie, Aubrey P; Price, Roger I; Lind, Christopher R P; Singer, Kevin P

2017-06-01

A test-retest cohort study was conducted to assess the use of a novel computer-aided, combined movement examination (CME) to measure change in low back movement after pain management intervention in 17 cases of lumbar spondylosis. Additionally we desired to use a CME normal reference range (NRR) to compare and contrast movement patterns identified from 3 specific structural pathologic conditions: intervertebral disc, facet joint, and nerve root compression. Computer-aided CME was used before and after intervention, in a cohort study design, to record lumbar range of movement along with pain, disability, and health self-report questionnaires in 17 participants who received image-guided facet, epidural, and/or rhizotomy intervention. In the majority of cases, CME was reassessed after injection together with 2 serial self-reports after an average of 2 and 14 weeks. A minimal clinically important difference of 30% was used to interpret meaningful change in self-reports. A CME NRR (n = 159) was used for comparison with the 17 cases. Post hoc observation included subgrouping cases into 3 discrete pathologic conditions, intervertebral disc, facet dysfunction, and nerve root compression, in order to report intergroup differences in CME movement. Seven of the 17 participants stated that a "combined" movement was their most painful CME direction. Self-report outcome data indicated that 4 participants experienced significant improvement in health survey, 5 improved by ≥30% on low back function, and 8 reported that low back pain was more bothersome than stiffness, 6 of whom achieved the minimal clinically important difference for self-reported pain. Subgrouping of cases into structure-specific groups provided insight to different CME movement patterns. The use of CME assists in identifying atypical lumbar movement relative to an age and sex NRR. Data from this study, exemplified by representative case studies, provide preliminary evidence for distinct intervertebral disc, facet joint, and nerve root compression CME movement patterns in cases of chronic lumbar spondylosis. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Emerging new tools to study and treat muscle pathologies: genetics and molecular mechanisms underlying skeletal muscle development, regeneration, and disease.

PubMed

Crist, Colin

2017-01-01

Skeletal muscle is the most abundant tissue in our body, is responsible for generating the force required for movement, and is also an important thermogenic organ. Skeletal muscle is an enigmatic tissue because while on the one hand, skeletal muscle regeneration after injury is arguably one of the best-studied stem cell-dependent regenerative processes, on the other hand, skeletal muscle is still subject to many degenerative disorders with few therapeutic options in the clinic. It is important to develop new regenerative medicine-based therapies for skeletal muscle. Future therapeutic strategies should take advantage of rapidly developing technologies enabling the differentiation of skeletal muscle from human pluripotent stem cells, along with precise genome editing, which will go hand in hand with a steady and focused approach to understanding underlying mechanisms of skeletal muscle development, regeneration, and disease. In this review, I focus on highlighting the recent advances that particularly have relied on developmental and molecular biology approaches to understanding muscle development and stem cell function. Copyright © 2016 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Quantitative assessment based on kinematic measures of functional impairments during upper extremity movements: A review.

PubMed

de los Reyes-Guzmán, Ana; Dimbwadyo-Terrer, Iris; Trincado-Alonso, Fernando; Monasterio-Huelin, Félix; Torricelli, Diego; Gil-Agudo, Angel

2014-08-01

Quantitative measures of human movement quality are important for discriminating healthy and pathological conditions and for expressing the outcomes and clinically important changes in subjects' functional state. However the most frequently used instruments for the upper extremity functional assessment are clinical scales, that previously have been standardized and validated, but have a high subjective component depending on the observer who scores the test. But they are not enough to assess motor strategies used during movements, and their use in combination with other more objective measures is necessary. The objective of the present review is to provide an overview on objective metrics found in literature with the aim of quantifying the upper extremity performance during functional tasks, regardless of the equipment or system used for registering kinematic data. A search in Medline, Google Scholar and IEEE Xplore databases was performed following a combination of a series of keywords. The full scientific papers that fulfilled the inclusion criteria were included in the review. A set of kinematic metrics was found in literature in relation to joint displacements, analysis of hand trajectories and velocity profiles. These metrics were classified into different categories according to the movement characteristic that was being measured. These kinematic metrics provide the starting point for a proposed objective metrics for the functional assessment of the upper extremity in people with movement disorders as a consequence of neurological injuries. Potential areas of future and further research are presented in the Discussion section. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[A complex study of the movement biomechanics in patients with post-stroke hemiparesis].

PubMed

Skvortsov, D V; Bulatova, M A; Kovrazhkina, E A; Suvorov, A Iu; Ivanova, G E; Skvortsova, V I

2012-01-01

The authors present results of a pilot study on biomechanics of non-cyclic movements of the human consequent verticalization in the ontogenesis of patients with post-stroke hemiparesis (10 patients in the acute stage of cerebral stroke) and 10 healthy volunteers without neurologic and orthopedic pathology. Some movements of therapeutic exercises Balance (a model of ontogenetic kinesitherapy) have been selected for the study. Cinematic parameters have been recorded using a system of motion 3D video analysis, a kinematic model was build in accordance to standard protocols. The skin (native and straightened) electromyogram (EMG) was recorded synchronously with kinematic data using 16-channel electromyography from the following pairs of muscles: mm. sternocleido-mastoideus, trapezius (горизонтальная порция), biceps brachii, triceps brachii, rectus femoris, adductor magnus. Major differences in the EMG picture between patients and controls were: 1) the EMG "monotony" with the involvement of multiple additional muscles in locomotions with the prevalence of the peculiar "tonic" muscle activity (low amplitudes without distinct peaks), stretching along the whole cycle of movement. In controls, EMG demonstrated variability and had mostly "phasic" character with distinct 1 or 2 peaks; 2) the asymmetry of EMG profile in symmetric movements. i.e. when performed simultaneously from the right and from the left sides. The latter feature may be considered as predictive because it was never found in healthy people. It allows to identify objectively weak muscles even in the absence of visible parethis during the routine neurological examination.

Neurologic and neuropsychiatric syndrome features of mold and mycotoxin exposure.

PubMed

Empting, L D

2009-01-01

Human exposure to molds, mycotoxins, and water-damaged buildings can cause neurologic and neuropsychiatric signs and symptoms. Many of these clinical features can partly mimic or be similar to classic neurologic disorders including pain syndromes, movement disorders, delirium, dementia, and disorders of balance and coordination. In this article, the author delineates the signs and symptoms of a syndrome precipitated by mold and mycotoxin exposure and contrasts and separates these findings neurodiagnostically from known neurologic diseases. This clinical process is designed to further the scientific exploration of the underlying neuropathophysiologic processes and to promote better understanding of effects of mold/mycotoxin/water-damaged buildings on the human nervous system and diseases of the nervous system. It is clear that mycotoxins can affect sensitive individuals, and possibly accelerate underlying neurologic/pathologic processes, but it is crucial to separate known neurologic and neuropsychiatric disorders from mycotoxin effects in order to study it properly.

Pathology as the enabler of human research.

PubMed

Crawford, James M; Tykocinski, Mark L

2005-09-01

Academic Pathology is a key player in human molecular science and in the powerful initiatives of the National Institutes of Health. Pathologists generate data crucial to virtually every molecular study of human tissue, and have the necessary skills and authority to oversee processing of human tissues for research analysis. We advocate that Academic Pathology is optimally positioned to drive the molecular revolution in study of human disease, through human tissue collection, analysis, and databasing. This can be achieved through playing a major role in human tissue procurement and management; establishing high-quality 'Pathology Resource Laboratories'; providing the scientific expertise for pathology data sharing; and recruiting and training physician scientists. Pathology should position itself to be the local institutional driver of technology implementation and development, by operating the resource laboratories, providing the expertise for technical and conceptual design of research projects, maintaining the databases that link molecular and morphological information on human tissues with the requisite clinical databases, providing education and mentorship of technology users, and nurturing new research through the development of preliminary data. We also consider that outstanding pathology journals are available for the publication of research emanating from such studies, to the benefit of the pathology profession as an academic enterprise. It is our earnest hope that Academic Pathology can play a leading role in the remarkable advances to be made as the 21st century unfolds.

Perspectives on the rapid eye movement sleep switch in rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder.

PubMed

Ramaligam, Vetrivelan; Chen, Michael C; Saper, Clifford B; Lu, Jun

2013-08-01

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep in mammals is associated with wakelike cortical and hippocampal activation and concurrent postural muscle atonia. Research during the past 5 decades has revealed the details of the neural circuitry regulating REM sleep and muscle atonia during this state. REM-active glutamatergic neurons in the sublaterodorsal nucleus (SLD) of the dorsal pons are critical for generation for REM sleep atonia. Descending projections from SLD glutamatergic neurons activate inhibitory premotor neurons in the ventromedial medulla (VMM) and in the spinal cord to antagonize the glutamatergic supraspinal inputs on the motor neurons during REM sleep. REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) consists of simple behaviors (i.e., twitching, jerking) and complex behaviors (i.e., defensive behavior, talking). Animal research has lead to the hypothesis that complex behaviors in RBD are due to SLD pathology, while simple behaviors of RBD may be due to less severe SLD pathology or dysfunction of the VMM, ventral pons, or spinal cord. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Planar cell polarity pathway in vertebrate epidermal development, homeostasis and repair

PubMed Central

Dworkin, Sebastian; Jane, Stephen M

2011-01-01

The planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway plays a critical role in diverse developmental processes that require coordinated cellular movement, including neural tube closure and renal tubulogenesis. Recent studies have demonstrated that this pathway also has emerging relevance to the epidermis, as PCP signaling underpins many aspects of skin biology and pathology, including epidermal development, hair orientation, stem cell division and cancer. Coordinated cellular movement required for epidermal repair in mammals is also regulated by PCP signaling, and in this context, a new PCP gene encoding the developmental transcription factor Grainyhead-like 3 (Grhl3) is critical. This review focuses on the role that PCP signaling plays in the skin across a variety of epidermal functions and highlights perturbations that induce epidermal pathologies. PMID:22041517

Automatic anatomical structures location based on dynamic shape measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Witkowski, Marcin; Rapp, Walter; Sitnik, Robert; Kujawinska, Malgorzata; Vander Sloten, Jos; Haex, Bart; Bogaert, Nico; Heitmann, Kjell

2005-09-01

New image processing methods and active photonics apparatus have made possible the development of relatively inexpensive optical systems for complex shape and object measurements. We present dynamic 360° scanning method for analysis of human lower body biomechanics, with an emphasis on the analysis of the knee joint. The anatomical structure (of high medical interest) that is possible to scan and analyze, is patella. Tracking of patella position and orientation under dynamic conditions may lead to detect pathological patella movements and help in knee joint disease diagnosis. The processed data is obtained from a dynamic laser triangulation surface measurement system, able to capture slow to normal movements with a scan frequency between 15 and 30 Hz. These frequency rates are enough to capture controlled movements used e.g. for medical examination purposes. The purpose of the work presented is to develop surface analysis methods that may be used as support of diagnosis of motoric abilities of lower limbs. The paper presents algorithms used to process acquired lower limbs surface data in order to find the position and orientation of patella. The algorithms implemented include input data preparation, curvature description methods, knee region discrimination and patella assumed position/orientation calculation. Additionally, a method of 4D (3D + time) medical data visualization is proposed. Also some exemplary results are presented.

OpenSim: a musculoskeletal modeling and simulation framework for in silico investigations and exchange.

PubMed

Seth, Ajay; Sherman, Michael; Reinbolt, Jeffrey A; Delp, Scott L

Movement science is driven by observation, but observation alone cannot elucidate principles of human and animal movement. Biomechanical modeling and computer simulation complement observations and inform experimental design. Biological models are complex and specialized software is required for building, validating, and studying them. Furthermore, common access is needed so that investigators can contribute models to a broader community and leverage past work. We are developing OpenSim, a freely available musculoskeletal modeling and simulation application and libraries specialized for these purposes, by providing: musculoskeletal modeling elements, such as biomechanical joints, muscle actuators, ligament forces, compliant contact, and controllers; and tools for fitting generic models to subject-specific data, performing inverse kinematics and forward dynamic simulations. OpenSim performs an array of physics-based analyses to delve into the behavior of musculoskeletal models by employing Simbody, an efficient and accurate multibody system dynamics code. Models are publicly available and are often reused for multiple investigations because they provide a rich set of behaviors that enables different lines of inquiry. This report will discuss one model developed to study walking and applied to gain deeper insights into muscle function in pathological gait and during running. We then illustrate how simulations can test fundamental hypotheses and focus the aims of in vivo experiments, with a postural stability platform and human model that provide a research environment for performing human posture experiments in silico . We encourage wide adoption of OpenSim for community exchange of biomechanical models and methods and welcome new contributors.

Subthalamic nucleus detects unnatural android movement.

PubMed

Ikeda, Takashi; Hirata, Masayuki; Kasaki, Masashi; Alimardani, Maryam; Matsushita, Kojiro; Yamamoto, Tomoyuki; Nishio, Shuichi; Ishiguro, Hiroshi

2017-12-19

An android, i.e., a realistic humanoid robot with human-like capabilities, may induce an uncanny feeling in human observers. The uncanny feeling about an android has two main causes: its appearance and movement. The uncanny feeling about an android increases when its appearance is almost human-like but its movement is not fully natural or comparable to human movement. Even if an android has human-like flexible joints, its slightly jerky movements cause a human observer to detect subtle unnaturalness in them. However, the neural mechanism underlying the detection of unnatural movements remains unclear. We conducted an fMRI experiment to compare the observation of an android and the observation of a human on which the android is modelled, and we found differences in the activation pattern of the brain regions that are responsible for the production of smooth and natural movement. More specifically, we found that the visual observation of the android, compared with that of the human model, caused greater activation in the subthalamic nucleus (STN). When the android's slightly jerky movements are visually observed, the STN detects their subtle unnaturalness. This finding suggests that the detection of unnatural movements is attributed to an error signal resulting from a mismatch between a visual input and an internal model for smooth movement.

[Autism spectrum disorders and mu rhythm. A new neurophysiological view].

PubMed

Palau-Baduell, Montserrat; Valls-Santasusana, Antonio; Salvadó-Salvadó, Berta

2011-03-01

Electroencephalographic studies of subjects with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) provide evidences of brain functional aspects in this pathology. Mu rhythm can be reactive in normal population (mu suppression) to both self-movements and to movements performed by others. These reactivities are considered to be related to mirror neurons activity. Subjects with ASD show significant mu suppression to self-movements but they fail to react to the movements performed by others. These findings support the hypothesis of a dysfunctional mirror neurons system in individuals with ASD. Moreover, dysfunction of mirror neurons would be related to social and communicative impairments, cognitive deficits and impairment imitation skills associated with ASD.

Nystagmus as a Sign of Labyrinthine Disorders-Three-Dimensional Analysis of Nystagmus-

PubMed Central

2008-01-01

In order to diagnose the pathological condition of vertiginous patients, a detailed observation of nystagmus in addition to examination of body equilibrium and other neurotological tests are essential. How to precisely record the eye movements is one of the goals of the researchers and clinicians who are interested in the analysis of eye movements for a long time. For considering that, one has to think about the optimal method for recording eye movements. In this review, the author introduced a new method, that is, an analysis of vestibular induced eye movements in three-dimensions and discussed the advantages and limitations of this method. PMID:19434275

Profile of cognitive impairment and underlying pathology in multiple system atrophy.

PubMed

Koga, Shunsuke; Parks, Adam; Uitti, Ryan J; van Gerpen, Jay A; Cheshire, William P; Wszolek, Zbigniew K; Dickson, Dennis W

2017-03-01

The objectives of this study were to elucidate any potential association between α-synuclein pathology and cognitive impairment and to determine the profile of cognitive impairment in multiple system atrophy (MSA) patients. To do this, we analyzed the clinical and pathologic features in autopsy-confirmed MSA patients. We retrospectively reviewed medical records, including neuropsychological test data, in 102 patients with autopsy-confirmed MSA in the Mayo Clinic brain bank. The burden of glial cytoplasmic inclusions and neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions were semiquantitatively scored in the limbic regions and middle frontal gyrus. We also assessed concurrent pathologies potentially causing dementia including Alzheimer's disease, hippocampal sclerosis, and cerebrovascular pathology. Of 102 patients, 33 (32%) were documented to have cognitive impairment. Those that received objective testing, deficits primarily in processing speed and attention/executive functions were identified, which suggests a frontal-subcortical pattern of dysfunction. Of these 33 patients with cognitive impairment, 8 patients had concurrent pathologies of dementia. MSA patients with cognitive impairment had a greater burden of neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions in the dentate gyrus than patients without cognitive impairment, both including and excluding patients with concurrent pathologies of dementia. The cognitive deficits observed in this study were more evident on neuropsychological assessment than with cognitive screens. Based on these findings, we recommend that clinicians consider more in-depth neuropsychological assessments if patients with MSA present with cognitive complaints. Although we did not identify the correlation between cognitive deficits and responsible neuroanatomical regions, a greater burden of neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions in the limbic regions was associated with cognitive impairment in MSA. © 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. © 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Adaptive Variability in Skilled Human Movements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kudo, Kazutoshi; Ohtsuki, Tatsuyuki

Human movements are produced in variable external/internal environments. Because of this variability, the same motor command can result in quite different movement patterns. Therefore, to produce skilled movements humans must coordinate the variability, not try to exclude it. In addition, because human movements are produced in redundant and complex systems, a combination of variability should be observed in different anatomical/physiological levels. In this paper, we introduce our research about human movement variability that shows remarkable coordination among components, and between organism and environment. We also introduce nonlinear dynamical models that can describe a variety of movements as a self-organization of a dynamical system, because the dynamical systems approach is a major candidate to understand the principle underlying organization of varying systems with huge degrees-of-freedom.

Pedagogy and Human Movement: Theory, Practice, Research. Routledge Studies in Physical Education and Youth Sport

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tinning, Richard

2011-01-01

Across the full range of human movement studies and their many sub-disciplines, established institutional practices and forms of pedagogy are used to (re)produce valued knowledge about human movement. "Pedagogy and Human Movement" explores this pedagogy in detail to reveal its applications and meanings within individual fields. This unique book…

Mouse cursor movement and eye tracking data as an indicator of pathologists’ attention when viewing digital whole slide images

PubMed Central

Raghunath, Vignesh; Braxton, Melissa O.; Gagnon, Stephanie A.; Brunyé, Tad T.; Allison, Kimberly H.; Reisch, Lisa M.; Weaver, Donald L.; Elmore, Joann G.; Shapiro, Linda G.

2012-01-01

Context: Digital pathology has the potential to dramatically alter the way pathologists work, yet little is known about pathologists’ viewing behavior while interpreting digital whole slide images. While tracking pathologist eye movements when viewing digital slides may be the most direct method of capturing pathologists’ viewing strategies, this technique is cumbersome and technically challenging to use in remote settings. Tracking pathologist mouse cursor movements may serve as a practical method of studying digital slide interpretation, and mouse cursor data may illuminate pathologists’ viewing strategies and time expenditures in their interpretive workflow. Aims: To evaluate the utility of mouse cursor movement data, in addition to eye-tracking data, in studying pathologists’ attention and viewing behavior. Settings and Design: Pathologists (N = 7) viewed 10 digital whole slide images of breast tissue that were selected using a random stratified sampling technique to include a range of breast pathology diagnoses (benign/atypia, carcinoma in situ, and invasive breast cancer). A panel of three expert breast pathologists established a consensus diagnosis for each case using a modified Delphi approach. Materials and Methods: Participants’ foveal vision was tracked using SensoMotoric Instruments RED 60 Hz eye-tracking system. Mouse cursor movement was tracked using a custom MATLAB script. Statistical Analysis Used: Data on eye-gaze and mouse cursor position were gathered at fixed intervals and analyzed using distance comparisons and regression analyses by slide diagnosis and pathologist expertise. Pathologists’ accuracy (defined as percent agreement with the expert consensus diagnoses) and efficiency (accuracy and speed) were also analyzed. Results: Mean viewing time per slide was 75.2 seconds (SD = 38.42). Accuracy (percent agreement with expert consensus) by diagnosis type was: 83% (benign/atypia); 48% (carcinoma in situ); and 93% (invasive). Spatial coupling was close between eye-gaze and mouse cursor positions (highest frequency ∆x was 4.00px (SD = 16.10), and ∆y was 37.50px (SD = 28.08)). Mouse cursor position moderately predicted eye gaze patterns (Rx = 0.33 and Ry = 0.21). Conclusions: Data detailing mouse cursor movements may be a useful addition to future studies of pathologists’ accuracy and efficiency when using digital pathology. PMID:23372984

Mouse cursor movement and eye tracking data as an indicator of pathologists' attention when viewing digital whole slide images.

PubMed

Raghunath, Vignesh; Braxton, Melissa O; Gagnon, Stephanie A; Brunyé, Tad T; Allison, Kimberly H; Reisch, Lisa M; Weaver, Donald L; Elmore, Joann G; Shapiro, Linda G

2012-01-01

Digital pathology has the potential to dramatically alter the way pathologists work, yet little is known about pathologists' viewing behavior while interpreting digital whole slide images. While tracking pathologist eye movements when viewing digital slides may be the most direct method of capturing pathologists' viewing strategies, this technique is cumbersome and technically challenging to use in remote settings. Tracking pathologist mouse cursor movements may serve as a practical method of studying digital slide interpretation, and mouse cursor data may illuminate pathologists' viewing strategies and time expenditures in their interpretive workflow. To evaluate the utility of mouse cursor movement data, in addition to eye-tracking data, in studying pathologists' attention and viewing behavior. Pathologists (N = 7) viewed 10 digital whole slide images of breast tissue that were selected using a random stratified sampling technique to include a range of breast pathology diagnoses (benign/atypia, carcinoma in situ, and invasive breast cancer). A panel of three expert breast pathologists established a consensus diagnosis for each case using a modified Delphi approach. Participants' foveal vision was tracked using SensoMotoric Instruments RED 60 Hz eye-tracking system. Mouse cursor movement was tracked using a custom MATLAB script. Data on eye-gaze and mouse cursor position were gathered at fixed intervals and analyzed using distance comparisons and regression analyses by slide diagnosis and pathologist expertise. Pathologists' accuracy (defined as percent agreement with the expert consensus diagnoses) and efficiency (accuracy and speed) were also analyzed. Mean viewing time per slide was 75.2 seconds (SD = 38.42). Accuracy (percent agreement with expert consensus) by diagnosis type was: 83% (benign/atypia); 48% (carcinoma in situ); and 93% (invasive). Spatial coupling was close between eye-gaze and mouse cursor positions (highest frequency ∆x was 4.00px (SD = 16.10), and ∆y was 37.50px (SD = 28.08)). Mouse cursor position moderately predicted eye gaze patterns (Rx = 0.33 and Ry = 0.21). Data detailing mouse cursor movements may be a useful addition to future studies of pathologists' accuracy and efficiency when using digital pathology.

Consensus Paper: The Cerebellum's Role in Movement and Cognition

PubMed Central

Koziol, Leonard F.; Budding, Deborah; Andreasen, Nancy; D'Arrigo, Stefano; Bulgheroni, Sara; Imamizu, Hiroshi; Ito, Masao; Manto, Mario; Marvel, Cherie; Parker, Krystal; Pezzulo, Giovanni; Ramnani, Narender; Riva, Daria; Schmahmann, Jeremy; Vandervert, Larry; Yamazaki, Tadashi

2014-01-01

While the cerebellum's role in motor function is well recognized, the nature of its concurrent role in cognitive function remains considerably less clear. The current consensus paper gathers diverse views on a variety of important roles played by the cerebellum across a range of cognitive and emotional functions. This paper considers the cerebellum in relation to neurocognitive development, language function, working memory, executive function, and the development of cerebellar internal control models and reflects upon some of the ways in which better understanding the cerebellum's status as a “supervised learning machine” can enrich our ability to understand human function and adaptation. As all contributors agree that the cerebellum plays a role in cognition, there is also an agreement that this conclusion remains highly inferential. Many conclusions about the role of the cerebellum in cognition originate from applying known information about cerebellar contributions to the coordination and quality of movement. These inferences are based on the uniformity of the cerebellum's compositional infrastructure and its apparent modular organization. There is considerable support for this view, based upon observations of patients with pathology within the cerebellum. PMID:23996631

Sleep Disturbances as a Risk Factor for Stroke

PubMed Central

Koo, Dae Lim; Nam, Hyunwoo; Thomas, Robert J.; Yun, Chang-Ho

2018-01-01

Sleep, a vital process of human being, is carefully orchestrated by the brain and consists of cyclic transitions between rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM (NREM) sleep. Autonomic tranquility during NREM sleep is characterized by vagal dominance and stable breathing, providing an opportunity for the cardiovascular-neural axis to restore homeostasis, in response to use, distress or fatigue inflicted during wakefulness. Abrupt irregular swings in sympathovagal balance during REM sleep act as phasic loads on the resting cardiovascular system. Any causes of sleep curtailment or fragmentation such as sleep restriction, sleep apnea, insomnia, periodic limb movements during sleep, and shift work, not only impair cardiovascular restoration but also impose a stress on the cardiovascular system. Sleep disturbances have been reported to play a role in the development of stroke and other cardiovascular disorders. This review aims to provide updated information on the role of abnormal sleep in the development of stroke, to discuss the implications of recent research findings, and to help both stroke clinicians and researchers understand the importance of identification and management of sleep pathology for stroke prevention and care. PMID:29402071

Recognizing upper limb movements with wrist worn inertial sensors using k-means clustering classification.

PubMed

Biswas, Dwaipayan; Cranny, Andy; Gupta, Nayaab; Maharatna, Koushik; Achner, Josy; Klemke, Jasmin; Jöbges, Michael; Ortmann, Steffen

2015-04-01

In this paper we present a methodology for recognizing three fundamental movements of the human forearm (extension, flexion and rotation) using pattern recognition applied to the data from a single wrist-worn, inertial sensor. We propose that this technique could be used as a clinical tool to assess rehabilitation progress in neurodegenerative pathologies such as stroke or cerebral palsy by tracking the number of times a patient performs specific arm movements (e.g. prescribed exercises) with their paretic arm throughout the day. We demonstrate this with healthy subjects and stroke patients in a simple proof of concept study in which these arm movements are detected during an archetypal activity of daily-living (ADL) - 'making-a-cup-of-tea'. Data is collected from a tri-axial accelerometer and a tri-axial gyroscope located proximal to the wrist. In a training phase, movements are initially performed in a controlled environment which are represented by a ranked set of 30 time-domain features. Using a sequential forward selection technique, for each set of feature combinations three clusters are formed using k-means clustering followed by 10 runs of 10-fold cross validation on the training data to determine the best feature combinations. For the testing phase, movements performed during the ADL are associated with each cluster label using a minimum distance classifier in a multi-dimensional feature space, comprised of the best ranked features, using Euclidean or Mahalanobis distance as the metric. Experiments were performed with four healthy subjects and four stroke survivors and our results show that the proposed methodology can detect the three movements performed during the ADL with an overall average accuracy of 88% using the accelerometer data and 83% using the gyroscope data across all healthy subjects and arm movement types. The average accuracy across all stroke survivors was 70% using accelerometer data and 66% using gyroscope data. We also use a Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) classifier and a Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier in association with the same set of features to detect the three arm movements and compare the results to demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed methodology. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Human γ-glutamyl transpeptidase 1: Structures of the free enzyme, inhibitor-bound tetrahedral transition states, and glutamate-bound enzyme reveal novel movement within the active site during catalysis [Human gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase: Inhibitor binding and movement within the active site

DOE PAGES

Terzyan, Simon S.; Burgett, Anthony W. G.; Heroux, Annie; ...

2015-05-26

γ-Glutamyl transpeptidase 1 (GGT1) is a cell surface, N-terminal nucleophile hydrolase that cleaves glutathione and other γ-glutamyl compounds. GGT1 expression is essential in cysteine homeostasis, and its induction has been implicated in the pathology of asthma, reperfusion injury, and cancer. In this study, we report four new crystal structures of human GGT1 (hGGT1) that show conformational changes within the active site as the enzyme progresses from the free enzyme to inhibitor-bound tetrahedral transition states and finally to the glutamate-bound structure prior to the release of this final product of the reaction. The structure of the apoenzyme shows flexibility within themore » active site. The serine-borate-bound hGGT1 crystal structure demonstrates that serine-borate occupies the active site of the enzyme, resulting in an enzyme-inhibitor complex that replicates the enzyme's tetrahedral intermediate/transition state. The structure of GGsTop-bound hGGT1 reveals its interactions with the enzyme and why neutral phosphonate diesters are more potent inhibitors than monoanionic phosphonates. These structures are the first structures for any eukaryotic GGT that include a molecule in the active site covalently bound to the catalytic Thr-381. The glutamate-bound structure shows the conformation of the enzyme prior to release of the final product and reveals novel information regarding the displacement of the main chain atoms that form the oxyanion hole and movement of the lid loop region when the active site is occupied. Lastly,tThese data provide new insights into the mechanism of hGGT1-catalyzed reactions and will be invaluable in the development of new classes of hGGT1 inhibitors for therapeutic use.« less

Human γ-glutamyl transpeptidase 1: Structures of the free enzyme, inhibitor-bound tetrahedral transition states, and glutamate-bound enzyme reveal novel movement within the active site during catalysis [Human gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase: Inhibitor binding and movement within the active site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Terzyan, Simon S.; Burgett, Anthony W. G.; Heroux, Annie

γ-Glutamyl transpeptidase 1 (GGT1) is a cell surface, N-terminal nucleophile hydrolase that cleaves glutathione and other γ-glutamyl compounds. GGT1 expression is essential in cysteine homeostasis, and its induction has been implicated in the pathology of asthma, reperfusion injury, and cancer. In this study, we report four new crystal structures of human GGT1 (hGGT1) that show conformational changes within the active site as the enzyme progresses from the free enzyme to inhibitor-bound tetrahedral transition states and finally to the glutamate-bound structure prior to the release of this final product of the reaction. The structure of the apoenzyme shows flexibility within themore » active site. The serine-borate-bound hGGT1 crystal structure demonstrates that serine-borate occupies the active site of the enzyme, resulting in an enzyme-inhibitor complex that replicates the enzyme's tetrahedral intermediate/transition state. The structure of GGsTop-bound hGGT1 reveals its interactions with the enzyme and why neutral phosphonate diesters are more potent inhibitors than monoanionic phosphonates. These structures are the first structures for any eukaryotic GGT that include a molecule in the active site covalently bound to the catalytic Thr-381. The glutamate-bound structure shows the conformation of the enzyme prior to release of the final product and reveals novel information regarding the displacement of the main chain atoms that form the oxyanion hole and movement of the lid loop region when the active site is occupied. Lastly,tThese data provide new insights into the mechanism of hGGT1-catalyzed reactions and will be invaluable in the development of new classes of hGGT1 inhibitors for therapeutic use.« less

Fear of movement modulates the feedforward motor control of the affected limb in complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS): A single-case study.

PubMed

Osumi, Michihiro; Sumitani, Masahiko; Otake, Yuko; Morioka, Shu

2018-01-01

Pain-related fear can exacerbate physical disability and pathological pain in complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) patients. We conducted a kinematic analysis of grasping movements with a pediatric patient suffering from CRPS in an upper limb to investigate how pain-related fear affects motor control. Using a three-dimensional measurement system, we recorded the patient's movement while grasping three vertical bars of different diameters (thin, middle, thick) with the affected and intact hands. We analyzed the maximum grasp distance between the thumb and the index finger (MGD), the peak velocity of the grasp movement (PV), and the time required for the finger opening phase (TOP) and closing phase (TCP). Consequently, the MGD and PV of grasp movements in the affected hand were significantly smaller than those of the intact hand when grasping the middle and thick bars. This might reflect pain-related fear against visual information of the target size which evokes sensation of difficulty in opening fingers widely to grasp the middle and thick bars. Although MGD and PV increased with target size, the TOP was longer in the affected hand when grasping the thick bar. These findings indicate that pain-related fear impairs motor commands that are sent to the musculoskeletal system, subsequently disrupting executed movements and their sensory feedback. Using kinematic analysis, we objectively demonstrated that pain-related fear affects the process of sending motor commands towards the musculoskeletal system in the CRPS-affected hand, providing a possible explanatory model of pathological pain. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spatiotemporal movement variability in ALS: Speaking rate effects on tongue, lower lip, and jaw motor control

PubMed Central

Kuruvilla-Dugdale, Mili; Mefferd, Antje

2017-01-01

Purpose Although it is frequently presumed that bulbar muscle degeneration in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is associated with progressive loss of speech motor control, empirical evidence is limited. Furthermore, because speaking rate slows with disease progression and rate manipulations are used to improve intelligibility in ALS, this study sought to (i) determine between and within-group differences in articulatory motor control as a result of speaking rate changes and (ii) identify the strength of association between articulatory motor control and speech impairment severity. Method Ten talkers with ALS and 11 healthy controls repeated the target sentence at habitual, fast, and slow rates. The spatiotemporal variability index (STI) was calculated to determine tongue, lower lip, and jaw movement variability. Results During habitual speech, talkers with mild-moderate dysarthria displayed significantly lower tongue and lip movement variability whereas those with severe dysarthria showed greater variability compared to controls. Within-group rate effects were significant only for talkers with ALS. Specifically, lip and tongue movement variability significantly increased during slow speech relative to habitual and fast speech. Finally, preliminary associations between speech impairment severity and movement variability were moderate to strong in talkers with ALS. Conclusion Between-group differences for habitual speech and within-group effects for slow speech replicated previous findings for lower lip and jaw movements. Preliminary findings of moderate to strong associations between speech impairment severity and STI suggest that articulatory variability may vary from pathologically low (possibly indicating articulatory compensation) to pathologically high variability (possibly indicating loss of control) with dysarthria progression in ALS. PMID:28528293

Reduction of Movement in Neurological Diseases: Effects on Neural Stem Cells Characteristics.

PubMed

Adami, Raffaella; Pagano, Jessica; Colombo, Michela; Platonova, Natalia; Recchia, Deborah; Chiaramonte, Raffaella; Bottinelli, Roberto; Canepari, Monica; Bottai, Daniele

2018-01-01

Both astronauts and patients affected by chronic movement-limiting pathologies face impairment in muscle and/or brain performance. Increased patient survival expectations and the expected longer stays in space by astronauts may result in prolonged motor deprivation and consequent pathological effects. Severe movement limitation can influence not only the motor and metabolic systems but also the nervous system, altering neurogenesis and the interaction between motoneurons and muscle cells. Little information is yet available about the effect of prolonged muscle disuse on neural stem cells characteristics. Our in vitro study aims to fill this gap by focusing on the biological and molecular properties of neural stem cells (NSCs). Our analysis shows that NSCs derived from the SVZ of HU mice had shown a reduced proliferation capability and an altered cell cycle. Furthermore, NSCs obtained from HU animals present an incomplete differentiation/maturation. The overall results support the existence of a link between reduction of exercise and muscle disuse and metabolism in the brain and thus represent valuable new information that could clarify how circumstances such as the absence of load and the lack of movement that occurs in people with some neurological diseases, may affect the properties of NSCs and contribute to the negative manifestations of these conditions.

The DSM-5 and the Politics of Diagnosing Transpeople.

PubMed

Davy, Zowie

2015-07-01

In the DSM-5, there has been a change in the diagnosis for transpeople of all ages from Gender Identity Disorder (GID) to Gender Dysphoria (GD), in part to better indicate the distress that transpeople may experience when their gender identity feels incongruent. The Workgroup for Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders, chaired by Kenneth J. Zucker, was employed by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) to update the DSM-5's GID diagnosis reflecting contemporary scientific knowledge. Additionally, in a pre-publication report to the APA, members of the Workgroup suggested that they would also be concerned with the destigmatization of transpeople while preserving a diagnosis that medical insurance companies would accept for issuing payments for transitioning treatments (Drescher, 2013). The aims of this article are, firstly, to question whether changing the diagnosis lessens the stigmatization of transpeople. I will suggest that the semantic change from GID to GD marks "inverted" gendered expressions as pathological and, thus, continues to stigmatize transpeople. Secondly, the article explores the development of the GD diagnosis, and illustrates how the scientific data this were founded on are contentious. The article then demonstrates how the trans anti-pathologization movement has challenged the perceived pathologizing effects of the DSM-5 classification of GD. The article examines a selection of Western transgender community advocates' websites, forums, and blogs. From these sources, the article then explores the different narratives of transpeople and political groups who offer details of their praxis, and evidences how the trans anti-pathologization advocates use the available science and human rights discourses to contest the role of psychiatry in the treatment of transpeople.

A Human Open Field Test Reveals Thigmotaxis Related to Agoraphobic Fear.

PubMed

Walz, Nora; Mühlberger, Andreas; Pauli, Paul

2016-09-01

Thigmotaxis refers to a specific behavior of animals (i.e., to stay close to walls when exploring an open space). Such behavior can be assessed with the open field test (OFT), which is a well-established indicator of animal fear. The detection of similar open field behavior in humans may verify the translational validity of this paradigm. Enhanced thigmotaxis related to anxiety may suggest the relevance of such behavior for anxiety disorders, especially agoraphobia. A global positioning system was used to analyze the behavior of 16 patients with agoraphobia and 18 healthy individuals with a risk for agoraphobia (i.e., high anxiety sensitivity) during a human OFT and compare it with appropriate control groups (n = 16 and n = 19). We also tracked 17 patients with agoraphobia and 17 control participants during a city walk that involved walking through an open market square. Our human OFT triggered thigmotaxis in participants; patients with agoraphobia and participants with high anxiety sensitivity exhibited enhanced thigmotaxis. This behavior was evident in increased movement lengths along the wall of the natural open field and fewer entries into the center of the field despite normal movement speed and length. Furthermore, participants avoided passing through the market square during the city walk, indicating again that thigmotaxis is related to agoraphobia. This study is the first to our knowledge to verify the translational validity of the OFT and to reveal that thigmotaxis, an evolutionarily adaptive behavior shown by most species, is related to agoraphobia, a pathologic fear of open spaces, and anxiety sensitivity, a risk factor for agoraphobia. Copyright © 2016 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Medical imaging informatics based solutions for human performance analytics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verma, Sneha; McNitt-Gray, Jill; Liu, Brent J.

2018-03-01

For human performance analysis, extensive experimental trials are often conducted to identify the underlying cause or long-term consequences of certain pathologies and to improve motor functions by examining the movement patterns of affected individuals. Data collected for human performance analysis includes high-speed video, surveys, spreadsheets, force data recordings from instrumented surfaces etc. These datasets are recorded from various standalone sources and therefore captured in different folder structures as well as in varying formats depending on the hardware configurations. Therefore, data integration and synchronization present a huge challenge while handling these multimedia datasets specifically for large datasets. Another challenge faced by researchers is querying large quantity of unstructured data and to design feedbacks/reporting tools for users who need to use datasets at various levels. In the past, database server storage solutions have been introduced to securely store these datasets. However, to automate the process of uploading raw files, various file manipulation steps are required. In the current workflow, this file manipulation and structuring is done manually and is not feasible for large amounts of data. However, by attaching metadata files and data dictionaries with these raw datasets, they can provide information and structure needed for automated server upload. We introduce one such system for metadata creation for unstructured multimedia data based on the DICOM data model design. We will discuss design and implementation of this system and evaluate this system with data set collected for movement analysis study. The broader aim of this paper is to present a solutions space achievable based on medical imaging informatics design and methods for improvement in workflow for human performance analysis in a biomechanics research lab.

The Rise of Forensic Pathology in Human Medicine: Lessons for Veterinary Forensic Pathology.

PubMed

Pollanen, M S

2016-09-01

The rise of forensic pathology in human medicine has greatly contributed to the administration of justice, public safety and security, and medical knowledge. However, the evolution of human forensic pathology has been challenging. Veterinary forensic pathologists can learn from some of the lessons that have informed the growth and development of human forensic pathology. Three main observations have emerged in the past decade. First, wrongful convictions tell us to use a truth-seeking stance rather than an a priori "think dirty" stance when investigating obscure death. Second, missed homicides and concealed homicides tell us that training and certification are the beginning of reliable forensic pathology. Third, failure of a sustainable institutional arrangement that fosters a combination of service, research, and teaching will lead to stagnation of knowledge. Forensic pathology of humans and animals will flourish, help protect society, and support justice if we embrace a modern biomedical scientific model for our practice. We must build training programs, contribute to the published literature, and forge strong collaborative institutions. © The Author(s) 2016.

Behavioral Phenotyping and Pathological Indicators of Parkinson's Disease in C. elegans Models

PubMed Central

Maulik, Malabika; Mitra, Swarup; Bult-Ito, Abel; Taylor, Barbara E.; Vayndorf, Elena M.

2017-01-01

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with symptoms that progressively worsen with age. Pathologically, PD is characterized by the aggregation of α-synuclein in cells of the substantia nigra in the brain and loss of dopaminergic neurons. This pathology is associated with impaired movement and reduced cognitive function. The etiology of PD can be attributed to a combination of environmental and genetic factors. A popular animal model, the nematode roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans, has been frequently used to study the role of genetic and environmental factors in the molecular pathology and behavioral phenotypes associated with PD. The current review summarizes cellular markers and behavioral phenotypes in transgenic and toxin-induced PD models of C. elegans. PMID:28659967

OpenSim: a musculoskeletal modeling and simulation framework for in silico investigations and exchange

PubMed Central

Seth, Ajay; Sherman, Michael; Reinbolt, Jeffrey A.; Delp, Scott L.

2015-01-01

Movement science is driven by observation, but observation alone cannot elucidate principles of human and animal movement. Biomechanical modeling and computer simulation complement observations and inform experimental design. Biological models are complex and specialized software is required for building, validating, and studying them. Furthermore, common access is needed so that investigators can contribute models to a broader community and leverage past work. We are developing OpenSim, a freely available musculoskeletal modeling and simulation application and libraries specialized for these purposes, by providing: musculoskeletal modeling elements, such as biomechanical joints, muscle actuators, ligament forces, compliant contact, and controllers; and tools for fitting generic models to subject-specific data, performing inverse kinematics and forward dynamic simulations. OpenSim performs an array of physics-based analyses to delve into the behavior of musculoskeletal models by employing Simbody, an efficient and accurate multibody system dynamics code. Models are publicly available and are often reused for multiple investigations because they provide a rich set of behaviors that enables different lines of inquiry. This report will discuss one model developed to study walking and applied to gain deeper insights into muscle function in pathological gait and during running. We then illustrate how simulations can test fundamental hypotheses and focus the aims of in vivo experiments, with a postural stability platform and human model that provide a research environment for performing human posture experiments in silico. We encourage wide adoption of OpenSim for community exchange of biomechanical models and methods and welcome new contributors. PMID:25893160

Experience, Context, and the Visual Perception of Human Movement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacobs, Alissa; Pinto, Jeannine; Shiffrar, Maggie

2004-01-01

Why are human observers particularly sensitive to human movement? Seven experiments examined the roles of visual experience and motor processes in human movement perception by comparing visual sensitivities to point-light displays of familiar, unusual, and impossible gaits across gait-speed and identity discrimination tasks. In both tasks, visual…

Suspected botulism in dairy cows and its implications for the safety of human food.

PubMed

Cobb, S P; Hogg, R A; Challoner, D J; Brett, M M; Livesey, C T; Sharpe, R T; Jones, T O

2002-01-05

A large outbreak of suspected botulism occurred on a dairy farm. The affected animals were listless and showed signs ranging from hindlimb unsteadiness to lateral recumbency, although the most common presentation was sternal recumbency with an apparent hindlimb weakness when stimulated to rise. Postmortem examinations revealed no conclusive gross pathology or histopathology. The affected cattle were found to have neutrophilia and hyperglycaemia with no other consistent haematological or biochemical abnormalities. The combination of clinical signs, disease epidemiology and the ruling out of other differential diagnoses strongly supported a diagnosis of unconfirmed botulism; however, the source of toxin was not demonstrated. Botulism is a severe disease in human beings and there are uncertainties about the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of Clostridium botulinum toxins. In such circumstances, a precautionary approach to food safety is essential. Restrictions were placed on the movement of livestock and sale of milk from the farm premises until 14 days after the onset of the last clinical case.

A hyperspectral imaging system for the evaluation of the human iris spectral reflectance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di Cecilia, Luca; Marazzi, Francesco; Rovati, Luigi

2017-02-01

According to previous studies, the measurement of the human iris pigmentation can be exploited to detect certain eye pathological conditions in their early stage. In this paper, we propose an instrument and a method to perform hyperspectral quantitative measurements of the iris spectral reflectance. The system is based on a simple imaging setup, which includes a monochrome camera mounted on a standard ophthalmic microscope movement controller, a monochromator, and a flashing LED-based slit lamp. To assure quantitative measurements, the system is properly calibrated against a NIST reflectance standard. Iris reflectance images can be obtained in the spectral range 495-795 nm with a resolution of 25 nm. Each image consists of 1280 x 1024 pixels having a spatial resolution of 18 μm. Reflectance spectra can be calculated both from discrete areas of the iris and as the average of the whole iris surface. Preliminary results suggest that hyperspectral imaging of the iris can provide much more morphological and spectral information with respect to conventional qualitative colorimetric methods.

Humans and Robots. Educational Brief.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC.

This brief discusses human movement and robotic human movement simulators. The activity for students in grades 5-12 provides a history of robotic movement and includes making an End Effector for the robotic arms used on the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station (ISS). (MVL)

Generating human-like movements on an anthropomorphic robot using an interior point method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Costa e Silva, E.; Araújo, J. P.; Machado, D.; Costa, M. F.; Erlhagen, W.; Bicho, E.

2013-10-01

In previous work we have presented a model for generating human-like arm and hand movements on an anthropomorphic robot involved in human-robot collaboration tasks. This model was inspired by the Posture-Based Motion-Planning Model of human movements. Numerical results and simulations for reach-to-grasp movements with two different grip types have been presented previously. In this paper we extend our model in order to address the generation of more complex movement sequences which are challenged by scenarios cluttered with obstacles. The numerical results were obtained using the IPOPT solver, which was integrated in our MATLAB simulator of an anthropomorphic robot.

Analysis of Human Swing Movement and Transferring into Robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimodaira, Jun; Amaoka, Yuki; Hamatani, Shinsuke; Takeuchi, Masahiro; Hirai, Hiroaki; Miyazaki, Fumio

Based on Generalized Motor Program, we analyzed the skill of human's table-tennis movement We hypothesized that it can be divided into arm swing and translational movements by upper and lower body movements, respectively. We expressed 3D position of the racket by only one parameter resulted from the analysis using Principal Component Analysis. Body trunk position measurement attested the lower body plays the role of keeping fixed relative-position between the ball and the body trunk at any hitting time. By applying human skills in upper and lower body movements, we could make the robot properly play table-tennis with a human.

NOS2-deficient mice with hypoxic necrotizing lung lesions predict outcomes of tuberculosis chemotherapy in humans.

PubMed

Gengenbacher, Martin; Duque-Correa, Maria A; Kaiser, Peggy; Schuerer, Stefanie; Lazar, Doris; Zedler, Ulrike; Reece, Stephen T; Nayyar, Amit; Cole, Stewart T; Makarov, Vadim; Barry Iii, Clifton E; Dartois, Véronique; Kaufmann, Stefan H E

2017-08-18

During active TB in humans a spectrum of pulmonary granulomas with central necrosis and hypoxia exists. BALB/c mice, predominantly used in TB drug development, do not reproduce this complex pathology thereby inaccurately predicting clinical outcome. We found that Nos2 -/- mice incapable of NO-production in immune cells as microbial defence uniformly develop hypoxic necrotizing lung lesions, widely observed in human TB. To study the impact of hypoxic necrosis on the efficacy of antimycobacterials and drug candidates, we subjected Nos2 -/- mice with TB to monotherapy before or after establishment of human-like pathology. Isoniazid induced a drug-tolerant persister population only when necrotic lesions were present. Rifapentine was more potent than rifampin prior to development of human-like pathology and equally potent thereafter, in agreement with recent clinical trials. Pretomanid, delamanid and the pre-clinical candidate BTZ043 were bactericidal independent of pulmonary pathology. Linezolid was bacteriostatic in TB-infected Nos2 -/- mice but significantly improved lung pathology. Hypoxic necrotizing lesions rendered moxifloxacin less active. In conclusion, Nos2 -/- mice are a predictive TB drug development tool owing to their consistent development of human-like pathology.

The Association Between Visual Assessment of Quality of Movement and Three-Dimensional Analysis of Pelvis, Hip, and Knee Kinematics During a Lateral Step Down Test.

PubMed

Rabin, Alon; Portnoy, Sigal; Kozol, Zvi

2016-11-01

Rabin, A, Portnoy, S, and Kozol, Z. The association between visual assessment of quality of movement and three-dimensional analysis of pelvis, hip, and knee kinematics during a lateral step down test. J Strength Cond Res 30(11): 3204-3211, 2016-Altered movement patterns including contralateral pelvic drop, increased hip adduction, knee abduction, and external rotation have been previously implicated in several lower extremity pathologies. Although various methods exist for assessing movement patterns, real-time visual observation is the most readily available method. The purpose of this study was to determine whether differing visual ratings of trunk, pelvis, and knee alignment, as well as overall quality of movement, are associated with differences in 3-dimensional trunk, pelvis, hip, or knee kinematics during a lateral step down test. Trunk, pelvis, and knee alignment of 30 healthy participants performing the lateral step down were visually rated as "good" or "faulty" based on previously established criteria. An additional categorization of overall quality of movement as either good or moderate was performed based on the aggregate score of each individual rating criterion. Three-dimensional motion analysis of trunk, pelvis, hip, and knee kinematics was simultaneously performed. A faulty pelvis alignment displayed a greater peak contralateral pelvic drop (effect size [ES], 1.65; p < 0.01) and a greater peak hip adduction (ES: 1.04, p = 0.01) compared with participants with a good pelvis alignment. Participants with a faulty knee alignment displayed greater peak knee external rotation compared with participants with a good knee alignment (ES, 0.78; p = 0.02). Participants with an overall moderate quality of movement displayed increased peak contralateral pelvic drop (ES, 1.07; p = 0.01) and peak knee external rotation (ES, 0.72; p = 0.04) compared with those with an overall good quality of movement. Visual rating of quality of movement during a lateral step down test, as performed by an experienced physical therapist, is associated with differences in several kinematics previously implicated in various pathologies.

A mouse model for creatine transporter deficiency reveals early onset cognitive impairment and neuropathology associated with brain aging.

PubMed

Baroncelli, Laura; Molinaro, Angelo; Cacciante, Francesco; Alessandrì, Maria Grazia; Napoli, Debora; Putignano, Elena; Tola, Jonida; Leuzzi, Vincenzo; Cioni, Giovanni; Pizzorusso, Tommaso

2016-10-01

Mutations in the creatine (Cr) transporter (CrT) gene lead to cerebral creatine deficiency syndrome-1 (CCDS1), an X-linked metabolic disorder characterized by cerebral Cr deficiency causing intellectual disability, seizures, movement and autistic-like behavioural disturbances, language and speech impairment. Since no data are available about the neural and molecular underpinnings of this disease, we performed a longitudinal analysis of behavioural and pathological alterations associated with CrT deficiency in a CCDS1 mouse model. We found precocious cognitive and autistic-like defects, mimicking the early key features of human CCDS1. Moreover, mutant mice displayed a progressive impairment of short and long-term declarative memory denoting an early brain aging. Pathological examination showed a prominent loss of GABAergic synapses, marked activation of microglia, reduction of hippocampal neurogenesis and the accumulation of autofluorescent lipofuscin. Our data suggest that brain Cr depletion causes both early intellectual disability and late progressive cognitive decline, and identify novel targets to design intervention strategies aimed at overcoming brain CCDS1 alterations. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Earliest Porotic Hyperostosis on a 1.5-Million-Year-Old Hominin, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania

PubMed Central

Domínguez-Rodrigo, Manuel; Pickering, Travis Rayne; Diez-Martín, Fernando; Mabulla, Audax; Musiba, Charles; Trancho, Gonzalo; Baquedano, Enrique; Bunn, Henry T.; Barboni, Doris; Santonja, Manuel; Uribelarrea, David; Ashley, Gail M.; Martínez-Ávila, María del Sol; Barba, Rebeca; Gidna, Agness; Yravedra, José; Arriaza, Carmen

2012-01-01

Meat-eating was an important factor affecting early hominin brain expansion, social organization and geographic movement. Stone tool butchery marks on ungulate fossils in several African archaeological assemblages demonstrate a significant level of carnivory by Pleistocene hominins, but the discovery at Olduvai Gorge of a child's pathological cranial fragments indicates that some hominins probably experienced scarcity of animal foods during various stages of their life histories. The child's parietal fragments, excavated from 1.5-million-year-old sediments, show porotic hyperostosis, a pathology associated with anemia. Nutritional deficiencies, including anemia, are most common at weaning, when children lose passive immunity received through their mothers' milk. Our results suggest, alternatively, that (1) the developmentally disruptive potential of weaning reached far beyond sedentary Holocene food-producing societies and into the early Pleistocene, or that (2) a hominin mother's meat-deficient diet negatively altered the nutritional content of her breast milk to the extent that her nursing child ultimately died from malnourishment. Either way, this discovery highlights that by at least 1.5 million years ago early human physiology was already adapted to a diet that included the regular consumption of meat. PMID:23056303

Overview of the "epigenetic end points in toxicologic pathology and relevance to human health" session of the 2014 Society Of Toxicologic Pathology Annual Symposium.

PubMed

Hoenerhoff, Mark J; Hartke, James

2015-01-01

The theme of the Society of Toxicologic Pathology 2014 Annual Symposium was "Translational Pathology: Relevance of Toxicologic Pathology to Human Health." The 5th session focused on epigenetic end points in biology, toxicity, and carcinogenicity, and how those end points are relevant to human exposures. This overview highlights the various presentations in this session, discussing integration of epigenetics end points in toxicologic pathology studies, investigating the role of epigenetics in product safety assessment, epigenetic changes in cancers, methodologies to detect them, and potential therapies, chromatin remodeling in development and disease, and epigenomics and the microbiome. The purpose of this overview is to discuss the application of epigenetics to toxicologic pathology and its utility in preclinical or mechanistic based safety, efficacy, and carcinogenicity studies. © 2014 by The Author(s).

[The 40th anniversary of RAMS institute of human morphology].

PubMed

Kakturskiĭ, L V; Shakhlamov, V A

2002-01-01

Institute of Human Morphology of Russian Academy of Medical Sciences was established in 1961 and united efforts of morphologists of various profile--pathologists, cytologists, embryologists. The role of outstanding Russian morphologists and the first Institute heads is shown. Basic achievements in four research fields are characterized: in geographic pathology; structural basis of immune homeostasis in health and pathology; pathologic anatomy and pathogenesis of basic human diseases; human morpho- and embriogenesis in health and disease.

Oral recombinant human or mouse lactoferrin reduces Mycobacterium tuberculosis TDM induced granulomatous lung pathology.

PubMed

Hwang, Shen-An; Kruzel, Marian L; Actor, Jeffrey K

2017-02-01

Trehalose 6'6-dimycolate (TDM) is the most abundant glycolipid on the cell wall of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). TDM is capable of inducing granulomatous pathology in mouse models that resembles those induced by MTB infection. Using the acute TDM model, this work investigates the effect of recombinant human and mouse lactoferrin to reduce granulomatous pathology. C57BL/6 mice were injected intravenously with TDM at a dose of 25 μg·mouse -1 . At day 4 and 6, recombinant human or mouse lactoferrin (1 mg·(100 μL) -1 ·mouse -1 ) were delivered by gavage. At day 7 after TDM injection, mice were evaluated for lung pathology, cytokine production, and leukocyte populations. Mice given human or mouse lactoferrin had reduced production of IL-12p40 in their lungs. Mouse lactoferrin increased IL-6 and KC (CXCL1) in lung tissue. Increased numbers of macrophages were observed in TDM-injected mice given human or mouse lactoferrin. Granulomatous pathology, composed of mainly migrated leukocytes, was visually reduced in mice that received human or mouse lactoferrin. Quantitation of granulomatous pathology demonstrated a significant decrease in mice given human or mouse lactoferrin compared with TDM control mice. This report is the first to directly compare the immune modulatory effects of both heterologous recombinant human and homologous mouse lactoferrin on the development of TDM-induced granulomas.

Non-motor parkinsonian pathology in aging A53T α-synuclein mice is associated with progressive synucleinopathy and altered enzymatic function.

PubMed

Farrell, Kaitlin F; Krishnamachari, Sesha; Villanueva, Ernesto; Lou, Haiyan; Alerte, Tshianda N M; Peet, Eloise; Drolet, Robert E; Perez, Ruth G

2014-02-01

Aging, the main risk factor for Parkinson's disease (PD), is associated with increased α-synuclein levels in substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc). Excess α-synuclein spurs Lewy-like pathology and dysregulates the activity of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). PP2A dephosphorylates many neuroproteins, including the catecholamine rate-limiting enzyme, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). A loss of nigral dopaminergic neurons induces PD movement problems, but before those abnormalities occur, behaviors such as olfactory loss, anxiety, and constipation often manifest. Identifying mouse models with early PD behavioral changes could provide a model in which to test emerging therapeutic compounds. To this end, we evaluated mice expressing A53T mutant human (A53T) α-synuclein for behavior and α-synuclein pathology in olfactory bulb, adrenal gland, and gut. Aging A53T mice exhibited olfactory loss and anxiety that paralleled olfactory and adrenal α-synuclein aggregation. PP2A activity was also diminished in olfactory and adrenal tissues harboring insoluble α-synuclein. Low adrenal PP2A activity co-occurred with TH hyperactivity, making this the first study to link adrenal synucleinopathy to anxiety and catecholamine dysregulation. Aggregated A53T α-synuclein recombinant protein also had impaired stimulatory effects on soluble recombinant PP2A. Collectively, the data identify an excellent model in which to screen compounds for their ability to block the spread of α-synuclein pathology associated with pre-motor stages of PD. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Neurochemistry published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The International Society for Neurochemistry.

Comparison of voice-automated transcription and human transcription in generating pathology reports.

PubMed

Al-Aynati, Maamoun M; Chorneyko, Katherine A

2003-06-01

Software that can convert spoken words into written text has been available since the early 1980s. Early continuous speech systems were developed in 1994, with the latest commercially available editions having a claimed accuracy of up to 98% of speech recognition at natural speech rates. To evaluate the efficacy of one commercially available voice-recognition software system with pathology vocabulary in generating pathology reports and to compare this with human transcription. To draw cost analysis conclusions regarding human versus computer-based transcription. Two hundred six routine pathology reports from the surgical pathology material handled at St Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, Ontario, were generated simultaneously using computer-based transcription and human transcription. The following hardware and software were used: a desktop 450-MHz Intel Pentium III processor with 192 MB of RAM, a speech-quality sound card (Sound Blaster), noise-canceling headset microphone, and IBM ViaVoice Pro version 8 with pathology vocabulary support (Voice Automated, Huntington Beach, Calif). The cost of the hardware and software used was approximately Can 2250 dollars. A total of 23 458 words were transcribed using both methods with a mean of 114 words per report. The mean accuracy rate was 93.6% (range, 87.4%-96%) using the computer software, compared to a mean accuracy of 99.6% (range, 99.4%-99.8%) for human transcription (P <.001). Time needed to edit documents by the primary evaluator (M.A.) using the computer was on average twice that needed for editing the documents produced by human transcriptionists (range, 1.4-3.5 times). The extra time needed to edit documents was 67 minutes per week (13 minutes per day). Computer-based continuous speech-recognition systems in pathology can be successfully used in pathology practice even during the handling of gross pathology specimens. The relatively low accuracy rate of this voice-recognition software with resultant increased editing burden on pathologists may not encourage its application on a wide scale in pathology departments with sufficient human transcription services, despite significant potential financial savings. However, computer-based transcription represents an attractive and relatively inexpensive alternative to human transcription in departments where there is a shortage of transcription services, and will no doubt become more commonly used in pathology departments in the future.

Automatic Human Movement Assessment With Switching Linear Dynamic System: Motion Segmentation and Motor Performance.

PubMed

de Souza Baptista, Roberto; Bo, Antonio P L; Hayashibe, Mitsuhiro

2017-06-01

Performance assessment of human movement is critical in diagnosis and motor-control rehabilitation. Recent developments in portable sensor technology enable clinicians to measure spatiotemporal aspects to aid in the neurological assessment. However, the extraction of quantitative information from such measurements is usually done manually through visual inspection. This paper presents a novel framework for automatic human movement assessment that executes segmentation and motor performance parameter extraction in time-series of measurements from a sequence of human movements. We use the elements of a Switching Linear Dynamic System model as building blocks to translate formal definitions and procedures from human movement analysis. Our approach provides a method for users with no expertise in signal processing to create models for movements using labeled dataset and later use it for automatic assessment. We validated our framework on preliminary tests involving six healthy adult subjects that executed common movements in functional tests and rehabilitation exercise sessions, such as sit-to-stand and lateral elevation of the arms and five elderly subjects, two of which with limited mobility, that executed the sit-to-stand movement. The proposed method worked on random motion sequences for the dual purpose of movement segmentation (accuracy of 72%-100%) and motor performance assessment (mean error of 0%-12%).

Aggression Regulation in Day Treatment of Eating Disorders: Two-Centre RCT of a Brief Body and Movement-Oriented Intervention.

PubMed

Boerhout, Cees; Swart, Marte; Voskamp, Marjon; Troquete, Nadine A C; van Busschbach, Jooske T; Hoek, Hans W

2017-01-01

The objective is to evaluate a body and movement-oriented intervention on aggression regulation, specifically aimed towards reducing anger internalization in patients with an eating disorder. Patients were randomized to treatment-as-usual (TAU) plus the intervention (n = 38) or to TAU only (n = 32). The intervention was delivered by a psychomotor therapist. TAU consisted of multidisciplinary day treatment (3-5 days per week during 3-9 months). Anger coping (Self-Expression and Control Scale) and eating pathology (Eating Disorder Examination-Self-report Questionnaire) were measured at baseline and follow-up. Differences between pre-intervention and post-intervention scores were tested by using repeated measures ANOVA. The intervention group showed a significantly larger decrease of anger internalization than the control group (η 2  = 0.16, p = 0.001). Both groups showed a significant reduction in eating pathology, but differences between groups were not significant. A body and movement-oriented therapy seems a viable add-on for treating anger internalization in patients with an eating disorder. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

Leadership in moving human groups.

PubMed

Boos, Margarete; Pritz, Johannes; Lange, Simon; Belz, Michael

2014-04-01

How is movement of individuals coordinated as a group? This is a fundamental question of social behaviour, encompassing phenomena such as bird flocking, fish schooling, and the innumerable activities in human groups that require people to synchronise their actions. We have developed an experimental paradigm, the HoneyComb computer-based multi-client game, to empirically investigate human movement coordination and leadership. Using economic games as a model, we set monetary incentives to motivate players on a virtual playfield to reach goals via players' movements. We asked whether (I) humans coordinate their movements when information is limited to an individual group member's observation of adjacent group member motion, (II) whether an informed group minority can lead an uninformed group majority to the minority's goal, and if so, (III) how this minority exerts its influence. We showed that in a human group--on the basis of movement alone--a minority can successfully lead a majority. Minorities lead successfully when (a) their members choose similar initial steps towards their goal field and (b) they are among the first in the whole group to make a move. Using our approach, we empirically demonstrate that the rules of swarming behaviour apply to humans. Even complex human behaviour, such as leadership and directed group movement, follow simple rules that are based on visual perception of local movement.

Dystonia and Paroxysmal Dyskinesias: Under-Recognized Movement Disorders in Domestic Animals? A Comparison with Human Dystonia/Paroxysmal Dyskinesias.

PubMed

Richter, Angelika; Hamann, Melanie; Wissel, Jörg; Volk, Holger A

2015-01-01

Dystonia is defined as a neurological syndrome characterized by involuntary sustained or intermittent muscle contractions causing twisting, often repetitive movements, and postures. Paroxysmal dyskinesias are episodic movement disorders encompassing dystonia, chorea, athetosis, and ballism in conscious individuals. Several decades of research have enhanced the understanding of the etiology of human dystonia and dyskinesias that are associated with dystonia, but the pathophysiology remains largely unknown. The spontaneous occurrence of hereditary dystonia and paroxysmal dyskinesia is well documented in rodents used as animal models in basic dystonia research. Several hyperkinetic movement disorders, described in dogs, horses and cattle, show similarities to these human movement disorders. Although dystonia is regarded as the third most common movement disorder in humans, it is often misdiagnosed because of the heterogeneity of etiology and clinical presentation. Since these conditions are poorly known in veterinary practice, their prevalence may be underestimated in veterinary medicine. In order to attract attention to these movement disorders, i.e., dystonia and paroxysmal dyskinesias associated with dystonia, and to enhance interest in translational research, this review gives a brief overview of the current literature regarding dystonia/paroxysmal dyskinesia in humans and summarizes similar hereditary movement disorders reported in domestic animals.

Augmented reality in laparoscopic surgical oncology.

PubMed

Nicolau, Stéphane; Soler, Luc; Mutter, Didier; Marescaux, Jacques

2011-09-01

Minimally invasive surgery represents one of the main evolutions of surgical techniques aimed at providing a greater benefit to the patient. However, minimally invasive surgery increases the operative difficulty since the depth perception is usually dramatically reduced, the field of view is limited and the sense of touch is transmitted by an instrument. However, these drawbacks can currently be reduced by computer technology guiding the surgical gesture. Indeed, from a patient's medical image (US, CT or MRI), Augmented Reality (AR) can increase the surgeon's intra-operative vision by providing a virtual transparency of the patient. AR is based on two main processes: the 3D visualization of the anatomical or pathological structures appearing in the medical image, and the registration of this visualization on the real patient. 3D visualization can be performed directly from the medical image without the need for a pre-processing step thanks to volume rendering. But better results are obtained with surface rendering after organ and pathology delineations and 3D modelling. Registration can be performed interactively or automatically. Several interactive systems have been developed and applied to humans, demonstrating the benefit of AR in surgical oncology. It also shows the current limited interactivity due to soft organ movements and interaction between surgeon instruments and organs. If the current automatic AR systems show the feasibility of such system, it is still relying on specific and expensive equipment which is not available in clinical routine. Moreover, they are not robust enough due to the high complexity of developing a real-time registration taking organ deformation and human movement into account. However, the latest results of automatic AR systems are extremely encouraging and show that it will become a standard requirement for future computer-assisted surgical oncology. In this article, we will explain the concept of AR and its principles. Then, we will review the existing interactive and automatic AR systems in digestive surgical oncology, highlighting their benefits and limitations. Finally, we will discuss the future evolutions and the issues that still have to be tackled so that this technology can be seamlessly integrated in the operating room. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Network Model of Local Field Potential Activity in Essential Tremor and the Impact of Deep Brain Stimulation

PubMed Central

Mace, Michael; Pavese, Nicola; Borisyuk, Roman; Bain, Peter

2017-01-01

Essential tremor (ET), a movement disorder characterised by an uncontrollable shaking of the affected body part, is often professed to be the most common movement disorder, affecting up to one percent of adults over 40 years of age. The precise cause of ET is unknown, however pathological oscillations of a network of a number of brain regions are implicated in leading to the disorder. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a clinical therapy used to alleviate the symptoms of a number of movement disorders. DBS involves the surgical implantation of electrodes into specific nuclei in the brain. For ET the targeted region is the ventralis intermedius (Vim) nucleus of the thalamus. Though DBS is effective for treating ET, the mechanism through which the therapeutic effect is obtained is not understood. To elucidate the mechanism underlying the pathological network activity and the effect of DBS on such activity, we take a computational modelling approach combined with electrophysiological data. The pathological brain activity was recorded intra-operatively via implanted DBS electrodes, whilst simultaneously recording muscle activity of the affected limbs. We modelled the network hypothesised to underlie ET using the Wilson-Cowan approach. The modelled network exhibited oscillatory behaviour within the tremor frequency range, as did our electrophysiological data. By applying a DBS-like input we suppressed these oscillations. This study shows that the dynamics of the ET network support oscillations at the tremor frequency and the application of a DBS-like input disrupts this activity, which could be one mechanism underlying the therapeutic benefit. PMID:28068428

Essential tremor, the cerebellum, and motor timing: towards integrating them into one complex entity.

PubMed

Bareš, Martin; Husárová, Ivica; Lungu, Ovidiu V

2012-01-01

Essential tremor (ET) is the most common movement disorder in humans. It is characterized by a postural and kinetic tremor most commonly affecting the forearms and hands. Isolated head tremor has been found in 1-10% of patients, suggesting that ET may be a composite of several phenotypes. The exact pathophysiology of ET is still unknown. ET has been repeatedly shown as a disorder of mild cerebellar degeneration, particularly in postmortem studies. Clinical observations, electrophysiological, volumetric and functional imaging studies all reinforce the fact that the cerebellum is involved in the generation of ET. However, crucial debate exists as to whether ET is a neurodegenerative disease. Data suggesting that it is neurodegenerative include postmortem findings of pathological abnormalities in the brainstem and cerebellum, white matter changes on diffusion tensor imaging, and clinical studies demonstrating an association with cognitive and gait changes. There is also conflicting evidence against ET as a neurodegenerative disease: the improvement of gait abnormalities with ethanol administration, lack of gray matter volume loss on voxel-based morphometry, failure to confirm the prominent presence of Lewy bodies in the locus ceruleus, and other pathological findings. To clarify this issue, future research is needed to describe the mechanism of cellular changes in the ET brain and to understand the order in which they occur. The cerebellum has been shown to be involved in the timing of movement and sensation, acting as an internal timing system that provides the temporal representation of salient events spanning hundreds of milliseconds. It has been reported that cerebellar timing function is altered in patients with ET, showing an increased variability of rhythmic hand movements as well as diminished performance during predictive motor timing task. Based on current knowledge and observations, we argue that ET is essentially linked with cerebellar degeneration, or at least cerebellar dysfunction, together with disturbance of motor timing. We explain the context of our current understanding on this topic, highlighting possible clinical consequences for patients suffering from ET and future research directions.

The Human Potential Movement: Forms of Body/Movement/Nonverbal Experiencing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caldwell, Stratton F.

A social, humanistic movement has emerged which focuses on the desire of many affluent and advantaged citizens for personal, interpersonal, transpersonal, and organizational growth. It has been termed the "Human Potential Movement." Growth centers, which emphasize the integrated totality of the person, have developed all over the United…

Forebrain deletion of the dystonia protein torsinA causes dystonic-like movements and loss of striatal cholinergic neurons

PubMed Central

Pappas, Samuel S; Darr, Katherine; Holley, Sandra M; Cepeda, Carlos; Mabrouk, Omar S; Wong, Jenny-Marie T; LeWitt, Tessa M; Paudel, Reema; Houlden, Henry; Kennedy, Robert T; Levine, Michael S; Dauer, William T

2015-01-01

Striatal dysfunction plays an important role in dystonia, but the striatal cell types that contribute to abnormal movements are poorly defined. We demonstrate that conditional deletion of the DYT1 dystonia protein torsinA in embryonic progenitors of forebrain cholinergic and GABAergic neurons causes dystonic-like twisting movements that emerge during juvenile CNS maturation. The onset of these movements coincides with selective degeneration of dorsal striatal large cholinergic interneurons (LCI), and surviving LCI exhibit morphological, electrophysiological, and connectivity abnormalities. Consistent with the importance of this LCI pathology, murine dystonic-like movements are reduced significantly with an antimuscarinic agent used clinically, and we identify cholinergic abnormalities in postmortem striatal tissue from DYT1 dystonia patients. These findings demonstrate that dorsal LCI have a unique requirement for torsinA function during striatal maturation, and link abnormalities of these cells to dystonic-like movements in an overtly symptomatic animal model. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.08352.001 PMID:26052670

Using Hypnotic Suggestion to Model Loss of Control and Awareness of Movements: An Exploratory fMRI Study

PubMed Central

Oakley, David A.; Bell, Vaughan; Koppel, Cristina; Mehta, Mitul A.; Halligan, Peter W.

2013-01-01

The feeling of voluntary control and awareness of movement is fundamental to our notions of selfhood and responsibility for actions, yet can be lost in neuropsychiatric syndromes (e.g. delusions of control, non-epileptic seizures) and culturally influenced dissociative states (e.g. attributions of spirit possession). The brain processes involved remain poorly understood. We used suggestion and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate loss of control and awareness of right hand movements in 15 highly hypnotically suggestible subjects. Loss of perceived control of movements was associated with reduced connectivity between supplementary motor area (SMA) and motor regions. Reduced awareness of involuntary movements was associated with less activation in parietal cortices (BA 7, BA 40) and insula. Collectively these results suggest that the sense of voluntary control of movement may critically depend on the functional coupling of SMA with motor systems, and provide a potential neural basis for the narrowing of awareness reported in pathological and culturally influenced dissociative phenomena. PMID:24205198

Miro-Working beyond Mitochondria and Microtubules.

PubMed

Tang, Bor Luen

2018-03-04

The small GTPase Miro is best known for its regulation of mitochondrial movement by engaging with the microtubule-based motor proteins kinesin and dynein. Very recent findings have now showed that Miro also targets peroxisomes and regulates microtubule-dependent peroxisome motility. Moreover, Miro recruits and stabilizes the myosin motor Myo19 at the mitochondria to enable actin-based mitochondria movement, which is important for mitochondrial segregation during mitosis. Miro thus has much broader functions that previously known, and these new findings may have important implications on disease pathology.

Laban movement analysis to classify emotions from motion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dewan, Swati; Agarwal, Shubham; Singh, Navjyoti

2018-04-01

In this paper, we present the study of Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) to understand basic human emotions from nonverbal human behaviors. While there are a lot of studies on understanding behavioral patterns based on natural language processing and speech processing applications, understanding emotions or behavior from non-verbal human motion is still a very challenging and unexplored field. LMA provides a rich overview of the scope of movement possibilities. These basic elements can be used for generating movement or for describing movement. They provide an inroad to understanding movement and for developing movement efficiency and expressiveness. Each human being combines these movement factors in his/her own unique way and organizes them to create phrases and relationships which reveal personal, artistic, or cultural style. In this work, we build a motion descriptor based on a deep understanding of Laban theory. The proposed descriptor builds up on previous works and encodes experiential features by using temporal windows. We present a more conceptually elaborate formulation of Laban theory and test it in a relatively new domain of behavioral research with applications in human-machine interaction. The recognition of affective human communication may be used to provide developers with a rich source of information for creating systems that are capable of interacting well with humans. We test our algorithm on UCLIC dataset which consists of body motions of 13 non-professional actors portraying angry, fear, happy and sad emotions. We achieve an accuracy of 87.30% on this dataset.

Smooth leader or sharp follower? Playing the mirror game with a robot.

PubMed

Kashi, Shir; Levy-Tzedek, Shelly

2018-01-01

The increasing number of opportunities for human-robot interactions in various settings, from industry through home use to rehabilitation, creates a need to understand how to best personalize human-robot interactions to fit both the user and the task at hand. In the current experiment, we explored a human-robot collaborative task of joint movement, in the context of an interactive game. We set out to test people's preferences when interacting with a robotic arm, playing a leader-follower imitation game (the mirror game). Twenty two young participants played the mirror game with the robotic arm, where one player (person or robot) followed the movements of the other. Each partner (person and robot) was leading part of the time, and following part of the time. When the robotic arm was leading the joint movement, it performed movements that were either sharp or smooth, which participants were later asked to rate. The greatest preference was given to smooth movements. Half of the participants preferred to lead, and half preferred to follow. Importantly, we found that the movements of the robotic arm primed the subsequent movements performed by the participants. The priming effect by the robot on the movements of the human should be considered when designing interactions with robots. Our results demonstrate individual differences in preferences regarding the role of the human and the joint motion path of the robot and the human when performing the mirror game collaborative task, and highlight the importance of personalized human-robot interactions.

Parkinson's disease: increased motor network activity in the absence of movement.

PubMed

Ko, Ji Hyun; Mure, Hideo; Tang, Chris C; Ma, Yilong; Dhawan, Vijay; Spetsieris, Phoebe; Eidelberg, David

2013-03-06

We used a network approach to assess systems-level abnormalities in motor activation in humans with Parkinson's disease (PD). This was done by measuring the expression of the normal movement-related activation pattern (NMRP), a previously validated activation network deployed by healthy subjects during motor performance. In this study, NMRP expression was prospectively quantified in (15)O-water PET scans from a PD patient cohort comprised of a longitudinal early-stage group (n = 12) scanned at baseline and at two or three follow-up visits two years apart, and a moderately advanced group scanned on and off treatment with either subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (n = 14) or intravenous levodopa infusion (n = 14). For each subject and condition, we measured NMRP expression during both movement and rest. Resting expression of the abnormal PD-related metabolic covariance pattern was likewise determined in the same subjects. NMRP expression was abnormally elevated (p < 0.001) in PD patients scanned in the nonmovement rest state. By contrast, network activity measured during movement did not differ from normal (p = 0.34). In the longitudinal cohort, abnormal increases in resting NMRP expression were evident at the earliest clinical stages (p < 0.05), which progressed significantly over time (p = 0.003). Analogous network changes were present at baseline in the treatment cohort (p = 0.001). These abnormalities improved with subthalamic nucleus stimulation (p < 0.005) but not levodopa (p = 0.25). In both cohorts, the changes in NMRP expression that were observed did not correlate with concurrent PD-related metabolic covariance pattern measurements (p > 0.22). Thus, the resting state in PD is characterized by changes in the activity of normal as well as pathological brain networks.

Techniques for the Analysis of Human Movement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grieve, D. W.; And Others

This book presents the major analytical techniques that may be used in the appraisal of human movement. Chapter 1 is devoted to the photopgraphic analysis of movement with particular emphasis on cine filming. Cine film may be taken with little or no restriction on the performer's range of movement; information on the film is permanent and…

Perchance to dream? Primordial motor activity patterns in vertebrates from fish to mammals: their prenatal origin, postnatal persistence during sleep, and pathological reemergence during REM sleep behavior disorder.

PubMed

Corner, Michael A; Schenck, Carlos H

2015-12-01

An overview is presented of the literature dealing with sleep-like motility and concomitant neuronal activity patterns throughout the life cycle in vertebrates, ectothermic as well as endothermic. Spontaneous, periodically modulated, neurogenic bursts of non-purposive movements are a universal feature of larval and prenatal behavior, which in endothermic animals (i.e. birds and mammals) continue to occur periodically throughout life. Since the entire body musculature is involved in ever-shifting combinations, it is proposed that these spontaneously active periods be designated as 'rapid-BODY-movement' (RBM) sleep. The term 'rapid-EYE-movement (REM) sleep', characterized by attenuated muscle contractions and reduced tonus, can then be reserved for sleep at later stages of development. Mature stages of development in which sustained muscle atonia is combined with 'paradoxical arousal' of cortical neuronal firing patterns indisputably represent the evolutionarily most recent aspect of REM sleep, but more research with ectothermic vertebrates, such as fish, amphibians and reptiles, is needed before it can be concluded (as many prematurely have) that RBM is absent in these species. Evidence suggests a link between RBM sleep in early development and the clinical condition known as 'REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD)', which is characterized by the resurgence of periodic bouts of quasi-fetal motility that closely resemble RBM sleep. Early developmental neuromotor risk factors for RBD in humans also point to a relationship between RBM sleep and RBD.

Animal inference on human mitochondrial diseases.

PubMed

Nardi, Francesco; Frati, Francesco; Liò, Pietro

2016-06-01

Several pathological mutations in the human mitochondrial genome have been characterized based on medical, genetic and biochemical evidence. The observation that the structure and core functions of the mitochondrial genome are conserved from animals to man suggests that the analysis of animal variation may be informative to further characterize, and possibly predict, human pathological variants. We studied the distribution of sequence site-wise diversity and structural heterogeneity (based on several scales of hydrophobicity and supercomplex classification of mitochondrial genes) at different taxonomic levels in ∼15,000 human and animal genomes. We found that human pathological mutations tend to lay in regions of low diversity and that states that are pathological in humans appear to be extremely rare in animals, with two noticeable exceptions (T10663C and C14568T). Focusing on hydrophobicity, as possibly the most general site-wise functional parameter of a protein, we deploy the observed range of hydrophobicity in mammals as a proxy for the range of permissible states compatible with an efficient functioning of the mitochondrial machinery. We show that, while non pathological human variants tend to fall within the hypothesized range, pathological mutations generally fall outside this range. We further analyzed this distribution quantitatively to show that the estimated probability of observed states can indeed be used to predict the pathogenicity of a mutation in humans. This study provides a proof of principle that animal data can indeed be informative to predict the pathogenicity of a human mutation alongside, or in the absence of, additional evidence. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biotensegrity and myofascial chains: A global approach to an integrated kinetic chain.

PubMed

Dischiavi, S L; Wright, A A; Hegedus, E J; Bleakley, C M

2018-01-01

Human movement is a complex orchestration of events involving many different body systems. Understanding how these systems interact during musculoskeletal movements can directly inform a variety of research fields including: injury etiology, injury prevention and therapeutic exercise prescription. Traditionally scientists have examined human movement through a reductionist lens whereby movements are broken down and observed in isolation. The process of reductionism fails to capture the interconnected complexities and the dynamic interactions found within complex systems such as human movement. An emerging idea is that human movement may be better understood using a holistic philosophy. In this regard, the properties of a given system cannot be determined or explained by its components alone, rather, it is the complexity of the system as a whole, that determines how the individual component parts behave. This paper hypothesizes that human movement can be better understood through holism; and provides available observational evidence in musculoskeletal science, which help to frame human movement as a globally interconnected complex system. Central to this, is biotensegrity, a concept where the bones of the skeletal system are postulated to be held together by the resting muscle tone of numerous viscoelastic muscular chains in a tension dependent manner. The design of a biotensegrity system suggests that when human movement occurs, the entire musculoskeletal system constantly adjusts during this movement causing global patterns to occur. This idea further supported by recent anatomical evidence suggesting that the muscles of the human body can no longer by viewed as independent anatomical structures that simply connect one bone to another bone. Rather, the body consists of numerous muscles connected in series, and end to end, which span the entire musculoskeletal system, creating long polyarticular viscoelastic myofascial muscle chains. Although theoretical, the concept of the human body being connected by these muscular chains, within a biotensegrity design, could be a potential underpinning theory for analyzing human movement in a more holistic manner. Indeed, preliminary research has now used the concept of myofascial pathways to enhance musculoskeletal examination, and provides a vivid example of how range of motion at a peripheral joint, is dependent upon the positioning of the entire body, offering supportive evidence that the body's kinetic chain is globally interconnected. Theoretical models that introduce a complex systems approach should be welcomed by the movement science field in an attempt to help explain clinical questions that have been resistant to a linear model. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

GFP-Mutant Human Tau Transgenic Mice Develop Tauopathy Following CNS Injections of Alzheimer's Brain-Derived Pathological Tau or Synthetic Mutant Human Tau Fibrils.

PubMed

Gibbons, Garrett S; Banks, Rachel A; Kim, Bumjin; Xu, Hong; Changolkar, Lakshmi; Leight, Susan N; Riddle, Dawn M; Li, Chi; Gathagan, Ronald J; Brown, Hannah J; Zhang, Bin; Trojanowski, John Q; Lee, Virginia M-Y

2017-11-22

Neurodegenerative proteinopathies characterized by intracellular aggregates of tau proteins, termed tauopathies, include Alzheimer's disease (AD), frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) with tau pathology (FTLD-tau), and related disorders. Pathological tau proteins derived from human AD brains (AD-tau) act as proteopathic seeds that initiate the templated aggregation of soluble tau upon intracerebral injection into tau transgenic (Tg) and wild-type mice, thereby modeling human tau pathology. In this study, we found that aged Tg mice of both sexes expressing human tau proteins harboring a pathogenic P301L MAPT mutation labeled with green fluorescent protein (T40PL-GFP Tg mouse line) exhibited hyperphosphorylated tau mislocalized to the somatodentritic domain of neurons, but these mice did not develop de novo insoluble tau aggregates, which are characteristic of human AD and related tauopathies. However, intracerebral injections of either T40PL preformed fibrils (PFFs) or AD-tau seeds into T40PL-GFP mice induced abundant intraneuronal pathological inclusions of hyperphosphorylated T40PL-GFP. These injections of pathological tau resulted in the propagation of tau pathology from the injection site to neuroanatomically connected brain regions, and these tau inclusions consisted of both T40PL-GFP and WT endogenous mouse tau. Primary neurons cultured from the brains of neonatal T40PL-GFP mice provided an informative in vitro model for examining the uptake and localization of tau PFFs. These findings demonstrate the seeded aggregation of T40PL-GFP in vivo by synthetic PFFs and human AD-tau and the utility of this system to study the neuropathological spread of tau aggregates. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The stereotypical spread of pathological tau protein aggregates have recently been attributed to the transmission of proteopathic seeds. Despite the extensive use of transgenic mouse models to investigate the propagation of tau pathology in vivo , details of the aggregation process such as the early seeding events leading to new tau pathology have remained elusive. This study validates the use of GFP-labeled tau expressed by neurons in vivo and in vitro as models for investigating mechanisms underlying the seeded transmission of tau pathology as well as tau-focused drug discovery to identify disease-modifying therapies for AD and related tauopathies. Copyright © 2017 the authors 0270-6474/17/3711485-10$15.00/0.

GFP-Mutant Human Tau Transgenic Mice Develop Tauopathy Following CNS Injections of Alzheimer's Brain-Derived Pathological Tau or Synthetic Mutant Human Tau Fibrils

PubMed Central

Banks, Rachel A.; Kim, Bumjin; Xu, Hong; Changolkar, Lakshmi; Leight, Susan N.; Riddle, Dawn M.; Li, Chi; Brown, Hannah J.; Zhang, Bin

2017-01-01

Neurodegenerative proteinopathies characterized by intracellular aggregates of tau proteins, termed tauopathies, include Alzheimer's disease (AD), frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) with tau pathology (FTLD-tau), and related disorders. Pathological tau proteins derived from human AD brains (AD-tau) act as proteopathic seeds that initiate the templated aggregation of soluble tau upon intracerebral injection into tau transgenic (Tg) and wild-type mice, thereby modeling human tau pathology. In this study, we found that aged Tg mice of both sexes expressing human tau proteins harboring a pathogenic P301L MAPT mutation labeled with green fluorescent protein (T40PL-GFP Tg mouse line) exhibited hyperphosphorylated tau mislocalized to the somatodentritic domain of neurons, but these mice did not develop de novo insoluble tau aggregates, which are characteristic of human AD and related tauopathies. However, intracerebral injections of either T40PL preformed fibrils (PFFs) or AD-tau seeds into T40PL-GFP mice induced abundant intraneuronal pathological inclusions of hyperphosphorylated T40PL-GFP. These injections of pathological tau resulted in the propagation of tau pathology from the injection site to neuroanatomically connected brain regions, and these tau inclusions consisted of both T40PL-GFP and WT endogenous mouse tau. Primary neurons cultured from the brains of neonatal T40PL-GFP mice provided an informative in vitro model for examining the uptake and localization of tau PFFs. These findings demonstrate the seeded aggregation of T40PL-GFP in vivo by synthetic PFFs and human AD-tau and the utility of this system to study the neuropathological spread of tau aggregates. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The stereotypical spread of pathological tau protein aggregates have recently been attributed to the transmission of proteopathic seeds. Despite the extensive use of transgenic mouse models to investigate the propagation of tau pathology in vivo, details of the aggregation process such as the early seeding events leading to new tau pathology have remained elusive. This study validates the use of GFP-labeled tau expressed by neurons in vivo and in vitro as models for investigating mechanisms underlying the seeded transmission of tau pathology as well as tau-focused drug discovery to identify disease-modifying therapies for AD and related tauopathies. PMID:28986461

A Surrogate Technique for Investigating Deterministic Dynamics in Discrete Human Movement.

PubMed

Taylor, Paul G; Small, Michael; Lee, Kwee-Yum; Landeo, Raul; O'Meara, Damien M; Millett, Emma L

2016-10-01

Entropy is an effective tool for investigation of human movement variability. However, before applying entropy, it can be beneficial to employ analyses to confirm that observed data are not solely the result of stochastic processes. This can be achieved by contrasting observed data with that produced using surrogate methods. Unlike continuous movement, no appropriate method has been applied to discrete human movement. This article proposes a novel surrogate method for discrete movement data, outlining the processes for determining its critical values. The proposed technique reliably generated surrogates for discrete joint angle time series, destroying fine-scale dynamics of the observed signal, while maintaining macro structural characteristics. Comparison of entropy estimates indicated observed signals had greater regularity than surrogates and were not only the result of stochastic but also deterministic processes. The proposed surrogate method is both a valid and reliable technique to investigate determinism in other discrete human movement time series.

Moving Just Like You: Motor Interference Depends on Similar Motility of Agent and Observer

PubMed Central

Kupferberg, Aleksandra; Huber, Markus; Helfer, Bartosz; Lenz, Claus; Knoll, Alois; Glasauer, Stefan

2012-01-01

Recent findings in neuroscience suggest an overlap between brain regions involved in the execution of movement and perception of another’s movement. This so-called “action-perception coupling” is supposed to serve our ability to automatically infer the goals and intentions of others by internal simulation of their actions. A consequence of this coupling is motor interference (MI), the effect of movement observation on the trajectory of one’s own movement. Previous studies emphasized that various features of the observed agent determine the degree of MI, but could not clarify how human-like an agent has to be for its movements to elicit MI and, more importantly, what ‘human-like’ means in the context of MI. Thus, we investigated in several experiments how different aspects of appearance and motility of the observed agent influence motor interference (MI). Participants performed arm movements in horizontal and vertical directions while observing videos of a human, a humanoid robot, or an industrial robot arm with either artificial (industrial) or human-like joint configurations. Our results show that, given a human-like joint configuration, MI was elicited by observing arm movements of both humanoid and industrial robots. However, if the joint configuration of the robot did not resemble that of the human arm, MI could longer be demonstrated. Our findings present evidence for the importance of human-like joint configuration rather than other human-like features for perception-action coupling when observing inanimate agents. PMID:22761853

Dystonia and Paroxysmal Dyskinesias: Under-Recognized Movement Disorders in Domestic Animals? A Comparison with Human Dystonia/Paroxysmal Dyskinesias

PubMed Central

Richter, Angelika; Hamann, Melanie; Wissel, Jörg; Volk, Holger A.

2015-01-01

Dystonia is defined as a neurological syndrome characterized by involuntary sustained or intermittent muscle contractions causing twisting, often repetitive movements, and postures. Paroxysmal dyskinesias are episodic movement disorders encompassing dystonia, chorea, athetosis, and ballism in conscious individuals. Several decades of research have enhanced the understanding of the etiology of human dystonia and dyskinesias that are associated with dystonia, but the pathophysiology remains largely unknown. The spontaneous occurrence of hereditary dystonia and paroxysmal dyskinesia is well documented in rodents used as animal models in basic dystonia research. Several hyperkinetic movement disorders, described in dogs, horses and cattle, show similarities to these human movement disorders. Although dystonia is regarded as the third most common movement disorder in humans, it is often misdiagnosed because of the heterogeneity of etiology and clinical presentation. Since these conditions are poorly known in veterinary practice, their prevalence may be underestimated in veterinary medicine. In order to attract attention to these movement disorders, i.e., dystonia and paroxysmal dyskinesias associated with dystonia, and to enhance interest in translational research, this review gives a brief overview of the current literature regarding dystonia/paroxysmal dyskinesia in humans and summarizes similar hereditary movement disorders reported in domestic animals. PMID:26664992

Understanding Movement: A Sociocultural Approach to Exploring Moving Humans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larsson, Hakan; Quennerstedt, Mikael

2012-01-01

The purpose of the article is to outline a sociocultural way of exploring human movement. Our ambition is to develop an analytical framework where moving humans are explored in terms of what it means to move as movements are performed by somebody, for a certain purpose, and in a certain situation. We find this approach in poststructural…

Smooth leader or sharp follower? Playing the mirror game with a robot

PubMed Central

Kashi, Shir; Levy-Tzedek, Shelly

2017-01-01

Background: The increasing number of opportunities for human-robot interactions in various settings, from industry through home use to rehabilitation, creates a need to understand how to best personalize human-robot interactions to fit both the user and the task at hand. In the current experiment, we explored a human-robot collaborative task of joint movement, in the context of an interactive game. Objective: We set out to test people’s preferences when interacting with a robotic arm, playing a leader-follower imitation game (the mirror game). Methods: Twenty two young participants played the mirror game with the robotic arm, where one player (person or robot) followed the movements of the other. Each partner (person and robot) was leading part of the time, and following part of the time. When the robotic arm was leading the joint movement, it performed movements that were either sharp or smooth, which participants were later asked to rate. Results: The greatest preference was given to smooth movements. Half of the participants preferred to lead, and half preferred to follow. Importantly, we found that the movements of the robotic arm primed the subsequent movements performed by the participants. Conclusion: The priming effect by the robot on the movements of the human should be considered when designing interactions with robots. Our results demonstrate individual differences in preferences regarding the role of the human and the joint motion path of the robot and the human when performing the mirror game collaborative task, and highlight the importance of personalized human-robot interactions. PMID:29036853

Gloved Human-Machine Interface

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adams, Richard (Inventor); Hannaford, Blake (Inventor); Olowin, Aaron (Inventor)

2015-01-01

Certain exemplary embodiments can provide a system, machine, device, manufacture, circuit, composition of matter, and/or user interface adapted for and/or resulting from, and/or a method and/or machine-readable medium comprising machine-implementable instructions for, activities that can comprise and/or relate to: tracking movement of a gloved hand of a human; interpreting a gloved finger movement of the human; and/or in response to interpreting the gloved finger movement, providing feedback to the human.

Introducing 3-Dimensional Printing of a Human Anatomic Pathology Specimen: Potential Benefits for Undergraduate and Postgraduate Education and Anatomic Pathology Practice.

PubMed

Mahmoud, Amr; Bennett, Michael

2015-08-01

Three-dimensional (3D) printing, a rapidly advancing technology, is widely applied in fields such as mechanical engineering and architecture. Three-dimensional printing has been introduced recently into medical practice in areas such as reconstructive surgery, as well as in clinical research. Three-dimensionally printed models of anatomic and autopsy pathology specimens can be used for demonstrating pathology entities to undergraduate medical, dental, and biomedical students, as well as for postgraduate training in examination of gross specimens for anatomic pathology residents and pathology assistants, aiding clinicopathological correlation at multidisciplinary team meetings, and guiding reconstructive surgical procedures. To apply 3D printing in anatomic pathology for teaching, training, and clinical correlation purposes. Multicolored 3D printing of human anatomic pathology specimens was achieved using a ZCorp 510 3D printer (3D Systems, Rock Hill, South Carolina) following creation of a 3D model using Autodesk 123D Catch software (Autodesk, Inc, San Francisco, California). Three-dimensionally printed models of anatomic pathology specimens created included pancreatoduodenectomy (Whipple operation) and radical nephrectomy specimens. The models accurately depicted the topographic anatomy of selected specimens and illustrated the anatomic relation of excised lesions to adjacent normal tissues. Three-dimensional printing of human anatomic pathology specimens is achievable. Advances in 3D printing technology may further improve the quality of 3D printable anatomic pathology specimens.

Human Correlates of Provocative Questions in Pancreatic Pathology

PubMed Central

McDonald, Oliver G.; Maitra, Anirban; Hruban, Ralph H.

2012-01-01

Studies of cell lines and of animal models of pancreatic cancer have raised a number of provocative questions about the nature and origins of human pancreatic cancer and have provided several leads into exciting new approaches for the treatment of this deadly cancer. In addition, clinicians with little or no contact with human pathology have challenged the way that pancreatic pathology is practiced, suggesting that “genetic signals” may be more accurate than today’s multi-modal approach to diagnoses. In this review we consider eight provocative issues in pancreas pathology, with an emphasis on “the evidence derived from man.” PMID:23060061

Is Law a Humanity: (Or Is It More like Engineering)?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howarth, David

2004-01-01

Law often appears to be in a limbo between the Social Sciences and the Humanities. Movements within legal scholarship itself, the law and economics movement and the law and literature movement, represent efforts to portray law as a social science or as a humanity. But if one looks at what lawyers do, one finds that law is more like…

The Ecology of Human Mobility.

PubMed

Meekan, Mark G; Duarte, Carlos M; Fernández-Gracia, Juan; Thums, Michele; Sequeira, Ana M M; Harcourt, Rob; Eguíluz, Víctor M

2017-03-01

Mobile phones and other geolocated devices have produced unprecedented volumes of data on human movement. Analysis of pooled individual human trajectories using big data approaches has revealed a wealth of emergent features that have ecological parallels in animals across a diverse array of phenomena including commuting, epidemics, the spread of innovations and culture, and collective behaviour. Movement ecology, which explores how animals cope with and optimize variability in resources, has the potential to provide a theoretical framework to aid an understanding of human mobility and its impacts on ecosystems. In turn, big data on human movement can be explored in the context of animal movement ecology to provide solutions for urgent conservation problems and management challenges. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Eye-head coordination during free exploration in human and cat.

PubMed

Einhäuser, Wolfgang; Moeller, Gudrun U; Schumann, Frank; Conradt, Jörg; Vockeroth, Johannes; Bartl, Klaus; Schneider, Erich; König, Peter

2009-05-01

Eye, head, and body movements jointly control the direction of gaze and the stability of retinal images in most mammalian species. The contribution of the individual movement components, however, will largely depend on the ecological niche the animal occupies and the layout of the animal's retina, in particular its photoreceptor density distribution. Here the relative contribution of eye-in-head and head-in-world movements in cats is measured, and the results are compared to recent human data. For the cat, a lightweight custom-made head-mounted video setup was used (CatCam). Human data were acquired with the novel EyeSeeCam device, which measures eye position to control a gaze-contingent camera in real time. For both species, analysis was based on simultaneous recordings of eye and head movements during free exploration of a natural environment. Despite the substantial differences in ecological niche, photoreceptor density, and saccade frequency, eye-movement characteristics in both species are remarkably similar. Coordinated eye and head movements dominate the dynamics of the retinal input. Interestingly, compensatory (gaze-stabilizing) movements play a more dominant role in humans than they do in cats. This finding was interpreted to be a consequence of substantially different timescales for head movements, with cats' head movements showing about a 5-fold faster dynamics than humans. For both species, models and laboratory experiments therefore need to account for this rich input dynamic to obtain validity for ecologically realistic settings.

A motion capture library for the study of identity, gender, and emotion perception from biological motion.

PubMed

Ma, Yingliang; Paterson, Helena M; Pollick, Frank E

2006-02-01

We present the methods that were used in capturing a library of human movements for use in computer-animated displays of human movement. The library is an attempt to systematically tap into and represent the wide range of personal properties, such as identity, gender, and emotion, that are available in a person's movements. The movements from a total of 30 nonprofessional actors (15 of them female) were captured while they performed walking, knocking, lifting, and throwing actions, as well as their combination in angry, happy, neutral, and sad affective styles. From the raw motion capture data, a library of 4,080 movements was obtained, using techniques based on Character Studio (plug-ins for 3D Studio MAX, AutoDesk, Inc.), MATLAB The MathWorks, Inc.), or a combination of these two. For the knocking, lifting, and throwing actions, 10 repetitions of the simple action unit were obtained for each affect, and for the other actions, two longer movement recordings were obtained for each affect. We discuss the potential use of the library for computational and behavioral analyses of movement variability, of human character animation, and of how gender, emotion, and identity are encoded and decoded from human movement.

An online brain-machine interface using decoding of movement direction from the human electrocorticogram

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milekovic, Tomislav; Fischer, Jörg; Pistohl, Tobias; Ruescher, Johanna; Schulze-Bonhage, Andreas; Aertsen, Ad; Rickert, Jörn; Ball, Tonio; Mehring, Carsten

2012-08-01

A brain-machine interface (BMI) can be used to control movements of an artificial effector, e.g. movements of an arm prosthesis, by motor cortical signals that control the equivalent movements of the corresponding body part, e.g. arm movements. This approach has been successfully applied in monkeys and humans by accurately extracting parameters of movements from the spiking activity of multiple single neurons. We show that the same approach can be realized using brain activity measured directly from the surface of the human cortex using electrocorticography (ECoG). Five subjects, implanted with ECoG implants for the purpose of epilepsy assessment, took part in our study. Subjects used directionally dependent ECoG signals, recorded during active movements of a single arm, to control a computer cursor in one out of two directions. Significant BMI control was achieved in four out of five subjects with correct directional decoding in 69%-86% of the trials (75% on average). Our results demonstrate the feasibility of an online BMI using decoding of movement direction from human ECoG signals. Thus, to achieve such BMIs, ECoG signals might be used in conjunction with or as an alternative to intracortical neural signals.

Movement-Related Discharge in the Macaque Globus Pallidus during High-Frequency Stimulation of the Subthalamic Nucleus

PubMed Central

Zimnik, Andrew J.; Nora, Gerald J.; Desmurget, Michel

2015-01-01

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN-DBS) has largely replaced ablative therapies for Parkinson's disease. Because of the similar efficacies of the two treatments, it has been proposed that DBS acts by creating an “informational lesion,” whereby pathologic neuronal firing patterns are replaced by low-entropy, stimulus-entrained firing patterns. The informational lesion hypothesis, in its current form, states that DBS blocks the transmission of all information from the basal ganglia, including both pathologic firing patterns and normal, task-related modulations in activity. We tested this prediction in two healthy rhesus macaques by recording single-unit spiking activity from the globus pallidus (232 neurons) while the animals completed choice reaction time reaching movements with and without STN-DBS. Despite strong effects of DBS on the activity of most pallidal cells, reach-related modulations in firing rate were equally prevalent in the DBS-on and DBS-off states. This remained true even when the analysis was restricted to cells affected significantly by DBS. In addition, the overall form and timing of perimovement modulations in firing rate were preserved between DBS-on and DBS-off states in the majority of neurons (66%). Active movement and DBS had largely additive effects on the firing rate of most neurons, indicating an orthogonal relationship in which both inputs contribute independently to the overall firing rate of pallidal neurons. These findings suggest that STN-DBS does not act as an indiscriminate informational lesion but rather as a filter that permits task-related modulations in activity while, presumably, eliminating the pathological firing associated with parkinsonism. PMID:25740526

Moving in the Anthropocene: Global reductions in terrestrial mammalian movements

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tucker, Marlee A.; Böhning-Gaese, Katrin; Fagan, William F.; Fryxell, John; Van Moorter, Bram; Alberts, Susan C; Ali, Abdullahi H.; Allen, Andrew M.; Attias, Nina; Avgar, Tal; Bartlam-Brooks, Hattie; Bayarbaatar, Buuveibaatar; Belant, Jerrold L.; Bertassoni, Alessandra; Beyer, Dean; Bidner, Laura; M. van Beest, Floris; Blake, Stephen; Blaum, Niels; Bracis, Chloe; Brown, Danielle; Nico de Bruyn, P. J.; Cagnacci, Francesca; Calabrese, J.M.; Camilo-Alves, Constança; Chamaillé-Jammes, Simon; Chiaradia, Andre; Davidson, Sarah C.; Dennis, Todd; DeStefano, Stephen; Diefenbach, Duane R.; Douglas-Hamilton, Iain; Fennessy, Julian; Fichtel, Claudia; Fiedler, Wolfgang; Fischer, Christina; Fischhoff, Ilya; Fleming, Christen H.; Ford, Adam T.; Fritz, Susanne A.; Gehr, Benedikt; Goheen, Jacob R.; Gurarie, Eliezer; Hebblewhite, Mark; Heurich, Marco; Mark Hewison, A.J.; Hof, Christian; Hurme, Edward; Isbell, Lynne A.; Janssen, René; Jeltsch, Florian; Kaczensky, Petra; Kane, Adam; Kappeler, Peter M.; Kauffman, Matthew J.; Kays, Roland; Kimuyu, Duncan; Koch, Flavia; Kranstauber, Bart; LaPoint, Scott; Leimgruber, Peter; Linnell, John D. C.; López-López, Pascual; Markham, A. Catherine; Mattisson, Jenny; Medici, Emilia Patricia; Mellone, Ugo; Merrill, E.; de Miranda Mourão, Guilherme; Morato, Ronaldo G.; Morellet, Nicolas; Morrison, Thomas A.; Díaz-Muñoz, Samuel L.; Mysterud, Atle; Nandintsetseg, Dejid; Nathan, Ran; Niamir, Aidin; Odden, John; O'Hara, Robert B.; Oliveira-Santos, Luiz G. R.; Olson, Kirk A.; Patterson, Bruce D.; Cunha de Paula, Rogerio; Pedrotti, Luca; Reineking, Björn; Rimmler, Martin; Rogers, T.L.; Rolandsen, Christer Moe; Rosenberry, Christopher S.; Rubenstein, Daniel I.; Safi, Kamran; Saïd, Sonia; Sapir, Nir; Sawyer, Hall; Schmidt, Niels Martin; Selva, Nuria; Sergiel, Agnieszka; Shiilegdamba, Enkhtuvshin; Silva, João Paulo; Singh, N.; Solberg, Erling J.; Spiegel, Orr; Strand, Olav; Sundaresan, S.R.; Ullmann, Wiebke; Voigt, Ulrich; Wall, J.; Wattles, David W.; Wikelski, Martin; Wilmers, Christopher C.; Wilson, Jon W.; Wittemyer, George; Zięba, Filip; Zwijacz-Kozica, Tomasz; Mueller, Thomas

2018-01-01

Animal movement is fundamental for ecosystem functioning and species survival, yet the effects of the anthropogenic footprint on animal movements have not been estimated across species. Using a unique GPS-tracking database of 803 individuals across 57 species, we found that movements of mammals in areas with a comparatively high human footprint were on average one-half to one-third the extent of their movements in areas with a low human footprint. We attribute this reduction to behavioral changes of individual animals and to the exclusion of species with long-range movements from areas with higher human impact. Global loss of vagility alters a key ecological trait of animals that affects not only population persistence but also ecosystem processes such as predator-prey interactions, nutrient cycling, and disease transmission.

Eye movement-invariant representations in the human visual system.

PubMed

Nishimoto, Shinji; Huth, Alexander G; Bilenko, Natalia Y; Gallant, Jack L

2017-01-01

During natural vision, humans make frequent eye movements but perceive a stable visual world. It is therefore likely that the human visual system contains representations of the visual world that are invariant to eye movements. Here we present an experiment designed to identify visual areas that might contain eye-movement-invariant representations. We used functional MRI to record brain activity from four human subjects who watched natural movies. In one condition subjects were required to fixate steadily, and in the other they were allowed to freely make voluntary eye movements. The movies used in each condition were identical. We reasoned that the brain activity recorded in a visual area that is invariant to eye movement should be similar under fixation and free viewing conditions. In contrast, activity in a visual area that is sensitive to eye movement should differ between fixation and free viewing. We therefore measured the similarity of brain activity across repeated presentations of the same movie within the fixation condition, and separately between the fixation and free viewing conditions. The ratio of these measures was used to determine which brain areas are most likely to contain eye movement-invariant representations. We found that voxels located in early visual areas are strongly affected by eye movements, while voxels in ventral temporal areas are only weakly affected by eye movements. These results suggest that the ventral temporal visual areas contain a stable representation of the visual world that is invariant to eye movements made during natural vision.

House-to-house human movement drives dengue virus transmission

PubMed Central

Stoddard, Steven T.; Forshey, Brett M.; Morrison, Amy C.; Paz-Soldan, Valerie A.; Vazquez-Prokopec, Gonzalo M.; Astete, Helvio; Reiner, Robert C.; Vilcarromero, Stalin; Elder, John P.; Halsey, Eric S.; Kochel, Tadeusz J.; Kitron, Uriel; Scott, Thomas W.

2013-01-01

Dengue is a mosquito-borne disease of growing global health importance. Prevention efforts focus on mosquito control, with limited success. New insights into the spatiotemporal drivers of dengue dynamics are needed to design improved disease-prevention strategies. Given the restricted range of movement of the primary mosquito vector, Aedes aegypti, local human movements may be an important driver of dengue virus (DENV) amplification and spread. Using contact-site cluster investigations in a case-control design, we demonstrate that, at an individual level, risk for human infection is defined by visits to places where contact with infected mosquitoes is likely, independent of distance from the home. Our data indicate that house-to-house human movements underlie spatial patterns of DENV incidence, causing marked heterogeneity in transmission rates. At a collective level, transmission appears to be shaped by social connections because routine movements among the same places, such as the homes of family and friends, are often similar for the infected individual and their contacts. Thus, routine, house-to-house human movements do play a key role in spread of this vector-borne pathogen at fine spatial scales. This finding has important implications for dengue prevention, challenging the appropriateness of current approaches to vector control. We argue that reexamination of existing paradigms regarding the spatiotemporal dynamics of DENV and other vector-borne pathogens, especially the importance of human movement, will lead to improvements in disease prevention. PMID:23277539

Patterns and Limitations of Urban Human Mobility Resilience under the Influence of Multiple Types of Natural Disaster

PubMed Central

Wang, Qi; Taylor, John E.

2016-01-01

Natural disasters pose serious threats to large urban areas, therefore understanding and predicting human movements is critical for evaluating a population’s vulnerability and resilience and developing plans for disaster evacuation, response and relief. However, only limited research has been conducted into the effect of natural disasters on human mobility. This study examines how natural disasters influence human mobility patterns in urban populations using individuals’ movement data collected from Twitter. We selected fifteen destructive cases across five types of natural disaster and analyzed the human movement data before, during, and after each event, comparing the perturbed and steady state movement data. The results suggest that the power-law can describe human mobility in most cases and that human mobility patterns observed in steady states are often correlated with those in perturbed states, highlighting their inherent resilience. However, the quantitative analysis shows that this resilience has its limits and can fail in more powerful natural disasters. The findings from this study will deepen our understanding of the interaction between urban dwellers and civil infrastructure, improve our ability to predict human movement patterns during natural disasters, and facilitate contingency planning by policymakers. PMID:26820404

Velocity-curvature patterns limit human-robot physical interaction

PubMed Central

Maurice, Pauline; Huber, Meghan E.; Hogan, Neville; Sternad, Dagmar

2018-01-01

Physical human-robot collaboration is becoming more common, both in industrial and service robotics. Cooperative execution of a task requires intuitive and efficient interaction between both actors. For humans, this means being able to predict and adapt to robot movements. Given that natural human movement exhibits several robust features, we examined whether human-robot physical interaction is facilitated when these features are considered in robot control. The present study investigated how humans adapt to biological and non-biological velocity patterns in robot movements. Participants held the end-effector of a robot that traced an elliptic path with either biological (two-thirds power law) or non-biological velocity profiles. Participants were instructed to minimize the force applied on the robot end-effector. Results showed that the applied force was significantly lower when the robot moved with a biological velocity pattern. With extensive practice and enhanced feedback, participants were able to decrease their force when following a non-biological velocity pattern, but never reached forces below those obtained with the 2/3 power law profile. These results suggest that some robust features observed in natural human movements are also a strong preference in guided movements. Therefore, such features should be considered in human-robot physical collaboration. PMID:29744380

Patterns and Limitations of Urban Human Mobility Resilience under the Influence of Multiple Types of Natural Disaster.

PubMed

Wang, Qi; Taylor, John E

2016-01-01

Natural disasters pose serious threats to large urban areas, therefore understanding and predicting human movements is critical for evaluating a population's vulnerability and resilience and developing plans for disaster evacuation, response and relief. However, only limited research has been conducted into the effect of natural disasters on human mobility. This study examines how natural disasters influence human mobility patterns in urban populations using individuals' movement data collected from Twitter. We selected fifteen destructive cases across five types of natural disaster and analyzed the human movement data before, during, and after each event, comparing the perturbed and steady state movement data. The results suggest that the power-law can describe human mobility in most cases and that human mobility patterns observed in steady states are often correlated with those in perturbed states, highlighting their inherent resilience. However, the quantitative analysis shows that this resilience has its limits and can fail in more powerful natural disasters. The findings from this study will deepen our understanding of the interaction between urban dwellers and civil infrastructure, improve our ability to predict human movement patterns during natural disasters, and facilitate contingency planning by policymakers.

Velocity-curvature patterns limit human-robot physical interaction.

PubMed

Maurice, Pauline; Huber, Meghan E; Hogan, Neville; Sternad, Dagmar

2018-01-01

Physical human-robot collaboration is becoming more common, both in industrial and service robotics. Cooperative execution of a task requires intuitive and efficient interaction between both actors. For humans, this means being able to predict and adapt to robot movements. Given that natural human movement exhibits several robust features, we examined whether human-robot physical interaction is facilitated when these features are considered in robot control. The present study investigated how humans adapt to biological and non-biological velocity patterns in robot movements. Participants held the end-effector of a robot that traced an elliptic path with either biological (two-thirds power law) or non-biological velocity profiles. Participants were instructed to minimize the force applied on the robot end-effector. Results showed that the applied force was significantly lower when the robot moved with a biological velocity pattern. With extensive practice and enhanced feedback, participants were able to decrease their force when following a non-biological velocity pattern, but never reached forces below those obtained with the 2/3 power law profile. These results suggest that some robust features observed in natural human movements are also a strong preference in guided movements. Therefore, such features should be considered in human-robot physical collaboration.

[Theory of functional systems: postulates and principles of human body construction in health and pathology].

PubMed

Sudakov, K V

2007-01-01

It is shown that many functional systems with different level of organization harmoniously interact in healthy humans and animals. Early stress discoordinates information links of functional systems which can be easily corrected by nonpharmacological methods. Long-term and intensive stress disturbs mechanisms of self-regulation of the weakest functional systems. This converts a pathological process to a molecular tissue level. Principles of systemic functional human organization in pathology and compensation of impaired functions are considered.

Confounders in interpreting pathology for safety and risk assessment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wolf, Douglas C.; Mann, Peter C.

2005-02-01

The contribution of pathology to toxicity assessment is invaluable but often not clearly understood. Pathology endpoints are the central response around which human health risk assessment is frequently determined; therefore, it is important that the general toxicology community understand current concepts and nomenclature of toxicologic pathology. Toxicologic pathology encompasses the study of changes in tissue morphology that help define the risk of exposure to xenobiotics. Toxicologic pathology is a discipline that has changed and adapted over time including methods of analysis and nomenclature of lesions. As risk assessments are updated for chemicals in commerce, frequently the older literature must bemore » reviewed and reevaluated. When interpreting pathology data from animal studies, it is important to consider the biological significance of a lesion as well as its relationship to the ultimate adverse health effect. Assessing the potential for a chemical to cause harm to humans must include the examination of the entire pathology database in context of the study design, the mode of action of the chemical of concern, and using the most current interpretation of a lesion to determine the significance for human health effects of a particular tissue response.« less

Science, humanism, judgement, ethics: person-centered medicine as an emergent model of modern clinical practice.

PubMed

Miles, Andrew

2013-01-01

The Medical University of Plovdiv (MUP) has as its motto 'Committed to humanity". But what does humanity in modern medicine mean? Is it possible to practise a form of medicine that is without humanity? In the current article, it is argued that modern medicine is increasingly being practised in a de-personalised fashion, where the patient is understood not as a unique human individual, a person, but rather as a subject or an object and more in the manner of a complex biological machine. Medicine has, it is contended, become distracted from its duty to care, comfort and console as well as to ameliorate, attenuate and cure and that the rapid development of medicine's scientific knowledge is, paradoxically, principally causative. Signal occurrences in the 'patient as a person' movement are reviewed, together with the emergence of the evidence-based medicine (EBM) and patient-centered care (PCC) movements. The characteristics of a model of medicine evolving in response to medicine's current deficiencies--person-centered healthcare (PCH)--are noted and described. In seeking to apply science with humanism, via clinical judgement, within an ethical framework, it is contended that PCH will prove to be far more responsive to the needs of the individual patient and his/her personal circumstances than current models of practice, so that neither a reductive anatomico-pathological, disease-centric model of illness (EBM), nor an aggressive patient-directed, consumerist form of care (PCC) is allowed continued dominance within modern healthcare systems. In conclusion, it is argued that PCH will enable affordable advances in biomedicine and technology to be delivered to patients within a humanistic framework of clinical practice that recognises the patient as a person and which takes full account of his/her stories, values, preferences, goals, aspirations, fears, worries, hopes, cultural context and which responds to his/her psychological, emotional, spiritual and social necessities in addition to his/her physical needs. MUP, in assimilating such arguments and introducing person-centered medicine teaching into the University, is engaged in a notable and laudable initiative which will function as a salutary example to other medical schools within Europe and elsewhere.

Least-cost transportation networks predict spatial interaction of invasion vectors.

PubMed

Drake, D Andrew R; Mandrak, Nicholas E

2010-12-01

Human-mediated dispersal among aquatic ecosystems often results in biotic transfer between drainage basins. Such activities may circumvent biogeographic factors, with considerable ecological, evolutionary, and economic implications. However, the efficacy of predictions concerning community changes following inter-basin movements are limited, often because the dispersal mechanism is poorly understood (e.g., quantified only partially). To date, spatial-interaction models that predict the movement of humans as vectors of biotic transfer have not incorporated patterns of human movement through transportation networks. As a necessary first step to determine the role of anglers as invasion vectors across a land-lake ecosystem, we investigate their movement potential within Ontario, Canada. To determine possible model improvements resulting from inclusion of network travel, spatial-interaction models were constructed using standard Euclidean (e.g., straight-line) distance measures and also with distances derived from least-cost routing of human transportation networks. Model comparisons determined that least-cost routing both provided the most parsimonious model and also excelled at forecasting spatial interactions, with a proportion of 0.477 total movement deviance explained. The distribution of movements was characterized by many relatively short to medium travel distances (median = 292.6 km) with fewer lengthier distances (75th percentile = 484.6 km, 95th percentile = 775.2 km); however, even the shortest movements were sufficient to overcome drainage-basin boundaries. Ranking of variables in order of their contribution within the most parsimonious model determined that distance traveled, origin outflow, lake attractiveness, and sportfish richness significantly influence movement patterns. Model improvements associated with least-cost routing of human transportation networks imply that patterns of human-mediated invasion are fundamentally linked to the spatial configuration and relative impedance of human transportation networks, placing increased importance on understanding their contribution to the invasion process.

Molecular imaging to track Parkinson's disease and atypical parkinsonisms: New imaging frontiers.

PubMed

Strafella, Antonio P; Bohnen, Nicolaas I; Perlmutter, Joel S; Eidelberg, David; Pavese, Nicola; Van Eimeren, Thilo; Piccini, Paola; Politis, Marios; Thobois, Stephane; Ceravolo, Roberto; Higuchi, Makoto; Kaasinen, Valtteri; Masellis, Mario; Peralta, M Cecilia; Obeso, Ignacio; Pineda-Pardo, Jose Ángel; Cilia, Roberto; Ballanger, Benedicte; Niethammer, Martin; Stoessl, Jon A

2017-02-01

Molecular imaging has proven to be a powerful tool for investigation of parkinsonian disorders. One current challenge is to identify biomarkers of early changes that may predict the clinical trajectory of parkinsonian disorders. Exciting new tracer developments hold the potential for in vivo markers of underlying pathology. Herein, we provide an overview of molecular imaging advances and how these approaches help us to understand PD and atypical parkinsonisms. © 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. © 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Cultural Narcissism and Education Reform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pajak, Edward F.

2011-01-01

Background/Context: Scholars have described American culture in recent decades as narcissistic, manifested by displays of self-absorption tantamount to a pathological syndrome that has reached epidemic proportions. An education reform movement that is highly critical of public schools, teachers, and students has simultaneously emerged, espousing a…

Subcortical neuronal ensembles: an analysis of motor task association, tremor, oscillations, and synchrony in human patients.

PubMed

Hanson, Timothy L; Fuller, Andrew M; Lebedev, Mikhail A; Turner, Dennis A; Nicolelis, Miguel A L

2012-06-20

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has expanded as an effective treatment for motor disorders, providing a valuable opportunity for intraoperative recording of the spiking activity of subcortical neurons. The properties of these neurons and their potential utility in neuroprosthetic applications are not completely understood. During DBS surgeries in 25 human patients with either essential tremor or Parkinson's disease, we acutely recorded the single-unit activity of 274 ventral intermediate/ventral oralis posterior motor thalamus (Vim/Vop) neurons and 123 subthalamic nucleus (STN) neurons. These subcortical neuronal ensembles (up to 23 neurons sampled simultaneously) were recorded while the patients performed a target-tracking motor task using a cursor controlled by a haptic glove. We observed that modulations in firing rate of a substantial number of neurons in both Vim/Vop and STN represented target onset, movement onset/direction, and hand tremor. Neurons in both areas exhibited rhythmic oscillations and pairwise synchrony. Notably, all tremor-associated neurons exhibited synchrony within the ensemble. The data further indicate that oscillatory (likely pathological) neurons and behaviorally tuned neurons are not distinct but rather form overlapping sets. Whereas previous studies have reported a linear relationship between power spectra of neuronal oscillations and hand tremor, we report a nonlinear relationship suggestive of complex encoding schemes. Even in the presence of this pathological activity, linear models were able to extract motor parameters from ensemble discharges. Based on these findings, we propose that chronic multielectrode recordings from Vim/Vop and STN could prove useful for further studying, monitoring, and even treating motor disorders.

Infant and Adult Perceptions of Possible and Impossible Body Movements: An Eye-Tracking Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morita, Tomoyo; Slaughter, Virginia; Katayama, Nobuko; Kitazaki, Michiteru; Kakigi, Ryusuke; Itakura, Shoji

2012-01-01

This study investigated how infants perceive and interpret human body movement. We recorded the eye movements and pupil sizes of 9- and 12-month-old infants and of adults (N = 14 per group) as they observed animation clips of biomechanically possible and impossible arm movements performed by a human and by a humanoid robot. Both 12-month-old…

Biomimetics of human movement: functional or aesthetic?

PubMed

Harris, Christopher M

2009-09-01

How should robotic or prosthetic arms be programmed to move? Copying human smooth movements is popular in synthetic systems, but what does this really achieve? We cannot address these biomimetic issues without a deep understanding of why natural movements are so stereotyped. In this article, we distinguish between 'functional' and 'aesthetic' biomimetics. Functional biomimetics requires insight into the problem that nature has solved and recognition that a similar problem exists in the synthetic system. In aesthetic biomimetics, nature is copied for its own sake and no insight is needed. We examine the popular minimum jerk (MJ) model that has often been used to generate smooth human-like point-to-point movements in synthetic arms. The MJ model was originally justified as maximizing 'smoothness'; however, it is also the limiting optimal trajectory for a wide range of cost functions for brief movements, including the minimum variance (MV) model, where smoothness is a by-product of optimizing the speed-accuracy trade-off imposed by proportional noise (PN: signal-dependent noise with the standard deviation proportional to mean). PN is unlikely to be dominant in synthetic systems, and the control objectives of natural movements (speed and accuracy) would not be optimized in synthetic systems by human-like movements. Thus, employing MJ or MV controllers in robotic arms is just aesthetic biomimetics. For prosthetic arms, the goal is aesthetic by definition, but it is still crucial to recognize that MV trajectories and PN are deeply embedded in the human motor system. Thus, PN arises at the neural level, as a recruitment strategy of motor units and probably optimizes motor neuron noise. Human reaching is under continuous adaptive control. For prosthetic devices that do not have this natural architecture, natural plasticity would drive the system towards unnatural movements. We propose that a truly neuromorphic system with parallel force generators (muscle fibres) and noisy drivers (motor neurons) would permit plasticity to adapt the control of a prosthetic limb towards human-like movement.

A three-dimensional human neural cell culture model of Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Choi, Se Hoon; Kim, Young Hye; Hebisch, Matthias; Sliwinski, Christopher; Lee, Seungkyu; D'Avanzo, Carla; Chen, Hechao; Hooli, Basavaraj; Asselin, Caroline; Muffat, Julien; Klee, Justin B; Zhang, Can; Wainger, Brian J; Peitz, Michael; Kovacs, Dora M; Woolf, Clifford J; Wagner, Steven L; Tanzi, Rudolph E; Kim, Doo Yeon

2014-11-13

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, characterized by two pathological hallmarks: amyloid-β plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. The amyloid hypothesis of Alzheimer's disease posits that the excessive accumulation of amyloid-β peptide leads to neurofibrillary tangles composed of aggregated hyperphosphorylated tau. However, to date, no single disease model has serially linked these two pathological events using human neuronal cells. Mouse models with familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD) mutations exhibit amyloid-β-induced synaptic and memory deficits but they do not fully recapitulate other key pathological events of Alzheimer's disease, including distinct neurofibrillary tangle pathology. Human neurons derived from Alzheimer's disease patients have shown elevated levels of toxic amyloid-β species and phosphorylated tau but did not demonstrate amyloid-β plaques or neurofibrillary tangles. Here we report that FAD mutations in β-amyloid precursor protein and presenilin 1 are able to induce robust extracellular deposition of amyloid-β, including amyloid-β plaques, in a human neural stem-cell-derived three-dimensional (3D) culture system. More importantly, the 3D-differentiated neuronal cells expressing FAD mutations exhibited high levels of detergent-resistant, silver-positive aggregates of phosphorylated tau in the soma and neurites, as well as filamentous tau, as detected by immunoelectron microscopy. Inhibition of amyloid-β generation with β- or γ-secretase inhibitors not only decreased amyloid-β pathology, but also attenuated tauopathy. We also found that glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) regulated amyloid-β-mediated tau phosphorylation. We have successfully recapitulated amyloid-β and tau pathology in a single 3D human neural cell culture system. Our unique strategy for recapitulating Alzheimer's disease pathology in a 3D neural cell culture model should also serve to facilitate the development of more precise human neural cell models of other neurodegenerative disorders.

Effects of External Loads on Human Head Movement Control Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nam, M. H.; Choi, O. M.

1984-01-01

The central and reflexive control strategies underlying movements were elucidated by studying the effects of external loads on human head movement control systems. Some experimental results are presented on dynamic changes weigh the addition of aviation helmet (SPH4) and lead weights (6 kg). Intended time-optimal movements, their dynamics and electromyographic activity of neck muscles in normal movements, and also in movements made with external weights applied to the head were measured. It was observed that, when the external loads were added, the subject went through complex adapting processes and the head movement trajectory and its derivatives reached steady conditions only after transient adapting period. The steady adapted state was reached after 15 to 20 seconds (i.e., 5 to 6 movements).

Modeling sound transmission of human middle ear and its clinical applications using finite element analysis.

PubMed

Chen, Shou-I; Lee, Ming-Hsiao; Yao, Chih-Min; Chen, Peir-Rong; Chou, Yuan-Fang; Liu, Tien-Chen; Song, Yu-Lin; Lee, Chia-Fone

2013-03-01

We have developed a new finite element (FE) model of human right ear, including the accurate geometry of middle ear ossicles, external ear canal, tympanic cavity, and mastoid cavity. The FE model would be suitable to study the dynamic behaviors of pathological middle ear conditions, including changes of stapedial ligament stiffness, tensor tympani ligament (TTL), and tympanic membrane (TM) stiffness and thickness. Increasing stiffness of stapedial ligament has substantial effect on stapes footplate movement, especially at low frequencies, but less effect on umbo movement. Softer TTL will result in increasing umbo and stapes footplate displacement, especially at low frequencies (f<1000Hz). When the TTL was detached, the vibration amplitude of umbo increased by 6dB at 600Hz and two peaks (300 and 600Hz) were found in the vibration amplitude of stapes footplate. Increasing the stiffness of tensor tympani resulted in a slightly decreased umbo amplitude at very low frequencies (f<500Hz) and significantly decreased displacement up to 12dB at middle frequencies (1000Hz1500Hz. As (TM) thickness was increased, the umbo displacement was reduced, especially at very low frequencies (f<600Hz). Otherwise, the stapes displacement was reduced at all frequencies. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Free-radicals and advanced chemistries involved in cell membrane organization influence oxygen diffusion and pathology treatment.

PubMed

Petersen, Richard C

2017-01-01

A breakthrough has been discovered in pathology chemistry related to increasing molecular structure that can interfere with oxygen diffusion through cell membranes. Free radicals can crosslink unsaturated low-viscosity fatty acid oils by chain-growth polymerization into more viscous liquids and even solids. Free radicals are released by mitochondria in response to intermittent hypoxia that can increase membrane molecular organization to reduce fluidity and oxygen diffusion in a possible continuing vicious cycle toward pathological disease. Alternate computational chemistry demonstrates molecular bond dynamics in free energy for cell membrane physiologic movements. Paired electrons in oxygen and nitrogen atoms require that oxygen bonds rotate and nitrogen bonds invert to seek polar nano-environments and hide from nonpolar nano-environments thus creating fluctuating instability at a nonpolar membrane and polar biologic fluid interface. Subsequent mechanomolecular movements provide free energy to increase diffusion by membrane transport of molecules and oxygen into the cell, cell-membrane signaling/recognition/defense in addition to protein movements for enzyme mixing. In other chemistry calcium bonds to membrane phosphates primarily on the outer plasma cell membrane surface to influence the membrane firing threshold for excitability and better seal out water permeation. Because calcium is an excellent metal conductor and membrane phosphate headgroups form a semiconductor at the biologic fluid interface, excess electrons released by mitochondria may have more broad dissipation potential by safe conduction through calcium atomic-sized circuits on the outer membrane surface. Regarding medical conditions, free radicals are known to produce pathology especially in age-related disease in addition to aging. Because cancer cell membranes develop extreme polymorphism that has been extensively followed in research, accentuated easily-visualized free-radical models are developed. In terms of treatment, use of vitamin nutrient supplements purported to be antioxidants that remove free radicals has not proved worthwhile in clinical trials presumably due to errors with early antioxidant measurements based on inaccurate colorimetry tests. However, newer covalent-bond shrinkage tests now provide accurate measurements for free-radical inhibitor hydroquinone and other molecules toward drug therapy.

Free-radicals and advanced chemistries involved in cell membrane organization influence oxygen diffusion and pathology treatment

PubMed Central

Petersen, Richard C

2017-01-01

A breakthrough has been discovered in pathology chemistry related to increasing molecular structure that can interfere with oxygen diffusion through cell membranes. Free radicals can crosslink unsaturated low-viscosity fatty acid oils by chain-growth polymerization into more viscous liquids and even solids. Free radicals are released by mitochondria in response to intermittent hypoxia that can increase membrane molecular organization to reduce fluidity and oxygen diffusion in a possible continuing vicious cycle toward pathological disease. Alternate computational chemistry demonstrates molecular bond dynamics in free energy for cell membrane physiologic movements. Paired electrons in oxygen and nitrogen atoms require that oxygen bonds rotate and nitrogen bonds invert to seek polar nano-environments and hide from nonpolar nano-environments thus creating fluctuating instability at a nonpolar membrane and polar biologic fluid interface. Subsequent mechanomolecular movements provide free energy to increase diffusion by membrane transport of molecules and oxygen into the cell, cell-membrane signaling/recognition/defense in addition to protein movements for enzyme mixing. In other chemistry calcium bonds to membrane phosphates primarily on the outer plasma cell membrane surface to influence the membrane firing threshold for excitability and better seal out water permeation. Because calcium is an excellent metal conductor and membrane phosphate headgroups form a semiconductor at the biologic fluid interface, excess electrons released by mitochondria may have more broad dissipation potential by safe conduction through calcium atomic-sized circuits on the outer membrane surface. Regarding medical conditions, free radicals are known to produce pathology especially in age-related disease in addition to aging. Because cancer cell membranes develop extreme polymorphism that has been extensively followed in research, accentuated easily-visualized free-radical models are developed. In terms of treatment, use of vitamin nutrient supplements purported to be antioxidants that remove free radicals has not proved worthwhile in clinical trials presumably due to errors with early antioxidant measurements based on inaccurate colorimetry tests. However, newer covalent-bond shrinkage tests now provide accurate measurements for free-radical inhibitor hydroquinone and other molecules toward drug therapy. PMID:29202036

Temporal visual field defects are associated with monocular inattention in chiasmal pathology.

PubMed

Fledelius, Hans C

2009-11-01

Chiasmal lesions have been shown to give rise occasionally to uni-ocular temporal inattention, which cannot be compensated for by volitional eye movement. This article describes the assessments of 46 such patients with chiasmal pathology. It aims to determine the clinical spectrum of this disorder, including interference with reading. Retrospective consecutive observational clinical case study over a 7-year period comprising 46 patients with chiasmal field loss of varying degrees. Observation of reading behaviour during monocular visual acuity testing ascertained from consecutive patients who appeared unable to read optotypes on the temporal side of the chart. Visual fields were evaluated by kinetic (Goldmann) and static (Octopus) techniques. Five patients who clearly manifested this condition are presented in more detail. The results of visual field testing were related to absence or presence of uni-ocular visual inattentive behaviour for distance visual acuity testing and/or reading printed text. Despite normal eye movements, the 46 patients making up the clinical series perceived only optotypes in the nasal part of the chart, in one eye or in both, when tested for each eye in turn. The temporal optotypes were ignored, and this behaviour persisted despite instruction to search for any additional letters temporal to those, which had been seen. This phenomenon of unilateral visual inattention held for both eyes in 18 and was unilateral in the remaining 28 patients. Partial or full reversibility after treatment was recorded in 21 of the 39 for whom reliable follow-up data were available. Reading a text was affected in 24 individuals, and permanently so in six. A neglect-like spatial unawareness and a lack of cognitive compensation for varying degrees of temporal visual field loss were present in all the patients observed. Not only is visual field loss a feature of chiasmal pathology, but the higher visual function of affording attention within the temporal visual field by means of using conscious thought to invoke appropriate compensatory eye movement was also absent. This suggests the possibility of 'trans-synaptic dysfunction' caused by loss of visual input to higher visual centres. When inattention to the temporal side is manifest on monocular visual testing it should raise the suspicion of chiasmal pathology.

Human Purposive Movement Theory

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-01

theory and provides examples of developmental and operational technologies that could use this theory in common settings. 15. SUBJECT TERMS human ... activity , prediction of behavior, human algorithms purposive movement theory 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT UU 18

Reorganization of the human central nervous system.

PubMed

Schalow, G; Zäch, G A

2000-10-01

The key strategies on which the discovery of the functional organization of the central nervous system (CNS) under physiologic and pathophysiologic conditions have been based included (1) our measurements of phase and frequency coordination between the firings of alpha- and gamma-motoneurons and secondary muscle spindle afferents in the human spinal cord, (2) knowledge on CNS reorganization derived upon the improvement of the functions of the lesioned CNS in our patients in the short-term memory and the long-term memory (reorganization), and (3) the dynamic pattern approach for re-learning rhythmic coordinated behavior. The theory of self-organization and pattern formation in nonequilibrium systems is explicitly related to our measurements of the natural firing patterns of sets of identified single neurons in the human spinal premotor network and re-learned coordinated movements following spinal cord and brain lesions. Therapy induced cell proliferation, and maybe, neurogenesis seem to contribute to the host of structural changes during the process of re-learning of the lesioned CNS. So far, coordinated functions like movements could substantially be improved in every of the more than 100 patients with a CNS lesion by applying coordination dynamic therapy. As suggested by the data of our patients on re-learning, the human CNS seems to have a second integrative strategy for learning, re-learning, storing and recalling, which makes an essential contribution of the functional plasticity following a CNS lesion. A method has been developed by us for the simultaneous recording with wire electrodes of extracellular action potentials from single human afferent and efferent nerve fibres of undamaged sacral nerve roots. A classification scheme of the nerve fibres in the human peripheral nervous system (PNS) could be set up in which the individual classes of nerve fibres are characterized by group conduction velocities and group nerve fibre diameters. Natural impulse patterns of several identified single afferent and efferent nerve fibres (motoneuron axons) were extracted from multi-unit impulse patterns, and human CNS functions could be analyzed under physiologic and pathophysiologic conditions. With our discovery of premotor spinal oscillators it became possible to judge upon CNS neuronal network organization based on the firing patterns of these spinal oscillators and their driving afferents. Since motoneurons fire occasionally for low activation and oscillatory for high activation, the coherent organization of subnetworks to generate macroscopic function is very complex and for the time being, may be best described by the theory of coordination dynamics. Since oscillatory firing has also been observed by us in single motor unit firing patterns measured electromyographically, it seems possible to follow up therapeutic intervention in patients with spinal cord and brain lesions not only based on the activity levels and phases of motor programs during locomotion but also based on the physiologic and pathophysiologic firing patterns and recruitment of spinal oscillators. The improvement of the coordination dynamics of the CNS can be partly measured directly by rhythmicity upon the patient performing rhythmic movements coordinated up to milliseconds. Since rhythmic dynamic, coordinated, stereotyped movements are mainly located in the spinal cord and only little supraspinal drive is necessary to initiate, maintain, and terminate them, rhythmic, dynamic, coordinated movements were used in therapy to enforce reorganization of the lesioned CNS by improving the self-organization and relative coordination of spinal oscillators (and their interactions with occasionally firing motoneurons) which became pathologic in their firing following CNS lesion. Paraparetic, tetraparetic spinal cord and brain-lesioned patients re-learned running and other movements by an oscillator formation and coordination dynamic therapy. Our development in neurorehabilitation is in accordance with those of theoretical and computational neurosciences which deal with the self-organization of neuronal networks. In particular, jumping on a springboard 'in-phase' and in 'anti-phase' to re-learn phase relations of oscillator coupling can be understood in the framework of the Haken-Kelso-Bunz coordination dynamic model. By introducing broken symmetry, intention, learning and spasticity in the landscape of the potential function of the integrated CNS activity, the change in self-organization becomes understandable. Movement patterns re-learned by oscillator formation and coordination dynamic therapy evolve from reorganization and regeneration of the lesioned CNS by cooperative and competitive interplay between intrinsic coordination dynamics, extrinsic therapy related inputs with physiologic re-afferent input, including intention, motivation, supervised learning, interpersonal coordination, and genetic constraints including neurogenesis. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)

Human hippocampal theta power indicates movement onset and distance travelled

PubMed Central

Bird, Chris M.; Gollwitzer, Stephanie; Rodionov, Roman; Diehl, Beate; McEvoy, Andrew W.; Walker, Matthew C.; Burgess, Neil

2017-01-01

Theta frequency oscillations in the 6- to 10-Hz range dominate the rodent hippocampal local field potential during translational movement, suggesting that theta encodes self-motion. Increases in theta power have also been identified in the human hippocampus during both real and virtual movement but appear as transient bursts in distinct high- and low-frequency bands, and it is not yet clear how these bursts relate to the sustained oscillation observed in rodents. Here, we examine depth electrode recordings from the temporal lobe of 13 presurgical epilepsy patients performing a self-paced spatial memory task in a virtual environment. In contrast to previous studies, we focus on movement-onset periods that incorporate both initial acceleration and an immediately preceding stationary interval associated with prominent theta oscillations in the rodent hippocampal formation. We demonstrate that movement-onset periods are associated with a significant increase in both low (2–5 Hz)- and high (6–9 Hz)-frequency theta power in the human hippocampus. Similar increases in low- and high-frequency theta power are seen across lateral temporal lobe recording sites and persist throughout the remainder of movement in both regions. In addition, we show that movement-related theta power is greater both before and during longer paths, directly implicating human hippocampal theta in the encoding of translational movement. These findings strengthen the connection between studies of theta-band activity in rodents and humans and offer additional insight into the neural mechanisms of spatial navigation. PMID:29078334

Modelling the variation in skin-test tuberculin reactions, post-mortem lesion counts and case pathology in tuberculosis-exposed cattle: Effects of animal characteristics, histories and co-infection.

PubMed

Byrne, A W; Graham, J; Brown, C; Donaghy, A; Guelbenzu-Gonzalo, M; McNair, J; Skuce, R A; Allen, A; McDowell, S W

2018-06-01

Correctly identifying bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in cattle remains a significant problem in endemic countries. We hypothesized that animal characteristics (sex, age, breed), histories (herd effects, testing, movement) and potential exposure to other pathogens (co-infection; BVDV, liver fluke and Mycobacterium avium reactors) could significantly impact the immune responsiveness detected at skin testing and the variation in post-mortem pathology (confirmation) in bTB-exposed cattle. Three model suites were developed using a retrospective observational data set of 5,698 cattle culled during herd breakdowns in Northern Ireland. A linear regression model suggested that antemortem tuberculin reaction size (difference in purified protein derivative avium [PPDa] and bovine [PPDb] reactions) was significantly positively associated with post-mortem maximum lesion size and the number of lesions found. This indicated that reaction size could be considered a predictor of both the extent (number of lesions/tissues) and the pathological progression of infection (maximum lesion size). Tuberculin reaction size was related to age class, and younger animals (<2.85 years) displayed larger reaction sizes than older animals. Tuberculin reaction size was also associated with breed and animal movement and increased with the time between the penultimate and disclosing tests. A negative binomial random-effects model indicated a significant increase in lesion counts for animals with M. avium reactions (PPDb-PPDa < 0) relative to non-reactors (PPDb-PPDa = 0). Lesion counts were significantly increased in animals with previous positive severe interpretation skin-test results. Animals with increased movement histories, young animals and non-dairy breed animals also had significantly increased lesion counts. Animals from herds that had BVDV-positive cattle had significantly lower lesion counts than animals from herds without evidence of BVDV infection. Restricting the data set to only animals with a bTB visible lesion at slaughter (n = 2471), an ordinal regression model indicated that liver fluke-infected animals disclosed smaller lesions, relative to liver fluke-negative animals, and larger lesions were disclosed in animals with increased movement histories. © 2018 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Airway Protective Mechanisms

PubMed Central

Pitts, Teresa

2014-01-01

Cough and swallow are highly coordinated reflex behaviors whose common purpose is to protect the airway. The pharynx is the common tube for air and food/liquid movement from the mouth into the thorax, has been largely overlooked, and is potentially seen as just a passive space. The thyropharyngeus muscle responds to cough inducing stimuli to prepare a transient holding area for material that has been removed from the subglottic airway. The cricopharyngeus muscle participates with the larynx to ensure regulation of pressure when a bolus/air is moving from the upper airway through to the thorax (i.e inspiration or swallow) or the reverse (i.e expiration reflex or vomiting).These vital mechanisms have not been evaluated in clinical conditions, but could be impaired in many neurodegenerative diseases leading to aspiration pneumonia. These newly described airway protective mechanisms need further study, especially in healthy and pathologic human populations. PMID:24297325

Low-Frequency Oscillations and Control of the Motor Output

PubMed Central

Lodha, Neha; Christou, Evangelos A.

2017-01-01

A less precise force output impairs our ability to perform movements, learn new motor tasks, and use tools. Here we show that low-frequency oscillations in force are detrimental to force precision. We summarize the recent evidence that low-frequency oscillations in force output represent oscillations of the spinal motor neuron pool from the voluntary drive, and can be modulated by shifting power to higher frequencies. Further, force oscillations below 0.5 Hz impair force precision with increased voluntary drive, aging, and neurological disease. We argue that the low-frequency oscillations are (1) embedded in the descending drive as shown by the activation of multiple spinal motor neurons, (2) are altered with force intensity and brain pathology, and (3) can be modulated by visual feedback and motor training to enhance force precision. Thus, low-frequency oscillations in force provide insight into how the human brain regulates force precision. PMID:28261107

Dance choreography is coordinated with song repertoire in a complex avian display.

PubMed

Dalziell, Anastasia H; Peters, Richard A; Cockburn, Andrew; Dorland, Alexandra D; Maisey, Alex C; Magrath, Robert D

2013-06-17

All human cultures have music and dance, and the two activities are so closely integrated that many languages use just one word to describe both. Recent research points to a deep cognitive connection between music and dance-like movements in humans, fueling speculation that music and dance have coevolved and prompting the need for studies of audiovisual displays in other animals. However, little is known about how nonhuman animals integrate acoustic and movement display components. One striking property of human displays is that performers coordinate dance with music by matching types of dance movements with types of music, as when dancers waltz to waltz music. Here, we show that a bird also temporally coordinates a repertoire of song types with a repertoire of dance-like movements. During displays, male superb lyrebirds (Menura novaehollandiae) sing four different song types, matching each with a unique set of movements and delivering song and dance types in a predictable sequence. Crucially, display movements are both unnecessary for the production of sound and voluntary, because males sometimes sing without dancing. Thus, the coordination of independently produced repertoires of acoustic and movement signals is not a uniquely human trait. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sparse Coding of Natural Human Motion Yields Eigenmotions Consistent Across People

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomik, Andreas; Faisal, A. Aldo

2015-03-01

Providing a precise mathematical description of the structure of natural human movement is a challenging problem. We use a data-driven approach to seek a generative model of movement capturing the underlying simplicity of spatial and temporal structure of behaviour observed in daily life. In perception, the analysis of natural scenes has shown that sparse codes of such scenes are information theoretic efficient descriptors with direct neuronal correlates. Translating from perception to action, we identify a generative model of movement generation by the human motor system. Using wearable full-hand motion capture, we measure the digit movement of the human hand in daily life. We learn a dictionary of ``eigenmotions'' which we use for sparse encoding of the movement data. We show that the dictionaries are generally well preserved across subjects with small deviations accounting for individuality of the person and variability in tasks. Further, the dictionary elements represent motions which can naturally describe hand movements. Our findings suggest the motor system can compose complex movement behaviours out of the spatially and temporally sparse activation of ``eigenmotion'' neurons, and is consistent with data on grasp-type specificity of specialised neurons in the premotor cortex. Andreas is supported by the Luxemburg Research Fund (1229297).

Ethical Considerations in Human Movement Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olivier, Steve

1995-01-01

Highlights ethical issues for human subject research, identifying principles that form the construct of a code of research ethics and evaluating against this construct past human experimentation and current research in human movement studies. The efficacy of legislation and self-regulation is examined. Particular attention is given to the context…

Development of Four Dimensional Human Model that Enables Deformation of Skin, Organs and Blood Vessel System During Body Movement - Visualizing Movements of the Musculoskeletal System.

PubMed

Suzuki, Naoki; Hattori, Asaki; Hashizume, Makoto

2016-01-01

We constructed a four dimensional human model that is able to visualize the structure of a whole human body, including the inner structures, in real-time to allow us to analyze human dynamic changes in the temporal, spatial and quantitative domains. To verify whether our model was generating changes according to real human body dynamics, we measured a participant's skin expansion and compared it to that of the model conducted under the same body movement. We also made a contribution to the field of orthopedics, as we were able to devise a display method that enables the observer to more easily observe the changes made in the complex skeletal muscle system during body movements, which in the past were difficult to visualize.

A zebrafish model of manganism reveals reversible and treatable symptoms that are independent of neurotoxicity

PubMed Central

Bakthavatsalam, Subha; Das Sharma, Shreya; Sonawane, Mahendra; Thirumalai, Vatsala; Datta, Ankona

2014-01-01

Manganese (manganese ion; referred to as Mn) is essential for neuronal function, yet it is toxic at high concentrations. Environmental and occupational exposure to high concentrations of Mn causes manganism, a well-defined movement disorder in humans, with symptoms resembling Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, manganism is distinct from PD and the neural basis of its pathology is poorly understood. To address this issue, we generated a zebrafish model of manganism by incubating larvae in rearing medium containing Mn. We find that Mn-treated zebrafish larvae exhibit specific postural and locomotor defects. Larvae begin to float on their sides, show a curved spine and swim in circles. We discovered that treatment with Mn causes postural defects by interfering with mechanotransduction at the neuromasts. Furthermore, we find that the circling locomotion could be caused by long-duration bursting in the motor neurons, which can lead to long-duration tail bends in the Mn-treated larvae. Mn-treated larvae also exhibited fewer startle movements. Additionally, we show that the intensity of tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity is reversibly reduced after Mn-treatment. This led us to propose that reduced dopamine neuromodulation drives the changes in startle movements. To test this, when we supplied an external source of dopamine to Mn-treated larvae, the larvae exhibited a normal number of startle swims. Taken together, these results indicate that Mn interferes with neuronal function at the sensory, motor and modulatory levels, and open avenues for therapeutically targeted studies on the zebrafish model of manganism. PMID:25261567

Human development index, children's health-related quality of life and movement behaviors: a compositional data analysis.

PubMed

Dumuid, Dorothea; Maher, Carol; Lewis, Lucy K; Stanford, Tyman E; Martín Fernández, Josep Antoni; Ratcliffe, Julie; Katzmarzyk, Peter T; Barreira, Tiago V; Chaput, Jean-Philippe; Fogelholm, Mikael; Hu, Gang; Maia, José; Sarmiento, Olga L; Standage, Martyn; Tremblay, Mark S; Tudor-Locke, Catrine; Olds, Timothy

2018-06-01

Health-related quality of life has been related to physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep among children from developed nations. These relationships have rarely been assessed in developing nations, nor have behaviors been considered in their true context, as mutually exclusive and exhaustive parts of the movement behavior composition. This study aimed to explore whether children's health-related quality of life is related to their movement behavior composition and if the relationship differs according to human development index. Children aged 9-11 years (n = 5855), from the 12-nation cross-sectional observational International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment 2011-2013, self-reported their health-related quality of life (KIDSCREEN-10). Daily movement behaviors were from 24-h, 7-day accelerometry. Isometric log-ratio mixed-effect linear models were used to calculate estimates for difference in health-related quality of life for the reallocation of time between daily movement behaviors. Children from countries of higher human development index reported stronger positive relationships between health-related quality of life and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, relative to the remaining behaviors (r = 0.75, p = 0.005) than those from lower human development index countries. In the very high human development index strata alone, health-related quality of life was significantly related to the movement behavior composition (p = 0.005), with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (relative to remaining behaviors) being positively associated with health-related quality of life. The relationship between children's health-related quality of life and their movement behaviors is moderated by their country's human development index. This should be considered when 24-h movement behavior guidelines are developed for children around the world.

Moving in the Anthropocene: Global reductions in terrestrial mammalian movements.

PubMed

Tucker, Marlee A; Böhning-Gaese, Katrin; Fagan, William F; Fryxell, John M; Van Moorter, Bram; Alberts, Susan C; Ali, Abdullahi H; Allen, Andrew M; Attias, Nina; Avgar, Tal; Bartlam-Brooks, Hattie; Bayarbaatar, Buuveibaatar; Belant, Jerrold L; Bertassoni, Alessandra; Beyer, Dean; Bidner, Laura; van Beest, Floris M; Blake, Stephen; Blaum, Niels; Bracis, Chloe; Brown, Danielle; de Bruyn, P J Nico; Cagnacci, Francesca; Calabrese, Justin M; Camilo-Alves, Constança; Chamaillé-Jammes, Simon; Chiaradia, Andre; Davidson, Sarah C; Dennis, Todd; DeStefano, Stephen; Diefenbach, Duane; Douglas-Hamilton, Iain; Fennessy, Julian; Fichtel, Claudia; Fiedler, Wolfgang; Fischer, Christina; Fischhoff, Ilya; Fleming, Christen H; Ford, Adam T; Fritz, Susanne A; Gehr, Benedikt; Goheen, Jacob R; Gurarie, Eliezer; Hebblewhite, Mark; Heurich, Marco; Hewison, A J Mark; Hof, Christian; Hurme, Edward; Isbell, Lynne A; Janssen, René; Jeltsch, Florian; Kaczensky, Petra; Kane, Adam; Kappeler, Peter M; Kauffman, Matthew; Kays, Roland; Kimuyu, Duncan; Koch, Flavia; Kranstauber, Bart; LaPoint, Scott; Leimgruber, Peter; Linnell, John D C; López-López, Pascual; Markham, A Catherine; Mattisson, Jenny; Medici, Emilia Patricia; Mellone, Ugo; Merrill, Evelyn; de Miranda Mourão, Guilherme; Morato, Ronaldo G; Morellet, Nicolas; Morrison, Thomas A; Díaz-Muñoz, Samuel L; Mysterud, Atle; Nandintsetseg, Dejid; Nathan, Ran; Niamir, Aidin; Odden, John; O'Hara, Robert B; Oliveira-Santos, Luiz Gustavo R; Olson, Kirk A; Patterson, Bruce D; Cunha de Paula, Rogerio; Pedrotti, Luca; Reineking, Björn; Rimmler, Martin; Rogers, Tracey L; Rolandsen, Christer Moe; Rosenberry, Christopher S; Rubenstein, Daniel I; Safi, Kamran; Saïd, Sonia; Sapir, Nir; Sawyer, Hall; Schmidt, Niels Martin; Selva, Nuria; Sergiel, Agnieszka; Shiilegdamba, Enkhtuvshin; Silva, João Paulo; Singh, Navinder; Solberg, Erling J; Spiegel, Orr; Strand, Olav; Sundaresan, Siva; Ullmann, Wiebke; Voigt, Ulrich; Wall, Jake; Wattles, David; Wikelski, Martin; Wilmers, Christopher C; Wilson, John W; Wittemyer, George; Zięba, Filip; Zwijacz-Kozica, Tomasz; Mueller, Thomas

2018-01-26

Animal movement is fundamental for ecosystem functioning and species survival, yet the effects of the anthropogenic footprint on animal movements have not been estimated across species. Using a unique GPS-tracking database of 803 individuals across 57 species, we found that movements of mammals in areas with a comparatively high human footprint were on average one-half to one-third the extent of their movements in areas with a low human footprint. We attribute this reduction to behavioral changes of individual animals and to the exclusion of species with long-range movements from areas with higher human impact. Global loss of vagility alters a key ecological trait of animals that affects not only population persistence but also ecosystem processes such as predator-prey interactions, nutrient cycling, and disease transmission. Copyright © 2018, The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

Cross-species approaches to pathological gambling: a review targeting sex differences, adolescent vulnerability and ecological validity of research tools.

PubMed

van den Bos, Ruud; Davies, William; Dellu-Hagedorn, Francoise; Goudriaan, Anna E; Granon, Sylvie; Homberg, Judith; Rivalan, Marion; Swendsen, Joel; Adriani, Walter

2013-12-01

Decision-making plays a pivotal role in daily life as impairments in processes underlying decision-making often lead to an inability to make profitable long-term decisions. As a case in point, pathological gamblers continue gambling despite the fact that this disrupts their personal, professional or financial life. The prevalence of pathological gambling will likely increase in the coming years due to expanding possibilities of on-line gambling through the Internet and increasing liberal attitudes towards gambling. It therefore represents a growing concern for society. Both human and animal studies rapidly advance our knowledge on brain-behaviour processes relevant for understanding normal and pathological gambling behaviour. Here, we review in humans and animals three features of pathological gambling which hitherto have received relatively little attention: (1) sex differences in (the development of) pathological gambling, (2) adolescence as a (putative) sensitive period for (developing) pathological gambling and (3) avenues for improving ecological validity of research tools. Based on these issues we also discuss how research in humans and animals may be brought in line to maximize translational research opportunities. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Infants' Meaning-Making and the Development of Mental Health Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tronick, Ed; Beeghly, Marjorie

2011-01-01

We argue that infant meaning-making processes are a central mechanism governing both typical and pathological outcomes. Infants, as open dynamic systems, must constantly garner information to increase their complexity and coherence. They fulfill this demand by making nonverbal "meaning"--affects, movements, representations--about themselves in…

Human sperm pattern of movement during chemotactic re-orientation towards a progesterone source

PubMed Central

Blengini, Cecilia Soledad; Teves, Maria Eugenia; Uñates, Diego Rafael; Guidobaldi, Héctor Alejandro; Gatica, Laura Virginia; Giojalas, Laura Cecilia

2011-01-01

Human spermatozoa may chemotactically find out the egg by following an increasing gradient of attractant molecules. Although human spermatozoa have been observed to show several of the physiological characteristics of chemotaxis, the chemotactic pattern of movement has not been easy to describe. However, it is apparent that chemotactic cells may be identified while returning to the attractant source. This study characterizes the pattern of movement of human spermatozoa during chemotactic re-orientation towards a progesterone source, which is a physiological attractant candidate. By means of videomicroscopy and image analysis, a chemotactic pattern of movement was identified as the spermatozoon returned towards the source of a chemotactic concentration of progesterone (10 pmol l−1). First, as a continuation of its original path, the spermatozoon swims away from the progesterone source with linear movement and then turns back with a transitional movement that can be characterized by an increased velocity and decreased linearity. This sperm behaviour may help the spermatozoon to re-orient itself towards a progesterone source and may be used to identify the few cells that are undergoing chemotaxis at a given time. PMID:21765441

The Use of Census Migration Data to Approximate Human Movement Patterns across Temporal Scales

PubMed Central

Wesolowski, Amy; Buckee, Caroline O.; Pindolia, Deepa K.; Eagle, Nathan; Smith, David L.; Garcia, Andres J.; Tatem, Andrew J.

2013-01-01

Human movement plays a key role in economies and development, the delivery of services, and the spread of infectious diseases. However, it remains poorly quantified partly because reliable data are often lacking, particularly for low-income countries. The most widely available are migration data from human population censuses, which provide valuable information on relatively long timescale relocations across countries, but do not capture the shorter-scale patterns, trips less than a year, that make up the bulk of human movement. Census-derived migration data may provide valuable proxies for shorter-term movements however, as substantial migration between regions can be indicative of well connected places exhibiting high levels of movement at finer time scales, but this has never been examined in detail. Here, an extensive mobile phone usage data set for Kenya was processed to extract movements between counties in 2009 on weekly, monthly, and annual time scales and compared to data on change in residence from the national census conducted during the same time period. We find that the relative ordering across Kenyan counties for incoming, outgoing and between-county movements shows strong correlations. Moreover, the distributions of trip durations from both sources of data are similar, and a spatial interaction model fit to the data reveals the relationships of different parameters over a range of movement time scales. Significant relationships between census migration data and fine temporal scale movement patterns exist, and results suggest that census data can be used to approximate certain features of movement patterns across multiple temporal scales, extending the utility of census-derived migration data. PMID:23326367

42 CFR 493.853 - Condition: Pathology.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Condition: Pathology. 493.853 Section 493.853 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... These Tests § 493.853 Condition: Pathology. The specialty of pathology includes, for purposes of...

42 CFR 493.853 - Condition: Pathology.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Condition: Pathology. 493.853 Section 493.853 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... These Tests § 493.853 Condition: Pathology. The specialty of pathology includes, for purposes of...

42 CFR 493.853 - Condition: Pathology.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 42 Public Health 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Condition: Pathology. 493.853 Section 493.853 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... These Tests § 493.853 Condition: Pathology. The specialty of pathology includes, for purposes of...

Toxicologic Pathology: The Basic Building Block of Risk Assessment

EPA Science Inventory

Human health risk assessment is a critical factor in many risk management decisions. Evaluation of human health risk requires research the provides information that appropriately characterizes potential hazards from exposure. Pathology endpoints are the central response around ...

Comparison of visual sensitivity to human and object motion in autism spectrum disorder.

PubMed

Kaiser, Martha D; Delmolino, Lara; Tanaka, James W; Shiffrar, Maggie

2010-08-01

Successful social behavior requires the accurate detection of other people's movements. Consistent with this, typical observers demonstrate enhanced visual sensitivity to human movement relative to equally complex, nonhuman movement [e.g., Pinto & Shiffrar, 2009]. A psychophysical study investigated visual sensitivity to human motion relative to object motion in observers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Participants viewed point-light depictions of a moving person and, for comparison, a moving tractor and discriminated between coherent and scrambled versions of these stimuli in unmasked and masked displays. There were three groups of participants: young adults with ASD, typically developing young adults, and typically developing children. Across masking conditions, typical observers showed enhanced visual sensitivity to human movement while observers in the ASD group did not. Because the human body is an inherently social stimulus, this result is consistent with social brain theories [e.g., Pelphrey & Carter, 2008; Schultz, 2005] and suggests that the visual systems of individuals with ASD may not be tuned for the detection of socially relevant information such as the presence of another person. Reduced visual sensitivity to human movements could compromise important social behaviors including, for example, gesture comprehension.

Describing the silent human virome with an emphasis on giant viruses.

PubMed

Popgeorgiev, Nikolay; Temmam, Sarah; Raoult, Didier; Desnues, Christelle

2013-01-01

Viruses are the most abundant obligate intracellular entities in our body. Until recently, they were only considered to be pathogens that caused a broad array of pathologies, ranging from mild disease to deaths in the most severe cases. However, recent advances in unbiased mass sequencing techniques as well as increasing epidemiological evidence have indicated that the human body is home to diverse viral species under non-pathological conditions. Despite these studies, the description of the presumably healthy viral flora, i.e. the normal human virome, is still in its infancy regarding viral composition and dynamics. This review summarizes our current knowledge of the human virome under non-pathological conditions.

The curious genomic path from leaky red cell to nephrotic kidney.

PubMed

Stewart, G W; Fricke, B

2003-01-01

The human red cell has proved to be an invaluable model cell for the study of many aspects of membrane structure and function. It has a series of transport pathways which mediate the movements of the univalent cations Na and K, which are either identical or similar to systems in other human tissues, including the human kidney. The balance between the energy-consuming NaK pump and a 'passive leak' component maintains a net deficit of cations within the cell, which defends the cell volume against osmotic swelling. There exist a series of dominantly inherited human red cell conditions, gathered under the generic title 'hereditary stomatocytoses', in which the so-called 'passive leak' to Na and K is pathologically increased. In the more severe variants this compromises the integrity of the cell and the patients suffer haemolytic anaemia. Some less severe variants present with pseudohyperkalaemia caused by loss of K from red cells on storage of blood at room temperature. The most severe variants show a deficiency in a widely distributed 'raft' protein known as stomatin. The stomatin protein is homologous to the 'podocin' protein, the gene for which is mutated in a recessively inherited form of nephrotic syndrome. Among other possible functions, both proteins could be involved in the trafficking of membrane proteins to and from the plasma membrane. Copyright 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel

Effect of human movement on airborne disease transmission in an airplane cabin: study using numerical modeling and quantitative risk analysis.

PubMed

Han, Zhuyang; To, Gin Nam Sze; Fu, Sau Chung; Chao, Christopher Yu-Hang; Weng, Wenguo; Huang, Quanyi

2014-08-06

Airborne transmission of respiratory infectious disease in indoor environment (e.g. airplane cabin, conference room, hospital, isolated room and inpatient ward) may cause outbreaks of infectious diseases, which may lead to many infection cases and significantly influences on the public health. This issue has received more and more attentions from academics. This work investigates the influence of human movement on the airborne transmission of respiratory infectious diseases in an airplane cabin by using an accurate human model in numerical simulation and comparing the influences of different human movement behaviors on disease transmission. The Eulerian-Lagrangian approach is adopted to simulate the dispersion and deposition of the expiratory aerosols. The dose-response model is used to assess the infection risks of the occupants. The likelihood analysis is performed as a hypothesis test on the input parameters and different human movement pattern assumptions. An in-flight SARS outbreak case is used for investigation. A moving person with different moving speeds is simulated to represent the movement behaviors. A digital human model was used to represent the detailed profile of the occupants, which was obtained by scanning a real thermal manikin using the 3D laser scanning system. The analysis results indicate that human movement can strengthen the downward transport of the aerosols, significantly reduce the overall deposition and removal rate of the suspended aerosols and increase the average infection risk in the cabin. The likelihood estimation result shows that the risk assessment results better fit the outcome of the outbreak case when the movements of the seated passengers are considered. The intake fraction of the moving person is significantly higher than most of the seated passengers. The infection risk distribution in the airplane cabin highly depends on the movement behaviors of the passengers and the index patient. The walking activities of the crew members and the seated passengers can significantly increase their personal infection risks. Taking the influence of the movement of the seated passengers and the index patient into consideration is necessary and important. For future studies, investigations on the behaviors characteristics of the passengers during flight will be useful and helpful for infection control.

The thing that should not be: predictive coding and the uncanny valley in perceiving human and humanoid robot actions

PubMed Central

Chaminade, Thierry; Ishiguro, Hiroshi; Driver, Jon; Frith, Chris

2012-01-01

Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) repetition suppression, we explored the selectivity of the human action perception system (APS), which consists of temporal, parietal and frontal areas, for the appearance and/or motion of the perceived agent. Participants watched body movements of a human (biological appearance and movement), a robot (mechanical appearance and movement) or an android (biological appearance, mechanical movement). With the exception of extrastriate body area, which showed more suppression for human like appearance, the APS was not selective for appearance or motion per se. Instead, distinctive responses were found to the mismatch between appearance and motion: whereas suppression effects for the human and robot were similar to each other, they were stronger for the android, notably in bilateral anterior intraparietal sulcus, a key node in the APS. These results could reflect increased prediction error as the brain negotiates an agent that appears human, but does not move biologically, and help explain the ‘uncanny valley’ phenomenon. PMID:21515639

On the Characterization of Revisitation Patterns in Complex Human Dynamics - A Data Science Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barbosa Filho, Hugo Serrano

When it comes to visitation patterns, humans beings are extremely regular and predictable, with recurrent activities responsible for most of our movements. In recent years, we have seen scientists attempt to model and explain human dynamics and in particular human movement. Akin to other human behaviors, traveling patterns evolve from the convolution between internal and external factors. A better understanding on the mechanisms responsible for transforming and incorporating individual events into regular patterns is of fundamental importance. Many aspects of our complex lives are affected by human movements such as disease spread and epidemics modeling, city planning, wireless network development, and disaster relief, to name a few. Given the myriad of applications, it is clear that a complete understanding of how people move in space can lead to considerable benefits to our society. In most of the recent works, scientists have focused on the idea that people movements are biased towards frequently-visited locations. According to them, human movement is based on a exploration/exploitation dichotomy in which individuals choose new locations (exploration) or return to frequently-visited locations (exploitation). In this dissertation we present some of our contributions to the field, such as the presence of a recency effect in human mobility and Web browsing behaviors as well as the Returner vs. Explorers dichotomy in Web browsing trajectories.

Phenomenology and classification of dystonia: a consensus update.

PubMed

Albanese, Alberto; Bhatia, Kailash; Bressman, Susan B; Delong, Mahlon R; Fahn, Stanley; Fung, Victor S C; Hallett, Mark; Jankovic, Joseph; Jinnah, Hyder A; Klein, Christine; Lang, Anthony E; Mink, Jonathan W; Teller, Jan K

2013-06-15

This report describes the consensus outcome of an international panel consisting of investigators with years of experience in this field that reviewed the definition and classification of dystonia. Agreement was obtained based on a consensus development methodology during 3 in-person meetings and manuscript review by mail. Dystonia is defined as a movement disorder characterized by sustained or intermittent muscle contractions causing abnormal, often repetitive, movements, postures, or both. Dystonic movements are typically patterned and twisting, and may be tremulous. Dystonia is often initiated or worsened by voluntary action and associated with overflow muscle activation. Dystonia is classified along 2 axes: clinical characteristics, including age at onset, body distribution, temporal pattern and associated features (additional movement disorders or neurological features); and etiology, which includes nervous system pathology and inheritance. The clinical characteristics fall into several specific dystonia syndromes that help to guide diagnosis and treatment. We provide here a new general definition of dystonia and propose a new classification. We encourage clinicians and researchers to use these innovative definition and classification and test them in the clinical setting on a variety of patients with dystonia. © 2013 Movement Disorder Society. © 2013 Movement Disorder Society.

Movement Contributes to Infants' Recognition of the Human Form

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christie, Tamara; Slaughter, Virginia

2010-01-01

Three experiments demonstrate that biological movement facilitates young infants' recognition of the whole human form. A body discrimination task was used in which 6-, 9-, and 12-month-old infants were habituated to typical human bodies and then shown scrambled human bodies at the test. Recovery of interest to the scrambled bodies was observed in…

Helicobacter pylori-induced gastric pathology: insights from in vivo and ex vivo models

PubMed Central

Williams, Jonathan M.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Gastric colonization with Helicobacter pylori induces diverse human pathological conditions, including superficial gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, and gastric adenocarcinoma and its precursors. The treatment of these conditions often relies on the eradication of H. pylori, an intervention that is increasingly difficult to achieve and that does not prevent disease progression in some contexts. There is, therefore, a pressing need to develop new experimental models of H. pylori-associated gastric pathology to support novel drug development in this field. Here, we review the current status of in vivo and ex vivo models of gastric H. pylori colonization, and of Helicobacter-induced gastric pathology, focusing on models of gastric pathology induced by H. pylori, Helicobacter felis and Helicobacter suis in rodents and large animals. We also discuss the more recent development of gastric organoid cultures from murine and human gastric tissue, as well as from human pluripotent stem cells, and the outcomes of H. pylori infection in these systems. PMID:28151409

Understanding Human Mobility from Twitter

PubMed Central

Jurdak, Raja; Zhao, Kun; Liu, Jiajun; AbouJaoude, Maurice; Cameron, Mark; Newth, David

2015-01-01

Understanding human mobility is crucial for a broad range of applications from disease prediction to communication networks. Most efforts on studying human mobility have so far used private and low resolution data, such as call data records. Here, we propose Twitter as a proxy for human mobility, as it relies on publicly available data and provides high resolution positioning when users opt to geotag their tweets with their current location. We analyse a Twitter dataset with more than six million geotagged tweets posted in Australia, and we demonstrate that Twitter can be a reliable source for studying human mobility patterns. Our analysis shows that geotagged tweets can capture rich features of human mobility, such as the diversity of movement orbits among individuals and of movements within and between cities. We also find that short- and long-distance movers both spend most of their time in large metropolitan areas, in contrast with intermediate-distance movers’ movements, reflecting the impact of different modes of travel. Our study provides solid evidence that Twitter can indeed be a useful proxy for tracking and predicting human movement. PMID:26154597

The destination defines the journey: an examination of the kinematics of hand-to-mouth movements

PubMed Central

Gonzalez, Claudia L. R.

2016-01-01

Long-train electrical stimulation of the motor and premotor cortices of nonhuman primates can produce either hand-to-mouth or grasp-to-inspect movements, depending on the precise location of stimulation. Furthermore, single-neuron recording studies identify discrete neuronal populations in the inferior parietal and ventral premotor cortices that respond uniquely to either grasp-to-eat or grasp-to-place movements, despite their identical mechanistic requirements. These studies demonstrate that the macaque motor cortex is organized around producing functional, goal-oriented movements, rather than simply fulfilling muscular prerequisites of action. In humans, right-handed hand-to-mouth movements have a unique kinematic signature; smaller maximum grip apertures are produced when grasping to eat than when grasping to place identical targets. This is evidence that the motor cortex in humans is also organized around producing functional movements. However, in both macaques and humans, grasp-to-eat/hand-to-mouth movements have always been elicited using edible targets and have (necessarily) been paired with mouth movement. It is therefore unknown whether the kinematic distinction is a natural result of grasping food and/or is simply attributable to concurrent opening of the mouth while grasping. In experiment 1, we used goal-differentiated grasping tasks, directed toward edible and inedible targets, to show that the unique kinematic signature is present even with inedible targets. In experiment 2, we used the same goal-differentiated grasping tasks, either coupled with or divorced from an open-mouth movement, to show that the signature is not attributable merely to a planned opening of the mouth during the grasp. These results are discussed in relation to the role of hand-to-mouth movements in human development, independently of grasp-to-eat behavior. PMID:27512020

Exploiting Human Resource Requirements to Infer Human Movement Patterns for Use in Modelling Disease Transmission Systems: An Example from Eastern Province, Zambia.

PubMed

Alderton, Simon; Noble, Jason; Schaten, Kathrin; Welburn, Susan C; Atkinson, Peter M

2015-01-01

In this research, an agent-based model (ABM) was developed to generate human movement routes between homes and water resources in a rural setting, given commonly available geospatial datasets on population distribution, land cover and landscape resources. ABMs are an object-oriented computational approach to modelling a system, focusing on the interactions of autonomous agents, and aiming to assess the impact of these agents and their interactions on the system as a whole. An A* pathfinding algorithm was implemented to produce walking routes, given data on the terrain in the area. A* is an extension of Dijkstra's algorithm with an enhanced time performance through the use of heuristics. In this example, it was possible to impute daily activity movement patterns to the water resource for all villages in a 75 km long study transect across the Luangwa Valley, Zambia, and the simulated human movements were statistically similar to empirical observations on travel times to the water resource (Chi-squared, 95% confidence interval). This indicates that it is possible to produce realistic data regarding human movements without costly measurement as is commonly achieved, for example, through GPS, or retrospective or real-time diaries. The approach is transferable between different geographical locations, and the product can be useful in providing an insight into human movement patterns, and therefore has use in many human exposure-related applications, specifically epidemiological research in rural areas, where spatial heterogeneity in the disease landscape, and space-time proximity of individuals, can play a crucial role in disease spread.

Adaptable neighbours: movement patterns of GPS-collared leopards in human dominated landscapes in India.

PubMed

Odden, Morten; Athreya, Vidya; Rattan, Sandeep; Linnell, John D C

2014-01-01

Understanding the nature of the interactions between humans and wildlife is of vital importance for conflict mitigation. We equipped five leopards with GPS-collars in Maharashtra (4) and Himachal Pradesh (1), India, to study movement patterns in human-dominated landscapes outside protected areas. An adult male and an adult female were both translocated 52 km, and exhibited extensive, and directional, post release movements (straight line movements: male = 89 km in 37 days, female = 45 km in 5 months), until they settled in home ranges of 42 km2 (male) and 65 km2 (female). The three other leopards, two adult females and a young male were released close to their capture sites and used small home ranges of 8 km2 (male), 11 km2 and 15 km2 (females). Movement patterns were markedly nocturnal, with hourly step lengths averaging 339±9.5 m (SE) during night and 60±4.1 m during day, and night locations were significantly closer to human settlements than day locations. However, more nocturnal movements were observed among those three living in the areas with high human population densities. These visited houses regularly at nighttime (20% of locations <25 m from houses), but rarely during day (<1%). One leopard living in a sparsely populated area avoided human settlements both day and night. The small home ranges of the leopards indicate that anthropogenic food resources may be plentiful although wild prey is absent. The study provides clear insights into the ability of leopards to live and move in landscapes that are extremely modified by human activity.

Making an Art of Creativity: The Cognitive Science of Duchamp and Dada

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prager, Phillip Andrew

2012-01-01

Dada is the infant terrible of art history, an anarchic movement that is typically referred to as nihilistic, pathological, and firmly enshrined within the modernist paradigm and the context of WWI. Through the lens of classical, romantic, and psychoanalytic notions, it certainly appears almost antithetical to creativity. Yet from a cognitive…

[Low-energy wideband electromagnetic radiation and manual therapy in the treatment of neurological manifestations of spinal osteochondrosis].

PubMed

Afoshin, S A; Gerasimenko, M Iu

2006-01-01

It is shown that the advanced technique of low-energy wideband electromagnetic radiation improves vascular tonicity and peripheral circulation while a modified technique of manual therapy facilitates movements in the affected part of the spine and reduces tonicity of the muscles involved in the pathological process.

Rural and remote speech-language pathology service inequities: An Australian human rights dilemma.

PubMed

Jones, Debra M; McAllister, Lindy; Lyle, David M

2018-02-01

Access to healthcare is a fundamental human right for all Australians. Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights acknowledges the right to freedom of opinion and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas. Capacities for self-expression and effective communication underpin the realisation of these fundamental human rights. For rural and remote Australian children this realisation is compromised by complex disadvantages and inequities that contribute to communication delays, inequity of access to essential speech-language pathology services and poorer later life outcomes. Localised solutions to the provision of civically engaged, accessible, acceptable and sustainable speech-language pathology services within rural and remote Australian contexts are required if we are to make substantive human rights gains. However, civically engaged and sustained healthcare can significantly challenge traditional professionalised perspectives on how best to design and implement speech-language pathology services that seek to address rural and remote communication needs and access inequities. A failure to engage these communities in the identification of childhood communication delays and solutions to address these delays, ultimately denies children, families and communities of their human rights for healthcare access, self-expression, self-dignity and meaningful inclusion within Australian society.

Computational Model-Based Prediction of Human Episodic Memory Performance Based on Eye Movements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, Naoyuki; Yamaguchi, Yoko

Subjects' episodic memory performance is not simply reflected by eye movements. We use a ‘theta phase coding’ model of the hippocampus to predict subjects' memory performance from their eye movements. Results demonstrate the ability of the model to predict subjects' memory performance. These studies provide a novel approach to computational modeling in the human-machine interface.

Utilisation of joint movement range in arboreal primates compared with human subjects: an evolutionary frame for primary osteoarthritis.

PubMed Central

Alexander, C J

1994-01-01

OBJECTIVE--To determine whether an arboreal lifestyle required full use of movement ranges underutilised in nine joint groups in humans, because under-utilisation of available movement range may be associated with susceptibility to primary osteoarthritis. METHODS--Utilisation of the nine joint groups was studied in two species of primate exercising in a simulated arboreal environment, using 'focal animal' observation techniques supplemented by telephoto photography and by review of archival material from other sources. Fifteen apes were observed over a total observation period of 20.2 man-hours and 152 films were analysed for utilisation of movement range. RESULTS--With one exception, all the movement ranges reported to be under-utilised in humans were fully utilised by the apes in climbing activities. The exception, metacarpophalangeal extension, was an essential component of the chimpanzee ground progression mode of knuckle walking. CONCLUSIONS--The underused movement range in several human joints is explicable as residual capacity from a semiarboreal lifestyle. If the correlation with primary osteoarthritis is confirmed, it suggests that the disease may reflect a disparity between inherited capacity and current need. The significance of the result lies in its implication that primary osteoarthritis may be preventable. Images PMID:7826133

Utilisation of joint movement range in arboreal primates compared with human subjects: an evolutionary frame for primary osteoarthritis.

PubMed

Alexander, C J

1994-11-01

To determine whether an arboreal lifestyle required full use of movement ranges underutilised in nine joint groups in humans, because under-utilisation of available movement range may be associated with susceptibility to primary osteoarthritis. Utilisation of the nine joint groups was studied in two species of primate exercising in a simulated arboreal environment, using 'focal animal' observation techniques supplemented by telephoto photography and by review of archival material from other sources. Fifteen apes were observed over a total observation period of 20.2 man-hours and 152 films were analysed for utilisation of movement range. With one exception, all the movement ranges reported to be under-utilised in humans were fully utilised by the apes in climbing activities. The exception, metacarpophalangeal extension, was an essential component of the chimpanzee ground progression mode of knuckle walking. The underused movement range in several human joints is explicable as residual capacity from a semiarboreal lifestyle. If the correlation with primary osteoarthritis is confirmed, it suggests that the disease may reflect a disparity between inherited capacity and current need. The significance of the result lies in its implication that primary osteoarthritis may be preventable.

Repeatedly pairing vagus nerve stimulation with a movement reorganizes primary motor cortex.

PubMed

Porter, Benjamin A; Khodaparast, Navid; Fayyaz, Tabbassum; Cheung, Ryan J; Ahmed, Syed S; Vrana, William A; Rennaker, Robert L; Kilgard, Michael P

2012-10-01

Although sensory and motor systems support different functions, both systems exhibit experience-dependent cortical plasticity under similar conditions. If mechanisms regulating cortical plasticity are common to sensory and motor cortices, then methods generating plasticity in sensory cortex should be effective in motor cortex. Repeatedly pairing a tone with a brief period of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) increases the proportion of primary auditory cortex responding to the paired tone (Engineer ND, Riley JR, Seale JD, Vrana WA, Shetake J, Sudanagunta SP, Borland MS, Kilgard MP. 2011. Reversing pathological neural activity using targeted plasticity. Nature. 470:101-104). In this study, we predicted that repeatedly pairing VNS with a specific movement would result in an increased representation of that movement in primary motor cortex. To test this hypothesis, we paired VNS with movements of the distal or proximal forelimb in 2 groups of rats. After 5 days of VNS movement pairing, intracranial microstimulation was used to quantify the organization of primary motor cortex. Larger cortical areas were associated with movements paired with VNS. Rats receiving identical motor training without VNS pairing did not exhibit motor cortex map plasticity. These results suggest that pairing VNS with specific events may act as a general method for increasing cortical representations of those events. VNS movement pairing could provide a new approach for treating disorders associated with abnormal movement representations.

The effects of caudal mobilisation with movement (MWM) and caudal self-mobilisation with movement (SMWM) in relation to restricted internal rotation in the hip: A randomised control pilot study.

PubMed

Walsh, Riche; Kinsella, Sharon

2016-04-01

A loss of internal rotation (IR) of the hip is associated with hip pathology. Improving IR may improve hip range of motion (ROM) or prevent hip pathology. The purpose of this study was to compare the immediate effects of caudal mobilisation with movement (MWM) and caudal self-mobilisation with movement (SMWM) on young healthy male subjects with reduced IR of the hip. A randomised controlled trial was performed. Twenty-Two subjects were randomised into a MWM group (n = 6), SMWM group (n = 8) or a control group (n = 8). The primary outcome measures included the functional internal rotation test (FIRT) for the hip and the passive seated internal rotation test (SIRT) for the hip. Outcomes were captured at baseline and immediately after one treatment of MWMs, SMWMs or control. A two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), group × time interaction was conducted. The ANOVA revealed the only significant improvement was in the MWM group for the FIRT (p = 0.01), over the control group. Subjects with reduced IR of the hip who receive a single session of MWMs exhibited significantly improved functional IR of their hip than the control group. From the data presented, it can be suggested that caudal MWMs of the hip appear to have a positive effect on functional IR of healthy young hips. This may be due to addressing the positional fault theory or the arthrogenic muscular inhibition theory. SMWMs may be effective in augmenting treatments for patients waiting for hip operations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bayesian exploration for intelligent identification of textures.

PubMed

Fishel, Jeremy A; Loeb, Gerald E

2012-01-01

In order to endow robots with human-like abilities to characterize and identify objects, they must be provided with tactile sensors and intelligent algorithms to select, control, and interpret data from useful exploratory movements. Humans make informed decisions on the sequence of exploratory movements that would yield the most information for the task, depending on what the object may be and prior knowledge of what to expect from possible exploratory movements. This study is focused on texture discrimination, a subset of a much larger group of exploratory movements and percepts that humans use to discriminate, characterize, and identify objects. Using a testbed equipped with a biologically inspired tactile sensor (the BioTac), we produced sliding movements similar to those that humans make when exploring textures. Measurement of tactile vibrations and reaction forces when exploring textures were used to extract measures of textural properties inspired from psychophysical literature (traction, roughness, and fineness). Different combinations of normal force and velocity were identified to be useful for each of these three properties. A total of 117 textures were explored with these three movements to create a database of prior experience to use for identifying these same textures in future encounters. When exploring a texture, the discrimination algorithm adaptively selects the optimal movement to make and property to measure based on previous experience to differentiate the texture from a set of plausible candidates, a process we call Bayesian exploration. Performance of 99.6% in correctly discriminating pairs of similar textures was found to exceed human capabilities. Absolute classification from the entire set of 117 textures generally required a small number of well-chosen exploratory movements (median = 5) and yielded a 95.4% success rate. The method of Bayesian exploration developed and tested in this paper may generalize well to other cognitive problems.

Bayesian Exploration for Intelligent Identification of Textures

PubMed Central

Fishel, Jeremy A.; Loeb, Gerald E.

2012-01-01

In order to endow robots with human-like abilities to characterize and identify objects, they must be provided with tactile sensors and intelligent algorithms to select, control, and interpret data from useful exploratory movements. Humans make informed decisions on the sequence of exploratory movements that would yield the most information for the task, depending on what the object may be and prior knowledge of what to expect from possible exploratory movements. This study is focused on texture discrimination, a subset of a much larger group of exploratory movements and percepts that humans use to discriminate, characterize, and identify objects. Using a testbed equipped with a biologically inspired tactile sensor (the BioTac), we produced sliding movements similar to those that humans make when exploring textures. Measurement of tactile vibrations and reaction forces when exploring textures were used to extract measures of textural properties inspired from psychophysical literature (traction, roughness, and fineness). Different combinations of normal force and velocity were identified to be useful for each of these three properties. A total of 117 textures were explored with these three movements to create a database of prior experience to use for identifying these same textures in future encounters. When exploring a texture, the discrimination algorithm adaptively selects the optimal movement to make and property to measure based on previous experience to differentiate the texture from a set of plausible candidates, a process we call Bayesian exploration. Performance of 99.6% in correctly discriminating pairs of similar textures was found to exceed human capabilities. Absolute classification from the entire set of 117 textures generally required a small number of well-chosen exploratory movements (median = 5) and yielded a 95.4% success rate. The method of Bayesian exploration developed and tested in this paper may generalize well to other cognitive problems. PMID:22783186

Capillary Thrombosis in the Skin: A Pathologic Hallmark of Severe/Chronic Rejection of Human Vascularized Composite Tissue Allografts?

PubMed

Kanitakis, Jean; Petruzzo, Palmina; Gazarian, Aram; Karayannopoulou, Georgia; Buron, Fannie; Dubois, Valérie; Thaunat, Olivier; Badet, Lionel; Morelon, Emmanuel

2016-04-01

Vascularized composite tissue allografts (VCA) can undergo rejection, manifesting pathologically with skin changes that form the basis of the Banff 2007 classification of VCA rejection. We have followed 10 human VCA recipients (7 with hand allografts, 3 with face allografts) for pathological signs of rejection. All of them developed episodes of acute rejection. Two patients with hand allografts presented in some of their skin biopsies an as yet unreported pathological finding in human VCA, consisting of capillary thromboses (CT) in the upper dermis. Capillary thrombosis was associated with other typical changes of grade II to III VCA rejection, namely, perivascular T cell infiltrates, but not with vascular C4d deposits (in formalin-fixed tissue). Clinically, the lesions presented as red or violaceous (lichenoid) cutaneous maculopapules. The first patient had several episodes of acute rejection during the 7-year follow-up. The second patient developed donor-specific antibodies; some months after CT were first observed, he developed chronic rejection leading to partial amputation of the allograft. Pathological examination of the skin showed graft vasculopathy and occasional C4d deposits in cutaneous capillaries. Capillary thrombosis seems to be a novel pathologic finding associated with human VCA rejection. Although its mechanism (immunologic vs nonimmunologic) remains unclear, this finding could carry an unfavorable prognostic significance, prompting close monitoring of the patients for severe/chronic rejection.

mNos2 deletion and human NOS2 replacement in Alzheimer disease models.

PubMed

Colton, Carol A; Wilson, Joan G; Everhart, Angela; Wilcock, Donna M; Puoliväli, Jukka; Heikkinen, Taneli; Oksman, Juho; Jääskeläinen, Olli; Lehtimäki, Kimmo; Laitinen, Teemu; Vartiainen, Nina; Vitek, Michael P

2014-08-01

Understanding the pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying Alzheimer disease relies on knowledge of disease onset and the sequence of development of brain pathologies. We present a comprehensive analysis of early and progressive changes in a mouse model that demonstrates a full spectrum of characteristic Alzheimer disease-like pathologies. This model demonstrates an altered immune redox state reminiscent of the human disease and capitalizes on data indicating critical differences between human and mouse immune responses, particularly in nitric oxide levels produced by immune activation of the NOS2 gene. Using the APPSwDI(+)/(+)mNos2(-/-) (CVN-AD) mouse strain, we show a sequence of pathologic events leading to neurodegeneration,which include pathologically hyperphosphorylated tau in the perforant pathway at 6 weeks of age progressing to insoluble tau, early appearance of β-amyloid peptides in perivascular deposits around blood vessels in brain regions known to be vulnerable to Alzheimer disease, and progression to damage and overt loss in select vulnerable neuronal populations in these regions. The role of species differences between hNOS2 and mNos2 was supported by generating mice in which the human NOS2 gene replaced mNos2. When crossed with CVN-AD mice, pathologic characteristics of this new strain (APPSwDI(+)/(-)/HuNOS2(tg+)/(+)/mNos2(-/-)) mimicked the pathologic phenotypes found in the CVN-AD strain.

Joint Drumming: Social Context Facilitates Synchronization in Preschool Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirschner, Sebastian; Tomasello, Michael

2009-01-01

The human capacity to synchronize body movements to an external acoustic beat enables uniquely human behaviors such as music making and dancing. By hypothesis, these first evolved in human cultures as fundamentally social activities. We therefore hypothesized that children would spontaneously synchronize their body movements to an external beat at…

[Pulmonary pathology in fatal human influenza A (H1N1) infection].

PubMed

Duan, Xue-jing; Li, Yong; Gong, En-cong; Wang, Jue; Lü, Fu-dong; Zhang, He-qiu; Sun, Lin; Yue, Zhu-jun; Song, Chen-chao; Zhang, Shi-Jie; Li, Ning; Dai, Jie

2011-12-01

To study the pulmonary pathology in patients died of fatal human influenza A(H1N1) infection. Eight cases of fatal human influenza A (H1N1) infection, including 2 autopsy cases and 6 paramortem needle puncture biopsies, were enrolled into the study. Histologic examination, immunohistochemitry, flow cytometry and Western blotting were carried out. The major pathologic changes included necrotizing bronchiolitis with surrounding inflammation, diffuse alveolar damage and pulmonary hemorrhage. Influenza viral antigen expression was detected in the lung tissue by Western blotting. Immunohistochemical study demonstrated the presence of nuclear protein and hemagglutinin virus antigens in parts of trachea, bronchial epithelium and glands, alveolar epithelium, macrophages and endothelium. Flow cytometry showed that the apoptotic rate of type II pneumocytes (32.15%, 78.15%) was significantly higher than that of the controls (1.93%, 3.77%). Necrotizing bronchiolitis, diffuse alveolar damage and pulmonary hemorrhage followed by pulmonary fibrosis in late stage are the major pathologic changes in fatal human influenza A (H1N1) infection.

Review-Research on the physical training model of human body based on HQ.

PubMed

Junjie, Liu

2016-11-01

Health quotient (HQ) is the newest health culture and concept in the 21st century, and the analysis of the human body sports model is not enough mature at present, what's more, the purpose of this paper is to study the integration of the two subjects the health quotient and the sport model. This paper draws the conclusion that physical training and education in colleges and universities can improve the health quotient, and it will make students possess a more healthy body and mind. Then through a new rigid body model of sports to simulate the human physical exercise. After that this paper has an in-depth study on the dynamic model of the human body movement on the basis of establishing the matrix and equation. The simulation results of the human body bicycle riding and pole throwing show that the human body joint movement simulation can be realized and it has a certain operability as well. By means of such simulated calculation, we can come to a conclusion that the movement of the ankle joint, knee joint and hip joint's motion law and real motion are basically the same. So it further verify the accuracy of the motion model, which lay the foundation of other research movement model, also, the study of the movement model is an important method in the study of human health in the future.

Destabilizing effects of visual environment motions simulating eye movements or head movements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

White, Keith D.; Shuman, D.; Krantz, J. H.; Woods, C. B.; Kuntz, L. A.

1991-01-01

In the present paper, we explore effects on the human of exposure to a visual virtual environment which has been enslaved to simulate the human user's head movements or eye movements. Specifically, we have studied the capacity of our experimental subjects to maintain stable spatial orientation in the context of moving their entire visible surroundings by using the parameters of the subjects' natural movements. Our index of the subjects' spatial orientation was the extent of involuntary sways of the body while attempting to stand still, as measured by translations and rotations of the head. We also observed, informally, their symptoms of motion sickness.

Respiratory effort energy estimation using Doppler radar.

PubMed

Shahhaidar, Ehsaneh; Yavari, Ehsan; Young, Jared; Boric-Lubecke, Olga; Stickley, Cris

2012-01-01

Human respiratory effort can be harvested to power wearable biosensors and mobile electronic devices. The very first step toward designing a harvester is to estimate available energy and power. This paper describes an estimation of the available power and energy due to the movements of the torso during breathing, using Doppler radar by detecting breathing rate, torso displacement, torso movement velocity and acceleration along the sagittal movement of the torso. The accuracy of the detected variables is verified by two reference methods. The experimental result obtained from a healthy female human subject shows that the available power from circumferential movement can be higher than the power from the sagittal movement.

Human, Nature, Dynamism: The Effects of Content and Movement Perception on Brain Activations during the Aesthetic Judgment of Representational Paintings

PubMed Central

Di Dio, Cinzia; Ardizzi, Martina; Massaro, Davide; Di Cesare, Giuseppe; Gilli, Gabriella; Marchetti, Antonella; Gallese, Vittorio

2016-01-01

Movement perception and its role in aesthetic experience have been often studied, within empirical aesthetics, in relation to the human body. No such specificity has been defined in neuroimaging studies with respect to contents lacking a human form. The aim of this work was to explore, through functional magnetic imaging (f MRI), how perceived movement is processed during the aesthetic judgment of paintings using two types of content: human subjects and scenes of nature. Participants, untutored in the arts, were shown the stimuli and asked to make aesthetic judgments. Additionally, they were instructed to observe the paintings and to rate their perceived movement in separate blocks. Observation highlighted spontaneous processes associated with aesthetic experience, whereas movement judgment outlined activations specifically related to movement processing. The ratings recorded during aesthetic judgment revealed that nature scenes received higher scored than human content paintings. The imaging data showed similar activation, relative to baseline, for all stimuli in the three tasks, including activation of occipito-temporal areas, posterior parietal, and premotor cortices. Contrast analyses within aesthetic judgment task showed that human content activated, relative to nature, precuneus, fusiform gyrus, and posterior temporal areas, whose activation was prominent for dynamic human paintings. In contrast, nature scenes activated, relative to human stimuli, occipital and posterior parietal cortex/precuneus, involved in visuospatial exploration and pragmatic coding of movement, as well as central insula. Static nature paintings further activated, relative to dynamic nature stimuli, central and posterior insula. Besides insular activation, which was specific for aesthetic judgment, we found a large overlap in the activation pattern characterizing each stimulus dimension (content and dynamism) across observation, aesthetic judgment, and movement judgment tasks. These findings support the idea that the aesthetic evaluation of artworks depicting both human subjects and nature scenes involves a motor component, and that the associated neural processes occur quite spontaneously in the viewer. Furthermore, considering the functional roles of posterior and central insula, we suggest that nature paintings may evoke aesthetic processes requiring an additional proprioceptive and sensori-motor component implemented by “motor accessibility” to the represented scenario, which is needed to judge the aesthetic value of the observed painting. PMID:26793087

Sleep-Related Rhythmic Movement Disorder and Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Five Adult Patients

PubMed Central

Chiaro, Giacomo; Maestri, Michelangelo; Riccardi, Silvia; Haba-Rubio, José; Miano, Silvia; Bassetti, Claudio L.; Heinzer, Raphaël C.; Manconi, Mauro

2017-01-01

Sleep-related rhythmic movements (SRRMs) are typical in infancy and childhood, where they usually occur at the wake-to-sleep transition. However, they have rarely been observed in adults, where they can be idiopathic or associated with other sleep disorders including sleep apnea. We report a case series of 5 adults with sleep-related rhythmic movement disorder, 4 of whom had a previous history of SRRMs in childhood. SRRMs mostly occurred in consolidated sleep, in association with pathological respiratory events, predominantly longer ones, especially during stage R sleep, and recovered in 1 patient with continuous positive airway pressure therapy. We hypothesize that sleep apneas may act as a trigger of rhythmic motor events through a respiratory-related arousal mechanism in genetically predisposed subjects. Citation: Chiaro G, Maestri M, Riccardi S, Haba-Rubio J, Miano S, Bassetti CL, Heinzer RC, Manconi M. Sleep-related rhythmic movement disorder and obstructive sleep apnea in five adult patients. J Clin Sleep Med. 2017;13(10):1213–1217. PMID:28859719

Targeted therapies for Parkinson's disease: From genetics to the clinic.

PubMed

Sardi, S Pablo; Cedarbaum, Jesse M; Brundin, Patrik

2018-04-27

The greatest unmet medical need in Parkinson's disease (PD) is treatments that slow the relentless progression of symptoms. The discovery of genetic variants causing and/or increasing the risk for PD has provided the field with a new arsenal of potential therapies ready to be tested in clinical trials. We highlight 3 of the genetic discoveries (α-synuclein, glucocerebrosidase, and leucine-rich repeat kinase) that have prompted new therapeutic approaches now entering the clinical stages. We are at an exciting juncture in the journey to developing disease-modifying treatments based on knowledge of PD genetics and pathology. This review focuses on therapeutic paradigms that are under clinical development and highlights a wide range of key outstanding questions in PD. © 2018 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. © 2018 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Physiological state characterization by clustering heart rate, heart rate variability and movement activity information.

PubMed

Bidargaddi, Niranjan; Sarela, Antti; Korhonen, Ilkka

2008-01-01

The objective is to identify whether it is possible to discriminate between normal and abnormal physiological state based on heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV) and movement activity information in subjects with cardiovascular complications. HR, HRV and movement information were obtained from cardiac patients over a period of 6 weeks using an ambulatory activity and single lead ECG monitor. By applying k-means clustering on HR, HRV and movement information obtained from cardiac patients, we obtained 3 clusters in inactive state and one cluster in active state. Two clusters in inactive state characterized by - a) high HR and low HRV b) low HRV and low HR, could be inferred as pathological with abnormal autonomic function. Further, activity information was significant in differentiating between the normal cluster found in active and an abnormal cluster found in inactive states, both with low HRV. This indicates that the activity information must be taken into account while interpreting HR and HRV information.

The Pathobiology of the Meniscus: A Comparison Between the Human and Dog

PubMed Central

Krupkova, Olga; Smolders, Lucas; Wuertz-Kozak, Karin; Cook, James; Pozzi, Antonio

2018-01-01

Serious knee pain and related disability have an annual prevalence of approximately 25% on those over the age of 55 years. As curative treatments for the common knee problems are not available to date, knee pathologies typically progress and often lead to osteoarthritis (OA). While the roles that the meniscus plays in knee biomechanics are well characterized, biological mechanisms underlying meniscus pathophysiology and roles in knee pain and OA progression are not fully clear. Experimental treatments for knee disorders that are successful in animal models often produce unsatisfactory results in humans due to species differences or the inability to fully replicate disease progression in experimental animals. The use of animals with spontaneous knee pathologies, such as dogs, can significantly help addressing this issue. As microscopic and macroscopic anatomy of the canine and human menisci are similar, spontaneous meniscal pathologies in canine patients are thought to be highly relevant for translational medicine. However, it is not clear whether the biomolecular mechanisms of pain, degradation of extracellular matrix, and inflammatory responses are species dependent. The aims of this review are (1) to provide an overview of the anatomy, physiology, and pathology of the human and canine meniscus, (2) to compare the known signaling pathways involved in spontaneous meniscus pathology between both species, and (3) to assess the relevance of dogs with spontaneous meniscal pathology as a translational model. Understanding these mechanisms in human and canine meniscus can help to advance diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for painful knee disorders and improve clinical decision making. PMID:29713636

Significance of vestibular and proprioceptive afferentation in the regulation of human posture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gurfinkel, V. S.

1980-01-01

Viewpoints on the vertical human posture and the relation between postural adaptation during voluntary movements and the guarantee of stable locomotor movements are examined. Various complex sensory systems are discussed.

Moving Along: In biomechanics, rehabilitation engineering, and movement analysis, Italian researchers are making great strides.

PubMed

Gugliellmelli, Eugenio; Micera, Silvestro; Migliavacca, Francesco; Pedotti, Antonio

2015-01-01

In Italy, biomechanics research and the analysis of human and animal movement have had a very long history, beginning with the exceptional pioneering work of Leonardo da Vinci. In 1489, da Vinci began investigating human anatomy, including an examination of human tendons, muscles, and the skeletal system. He continued this line of inquiry later in life, identifying what he called "the four powers--movement, weight, force, and percussion"--and how he thought they worked in the human body. His approach, by the way, was very modern--analyzing nature through anatomy, developing models for interpretation, and transferring this knowledge to bio-inspired machines.

Induction of CNS α-synuclein pathology by fibrillar and non-amyloidogenic recombinant α-synuclein

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background α-Synuclein (αS) is the major component of several types of brain inclusions including Lewy bodies, a hallmark of Parkinson’s disease. Aberrant aggregation of αS also is associated with cellular demise in multiple neurologic disorders collectively referred to as synucleinopathies. Recent studies demonstrate the induction of αS pathology by a single intracerebral injection of exogenous amyloidogenic αS in adult non-transgenic and transgenic mice expressing human αS. To further investigate the mechanism of pathology induction and evaluate an experimental paradigm with potential for higher throughput, we performed similar studies in neonatal mice injected with αS. Results In non-transgenic mice, we observed limited induction of neuronal αS inclusions predominantly 8 months after brain injection of aggregated, amyloidogenic human αS. More robust inclusion pathology was induced in transgenic mice expressing wild-type human αS (line M20), and inclusion pathology was observed at earlier time points. Injection of a non-amyloidogenic (Δ71-82) deletion protein of αS was also able to induce similar pathology in a subset of M20 transgenic mice. M20 transgenic mice injected with amyloidogenic or non-amyloidogenic αS demonstrated a delayed and robust induction of brain neuroinflammation that occurs in mice with or without αS pathological inclusions implicating this mechanism in aggregate formation. Conclusions The finding that a non-amyloidogenic Δ71-82 αS can induce pathology calls into question the simple interpretation that exogenous αS catalyzes aggregation and spread of intracellular αS pathology solely through a nucleation dependent conformational templating mechanism. These results indicate that several mechanisms may act synergistically or independently to promote the spread of αS pathology. PMID:24252149

Vergence Neural Pathways: A Systematic Narrative Literature Review

PubMed Central

Searle, Annabelle; Rowe, Fiona J.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Research in the neural pathway for vergence is less understood in comparison to the other four visual eye movements. The aim of this study was to review the literature on vergence neural pathways and associated disorders. A review of previous published literature though to March 2016 was conducted. Intracranial pathologies that affect entire neural functioning were found to cause convergence insufficiencies. In contrast, pathologies with a more localised intracranial lesion cause more specific vergence disorders. There is debate as to the potential presence of a “divergence centre.” Detailed information on the divergence pathway is lacking and warrants further research. PMID:27928407

Advances in graphonomics: studies on fine motor control, its development and disorders.

PubMed

Van Gemmert, Arend W A; Teulings, Hans-Leo

2006-10-01

During the past 20 years graphonomic research has become a major contributor to the understanding of human movement science. Graphonomic research investigates the relationship between the planning and generation of fine motor tasks, in particular, handwriting and drawing. Scientists in this field are at the forefront of using new paradigms to investigate human movement. The 16 articles in this special issue of Human Movement Science show that the field of graphonomics makes an important contribution to the understanding of fine motor control, motor development, and movement disorders. Topics discussed include writer's cramp, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, drug-induced parkinsonism, dopamine depletion, dysgraphia, motor development, developmental coordination disorder, caffeine, alertness, arousal, sleep deprivation, visual feedback transformation and suppression, eye-hand coordination, pen grip, pen pressure, movement fluency, bimanual interference, dominant versus non-dominant hand, tracing, freehand drawing, spiral drawing, reading, typewriting, and automatic segmentation.

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-22

One concern about human adaptation to space is how returning from the microgravity of orbit to Earth can affect an astronaut's ability to fly safely. There are monitors and infrared video cameras to measure eye movements without having to affect the crew member. A computer screen provides moving images which the eye tracks while the brain determines what it is seeing. A video camera records movement of the subject's eyes. Researchers can then correlate perception and response. Test subjects perceive different images when a moving object is covered by a mask that is visible or invisible (above). Early results challenge the accepted theory that smooth pursuit -- the fluid eye movement that humans and primates have -- does not involve the higher brain. NASA results show that: Eye movement can predict human perceptual performance, smooth pursuit and saccadic (quick or ballistic) movement share some signal pathways, and common factors can make both smooth pursuit and visual perception produce errors in motor responses.

Simplified model of mean double step (MDS) in human body movement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dusza, Jacek J.; Wawrzyniak, Zbigniew M.; Mugarra González, C. Fernando

In this paper we present a simplified and useful model of the human body movement based on the full gait cycle description, called the Mean Double Step (MDS). It enables the parameterization and simplification of the human movement. Furthermore it allows a description of the gait cycle by providing standardized estimators to transform the gait cycle into a periodical movement process. Moreover the method of simplifying the MDS model and its compression are demonstrated. The simplification is achieved by reducing the number of bars of the spectrum and I or by reducing the number of samples describing the MDS both in terms of reducing their computational burden and their resources for the data storage. Our MDS model, which is applicable to the gait cycle method for examining patients, is non-invasive and provides the additional advantage of featuring a functional characterization of the relative or absolute movement of any part of the body.

Modeling of human movement monitoring using Bluetooth Low Energy technology.

PubMed

Mokhtari, G; Zhang, Q; Karunanithi, M

2015-01-01

Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) is a wireless communication technology which can be used to monitor human movements. In this monitoring system, a BLE signal scanner scans signal strength of BLE tags carried by people, to thus infer human movement patterns within its monitoring zone. However to the extent of our knowledge one main aspect of this monitoring system which has not yet been thoroughly investigated in literature is how to build a sound theoretical model, based on tunable BLE communication parameters such as scanning time interval and advertising time interval, to enable the study and design of effective and efficient movement monitoring systems. In this paper, we proposed and developed a statistical model based on Monte-Carlo simulation, which can be utilized to assess impacts of BLE technology parameters in terms of latency and efficiency, on a movement monitoring system, and can thus benefit a more efficient system design.

Understanding Visible Perception

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

One concern about human adaptation to space is how returning from the microgravity of orbit to Earth can affect an astronaut's ability to fly safely. There are monitors and infrared video cameras to measure eye movements without having to affect the crew member. A computer screen provides moving images which the eye tracks while the brain determines what it is seeing. A video camera records movement of the subject's eyes. Researchers can then correlate perception and response. Test subjects perceive different images when a moving object is covered by a mask that is visible or invisible (above). Early results challenge the accepted theory that smooth pursuit -- the fluid eye movement that humans and primates have -- does not involve the higher brain. NASA results show that: Eye movement can predict human perceptual performance, smooth pursuit and saccadic (quick or ballistic) movement share some signal pathways, and common factors can make both smooth pursuit and visual perception produce errors in motor responses.

Modeling connectivity to identify current and future anthropogenic barriers to movement of large carnivores: A case study in the American Southwest.

PubMed

McClure, Meredith L; Dickson, Brett G; Nicholson, Kerry L

2017-06-01

This study sought to identify critical areas for puma ( Puma concolor ) movement across the state of Arizona in the American Southwest and to identify those most likely to be impacted by current and future human land uses, particularly expanding urban development and associated increases in traffic volume. Human populations in this region are expanding rapidly, with the potential for urban centers and busy roads to increasingly act as barriers to demographic and genetic connectivity of large-bodied, wide-ranging carnivores such as pumas, whose long-distance movements are likely to bring them into contact with human land uses and whose low tolerance both for and from humans may put them at risk unless opportunities for safe passage through or around human-modified landscapes are present. Brownian bridge movement models based on global positioning system collar data collected during bouts of active movement and linear mixed models were used to model habitat quality for puma movement; then, a wall-to-wall application of circuit theory models was used to produce a continuous statewide estimate of connectivity for puma movement and to identify pinch points, or bottlenecks, that may be most at risk of impacts from current and future traffic volume and expanding development. Rugged, shrub- and scrub-dominated regions were highlighted as those offering high quality movement habitat for pumas, and pinch points with the greatest potential impacts from expanding development and traffic, although widely distributed, were particularly prominent to the north and east of the city of Phoenix and along interstate highways in the western portion of the state. These pinch points likely constitute important conservation opportunities, where barriers to movement may cause disproportionate loss of connectivity, but also where actions such as placement of wildlife crossing structures or conservation easements could enhance connectivity and prevent detrimental impacts before they occur.

Dynamic Changes in Striatal mGluR1 But Not mGluR5 during Pathological Progression of Parkinson's Disease in Human Alpha-Synuclein A53T Transgenic Rats: A Multi-PET Imaging Study.

PubMed

Yamasaki, Tomoteru; Fujinaga, Masayuki; Kawamura, Kazunori; Furutsuka, Kenji; Nengaki, Nobuki; Shimoda, Yoko; Shiomi, Satoshi; Takei, Makoto; Hashimoto, Hiroki; Yui, Joji; Wakizaka, Hidekatsu; Hatori, Akiko; Xie, Lin; Kumata, Katsushi; Zhang, Ming-Rong

2016-01-13

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a prevalent degenerative disorder affecting the CNS that is primarily characterized by resting tremor and movement deficits. Group I metabotropic glutamate receptor subtypes 1 and 5 (mGluR1 and mGluR5, respectively) are important targets for investigation in several CNS disorders. In the present study, we investigated the in vivo roles of mGluR1 and mGluR5 in chronic PD pathology by performing longitudinal positron emission tomography (PET) imaging in A53T transgenic (A53T-Tg) rats expressing an abnormal human α-synuclein (ASN) gene. A53T-Tg rats showed a dramatic decline in general motor activities with age, along with abnormal ASN aggregation and striatal neuron degeneration. In longitudinal PET imaging, striatal nondisplaceable binding potential (BPND) values for [(11)C]ITDM (N-[4-[6-(isopropylamino) pyrimidin-4-yl]-1,3-thiazol-2-yl]-N-methyl-4-[(11)C]methylbenzamide), a selective PET ligand for mGluR1, temporarily increased before PD symptom onset and dramatically decreased afterward with age. However, striatal BPND values for (E)-[(11)C]ABP688 [3-(6-methylpyridin-2-ylethynyl)-cyclohex-2-enone-(E)-O-[(11)C]methyloxime], a specific PET ligand for mGluR5, remained constant during experimental terms. The dynamic changes in striatal mGluR1 BPND values also showed a high correlation in pathological decreases in general motor activities. Furthermore, declines in mGluR1 BPND values were correlated with decreases in BPND values for [(18)F]FE-PE2I [(E)-N-(3-iodoprop-2E-enyl)-2β-carbo-[(18)F]fluoroethoxy-3β-(4-methylphenyl) nortropane], a specific PET ligand for the dopamine transporter, a biomarker for dopaminergic neurons. In conclusion, our results have demonstrated for the first time that dynamic changes occur in mGluR1, but not mGluR5, that accompany pathological progression in a PD animal model. Synaptic signaling by glutamate, the principal excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain, is modulated by group I metabotropic glutamate receptors, including the mGluR1 and mGluR5 subtypes. In the brain, mGluR1 and mGluR5 have distinct functional roles and regional distributions. Their roles in brain pathology, however, are not well characterized. Using longitudinal PET imaging in a chronic rat model of PD, we demonstrated that expression of mGluR1, but not mGluR5, dynamically changed in the striatum accompanying pathological PD progression. These findings imply that monitoring mGluR1 in vivo may provide beneficial information to further understand central nervous system disorders. Copyright © 2016 the authors 0270-6474/16/360376-10$15.00/0.

Human β-Synuclein Rendered Fibrillogenic by Designed Mutations

PubMed Central

Zibaee, Shahin; Fraser, Graham; Jakes, Ross; Owen, David; Serpell, Louise C.; Crowther, R. Anthony; Goedert, Michel

2010-01-01

Filamentous inclusions made of α-synuclein are found in nerve cells and glial cells in a number of human neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple system atrophy. The assembly and spreading of these inclusions are likely to play an important role in the etiology of common dementias and movement disorders. Both α-synuclein and the homologous β-synuclein are abundantly expressed in the central nervous system; however, β-synuclein is not present in the pathological inclusions. Previously, we observed a poor correlation between filament formation and the presence of residues 73–83 of α-synuclein, which are absent in β-synuclein. Instead, filament formation correlated with the mean β-sheet propensity, charge, and hydrophilicity of the protein (global physicochemical properties) and β-strand contiguity calculated by a simple algorithm of sliding averages (local physicochemical property). In the present study, we rendered β-synuclein fibrillogenic via one set of point mutations engineered to enhance global properties and a second set engineered to enhance predominantly β-strand contiguity. Our findings show that the intrinsic physicochemical properties of synucleins influence their fibrillogenic propensity via two distinct but overlapping modalities. The implications for filament formation and the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases are discussed. PMID:20833719

Physiotherapy for human T-lymphotropic virus 1-associated myelopathy: review of the literature and future perspectives.

PubMed

Sá, Katia N; Macêdo, Maíra C; Andrade, Rosana P; Mendes, Selena D; Martins, José V; Baptista, Abrahão F

2015-01-01

Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 (HTLV-1) infection may be associated with damage to the spinal cord - HTLV-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis - and other neurological symptoms that compromise everyday life activities. There is no cure for this disease, but recent evidence suggests that physiotherapy may help individuals with the infection, although, as far as we are aware, no systematic review has approached this topic. Therefore, the objective of this review is to address the core problems associated with HTLV-1 infection that can be detected and treated by physiotherapy, present the results of clinical trials, and discuss perspectives on the development of knowledge in this area. Major problems for individuals with HTLV-1 are pain, sensory-motor dysfunction, and urinary symptoms. All of these have high impact on quality of life, and recent clinical trials involving exercises, electrotherapeutic modalities, and massage have shown promising effects. Although not influencing the basic pathologic disturbances, a physiotherapeutic approach seems to be useful to detect specific problems related to body structures, activity, and participation related to movement in HTLV-1 infection, as well as to treat these conditions.

Physiotherapy for human T-lymphotropic virus 1-associated myelopathy: review of the literature and future perspectives

PubMed Central

Sá, Katia N; Macêdo, Maíra C; Andrade, Rosana P; Mendes, Selena D; Martins, José V; Baptista, Abrahão F

2015-01-01

Human T-lymphotropic virus 1 (HTLV-1) infection may be associated with damage to the spinal cord – HTLV-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis – and other neurological symptoms that compromise everyday life activities. There is no cure for this disease, but recent evidence suggests that physiotherapy may help individuals with the infection, although, as far as we are aware, no systematic review has approached this topic. Therefore, the objective of this review is to address the core problems associated with HTLV-1 infection that can be detected and treated by physiotherapy, present the results of clinical trials, and discuss perspectives on the development of knowledge in this area. Major problems for individuals with HTLV-1 are pain, sensory-motor dysfunction, and urinary symptoms. All of these have high impact on quality of life, and recent clinical trials involving exercises, electrotherapeutic modalities, and massage have shown promising effects. Although not influencing the basic pathologic disturbances, a physiotherapeutic approach seems to be useful to detect specific problems related to body structures, activity, and participation related to movement in HTLV-1 infection, as well as to treat these conditions. PMID:25759588

Predictors of human rotation.

PubMed

Stochl, Jan; Croudace, Tim

2013-01-01

Why some humans prefer to rotate clockwise rather than anticlockwise is not well understood. This study aims to identify the predictors of the preferred rotation direction in humans. The variables hypothesised to influence rotation preference include handedness, footedness, sex, brain hemisphere lateralisation, and the Coriolis effect (which results from geospatial location on the Earth). An online questionnaire allowed us to analyse data from 1526 respondents in 97 countries. Factor analysis showed that the direction of rotation should be studied separately for local and global movements. Handedness, footedness, and the item hypothesised to measure brain hemisphere lateralisation are predictors of rotation direction for both global and local movements. Sex is a predictor of the direction of global rotation movements but not local ones, and both sexes tend to rotate clockwise. Geospatial location does not predict the preferred direction of rotation. Our study confirms previous findings concerning the influence of handedness, footedness, and sex on human rotation; our study also provides new insight into the underlying structure of human rotation movements and excludes the Coriolis effect as a predictor of rotation.

A Tale of Many Cities: Universal Patterns in Human Urban Mobility

PubMed Central

Noulas, Anastasios; Scellato, Salvatore; Lambiotte, Renaud; Pontil, Massimiliano; Mascolo, Cecilia

2012-01-01

The advent of geographic online social networks such as Foursquare, where users voluntarily signal their current location, opens the door to powerful studies on human movement. In particular the fine granularity of the location data, with GPS accuracy down to 10 meters, and the worldwide scale of Foursquare adoption are unprecedented. In this paper we study urban mobility patterns of people in several metropolitan cities around the globe by analyzing a large set of Foursquare users. Surprisingly, while there are variations in human movement in different cities, our analysis shows that those are predominantly due to different distributions of places across different urban environments. Moreover, a universal law for human mobility is identified, which isolates as a key component the rank-distance, factoring in the number of places between origin and destination, rather than pure physical distance, as considered in some previous works. Building on our findings, we also show how a rank-based movement model accurately captures real human movements in different cities. PMID:22666339

Human cortical activity related to unilateral movements. A high resolution EEG study.

PubMed

Urbano, A; Babiloni, C; Onorati, P; Babiloni, F

1996-12-20

In the present study a modern high resolution electroencephalography (EEG) technique was used to investigate the dynamic functional topography of human cortical activity related to simple unilateral internally triggered finger movements. The sensorimotor area (M1-S1) contralateral to the movement as well as the supplementary motor area (SMA) and to a lesser extent the ipsilateral M1-S1 were active during the preparation and execution of these movements. These findings suggest that both hemispheres may cooperate in both planning and production of simple unilateral volitional acts.

Performance adaptive training control strategy for recovering wrist movements in stroke patients: a preliminary, feasibility study

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background In the last two decades robot training in neuromotor rehabilitation was mainly focused on shoulder-elbow movements. Few devices were designed and clinically tested for training coordinated movements of the wrist, which are crucial for achieving even the basic level of motor competence that is necessary for carrying out ADLs (activities of daily life). Moreover, most systems of robot therapy use point-to-point reaching movements which tend to emphasize the pathological tendency of stroke patients to break down goal-directed movements into a number of jerky sub-movements. For this reason we designed a wrist robot with a range of motion comparable to that of normal subjects and implemented a self-adapting training protocol for tracking smoothly moving targets in order to facilitate the emergence of smoothness in the motor control patterns and maximize the recovery of the normal RoM (range of motion) of the different DoFs (degrees of Freedom). Methods The IIT-wrist robot is a 3 DoFs light exoskeleton device, with direct-drive of each DoF and a human-like range of motion for Flexion/Extension (FE), Abduction/Adduction (AA) and Pronation/Supination (PS). Subjects were asked to track a variable-frequency oscillating target using only one wrist DoF at time, in such a way to carry out a progressive splinting therapy. The RoM of each DoF was angularly scanned in a staircase-like fashion, from the "easier" to the "more difficult" angular position. An Adaptive Controller evaluated online performance parameters and modulated both the assistance and the difficulty of the task in order to facilitate smoother and more precise motor command patterns. Results Three stroke subjects volunteered to participate in a preliminary test session aimed at verify the acceptability of the device and the feasibility of the designed protocol. All of them were able to perform the required task. The wrist active RoM of motion was evaluated for each patient at the beginning and at the end of the test therapy session and the results suggest a positive trend. Conclusion The positive outcomes of the preliminary tests motivate the planning of a clinical trial and provide experimental evidence for defining appropriate inclusion/exclusion criteria. PMID:19968873

Human-Computer Interface Controlled by Horizontal Directional Eye Movements and Voluntary Blinks Using AC EOG Signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kajiwara, Yusuke; Murata, Hiroaki; Kimura, Haruhiko; Abe, Koji

As a communication support tool for cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), researches on eye gaze human-computer interfaces have been active. However, since voluntary and involuntary eye movements cannot be distinguished in the interfaces, their performance is still not sufficient for practical use. This paper presents a high performance human-computer interface system which unites high quality recognitions of horizontal directional eye movements and voluntary blinks. The experimental results have shown that the number of incorrect inputs is decreased by 35.1% in an existing system which equips recognitions of horizontal and vertical directional eye movements in addition to voluntary blinks and character inputs are speeded up by 17.4% from the existing system.

Professionalizing a Global Social Movement: Universities and Human Rights

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suarez, David; Bromley, Patricia

2012-01-01

Research on the human rights movement emphasizes direct changes in nation-states, focusing on the efficacy of treaties and the role of advocacy in mitigating immediate violations. However, more than 140 universities in 59 countries established academic chairs, research centers, and programs for human rights from 1968-2000, a development that…

Vocal Fold Vibration Following Surgical Intervention in Three Vocal Pathologies: A Preliminary Study.

PubMed

Chen, Wenli; Woo, Peak; Murry, Thomas

2017-09-01

High-speed videoendoscopy captures the cycle-to-cycle vibratory motion of each individual vocal fold in normal and severely disordered phonation. Therefore, it provides a direct method to examine the specific vibratory changes following vocal fold surgery. The purpose of this study was to examine the vocal fold vibratory pattern changes in the surgically treated pathologic vocal fold and the contralateral vocal fold in three vocal pathologies: vocal polyp (n = 3), paresis or paralysis (n = 3), and scar (n = 3). Digital kymography was used to extract high-speed kymographic vocal fold images at the mid-membranous region of the vocal fold. Spectral analysis was subsequently applied to the digital kymography to quantify the cycle-to-cycle movements of each vocal fold, expressed as a spectrum. Surgical modification resulted in significantly improved spectral power of the treated pathologic vocal fold. Furthermore, the contralateral vocal fold also presented with improved spectral power irrespective of vocal pathology. In comparison with normal vocal fold spectrum, postsurgical vocal fold vibrations continued to demonstrate decreased vibratory amplitude in both vocal folds. Copyright © 2017 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Altered corticospinal function during movement preparation in humans with spinal cord injury.

PubMed

Federico, Paolo; Perez, Monica A

2017-01-01

In uninjured humans, transmission in the corticospinal pathway changes in a task-dependent manner during movement preparation. We investigated whether this ability is preserved in humans with incomplete chronic cervical spinal cord injury (SCI). Our results show that corticospinal excitability is altered in the preparatory phase of an upcoming movement when there is a need to suppress but not to execute rapid index finger voluntary contractions in individuals with SCI compared with controls. This is probably related to impaired transmission at a cortical and spinal level after SCI. Overall our findings indicate that deficits in corticospinal transmission in humans with chronic incomplete SCI are also present in the preparatory phase of upcoming movements. Corticospinal output is modulated in a task-dependent manner during the preparatory phase of upcoming movements in humans. Whether this ability is preserved after spinal cord injury (SCI) is unknown. In this study, we examined motor evoked potentials elicited by cortical (MEPs) and subcortical (CMEPs) stimulation of corticospinal axons and short-interval intracortical inhibition in the first dorsal interosseous muscle in the preparatory phase of a reaction time task where individuals with chronic incomplete cervical SCI and age-matched controls needed to suppress (NOGO) or initiate (GO) ballistic index finger isometric voluntary contractions. Reaction times were prolonged in SCI participants compared with control subjects and stimulation was provided ∼90 ms prior to movement onset in each group. During NOGO trials, both MEPs and CMEPs remained unchanged compared to baseline in SCI participants but were suppressed in control subjects. Notably, during GO trials, MEPs increased to a similar extent in both groups but CMEPs increased only in controls. The magnitude of short-interval intracortical inhibition increased in controls but not in SCI subjects during NOGO trials and decreased in both groups in GO trials. These novel observations reveal that humans with incomplete cervical SCI have an altered ability to modulate corticospinal excitability during movement preparation when there is a need to suppress but not to execute upcoming rapid finger movements, which is probably related to impaired transmission at a cortical and spinal level. Thus, deficits in corticospinal transmission after human SCI extend to the preparatory phase of upcoming movements. © 2016 The Authors. The Journal of Physiology © 2016 The Physiological Society.

Binocular eye movement control and motion perception: what is being tracked?

PubMed

van der Steen, Johannes; Dits, Joyce

2012-10-19

We investigated under what conditions humans can make independent slow phase eye movements. The ability to make independent movements of the two eyes generally is attributed to few specialized lateral eyed animal species, for example chameleons. In our study, we showed that humans also can move the eyes in different directions. To maintain binocular retinal correspondence independent slow phase movements of each eye are produced. We used the scleral search coil method to measure binocular eye movements in response to dichoptically viewed visual stimuli oscillating in orthogonal direction. Correlated stimuli led to orthogonal slow eye movements, while the binocularly perceived motion was the vector sum of the motion presented to each eye. The importance of binocular fusion on independency of the movements of the two eyes was investigated with anti-correlated stimuli. The perceived global motion pattern of anti-correlated dichoptic stimuli was perceived as an oblique oscillatory motion, as well as resulted in a conjugate oblique motion of the eyes. We propose that the ability to make independent slow phase eye movements in humans is used to maintain binocular retinal correspondence. Eye-of-origin and binocular information are used during the processing of binocular visual information, and it is decided at an early stage whether binocular or monocular motion information and independent slow phase eye movements of each eye are produced during binocular tracking.

Binocular Eye Movement Control and Motion Perception: What Is Being Tracked?

PubMed Central

van der Steen, Johannes; Dits, Joyce

2012-01-01

Purpose. We investigated under what conditions humans can make independent slow phase eye movements. The ability to make independent movements of the two eyes generally is attributed to few specialized lateral eyed animal species, for example chameleons. In our study, we showed that humans also can move the eyes in different directions. To maintain binocular retinal correspondence independent slow phase movements of each eye are produced. Methods. We used the scleral search coil method to measure binocular eye movements in response to dichoptically viewed visual stimuli oscillating in orthogonal direction. Results. Correlated stimuli led to orthogonal slow eye movements, while the binocularly perceived motion was the vector sum of the motion presented to each eye. The importance of binocular fusion on independency of the movements of the two eyes was investigated with anti-correlated stimuli. The perceived global motion pattern of anti-correlated dichoptic stimuli was perceived as an oblique oscillatory motion, as well as resulted in a conjugate oblique motion of the eyes. Conclusions. We propose that the ability to make independent slow phase eye movements in humans is used to maintain binocular retinal correspondence. Eye-of-origin and binocular information are used during the processing of binocular visual information, and it is decided at an early stage whether binocular or monocular motion information and independent slow phase eye movements of each eye are produced during binocular tracking. PMID:22997286

Inducing any virtual two-dimensional movement in humans by applying muscle tendon vibration.

PubMed

Roll, Jean-Pierre; Albert, Frédéric; Thyrion, Chloé; Ribot-Ciscar, Edith; Bergenheim, Mikael; Mattei, Benjamin

2009-02-01

In humans, tendon vibration evokes illusory sensation of movement. We developed a model mimicking the muscle afferent patterns corresponding to any two-dimensional movement and checked its validity by inducing writing illusory movements through specific sets of muscle vibrators. Three kinds of illusory movements were compared. The first was induced by vibration patterns copying the responses of muscle spindle afferents previously recorded by microneurography during imposed ankle movements. The two others were generated by the model. Sixteen different vibratory patterns were applied to 20 motionless volunteers in the absence of vision. After each vibration sequence, the participants were asked to name the corresponding graphic symbol and then to reproduce the illusory movement perceived. Results showed that the afferent patterns generated by the model were very similar to those recorded microneurographically during actual ankle movements (r=0.82). The model was also very efficient for generating afferent response patterns at the wrist level, if the preferred sensory directions of the wrist muscle groups were first specified. Using recorded and modeled proprioceptive patterns to pilot sets of vibrators placed at the ankle or wrist levels evoked similar illusory movements, which were correctly identified by the participants in three quarters of the trials. Our proprioceptive model, based on neurosensory data recorded in behaving humans, should then be a useful tool in fields of research such as sensorimotor learning, rehabilitation, and virtual reality.

On the trails of markers and proxies: the socio-cognitive technologies of human movement, knowledge assemblage, and their relevance to the etiology of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

PubMed Central

Turnbull, David

2011-01-01

Bacteria, pigs, rats, pots, plants, words, bones, stones, earrings, diseases, and genetic indicators of all varieties are markers and proxies for the complexity of interweaving trails and stories integral to understanding human movement and knowledge assemblage in Southeast Asia and around the world. Understanding human movement and knowledge assemblage is central to comprehending the genetic basis of disease, especially of a cancer like nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The problem is that the markers and trails, taken in isolation, do not all tell the same story. Human movement and knowledge assemblage are in constant interaction in an adaptive process of co-production with genes, terrain, climate, sea level changes, kinship relations, diet, materials, food and transport technologies, social and cognitive technologies, and knowledge strategies and transmission. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is the outcome of an adaptive process involving physical, social, and genetic components. PMID:21272440

Searching for Survivors through Random Human-Body Movement Outdoors by Continuous-Wave Radar Array

PubMed Central

Liu, Miao; Li, Zhao; Liang, Fulai; Jing, Xijing; Lu, Guohua; Wang, Jianqi

2016-01-01

It is a major challenge to search for survivors after chemical or nuclear leakage or explosions. At present, biological radar can be used to achieve this goal by detecting the survivor’s respiration signal. However, owing to the random posture of an injured person at a rescue site, the radar wave may directly irradiate the person’s head or feet, in which it is difficult to detect the respiration signal. This paper describes a multichannel-based antenna array technology, which forms an omnidirectional detection system via 24-GHz Doppler biological radar, to address the random positioning relative to the antenna of an object to be detected. Furthermore, since the survivors often have random body movement such as struggling and twitching, the slight movements of the body caused by breathing are obscured by these movements. Therefore, a method is proposed to identify random human-body movement by utilizing multichannel information to calculate the background variance of the environment in combination with a constant-false-alarm-rate detector. The conducted outdoor experiments indicate that the system can realize the omnidirectional detection of random human-body movement and distinguish body movement from environmental interference such as movement of leaves and grass. The methods proposed in this paper will be a promising way to search for survivors outdoors. PMID:27073860

Searching for Survivors through Random Human-Body Movement Outdoors by Continuous-Wave Radar Array.

PubMed

Li, Chuantao; Chen, Fuming; Qi, Fugui; Liu, Miao; Li, Zhao; Liang, Fulai; Jing, Xijing; Lu, Guohua; Wang, Jianqi

2016-01-01

It is a major challenge to search for survivors after chemical or nuclear leakage or explosions. At present, biological radar can be used to achieve this goal by detecting the survivor's respiration signal. However, owing to the random posture of an injured person at a rescue site, the radar wave may directly irradiate the person's head or feet, in which it is difficult to detect the respiration signal. This paper describes a multichannel-based antenna array technology, which forms an omnidirectional detection system via 24-GHz Doppler biological radar, to address the random positioning relative to the antenna of an object to be detected. Furthermore, since the survivors often have random body movement such as struggling and twitching, the slight movements of the body caused by breathing are obscured by these movements. Therefore, a method is proposed to identify random human-body movement by utilizing multichannel information to calculate the background variance of the environment in combination with a constant-false-alarm-rate detector. The conducted outdoor experiments indicate that the system can realize the omnidirectional detection of random human-body movement and distinguish body movement from environmental interference such as movement of leaves and grass. The methods proposed in this paper will be a promising way to search for survivors outdoors.

Improvement of Hand Movement on Visual Target Tracking by Assistant Force of Model-Based Compensator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ide, Junko; Sugi, Takenao; Nakamura, Masatoshi; Shibasaki, Hiroshi

Human motor control is achieved by the appropriate motor commands generating from the central nerve system. A test of visual target tracking is one of the effective methods for analyzing the human motor functions. We have previously examined a possibility for improving the hand movement on visual target tracking by additional assistant force through a simulation study. In this study, a method for compensating the human hand movement on visual target tracking by adding an assistant force was proposed. Effectiveness of the compensation method was investigated through the experiment for four healthy adults. The proposed compensator precisely improved the reaction time, the position error and the variability of the velocity of the human hand. The model-based compensator proposed in this study is constructed by using the measurement data on visual target tracking for each subject. The properties of the hand movement for different subjects can be reflected in the structure of the compensator. Therefore, the proposed method has possibility to adjust the individual properties of patients with various movement disorders caused from brain dysfunctions.

Progress Toward Development of a Multichannel Vestibular Prosthesis for Treatment of Bilateral Vestibular Deficiency

PubMed Central

FRIDMAN, GENE Y.; DELLA SANTINA, CHARLES C.

2014-01-01

This article reviews vestibular pathology and the requirements and progress made in the design and construction of a vestibular prosthesis. Bilateral loss of vestibular sensation is disabling. When vestibular hair cells are injured by ototoxic medications or other insults to the labyrinth, the resulting loss of sensory input disrupts vestibulo-ocular reflexes (VORs) and vestibulo-spinal reflexes that normally stabilize the eyes and body. Affected individuals suffer poor vision during head movement, postural instability, chronic disequilibrium, and cognitive distraction. Although most individuals with residual sensation compensate for their loss over time, others fail to do so and have no adequate treatment options. A vestibular prosthesis analogous to cochlear implants but designed to modulate vestibular nerve activity during head movement should improve quality of life for these chronically dizzy individuals. We describe the impact of bilateral loss of vestibular sensation, animal studies supporting feasibility of prosthetic vestibular stimulation, the current status of multichannel vestibular sensory replacement prosthesis development, and challenges to successfully realizing this approach in clinical practice. In bilaterally vestibular-deficient rodents and rhesus monkeys, the Johns Hopkins multichannel vestibular prosthesis (MVP) partially restores the three-dimensional (3D) VOR for head rotations about any axis. Attempts at prosthetic vestibular stimulation of humans have not yet included the 3D eye movement assays necessary to accurately evaluate VOR alignment, but these initial forays have revealed responses that are otherwise comparable to observations in animals. Current efforts now focus on refining electrode design and surgical technique to enhance stimulus selectivity and preserve cochlear function, optimizing stimulus protocols to improve dynamic range and reduce excitation–inhibition asymmetry, and adapting laboratory MVP prototypes into devices appropriate for use in clinical trials. PMID:23044664

Does unilateral basal ganglia activity functionally influence the contralateral side? What we can learn from STN stimulation in patients with Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Brun, Yohann; Karachi, Carine; Fernandez-Vidal, Sara; Jodoin, Nicolas; Grabli, David; Bardinet, Eric; Mallet, Luc; Agid, Yves; Yelnik, Jerome; Welter, Marie-Laure

2012-09-01

In humans, the control of voluntary movement, in which the corticobasal ganglia (BG) circuitry participates, is mainly lateralized. However, several studies have suggested that both the contralateral and ipsilateral BG systems are implicated during unilateral movement. Bilateral improvement of motor signs in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) has been reported with unilateral lesion or high-frequency stimulation (HFS) of the internal part of the globus pallidus or the subthalamic nucleus (STN-HFS). To decipher the mechanisms of production of ipsilateral movements induced by the modulation of unilateral BG circuitry activity, we recorded left STN neuronal activity during right STN-HFS in PD patients operated for bilateral deep brain stimulation. Left STN single cells were recorded in the operating room during right STN-HFS while patients experienced, or did not experience, right stimulation-induced dyskinesias. Most of the left-side STN neurons (64%) associated with the presence of right dyskinesias were inhibited, with a significant decrease in burst and intraburst frequencies. In contrast, left STN neurons not associated with right dyskinesias were mainly activated (48%), with a predominant increase 4-5 ms after the stimulation pulse and a decrease in oscillatory activity. This suggests that unilateral neuronal STN modulation is associated with changes in the activity of the contralateral STN. The fact that one side of the BG system can influence the functioning of the other could explain the occurrence of bilateral dyskinesias and motor improvement observed in PD patients during unilateral STN-HFS, as a result of a bilateral disruption of the pathological activity in the corticosubcortical circuitry.

Population Density and Pathology: What Are the Relationships for Man?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Galle, Omer R.; And Others

Evidence of high population density's serious inhibiting effects on the reproductive, aggressive, withdrawal and sexual behavior of various animals, motivated a study of human pathology in overcrowded areas. Ecological relationships in Chicago and their impact on human behavior were assessed. The number of persons per acre, Standardized Mortality…

[The movement computerized analysis as instrumental support for occupational doctors in evaluation of upper limb pathologies in engineering workers].

PubMed

D'Orso, M I; Centemeri, R; Oggionni, P; Latocca, R; Crippa, M; Vercellino, R; Riva, M; Cesana, G

2011-01-01

The movement computerized analysis of upper limb is a valid support in the definition of residual functional capability and of specific work suitability in complex cases. This methodology of evaluation is able to correctly and objectively define the tridimensional ranges of motion of every patient's upper limb. This fact can be particularly useful for workers coming back to work after a work-related or a not work-related accident of for handicapped workers at the beginning of a new work activity. We report a research carried out using computerized analysis of motion of upper limbs in 20 engineering workers.

Adaptable Neighbours: Movement Patterns of GPS-Collared Leopards in Human Dominated Landscapes in India

PubMed Central

Odden, Morten; Athreya, Vidya; Rattan, Sandeep; Linnell, John D. C.

2014-01-01

Understanding the nature of the interactions between humans and wildlife is of vital importance for conflict mitigation. We equipped five leopards with GPS-collars in Maharashtra (4) and Himachal Pradesh (1), India, to study movement patterns in human-dominated landscapes outside protected areas. An adult male and an adult female were both translocated 52 km, and exhibited extensive, and directional, post release movements (straight line movements: male  = 89 km in 37 days, female  = 45 km in 5 months), until they settled in home ranges of 42 km2 (male) and 65 km2 (female). The three other leopards, two adult females and a young male were released close to their capture sites and used small home ranges of 8 km2 (male), 11 km2 and 15 km2 (females). Movement patterns were markedly nocturnal, with hourly step lengths averaging 339±9.5 m (SE) during night and 60±4.1 m during day, and night locations were significantly closer to human settlements than day locations. However, more nocturnal movements were observed among those three living in the areas with high human population densities. These visited houses regularly at nighttime (20% of locations <25 m from houses), but rarely during day (<1%). One leopard living in a sparsely populated area avoided human settlements both day and night. The small home ranges of the leopards indicate that anthropogenic food resources may be plentiful although wild prey is absent. The study provides clear insights into the ability of leopards to live and move in landscapes that are extremely modified by human activity. PMID:25390067

Distinct timing mechanisms produce discrete and continuous movements.

PubMed

Huys, Raoul; Studenka, Breanna E; Rheaume, Nicole L; Zelaznik, Howard N; Jirsa, Viktor K

2008-04-25

The differentiation of discrete and continuous movement is one of the pillars of motor behavior classification. Discrete movements have a definite beginning and end, whereas continuous movements do not have such discriminable end points. In the past decade there has been vigorous debate whether this classification implies different control processes. This debate up until the present has been empirically based. Here, we present an unambiguous non-empirical classification based on theorems in dynamical system theory that sets discrete and continuous movements apart. Through computational simulations of representative modes of each class and topological analysis of the flow in state space, we show that distinct control mechanisms underwrite discrete and fast rhythmic movements. In particular, we demonstrate that discrete movements require a time keeper while fast rhythmic movements do not. We validate our computational findings experimentally using a behavioral paradigm in which human participants performed finger flexion-extension movements at various movement paces and under different instructions. Our results demonstrate that the human motor system employs different timing control mechanisms (presumably via differential recruitment of neural subsystems) to accomplish varying behavioral functions such as speed constraints.

Muscle biopsies from human muscle diseases with myopathic pathology reveal common alterations in mitochondrial function.

PubMed

Sunitha, Balaraju; Gayathri, Narayanappa; Kumar, Manish; Keshava Prasad, Thottethodi Subrahmanya; Nalini, Atchayaram; Padmanabhan, Balasundaram; Srinivas Bharath, Muchukunte Mukunda

2016-07-01

Muscle diseases are clinically and genetically heterogeneous and manifest as dystrophic, inflammatory and myopathic pathologies, among others. Our previous study on the cardiotoxin mouse model of myodegeneration and inflammation linked muscle pathology with mitochondrial damage and oxidative stress. In this study, we investigated whether human muscle diseases display mitochondrial changes. Muscle biopsies from muscle disease patients, represented by dysferlinopathy (dysfy) (dystrophic pathology; n = 43), polymyositis (PM) (inflammatory pathology; n = 24), and distal myopathy with rimmed vacuoles (DMRV) (distal myopathy; n = 31) were analyzed. Mitochondrial damage (ragged blue and COX-deficient fibers) was revealed in dysfy, PM, and DMRV cases by enzyme histochemistry (SDH and COX-SDH), electron microscopy (vacuolation and altered cristae) and biochemical assays (significantly increased ADP/ATP ratio). Proteomic analysis of muscle mitochondria from all three muscle diseases by isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation labeling and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis demonstrated down-regulation of electron transport chain (ETC) complex subunits, assembly factors and Krebs cycle enzymes. Interestingly, 80 of the under-expressed proteins were common among the three pathologies. Assay of ETC and Krebs cycle enzyme activities validated the MS data. Mitochondrial proteins from muscle pathologies also displayed higher tryptophan (Trp) oxidation and the same was corroborated in the cardiotoxin model. Molecular modeling predicted Trp oxidation to alter the local structure of mitochondrial proteins. Our data highlight mitochondrial alterations in muscle pathologies, represented by morphological changes, altered mitochondrial proteome and protein oxidation, thereby establishing the role of mitochondrial damage in human muscle diseases. We investigated whether human muscle diseases display mitochondrial changes. Muscle biopsies from dysferlinopathy (Dysfy), polymyositis (PM), and distal myopathy with rimmed vacuoles (DMRV) displayed morphological and biochemical evidences of mitochondrial dysfunction. Proteomic analysis revealed down-regulation of electron transport chain (ETC) subunits, assembly factors, and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle enzymes, with 80 proteins common among the three pathologies. Mitochondrial proteins from muscle pathologies also displayed higher Trp oxidation that could alter the local structure. Cover image for this issue: doi: 10.1111/jnc.13324. © 2016 International Society for Neurochemistry.

Sequence Learning Is Preserved in Individuals with Cerebellar Degeneration when the Movements Are Directly Cued

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spencer, Rebecca M. C.; Ivry, Richard B.

2009-01-01

Cerebellar pathology is associated with impairments on a range of motor learning tasks including sequence learning. However, various lines of evidence are at odds with the idea that the cerebellum plays a central role in the associative processes underlying sequence learning. Behavioral studies indicate that sequence learning, at least with short…

Subjectivity in Education and Health: Research Notes on School Learning Area and Physical Education in Mental Health

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bezerra, Marilia; da Costa, Jonatas Maia

2016-01-01

This paper presents the results of two studies researching the theory of subjectivity from a cultural-historical perspective. The studies are situated in the fields of education and health and are conducted using Qualitative Epistemology. The first study discusses the pathological movement problems of learning disabilities in Brazilian schools and…

Things in words: Ferenczi and language.

PubMed

Gondar, Jô

2011-12-01

Ferenczi defends the mimesis between words and things from the moment he enters the psychoanalytical movement. He emphasizes the sensitive dimension of language and the magical experience of words. This paper intends to view such use of language by contemporary patients in a non-pathologizing, constructive way, avoiding characterizing them as deficient in their capacity to symbolize and create metaphors.

Helicobacter pylori-induced gastric pathology: insights from in vivo and ex vivo models.

PubMed

Burkitt, Michael D; Duckworth, Carrie A; Williams, Jonathan M; Pritchard, D Mark

2017-02-01

Gastric colonization with Helicobacter pylori induces diverse human pathological conditions, including superficial gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, and gastric adenocarcinoma and its precursors. The treatment of these conditions often relies on the eradication of H. pylori, an intervention that is increasingly difficult to achieve and that does not prevent disease progression in some contexts. There is, therefore, a pressing need to develop new experimental models of H. pylori-associated gastric pathology to support novel drug development in this field. Here, we review the current status of in vivo and ex vivo models of gastric H. pylori colonization, and of Helicobacter-induced gastric pathology, focusing on models of gastric pathology induced by H. pylori, Helicobacter felis and Helicobacter suis in rodents and large animals. We also discuss the more recent development of gastric organoid cultures from murine and human gastric tissue, as well as from human pluripotent stem cells, and the outcomes of H. pylori infection in these systems. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Hamas between Violence and Pragmatism

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-06-01

Islamic Palestinian state. Nonetheless, as a movement, it has another far more existential objective. Once established, a movement needs to sustain...34 (related by al- Bukhari, Moslem, Abu-Dawood and al-Tarmadhi). F. Followers of Other Religions: The Islamic Resistance Movement Is A Humanistic ...Movement: Article Thirty-One: The Islamic Resistance Movement is a humanistic movement. It takes care of human rights and is guided by Islamic

How instructions modify perception: An fMRI study investigating brain areas involved in attributing human agency

PubMed Central

Stanley, James; Gowen, Emma; Miall, R. Christopher

2010-01-01

Behavioural studies suggest that the processing of movement stimuli is influenced by beliefs about the agency behind these actions. The current study examined how activity in social and action related brain areas differs when participants were instructed that identical movement stimuli were either human or computer generated. Participants viewed a series of point-light animation figures derived from motion-capture recordings of a moving actor, while functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to monitor patterns of neural activity. The stimuli were scrambled to produce a range of stimulus realism categories; furthermore, before each trial participants were told that they were about to view either a recording of human movement or a computer-simulated pattern of movement. Behavioural results suggested that agency instructions influenced participants' perceptions of the stimuli. The fMRI analysis indicated different functions within the paracingulate cortex: ventral paracingulate cortex was more active for human compared to computer agency instructed trials across all stimulus types, whereas dorsal paracingulate cortex was activated more highly in conflicting conditions (human instruction, low realism or vice versa). These findings support the hypothesis that ventral paracingulate encodes stimuli deemed to be of human origin, whereas dorsal paracingulate cortex is involved more in the ascertainment of human or intentional agency during the observation of ambiguous stimuli. Our results highlight the importance of prior instructions or beliefs on movement processing and the role of the paracingulate cortex in integrating prior knowledge with bottom-up stimuli. PMID:20398769

Individual Movement Strategies Revealed through Novel Clustering of Emergent Movement Patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valle, Denis; Cvetojevic, Sreten; Robertson, Ellen P.; Reichert, Brian E.; Hochmair, Hartwig H.; Fletcher, Robert J.

2017-03-01

Understanding movement is critical in several disciplines but analysis methods often neglect key information by adopting each location as sampling unit, rather than each individual. We introduce a novel statistical method that, by focusing on individuals, enables better identification of temporal dynamics of connectivity, traits of individuals that explain emergent movement patterns, and sites that play a critical role in connecting subpopulations. We apply this method to two examples that span movement networks that vary considerably in size and questions: movements of an endangered raptor, the snail kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus), and human movement in Florida inferred from Twitter. For snail kites, our method reveals substantial differences in movement strategies for different bird cohorts and temporal changes in connectivity driven by the invasion of an exotic food resource, illustrating the challenge of identifying critical connectivity sites for conservation in the presence of global change. For human movement, our method is able to reliably determine the origin of Florida visitors and identify distinct movement patterns within Florida for visitors from different places, providing near real-time information on the spatial and temporal patterns of tourists. These results emphasize the need to integrate individual variation to generate new insights when modeling movement data.

Rationality in Human Movement.

PubMed

O'Brien, Megan K; Ahmed, Alaa A

2016-01-01

It long has been appreciated that humans behave irrationally in economic decisions under risk: they fail to objectively consider uncertainty, costs, and rewards and instead exhibit risk-seeking or risk-averse behavior. We hypothesize that poor estimates of motor variability (influenced by motor task) and distorted probability weighting (influenced by relevant emotional processes) contribute to characteristic irrationality in human movement decisions.

Automatic Gait Recognition for Human ID at a Distance

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-11-01

at the modeling and understanding of human movement through image sequences. The ongoing interest in gait in a biometric is in a large part the wider...2.2 Model -Based Approaches...with Canonical Analysis (CA) [11]. At that stage, only one approach had used a model to analyze leg movement [12] as opposed to using human body shape

Posthuman Literacies: Young Children Moving in Time, Place and More-Than-Human Worlds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hackett, Abigail; Somerville, Margaret

2017-01-01

This paper examines the potential of posthumanism to enable a reconceptualisation of young children's literacies from the starting point of movement and sound in the more-than-human world. We propose movement as a communicative practice that always occurs as a more complex entanglement of relations within more-than-human worlds. Through our…

Evolutionary developmental pathology and anthropology: A new field linking development, comparative anatomy, human evolution, morphological variations and defects, and medicine.

PubMed

Diogo, Rui; Smith, Christopher M; Ziermann, Janine M

2015-11-01

We introduce a new subfield of the recently created field of Evolutionary-Developmental-Anthropology (Evo-Devo-Anth): Evolutionary-Developmental-Pathology-and-Anthropology (Evo-Devo-P'Anth). This subfield combines experimental and developmental studies of nonhuman model organisms, biological anthropology, chordate comparative anatomy and evolution, and the study of normal and pathological human development. Instead of focusing on other organisms to try to better understand human development, evolution, anatomy, and pathology, it places humans as the central case study, i.e., as truly model organism themselves. We summarize the results of our recent Evo-Devo-P'Anth studies and discuss long-standing questions in each of the broader biological fields combined in this subfield, paying special attention to the links between: (1) Human anomalies and variations, nonpentadactyly, homeotic transformations, and "nearest neighbor" vs. "find and seek" muscle-skeleton associations in limb+facial muscles vs. other head muscles; (2) Developmental constraints, the notion of "phylotypic stage," internalism vs. externalism, and the "logic of monsters" vs. "lack of homeostasis" views about human birth defects; (3) Human evolution, reversions, atavisms, paedomorphosis, and peromorphosis; (4) Scala naturae, Haeckelian recapitulation, von Baer's laws, and parallelism between phylogeny and development, here formally defined as "Phylo-Devo parallelism"; and (5) Patau, Edwards, and Down syndrome (trisomies 13, 18, 21), atavisms, apoptosis, heart malformations, and medical implications. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Control of the seven-degree-of-freedom upper limb exoskeleton for an improved human-robot interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Hyunchul; Kim, Jungsuk

2017-04-01

This study analyzes a practical scheme for controlling an exoskeleton robot with seven degrees of freedom (DOFs) that supports natural movements of the human arm. A redundant upper limb exoskeleton robot with seven DOFs is mechanically coupled to the human body such that it becomes a natural extension of the body. If the exoskeleton robot follows the movement of the human body synchronously, the energy exchange between the human and the robot will be reduced significantly. In order to achieve this, the redundancy of the human arm, which is represented by the swivel angle, should be resolved using appropriate constraints and applied to the robot. In a redundant 7-DOF upper limb exoskeleton, the pseudoinverse of the Jacobian with secondary objective functions is widely used to resolve the redundancy that defines the desired joint angles. A secondary objective function requires the desired joint angles for the movement of the human arm, and the angles are estimated by maximizing the projection of the longest principle axis of the manipulability ellipsoid for the human arm onto the virtual destination toward the head region. Then, they are fed into the muscle model with a relative damping to achieve more realistic robot-arm movements. Various natural arm movements are recorded using a motion capture system, and the actual swivel-angle is compared to that estimated using the proposed swivel angle estimation algorithm. The results indicate that the proposed algorithm provides a precise reference for estimating the desired joint angle with an error less than 5°.

Imaging of matrix-disorder in normal and pathological human dermis using nonlinear optical microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhuo, Shuangmu; Chen, Jianxin; Xie, Shusen; Zheng, Liqin; Jiang, Xingshan

2009-11-01

In dermis, collagen and elastin are important structural proteins of extracellular maxtrix. The matrix-disorder is associated with various physiologic processes, such as localized scleroderma, anetoderma, photoaging. In this work, we demonstrate the capability of nonlinear optical microscopy in imaging structural proteins in normal and pathological human dermis.

Dynamic nuclear envelope phenotype in rats overexpressing mutated human torsinA protein.

PubMed

Yu-Taeger, Libo; Gaiser, Viktoria; Lotzer, Larissa; Roenisch, Tina; Fabry, Benedikt Timo; Stricker-Shaver, Janice; Casadei, Nicolas; Walter, Michael; Schaller, Martin; Riess, Olaf; Nguyen, Huu Phuc; Ott, Thomas; Grundmann-Hauser, Kathrin

2018-05-08

A three-base-pair deletion in the human TOR1A gene is causative for the most common form of primary dystonia, the early-onset dystonia type 1 (DYT1 dystonia). The pathophysiological consequences of this mutation are still unknown.To study the pathology of the mutant torsinA (TOR1A) protein, we have generated a transgenic rat line that overexpresses the human mutant protein under the control of the human TOR1A promoter. This new animal model was phenotyped with several approaches, including behavioral tests and neuropathological analyses. A motor phenotype and cellular and ultrastructural key features of torsinA pathology were found in this new transgenic rat line supporting that it can be used as a model system for investigating the disease development. Analyses of mutant TOR1A protein expression in various brain regions also showed a dynamic expression pattern and a reversible nuclear envelope pathology. These findings suggest the differential vulnerabilities of distinct neuronal subpopulations. Furthermore the reversibility of the nuclear envelope pathology might be a therapeutic target to treat the disease. © 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

THE HOW AND WHY OF THE MOVEMENT SYSTEM AS THE IDENTITY OF PHYSICAL THERAPY

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

The Movement System was adopted as the identity of physical therapy as one of the 8 guiding principles accompanying the Vision Statement of 2013. At its inception physical therapy was considered more of a technical field rather than that of a professional field. Physicians were to diagnose the patient's problem and the therapist was to follow the prescription provided by the physician with the primary purpose being to relieve symptoms such as pain or muscle weakness. Even by the 1960's, the prescription became more of a referral and there was recognition that therapists were making decisions about the patient's treatment and discharge disposition. The role of the physical therapist in pathokinesiologic problems has been well accepted over the years but as insights are gained about the role of movement in musculoskeletal pain, the concept of kinesiopathologic problems is being defined. Whether the movement dysfunction is from a pathokinesiologic or a kinesiopathologic mechanisms, the underlying physiologic process is movement which is the composite action of the movement system. This article provides a brief discussion of the steps leading to promotion of the identity and the reasons that further defining and promoting the movement system as the body system for which physical therapists are responsible is necessary for the full recognition of the profession. As suggested by the kinesiopathologic concept of movement inducing pathology, physical therapists can address the cause of musculoskeletal problems and not just symptoms or consequences such as the pathoanatomic problem. Level of Evidence: 5 PMID:29158948

THE HOW AND WHY OF THE MOVEMENT SYSTEM AS THE IDENTITY OF PHYSICAL THERAPY.

PubMed

Sahrmann, Shirley

2017-11-01

The Movement System was adopted as the identity of physical therapy as one of the 8 guiding principles accompanying the Vision Statement of 2013. At its inception physical therapy was considered more of a technical field rather than that of a professional field. Physicians were to diagnose the patient's problem and the therapist was to follow the prescription provided by the physician with the primary purpose being to relieve symptoms such as pain or muscle weakness. Even by the 1960's, the prescription became more of a referral and there was recognition that therapists were making decisions about the patient's treatment and discharge disposition. The role of the physical therapist in pathokinesiologic problems has been well accepted over the years but as insights are gained about the role of movement in musculoskeletal pain, the concept of kinesiopathologic problems is being defined. Whether the movement dysfunction is from a pathokinesiologic or a kinesiopathologic mechanisms, the underlying physiologic process is movement which is the composite action of the movement system. This article provides a brief discussion of the steps leading to promotion of the identity and the reasons that further defining and promoting the movement system as the body system for which physical therapists are responsible is necessary for the full recognition of the profession. As suggested by the kinesiopathologic concept of movement inducing pathology, physical therapists can address the cause of musculoskeletal problems and not just symptoms or consequences such as the pathoanatomic problem. 5.

Statistics of natural movements are reflected in motor errors.

PubMed

Howard, Ian S; Ingram, James N; Körding, Konrad P; Wolpert, Daniel M

2009-09-01

Humans use their arms to engage in a wide variety of motor tasks during everyday life. However, little is known about the statistics of these natural arm movements. Studies of the sensory system have shown that the statistics of sensory inputs are key to determining sensory processing. We hypothesized that the statistics of natural everyday movements may, in a similar way, influence motor performance as measured in laboratory-based tasks. We developed a portable motion-tracking system that could be worn by subjects as they went about their daily routine outside of a laboratory setting. We found that the well-documented symmetry bias is reflected in the relative incidence of movements made during everyday tasks. Specifically, symmetric and antisymmetric movements are predominant at low frequencies, whereas only symmetric movements are predominant at high frequencies. Moreover, the statistics of natural movements, that is, their relative incidence, correlated with subjects' performance on a laboratory-based phase-tracking task. These results provide a link between natural movement statistics and motor performance and confirm that the symmetry bias documented in laboratory studies is a natural feature of human movement.

Human Movement Potential: Its Ideokinetic Facilitation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sweigard, Lulu E.

This book focuses on the interdependence of postural alignment and the performance of movement. It provides an educational method (ideokinesis), which stresses the inherent capacity of the nervous system to determine the most efficient neuromuscular coordination for each movement. This method of teaching body balance and efficient movement has…

Introduction of a method for quantitative evaluation of spontaneous motor activity development with age in infants.

PubMed

Disselhorst-Klug, Catherine; Heinze, Franziska; Breitbach-Faller, Nico; Schmitz-Rode, Thomas; Rau, Günter

2012-04-01

Coordination between perception and action is required to interact with the environment successfully. This is already trained by very young infants who perform spontaneous movements to learn how their body interacts with the environment. The strategies used by the infants for this purpose change with age. Therefore, very early progresses in action control made by the infants can be investigated by monitoring the development of spontaneous motor activity. In this paper, an objective method is introduced, which allows the quantitative evaluation of the development of spontaneous motor activity in newborns. The introduced methodology is based on the acquisition of spontaneous movement trajectories of the feet by 3D movement analysis and subsequent calculation of specific movement parameters from them. With these movement-based parameters, it was possible to provide an objective description of age-dependent developmental steps in healthy newborns younger than 6 months. Furthermore, it has been shown that pathologies like infantile cerebral palsy influence development of motor activity significantly. Since the introduced methodology is objective and quantitative, it is suitable to monitor how newborns train their cognitive processes, which will enable them to cope with their environment by motor interaction.

Human amygdala activation during rapid eye movements of rapid eye movement sleep: an intracranial study.

PubMed

Corsi-Cabrera, María; Velasco, Francisco; Del Río-Portilla, Yolanda; Armony, Jorge L; Trejo-Martínez, David; Guevara, Miguel A; Velasco, Ana L

2016-10-01

The amygdaloid complex plays a crucial role in processing emotional signals and in the formation of emotional memories. Neuroimaging studies have shown human amygdala activation during rapid eye movement sleep (REM). Stereotactically implanted electrodes for presurgical evaluation in epileptic patients provide a unique opportunity to directly record amygdala activity. The present study analysed amygdala activity associated with REM sleep eye movements on the millisecond scale. We propose that phasic activation associated with rapid eye movements may provide the amygdala with endogenous excitation during REM sleep. Standard polysomnography and stereo-electroencephalograph (SEEG) were recorded simultaneously during spontaneous sleep in the left amygdala of four patients. Time-frequency analysis and absolute power of gamma activity were obtained for 250 ms time windows preceding and following eye movement onset in REM sleep, and in spontaneous waking eye movements in the dark. Absolute power of the 44-48 Hz band increased significantly during the 250 ms time window after REM sleep rapid eye movements onset, but not during waking eye movements. Transient activation of the amygdala provides physiological support for the proposed participation of the amygdala in emotional expression, in the emotional content of dreams and for the reactivation and consolidation of emotional memories during REM sleep, as well as for next-day emotional regulation, and its possible role in the bidirectional interaction between REM sleep and such sleep disorders as nightmares, anxiety and post-traumatic sleep disorder. These results provide unique, direct evidence of increased activation of the human amygdala time-locked to REM sleep rapid eye movements. © 2016 European Sleep Research Society.

Basal Ganglia Beta Oscillations Accompany Cue Utilization

PubMed Central

Leventhal, Daniel K.; Gage, Gregory J.; Schmidt, Robert; Pettibone, Jeffrey R.; Case, Alaina C.; Berke, Joshua D.

2012-01-01

SUMMARY Beta oscillations in cortical-basal ganglia (BG) circuits have been implicated in normal movement suppression and motor impairment in Parkinson’s disease. To dissect the functional correlates of these rhythms we compared neural activity during four distinct variants of a cued choice task in rats. Brief beta (~20 Hz) oscillations occurred simultaneously throughout the cortical-BG network, both spontaneously and at precise moments of task performance. Beta phase was rapidly reset in response to salient cues, yet increases in beta power were not rigidly linked to cues, movements, or movement suppression. Rather, beta power was enhanced after cues were used to determine motor output. We suggest that beta oscillations reflect a postdecision stabilized state of cortical-BG networks, which normally reduces interference from alternative potential actions. The abnormally strong beta seen in Parkinson’s Disease may reflect overstabilization of these networks, producing pathological persistence of the current motor state. PMID:22325204

Isolating gait-related movement artifacts in electroencephalography during human walking

PubMed Central

Kline, Julia E.; Huang, Helen J.; Snyder, Kristine L.; Ferris, Daniel P.

2016-01-01

Objective High-density electroencephelography (EEG) can provide insight into human brain function during real-world activities with walking. Some recent studies have used EEG to characterize brain activity during walking, but the relative contributions of movement artifact and electrocortical activity have been difficult to quantify. We aimed to characterize movement artifact recorded by EEG electrodes at a range of walking speeds and to test the efficacy of artifact removal methods. We also quantified the similarity between movement artifact recorded by EEG electrodes and a head-mounted accelerometer. Approach We used a novel experimental method to isolate and record movement artifact with EEG electrodes during walking. We blocked electrophysiological signals using a nonconductive layer (silicone swim cap) and simulated an electrically conductive scalp on top of the swim cap using a wig coated with conductive gel. We recorded motion artifact EEG data from nine young human subjects walking on a treadmill at speeds from 0.4–1.6 m/s. We then tested artifact removal methods including moving average and wavelet-based techniques. Main Results Movement artifact recorded with EEG electrodes varied considerably, across speed, subject, and electrode location. The movement artifact measured with EEG electrodes did not correlate well with head acceleration. All of the tested artifact removal methods attenuated low-frequency noise but did not completely remove movement artifact. The spectral power fluctuations in the movement artifact data resembled data from some previously published studies of EEG during walking. Significance Our results suggest that EEG data recorded during walking likely contains substantial movement artifact that: cannot be explained by head accelerations; varies across speed, subject, and channel; and cannot be removed using traditional signal processing methods. Future studies should focus on more sophisticated methods for removing of EEG movement artifact to advance the field. PMID:26083595

Target switching in curved human arm movements is predicted by changing a single control parameter.

PubMed

Hoffmann, Heiko

2011-01-01

Straight-line movements have been studied extensively in the human motor-control literature, but little is known about how to generate curved movements and how to adjust them in a dynamic environment. The present work studied, for the first time to my knowledge, how humans adjust curved hand movements to a target that switches location. Subjects (n = 8) sat in front of a drawing tablet and looked at a screen. They moved a cursor on a curved trajectory (spiral or oval shaped) toward a goal point. In half of the trials, this goal switched 200 ms after movement onset to either one of two alternative positions, and subjects smoothly adjusted their movements to the new goal. To explain this adjustment, we compared three computational models: a superposition of curved and minimum-jerk movements (Flash and Henis in J Cogn Neurosci 3(3):220-230, 1991), Vector Planning (Gordon et al. in Exp Brain Res 99(1):97-111, 1994) adapted to curved movements (Rescale), and a nonlinear dynamical system, which could generate arbitrarily curved smooth movements and had a point attractor at the goal. For each model, we predicted the trajectory adjustment to the target switch by changing only the goal position in the model. As result, the dynamical model could explain the observed switch behavior significantly better than the two alternative models (spiral: P = 0.0002 vs. Flash, P = 0.002 vs. Rescale; oval: P = 0.04 vs. Flash; P values obtained from Wilcoxon test on R (2) values). We conclude that generalizing arbitrary hand trajectories to new targets may be explained by switching a single control command, without the need to re-plan or re-optimize the whole movement or superimpose movements.

Isolating gait-related movement artifacts in electroencephalography during human walking.

PubMed

Kline, Julia E; Huang, Helen J; Snyder, Kristine L; Ferris, Daniel P

2015-08-01

High-density electroencephelography (EEG) can provide an insight into human brain function during real-world activities with walking. Some recent studies have used EEG to characterize brain activity during walking, but the relative contributions of movement artifact and electrocortical activity have been difficult to quantify. We aimed to characterize movement artifact recorded by EEG electrodes at a range of walking speeds and to test the efficacy of artifact removal methods. We also quantified the similarity between movement artifact recorded by EEG electrodes and a head-mounted accelerometer. We used a novel experimental method to isolate and record movement artifact with EEG electrodes during walking. We blocked electrophysiological signals using a nonconductive layer (silicone swim cap) and simulated an electrically conductive scalp on top of the swim cap using a wig coated with conductive gel. We recorded motion artifact EEG data from nine young human subjects walking on a treadmill at speeds from 0.4 to 1.6 m s(-1). We then tested artifact removal methods including moving average and wavelet-based techniques. Movement artifact recorded with EEG electrodes varied considerably, across speed, subject, and electrode location. The movement artifact measured with EEG electrodes did not correlate well with head acceleration. All of the tested artifact removal methods attenuated low-frequency noise but did not completely remove movement artifact. The spectral power fluctuations in the movement artifact data resembled data from some previously published studies of EEG during walking. Our results suggest that EEG data recorded during walking likely contains substantial movement artifact that: cannot be explained by head accelerations; varies across speed, subject, and channel; and cannot be removed using traditional signal processing methods. Future studies should focus on more sophisticated methods for removal of EEG movement artifact to advance the field.

A case of hypopituitarism accompanying Kearns-Sayre syndrome treated with human chorionic gonadotropin: A case report and literature review.

PubMed

Kang, Y-X; Wang, Y-J; Zhang, Q; Pang, X-H; Gu, W

2017-10-01

Kearns-Sayre syndrome (KSS) is a disorder caused by mutations in mitochondrial DNA. Here, we report an unusual case of Kearns-Sayre syndrome accompanied by hypopituitarism (deficiencies in reproductive and growth hormones). A 20-year-old male presented with growth retardation for the last 8 years, as well as the following findings: short stature, delayed puberty, myasthenia, an extraocular movement deficit, drooping eyelids, pectus carinatum and scoliosis. Cerebral enhanced magnetic resonance imaging revealed dysplasias of the pituitary, white matter and cerebellum. Laboratory work-up showed subnormal testosterone and growth hormone levels, a subnormal testicular volume, sensorineural deafness, pigmentary retinopathy, complete right bundle branch block and left anterior bundle branch block. Pathological examination revealed ragged red muscle fibres. Thus, this rare case involved the coexistence of Kearns-Sayre syndrome and hypopituitarism in a patient. Administration of coenzyme Q10 for the KSS and hormone replacement therapy for the endocrinopathies were performed for treatment of this patient. © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Estimation of skeletal movement of human locomotion from body surface shapes using dynamic spatial video camera (DSVC) and 4D human model.

PubMed

Saito, Toshikuni; Suzuki, Naoki; Hattori, Asaki; Suzuki, Shigeyuki; Hayashibe, Mitsuhiro; Otake, Yoshito

2006-01-01

We have been developing a DSVC (Dynamic Spatial Video Camera) system to measure and observe human locomotion quantitatively and freely. A 4D (four-dimensional) human model with detailed skeletal structure, joint, muscle, and motor functionality has been built. The purpose of our research was to estimate skeletal movements from body surface shapes using DSVC and the 4D human model. For this purpose, we constructed a body surface model of a subject and resized the standard 4D human model to match with geometrical features of the subject's body surface model. Software that integrates the DSVC system and the 4D human model, and allows dynamic skeletal state analysis from body surface movement data was also developed. We practically applied the developed system in dynamic skeletal state analysis of a lower limb in motion and were able to visualize the motion using geometrically resized standard 4D human model.

Design of a Virtual Player for Joint Improvisation with Humans in the Mirror Game

PubMed Central

Zhai, Chao; Alderisio, Francesco; Tsaneva-Atanasova, Krasimira; di Bernardo, Mario

2016-01-01

Joint improvisation is often observed among humans performing joint action tasks. Exploring the underlying cognitive and neural mechanisms behind the emergence of joint improvisation is an open research challenge. This paper investigates jointly improvised movements between two participants in the mirror game, a paradigmatic joint task example. First, experiments involving movement coordination of different dyads of human players are performed in order to build a human benchmark. No designation of leader and follower is given beforehand. We find that joint improvisation is characterized by the lack of a leader and high levels of movement synchronization. Then, a theoretical model is proposed to capture some features of their interaction, and a set of experiments is carried out to test and validate the model ability to reproduce the experimental observations. Furthermore, the model is used to drive a computer avatar able to successfully improvise joint motion with a human participant in real time. Finally, a convergence analysis of the proposed model is carried out to confirm its ability to reproduce joint movements between the participants. PMID:27123927

Design of a Virtual Player for Joint Improvisation with Humans in the Mirror Game.

PubMed

Zhai, Chao; Alderisio, Francesco; Słowiński, Piotr; Tsaneva-Atanasova, Krasimira; di Bernardo, Mario

2016-01-01

Joint improvisation is often observed among humans performing joint action tasks. Exploring the underlying cognitive and neural mechanisms behind the emergence of joint improvisation is an open research challenge. This paper investigates jointly improvised movements between two participants in the mirror game, a paradigmatic joint task example. First, experiments involving movement coordination of different dyads of human players are performed in order to build a human benchmark. No designation of leader and follower is given beforehand. We find that joint improvisation is characterized by the lack of a leader and high levels of movement synchronization. Then, a theoretical model is proposed to capture some features of their interaction, and a set of experiments is carried out to test and validate the model ability to reproduce the experimental observations. Furthermore, the model is used to drive a computer avatar able to successfully improvise joint motion with a human participant in real time. Finally, a convergence analysis of the proposed model is carried out to confirm its ability to reproduce joint movements between the participants.

Muscle-driven finite element simulation of human foot movements.

PubMed

Spyrou, L A; Aravas, N

2012-01-01

This paper describes a finite element scheme for realistic muscle-driven simulation of human foot movements. The scheme is used to simulate human ankle plantar flexion. A three-dimensional anatomically detailed finite element model of human foot and lower leg is developed and the idea of generating natural foot movement based entirely on the contraction of the plantar flexor muscles is used. The bones, ligaments, articular cartilage, muscles, tendons, as well as the rest soft tissues of human foot and lower leg are included in the model. A realistic three-dimensional continuum constitutive model that describes the biomechanical behaviour of muscles and tendons is used. Both the active and passive properties of muscle tissue are accounted for. The materials for bones and ligaments are considered as homogeneous, isotropic and linearly elastic, whereas the articular cartilage and the rest soft tissues (mainly fat) are defined as hyperelastic materials. The model is used to estimate muscle tissue deformations as well as stresses and strains that develop in the lower leg muscles during plantar flexion of the ankle. Stresses and strains that develop in Achilles tendon during such a movement are also investigated.

Design of a Digital Library for Human Movement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ben-Arie, Jezekiel; Pandit, Purvin; Rajaram, ShyamSundar

This paper is focused on a central aspect in the design of a planned digital library for human movement, i.e. on the aspect of representation and recognition of human activity from video data. The method of representation is important since it has a major impact on the design of all the other building blocks of the system such as the user…

"Movement as Motive": Self Definition and Social Advocacy in Social Movement Autobiographies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffin, Charles J. G.

2000-01-01

Contributes to scholarship advancing the understanding of human communication by elaborating a theoretical framework for understanding the synthesis of self-definition and social advocacy in social movement autobiographies. Uses insights from Kenneth Burke and posits that in a rhetorically effective movement autobiography, form enables the…

Human movement analysis with image processing in real time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fauvet, Eric; Paindavoine, Michel; Cannard, F.

1991-04-01

In the field of the human sciences, a lot of applications needs to know the kinematic characteristics of the human movements Psycology is associating the characteristics with the control mechanism, sport and biomechariics are associating them with the performance of the sportman or of the patient. So the trainers or the doctors can correct the gesture of the subject to obtain a better performance if he knows the motion properties. Roherton's studies show the children motion evolution2 . Several investigations methods are able to measure the human movement But now most of the studies are based on image processing. Often the systems are working at the T.V. standard (50 frame per secund ). they permit only to study very slow gesture. A human operator analyses the digitizing sequence of the film manually giving a very expensive, especially long and unprecise operation. On these different grounds many human movement analysis systems were implemented. They consist of: - markers which are fixed to the anatomical interesting points on the subject in motion, - Image compression which is the art to coding picture data. Generally the compression Is limited to the centroid coordinates calculation tor each marker. These systems differ from one other in image acquisition and markers detection.

Distribution of the microelastic properties within the human anterior mitral leaflet.

PubMed

Jensen, Anne Skakkebaek; Baandrup, Ulrik; Hasenkam, J Michael; Kundu, Tribikram; Jørgensen, Claus Schiøtt

2006-12-01

Knowledge of the biomechanical properties of the mitral valve leaflets and their relation to histologic structure is of importance for understanding the leaflet movement characteristics under normal and pathologic conditions, but such knowledge is not yet available. The aim of this study was to determine biomechanical properties of the human anterior mitral leaflet on a microscopic scale. We used scanning acoustic microscopy (SAM) to examine the human anterior mitral leaflet. Sections of fixed human anterior mitral leaflet tissue were obtained from postmortem human anterior mitral leaflets (n = 5). We measured the speed of sound (nu(L)) in each histologic layer in three regions-of-interest (ROIs): these were at the annular edge, at the valve midpoint and close to the free edge. nu(L) varied in the three histologic layers (p < 0.01). It was higher in the fibrous layer (1.76 km/s) compared with the atrial layer (1.75 km/s) and ventricular layer (1.73 km/s). Also, nu(L) differed between positions along the length of the annulus-free edge line (p < 0.01), showing a decline from the annular edge (1.76 km/s) to the free edge (1.73 km/s), both as a whole and also within the atrial and the fibrous layer. These results demonstrate that the fibrous layer is stiffer than the atrial and ventricular layer and that the leaflet as a whole and within the atrial and the fibrous layer is stiffer at the annulus part in comparison with those near the free edge. (E-mail: ).

Decorin and biglycan of normal and pathologic human corneas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Funderburgh, J. L.; Hevelone, N. D.; Roth, M. R.; Funderburgh, M. L.; Rodrigues, M. R.; Nirankari, V. S.; Conrad, G. W.

1998-01-01

PURPOSE: Corneas with scars and certain chronic pathologic conditions contain highly sulfated dermatan sulfate, but little is known of the core proteins that carry these atypical glycosaminoglycans. In this study the proteoglycan proteins attached to dermatan sulfate in normal and pathologic human corneas were examined to identify primary genes involved in the pathobiology of corneal scarring. METHODS: Proteoglycans from human corneas with chronic edema, bullous keratopathy, and keratoconus and from normal corneas were analyzed using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), quantitative immunoblotting, and immunohistology with peptide antibodies to decorin and biglycan. RESULTS: Proteoglycans from pathologic corneas exhibit increased size heterogeneity and binding of the cationic dye alcian blue compared with those in normal corneas. Decorin and biglycan extracted from normal and diseased corneas exhibited similar molecular size distribution patterns. In approximately half of the pathologic corneas, the level of biglycan was elevated an average of seven times above normal, and decorin was elevated approximately three times above normal. The increases were associated with highly charged molecular forms of decorin and biglycan, indicating modification of the proteins with dermatan sulfate chains of increased sulfation. Immunostaining of corneal sections showed an abnormal stromal localization of biglycan in pathologic corneas. CONCLUSIONS: The increased dermatan sulfate associated with chronic corneal pathologic conditions results from stromal accumulation of decorin and particularly of biglycan in the affected corneas. These proteins bear dermatan sulfate chains with increased sulfation compared with normal stromal proteoglycans.

Rapid cortical oscillations and early motor activity in premature human neonate.

PubMed

Milh, Mathieu; Kaminska, Anna; Huon, Catherine; Lapillonne, Alexandre; Ben-Ari, Yehezkel; Khazipov, Rustem

2007-07-01

Delta-brush is the dominant pattern of rapid oscillatory activity (8-25 Hz) in the human cortex during the third trimester of gestation. Here, we studied the relationship between delta-brushes in the somatosensory cortex and spontaneous movements of premature human neonates of 29-31 weeks postconceptional age using a combination of scalp electroencephalography and monitoring of motor activity. We found that sporadic hand and foot movements heralded the appearance of delta-brushes in the corresponding areas of the cortex (lateral and medial regions of the contralateral central cortex, respectively). Direct hand and foot stimulation also reliably evoked delta-brushes in the same areas. These results suggest that sensory feedback from spontaneous fetal movements triggers delta-brush oscillations in the central cortex in a somatotopic manner. We propose that in the human fetus in utero, before the brain starts to receive elaborated sensory input from the external world, spontaneous fetal movements provide sensory stimulation and drive delta-brush oscillations in the developing somatosensory cortex contributing to the formation of cortical body maps.

Modulation of visually evoked movement responses in moving virtual environments.

PubMed

Reed-Jones, Rebecca J; Vallis, Lori Ann

2009-01-01

Virtual-reality technology is being increasingly used to understand how humans perceive and act in the moving world around them. What is currently not clear is how virtual reality technology is perceived by human participants and what virtual scenes are effective in evoking movement responses to visual stimuli. We investigated the effect of virtual-scene context on human responses to a virtual visual perturbation. We hypothesised that exposure to a natural scene that matched the visual expectancies of the natural world would create a perceptual set towards presence, and thus visual guidance of body movement in a subsequently presented virtual scene. Results supported this hypothesis; responses to a virtual visual perturbation presented in an ambiguous virtual scene were increased when participants first viewed a scene that consisted of natural landmarks which provided 'real-world' visual motion cues. Further research in this area will provide a basis of knowledge for the effective use of this technology in the study of human movement responses.

The Moderating Influence of International Courts on Social Movements

PubMed Central

Sieder, Rachel

2017-01-01

Abstract Feminists and religious conservatives across the globe have increasingly turned to courts in their battles over abortion. Yet while a significant literature analyzes legal mobilization on abortion issues, it tends to focus predominantly on domestic scenarios. In this article, we consider the effects of this contentious engagement of pro-choice and anti-abortion movements in international human rights fora, asking what happens to social movement claims when they reach international human rights courts. We answer the question through a detailed description of a single case, Gretel Artavia Murillo et al. v. Costa Rica, decided by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in 2012 but with ongoing repercussions for abortion rights, given its authoritative interpretation of embryonic right to life. Through our analysis of Artavia Murillo, we show how legal mobilization before international human rights courts moderates social movement claims within the legal arena, as rivals respond to one another and argue within the frame of courts’ norms and language. PMID:28630548

The Moderating Influence of International Courts on Social Movements: Evidence from the IVF Case Against Costa Rica.

PubMed

Lemaitre, Julieta; Sieder, Rachel

2017-06-01

Feminists and religious conservatives across the globe have increasingly turned to courts in their battles over abortion. Yet while a significant literature analyzes legal mobilization on abortion issues, it tends to focus predominantly on domestic scenarios. In this article, we consider the effects of this contentious engagement of pro-choice and anti-abortion movements in international human rights fora, asking what happens to social movement claims when they reach international human rights courts. We answer the question through a detailed description of a single case, Gretel Artavia Murillo et al. v. Costa Rica , decided by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in 2012 but with ongoing repercussions for abortion rights, given its authoritative interpretation of embryonic right to life. Through our analysis of Artavia Murillo , we show how legal mobilization before international human rights courts moderates social movement claims within the legal arena, as rivals respond to one another and argue within the frame of courts' norms and language.

Stimulating at the right time: phase-specific deep brain stimulation.

PubMed

Cagnan, Hayriye; Pedrosa, David; Little, Simon; Pogosyan, Alek; Cheeran, Binith; Aziz, Tipu; Green, Alexander; Fitzgerald, James; Foltynie, Thomas; Limousin, Patricia; Zrinzo, Ludvic; Hariz, Marwan; Friston, Karl J; Denison, Timothy; Brown, Peter

2017-01-01

SEE MOLL AND ENGEL DOI101093/AWW308 FOR A SCIENTIFIC COMMENTARY ON THIS ARTICLE: Brain regions dynamically engage and disengage with one another to execute everyday actions from movement to decision making. Pathologies such as Parkinson's disease and tremor emerge when brain regions controlling movement cannot readily decouple, compromising motor function. Here, we propose a novel stimulation strategy that selectively regulates neural synchrony through phase-specific stimulation. We demonstrate for the first time the therapeutic potential of such a stimulation strategy for the treatment of patients with pathological tremor. Symptom suppression is achieved by delivering stimulation to the ventrolateral thalamus, timed according to the patient's tremor rhythm. Sustained locking of deep brain stimulation to a particular phase of tremor afforded clinically significant tremor relief (up to 87% tremor suppression) in selected patients with essential tremor despite delivering less than half the energy of conventional high frequency stimulation. Phase-specific stimulation efficacy depended on the resonant characteristics of the underlying tremor network. Selective regulation of neural synchrony through phase-locked stimulation has the potential to both increase the efficiency of therapy and to minimize stimulation-induced side effects. © The Author (2016). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain.

Stimulating at the right time: phase-specific deep brain stimulation

PubMed Central

Cagnan, Hayriye; Pedrosa, David; Little, Simon; Pogosyan, Alek; Cheeran, Binith; Aziz, Tipu; Green, Alexander; Fitzgerald, James; Foltynie, Thomas; Limousin, Patricia; Zrinzo, Ludvic; Hariz, Marwan; Friston, Karl J; Denison, Timothy; Brown, Peter

2017-01-01

Abstract See Moll and Engel (doi:10.1093/aww308) for a scientific commentary on this article. Brain regions dynamically engage and disengage with one another to execute everyday actions from movement to decision making. Pathologies such as Parkinson’s disease and tremor emerge when brain regions controlling movement cannot readily decouple, compromising motor function. Here, we propose a novel stimulation strategy that selectively regulates neural synchrony through phase-specific stimulation. We demonstrate for the first time the therapeutic potential of such a stimulation strategy for the treatment of patients with pathological tremor. Symptom suppression is achieved by delivering stimulation to the ventrolateral thalamus, timed according to the patient’s tremor rhythm. Sustained locking of deep brain stimulation to a particular phase of tremor afforded clinically significant tremor relief (up to 87% tremor suppression) in selected patients with essential tremor despite delivering less than half the energy of conventional high frequency stimulation. Phase-specific stimulation efficacy depended on the resonant characteristics of the underlying tremor network. Selective regulation of neural synchrony through phase-locked stimulation has the potential to both increase the efficiency of therapy and to minimize stimulation-induced side effects. PMID:28007997

Quantifying Novice and Expert Differences in Visual Diagnostic Reasoning in Veterinary Pathology Using Eye-Tracking Technology.

PubMed

Warren, Amy L; Donnon, Tyrone L; Wagg, Catherine R; Priest, Heather; Fernandez, Nicole J

2018-01-18

Visual diagnostic reasoning is the cognitive process by which pathologists reach a diagnosis based on visual stimuli (cytologic, histopathologic, or gross imagery). Currently, there is little to no literature examining visual reasoning in veterinary pathology. The objective of the study was to use eye tracking to establish baseline quantitative and qualitative differences between the visual reasoning processes of novice and expert veterinary pathologists viewing cytology specimens. Novice and expert participants were each shown 10 cytology images and asked to formulate a diagnosis while wearing eye-tracking equipment (10 slides) and while concurrently verbalizing their thought processes using the think-aloud protocol (5 slides). Compared to novices, experts demonstrated significantly higher diagnostic accuracy (p<.017), shorter time to diagnosis (p<.017), and a higher percentage of time spent viewing areas of diagnostic interest (p<.017). Experts elicited more key diagnostic features in the think-aloud protocol and had more efficient patterns of eye movement. These findings suggest that experts' fast time to diagnosis, efficient eye-movement patterns, and preference for viewing areas of interest supports system 1 (pattern-recognition) reasoning and script-inductive knowledge structures with system 2 (analytic) reasoning to verify their diagnosis.

Learning rational temporal eye movement strategies.

PubMed

Hoppe, David; Rothkopf, Constantin A

2016-07-19

During active behavior humans redirect their gaze several times every second within the visual environment. Where we look within static images is highly efficient, as quantified by computational models of human gaze shifts in visual search and face recognition tasks. However, when we shift gaze is mostly unknown despite its fundamental importance for survival in a dynamic world. It has been suggested that during naturalistic visuomotor behavior gaze deployment is coordinated with task-relevant events, often predictive of future events, and studies in sportsmen suggest that timing of eye movements is learned. Here we establish that humans efficiently learn to adjust the timing of eye movements in response to environmental regularities when monitoring locations in the visual scene to detect probabilistically occurring events. To detect the events humans adopt strategies that can be understood through a computational model that includes perceptual and acting uncertainties, a minimal processing time, and, crucially, the intrinsic costs of gaze behavior. Thus, subjects traded off event detection rate with behavioral costs of carrying out eye movements. Remarkably, based on this rational bounded actor model the time course of learning the gaze strategies is fully explained by an optimal Bayesian learner with humans' characteristic uncertainty in time estimation, the well-known scalar law of biological timing. Taken together, these findings establish that the human visual system is highly efficient in learning temporal regularities in the environment and that it can use these regularities to control the timing of eye movements to detect behaviorally relevant events.

Protocols for the Investigation of Information Processing in Human Assessment of Fundamental Movement Skills.

PubMed

Ward, Brodie J; Thornton, Ashleigh; Lay, Brendan; Rosenberg, Michael

2017-01-01

Fundamental movement skill (FMS) assessment remains an important tool in classifying individuals' level of FMS proficiency. The collection of FMS performances for assessment and monitoring has remained unchanged over the last few decades, but new motion capture technologies offer opportunities to automate this process. To achieve this, a greater understanding of the human process of movement skill assessment is required. The authors present the rationale and protocols of a project in which they aim to investigate the visual search patterns and information extraction employed by human assessors during FMS assessment, as well as the implementation of the Kinect system for FMS capture.

Human and Pathogen Factors Associated with Chlamydia trachomatis-Related Infertility in Women

PubMed Central

Menon, S.; Timms, P.; Allan, J. A.; Alexander, K.; Rombauts, L.; Horner, P.; Keltz, M.; Hocking, J.

2015-01-01

SUMMARY Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common bacterial sexually transmitted pathogen worldwide. Infection can result in serious reproductive pathologies, including pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, and infertility, in women. However, the processes that result in these reproductive pathologies have not been well defined. Here we review the evidence for the human disease burden of these chlamydial reproductive pathologies. We then review human-based evidence that links Chlamydia with reproductive pathologies in women. We present data supporting the idea that host, immunological, epidemiological, and pathogen factors may all contribute to the development of infertility. Specifically, we review the existing evidence that host and pathogen genotypes, host hormone status, age of sexual debut, sexual behavior, coinfections, and repeat infections are all likely to be contributory factors in development of infertility. Pathogen factors such as infectious burden, treatment failure, and tissue tropisms or ascension capacity are also potential contributory factors. We present four possible processes of pathology development and how these processes are supported by the published data. We highlight the limitations of the evidence and propose future studies that could improve our understanding of how chlamydial infertility in women occurs and possible future interventions to reduce this disease burden. PMID:26310245

Phenomenology and classification of dystonia: a consensus update

PubMed Central

Albanese, Alberto; Bhatia, Kailash; Bressman, Susan B.; DeLong, Mahlon R.; Fahn, Stanley; Fung, Victor S.C.; Hallett, Mark; Jankovic, Joseph; Jinnah, H.A.; Klein, Christine; Lang, Anthony E.; Mink, Jonathan W.; Teller, Jan K.

2013-01-01

This report describes the consensus outcome of an international panel consisting of investigators with years of experience in this field that reviewed the definition and classification of dystonia. Agreement was obtained based on a consensus development methodology during three in-person meetings and manuscript review by mail. Dystonia is defined as a movement disorder characterized by sustained or intermittent muscle contractions causing abnormal, often repetitive, movements, postures, or both. Dystonic movements are typically patterned and twisting, and may be tremulous. Dystonia is often initiated or worsened by voluntary action and associated with overflow muscle activation. Dystonia is classified along two axes: clinical characteristics, including age at onset, body distribution, temporal pattern and associated features (additional movement disorders or neurological features), and etiology, which includes nervous system pathology and inheritance. The clinical characteristics fall into several specific dystonia syndromes that help to guide diagnosis and treatment. We provide here a new general definition of dystonia and propose a new classification. We encourage clinicians and researchers to use these innovative definition and classification and test them in the clinical setting on a variety of patients with dystonia. PMID:23649720

Muscle cocontraction following dynamics learning.

PubMed

Darainy, Mohammad; Ostry, David J

2008-09-01

Coactivation of antagonist muscles is readily observed early in motor learning, in interactions with unstable mechanical environments and in motor system pathologies. Here we present evidence that the nervous system uses coactivation control far more extensively and that patterns of cocontraction during movement are closely tied to the specific requirements of the task. We have examined the changes in cocontraction that follow dynamics learning in tasks that are thought to involve finely sculpted feedforward adjustments to motor commands. We find that, even following substantial training, cocontraction varies in a systematic way that depends on both movement direction and the strength of the external load. The proportion of total activity that is due to cocontraction nevertheless remains remarkably constant. Moreover, long after indices of motor learning and electromyographic measures have reached asymptotic levels, cocontraction still accounts for a significant proportion of total muscle activity in all phases of movement and in all load conditions. These results show that even following dynamics learning in predictable and stable environments, cocontraction forms a central part of the means by which the nervous system regulates movement.

[Scenes in movement. Movement disorders on film].

PubMed

Olivares Romero, J

2010-03-01

There are publications in which various neurological diseases are analysed on film. However, no references have been found on movement disorders in this medium. A total of 104 documents were collected and reviewed using the internet movie data base (IMDb). The majority were associated with dystonia, Parkinson's and tics, were American commercial productions, and the most common genre was drama. The cinema usually depicts old men with developed Parkinson's disease. However, motor complications only appear in 19% and non-motor symptoms in 14%. The image of dystonia is generally that of a young man, with disabling dystonia secondary to childhood cerebral palsy. Tics appear associated with Tourette's syndrome, with the excessive use of obscene expressions and with very few references to other important aspects of this syndrome, such as mood and behavioural changes. The majority of tremors portrayed on film are associated with Parkinsonism and are not pathological. Myoclonus appears anecdotically and is normally symptomatic. Parkinson's disease is the type of movement disorder that the cinema portrays with greater neurological honesty and in a more dignified manner.

Using eye movements to explore mental representations of space.

PubMed

Fourtassi, Maryam; Rode, Gilles; Pisella, Laure

2017-06-01

Visual mental imagery is a cognitive experience characterised by the activation of the mental representation of an object or scene in the absence of the corresponding stimulus. According to the analogical theory, mental representations have a pictorial nature that preserves the spatial characteristics of the environment that is mentally represented. This cognitive experience shares many similarities with the experience of visual perception, including eye movements. The mental visualisation of a scene is accompanied by eye movements that reflect the spatial content of the mental image, and which can mirror the deformations of this mental image with respect to the real image, such as asymmetries or size reduction. The present article offers a concise overview of the main theories explaining the interactions between eye movements and mental representations, with some examples of the studies supporting them. It also aims to explain how ocular-tracking could be a useful tool in exploring the dynamics of spatial mental representations, especially in pathological situations where these representations can be altered, for instance in unilateral spatial neglect. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Human motor cortical activity recorded with Micro-ECoG electrodes, during individual finger movements.

PubMed

Wang, W; Degenhart, A D; Collinger, J L; Vinjamuri, R; Sudre, G P; Adelson, P D; Holder, D L; Leuthardt, E C; Moran, D W; Boninger, M L; Schwartz, A B; Crammond, D J; Tyler-Kabara, E C; Weber, D J

2009-01-01

In this study human motor cortical activity was recorded with a customized micro-ECoG grid during individual finger movements. The quality of the recorded neural signals was characterized in the frequency domain from three different perspectives: (1) coherence between neural signals recorded from different electrodes, (2) modulation of neural signals by finger movement, and (3) accuracy of finger movement decoding. It was found that, for the high frequency band (60-120 Hz), coherence between neighboring micro-ECoG electrodes was 0.3. In addition, the high frequency band showed significant modulation by finger movement both temporally and spatially, and a classification accuracy of 73% (chance level: 20%) was achieved for individual finger movement using neural signals recorded from the micro-ECoG grid. These results suggest that the micro-ECoG grid presented here offers sufficient spatial and temporal resolution for the development of minimally-invasive brain-computer interface applications.

Biomechanical and mathematical analysis of human movement in medical rehabilitation science using time-series data from two video cameras and force-plate sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsuruoka, Masako; Shibasaki, Ryosuke; Box, Elgene O.; Murai, Shunji; Mori, Eiji; Wada, Takao; Kurita, Masahiro; Iritani, Makoto; Kuroki, Yoshikatsu

1994-08-01

In medical rehabilitation science, quantitative understanding of patient movement in 3-D space is very important. The patient with any joint disorder will experience its influence on other body parts in daily movement. The alignment of joints in movement is able to improve under medical therapy process. In this study, the newly developed system is composed of two non- metri CCD video cameras and a force plate sensor, which are controlled simultaneously by a personal computer. By this system time-series digital data from 3-D image photogrammetry, each foot pressure and its center position, is able to provide efficient information for biomechanical and mathematical analysis of human movement. Each specific and common points are indicated in any patient movement. This study suggests more various, quantitative understanding in medical rehabilitation science.

APPswe/PS1dE9 mice with cortical amyloid pathology show a reduced NAA/Cr ratio without apparent brain atrophy: A MRS and MRI study.

PubMed

Kuhla, Angela; Rühlmann, Claire; Lindner, Tobias; Polei, Stefan; Hadlich, Stefan; Krause, Bernd J; Vollmar, Brigitte; Teipel, Stefan J

2017-01-01

Transgenic animal models of Aβ pathology provide mechanistic insight into some aspects of Alzheimer disease (AD) pathology related to Aβ accumulation. Quantitative neuroimaging is a possible aid to improve translation of mechanistic findings in transgenic models to human end phenotypes of brain morphology or function. Therefore, we combined MRI-based morphometry, MRS-based NAA-assessment and quantitative histology of neurons and amyloid plaque load in the APPswe/PS1dE9 mouse model to determine the interrelationship between morphological changes, changes in neuron numbers and amyloid plaque load with reductions of NAA levels as marker of neuronal functional viability. The APPswe/PS1dE9 mouse showed an increase of Aβ plaques, loss of neurons and an impairment of NAA/Cr ratio, which however was not accompanied with brain atrophy. As brain atrophy is one main characteristic in human AD, conclusions from murine to human AD pathology should be drawn with caution.

Ex-vivo UV autofluorescence imaging and fluorescence spectroscopy of atherosclerotic pathology in human aorta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, William; Williams, Maura; Franco, Walfre

2017-02-01

The aim of our study was to identify fluorescence excitation-emission pairs correlated with atherosclerotic pathology in ex-vivo human aorta. Wide-field images of atherosclerotic human aorta were captured using UV and visible excitation and emission wavelength pairs of several known fluorophores to investigate correspondence with gross pathologic features. Fluorescence spectroscopy and histology were performed on 21 aortic samples. A matrix of Pearson correlation coefficients were determined for the relationship between relevant histologic features and the intensity of emission for 427 wavelength pairs. A multiple linear regression analysis indicated that elastin (370/460 nm) and tryptophan (290/340 nm) fluorescence predicted 58% of the variance in intima thickness (R-squared = 0.588, F(2,18) = 12.8, p=.0003), and 48% of the variance in media thickness (R-squared = 0.483, F(2,18) = 8.42, p=.002), suggesting that endogenous fluorescence intensity at these wavelengths can be utilized for improved pathologic characterization of atherosclerotic plaques.

Pathology of cloaca anomalies with case correlation.

PubMed

Gupta, Anita; Bischoff, Andrea

2016-04-01

During the fourth week of human embryo development, a transient common channel known as a cloaca is formed from which three cavities with three external orifices arises. Cloaca anomalies occur when there is failure of separation of the rectum, vagina, and urethra channel resulting in a single drain into the perineum. In our previous institutional studies, Runck et al. compared human and mouse cloaca development and found early mis-patterning of the embryonic cloaca deranged hedgehog and bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP) signaling. Also, our group reported the embryological correlation of the epithelial and stromal histology found in step sections of the common channel in 14 cloaca malformations in humans. In this review, we present the pathology of a 4-year-old female with a cloaca and VACTERL complex, and summarize our current knowledge of cloaca pathology. Furthermore, we suggest that careful pathological examination of cloaca specimens in conjunction with surgical orientation may result in a better understanding of the etiology of this condition. Published by Elsevier Inc.

A Taxonomy of Psychomotor Forms. Occasional Paper No. 35.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldberger, Michael

A taxonomy of psychomotor skills provides a classification of all human movement forms. The development of motor skills in this hierarchy begins with the reflexive physical responses of the infant. The stages of growth include basic interactive movement forms, skilled movement forms, and functional and creative movement forms. This taxonomy offers…

Development and Validation of a Survey Instrument for Detecting Basic Motor Competencies in Elementary School Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scheuer, Claude; Bund, Andreas; Becker, Werner; Herrmann, Christian

2017-01-01

Basic motor competencies (in German: Motorische Basiskompetenzen; MOBAK) are motor performance dispositions formulated as minimum standards that empower children to participate in the culture of human movement. In opposition to movement-specific and process-oriented fundamental movement skills assessing the quality of movement execution, basic…

Eastern Thought and Movement Forms: Possible Implications for Western Sport and Physical Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Case, Robert W.

American sport stresses the outward aspects of participation such as outcomes, rewards, goals, and winning; Eastern thought and movement forms emphasize the inner and spiritual aspects of human movement such as self-realization, spontaneity, body awareness, and enlightenment. In relating Eastern thought and movement forms to Western sport, five…

Exploration of computational methods for classification of movement intention during human voluntary movement from single trial EEG.

PubMed

Bai, Ou; Lin, Peter; Vorbach, Sherry; Li, Jiang; Furlani, Steve; Hallett, Mark

2007-12-01

To explore effective combinations of computational methods for the prediction of movement intention preceding the production of self-paced right and left hand movements from single trial scalp electroencephalogram (EEG). Twelve naïve subjects performed self-paced movements consisting of three key strokes with either hand. EEG was recorded from 128 channels. The exploration was performed offline on single trial EEG data. We proposed that a successful computational procedure for classification would consist of spatial filtering, temporal filtering, feature selection, and pattern classification. A systematic investigation was performed with combinations of spatial filtering using principal component analysis (PCA), independent component analysis (ICA), common spatial patterns analysis (CSP), and surface Laplacian derivation (SLD); temporal filtering using power spectral density estimation (PSD) and discrete wavelet transform (DWT); pattern classification using linear Mahalanobis distance classifier (LMD), quadratic Mahalanobis distance classifier (QMD), Bayesian classifier (BSC), multi-layer perceptron neural network (MLP), probabilistic neural network (PNN), and support vector machine (SVM). A robust multivariate feature selection strategy using a genetic algorithm was employed. The combinations of spatial filtering using ICA and SLD, temporal filtering using PSD and DWT, and classification methods using LMD, QMD, BSC and SVM provided higher performance than those of other combinations. Utilizing one of the better combinations of ICA, PSD and SVM, the discrimination accuracy was as high as 75%. Further feature analysis showed that beta band EEG activity of the channels over right sensorimotor cortex was most appropriate for discrimination of right and left hand movement intention. Effective combinations of computational methods provide possible classification of human movement intention from single trial EEG. Such a method could be the basis for a potential brain-computer interface based on human natural movement, which might reduce the requirement of long-term training. Effective combinations of computational methods can classify human movement intention from single trial EEG with reasonable accuracy.

Eye Movements During Everyday Behavior Predict Personality Traits.

PubMed

Hoppe, Sabrina; Loetscher, Tobias; Morey, Stephanie A; Bulling, Andreas

2018-01-01

Besides allowing us to perceive our surroundings, eye movements are also a window into our mind and a rich source of information on who we are, how we feel, and what we do. Here we show that eye movements during an everyday task predict aspects of our personality. We tracked eye movements of 42 participants while they ran an errand on a university campus and subsequently assessed their personality traits using well-established questionnaires. Using a state-of-the-art machine learning method and a rich set of features encoding different eye movement characteristics, we were able to reliably predict four of the Big Five personality traits (neuroticism, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness) as well as perceptual curiosity only from eye movements. Further analysis revealed new relations between previously neglected eye movement characteristics and personality. Our findings demonstrate a considerable influence of personality on everyday eye movement control, thereby complementing earlier studies in laboratory settings. Improving automatic recognition and interpretation of human social signals is an important endeavor, enabling innovative design of human-computer systems capable of sensing spontaneous natural user behavior to facilitate efficient interaction and personalization.

Biomechanical behavior of muscle-tendon complex during dynamic human movements.

PubMed

Fukashiro, Senshi; Hay, Dean C; Nagano, Akinori

2006-05-01

This paper reviews the research findings regarding the force and length changes of the muscle-tendon complex during dynamic human movements, especially those using ultrasonography and computer simulation. The use of ultrasonography demonstrated that the tendinous structures of the muscle-tendon complex are compliant enough to influence the biomechanical behavior (length change, shortening velocity, and so on) of fascicles substantially. It was discussed that the fascicles are a force generator rather than a work generator; the tendinous structures function not only as an energy re-distributor but also as a power amplifier, and the interaction between fascicles and tendinous structures is essential for generating higher joint power outputs during the late pushoff phase in human vertical jumping. This phenomenon could be explained based on the force-length/velocity relationships of each element (contractile and series elastic elements) in the muscle-tendon complex during movements. Through computer simulation using a Hill-type muscle-tendon complex model, the benefit of making a countermovement was examined in relation to the compliance of the muscle-tendon complex and the length ratio between the contractile and series elastic elements. Also, the integral roles of the series elastic element were simulated in a cyclic human heel-raise exercise. It was suggested that the storage and reutilization of elastic energy by the tendinous structures play an important role in enhancing work output and movement efficiency in many sorts of human movements.

Human-Derived Disturbance Estimation and Compensation (DEC) Method Lends Itself to a Modular Sensorimotor Control in a Humanoid Robot.

PubMed

Lippi, Vittorio; Mergner, Thomas

2017-01-01

The high complexity of the human posture and movement control system represents challenges for diagnosis, therapy, and rehabilitation of neurological patients. We envisage that engineering-inspired, model-based approaches will help to deal with the high complexity of the human posture control system. Since the methods of system identification and parameter estimation are limited to systems with only a few DoF, our laboratory proposes a heuristic approach that step-by-step increases complexity when creating a hypothetical human-derived control systems in humanoid robots. This system is then compared with the human control in the same test bed, a posture control laboratory. The human-derived control builds upon the identified disturbance estimation and compensation (DEC) mechanism, whose main principle is to support execution of commanded poses or movements by compensating for external or self-produced disturbances such as gravity effects. In previous robotic implementation, up to 3 interconnected DEC control modules were used in modular control architectures separately for the sagittal plane or the frontal body plane and successfully passed balancing and movement tests. In this study we hypothesized that conflict-free movement coordination between the robot's sagittal and frontal body planes emerges simply from the physical embodiment, not necessarily requiring a full body control. Experiments were performed in the 14 DoF robot Lucy Posturob (i) demonstrating that the mechanical coupling from the robot's body suffices to coordinate the controls in the two planes when the robot produces movements and balancing responses in the intermediate plane, (ii) providing quantitative characterization of the interaction dynamics between body planes including frequency response functions (FRFs), as they are used in human postural control analysis, and (iii) witnessing postural and control stability when all DoFs are challenged together with the emergence of inter-segmental coordination in squatting movements. These findings represent an important step toward controlling in the robot in future more complex sensorimotor functions such as walking.

Human-Derived Disturbance Estimation and Compensation (DEC) Method Lends Itself to a Modular Sensorimotor Control in a Humanoid Robot

PubMed Central

Lippi, Vittorio; Mergner, Thomas

2017-01-01

The high complexity of the human posture and movement control system represents challenges for diagnosis, therapy, and rehabilitation of neurological patients. We envisage that engineering-inspired, model-based approaches will help to deal with the high complexity of the human posture control system. Since the methods of system identification and parameter estimation are limited to systems with only a few DoF, our laboratory proposes a heuristic approach that step-by-step increases complexity when creating a hypothetical human-derived control systems in humanoid robots. This system is then compared with the human control in the same test bed, a posture control laboratory. The human-derived control builds upon the identified disturbance estimation and compensation (DEC) mechanism, whose main principle is to support execution of commanded poses or movements by compensating for external or self-produced disturbances such as gravity effects. In previous robotic implementation, up to 3 interconnected DEC control modules were used in modular control architectures separately for the sagittal plane or the frontal body plane and successfully passed balancing and movement tests. In this study we hypothesized that conflict-free movement coordination between the robot's sagittal and frontal body planes emerges simply from the physical embodiment, not necessarily requiring a full body control. Experiments were performed in the 14 DoF robot Lucy Posturob (i) demonstrating that the mechanical coupling from the robot's body suffices to coordinate the controls in the two planes when the robot produces movements and balancing responses in the intermediate plane, (ii) providing quantitative characterization of the interaction dynamics between body planes including frequency response functions (FRFs), as they are used in human postural control analysis, and (iii) witnessing postural and control stability when all DoFs are challenged together with the emergence of inter-segmental coordination in squatting movements. These findings represent an important step toward controlling in the robot in future more complex sensorimotor functions such as walking. PMID:28951719

Basal ganglia and cerebellar interconnectivity within the human thalamus.

PubMed

Pelzer, Esther A; Melzer, Corina; Timmermann, Lars; von Cramon, D Yves; Tittgemeyer, Marc

2017-01-01

Basal ganglia and the cerebellum are part of a densely interconnected network. While both subcortical structures process information in basically segregated loops that primarily interact in the neocortex, direct subcortical interaction has been recently confirmed by neuroanatomical studies using viral transneuronal tracers in non-human primate brains. The thalamus is thought to be the main relay station of both projection systems. Yet, our understanding of subcortical basal ganglia and cerebellar interconnectivity within the human thalamus is rather sparse, primarily due to limitation in the acquisition of in vivo tracing. Consequently, we strive to characterize projections of both systems and their potential overlap within the human thalamus by diffusion MRI and tractography. Our analysis revealed a decreasing anterior-to-posterior gradient for pallido-thalamic connections in: (1) the ventral-anterior thalamus, (2) the intralaminar nuclei, and (3) midline regions. Conversely, we found a decreasing posterior-to-anterior gradient for dentato-thalamic projections predominantly in: (1) the ventral-lateral and posterior nucleus; (2) dorsal parts of the intralaminar nuclei and the subparafascicular nucleus, and (3) the medioventral and lateral mediodorsal nucleus. A considerable overlap of connectivity pattern was apparent in intralaminar nuclei and midline regions. Notably, pallidal and cerebellar projections were both hemispherically lateralized to the left thalamus. While strikingly consistent with findings from transneuronal studies in non-human primates as well as with pre-existing anatomical studies on developmentally expressed markers or pathological human brains, our assessment provides distinctive connectional fingerprints that illustrate the anatomical substrate of integrated functional networks between basal ganglia and the cerebellum. Thereby, our findings furnish useful implications for cerebellar contributions to the clinical symptomatology of movement disorders.

Inverse biomimetics: how robots can help to verify concepts concerning sensorimotor control of human arm and leg movements.

PubMed

Kalveram, Karl Theodor; Seyfarth, André

2009-01-01

Simulation test, hardware test and behavioral comparison test are proposed to experimentally verify whether a technical control concept for limb movements is logically precise, physically sound, and biologically relevant. Thereby, robot test-beds may play an integral part by mimicking functional limb movements. The procedure is exemplarily demonstrated for human aiming movements with the forearm: when comparing competitive control concepts, these movements are described best by a spring-like operating muscular-skeletal device which is assisted by feedforward control through an inverse internal model of the limb--without regress to a forward model of the limb. In a perspective on hopping, the concept of exploitive control is addressed, and its comparison to concepts derived from classical control theory advised.

Segmentation of human upper body movement using multiple IMU sensors.

PubMed

Aoki, Takashi; Lin, Jonathan Feng-Shun; Kulic, Dana; Venture, Gentiane

2016-08-01

This paper proposes an approach for the segmentation of human body movements measured by inertial measurement unit sensors. Using the angular velocity and linear acceleration measurements directly, without converting to joint angles, we perform segmentation by formulating the problem as a classification problem, and training a classifier to differentiate between motion end-point and within-motion points. The proposed approach is validated with experiments measuring the upper body movement during reaching tasks, demonstrating classification accuracy of over 85.8%.

3D culture models of Alzheimer's disease: a road map to a "cure-in-a-dish".

PubMed

Choi, Se Hoon; Kim, Young Hye; Quinti, Luisa; Tanzi, Rudolph E; Kim, Doo Yeon

2016-12-09

Alzheimer's disease (AD) transgenic mice have been used as a standard AD model for basic mechanistic studies and drug discovery. These mouse models showed symbolic AD pathologies including β-amyloid (Aβ) plaques, gliosis and memory deficits but failed to fully recapitulate AD pathogenic cascades including robust phospho tau (p-tau) accumulation, clear neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) and neurodegeneration, solely driven by familial AD (FAD) mutation(s). Recent advances in human stem cell and three-dimensional (3D) culture technologies made it possible to generate novel 3D neural cell culture models that recapitulate AD pathologies including robust Aβ deposition and Aβ-driven NFT-like tau pathology. These new 3D human cell culture models of AD hold a promise for a novel platform that can be used for mechanism studies in human brain-like environment and high-throughput drug screening (HTS). In this review, we will summarize the current progress in recapitulating AD pathogenic cascades in human neural cell culture models using AD patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) or genetically modified human stem cell lines. We will also explain how new 3D culture technologies were applied to accelerate Aβ and p-tau pathologies in human neural cell cultures, as compared the standard two-dimensional (2D) culture conditions. Finally, we will discuss a potential impact of the human 3D human neural cell culture models on the AD drug-development process. These revolutionary 3D culture models of AD will contribute to accelerate the discovery of novel AD drugs.

Center of Pressure Trajectory during Gait: A Comparison of Four Foot Positions

PubMed Central

Lugade, Vipul; Kaufman, Kenton

2014-01-01

Knowledge of the center of pressure (COP) trajectory during stance can elucidate possible foot pathology, provide comparative effectiveness of foot orthotics, and allow for appropriate calculation of balance control and joint kinetics during gait. Therefore, the goal of this study was to investigate the COP movement when walking at self-selected speeds with plantigrade, equinus, inverted, and everted foot positions. A total of 13 healthy subjects were asked to walk barefoot across an 8 meter walkway with embedded force plates. The COP was computed for each stance limb using the ground reaction forces and moments collected from three force plates. Results demonstrated that the COP excursion was 83% of the foot length and 27% of the foot width in the anterior-posterior and medial lateral directions for plantigrade walking, respectively. Regression equations explained 94% and 44% of the anterior-posterior and medial-lateral COP variability during plantigrade walking. While the range of motion and COP velocity was similar for inverted and everted walking, the COP remained on the lateral and medial aspects of the foot for these two walking conditions, respectively. A reduced anterior-posterior COP range of motion and velocity was demonstrated during equinus walking. Ankle joint motion in the frontal and sagittal planes supported this COP movement, with increased inversion and plantar flexion demonstrated during inverted and equinus conditions, respectively. Results from this study demonstrated the COP kinematics during simulated pathological gait conditions, with the COP trajectory providing an additional tool for the evaluation of patients with pathology. PMID:24447906

Early pathology in sleep studies of patients with familial Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

PubMed

Givaty, Gili; Maggio, Nicola; Cohen, Oren S; Blatt, Ilan; Chapman, Joab

2016-10-01

In this study, we aimed to assess sleep function in patients with recent-onset familial Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (fCJD). The largest cluster of fCJD patients is found in Jews of Libyan origin, linked to the prion protein gene (PRNP) E200K mutation. The high index of suspicion in these patients often leads to early diagnosis, with complaints of insomnia being a very common presenting symptom of the disease. The study included 10 fCJD patients diagnosed by clinical manifestations, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the brain, elevated tau protein in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and positive PRNP E200K mutation. Standard polysomnography was performed after a brief interview confirming the presence of sleep disturbances. All patients showed a pathological sleep pattern according to all scoring evaluation settings. The sleep stages were characterized by (i) disappearance of sleep spindles; (ii) outbursts of periodic sharp waves and shallowing of sleep consisting in increased Stage 2 and wake periods during the night, as well as decrease of slow-wave sleep and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Recordings of respiratory functions reported irregular breathing with central and obstructive apnea and hypopnea. The typical hypotonia occurring during the night and atonia during REM sleep were replaced by hyperactive sleep consisting of multiple jerks, movements and parasomnia (mainly talking) throughout the night. In conclusion, we report unique pathological sleep patterns in early fCJD associated with the E200K mutation. Specific respiratory disturbances and lack of atonia could possibly serve as new, early diagnostic tools in the disease. © 2016 European Sleep Research Society.

Variation in dielectric properties due to pathological changes in human liver.

PubMed

Peyman, Azadeh; Kos, Bor; Djokić, Mihajlo; Trotovšek, Blaž; Limbaeck-Stokin, Clara; Serša, Gregor; Miklavčič, Damijan

2015-12-01

Dielectric properties of freshly excised human liver tissues (in vitro) with several pathological conditions including cancer were obtained in frequency range 100 MHz-5 GHz. Differences in dielectric behavior of normal and pathological tissues at microwave frequencies are discussed based on histological information for each tissue. Data presented are useful for many medical applications, in particular nanosecond pulsed electroporation techniques. Knowledge of dielectric properties is vital for mathematical calculations of local electric field distribution inside electroporated tissues and can be used to optimize the process of electroporation for treatment planning procedures. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Definition of preclinical and clinical character of human symptomatic status by quasi-elastic light scattering (QELS) investigations of blood plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivanova, Mariya A.; Klopov, Nicolay V.; Lebedev, Andrei D.; Noskin, Leonid A.; Noskin, Valentin A.; Pavlov, Michail Y.

1997-05-01

We discuss the use of the QELS method for screening of population groups for verified pathologies. For mathematical analysis of experimental data the regularization procedure have been used. This allows us to determine the histograms of particle size distribution of blood plasma samples. For the interpretation of the histogram data the special program of the mathematical processing - 'semiotic classifier' - have been created. The main idea of the 'semiotic classifier' is based on the fact, that formation of the pathological trace in human organism depends not only on concrete disease nature but also on the interaction between the organism sanogenetic mechanisms. We separate five pathological symptomatic complexes of organism status: allergic diseases, intoxications, organism catabolic shifts, auto-immune diseases and degenerative-dystrophy processes. The use of this 'semiotic classifier' in the system of monitoring investigations allows to solve the next problems: (1) to separate the persons with the expressed initial level of pathological processes to the risk groups for the special clinical investigations, (2) to set up the predisposition of the concrete individual towards definite pathologies at the preclinical stage, (3) under the conditions of expressed clinical pathology to study the dynamics of pathology processes.

Rhythmic neural activity indicates the contribution of attention and memory to the processing of occluded movements in 10-month-old infants.

PubMed

Bache, Cathleen; Kopp, Franziska; Springer, Anne; Stadler, Waltraud; Lindenberger, Ulman; Werkle-Bergner, Markus

2015-11-01

Infants possess the remarkable capacity to perceive occluded movements as ongoing and coherent. Little is known about the neural mechanisms that enable internal representation of conspecifics' and inanimate objects' movements during visual occlusion. In this study, 10-month-old infants watched briefly occluded human and object movements. Prior to occlusion, continuous and distorted versions of the movement were shown. EEG recordings were used to assess neural activity assumed to relate to processes of attention (occipital alpha), memory (frontal theta), and sensorimotor simulation (central alpha) before, during, and after occlusion. Oscillatory activity was analyzed using an individualized data approach taking idiosyncrasies into account. Results for occipital alpha were consistent with infants' preference for attending to social stimuli. Furthermore, frontal theta activity was more pronounced when tracking distorted as opposed to continuous movement, and when maintaining object as opposed to human movement. Central alpha did not discriminate between experimental conditions. In sum, we conclude that observing occluded movements recruits processes of attention and memory which are modulated by stimulus and movement properties. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Examination of the gamma equilibrium point hypothesis when applied to single degree of freedom movements performed with different inertial loads.

PubMed

Bellomo, A; Inbar, G

1997-01-01

One of the theories of human motor control is the gamma Equilibrium Point Hypothesis. It is an attractive theory since it offers an easy control scheme where the planned trajectory shifts monotionically from an initial to a final equilibrium state. The feasibility of this model was tested by reconstructing the virtual trajectory and the stiffness profiles for movements performed with different inertial loads and examining them. Three types of movements were tested: passive movements, targeted movements, and repetitive movements. Each of the movements was performed with five different inertial loads. Plausible virtual trajectories and stiffness profiles were reconstructed based on the gamma Equilibrium Point Hypothesis for the three different types of movements performed with different inertial loads. However, the simple control strategy supported by the model, where the planned trajectory shifts monotonically from an initial to a final equilibrium state, could not be supported for targeted movements performed with added inertial load. To test the feasibility of the model further we must examine the probability that the human motor control system would choose a trajectory more complicated than the actual trajectory to control.

Idiopathic REM Sleep Behavior Disorder in the development of Parkinson’s Disease

PubMed Central

Boeve, Bradley F.

2016-01-01

Summary Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder associated with Lewy body disease (LBD) pathology in central and peripheral nervous system structures. While the etiology of PD is not fully understood, recent clinicopathologic analyses by Braak and colleagues have led to the development of a staging system of LBD pathology in the evolution of prototypical PD. This system posits a relatively predictable topography of progression of LBD pathology in the central nervous system, from olfactory structures and the medulla, which then progresses rostrally from the medulla to the pons, then midbrain/substantia nigra, then limbic, and then neocortical structures. If this topography and temporal evolution of LBD pathology indeed occur, one could hypothesize that other manifestations of LBD which reflect degeneration of olfactory and pontomedullary structures may begin many years prior to the development of prominent nigral degeneration and the associated parkinsonian features of classic PD. One such manifestation of prodromal PD is rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD), which is a parasomnia manifested by vivid dreams associated with dream enactment behavior during REM sleep. Animal and human studies have implicated lesions or dysfunction in REM sleep and motor control circuitry in the pontomedullary structures cause RBD phenomenology, and degeneration of these structures could explain the presence of RBD years or decades prior to the onset of parkinsonism in those who develop PD. This review incorporates the rapidly growing literature on RBD and other prodromal features of PD as it pertains to the Braak staging system, and presents a framework from which many hypotheses can be (and already are being) tested. An important outcome of this framework will be to determine the natural history of RBD and associated features in the evolution to PD in the current era of no disease-modifying therapies – these natural history data will permit the development of clinical trail methodology with key measures and adequate power to detect if such therapies delay the onset or prevent the development of PD and associated morbidity. PMID:23578773

MOVEMENT BEHAVIOR AND MOTOR LEARNING. SECOND EDITION.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

CRATTY, BRYANT J.

TO BRING TOGETHER DATA RELEVANT TO THE UNDERSTANDING OF HUMAN MOVEMENT WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO LEARNING, THE TEXT SURVEYS THE CONCERN OF SEVERAL DISCIPLINES WITH MOTOR BEHAVIOR AND LEARNING. WORDS AND DEFINITIONS ARE ESTABLISHED, AND THE EVOLUTION OF THE HUMAN ACTION SYSTEM IS DISCUSSED. A CONSIDERATION OF PERCEPTION TREATS THE PROCESS OF…

Politics and Pleasure: The Philosophy of Physical Education Revisited

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Booth, Douglas

2009-01-01

Humans unquestionably derive pleasurable physical sensations from different types of movement. Yet, remarkably, there is a deafening silence around the subject in the literature on human movement. This article comprises three parts. First, I outline prevailing conceptualizations of pleasure as they relate to physical activity in the social…

Biological Motion Task Performance Predicts Superior Temporal Sulcus Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herrington, John D.; Nymberg, Charlotte; Schultz, Robert T.

2011-01-01

Numerous studies implicate superior temporal sulcus (STS) in the perception of human movement. More recent theories hold that STS is also involved in the "understanding" of human movement. However, almost no studies to date have associated STS function with observable variability in action understanding. The present study directly associated STS…

Syphilis? An Unusual Cause of Surgical Emergency in a Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Man.

PubMed

Bender Ignacio, Rachel A; Koch, Lisa L; Dhanireddy, Shireesha; Charmie Godornes, B; Lukehart, Sheila A; Marrazzo, Jeanne M

2015-09-01

We report on a human immunodeficiency virus-infected man undergoing urgent anorectal surgery, with multi-centimeter fungating masses discovered inside the anus. Initial pathology was inconclusive. After the patient developed a disseminated rash postoperatively determined to be secondary syphilis, the anorectal pathology was reviewed and Treponema pallidum DNA was amplified by polymerase chain reaction from the mass.

EEG Oscillations Are Modulated in Different Behavior-Related Networks during Rhythmic Finger Movements.

PubMed

Seeber, Martin; Scherer, Reinhold; Müller-Putz, Gernot R

2016-11-16

Sequencing and timing of body movements are essential to perform motoric tasks. In this study, we investigate the temporal relation between cortical oscillations and human motor behavior (i.e., rhythmic finger movements). High-density EEG recordings were used for source imaging based on individual anatomy. We separated sustained and movement phase-related EEG source amplitudes based on the actual finger movements recorded by a data glove. Sustained amplitude modulations in the contralateral hand area show decrease for α (10-12 Hz) and β (18-24 Hz), but increase for high γ (60-80 Hz) frequencies during the entire movement period. Additionally, we found movement phase-related amplitudes, which resembled the flexion and extension sequence of the fingers. Especially for faster movement cadences, movement phase-related amplitudes included high β (24-30 Hz) frequencies in prefrontal areas. Interestingly, the spectral profiles and source patterns of movement phase-related amplitudes differed from sustained activities, suggesting that they represent different frequency-specific large-scale networks. First, networks were signified by the sustained element, which statically modulate their synchrony levels during continuous movements. These networks may upregulate neuronal excitability in brain regions specific to the limb, in this study the right hand area. Second, movement phase-related networks, which modulate their synchrony in relation to the movement sequence. We suggest that these frequency-specific networks are associated with distinct functions, including top-down control, sensorimotor prediction, and integration. The separation of different large-scale networks, we applied in this work, improves the interpretation of EEG sources in relation to human motor behavior. EEG recordings provide high temporal resolution suitable to relate cortical oscillations to actual movements. Investigating EEG sources during rhythmic finger movements, we distinguish sustained from movement phase-related amplitude modulations. We separate these two EEG source elements motivated by our previous findings in gait. Here, we found two types of large-scale networks, representing the right fingers in distinction from the time sequence of the movements. These findings suggest that EEG source amplitudes reconstructed in a cortical patch are the superposition of these simultaneously present network activities. Separating these frequency-specific networks is relevant for studying function and possible dysfunction of the cortical sensorimotor system in humans as well as to provide more advanced features for brain-computer interfaces. Copyright © 2016 the authors 0270-6474/16/3611671-11$15.00/0.

21 CFR 864.1 - Scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... PATHOLOGY DEVICES General Provisions § 864.1 Scope. (a) This part sets forth the classification of hematology and pathology devices intended for human use that are in commercial distribution. (b) The...

21 CFR 864.1 - Scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... PATHOLOGY DEVICES General Provisions § 864.1 Scope. (a) This part sets forth the classification of hematology and pathology devices intended for human use that are in commercial distribution. (b) The...

21 CFR 864.1 - Scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... PATHOLOGY DEVICES General Provisions § 864.1 Scope. (a) This part sets forth the classification of hematology and pathology devices intended for human use that are in commercial distribution. (b) The...

21 CFR 864.1 - Scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... PATHOLOGY DEVICES General Provisions § 864.1 Scope. (a) This part sets forth the classification of hematology and pathology devices intended for human use that are in commercial distribution. (b) The...

21 CFR 864.1 - Scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... PATHOLOGY DEVICES General Provisions § 864.1 Scope. (a) This part sets forth the classification of hematology and pathology devices intended for human use that are in commercial distribution. (b) The...

What interests them in the pictures?--differences in eye-tracking between rhesus monkeys and humans.

PubMed

Hu, Ying-Zhou; Jiang, Hui-Hui; Liu, Ci-Rong; Wang, Jian-Hong; Yu, Cheng-Yang; Carlson, Synnöve; Yang, Shang-Chuan; Saarinen, Veli-Matti; Rizak, Joshua D; Tian, Xiao-Guang; Tan, Hen; Chen, Zhu-Yue; Ma, Yuan-Ye; Hu, Xin-Tian

2013-10-01

Studies estimating eye movements have demonstrated that non-human primates have fixation patterns similar to humans at the first sight of a picture. In the current study, three sets of pictures containing monkeys, humans or both were presented to rhesus monkeys and humans. The eye movements on these pictures by the two species were recorded using a Tobii eye-tracking system. We found that monkeys paid more attention to the head and body in pictures containing monkeys, whereas both monkeys and humans paid more attention to the head in pictures containing humans. The humans always concentrated on the eyes and head in all the pictures, indicating the social role of facial cues in society. Although humans paid more attention to the hands than monkeys, both monkeys and humans were interested in the hands and what was being done with them in the pictures. This may suggest the importance and necessity of hands for survival. Finally, monkeys scored lower in eye-tracking when fixating on the pictures, as if they were less interested in looking at the screen than humans. The locations of fixation in monkeys may provide insight into the role of eye movements in an evolutionary context.

A Review on the Applications of Crowdsourcing in Human Pathology.

PubMed

Alialy, Roshanak; Tavakkol, Sasan; Tavakkol, Elham; Ghorbani-Aghbologhi, Amir; Ghaffarieh, Alireza; Kim, Seon Ho; Shahabi, Cyrus

2018-01-01

The advent of the digital pathology has introduced new avenues of diagnostic medicine. Among them, crowdsourcing has attracted researchers' attention in the recent years, allowing them to engage thousands of untrained individuals in research and diagnosis. While there exist several articles in this regard, prior works have not collectively documented them. We, therefore, aim to review the applications of crowdsourcing in human pathology in a semi-systematic manner. We first, introduce a novel method to do a systematic search of the literature. Utilizing this method, we, then, collect hundreds of articles and screen them against a predefined set of criteria. Furthermore, we crowdsource part of the screening process, to examine another potential application of crowdsourcing. Finally, we review the selected articles and characterize the prior uses of crowdsourcing in pathology.

AQP5 is differentially regulated in astrocytes during metabolic and traumatic injuries.

PubMed

Chai, Rui Chao; Jiang, Jiao Hua; Wong, Ann Yuen Kwan; Jiang, Feng; Gao, Kai; Vatcher, Greg; Hoi Yu, Albert Cheung

2013-10-01

Water movement plays vital roles in both physiological and pathological conditions in the brain. Astrocytes are responsible for regulating this water movement and are the major contributors to brain edema in pathological conditions. Aquaporins (AQPs) in astrocytes play critical roles in the regulation of water movement in the brain. AQP1, 3, 4, 5, 8, and 9 have been reported in the brain. Compared with AQP1, 4, and 9, AQP3, 5, and 8 are less studied. Among the lesser known AQPs, AQP5, which has multiple functions identified outside the central nervous system, is also indicated to be involved in hypoxia injury in astrocytes. In our study, AQP5 expression could be detected both in primary cultures of astrocytes and neurons, and AQP5 expression in astrocytes was confirmed in 1- to 4-week old primary cultures of astrocytes. AQP5 was localized on the cytoplasmic membrane and in the cytoplasm of astrocytes. AQP5 expression was downregulated during ischemia treatment and upregulated after scratch-wound injury, which was also confirmed in a middle cerebral artery occlusion model and a stab-wound injury model in vivo. The AQP5 increased after scratch injury was polarized to the migrating processes and cytoplasmic membrane of astrocytes in the leading edge of the scratch-wound, and AQP5 over-expression facilitated astrocyte process elongation after scratch injury. Taken together, these results indicate that AQP5 might be an important water channel in astrocytes that is differentially expressed during various brain injuries. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Toward statistical modeling of saccadic eye-movement and visual saliency.

PubMed

Sun, Xiaoshuai; Yao, Hongxun; Ji, Rongrong; Liu, Xian-Ming

2014-11-01

In this paper, we present a unified statistical framework for modeling both saccadic eye movements and visual saliency. By analyzing the statistical properties of human eye fixations on natural images, we found that human attention is sparsely distributed and usually deployed to locations with abundant structural information. This observations inspired us to model saccadic behavior and visual saliency based on super-Gaussian component (SGC) analysis. Our model sequentially obtains SGC using projection pursuit, and generates eye movements by selecting the location with maximum SGC response. Besides human saccadic behavior simulation, we also demonstrated our superior effectiveness and robustness over state-of-the-arts by carrying out dense experiments on synthetic patterns and human eye fixation benchmarks. Multiple key issues in saliency modeling research, such as individual differences, the effects of scale and blur, are explored in this paper. Based on extensive qualitative and quantitative experimental results, we show promising potentials of statistical approaches for human behavior research.

Independent digit movements and precision grip patterns in 1-5-month-old human infants: hand-babbling, including vacuous then self-directed hand and digit movements, precedes targeted reaching.

PubMed

Wallace, Patricia S; Whishaw, Ian Q

2003-01-01

Previous work has described human reflexive grasp patterns in early infancy and visually guided reaching and grasping in late infancy. There has been no examination of hand movements in the intervening period. This was the purpose of the present study. We video recorded the spontaneous hand and digit movements made by alert infants over their first 5 months of age. Over this period, spontaneous hand and digit movements developed from fists to almost continuous, vacuous movements and then to self-directed grasping movements. Amongst the many hand and digit movements observed, four grasping patterns emerged during this period: fists, pre-precision grips associated with numerous digit postures, precision grips including the pincer grasp, and self-directed grasps. The finding that a wide range of independent digit movements and grasp patterns are displayed spontaneously by infants within their first 5 months of age is discussed in relation to the development of the motor system, including the suggestion that direct connections of the pyramidal tract are functional relatively early in infancy. It is also suggested that hand babbling, consisting of first vacuous and then self-directed movements, is preparatory to targeted reaching.

Transgenic over-expression of YY1 induces pathologic cardiac hypertrophy in a sex-specific manner

PubMed Central

Stauffer, Brian L.; Dockstader, Karen; Russell, Gloria; Hijmans, Jamie; Walker, Lisa; Cecil, Mackenzie; Demos-Davies, Kimberly; Medway, Allen; McKinsey, Timothy A.; Sucharov, Carmen C.

2015-01-01

YY1 can activate or repress transcription of various genes. In cardiac myocytes in culture YY1 has been shown to regulate expression of several genes involved in myocyte pathology. YY1 can also acutely protect the heart against detrimental changes in gene expression. In this study we show that cardiac over-expression of YY1 induces pathologic cardiac hypertrophy in male mice, measured by changes in gene expression and lower ejection fraction/fractional shortening. In contrast, female animals are protected against pathologic gene expression changes and cardiac dysfunction. Furthermore, we show that YY1 regulates, in a sex-specific manner, the expression of mammalian enable (Mena), a factor that regulates cytoskeletal actin dynamics and whose expression is increased in several models of cardiac pathology, and that Mena expression in humans with heart failure is sex-dependent. Finally, we show that sex differences in YY1 expression are also observed in human heart failure. In summary, this is the first work to show that YY1 has a sex-specific effect in the regulation of cardiac pathology. PMID:25935483

Comparative assessment of bone pose estimation using Point Cluster Technique and OpenSim.

PubMed

Lathrop, Rebecca L; Chaudhari, Ajit M W; Siston, Robert A

2011-11-01

Estimating the position of the bones from optical motion capture data is a challenge associated with human movement analysis. Bone pose estimation techniques such as the Point Cluster Technique (PCT) and simulations of movement through software packages such as OpenSim are used to minimize soft tissue artifact and estimate skeletal position; however, using different methods for analysis may produce differing kinematic results which could lead to differences in clinical interpretation such as a misclassification of normal or pathological gait. This study evaluated the differences present in knee joint kinematics as a result of calculating joint angles using various techniques. We calculated knee joint kinematics from experimental gait data using the standard PCT, the least squares approach in OpenSim applied to experimental marker data, and the least squares approach in OpenSim applied to the results of the PCT algorithm. Maximum and resultant RMS differences in knee angles were calculated between all techniques. We observed differences in flexion/extension, varus/valgus, and internal/external rotation angles between all approaches. The largest differences were between the PCT results and all results calculated using OpenSim. The RMS differences averaged nearly 5° for flexion/extension angles with maximum differences exceeding 15°. Average RMS differences were relatively small (< 1.08°) between results calculated within OpenSim, suggesting that the choice of marker weighting is not critical to the results of the least squares inverse kinematics calculations. The largest difference between techniques appeared to be a constant offset between the PCT and all OpenSim results, which may be due to differences in the definition of anatomical reference frames, scaling of musculoskeletal models, and/or placement of virtual markers within OpenSim. Different methods for data analysis can produce largely different kinematic results, which could lead to the misclassification of normal or pathological gait. Improved techniques to allow non-uniform scaling of generic models to more accurately reflect subject-specific bone geometries and anatomical reference frames may reduce differences between bone pose estimation techniques and allow for comparison across gait analysis platforms.

Predictive rhythmic tapping to isochronous and tempo changing metronomes in the nonhuman primate.

PubMed

Gámez, Jorge; Yc, Karyna; Ayala, Yaneri A; Dotov, Dobromir; Prado, Luis; Merchant, Hugo

2018-04-30

Beat entrainment is the ability to entrain one's movements to a perceived periodic stimulus, such as a metronome or a pulse in music. Humans have a capacity to predictively respond to a periodic pulse and to dynamically adjust their movement timing to match the varying music tempos. Previous studies have shown that monkeys share some of the human capabilities for rhythmic entrainment, such as tapping regularly at the period of isochronous stimuli. However, it is still unknown whether monkeys can predictively entrain to dynamic tempo changes like humans. To address this question, we trained monkeys in three tapping tasks and compared their rhythmic entrainment abilities with those of humans. We found that, when immediate feedback about the timing of each movement is provided, monkeys can predictively entrain to an isochronous beat, generating tapping movements in anticipation of the metronome pulse. This ability also generalized to a novel untrained tempo. Notably, macaques can modify their tapping tempo by predicting the beat changes of accelerating and decelerating visual metronomes in a manner similar to humans. Our findings support the notion that nonhuman primates share with humans the ability of temporal anticipation during tapping to isochronous and smoothly changing sequences of stimuli. © 2018 New York Academy of Sciences.

Study of human body: Kinematics and kinetics of a martial arts (Silat) performers using 3D-motion capture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soh, Ahmad Afiq Sabqi Awang; Jafri, Mohd Zubir Mat; Azraai, Nur Zaidi

2015-04-01

The Interest in this studies of human kinematics goes back very far in human history drove by curiosity or need for the understanding the complexity of human body motion. To find new and accurate information about the human movement as the advance computing technology became available for human movement that can perform. Martial arts (silat) were chose and multiple type of movement was studied. This project has done by using cutting-edge technology which is 3D motion capture to characterize and to measure the motion done by the performers of martial arts (silat). The camera will detect the markers (infrared reflection by the marker) around the performer body (total of 24 markers) and will show as dot in the computer software. The markers detected were analyzing using kinematic kinetic approach and time as reference. A graph of velocity, acceleration and position at time,t (seconds) of each marker was plot. Then from the information obtain, more parameters were determined such as work done, momentum, center of mass of a body using mathematical approach. This data can be used for development of the effectiveness movement in martial arts which is contributed to the people in arts. More future works can be implemented from this project such as analysis of a martial arts competition.

Research into automatic recognition of joints in human symmetrical movements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Yifang; Li, Zhiyu

2008-03-01

High speed photography is a major means of collecting data from human body movement. It enables the automatic identification of joints, which brings great significance to the research, treatment and recovery of injuries, the analysis to the diagnosis of sport techniques and the ergonomics. According to the features that when the adjacent joints of human body are in planetary motion, their distance remains the same, and according to the human body joint movement laws (such as the territory of the articular anatomy and the kinematic features), a new approach is introduced to process the image thresholding of joints filmed by the high speed camera, to automatically identify the joints and to automatically trace the joint points (by labeling markers at the joints). Based upon the closure of marking points, automatic identification can be achieved through thresholding treatment. Due to the screening frequency and the laws of human segment movement, when the marking points have been initialized, their automatic tracking can be achieved with the progressive sequential images.Then the testing results, the data from three-dimensional force platform and the characteristics that human body segment will only rotate around the closer ending segment when the segment has no boding force and only valid to the conservative force all tell that after being analyzed kinematically, the approach is approved to be valid.

Kinematic Modeling of Normal Voluntary Mandibular Opening and Closing Velocity-Initial Study.

PubMed

Gawriołek, Krzysztof; Gawriołek, Maria; Komosa, Marek; Piotrowski, Paweł R; Azer, Shereen S

2015-06-01

Determination and quantification of voluntary mandibular velocity movement has not been a thoroughly studied parameter of masticatory movement. This study attempted to objectively define kinematics of mandibular movement based on numerical (digital) analysis of the relations and interactions of velocity diagram records in healthy female individuals. Using a computerized mandibular scanner (K7 Evaluation Software), 72 diagrams of voluntary mandibular velocity movements (36 for opening, 36 for closing) for women with clinically normal motor and functional activities of the masticatory system were recorded. Multiple measurements were analyzed focusing on the curve for maximum velocity records. For each movement, the loop of temporary velocities was determined. The diagram was then entered into AutoCad calculation software where movement analysis was performed. The real maximum velocity values on opening (Vmax ), closing (V0 ), and average velocity values (Vav ) as well as movement accelerations (a) were recorded. Additionally, functional (A1-A2) and geometric (P1-P4) analysis of loop constituent phases were performed, and the relations between the obtained areas were defined. Velocity means and correlation coefficient values for various velocity phases were calculated. The Wilcoxon test produced the following maximum and average velocity results: Vmax = 394 ± 102, Vav = 222 ± 61 for opening, and Vmax = 409 ± 94, Vav = 225 ± 55 mm/s for closing. Both mandibular movement range and velocity change showed significant variability achieving the highest velocity in P2 phase. Voluntary mandibular velocity presents significant variations between healthy individuals. Maximum velocity is obtained when incisal separation is between 12.8 and 13.5 mm. An improved understanding of the patterns of normal mandibular movements may provide an invaluable diagnostic aid to pathological changes within the masticatory system. © 2014 by the American College of Prosthodontists.

Effect of Human Movement on Galvanic Intra-Body Communication during Single Gait Cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ibrahim, I. W.; Razak, A. H. A.; Ahmad, A.; Salleh, M. K. M.

2015-11-01

Intra-body communication (IBC) is a communication system that uses human body as a signal transmission medium. From previous research, two coupling methods of IBC were concluded which are capacitive coupling and galvanic coupling. This paper investigates the effect of human movement on IBC using the galvanic coupling method. Because the human movement is control by the limb joint, the knee flexion angle during gait cycle was used to examine the influence of human movement on galvanic coupling IBC. The gait cycle is a cycle of people walking that start from one foot touch the ground till that foot touch the ground again. Frequency range from 300 kHz to 200MHz was swept in order to investigate the signal transmission loss and the result was focused on operating frequency 70MHz to 90MHz. Results show that the transmission loss varies when the knee flexion angle increased. The highest loss of signal at frequency range between 70MHz to 90 MHz was 69dB when the knee flexion angle is 50° and the minimum loss was 51dB during the flexion angle is 5°.

Diurnal changes in the power spectral characteristics of eye movements and heart rate variability in the human fetus at term.

PubMed

Morokuma, S; Horimoto, N; Nakano, H

2001-08-01

It is well known that 1/f characteristics in power spectral patterns exist in various biological factors including heart rate variability. In the present study, we tried to elucidate the diurnal variation in spectral properties of eye movement and heart rate variability in the human fetus at term, via continuous 24-h observation of both these parameters. Studied were five uncomplicated fetuses at term. We observed eye movement and fetal heart rate (FHR) with real-time ultrasound and Doppler cardiotocograph, respectively, and analyzed the diurnal change in spectral properties, using the maximum entropy method. In four of five cases, the slope values of power spectra for both eye movement frequency and FHR, ranging approximately between 0.5 and 1.8, indicated diurnal variation, where the slopes tended to have high values during the day and low values at night. These findings suggest that, in the human fetus at term, eye movement and FHR are under the control of a common central mechanism, and this center changes its complexity as seen through diurnal rhythm.

Octopuses use a human-like strategy to control precise point-to-point arm movements.

PubMed

Sumbre, Germán; Fiorito, Graziano; Flash, Tamar; Hochner, Binyamin

2006-04-18

One of the key problems in motor control is mastering or reducing the number of degrees of freedom (DOFs) through coordination. This problem is especially prominent with hyper-redundant limbs such as the extremely flexible arm of the octopus. Several strategies for simplifying these control problems have been suggested for human point-to-point arm movements. Despite the evolutionary gap and morphological differences, humans and octopuses evolved similar strategies when fetching food to the mouth. To achieve this precise point-to-point-task, octopus arms generate a quasi-articulated structure based on three dynamic joints. A rotational movement around these joints brings the object to the mouth . Here, we describe a peripheral neural mechanism-two waves of muscle activation propagate toward each other, and their collision point sets the medial-joint location. This is a remarkably simple mechanism for adjusting the length of the segments according to where the object is grasped. Furthermore, similar to certain human arm movements, kinematic invariants were observed at the joint level rather than at the end-effector level, suggesting intrinsic control coordination. The evolutionary convergence to similar geometrical and kinematic features suggests that a kinematically constrained articulated limb controlled at the level of joint space is the optimal solution for precise point-to-point movements.

Shaping of arm configuration space by prescription of non-Euclidean metrics with applications to human motor control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biess, Armin

2013-01-01

The study of the kinematic and dynamic features of human arm movements provides insights into the computational strategies underlying human motor control. In this paper a differential geometric approach to movement control is taken by endowing arm configuration space with different non-Euclidean metric structures to study the predictions of the generalized minimum-jerk (MJ) model in the resulting Riemannian manifold for different types of human arm movements. For each metric space the solution of the generalized MJ model is given by reparametrized geodesic paths. This geodesic model is applied to a variety of motor tasks ranging from three-dimensional unconstrained movements of a four degree of freedom arm between pointlike targets to constrained movements where the hand location is confined to a surface (e.g., a sphere) or a curve (e.g., an ellipse). For the latter speed-curvature relations are derived depending on the boundary conditions imposed (periodic or nonperiodic) and the compatibility with the empirical one-third power law is shown. Based on these theoretical studies and recent experimental findings, I argue that geodesics may be an emergent property of the motor system and that the sensorimotor system may shape arm configuration space by learning metric structures through sensorimotor feedback.

Development of a Kinect Software Tool to Classify Movements during Active Video Gaming.

PubMed

Rosenberg, Michael; Thornton, Ashleigh L; Lay, Brendan S; Ward, Brodie; Nathan, David; Hunt, Daniel; Braham, Rebecca

2016-01-01

While it has been established that using full body motion to play active video games results in increased levels of energy expenditure, there is little information on the classification of human movement during active video game play in relationship to fundamental movement skills. The aim of this study was to validate software utilising Kinect sensor motion capture technology to recognise fundamental movement skills (FMS), during active video game play. Two human assessors rated jumping and side-stepping and these assessments were compared to the Kinect Action Recognition Tool (KART), to establish a level of agreement and determine the number of movements completed during five minutes of active video game play, for 43 children (m = 12 years 7 months ± 1 year 6 months). During five minutes of active video game play, inter-rater reliability, when examining the two human raters, was found to be higher for the jump (r = 0.94, p < .01) than the sidestep (r = 0.87, p < .01), although both were excellent. Excellent reliability was also found between human raters and the KART system for the jump (r = 0.84, p, .01) and moderate reliability for sidestep (r = 0.6983, p < .01) during game play, demonstrating that both humans and KART had higher agreement for jumps than sidesteps in the game play condition. The results of the study provide confidence that the Kinect sensor can be used to count the number of jumps and sidestep during five minutes of active video game play with a similar level of accuracy as human raters. However, in contrast to humans, the KART system required a fraction of the time to analyse and tabulate the results.

Population Dynamics of Early Human Migration in Britain

PubMed Central

Vahia, Mayank N.; Ladiwala, Uma; Mahathe, Pavan; Mathur, Deepak

2016-01-01

Background Early human migration is largely determined by geography and human needs. These are both deterministic parameters when small populations move into unoccupied areas where conflicts and large group dynamics are not important. The early period of human migration into the British Isles provides such a laboratory which, because of its relative geographical isolation, may allow some insights into the complex dynamics of early human migration and interaction. Method and Results We developed a simulation code based on human affinity to habitable land, as defined by availability of water sources, altitude, and flatness of land, in choosing the path of migration. Movement of people on the British island over the prehistoric period from their initial entry points was simulated on the basis of data from the megalithic period. Topographical and hydro-shed data from satellite databases was used to define habitability, based on distance from water bodies, flatness of the terrain, and altitude above sea level. We simulated population movement based on assumptions of affinity for more habitable places, with the rate of movement tempered by existing populations. We compared results of our computer simulations with genetic data and show that our simulation can predict fairly accurately the points of contacts between different migratory paths. Such comparison also provides more detailed information about the path of peoples’ movement over ~2000 years before the present era. Conclusions We demonstrate an accurate method to simulate prehistoric movements of people based upon current topographical satellite data. Our findings are validated by recently-available genetic data. Our method may prove useful in determining early human population dynamics even when no genetic information is available. PMID:27148959

Development of a Kinect Software Tool to Classify Movements during Active Video Gaming

PubMed Central

Rosenberg, Michael; Lay, Brendan S.; Ward, Brodie; Nathan, David; Hunt, Daniel; Braham, Rebecca

2016-01-01

While it has been established that using full body motion to play active video games results in increased levels of energy expenditure, there is little information on the classification of human movement during active video game play in relationship to fundamental movement skills. The aim of this study was to validate software utilising Kinect sensor motion capture technology to recognise fundamental movement skills (FMS), during active video game play. Two human assessors rated jumping and side-stepping and these assessments were compared to the Kinect Action Recognition Tool (KART), to establish a level of agreement and determine the number of movements completed during five minutes of active video game play, for 43 children (m = 12 years 7 months ± 1 year 6 months). During five minutes of active video game play, inter-rater reliability, when examining the two human raters, was found to be higher for the jump (r = 0.94, p < .01) than the sidestep (r = 0.87, p < .01), although both were excellent. Excellent reliability was also found between human raters and the KART system for the jump (r = 0.84, p, .01) and moderate reliability for sidestep (r = 0.6983, p < .01) during game play, demonstrating that both humans and KART had higher agreement for jumps than sidesteps in the game play condition. The results of the study provide confidence that the Kinect sensor can be used to count the number of jumps and sidestep during five minutes of active video game play with a similar level of accuracy as human raters. However, in contrast to humans, the KART system required a fraction of the time to analyse and tabulate the results. PMID:27442437

On Fitts's and Hooke's laws: simple harmonic movement in upper-limb cyclical aiming.

PubMed

Guiard, Y

1993-03-01

Can discrete, single-shot movements and continuous, cyclical movements be reduced to a single concept? In the classical, computational approach to human motor behaviour, cyclical aimed movement has generally been considered to derive from discrete primitives through a concatenation mechanism. Much importance, accordingly, has been attached to discrete-movement paradigms and to techniques allowing the segmentation of continuous data. An alternative approach, suggested by the nonlinear dynamical systems theory, views discreteness as a limiting case of cyclicity. Although attempts have been made recently to account for discrete movements in dynamical terms, cyclical paradigms have been favoured. The concatenation interpretation of cyclical aimed movement is criticized on the ground that it implies a complete waste of mechanical energy once in every half-cycle. Some kinematic data from a one-dimensional reciprocal (i.e., cyclical) aiming experiment are reported, suggesting that human subjects do save muscular efforts from one movement to the next in upper-limb cyclical aiming. The experiment demonstrated convergence on simple harmonic motion as aiming tolerance was increased, an outcome interpreted with reference to Hooke's law, in terms of the muscles' capability of storing potential, elastic energy across movement reversals. Not only is the concatenation concept problematic for understanding cyclical aimed movements, but the very reality of discrete movements is questionable too. It is pointed out that discrete motor acts of real life are composed of complete cycles, rather than half-cycles.

Small forces that differ with prior motor experience can communicate movement goals during human-human physical interaction.

PubMed

Sawers, Andrew; Bhattacharjee, Tapomayukh; McKay, J Lucas; Hackney, Madeleine E; Kemp, Charles C; Ting, Lena H

2017-01-31

Physical interactions between two people are ubiquitous in our daily lives, and an integral part of many forms of rehabilitation. However, few studies have investigated forces arising from physical interactions between humans during a cooperative motor task, particularly during overground movements. As such, the direction and magnitude of interaction forces between two human partners, how those forces are used to communicate movement goals, and whether they change with motor experience remains unknown. A better understanding of how cooperative physical interactions are achieved in healthy individuals of different skill levels is a first step toward understanding principles of physical interactions that could be applied to robotic devices for motor assistance and rehabilitation. Interaction forces between expert and novice partner dancers were recorded while performing a forward-backward partnered stepping task with assigned "leader" and "follower" roles. Their position was recorded using motion capture. The magnitude and direction of the interaction forces were analyzed and compared across groups (i.e. expert-expert, expert-novice, and novice-novice) and across movement phases (i.e. forward, backward, change of direction). All dyads were able to perform the partnered stepping task with some level of proficiency. Relatively small interaction forces (10-30N) were observed across all dyads, but were significantly larger among expert-expert dyads. Interaction forces were also found to be significantly different across movement phases. However, interaction force magnitude did not change as whole-body synchronization between partners improved across trials. Relatively small interaction forces may communicate movement goals (i.e. "what to do and when to do it") between human partners during cooperative physical interactions. Moreover, these small interactions forces vary with prior motor experience, and may act primarily as guiding cues that convey information about movement goals rather than providing physical assistance. This suggests that robots may be able to provide meaningful physical interactions for rehabilitation using relatively small force levels.

Violating instructed human agency: An fMRI study on ocular tracking of biological and nonbiological motion stimuli.

PubMed

Gertz, Hanna; Hilger, Maximilian; Hegele, Mathias; Fiehler, Katja

2016-09-01

Previous studies have shown that beliefs about the human origin of a stimulus are capable of modulating the coupling of perception and action. Such beliefs can be based on top-down recognition of the identity of an actor or bottom-up observation of the behavior of the stimulus. Instructed human agency has been shown to lead to superior tracking performance of a moving dot as compared to instructed computer agency, especially when the dot followed a biological velocity profile and thus matched the predicted movement, whereas a violation of instructed human agency by a nonbiological dot motion impaired oculomotor tracking (Zwickel et al., 2012). This suggests that the instructed agency biases the selection of predictive models on the movement trajectory of the dot motion. The aim of the present fMRI study was to examine the neural correlates of top-down and bottom-up modulations of perception-action couplings by manipulating the instructed agency (human action vs. computer-generated action) and the observable behavior of the stimulus (biological vs. nonbiological velocity profile). To this end, participants performed an oculomotor tracking task in an MRI environment. Oculomotor tracking activated areas of the eye movement network. A right-hemisphere occipito-temporal cluster comprising the motion-sensitive area V5 showed a preference for the biological as compared to the nonbiological velocity profile. Importantly, a mismatch between instructed human agency and a nonbiological velocity profile primarily activated medial-frontal areas comprising the frontal pole, the paracingulate gyrus, and the anterior cingulate gyrus, as well as the cerebellum and the supplementary eye field as part of the eye movement network. This mismatch effect was specific to the instructed human agency and did not occur in conditions with a mismatch between instructed computer agency and a biological velocity profile. Our results support the hypothesis that humans activate a specific predictive model for biological movements based on their own motor expertise. A violation of this predictive model causes costs as the movement needs to be corrected in accordance with incoming (nonbiological) sensory information. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Head and Neck Simulator for Radiology and Radiotherapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, Larissa; Campos, Tarcísio P. R.

2013-06-01

Phantoms are suitable tools to simulate body tissues and organs in radiology and radiation therapy. This study presents the development of a physical head and neck phantom and its radiological response for simulating brain pathology. The following features on the phantom are addressed and compared to human data: mass density, chemical composition, anatomical shape, computerized tomography images and Hounsfield Units. Mass attenuation and kerma coefficients of the synthetic phantom and normal tissues, as well as their deviations, were also investigated. Radiological experiments were performed, including brain tumors and subarachnoid hemorrhage simulations. Computerized tomography images of such pathologies in phantom and human were obtained. The anthropometric dimensions of the phantom present anatomical conformation similar to a human head and neck. Elemental weight percentages of the equivalent tissues match the human ones. Hounsfield Unit values of the main developed structures are presented, approaching human data. Kerma and mass attenuation coefficients spectra from human and phantom are presented, demonstrating smaller deviations in the radiological X-ray spectral domain. In conclusion, the phantom presented suitable normal and pathological radiological responses relative to those observed in humans. It may improve radiological protocols and education in medical imaging.

Trial-by-trial adaptation of movements during mental practice under force field.

PubMed

Anwar, Muhammad Nabeel; Khan, Salman Hameed

2013-01-01

Human nervous system tries to minimize the effect of any external perturbing force by bringing modifications in the internal model. These modifications affect the subsequent motor commands generated by the nervous system. Adaptive compensation along with the appropriate modifications of internal model helps in reducing human movement errors. In the current study, we studied how motor imagery influences trial-to-trial learning in a robot-based adaptation task. Two groups of subjects performed reaching movements with or without motor imagery in a velocity-dependent force field. The results show that reaching movements performed with motor imagery have relatively a more focused generalization pattern and a higher learning rate in training direction.

Regulation of the Dopamine and Vesicular Monoamine Transporters: Pharmacological Targets and Implications for Disease.

PubMed

German, Christopher L; Baladi, Michelle G; McFadden, Lisa M; Hanson, Glen R; Fleckenstein, Annette E

2015-10-01

Dopamine (DA) plays a well recognized role in a variety of physiologic functions such as movement, cognition, mood, and reward. Consequently, many human disorders are due, in part, to dysfunctional dopaminergic systems, including Parkinson's disease, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and substance abuse. Drugs that modify the DA system are clinically effective in treating symptoms of these diseases or are involved in their manifestation, implicating DA in their etiology. DA signaling and distribution are primarily modulated by the DA transporter (DAT) and by vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT)-2, which transport DA into presynaptic terminals and synaptic vesicles, respectively. These transporters are regulated by complex processes such as phosphorylation, protein-protein interactions, and changes in intracellular localization. This review provides an overview of 1) the current understanding of DAT and VMAT2 neurobiology, including discussion of studies ranging from those conducted in vitro to those involving human subjects; 2) the role of these transporters in disease and how these transporters are affected by disease; and 3) and how selected drugs alter the function and expression of these transporters. Understanding the regulatory processes and the pathologic consequences of DAT and VMAT2 dysfunction underlies the evolution of therapeutic development for the treatment of DA-related disorders. Copyright © 2015 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

Regulation of the Dopamine and Vesicular Monoamine Transporters: Pharmacological Targets and Implications for Disease

PubMed Central

German, Christopher L.; Baladi, Michelle G.; McFadden, Lisa M.; Hanson, Glen R.

2015-01-01

Dopamine (DA) plays a well recognized role in a variety of physiologic functions such as movement, cognition, mood, and reward. Consequently, many human disorders are due, in part, to dysfunctional dopaminergic systems, including Parkinson’s disease, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and substance abuse. Drugs that modify the DA system are clinically effective in treating symptoms of these diseases or are involved in their manifestation, implicating DA in their etiology. DA signaling and distribution are primarily modulated by the DA transporter (DAT) and by vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT)-2, which transport DA into presynaptic terminals and synaptic vesicles, respectively. These transporters are regulated by complex processes such as phosphorylation, protein–protein interactions, and changes in intracellular localization. This review provides an overview of 1) the current understanding of DAT and VMAT2 neurobiology, including discussion of studies ranging from those conducted in vitro to those involving human subjects; 2) the role of these transporters in disease and how these transporters are affected by disease; and 3) and how selected drugs alter the function and expression of these transporters. Understanding the regulatory processes and the pathologic consequences of DAT and VMAT2 dysfunction underlies the evolution of therapeutic development for the treatment of DA-related disorders. PMID:26408528

TGF-β1 stimulates movement of renal proximal tubular epithelial cells in a three-dimensional cell culture via an autocrine TGF-β2 production.

PubMed

Luo, Deyi; Guan, Qiunong; Wang, Kunjie; Nguan, Christopher Y C; Du, Caigan

2017-01-01

TGF-βs are multifunctional cytokines, but their roles in human renal homeostasis are not fully understood. This study investigated the role of TGF-β1 in the movement of human renal proximal tubular epithelial cells (PTECs) in a three-dimensional (3D) model. HKC-8 cells, a human PTEC line, were grown in a 3D collagen culture system. Cell movement was observed under a microscope. The gene expression was examined using PCR Arrays or qRT-PCR, and protein levels by Western blot. Here, we showed that the tight junction structure formed between adjacent cells of a HKC-8 cell colony in 3D cultures, and TGF-β1 stimulated their movement, evidenced by the appearance of fingerlike pseudopodia in the leader cells at the edge of the colonies. The cell movement of these human PTECs was correlated with up-regulation of both MMP2 and MMP9 and down-regulation or inactivation of PLAUR and PTK2B. Analysis of TGF-β signaling targets confirmed autocrine production of TGF-β2 and its cleaving enzyme furin as well as SNAI1 by TGF-β1stimulation. Knockdown of TGF-β2 expression disrupted TGF-β1-stimulated PTEC invasiveness, which was correlated with the down-regulation of MMP2 and MMP9. In conclusion, the activation of TGF-β receptor autocrine signaling by up-regulated TGF-β2 may play a pivotal role in TGF-β1-induced human PTEC movement, which could be mediated at least by both MMP2 and MMP9. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Identifying Stride-To-Stride Control Strategies in Human Treadmill Walking

PubMed Central

Dingwell, Jonathan B.; Cusumano, Joseph P.

2015-01-01

Variability is ubiquitous in human movement, arising from internal and external noise, inherent biological redundancy, and from the neurophysiological control actions that help regulate movement fluctuations. Increased walking variability can lead to increased energetic cost and/or increased fall risk. Conversely, biological noise may be beneficial, even necessary, to enhance motor performance. Indeed, encouraging more variability actually facilitates greater improvements in some forms of locomotor rehabilitation. Thus, it is critical to identify the fundamental principles humans use to regulate stride-to-stride fluctuations in walking. This study sought to determine how humans regulate stride-to-stride fluctuations in stepping movements during treadmill walking. We developed computational models based on pre-defined goal functions to compare if subjects, from each stride to the next, tried to maintain the same speed as the treadmill, or instead stay in the same position on the treadmill. Both strategies predicted average behaviors empirically indistinguishable from each other and from that of humans. These strategies, however, predicted very different stride-to-stride fluctuation dynamics. Comparisons to experimental data showed that human stepping movements were generally well-predicted by the speed-control model, but not by the position-control model. Human subjects also exhibited no indications they corrected deviations in absolute position only intermittently: i.e., closer to the boundaries of the treadmill. Thus, humans clearly do not adopt a control strategy whose primary goal is to maintain some constant absolute position on the treadmill. Instead, humans appear to regulate their stepping movements in a way most consistent with a strategy whose primary goal is to try to maintain the same speed as the treadmill at each consecutive stride. These findings have important implications both for understanding how biological systems regulate walking in general and for being able to harness these mechanisms to develop more effective rehabilitation interventions to improve locomotor performance. PMID:25910253

Social scaling of extrapersonal space: target objects are judged as closer when the reference frame is a human agent with available movement potentialities.

PubMed

Fini, C; Brass, M; Committeri, G

2015-01-01

Space perception depends on our motion potentialities and our intended actions are affected by space perception. Research on peripersonal space (the space in reaching distance) shows that we perceive an object as being closer when we (Witt, Proffitt, & Epstein, 2005; Witt & Proffitt, 2008) or another actor (Costantini, Ambrosini, Sinigaglia, & Gallese, 2011; Bloesch, Davoli, Roth, Brockmole, & Abrams, 2012) can interact with it. Similarly, an object only triggers specific movements when it is placed in our peripersonal space (Costantini, Ambrosini, Tieri, Sinigaglia, & Committeri, 2010) or in the other's peripersonal space (Costantini, Committeri, & Sinigaglia, 2011; Cardellicchio, Sinigaglia, & Costantini, 2013). Moreover, also the extrapersonal space (the space outside reaching distance) seems to be perceived in relation to our movement capabilities: the more effort it takes to cover a distance, the greater we perceive the distance to be (Proffitt, Stefanucci, Banton, & Epstein, 2003; Sugovic & Witt, 2013). However, not much is known about the influence of the other's movement potentialities on our extrapersonal space perception. Three experiments were carried out investigating the categorization of distance in extrapersonal space using human or non-human allocentric reference frames (RF). Subjects were asked to judge the distance ("Near" or "Far") of a target object (a beach umbrella) placed at progressively increasing or decreasing distances until a change from near to far or vice versa was reported. In the first experiment we found a significant "Near space extension" when the allocentric RF was a human virtual agent instead of a static, inanimate object. In the second experiment we tested whether the "Near space extension" depended on the anatomical structure of the RF or its movement potentialities by adding a wooden dummy. The "Near space extension" was only observed for the human agent but not for the dummy. Finally, to rule out the possibility that the effect was simply due to a line-of-sight mechanism (visual perspective taking) we compared the human agent free to move with the same agent tied to a pole with a rope, thus reducing movement potentialities while maintaining equal visual accessibility. The "Near space extension" disappeared when this manipulation was introduced, showing that movement potentialities are the relevant factor for such an effect. Our results demonstrate for the first time that during allocentric distance judgments within extrapersonal space, we implicitly process the movement potentialities of the RF. A target object is perceived as being closer when the allocentric RF is a human with available movement potentialities, suggesting a mechanism of social scaling of extrapersonal space processing. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Quantitative label-free proteomic analysis of human urine to identify novel candidate protein biomarkers for schistosomiasis.

PubMed

Onile, Olugbenga Samson; Calder, Bridget; Soares, Nelson C; Anumudu, Chiaka I; Blackburn, Jonathan M

2017-11-01

Schistosomiasis is a chronic neglected tropical disease that is characterized by continued inflammatory challenges to the exposed population and it has been established as a possible risk factor in the aetiology of bladder cancer. Improved diagnosis of schistosomiasis and its associated pathology is possible through mass spectrometry to identify biomarkers among the infected population, which will influence early detection of the disease and its subtle morbidity. A high-throughput proteomic approach was used to analyse human urine samples for 49 volunteers from Eggua, a schistosomiasis endemic community in South-West, Nigeria. The individuals were previously screened for Schistosoma haematobium and structural bladder pathologies via microscopy and ultrasonography respectively. Samples were categorised into schistosomiasis, schistosomiasis with bladder pathology, bladder pathology, and a normal healthy control group. These samples were analysed to identify potential protein biomarkers. A total of 1306 proteins and 9701 unique peptides were observed in this study (FDR = 0.01). Fifty-four human proteins were found to be potential biomarkers for schistosomiasis and bladder pathologies due to schistosomiasis by label-free quantitative comparison between groups. Thirty-six (36) parasite-derived potential biomarkers were also identified, which include some existing putative schistosomiasis biomarkers that have been previously reported. Some of these proteins include Elongation factor 1 alpha, phosphopyruvate hydratase, histone H4 and heat shock proteins (HSP 60, HSP 70). These findings provide an in-depth analysis of potential schistosoma and human host protein biomarkers for diagnosis of chronic schistosomiasis caused by Schistosoma haematobium and its pathogenesis.

Short-Term Plasticity of the Visuomotor Map during Grasping Movements in Humans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Safstrom, Daniel; Edin, Benoni B.

2005-01-01

During visually guided grasping movements, visual information is transformed into motor commands. This transformation is known as the "visuomotor map." To investigate limitations in the short-term plasticity of the visuomotor map in normal humans, we studied the maximum grip aperture (MGA) during the reaching phase while subjects grasped objects…

Mitochondria and α-Synuclein: Friends or Foes in the Pathogenesis of Parkinson's Disease?

PubMed

Faustini, Gaia; Bono, Federica; Valerio, Alessandra; Pizzi, Marina; Spano, PierFranco; Bellucci, Arianna

2017-12-08

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a movement disorder characterized by dopaminergic nigrostriatal neuron degeneration and the formation of Lewy bodies (LB), pathological inclusions containing fibrils that are mainly composed of α-synuclein. Dopaminergic neurons, for their intrinsic characteristics, have a high energy demand that relies on the efficiency of the mitochondria respiratory chain. Dysregulations of mitochondria, deriving from alterations of complex I protein or oxidative DNA damage, change the trafficking, size and morphology of these organelles. Of note, these mitochondrial bioenergetics defects have been related to PD. A series of experimental evidence supports that α-synuclein physiological action is relevant for mitochondrial homeostasis, while its pathological aggregation can negatively impinge on mitochondrial function. It thus appears that imbalances in the equilibrium between the reciprocal modulatory action of mitochondria and α-synuclein can contribute to PD onset by inducing neuronal impairment. This review will try to highlight the role of physiological and pathological α-synuclein in the modulation of mitochondrial functions.

[Fetal bone and joint disorders].

PubMed

Jakobovits, Akos

2008-12-21

The article discusses the physiology and pathology of fetal bone and joint development and functions. The bones provide static support for the body. The skull and the bones of spinal column encase the central and part of the peripheral nervous system. The ribs and the sternum shield the heart and the lungs, while the bones of the pelvis protect the intraabdominal organs. Pathological changes of these bony structures may impair the functions of the respective systems or internal organs. Movements of the bones are brought about by muscles. The deriving motions are facilitated by joints. Bony anomalies of the extremities limit their effective functions. Apart from skeletal and joint abnormalities, akinesia may also be caused by neurological, muscular and skin diseases that secondarily affect the functions of bones and joints. Such pathological changes may lead to various degrees of physical disability and even to death. Some of the mentioned anomalies are recognizable in utero by ultrasound. The diagnosis may serve as medical indication for abortion in those instances when the identified abnormality is incompatible with independent life.

A Cybrid Cell Model for the Assessment of the Link Between Mitochondrial Deficits and Sporadic Parkinson’s Disease

PubMed Central

Arduíno, Daniela M.; Esteves, A. Raquel; Swerdlow, Russell H.; Cardoso, Sandra M.

2015-01-01

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a multifactorial and clinically complex age-related movement disorder. The cause of its most common form (sporadic PD, sPD) is unknown, but one prominent causal factor is mitochondrial dysfunction. Although several genetic- and toxin-based models have been developed along the last decades to mimic the pathological cascade of PD, cellular models that reliably recapitulate the pathological features of the neurons that degenerate in PD are scarce. We describe here the generation of cytoplasmic hybrid cells (or cybrids) as a cellular model of sPD. This approach consists on the fusion of platelets harboring mtDNA from sPD patients with cells in which the endogenous mtDNA has been depleted (Rho0 cells). The sPD cybrid model has been successful in recapitulating most of the hallmarks of sPD, constituting now a validated model for addressing the link between mitochondrial dysfunction and sPD pathology. PMID:25634293

A cybrid cell model for the assessment of the link between mitochondrial deficits and sporadic Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Arduíno, Daniela M; Esteves, A Raquel; Swerdlow, Russell H; Cardoso, Sandra M

2015-01-01

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a multifactorial and clinically complex age-related movement disorder. The cause of its most common form (sporadic PD, sPD) is unknown, but one prominent causal factor is mitochondrial dysfunction. Although several genetic- and toxin-based models have been developed along the last decades to mimic the pathological cascade of PD, cellular models that reliably recapitulate the pathological features of the neurons that degenerate in PD are scarce.We describe here the generation of cytoplasmic hybrid cells (or cybrids) as a cellular model of sPD. This approach consists on the fusion of platelets harboring mtDNA from sPD patients with cells in which the endogenous mtDNA has been depleted (Rho0 cells).The sPD cybrid model has been successful in recapitulating most of the hallmarks of sPD, constituting now a validated model for addressing the link between mitochondrial dysfunction and sPD pathology.

[Once again: theoretical pathology].

PubMed

Bleyl, U

2010-07-01

Theoretical pathology refers to the attempt to reintroduce methodical approaches from the humanities, philosophical logic and "gestalt philosophy" into medical research and pathology. Diseases, in particular disease entities and more complex polypathogenetic mechanisms of disease, have a "gestalt quality" due to the significance of their pathophysiologic coherence: they have a "gestalt". The Research group Theoretical Pathology at the Academy of Science in Heidelberg are credited with having revitalized the philosophical notion of "gestalt" for morphological and pathological diagnostics. Gestalt means interrelated schemes of pathophysiological significance in the mind of the diagnostician. In pathology, additive and associative diagnostic are simply not possible without considering the notion of synthetic entities in Kant's logic.

The Interplay between Alpha-Synuclein Clearance and Spreading

PubMed Central

Lopes da Fonseca, Tomás; Villar-Piqué, Anna; Outeiro, Tiago Fleming

2015-01-01

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder classically characterized by movement impairment. Pathologically, the most striking features of PD are the loss of dopaminergic neurons and the presence of intraneuronal protein inclusions primarily composed of alpha-synuclein (α-syn) that are known as Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites in surviving neurons. Though the mechanisms underlying the progression of PD pathology are unclear, accumulating evidence suggests a prion-like spreading of α-syn pathology. The intracellular homeostasis of α-syn requires the proper degradation of the protein by three mechanisms: chaperone-mediated autophagy, macroautophagy and ubiquitin-proteasome. Impairment of these pathways might drive the system towards an alternative clearance mechanism that could involve its release from the cell. This increased release to the extracellular space could be the basis for α-syn propagation to different brain areas and, ultimately, for the spreading of pathology and disease progression. Here, we review the interplay between α-syn degradation pathways and its intercellular spreading. The understanding of this interplay is indispensable for obtaining a better knowledge of the molecular basis of PD and, consequently, for the design of novel avenues for therapeutic intervention. PMID:25874605

#InSituPathologists: how the #USCAP2015 meeting went viral on Twitter and founded the social media movement for the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology.

PubMed

Cohen, David; Allen, Timothy Craig; Balci, Serdar; Cagle, Philip T; Teruya-Feldstein, Julie; Fine, Samson W; Gondim, Dibson D; Hunt, Jennifer L; Jacob, Jack; Jewett, Kimberly; Jiang, Xiaoyin 'Sara'; Kaplan, Keith J; Kulac, Ibrahim; Meunier, Rashna; Riddle, Nicole D; Rush, Patrick S; Stall, Jennifer; Stuart, Lauren N; Terrano, David; Uthman, Ed; Wasco, Matthew J; Williamson, Sean R; Wu, Roseann I; Gardner, Jerad M

2017-02-01

Professional medical conferences over the past five years have seen an enormous increase in the use of Twitter in real-time, also known as "live-tweeting". At the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP) 2015 annual meeting, 24 attendees (the authors) volunteered to participate in a live-tweet group, the #InSituPathologists. This group, along with other attendees, kept the world updated via Twitter about the happenings at the annual meeting. There were 6,524 #USCAP2015 tweets made by 662 individual Twitter users; these generated 5,869,323 unique impressions (potential tweet-views) over a 13-day time span encompassing the dates of the annual meeting. Herein we document the successful implementation of the first official USCAP annual meeting live-tweet group, including the pros/cons of live-tweeting and other experiences of the original #InSituPathologists group members. No prior peer-reviewed publications to our knowledge have described in depth the use of an organized group to "live-tweet" a pathology meeting. We believe our group to be the first of its kind in the field of pathology.

Assessing randomness and complexity in human motion trajectories through analysis of symbolic sequences

PubMed Central

Peng, Zhen; Genewein, Tim; Braun, Daniel A.

2014-01-01

Complexity is a hallmark of intelligent behavior consisting both of regular patterns and random variation. To quantitatively assess the complexity and randomness of human motion, we designed a motor task in which we translated subjects' motion trajectories into strings of symbol sequences. In the first part of the experiment participants were asked to perform self-paced movements to create repetitive patterns, copy pre-specified letter sequences, and generate random movements. To investigate whether the degree of randomness can be manipulated, in the second part of the experiment participants were asked to perform unpredictable movements in the context of a pursuit game, where they received feedback from an online Bayesian predictor guessing their next move. We analyzed symbol sequences representing subjects' motion trajectories with five common complexity measures: predictability, compressibility, approximate entropy, Lempel-Ziv complexity, as well as effective measure complexity. We found that subjects' self-created patterns were the most complex, followed by drawing movements of letters and self-paced random motion. We also found that participants could change the randomness of their behavior depending on context and feedback. Our results suggest that humans can adjust both complexity and regularity in different movement types and contexts and that this can be assessed with information-theoretic measures of the symbolic sequences generated from movement trajectories. PMID:24744716

Strategies for Controlling Non-Transmissible Infection Outbreaks Using a Large Human Movement Data Set

PubMed Central

Hancock, Penelope A.; Rehman, Yasmin; Hall, Ian M.; Edeghere, Obaghe; Danon, Leon; House, Thomas A.; Keeling, Matthew J.

2014-01-01

Prediction and control of the spread of infectious disease in human populations benefits greatly from our growing capacity to quantify human movement behavior. Here we develop a mathematical model for non-transmissible infections contracted from a localized environmental source, informed by a detailed description of movement patterns of the population of Great Britain. The model is applied to outbreaks of Legionnaires' disease, a potentially life-threatening form of pneumonia caused by the bacteria Legionella pneumophilia. We use case-report data from three recent outbreaks that have occurred in Great Britain where the source has already been identified by public health agencies. We first demonstrate that the amount of individual-level heterogeneity incorporated in the movement data greatly influences our ability to predict the source location. The most accurate predictions were obtained using reported travel histories to describe movements of infected individuals, but using detailed simulation models to estimate movement patterns offers an effective fast alternative. Secondly, once the source is identified, we show that our model can be used to accurately determine the population likely to have been exposed to the pathogen, and hence predict the residential locations of infected individuals. The results give rise to an effective control strategy that can be implemented rapidly in response to an outbreak. PMID:25211122

The transformative potential of an integrative approach to pregnancy.

PubMed

Eidem, Haley R; McGary, Kriston L; Capra, John A; Abbot, Patrick; Rokas, Antonis

2017-09-01

Complex traits typically involve diverse biological pathways and are shaped by numerous genetic and environmental factors. Pregnancy-associated traits and pathologies are further complicated by extensive communication across multiple tissues in two individuals, interactions between two genomes-maternal and fetal-that obscure causal variants and lead to genetic conflict, and rapid evolution of pregnancy-associated traits across mammals and in the human lineage. Given the multi-faceted complexity of human pregnancy, integrative approaches that synthesize diverse data types and analyses harbor tremendous promise to identify the genetic architecture and environmental influences underlying pregnancy-associated traits and pathologies. We review current research that addresses the extreme complexities of traits and pathologies associated with human pregnancy. We find that successful efforts to address the many complexities of pregnancy-associated traits and pathologies often harness the power of many and diverse types of data, including genome-wide association studies, evolutionary analyses, multi-tissue transcriptomic profiles, and environmental conditions. We propose that understanding of pregnancy and its pathologies will be accelerated by computational platforms that provide easy access to integrated data and analyses. By simplifying the integration of diverse data, such platforms will provide a comprehensive synthesis that transcends many of the inherent challenges present in studies of pregnancy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Five Encounters with "El Sistema" International: A Venezuelan Marvel Becomes a Global Movement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Booth, Eric; Tunstall, Tricia

2014-01-01

Genuine worldwide movements for social change are rare in human history. Even more rare is the phenomenon of a worldwide movement for social change through art, with teaching artists at the forefront. This article presents the evolution of such a movement now, in the global blossoming of "El Sistema," a program that seeks to change the…

A Prospective Video-Polysomnographic Analysis of Movements during Physiological Sleep in 100 Healthy Sleepers

PubMed Central

Stefani, Ambra; Gabelia, David; Mitterling, Thomas; Poewe, Werner; Högl, Birgit; Frauscher, Birgit

2015-01-01

Study Objectives: Video-polysomnography (v-PSG) is the gold standard for the diagnosis of sleep disorders. Quantitative assessment of type and distribution of physiological movements during sleep for the differentiation between physiological and pathological motor activity is lacking. We performed a systematic and detailed analysis of movements during physiological sleep using v-PSG technology. Design: Prospective v-PSG investigation. Setting: Academic referral center sleep laboratory. Participants: One hundred healthy sleepers aged 19–77 years recruited from a representative population sample after a two-step screening. Interventions: N/A. Measurements and Results: All subjects underwent v-PSG. In all cases where electromyographic activity > 100 msec duration was visible during sleep in the mentalis, submentalis, flexor digitorum superficialis, or anterior tibialis muscles, the time-synchronized video was analyzed. Visible movements were classified according to movement type and topography, and movement rates were computed for the different sleep stages. A total of 9,790 movements (median 10.2/h, IQR 4.6–16.2) were analyzed: 99.7% were elementary, 0.3% complex. Movement indices were higher in men than women (men: median 13/h, interquartile range 7.1–29.3, women: median 7.9/h, interquartile range 3.4–14.5; P = 0.006). The majority of movements involved the extremities (87.9%) and were classified as focal (53.3%), distal (79.6%), and unilateral (71.5%); 15.3% of movements were associated with arousals. REM-related movements (median 0.8 sec, IQR 0.5–1.2) were shorter than NREM-related movements (median 1.1 sec, IQR 0.8–1.6; P = 0.001). Moreover, REM-related movements were predominantly myocloniform (86.6%), whereas NREM-related movements were more often non-myocloniform (59.1%, P < 0.001). Conclusion: Minor movements are frequent during physiological sleep, and are associated with low arousal rates. REM-related movements were predominantly myocloniform and shorter than NREM movements, indicating different influences on motor control during both sleep states. Citation: Stefani A, Gabelia D, Mitterling T, Poewe W, Högl B, Frauscher B. A prospective video-polysomnographic analysis of movements during physiological sleep in 100 healthy sleepers. SLEEP 2015;38(9):1479–1487. PMID:25669176

Real-time animation software for customized training to use motor prosthetic systems.

PubMed

Davoodi, Rahman; Loeb, Gerald E

2012-03-01

Research on control of human movement and development of tools for restoration and rehabilitation of movement after spinal cord injury and amputation can benefit greatly from software tools for creating precisely timed animation sequences of human movement. Despite their ability to create sophisticated animation and high quality rendering, existing animation software are not adapted for application to neural prostheses and rehabilitation of human movement. We have developed a software tool known as MSMS (MusculoSkeletal Modeling Software) that can be used to develop models of human or prosthetic limbs and the objects with which they interact and to animate their movement using motion data from a variety of offline and online sources. The motion data can be read from a motion file containing synthesized motion data or recordings from a motion capture system. Alternatively, motion data can be streamed online from a real-time motion capture system, a physics-based simulation program, or any program that can produce real-time motion data. Further, animation sequences of daily life activities can be constructed using the intuitive user interface of Microsoft's PowerPoint software. The latter allows expert and nonexpert users alike to assemble primitive movements into a complex motion sequence with precise timing by simply arranging the order of the slides and editing their properties in PowerPoint. The resulting motion sequence can be played back in an open-loop manner for demonstration and training or in closed-loop virtual reality environments where the timing and speed of animation depends on user inputs. These versatile animation utilities can be used in any application that requires precisely timed animations but they are particularly suited for research and rehabilitation of movement disorders. MSMS's modeling and animation tools are routinely used in a number of research laboratories around the country to study the control of movement and to develop and test neural prostheses for patients with paralysis or amputations.

Single Nucleotide Variations of the Human GR Gene Manifested as Pathologic Mutations or Polymorphisms.

PubMed

Kino, Tomoshige

2018-05-11

The human genome contains numerous single nucleotide variations (SNVs), and the human GR gene harbors ∼450 of these genetic changes. Among them, extremely rare non-synonymous variants known as pathologic GR gene mutations develop a characteristic pathologic condition, familial/sporadic generalized glucocorticoid resistance syndrome, by replacing the amino acids critical for GR protein structure and functions, whereas others known as pathologic polymorphisms develop mild manifestations recognized mainly at population bases by changing the GR activities slightly. Recent progress on the structural analysis to the GR protein and subsequent computer-based structural simulation revealed details of the molecular defects caused by such pathologic GR gene mutations, including their impact on the receptor interaction to ligands, nuclear receptor coactivators (NCoAs) or DNA glucocorticoid response elements (GREs). Indeed, those found in the GR ligand-binding domain significantly damage protein structure of the ligand-binding pocket and/or the activation function-2 transactivation domain and change their molecular interaction to glucocorticoids or the LxxLL signature motif of NCoAs. Two mutations found in GR DBD also affect interaction of the mutant receptors to GRE DNA by affecting the critical amino acid for the interaction or changing local hydrophobic circumstance. In this review, we discuss recent findings on the structural simulation of the pathologic GR mutants in connection to their functional and clinical impacts along with brief explanation to recent research achievement on the GR polymorphisms.

Can we identify others' intentions from seeing their movements? Comment on "Seeing mental states: An experimental strategy for measuring the observability of other minds" by Cristina Becchio et al.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Curioni, Arianna; Sebanz, Natalie; Knoblich, Günther

2018-03-01

In their review, Becchio and colleagues describe the 'unobservability principle' and the 'direct social perception thesis' as two competing accounts of how people identify others' intentions [4]. The former treats intentions as private information that is hidden within individual minds. The latter treats intentions as public information that can be directly perceived from observed movements. The authors propose a new method for quantifying cues to intention from human movement, providing support for the 'direct social perception thesis' in the domain of instrumental actions. Without doubt this new approach is valuable in establishing whether there is a dissociation between the presence of movement cues in the perceptual input and people's ability to make use of these cues for identifying intentions. It is also valuable in identifying movement parameters that could be crucial for improving the planning of instrumental actions in robotic agents so that their movements become better identifiable for human observers.

The analysis of the influence of fractal structure of stimuli on fractal dynamics in fixational eye movements and EEG signal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Namazi, Hamidreza; Kulish, Vladimir V.; Akrami, Amin

2016-05-01

One of the major challenges in vision research is to analyze the effect of visual stimuli on human vision. However, no relationship has been yet discovered between the structure of the visual stimulus, and the structure of fixational eye movements. This study reveals the plasticity of human fixational eye movements in relation to the ‘complex’ visual stimulus. We demonstrated that the fractal temporal structure of visual dynamics shifts towards the fractal dynamics of the visual stimulus (image). The results showed that images with higher complexity (higher fractality) cause fixational eye movements with lower fractality. Considering the brain, as the main part of nervous system that is engaged in eye movements, we analyzed the governed Electroencephalogram (EEG) signal during fixation. We have found out that there is a coupling between fractality of image, EEG and fixational eye movements. The capability observed in this research can be further investigated and applied for treatment of different vision disorders.

Positive movement experiences: approaching the study of athletic participation, exercise, and leisure activity through relational developmental systems theory and the concept of embodiment.

PubMed

Agans, Jennifer P; Säfvenbom, Reidar; Davis, Jacqueline L; Bowers, Edmond P; Lerner, Richard M

2013-01-01

Exercise and athletic participation are widely recognized as important aspects of healthy lifestyles and human development; yet most of the research on youth athletic participation, exercise, and leisure activity has not yet adopted a theoretical framework useful for understanding the development of individual engagement with these movement contexts. In order to gain an adequate understanding of the developmental experiences of involvement in movement contexts, understanding the role of the active individual and the mutually influential relations between individual and context are important. In this chapter, we present a new approach to the study of involvement in movement contexts, using relational developmental systems theory and the concept of embodiment to forward the idea of positive movement experiences (PMEs). The concept of PMEs may facilitate better understanding of involvement in movement contexts as a fundamental component of human life in general, and of youth development in particular.

Lines of evidence for environmentally driven human migration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, K. F.; D'Odorico, P.

2012-12-01

International human migration is an important mechanism that affects, and is affected by, various human and natural systems. With the number of people living outside their countries of origin currently estimated at 214 million people and projected to potentially reach more than 400 million people by mid-century, the topic of international human movements presents possible advantages and pitfalls for both sending and receiving countries on multiple fronts (e.g. economic, environmental, political and cultural). Understanding how human migration interacts with human and natural systems is therefore essential in realizing a sustainable and balanced future. While the study of international migration has historically been motivated largely by economic and political interests, the issue of environmentally induced migration has become increasingly important in light of a rapidly changing climate in conjunction with increasing population pressure on many important resources. Particularly in terms of theoretical and conceptual discussions, environmentally induced human migration has been receiving increased attention in the literature. To date, few studies - many of which focus on internal (intra-national) or regional migration - have attempted to quantify the interactions of human migration and the environment, with little attention paid to the global scale as a result of varying regional factors and lack of sufficient data. Recently available global bilateral migration datasets have been developed that allow for a more comprehensive understanding of human movements between all countries. With these datasets, we seek to elucidate environmental drivers of human migration over the past half-century using a multi-pronged approach. First, using a recently developed universal radiation model, we examine human movements based solely on global population distribution. Next, by comparison of migration movements with selected economic, environmental and human welfare indicators, we determine additional factors that may help explain migration at global, regional, continental and community-based (i.e. maximized module) scales. Lastly, we explore the relationship between migration and natural disasters (e.g. drought, flooding) to identify instances in which the environment is a proximate cause of human displacement and in turn use this information to determine if a subsequent cascade of human movements appears in neighboring countries as a result of the elevated inflow of migrants from the initial country of interest. In this way, we seek to gain a fuller picture of the environmental factors driving the dynamics of modern human migration.

Some problems of human adaptation and ecology under the aspect of general pathology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaznacheyev, V. P.

1980-01-01

The main problems of human adaptation at the level of the body and the population in connection with the features of current morbidity of the population and certain demographic processes are analyzed. The concepts of health and adaptation of the individual and human populations are determined. The importance of the anthropo-ecological approach to the investigation of the adaptation process of human populations is demonstrated. Certain features of the etiopathogenesis of diseases are considered in connection with the population-ecological regularities of human adaptation. The importance of research on general pathology aspects of adaptation and the ecology of man for planning, and organization of public health protection is discussed.

Distinct chronology of neuronal cell cycle re-entry and tau pathology in the 3xTg-AD mouse model and Alzheimer's disease patients.

PubMed

Hradek, Alex C; Lee, Hyun-Pil; Siedlak, Sandra L; Torres, Sandy L; Jung, Wooyoung; Han, Ashley H; Lee, Hyoung-gon

2015-01-01

Cell cycle re-entry in Alzheimer's disease (AD) has emerged as an important pathological mechanism in the progression of the disease. This appearance of cell cycle related proteins has been linked to tau pathology in AD, but the causal and temporal relationship between the two is not completely clear. In this study, we found that hyperphosphorylated retinoblastoma protein (ppRb), a key regulator for G1/S transition, is correlated with a late marker for hyperphosphorylation of tau but not with other early markers for tau alteration in the 3xTg-AD mouse model. However, in AD brains, ppRb can colocalize with both early and later markers for tau alterations, and can often be found singly in many degenerating neurons, indicating the distinct development of pathology between the 3xTg-AD mouse model and human AD patients. The conclusions of this study are two-fold. First, our findings clearly demonstrate the pathological link between the aberrant cell cycle re-entry and tau pathology. Second, the chronological pattern of cell cycle re-entry with tau pathology in the 3xTg-AD mouse is different compared to AD patients suggesting the distinct pathogenic mechanism between the animal AD model and human AD patients.

Procurement of Human Tissues for Research Banking in the Surgical Pathology Laboratory: Prioritization Practices at Washington University Medical Center

PubMed Central

Chernock, Rebecca D.; Leach, Tracey A.; Kahn, Ajaz A.; Yip, James H.; Rossi, Joan; Pfeifer, John D.

2011-01-01

Academic hospitals and medical schools with research tissue repositories often derive many of their internal human specimen acquisitions from their site's surgical pathology service. Typically, such acquisitions come from appropriately consented tissue discards sampled from surgical resections. Because the practice of surgical pathology has patient care as its primary mission, competing needs for tissue inevitably arise, with the requirement to preserve adequate tissue for clinical diagnosis being paramount. A set of best-practice gross pathology guidelines are summarized here, focused on the decision for tissue banking at the time specimens are macroscopically evaluated. These reflect our collective experience at Washington University School of Medicine, and are written from the point of view of our site biorepository. The involvement of trained pathology personnel in such procurements is very important. These guidelines reflect both good surgical pathology practice (including the pathologic features characteristic of various anatomic sites) and the typical objectives of research biorepositories. The guidelines should be helpful to tissue bank directors, and others charged with the procurement of tissues for general research purposes. We believe that appreciation of these principles will facilitate the partnership between surgical pathologists and biorepository directors, and promote both good patient care and strategic, value-added banking procurements. PMID:23386925

The pathology of methylmercury poisoning (Minamata disease): The 50th Anniversary of Japanese Society of Neuropathology.

PubMed

Eto, Komyo; Marumoto, Masumi; Takeya, Motohiro

2010-10-01

Methylmercury (Me-Hg) poisoning (Minamata disease: MD) is one of the most severe types of disease caused by humans to humans in Japan. The disease is a special class of food-borne methylmercury intoxication in humans as typified by the outbreak that began in 1953 in Minamata and its vicinity in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. There are 450 autopsy cases in Kumamoto and 30 autopsy cases in Niigata Prefecture related to MD in Japan. Two hundred and one cases in Kumamoto and 22 cases in Niigata showed pathological changes of MD. This report provides a brief research history and overview of the pathological changes of MD, and also presents representative cases of adult, infantile and fetal forms of MD among the 450 MD-related autopsy cases in Kumamoto Prefecture. © 2010 Japanese Society of Neuropathology.

INTRODUCTION TO THE MOVEMENT SYSTEM AS THE FOUNDATION FOR PHYSICAL THERAPIST PRACTICE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH.

PubMed

Saladin, Lisa; Voight, Michael

2017-11-01

In 2013, the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) adopted an inspiring new vision, "Transforming society by optimizing movement to improve the human experience." This new vision for our profession calls us to action as physical therapists to transform society by using our skills, knowledge, and expertise related to the movement system in order to optimize movement, promote health and wellness, mitigate the progression of impairments, and prevent the development of (additional) disability. The guiding principle of the new vision is "identity," which can be summarized as "The physical therapy profession will define and promote the movement system as the foundation for optimizing movement to improve the health of society." Recognition and validation of the movement system is essential to understand the structure, function, and potential of the human body. As currently defined, the "movement system" represents the collection of systems (cardiovascular, pulmonary, endocrine, integumentary, nervous, and musculoskeletal) that interact to move the body or its component parts. By better characterizing physical therapists as movement system experts, we seek to solidify our professional identity within the medical community and society. The physical therapist will be responsible for evaluating and managing an individual's movement system across the lifespan to promote optimal development; diagnose impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions; and provide interventions targeted at preventing or ameliorating activity limitations and participation restrictions. 5.

Characterization of clinical signs in the human interactome.

PubMed

Chagoyen, Monica; Pazos, Florencio

2016-06-15

Many diseases are related by shared associated molecules and pathways, exhibiting comorbidities and common phenotypes, an indication of the continuous nature of the human pathological landscape. Although it is continuous, this landscape is always partitioned into discrete diseases when studied at the molecular level. Clinical signs are also important phenotypic descriptors that can reveal the molecular mechanisms that underlie pathological states, but have seldom been the subject of systemic research. Here, we quantify the modular nature of the clinical signs associated with genetic diseases in the human interactome. We found that clinical signs are reflected as modules at the molecular network level, to at least to the same extent as diseases. They can thus serve as a valid complementary partition of the human pathological landscape, with implications for etiology research, diagnosis and treatment. monica.chagoyen@cnb.csic.es Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Human sexual behavior related to pathology and activity of the brain.

PubMed

Komisaruk, Barry R; Rodriguez Del Cerro, Maria Cruz

2015-01-01

Reviewed in this chapter are: (1) correlations among human sexual behavior, brain pathology, and brain activity, including caveats regarding the interpretation of "cause and effect" among these factors, and the degree to which "hypersexuality" and reported changes in sexual orientation correlated with brain pathology are uniquely sexual or are attributable to a generalized disinhibition of brain function; (2) the effects, in some cases inhibitory, in others facilitatory, on sexual behavior and motivation, of stroke, epileptic seizures, traumatic brain injury, and brain surgery; and (3) insights into sexual motivation and behavior recently gained from functional brain imaging research and its interpretive limitations. We conclude from the reviewed research that the neural orchestra underlying the symphony of human sexuality comprises, rather than brain "centers," multiple integrated brain systems, and that there are more questions than answers in our understanding of the control of human sexual behavior by the brain - a level of understanding that is still in embryonic form. © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Human myosin VIIa is a very slow processive motor protein on various cellular actin structures.

PubMed

Sato, Osamu; Komatsu, Satoshi; Sakai, Tsuyoshi; Tsukasaki, Yoshikazu; Tanaka, Ryosuke; Mizutani, Takeomi; Watanabe, Tomonobu M; Ikebe, Reiko; Ikebe, Mitsuo

2017-06-30

Human myosin VIIa (MYO7A) is an actin-linked motor protein associated with human Usher syndrome (USH) type 1B, which causes human congenital hearing and visual loss. Although it has been thought that the role of human myosin VIIa is critical for USH1 protein tethering with actin and transportation along actin bundles in inner-ear hair cells, myosin VIIa's motor function remains unclear. Here, we studied the motor function of the tail-truncated human myosin VIIa dimer (HM7AΔTail/LZ) at the single-molecule level. We found that the HM7AΔTail/LZ moves processively on single actin filaments with a step size of 35 nm. Dwell-time distribution analysis indicated an average waiting time of 3.4 s, yielding ∼0.3 s -1 for the mechanical turnover rate; hence, the velocity of HM7AΔTail/LZ was extremely slow, at 11 nm·s -1 We also examined HM7AΔTail/LZ movement on various actin structures in demembranated cells. HM7AΔTail/LZ showed unidirectional movement on actin structures at cell edges, such as lamellipodia and filopodia. However, HM7AΔTail/LZ frequently missed steps on actin tracks and exhibited bidirectional movement at stress fibers, which was not observed with tail-truncated myosin Va. These results suggest that the movement of the human myosin VIIa motor protein is more efficient on lamellipodial and filopodial actin tracks than on stress fibers, which are composed of actin filaments with different polarity, and that the actin structures influence the characteristics of cargo transportation by human myosin VIIa. In conclusion, myosin VIIa movement appears to be suitable for translocating USH1 proteins on stereocilia actin bundles in inner-ear hair cells. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

An Evaluation of a Classroom Science Intervention Designed to Extend the Bicycle Helmet Safety Message

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McPherson, Moira N.; Marsh, Pamela K.; Montelpare, William J.; Van Barneveld, Christina; Zerpa, Carlos E.

2009-01-01

Background: Wizards of Motion is a program of curriculum delivery through which experts in Kinesiology introduce grade 7 students to applications of physics for human movement. The program is linked closely to Ministry of Education curriculum requirements but includes human movement applications and data analysis experiences. Purpose: The purpose…

Combining High-Speed Cameras and Stop-Motion Animation Software to Support Students' Modeling of Human Body Movement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Victor R.

2015-01-01

Biomechanics, and specifically the biomechanics associated with human movement, is a potentially rich backdrop against which educators can design innovative science teaching and learning activities. Moreover, the use of technologies associated with biomechanics research, such as high-speed cameras that can produce high-quality slow-motion video,…

Human Movement as a Function of Color Stimulation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Srivastava, Rajendra K.; Peel, Thomas S.

A research study and the intent and purpose of its experiments are outlined to support the premise that "a change in the color of an environment will bring a change in the pattern of human movement within that environment". Experiment cited is concerned with the color variables of light beige and dark brown in a controlled environment with museum…

Freedom Train: The Underground Railroad as a Model of Christian Education, Antiracism, and Human Rights Advocacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fears, Barbara A.

2017-01-01

The Underground Railroad is the first racially integrated civil/human rights movement in the United States. The basic concepts of "escape" and "travel" that undergird the movement offer a way of envisioning the teaching/learning exchange as leaving behind unhealthy ideologies, and as journeying with students from one place of…

Authentically Happy School Psychologists: Applications of Positive Psychology for Enhancing Professional Satisfaction and Fulfillment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, David N.; Nickerson, Amanda B.; Chafouleas, Sandra M.; Osborne, Kristina M.

2008-01-01

There has recently been a growing movement within psychology toward placing a greater emphasis on building strengths and competencies rather than merely treating deficits and disorders. This movement, known as positive psychology, focuses on the scientific study of optimal human functioning and the variables that promote positive human emotions,…

An Interpretation of Rudolf Steiner's Theory of Child Development and School Readiness.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ogletree, Earl J.

Viewing human development as a process by which the human gains self-control, this essay argues that locomotion and speech are control-oriented motor movements and suggests that cognition is also a form of movement developed as the individual achieves control over his or her thinking processes. Support for this view of cognitive development is…

Homo floresiensis Contextualized: A Geometric Morphometric Comparative Analysis of Fossil and Pathological Human Samples

PubMed Central

Baab, Karen L.; McNulty, Kieran P.; Harvati, Katerina

2013-01-01

The origin of hominins found on the remote Indonesian island of Flores remains highly contentious. These specimens may represent a new hominin species, Homo floresiensis, descended from a local population of Homo erectus or from an earlier (pre-H. erectus) migration of a small-bodied and small-brained hominin out of Africa. Alternatively, some workers suggest that some or all of the specimens recovered from Liang Bua are pathological members of a small-bodied modern human population. Pathological conditions proposed to explain their documented anatomical features include microcephaly, myxoedematous endemic hypothyroidism (“cretinism”) and Laron syndrome (primary growth hormone insensitivity). This study evaluates evolutionary and pathological hypotheses through comparative analysis of cranial morphology. Geometric morphometric analyses of landmark data show that the sole Flores cranium (LB1) is clearly distinct from healthy modern humans and from those exhibiting hypothyroidism and Laron syndrome. Modern human microcephalic specimens converge, to some extent, on crania of extinct species of Homo. However in the features that distinguish these two groups, LB1 consistently groups with fossil hominins and is most similar to H. erectus. Our study provides further support for recognizing the Flores hominins as a distinct species, H. floresiensis, whose affinities lie with archaic Homo. PMID:23874886

Negative Influence of Motor Impairments on Upper Limb Movement Patterns in Children with Unilateral Cerebral Palsy. A Statistical Parametric Mapping Study

PubMed Central

Simon-Martinez, Cristina; Jaspers, Ellen; Mailleux, Lisa; Desloovere, Kaat; Vanrenterghem, Jos; Ortibus, Els; Molenaers, Guy; Feys, Hilde; Klingels, Katrijn

2017-01-01

Upper limb three-dimensional movement analysis (UL-3DMA) offers a reliable and valid tool to evaluate movement patterns in children with unilateral cerebral palsy (uCP). However, it remains unknown to what extent the underlying motor impairments explain deviant movement patterns. Such understanding is key to develop efficient rehabilitation programs. Although UL-3DMA has been shown to be a useful tool to assess movement patterns, it results in a multitude of data, challenging the clinical interpretation and consequently its implementation. UL-3DMA reports are often reduced to summary metrics, such as average or peak values per joint. However, these metrics do not take into account the continuous nature of the data or the interdependency between UL joints, and do not provide phase-specific information of the movement pattern. Moreover, summary metrics may not be sensitive enough to estimate the impact of motor impairments. Recently, Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) was proposed to overcome these problems. We collected UL-3DMA of 60 children with uCP and 60 typically developing children during eight functional tasks and evaluated the impact of spasticity and muscle weakness on UL movement patterns. SPM vector field analysis was used to analyze movement patterns at the level of five joints (wrist, elbow, shoulder, scapula, and trunk). Children with uCP showed deviant movement patterns in all joints during a large percentage of the movement cycle. Spasticity and muscle weakness negatively impacted on UL movement patterns during all tasks, which resulted in increased wrist flexion, elbow pronation and flexion, increased shoulder external rotation, decreased shoulder elevation with a preference for movement in the frontal plane and increased trunk internal rotation. Scapular position was altered during movement initiation, although scapular movements were not affected by muscle weakness or spasticity. In conclusion, we identified pathological movement patterns in children with uCP and additionally mapped the negative impact of spasticity and muscle weakness on these movement patterns, providing useful insights that will contribute to treatment planning. Last, we also identified a subset of the most relevant tasks for studying UL movements in children with uCP, which will facilitate the interpretation of UL-3DMA data and undoubtedly contribute to its clinical implementation. PMID:29051729

Evidence-based pain management: is the concept of integrative medicine applicable?

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

This article is dedicated to the concept of predictive, preventive, and personalized (integrative) medicine beneficial and applicable to advance pain management, overviews recent insights, and discusses novel minimally invasive tools, performed under ultrasound guidance, enhanced by model-guided approach in the field of musculoskeletal pain and neuromuscular diseases. The complexity of pain emergence and regression demands intellectual-, image-guided techniques personally specified to the patient. For personalized approach, the combination of the modalities of ultrasound, EMG, MRI, PET, and SPECT gives new opportunities to experimental and clinical studies. Neuromuscular imaging should be crucial for emergence of studies concerning advanced neuroimaging technologies to predict movement disorders, postural imbalance with integrated application of imaging, and functional modalities for rehabilitation and pain management. Scientific results should initiate evidence-based preventive movement programs in sport medicine rehabilitation. Traditional medicine and mathematical analytical approaches and education challenges are discussed in this review. The physiological management of exactly assessed pathological condition, particularly in movement disorders, requires participative medical approach to gain harmonized and sustainable effect. PMID:23088743

Movement Coordination during Conversation

PubMed Central

Latif, Nida; Barbosa, Adriano V.; Vatiokiotis-Bateson, Eric; Castelhano, Monica S.; Munhall, K. G.

2014-01-01

Behavioral coordination and synchrony contribute to a common biological mechanism that maintains communication, cooperation and bonding within many social species, such as primates and birds. Similarly, human language and social systems may also be attuned to coordination to facilitate communication and the formation of relationships. Gross similarities in movement patterns and convergence in the acoustic properties of speech have already been demonstrated between interacting individuals. In the present studies, we investigated how coordinated movements contribute to observers’ perception of affiliation (friends vs. strangers) between two conversing individuals. We used novel computational methods to quantify motor coordination and demonstrated that individuals familiar with each other coordinated their movements more frequently. Observers used coordination to judge affiliation between conversing pairs but only when the perceptual stimuli were restricted to head and face regions. These results suggest that observed movement coordination in humans might contribute to perceptual decisions based on availability of information to perceivers. PMID:25119189

Dissociating motivational direction and affective valence: specific emotions alter central motor processes.

PubMed

Coombes, Stephen A; Cauraugh, James H; Janelle, Christopher M

2007-11-01

We aimed to clarify the relation between affective valence and motivational direction by specifying how central and peripheral components of extension movements are altered according to specific unpleasant affective states. As predicted, premotor reaction time was quicker for extension movements initiated during exposure to attack than for extension movements initiated during exposure to all other valence categories (mutilation, erotic couples, opposite-sex nudes, neutral humans, household objects, blank). Exposure to erotic couples and mutilations yielded greater peak force than exposure to images of attack, neutral humans, and household objects. Finally, motor reaction time and peak electromyographic amplitude were not altered by valence. These findings indicate that unpleasant states do not unilaterally prime withdrawal movements, and that the quick execution of extension movements during exposure to threatening images is due to rapid premotor, rather than motor, reaction time. Collectively, our findings support the call for dissociating motivational direction and affective valence.

Laban Movement Analysis towards Behavior Patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos, Luís; Dias, Jorge

This work presents a study about the use of Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) as a robust tool to describe human basic behavior patterns, to be applied in human-machine interaction. LMA is a language used to describe and annotate dancing movements and is divided in components [1]: Body, Space, Shape and Effort. Despite its general framework is widely used in physical and mental therapy [2], it has found little application in the engineering domain. Rett J. [3] proposed to implement LMA using Bayesian Networks. However LMA component models have not yet been fully implemented. A study on how to approach behavior using LMA is presented. Behavior is a complex feature and movement chain, but we believe that most basic behavior primitives can be discretized in simple features. Correctly identifying Laban parameters and the movements the authors feel that good patterns can be found within a specific set of basic behavior semantics.

The forces generated at the human elbow joint in response to imposed sinusoidal movements of the forearm

PubMed Central

Joyce, G. C.; Rack, Peter M. H.; Ross, H. F.

1974-01-01

1. The mechanical resistance of the human forearm has been measured during imposed sinusoidal flexion-extension movements of the elbow joint. 2. The force required to move the limb can be divided into components required to move the mass, and components required to overcome the resistance offered by elastic and frictional properties of the muscles and other soft tissues. 3. When during a vigorous flexing effort the limb was subjected to a small amplitude sinusoidal movement each extension was followed by a considerable reflex contraction of the flexor muscles. At low frequencies of movement this reflex provided an added resistance to extension, but at 8-12 Hz the delay in the reflex pathway was such that the reflex response to extension occurred after the extension phase of the movement was over and during the subsequent flexion movement. The reflex activity then assisted the movement whereas at other frequencies it impeded it. 4. The reflex response to movement increased as the subject exerted a greater flexing force. 5. Small movements generated a relatively larger reflex response than big ones. 6. Even with large amplitudes of movement when the reflex activity was relatively small, the limb resisted extension with a high level of stiffness; this was comparable with the short range stiffness of muscles in experimental animals. 7. The fact that at some frequencies the reflex response assisted the movement implies that with appropriate loading the limb could undergo a self-sustaining oscillation at those frequencies. PMID:4420490

[Locked-in syndrome in literature, cinema and television].

PubMed

Collado-Vázquez, Susana; Carrillo, Jesús M

2012-05-01

Many diseases have been dealt with in literature, cinema or television, including epilepsy, cancer, mental disorders, movement disorders or infectious diseases. Among the many pathologies that have been considered, locked-in syndrome is one that has been of particular interest to writers and film-makers. To review how locked-in syndrome has been portrayed in literature, cinema and television. Locked-in syndrome is a state that is generally secondary to a brainstem lesion with involvement of the corticobulbar and corticospinal tracts, thereby impeding the patient from producing any kind of motor response. Patients remain conscious, maintain their higher functions and can both see and hear. Yet, they are quadriplegic with paralysis of the lower cranial nerves and cannot move or speak. They only conserve the capacity to move their eyes vertically and their eyelids, which they can use as a way to communicate. This pathology has come to the attention of writers and film and television directors, who have described characters with this syndrome. Likewise, there are also stories told in the first person by patients who have experienced this condition and who have written their story using eye movements as a means to communicate. Literature, cinema and television have shown an interest in locked-in syndrome and have placed special attention on the problems these patients have to communicate with others.

Hunting for the beat in the body: on period and phase locking in music-induced movement.

PubMed

Burger, Birgitta; Thompson, Marc R; Luck, Geoff; Saarikallio, Suvi H; Toiviainen, Petri

2014-01-01

Music has the capacity to induce movement in humans. Such responses during music listening are usually spontaneous and range from tapping to full-body dancing. However, it is still unclear how humans embody musical structures to facilitate entrainment. This paper describes two experiments, one dealing with period locking to different metrical levels in full-body movement and its relationships to beat- and rhythm-related musical characteristics, and the other dealing with phase locking in the more constrained condition of sideways swaying motions. Expected in Experiment 1 was that music with clear and strong beat structures would facilitate more period-locked movement. Experiment 2 was assumed to yield a common phase relationship between participants' swaying movements and the musical beat. In both experiments optical motion capture was used to record participants' movements. In Experiment 1 a window-based period-locking probability index related to four metrical levels was established, based on acceleration data in three dimensions. Subsequent correlations between this index and musical characteristics of the stimuli revealed pulse clarity to be related to periodic movement at the tactus level, and low frequency flux to mediolateral and anteroposterior movement at both tactus and bar levels. At faster tempi higher metrical levels became more apparent in participants' movement. Experiment 2 showed that about half of the participants showed a stable phase relationship between movement and beat, with superior-inferior movement most often being synchronized to the tactus level, whereas mediolateral movement was rather synchronized to the bar level. However, the relationship between movement phase and beat locations was not consistent between participants, as the beat locations occurred at different phase angles of their movements. The results imply that entrainment to music is a complex phenomenon, involving the whole body and occurring at different metrical levels.

Individual Movement Variability Magnitudes Are Explained by Cortical Neural Variability.

PubMed

Haar, Shlomi; Donchin, Opher; Dinstein, Ilan

2017-09-13

Humans exhibit considerable motor variability even across trivial reaching movements. This variability can be separated into specific kinematic components such as extent and direction that are thought to be governed by distinct neural processes. Here, we report that individual subjects (males and females) exhibit different magnitudes of kinematic variability, which are consistent (within individual) across movements to different targets and regardless of which arm (right or left) was used to perform the movements. Simultaneous fMRI recordings revealed that the same subjects also exhibited different magnitudes of fMRI variability across movements in a variety of motor system areas. These fMRI variability magnitudes were also consistent across movements to different targets when performed with either arm. Cortical fMRI variability in the posterior-parietal cortex of individual subjects explained their movement-extent variability. This relationship was apparent only in posterior-parietal cortex and not in other motor system areas, thereby suggesting that individuals with more variable movement preparation exhibit larger kinematic variability. We therefore propose that neural and kinematic variability are reliable and interrelated individual characteristics that may predispose individual subjects to exhibit distinct motor capabilities. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Neural activity and movement kinematics are remarkably variable. Although intertrial variability is rarely studied, here, we demonstrate that individual human subjects exhibit distinct magnitudes of neural and kinematic variability that are reproducible across movements to different targets and when performing these movements with either arm. Furthermore, when examining the relationship between cortical variability and movement variability, we find that cortical fMRI variability in parietal cortex of individual subjects explained their movement extent variability. This enabled us to explain why some subjects performed more variable movements than others based on their cortical variability magnitudes. Copyright © 2017 the authors 0270-6474/17/379076-10$15.00/0.

[Methods and methodology of pathology].

PubMed

Lushnikov, E F

The lecture gives the state-of-the-art of the methodology of human pathology that is an area of the scientific and practice activity of specialists to produce and systematize objective knowledge of pathology and to use the knowledge in clinical medicine. It considers the objects and subjects of an investigation, materials and methods of a pathologist, and the results of his/her work.

Goals and objectives for molecular pathology education in residency programs. The Association for Molecular Pathology Training and Education Committee.

PubMed

1999-11-01

Increasing knowledge of the molecular basis of disease and advances in technology for analyzing nucleic acids and gene products are changing pathology practice. The explosion of information regarding inherited susceptibility to disease is an important aspect of this transformation. Pathology residency programs are incorporating molecular pathology education into their curricula to prepare newly trained pathologists for the future, yet little guidance has been available regarding the important components of molecular pathology training. We present general goals for pathology training programs for molecular pathology education. These include recommendations to pathology residents for the acquisition of both basic knowledge in human genetics and molecular biology and specific skills relevant to microbiology, molecular oncology, genetics, histocompatibility, and identity determination. The importance of residents gaining facility in integrating data gained via nucleic acid based-technology with other laboratory and clinical information available in the care of patients is emphasized.

The influence of teriparatide in induced tooth movement: A systematic review.

PubMed

Souza-Silva, Bianca-Núbia; Rodrigues, José-Lucas-Sani-de Alcântara; Moreira, Jefferson-Chaves; Matos, Felipe-de Souza; Cesar, Carla-Patrícia-Hernandez-Alves-Ribeiro; Repeke, Carlos-Eduardo-Palanch; Paranhos, Luiz-Renato

2016-12-01

Teriparatide is a synthetic drug similar than PTH (parathyroid hormone), which is currently used as long-term treatment option for patients with bone chronic diseases, as osteoporosis; and this drug can interfere in a positive way in orthodontic movement. Objectives: The medical literature was assessed in the present systematic review in order to determine the level of scientific evidence supporting the influence of teriparatide in induced tooth movement. The PRISMA Checklist was followed in this systematic review. Four electronic databases (PubMed; Scopus; ScienceDirect; OpenGrey) were searched without implementing restrictions of year, status, and language of publications. The inclusion criteria consisted of selecting only experimental studies comparing the influence of teriparatide in tooth movement of male Wistar rats. The exclusion criteria consisted of experiments with female rats or other experimental animals, and animals with pathologic conditions. The eligible studies were evaluated based on methodological quality. Two trained examiners performed all the research steps. The initial sample comprised 700 studies, which was reduced to 664 after the exclusion of duplicates (n=36). Three articles were selected for the final qualitative analysis. The local administration of parathyroid hormone (PTH) 1-34 or PTH 1-84 revealed major effectiveness when compared with control groups and systematic administration. Additionally, the dilution of PTH 1-34 within methyl cellulose (MC) gel increased the time range for drug release, enabling to reduce the drug concentration without decreasing the effectiveness of tooth movement. Teriparatide demonstrated potential acceleration of tooth movement in Wistar rats depending on the drug concentration; drug administration; and time for drug release. Key words: Teriparatide, tooth movement, parathyroid hormone, orthodontics.

Visual and auditory cue integration for the generation of saccadic eye movements in monkeys and lever pressing in humans.

PubMed

Schiller, Peter H; Kwak, Michelle C; Slocum, Warren M

2012-08-01

This study examined how effectively visual and auditory cues can be integrated in the brain for the generation of motor responses. The latencies with which saccadic eye movements are produced in humans and monkeys form, under certain conditions, a bimodal distribution, the first mode of which has been termed express saccades. In humans, a much higher percentage of express saccades is generated when both visual and auditory cues are provided compared with the single presentation of these cues [H. C. Hughes et al. (1994) J. Exp. Psychol. Hum. Percept. Perform., 20, 131-153]. In this study, we addressed two questions: first, do monkeys also integrate visual and auditory cues for express saccade generation as do humans and second, does such integration take place in humans when, instead of eye movements, the task is to press levers with fingers? Our results show that (i) in monkeys, as in humans, the combined visual and auditory cues generate a much higher percentage of express saccades than do singly presented cues and (ii) the latencies with which levers are pressed by humans are shorter when both visual and auditory cues are provided compared with the presentation of single cues, but the distribution in all cases is unimodal; response latencies in the express range seen in the execution of saccadic eye movements are not obtained with lever pressing. © 2012 The Authors. European Journal of Neuroscience © 2012 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

The human dynamic clamp as a paradigm for social interaction.

PubMed

Dumas, Guillaume; de Guzman, Gonzalo C; Tognoli, Emmanuelle; Kelso, J A Scott

2014-09-02

Social neuroscience has called for new experimental paradigms aimed toward real-time interactions. A distinctive feature of interactions is mutual information exchange: One member of a pair changes in response to the other while simultaneously producing actions that alter the other. Combining mathematical and neurophysiological methods, we introduce a paradigm called the human dynamic clamp (HDC), to directly manipulate the interaction or coupling between a human and a surrogate constructed to behave like a human. Inspired by the dynamic clamp used so productively in cellular neuroscience, the HDC allows a person to interact in real time with a virtual partner itself driven by well-established models of coordination dynamics. People coordinate hand movements with the visually observed movements of a virtual hand, the parameters of which depend on input from the subject's own movements. We demonstrate that HDC can be extended to cover a broad repertoire of human behavior, including rhythmic and discrete movements, adaptation to changes of pacing, and behavioral skill learning as specified by a virtual "teacher." We propose HDC as a general paradigm, best implemented when empirically verified theoretical or mathematical models have been developed in a particular scientific field. The HDC paradigm is powerful because it provides an opportunity to explore parameter ranges and perturbations that are not easily accessible in ordinary human interactions. The HDC not only enables to test the veracity of theoretical models, it also illuminates features that are not always apparent in real-time human social interactions and the brain correlates thereof.

Time-Elastic Generative Model for Acceleration Time Series in Human Activity Recognition

PubMed Central

Munoz-Organero, Mario; Ruiz-Blazquez, Ramona

2017-01-01

Body-worn sensors in general and accelerometers in particular have been widely used in order to detect human movements and activities. The execution of each type of movement by each particular individual generates sequences of time series of sensed data from which specific movement related patterns can be assessed. Several machine learning algorithms have been used over windowed segments of sensed data in order to detect such patterns in activity recognition based on intermediate features (either hand-crafted or automatically learned from data). The underlying assumption is that the computed features will capture statistical differences that can properly classify different movements and activities after a training phase based on sensed data. In order to achieve high accuracy and recall rates (and guarantee the generalization of the system to new users), the training data have to contain enough information to characterize all possible ways of executing the activity or movement to be detected. This could imply large amounts of data and a complex and time-consuming training phase, which has been shown to be even more relevant when automatically learning the optimal features to be used. In this paper, we present a novel generative model that is able to generate sequences of time series for characterizing a particular movement based on the time elasticity properties of the sensed data. The model is used to train a stack of auto-encoders in order to learn the particular features able to detect human movements. The results of movement detection using a newly generated database with information on five users performing six different movements are presented. The generalization of results using an existing database is also presented in the paper. The results show that the proposed mechanism is able to obtain acceptable recognition rates (F = 0.77) even in the case of using different people executing a different sequence of movements and using different hardware. PMID:28208736

Time-Elastic Generative Model for Acceleration Time Series in Human Activity Recognition.

PubMed

Munoz-Organero, Mario; Ruiz-Blazquez, Ramona

2017-02-08

Body-worn sensors in general and accelerometers in particular have been widely used in order to detect human movements and activities. The execution of each type of movement by each particular individual generates sequences of time series of sensed data from which specific movement related patterns can be assessed. Several machine learning algorithms have been used over windowed segments of sensed data in order to detect such patterns in activity recognition based on intermediate features (either hand-crafted or automatically learned from data). The underlying assumption is that the computed features will capture statistical differences that can properly classify different movements and activities after a training phase based on sensed data. In order to achieve high accuracy and recall rates (and guarantee the generalization of the system to new users), the training data have to contain enough information to characterize all possible ways of executing the activity or movement to be detected. This could imply large amounts of data and a complex and time-consuming training phase, which has been shown to be even more relevant when automatically learning the optimal features to be used. In this paper, we present a novel generative model that is able to generate sequences of time series for characterizing a particular movement based on the time elasticity properties of the sensed data. The model is used to train a stack of auto-encoders in order to learn the particular features able to detect human movements. The results of movement detection using a newly generated database with information on five users performing six different movements are presented. The generalization of results using an existing database is also presented in the paper. The results show that the proposed mechanism is able to obtain acceptable recognition rates ( F = 0.77) even in the case of using different people executing a different sequence of movements and using different hardware.

Tracking the Evolution of Smartphone Sensing for Monitoring Human Movement.

PubMed

del Rosario, Michael B; Redmond, Stephen J; Lovell, Nigel H

2015-07-31

Advances in mobile technology have led to the emergence of the "smartphone", a new class of device with more advanced connectivity features that have quickly made it a constant presence in our lives. Smartphones are equipped with comparatively advanced computing capabilities, a global positioning system (GPS) receivers, and sensing capabilities (i.e., an inertial measurement unit (IMU) and more recently magnetometer and barometer) which can be found in wearable ambulatory monitors (WAMs). As a result, algorithms initially developed for WAMs that "count" steps (i.e., pedometers); gauge physical activity levels; indirectly estimate energy expenditure and monitor human movement can be utilised on the smartphone. These algorithms may enable clinicians to "close the loop" by prescribing timely interventions to improve or maintain wellbeing in populations who are at risk of falling or suffer from a chronic disease whose progression is linked to a reduction in movement and mobility. The ubiquitous nature of smartphone technology makes it the ideal platform from which human movement can be remotely monitored without the expense of purchasing, and inconvenience of using, a dedicated WAM. In this paper, an overview of the sensors that can be found in the smartphone are presented, followed by a summary of the developments in this field with an emphasis on the evolution of algorithms used to classify human movement. The limitations identified in the literature will be discussed, as well as suggestions about future research directions.

Hebbian Plasticity in CPG Controllers Facilitates Self-Synchronization for Human-Robot Handshaking.

PubMed

Jouaiti, Melanie; Caron, Lancelot; Hénaff, Patrick

2018-01-01

It is well-known that human social interactions generate synchrony phenomena which are often unconscious. If the interaction between individuals is based on rhythmic movements, synchronized and coordinated movements will emerge from the social synchrony. This paper proposes a plausible model of plastic neural controllers that allows the emergence of synchronized movements in physical and rhythmical interactions. The controller is designed with central pattern generators (CPG) based on rhythmic Rowat-Selverston neurons endowed with neuronal and synaptic Hebbian plasticity. To demonstrate the interest of the proposed model, the case of handshaking is considered because it is a very common, both physically and socially, but also, a very complex act in the point of view of robotics, neuroscience and psychology. Plastic CPGs controllers are implemented in the joints of a simulated robotic arm that has to learn the frequency and amplitude of an external force applied to its effector, thus reproducing the act of handshaking with a human. Results show that the neural and synaptic Hebbian plasticity are working together leading to a natural and autonomous synchronization between the arm and the external force even if the frequency is changing during the movement. Moreover, a power consumption analysis shows that, by offering emergence of synchronized and coordinated movements, the plasticity mechanisms lead to a significant decrease in the energy spend by the robot actuators thus generating a more adaptive and natural human/robot handshake.

The Responsiveness of Biological Motion Processing Areas to Selective Attention Towards Goals

PubMed Central

Herrington, John; Nymberg, Charlotte; Faja, Susan; Price, Elinora; Schultz, Robert

2012-01-01

A growing literature indicates that visual cortex areas viewed as primarily responsive to exogenous stimuli are susceptible to top-down modulation by selective attention. The present study examines whether brain areas involved in biological motion perception are among these areas – particularly with respect to selective attention towards human movement goals. Fifteen participants completed a point-light biological motion study following a two-by-two factorial design, with one factor representing an exogenous manipulation of human movement goals (goal-directed versus random movement), and the other an endogenous manipulation (a goal identification task versus an ancillary color-change task). Both manipulations yielded increased activation in the human homologue of motion-sensitive area MT+ (hMT+) as well as the extrastriate body area (EBA). The endogenous manipulation was associated with increased right posterior superior temporal sulcus (STS) activation, whereas the exogenous manipulation was associated with increased activation in left posterior STS. Selective attention towards goals activated portion of left hMT+/EBA only during the perception of purposeful movement consistent with emerging theories associating this area with the matching of visual motion input to known goal-directed actions. The overall pattern of results indicates that attention towards the goals of human movement activates biological motion areas. Ultimately, selective attention may explain why some studies examining biological motion show activation in hMT+ and EBA, even when using control stimuli with comparable motion properties. PMID:22796987

The Neurovestibular Challenges of Astronauts and Balance Patients: Some Past Countermeasures and Two Alternative Approaches to Elicitation, Assessment and Mitigation

PubMed Central

Lawson, Ben D.; Rupert, Angus H.; McGrath, Braden J.

2016-01-01

Astronauts and vestibular patients face analogous challenges to orientation function due to adaptive exogenous (weightlessness-induced) or endogenous (pathology-induced) alterations in the processing of acceleration stimuli. Given some neurovestibular similarities between these challenges, both affected groups may benefit from shared research approaches and adaptation measurement/improvement strategies. This article reviews various past strategies and introduces two plausible ground-based approaches, the first of which is a method for eliciting and assessing vestibular adaptation-induced imbalance. Second, we review a strategy for mitigating imbalance associated with vestibular pathology and fostering readaptation. In discussing the first strategy (for imbalance assessment), we review a pilot study wherein imbalance was elicited (among healthy subjects) via an adaptive challenge that caused a temporary/reversible disruption. The surrogate vestibular deficit was caused by a brief period of movement-induced adaptation to an altered (rotating) gravitoinertial frame of reference. This elicited adaptation and caused imbalance when head movements were made after reentry into the normal (non-rotating) frame of reference. We also review a strategy for fall mitigation, viz., a prototype tactile sway feedback device for aiding balance/recovery after disruptions caused by vestibular pathology. We introduce the device and review a preliminary exploration of its effectiveness in aiding clinical balance rehabilitation (discussing the implications for healthy astronauts). Both strategies reviewed in this article represent cross-disciplinary research spin-offs: the ground-based vestibular challenge and tactile cueing display were derived from aeromedical research to benefit military aviators suffering from flight simulator-relevant aftereffects or inflight spatial disorientation, respectively. These strategies merit further evaluation using clinical and astronaut populations. PMID:27920669

The Neurovestibular Challenges of Astronauts and Balance Patients: Some Past Countermeasures and Two Alternative Approaches to Elicitation, Assessment and Mitigation.

PubMed

Lawson, Ben D; Rupert, Angus H; McGrath, Braden J

2016-01-01

Astronauts and vestibular patients face analogous challenges to orientation function due to adaptive exogenous (weightlessness-induced) or endogenous (pathology-induced) alterations in the processing of acceleration stimuli. Given some neurovestibular similarities between these challenges, both affected groups may benefit from shared research approaches and adaptation measurement/improvement strategies. This article reviews various past strategies and introduces two plausible ground-based approaches, the first of which is a method for eliciting and assessing vestibular adaptation-induced imbalance. Second, we review a strategy for mitigating imbalance associated with vestibular pathology and fostering readaptation. In discussing the first strategy (for imbalance assessment), we review a pilot study wherein imbalance was elicited (among healthy subjects) via an adaptive challenge that caused a temporary/reversible disruption. The surrogate vestibular deficit was caused by a brief period of movement-induced adaptation to an altered (rotating) gravitoinertial frame of reference. This elicited adaptation and caused imbalance when head movements were made after reentry into the normal (non-rotating) frame of reference. We also review a strategy for fall mitigation, viz., a prototype tactile sway feedback device for aiding balance/recovery after disruptions caused by vestibular pathology. We introduce the device and review a preliminary exploration of its effectiveness in aiding clinical balance rehabilitation (discussing the implications for healthy astronauts). Both strategies reviewed in this article represent cross-disciplinary research spin-offs: the ground-based vestibular challenge and tactile cueing display were derived from aeromedical research to benefit military aviators suffering from flight simulator-relevant aftereffects or inflight spatial disorientation, respectively. These strategies merit further evaluation using clinical and astronaut populations.

Expertise under the microscope: processing histopathological slides.

PubMed

Jaarsma, Thomas; Jarodzka, Halszka; Nap, Marius; van Merrienboer, Jeroen J G; Boshuizen, Henny P A

2014-03-01

Although the obvious goal of training in clinical pathology is to bring forth capable diagnosticians, developmental stages and their characteristics are unknown. This study therefore aims to find expertise-related differences in the processing of histopathological slides using a combination of eye tracking data and verbal data. Participants in this study were 13 clinical pathologists (experts), 12 pathology residents (intermediates) and 13 medical students (novices). They diagnosed 10 microscopic images of colon tissue for 2 seconds. Eye movements, the given diagnoses, and the vocabulary used in post hoc verbal explanations were registered. Eye movements were analysed according to changes over trial time and the processing of diagnostically relevant areas. The content analysis of verbal data was based on a categorisation system developed from the literature. Although experts and intermediates showed equal levels of diagnostic accuracy, their visual and cognitive processing differed. Whereas experts relied on their first findings and checked the image further for other abnormalities, intermediates tended to double-check their first findings. In their explanations, experts focused on the typicality of the tissue, whereas intermediates mainly mentioned many specific pathologies. Novices looked less often at the relevant areas and were incomplete, incorrect and inconclusive in their explanations. Their diagnostic accuracy was correspondingly poor. This study indicates that in the case of intermediates and experts, different visual and cognitive strategies can result in equal levels of diagnostic accuracy. Lessons for training underline the relevance of the distinction between normal and abnormal tissue for novices, especially when the mental rotation of 2-D images is required. Intermediates need to be trained to see deviations in abnormalities. Feedback and an educational design that is specific to these developmental stages might improve training. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Human image tracking technique applied to remote collaborative environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagashima, Yoshio; Suzuki, Gen

1993-10-01

To support various kinds of collaborations over long distances by using visual telecommunication, it is necessary to transmit visual information related to the participants and topical materials. When people collaborate in the same workspace, they use visual cues such as facial expressions and eye movement. The realization of coexistence in a collaborative workspace requires the support of these visual cues. Therefore, it is important that the facial images be large enough to be useful. During collaborations, especially dynamic collaborative activities such as equipment operation or lectures, the participants often move within the workspace. When the people move frequently or over a wide area, the necessity for automatic human tracking increases. Using the movement area of the human being or the resolution of the extracted area, we have developed a memory tracking method and a camera tracking method for automatic human tracking. Experimental results using a real-time tracking system show that the extracted area fairly moves according to the movement of the human head.

Automatic decoding of facial movements reveals deceptive pain expressions

PubMed Central

Bartlett, Marian Stewart; Littlewort, Gwen C.; Frank, Mark G.; Lee, Kang

2014-01-01

Summary In highly social species such as humans, faces have evolved to convey rich information for social interaction, including expressions of emotions and pain [1–3]. Two motor pathways control facial movement [4–7]. A subcortical extrapyramidal motor system drives spontaneous facial expressions of felt emotions. A cortical pyramidal motor system controls voluntary facial expressions. The pyramidal system enables humans to simulate facial expressions of emotions not actually experienced. Their simulation is so successful that they can deceive most observers [8–11]. Machine vision may, however, be able to distinguish deceptive from genuine facial signals by identifying the subtle differences between pyramidally and extrapyramidally driven movements. Here we show that human observers could not discriminate real from faked expressions of pain better than chance, and after training, improved accuracy to a modest 55%. However a computer vision system that automatically measures facial movements and performs pattern recognition on those movements attained 85% accuracy. The machine system’s superiority is attributable to its ability to differentiate the dynamics of genuine from faked expressions. Thus by revealing the dynamics of facial action through machine vision systems, our approach has the potential to elucidate behavioral fingerprints of neural control systems involved in emotional signaling. PMID:24656830

Rhythm Pattern of Sole through Electrification of the Human Body When Walking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takiguchi, Kiyoaki; Wada, Takayuki; Tohyama, Shigeki

The rhythm of automatic cyclic movements such as walking is known to be generated by a rhythm generator called CPG in the spinal cord. The measurement of rhythm characteristics in walking is considered to be important for analyzing human bipedal walking and adaptive walking on irregular terrain. In particular, the soles that contact the terrain surface perform flexible movements similar to the movement of the fins of a lungfish, which is considered to be the predecessor of land animals. The sole movements are believed to be a basic movement acquired during prehistoric times. The detailed rhythm pattern of sole motion is considered to be important. We developed a method for measuring electrification without installing device on a subject's body and footwear for stabilizing the electrification of the human body. We measured the rhythm pattern of 20 subjects including 4 infants when walking by using this system and the corresponding equipment. Therefore, we confirmed the commonality of the correlative rhythm patterns of 20 subjects. Further, with regard to an individual subject, the reproducibility of a rhythm pattern with strong correlation coefficient > 0.93 ± 0.5 (mean ± SD) concerning rhythms of trials that are differently conducted on adult subjects could be confirmed.

Unobstructive Body Area Networks (BAN) for efficient movement monitoring.

PubMed

Felisberto, Filipe; Costa, Nuno; Fdez-Riverola, Florentino; Pereira, António

2012-01-01

The technological advances in medical sensors, low-power microelectronics and miniaturization, wireless communications and networks have enabled the appearance of a new generation of wireless sensor networks: the so-called wireless body area networks (WBAN). These networks can be used for continuous monitoring of vital parameters, movement, and the surrounding environment. The data gathered by these networks contributes to improve users' quality of life and allows the creation of a knowledge database by using learning techniques, useful to infer abnormal behaviour. In this paper we present a wireless body area network architecture to recognize human movement, identify human postures and detect harmful activities in order to prevent risk situations. The WBAN was created using tiny, cheap and low-power nodes with inertial and physiological sensors, strategically placed on the human body. Doing so, in an as ubiquitous as possible way, ensures that its impact on the users' daily actions is minimum. The information collected by these sensors is transmitted to a central server capable of analysing and processing their data. The proposed system creates movement profiles based on the data sent by the WBAN's nodes, and is able to detect in real time any abnormal movement and allows for a monitored rehabilitation of the user.

Cell motion predicts human epidermal stemness

PubMed Central

Toki, Fujio; Tate, Sota; Imai, Matome; Matsushita, Natsuki; Shiraishi, Ken; Sayama, Koji; Toki, Hiroshi; Higashiyama, Shigeki

2015-01-01

Image-based identification of cultured stem cells and noninvasive evaluation of their proliferative capacity advance cell therapy and stem cell research. Here we demonstrate that human keratinocyte stem cells can be identified in situ by analyzing cell motion during their cultivation. Modeling experiments suggested that the clonal type of cultured human clonogenic keratinocytes can be efficiently determined by analysis of early cell movement. Image analysis experiments demonstrated that keratinocyte stem cells indeed display a unique rotational movement that can be identified as early as the two-cell stage colony. We also demonstrate that α6 integrin is required for both rotational and collective cell motion. Our experiments provide, for the first time, strong evidence that cell motion and epidermal stemness are linked. We conclude that early identification of human keratinocyte stem cells by image analysis of cell movement is a valid parameter for quality control of cultured keratinocytes for transplantation. PMID:25897083

Model of Emotional Expressions in Movements

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rozaliev, Vladimir L.; Orlova, Yulia A.

2013-01-01

This paper presents a new approach to automated identification of human emotions based on analysis of body movements, a recognition of gestures and poses. Methodology, models and automated system for emotion identification are considered. To characterize the person emotions in the model, body movements are described with linguistic variables and a…

Movement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Lynda S.

This document summarizes 20 articles and books which stress the importance of movement in the overall development of the human species. Each summary ranges in length from 100 to 200 words and often includes direct quotations. A wide range of movement activities suitable for people of all ages (from infants to adults) are discussed. Many summaries…

Perceptual Learning Immediately Yields New Stable Motor Coordination

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Andrew D.; Snapp-Childs, Winona; Bingham, Geoffrey P.

2010-01-01

Coordinated rhythmic movement is specifically structured in humans. Movement at 0[degrees] mean relative phase is maximally stable, 180[degrees] is less stable, and other coordinations can, but must, be learned. Variations in perceptual ability play a key role in determining the observed stabilities so we investigated whether stable movements can…

From Civil Rights to Human Rights

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bond, Julian

2014-01-01

This article traces the development of the "Deaf President Now" (DPN) movement and its similarities to the black civil rights movement. Movements typically begin with a concrete, precipitating event but are usually the result of known or shared incidents on the part of the participants, and the "Deaf President Now" movement…

Learning dictionaries of sparse codes of 3D movements of body joints for real-time human activity understanding.

PubMed

Qi, Jin; Yang, Zhiyong

2014-01-01

Real-time human activity recognition is essential for human-robot interactions for assisted healthy independent living. Most previous work in this area is performed on traditional two-dimensional (2D) videos and both global and local methods have been used. Since 2D videos are sensitive to changes of lighting condition, view angle, and scale, researchers begun to explore applications of 3D information in human activity understanding in recently years. Unfortunately, features that work well on 2D videos usually don't perform well on 3D videos and there is no consensus on what 3D features should be used. Here we propose a model of human activity recognition based on 3D movements of body joints. Our method has three steps, learning dictionaries of sparse codes of 3D movements of joints, sparse coding, and classification. In the first step, space-time volumes of 3D movements of body joints are obtained via dense sampling and independent component analysis is then performed to construct a dictionary of sparse codes for each activity. In the second step, the space-time volumes are projected to the dictionaries and a set of sparse histograms of the projection coefficients are constructed as feature representations of the activities. Finally, the sparse histograms are used as inputs to a support vector machine to recognize human activities. We tested this model on three databases of human activities and found that it outperforms the state-of-the-art algorithms. Thus, this model can be used for real-time human activity recognition in many applications.

Human host defense peptides - role in maintaining human homeostasis and pathological processes.

PubMed

Dawgul, Malgorzata Anna; Greber, Katarzyna Ewa; Sawicki, Wieslaw; Kamysz, Wojciech

2016-12-12

The human body expresses over 100 host defense peptides and proteins (antimicrobial peptides, AMPs). The compounds are produced by tissues and mucosal surfaces, e.g. skin, the digestive and urinary tract, the ocular surface and neutrophils, and are believed to play a crucial role in defense from microbial infection. They are considered to protect the human body against microbial infections due to their antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activities. As well as having strong antimicrobial activity towards a broad spectrum of microorganisms, AMPs have been found to interact with neutrophils, monocytes and T-cells and promote the production of cytokines. They also neutralize the action of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and play a crucial role in wound healing processes. In response to the microbial stimuli the AMPs are released in order to fight the infection, however there are several microorganisms evading the human immune system by downregulation of AMPs. Decreased or elevated expression of AMPs is associated also with several non-infectious diseases. Despite numerous studies conducted in the field of AMPs over the last few decades, their exact role in physiological and pathological processes remains to be explained. In this paper, we review the most significant human AMPs and their potential roles in maintaining human homeostasis as well as in pathological processes.

Human γ-Glutamyl Transpeptidase 1: STRUCTURES OF THE FREE ENZYME, INHIBITOR-BOUND TETRAHEDRAL TRANSITION STATES, AND GLUTAMATE-BOUND ENZYME REVEAL NOVEL MOVEMENT WITHIN THE ACTIVE SITE DURING CATALYSIS.

PubMed

Terzyan, Simon S; Burgett, Anthony W G; Heroux, Annie; Smith, Clyde A; Mooers, Blaine H M; Hanigan, Marie H

2015-07-10

γ-Glutamyl transpeptidase 1 (GGT1) is a cell surface, N-terminal nucleophile hydrolase that cleaves glutathione and other γ-glutamyl compounds. GGT1 expression is essential in cysteine homeostasis, and its induction has been implicated in the pathology of asthma, reperfusion injury, and cancer. In this study, we report four new crystal structures of human GGT1 (hGGT1) that show conformational changes within the active site as the enzyme progresses from the free enzyme to inhibitor-bound tetrahedral transition states and finally to the glutamate-bound structure prior to the release of this final product of the reaction. The structure of the apoenzyme shows flexibility within the active site. The serine-borate-bound hGGT1 crystal structure demonstrates that serine-borate occupies the active site of the enzyme, resulting in an enzyme-inhibitor complex that replicates the enzyme's tetrahedral intermediate/transition state. The structure of GGsTop-bound hGGT1 reveals its interactions with the enzyme and why neutral phosphonate diesters are more potent inhibitors than monoanionic phosphonates. These structures are the first structures for any eukaryotic GGT that include a molecule in the active site covalently bound to the catalytic Thr-381. The glutamate-bound structure shows the conformation of the enzyme prior to release of the final product and reveals novel information regarding the displacement of the main chain atoms that form the oxyanion hole and movement of the lid loop region when the active site is occupied. These data provide new insights into the mechanism of hGGT1-catalyzed reactions and will be invaluable in the development of new classes of hGGT1 inhibitors for therapeutic use. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

The Complexity of Human Walking: A Knee Osteoarthritis Study

PubMed Central

Kotti, Margarita; Duffell, Lynsey D.; Faisal, Aldo A.; McGregor, Alison H.

2014-01-01

This study proposes a framework for deconstructing complex walking patterns to create a simple principal component space before checking whether the projection to this space is suitable for identifying changes from the normality. We focus on knee osteoarthritis, the most common knee joint disease and the second leading cause of disability. Knee osteoarthritis affects over 250 million people worldwide. The motivation for projecting the highly dimensional movements to a lower dimensional and simpler space is our belief that motor behaviour can be understood by identifying a simplicity via projection to a low principal component space, which may reflect upon the underlying mechanism. To study this, we recruited 180 subjects, 47 of which reported that they had knee osteoarthritis. They were asked to walk several times along a walkway equipped with two force plates that capture their ground reaction forces along 3 axes, namely vertical, anterior-posterior, and medio-lateral, at 1000 Hz. Data when the subject does not clearly strike the force plate were excluded, leaving 1–3 gait cycles per subject. To examine the complexity of human walking, we applied dimensionality reduction via Probabilistic Principal Component Analysis. The first principal component explains 34% of the variance in the data, whereas over 80% of the variance is explained by 8 principal components or more. This proves the complexity of the underlying structure of the ground reaction forces. To examine if our musculoskeletal system generates movements that are distinguishable between normal and pathological subjects in a low dimensional principal component space, we applied a Bayes classifier. For the tested cross-validated, subject-independent experimental protocol, the classification accuracy equals 82.62%. Also, a novel complexity measure is proposed, which can be used as an objective index to facilitate clinical decision making. This measure proves that knee osteoarthritis subjects exhibit more variability in the two-dimensional principal component space. PMID:25232949

Choice of Human-Computer Interaction Mode in Stroke Rehabilitation.

PubMed

Mousavi Hondori, Hossein; Khademi, Maryam; Dodakian, Lucy; McKenzie, Alison; Lopes, Cristina V; Cramer, Steven C

2016-03-01

Advances in technology are providing new forms of human-computer interaction. The current study examined one form of human-computer interaction, augmented reality (AR), whereby subjects train in the real-world workspace with virtual objects projected by the computer. Motor performances were compared with those obtained while subjects used a traditional human-computer interaction, that is, a personal computer (PC) with a mouse. Patients used goal-directed arm movements to play AR and PC versions of the Fruit Ninja video game. The 2 versions required the same arm movements to control the game but had different cognitive demands. With AR, the game was projected onto the desktop, where subjects viewed the game plus their arm movements simultaneously, in the same visual coordinate space. In the PC version, subjects used the same arm movements but viewed the game by looking up at a computer monitor. Among 18 patients with chronic hemiparesis after stroke, the AR game was associated with 21% higher game scores (P = .0001), 19% faster reaching times (P = .0001), and 15% less movement variability (P = .0068), as compared to the PC game. Correlations between game score and arm motor status were stronger with the AR version. Motor performances during the AR game were superior to those during the PC game. This result is due in part to the greater cognitive demands imposed by the PC game, a feature problematic for some patients but clinically useful for others. Mode of human-computer interface influences rehabilitation therapy demands and can be individualized for patients. © The Author(s) 2015.

Correlative Light and Scanning X-Ray Scattering Microscopy of Healthy and Pathologic Human Bone Sections

PubMed Central

Giannini, C.; Siliqi, D.; Bunk, O.; Beraudi, A.; Ladisa, M.; Altamura, D.; Stea, S.; Baruffaldi, F.

2012-01-01

Scanning small and wide angle X-ray scattering (scanning SWAXS) experiments were performed on healthy and pathologic human bone sections. Via crystallographic tools the data were transformed into quantitative images and as such compared with circularly polarized light (CPL) microscopy images. SWAXS and CPL images allowed extracting information of the mineral nanocrystalline phase embedded, with and without preferred orientation, in the collagen fibrils, mapping local changes at sub-osteon resolution. This favorable combination has been applied for the first time to biopsies of dwarfism syndrome and Paget's disease to shed light onto the cortical structure of natural bone in healthy and pathologic sections. PMID:22666538

Direction of Perceived Motion and Eye Movements Show Similar Biases for Asymmetrically Windowed Moving Plaids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beutter, B. R.; Mulligan, J. B.; Stone, L. S.; Hargens, Alan R. (Technical Monitor)

1995-01-01

We have shown that moving a plaid in an asymmetric window biases the perceived direction of motion (Beutter, Mulligan & Stone, ARVO 1994). We now explore whether these biased motion signals might also drive the smooth eye-movement response by comparing the perceived and tracked directions. The human smooth oculomotor response to moving plaids appears to be driven by the perceived rather than the veridical direction of motion. This suggests that human motion perception and smooth eye movements share underlying neural motion-processing substrates as has already been shown to be true for monkeys.

In vivo spectroscopy of healthy skin and pathology in terahertz frequency range

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaytsev, Kirill I.; Kudrin, Konstantin G.; Reshetov, Igor V.; Gavdush, Arseniy A.; Chernomyrdin, Nikita V.; Karasik, Valeriy E.; Yurchenko, Stanislav O.

2015-01-01

Biomedical applications of terahertz (THz) technology and, in particular, THz pulsed spectroscopy have attracted considerable interest in the scientific community. A lot of papers have been dedicated to studying the ability for human disease diagnosis, including the diagnosis of human skin cancers. In this paper we have studied the THz material parameters and THz dielectric properties of human skin and pathology in vivo, and THz pulsed spectroscopy has been utilized for this purpose. We have found a contrast between material parameters of basal cell carcinoma and healthy skin, and we have also compared the THz material parameters of dysplastic and non-dysplastic pigmentary nevi in order to study the ability for early melanoma diagnosis. Significant differences between the THz material parameters of healthy skin and pathology have been detected, thus, THz pulsed spectroscopy promises to be become an effective tool for non-invasive diagnosis of skin neoplasms.

Melatonin: a chemical photoperiodic signal with clinical significance in humans.

PubMed

Pang, S F; Pang, C S; Poon, A M; Lee, P P; Liu, Z M; Shiu, S Y

1998-03-01

Secretion of pineal melatonin exhibits a diumal rhythm and a seasonal rhythm in humans. Night-time melatonin is high at 3-5 year-old and decreases with age. Many drugs and pathological conditions also change melatonin levels in the circulation. Melatonin has a mild sedative effect and has been used effectively in synchronizing the sleep-wake cycle of patients with sleep disorders. Immunoenhancing, anti-cancer, anti-aging and anti-oxidant effects of melatonin have been proposed. Recent studies suggest that melatonin receptors are present in central and peripheral tissues. The importance of melatonin receptors on the nervous, reproductive, immune and renal functions is implicated. Studies on the molecular biology, physiology and pathology of melatonin receptors in different tissues are progressing rapidly. The physiological and pathological changes in melatonin secretion, multifarious melatonin actions, and diverse melatonin receptors reported suggest that melatonin is a photoperiodic signal with clinical significance in humans.

Synchronizing movements with the metronome: nonlinear error correction and unstable periodic orbits.

PubMed

Engbert, Ralf; Krampe, Ralf Th; Kurths, Jürgen; Kliegl, Reinhold

2002-02-01

The control of human hand movements is investigated in a simple synchronization task. We propose and analyze a stochastic model based on nonlinear error correction; a mechanism which implies the existence of unstable periodic orbits. This prediction is tested in an experiment with human subjects. We find that our experimental data are in good agreement with numerical simulations of our theoretical model. These results suggest that feedback control of the human motor systems shows nonlinear behavior. Copyright 2001 Elsevier Science (USA).

Neuronal ensemble control of prosthetic devices by a human with tetraplegia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hochberg, Leigh R.; Serruya, Mijail D.; Friehs, Gerhard M.; Mukand, Jon A.; Saleh, Maryam; Caplan, Abraham H.; Branner, Almut; Chen, David; Penn, Richard D.; Donoghue, John P.

2006-07-01

Neuromotor prostheses (NMPs) aim to replace or restore lost motor functions in paralysed humans by routeing movement-related signals from the brain, around damaged parts of the nervous system, to external effectors. To translate preclinical results from intact animals to a clinically useful NMP, movement signals must persist in cortex after spinal cord injury and be engaged by movement intent when sensory inputs and limb movement are long absent. Furthermore, NMPs would require that intention-driven neuronal activity be converted into a control signal that enables useful tasks. Here we show initial results for a tetraplegic human (MN) using a pilot NMP. Neuronal ensemble activity recorded through a 96-microelectrode array implanted in primary motor cortex demonstrated that intended hand motion modulates cortical spiking patterns three years after spinal cord injury. Decoders were created, providing a `neural cursor' with which MN opened simulated e-mail and operated devices such as a television, even while conversing. Furthermore, MN used neural control to open and close a prosthetic hand, and perform rudimentary actions with a multi-jointed robotic arm. These early results suggest that NMPs based upon intracortical neuronal ensemble spiking activity could provide a valuable new neurotechnology to restore independence for humans with paralysis.

Limited Transfer of Newly Acquired Movement Patterns across Walking and Running in Humans

PubMed Central

Ogawa, Tetsuya; Kawashima, Noritaka; Ogata, Toru; Nakazawa, Kimitaka

2012-01-01

The two major modes of locomotion in humans, walking and running, may be regarded as a function of different speed (walking as slower and running as faster). Recent results using motor learning tasks in humans, as well as more direct evidence from animal models, advocate for independence in the neural control mechanisms underlying different locomotion tasks. In the current study, we investigated the possible independence of the neural mechanisms underlying human walking and running. Subjects were tested on a split-belt treadmill and adapted to walking or running on an asymmetrically driven treadmill surface. Despite the acquisition of asymmetrical movement patterns in the respective modes, the emergence of asymmetrical movement patterns in the subsequent trials was evident only within the same modes (walking after learning to walk and running after learning to run) and only partial in the opposite modes (walking after learning to run and running after learning to walk) (thus transferred only limitedly across the modes). Further, the storage of the acquired movement pattern in each mode was maintained independently of the opposite mode. Combined, these results provide indirect evidence for independence in the neural control mechanisms underlying the two locomotive modes. PMID:23029490

Acquisition and improvement of human motor skills: Learning through observation and practice

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Iba, Wayne

1991-01-01

Skilled movement is an integral part of the human existence. A better understanding of motor skills and their development is a prerequisite to the construction of truly flexible intelligent agents. We present MAEANDER, a computational model of human motor behavior, that uniformly addresses both the acquisition of skills through observation and the improvement of skills through practice. MAEANDER consists of a sensory-effector interface, a memory of movements, and a set of performance and learning mechanisms that let it recognize and generate motor skills. The system initially acquires such skills by observing movements performed by another agent and constructing a concept hierarchy. Given a stored motor skill in memory, MAEANDER will cause an effector to behave appropriately. All learning involves changing the hierarchical memory of skill concepts to more closely correspond to either observed experience or to desired behaviors. We evaluated MAEANDER empirically with respect to how well it acquires and improves both artificial movement types and handwritten script letters from the alphabet. We also evaluate MAEANDER as a psychological model by comparing its behavior to robust phenomena in humans and by considering the richness of the predictions it makes.

Yeast Studies Lead to a New DNA-Based Model for Research on Development | Poster

Cancer.gov

A paper from Amar J. S. Klar, Ph.D., with the RNA Biology Laboratory in NCI’s Center for Cancer Research, has identified a model for DNA research that explains the congenital disorder of mirror hand movements in humans. A mirror movement is when an intentional movement on one side of the body is mirrored by an involuntary movement on the other.

The Endpoint Hypothesis: A Topological-Cognitive Assessment of Geographic Scale Movement Patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klippel, Alexander; Li, Rui

Movement patterns of individual entities at the geographic scale are becoming a prominent research focus in spatial sciences. One pertinent question is how cognitive and formal characterizations of movement patterns relate. In other words, are (mostly qualitative) formal characterizations cognitively adequate? This article experimentally evaluates movement patterns that can be characterized as paths through a conceptual neighborhood graph, that is, two extended spatial entities changing their topological relationship gradually. The central questions addressed are: (a) Do humans naturally use topology to create cognitive equivalent classes, that is, is topology the basis for categorizing movement patterns spatially? (b) Are ‘all’ topological relations equally salient, and (c) does language influence categorization. The first two questions are addressed using a modification of the endpoint hypothesis stating that: movement patterns are distinguished by the topological relation they end in. The third question addresses whether language has an influence on the classification of movement patterns, that is, whether there is a difference between linguistic and non-linguistic category construction. In contrast to our previous findings we were able to document the importance of topology for conceptualizing movement patterns but also reveal differences in the cognitive saliency of topological relations. The latter aspect calls for a weighted conceptual neighborhood graph to cognitively adequately model human conceptualization processes.

Decoding of Human Movements Based on Deep Brain Local Field Potentials Using Ensemble Neural Networks

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Decoding neural activities related to voluntary and involuntary movements is fundamental to understanding human brain motor circuits and neuromotor disorders and can lead to the development of neuromotor prosthetic devices for neurorehabilitation. This study explores using recorded deep brain local field potentials (LFPs) for robust movement decoding of Parkinson's disease (PD) and Dystonia patients. The LFP data from voluntary movement activities such as left and right hand index finger clicking were recorded from patients who underwent surgeries for implantation of deep brain stimulation electrodes. Movement-related LFP signal features were extracted by computing instantaneous power related to motor response in different neural frequency bands. An innovative neural network ensemble classifier has been proposed and developed for accurate prediction of finger movement and its forthcoming laterality. The ensemble classifier contains three base neural network classifiers, namely, feedforward, radial basis, and probabilistic neural networks. The majority voting rule is used to fuse the decisions of the three base classifiers to generate the final decision of the ensemble classifier. The overall decoding performance reaches a level of agreement (kappa value) at about 0.729 ± 0.16 for decoding movement from the resting state and about 0.671 ± 0.14 for decoding left and right visually cued movements. PMID:29201041

The four As associated with pathological Parkinson disease gamblers: anxiety, anger, age, and agonists.

PubMed

Shapiro, Michael A; Chang, Yu Ling; Munson, Sarah K; Jacobson, Charles E; Rodriguez, Ramon L; Skidmore, Frank M; Okun, Michael S; Fernandez, Hubert H

2007-02-01

Several studies have related pathological gambling in PD to dopamine agonist therapy. A mail-in survey was sent to PD patients seen at the University of Florida Movement Disorders Center to determine gambling frequency and behavior, and any lifestyle or environmental factors associated with compulsive gambling in PD. 462 surveys were sent and 127 completed surveys were returned, of which ten were from patients who met criteria for compulsive gambling. All ten were taking dopamine agonists coincident with the compulsive gambling. Compulsive gamblers were younger, and psychological distress measures revealed that compulsive gamblers exhibited higher levels of anxiety, anger, and confusion. Thus in this cohort, we have uncovered the several characteristics of the most likely PD compulsive gambler, namely: (young) age, "angry", "anxious", and using a (dopamine) agonist.

[Obsessive-compulsive disorder, a new model of basal ganglia dysfunction? Elements from deep brain stimulation studies].

PubMed

Haynes, W I A; Millet, B; Mallet, L

2012-01-01

Deep brain stimulation was first developed for movement disorders but is now being offered as a therapeutic alternative in severe psychiatric disorders after the failure of conventional therapies. One of such pathologies is obsessive-compulsive disorder. This disorder which associates intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive irrepressible rituals (compulsions) is characterized by a dysfunction of a cortico-subcortical loop. After having reviewed the pathophysiological evidence to show why deep brain stimulation was an interesting path to take for severe and resistant cases of obsessive-compulsive disorder, we will present the results of the different clinical trials. Finally, we will provide possible mechanisms for the effects of deep brain stimulation in this pathology. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

[The significance of electronic CTG for intrauterine volvulus in the 32nd week of gestation].

PubMed

Schiermeier, S; Reinhard, J; Westhof, G; Hatzmann, W

2008-02-01

Intrauterine intestinal volvulus is a difficult diagnosis to make, but has life-threatening implications for the fetus. We present a case of vulvulus without malrotation in a single fetus revealed in the 32nd gestation week in a 44-year-old woman. The presenting complaint of this patient was reduced fetal movements. Ultrasound examination showed a normal result except for a dilated stomach. Doppler ultrasound results were within the normal range. Computed cardiotocography (CTG) showed pathological results for acceleration and suspect values for variability. Short-term variability (STV) was at 2.80 ms. Due to the pathological computed CTG results a Caesarian section was carried out. The newborn received prompt postnatal surgical treatment and continues to be in good overall condition.

[Anatomo-functional aspects and diagnostic algorithm (of the upper limb pathologies secondary to repeated trauma)].

PubMed

Bazzini, G

2001-01-01

The epidemiology of work-related musculo-skeletal pathologies of the upper limbs has become significantly relevant in the last years, and a sharp increasing trend can be observed. This paper mainly focuses on the chronic inflammatory and degenerative conditions, which are more complex and difficult to accurately diagnose and treat. A synthesis of the diagnostic picture of the different types, involving the joints, muscles and tendons, and peripheral nerves is provided, with mention of the sensitivity and specificity of the main diagnostic tests. The possible entrapments of the radial, median and ulnar nerves are described in detail. Finally, a brief critical review on the principal movements of the upper limbs which are responsible of the onset of such conditions is presented.

Jean Comandon Neuroscientist.

PubMed

Lorusso, Lorenzo; Lefebvre, Thierry; de Pastre, Béatrice

2016-01-01

The microbiologist Jean Comandon is famous for his studies on the movement of the syphilis bacteria as differentiated in various forms by ultramicroscope. He was also a pioneer on the technical application of the microcinematography in laboratory research. His collaboration with clinicians and surgeons in the study of various pathological disorders is little known. From 1918 to the 1920s, he collaborated with such neurologists as André Thomas, Jean Athanase Sicard, and others in the study of various neurological disorders by using cinematography as a scientific tool for understanding the clinical and pathological mechanisms of diseases. These collaborations allowed him to be involved in the beginnings of the French cinematography industry, especially with Charles Pathé who established a small film studio laboratory in Vincennes where a multidisciplinary group improved the application of cinematography in clinical medical practice.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury, Reconstruction, and the Optimization of Outcome

PubMed Central

Bliss, James Philip

2017-01-01

Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) provides an established surgical intervention to control pathological tibiofemoral translational and rotational movement. ACLR is a safe and reproducible intervention, but there remains an underlying rate of failure to return to preinjury sporting activity levels. Postoperative pathological laxity and graft reinjury remain concerns. Previously, unrecognized meniscal lesions, disruption of the lateral capsule, and extracapsular structures offer potential avenues to treat and to therefore improve kinematic outcome and functional results, following reconstruction. Addressing laterally based injuries may also improve the durability of intraarticular ACLR. Improving the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) graft replication of the normal ACL attachment points on the femur and the tibia, using either double bundle or anatomical single bundle techniques, improves kinematics, which may benefit outcome and functionality, following reconstruction. PMID:28966384

Pathology in Greece.

PubMed

Sakellariou, S; Patsouris, E

2015-11-01

Pathology is the field of medicine that studies diseases. Ancient Greece hosted some of the earliest societies that laid the structural foundations of pathology. Initially, knowledge was based on observations but later on the key elements of pathology were established based on the dissection of animals and the autopsy of human cadavers. Christianized Greece under Ottoman rule (1453-1821) was not conducive to the development of pathology. After liberation, however, a series of events took place that paved the way for the establishment and further development of the specialty. The appointment in 1849 of two Professors of Pathology at the Medical School of Athens for didactical purposes proved to be the most important step in fostering the field of pathology in modern Greece. Presently in Greece there are seven university departments and 74 pathology laboratories in public hospitals, employing 415 specialized pathologists and 90 residents. The First Department of Pathology at the Medical School of Athens University is the oldest (1849) and largest in Greece, encompassing most pathology subspecialties.

Human arm stiffness and equilibrium-point trajectory during multi-joint movement.

PubMed

Gomi, H; Kawato, M

1997-03-01

By using a newly designed high-performance manipulandum and a new estimation algorithm, we measured human multi-joint arm stiffness parameters during multi-joint point-to-point movements on a horizontal plane. This manipulandum allows us to apply a sufficient perturbation to subject's arm within a brief period during movement. Arm stiffness parameters were reliably estimated using a new algorithm, in which all unknown structural parameters could be estimated independent of arm posture (i.e., constant values under any arm posture). Arm stiffness during transverse movement was considerably greater than that during corresponding posture, but not during a longitudinal movement. Although the ratios of elbow, shoulder, and double-joint stiffness were varied in time, the orientation of stiffness ellipses during the movement did not change much. Equilibrium-point trajectories that were predicted from measured stiffness parameters and actual trajectories were slightly sinusoidally curved in Cartesian space and their velocity profiles were quite different from the velocity profiles of actual hand trajectories. This result contradicts the hypothesis that the brain does not take the dynamics into account in movement control depending on the neuromuscular servo mechanism; rather, it implies that the brain needs to acquire some internal models of controlled objects.

Forensic molecular pathology: its impacts on routine work, education and training.

PubMed

Maeda, Hitoshi; Ishikawa, Takaki; Michiue, Tomomi

2014-03-01

The major role of forensic pathology is the investigation of human death in relevance to social risk management to determine the cause and process of death, especially in violent and unexpected sudden deaths, which involve social and medicolegal issues of ultimate, personal and public concerns. In addition to the identification of victims and biological materials, forensic molecular pathology contributes to general explanation of the human death process and assessment of individual death on the basis of biological molecular evidence, visualizing dynamic functional changes involved in the dying process that cannot be detected by morphology (pathophysiological or molecular biological vital reactions); the genetic background (genomics), dynamics of gene expression (up-/down-regulation: transcriptomics) and vital phenomena, involving activated biological mediators and degenerative products (proteomics) as well as metabolic deterioration (metabolomics), are detected by DNA analysis, relative quantification of mRNA transcripts using real-time reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR), and immunohisto-/immunocytochemistry combined with biochemistry, respectively. Thus, forensic molecular pathology involves the application of omic medical sciences to investigate the genetic basis, and cause and process of death at the biological molecular level in the context of forensic pathology, that is, 'advanced molecular autopsy'. These procedures can be incorporated into routine death investigations as well as guidance, education and training programs in forensic pathology for 'dynamic assessment of the cause and process of death' on the basis of autopsy and laboratory data. Postmortem human data can also contribute to understanding patients' critical conditions in clinical management. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Formation of an internal model of environment dynamics during upper limb reaching movements: a fuzzy approach.

PubMed

MacDonald, Chad; Moussavi, Zahra; Sarkodie-Gyan, Thompson

2007-01-01

This paper presents the development and simulation of a fuzzy logic based learning mechanism to emulate human motor learning. In particular, fuzzy inference was used to develop an internal model of a novel dynamic environment experienced during planar reaching movements with the upper limb. A dynamic model of the human arm was developed and a fuzzy if-then rule base was created to relate trajectory movement and velocity errors to internal model update parameters. An experimental simulation was performed to compare the fuzzy system's performance with that of human subjects. It was found that the dynamic model behaved as expected, and the fuzzy learning mechanism created an internal model that was capable of opposing the environmental force field to regain a trajectory closely resembling the desired ideal.

Pathological Imitative Behavior and Response Preparation in Schizophrenia.

PubMed

Dankinas, Denisas; Melynyte, Sigita; Siurkute, Aldona; Dapsys, Kastytis

2017-08-01

Pathological imitative behavior (ehopraxia) is occasionally observed in schizophrenia patients. However, only a severe form of echopraxia can be detected with the help of a direct observation. Therefore, our goal was to study a latent form of pathological imitative behavior in this disorder, which is indicated by an increase of imitative tendencies. In our study, 14 schizophrenia patients and 15 healthy subjects were employed in two tasks: (a) in an imitative task they had to copy a hand action seen on a screen; (b) in a counter-imitative task they had to make a different movement (which involves an inhibition of prepotent imitative tendency that is impaired in case of pathological imitative behavior). Imitative tendencies were assessed by an interference score - a difference between counter-imitative and imitative response parameters. We also studied a response preparation in both groups by employing precueing probabilistic information. Our results revealed that schizophrenia patients were able to employ probabilistic information to prepare properly not only the imitative, but also the counter-imitative responses, the same as the healthy subjects did. Nevertheless, we detected increased prepotent imitative tendencies in schizophrenia patients, what indicates the latent pathological imitative behavior in case of this disorder. The obtained results suggest that in the case of schizophrenia problems with pathological imitative behavior more likely occurred in executive rather than in the preparatory stage of response. Our findings can help to detect a latent echopraxia in schizophrenia patients that cannot be revealed by direct observation. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Surgical innovation and quality assurance: Can we have both?

PubMed

Georgeson, Keith

2015-06-01

Innovation is the major force for progress in pediatric surgery. Most of the progress in surgery has evolved secondary to novel approaches developed by surgeons confronted with difficult pathologic conditions. Up to the present time, most surgical innovation has been practiced with few rules for guidance. Innovation to make surgical procedures more effective and less morbid is highly desirable. However, the absence of oversight has the potential to lead to unbridled human experimentation. The quality improvement movement in medicine is attempting to improve outcomes using evidence-based clinical pathways. Quality improvement aims to decrease the variation in therapeutic approaches by scientifically defining best practices. There is a significant potential for autonomous surgical innovators to clash with well-meaning proponents of quality improvement. A suggested remedy to encourage surgical innovators while protecting patients from unintended harm is for institutions to develop Surgical Innovation Committees to evaluate and give oversight to the early application of new techniques and devices. Scientific evaluation under the auspices of an IRB should follow when feasible. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Politics of Attachment: Lines of Flight with Bowlby, Deleuze and Guattari.

PubMed

Duschinsky, Robbie; Greco, Monica; Solomon, Judith

2015-12-01

Research on attachment is widely regarded in sociology and feminist scholarship as politically conservative - oriented by a concern to police families, pathologize mothers and emphasize psychological at the expense of socio-economic factors. These critiques have presented attachment theory as constructing biological imperatives to naturalize contingent, social demands. We propose that a more effective critique of the politically conservative uses of attachment theory is offered by engaging with the 'attachment system' at the level of ontology. In developing this argument we draw on Deleuze and Guattari, making use of the common language of ethology which links their ideas to that of attachment theory. The attachment system can and has been reified into an image of the infant returning to their caregiver as an image of familial sufficiency. This has offered ammunition for discourses and institutions which isolate women from health, social and political resources. Yet Deleuze and Guattari can help attachment theory and research to be recognized as a powerful ally for progressive politics, for reflection on the movement of human individuation, and for arguing for the meaningful resourcing of those who care for someone else.

Electrophysiological biomarkers of epileptogenicity after traumatic brain injury.

PubMed

Perucca, Piero; Smith, Gregory; Santana-Gomez, Cesar; Bragin, Anatol; Staba, Richard

2018-06-05

Post-traumatic epilepsy is the architype of acquired epilepsies, wherein a brain insult initiates an epileptogenic process culminating in an unprovoked seizure after weeks, months or years. Identifying biomarkers of such process is a prerequisite for developing and implementing targeted therapies aimed at preventing the development of epilepsy. Currently, there are no validated electrophysiological biomarkers of post-traumatic epileptogenesis. Experimental EEG studies using the lateral fluid percussion injury model have identified three candidate biomarkers of post-traumatic epileptogenesis: pathological high-frequency oscillations (HFOs, 80-300 Hz); repetitive HFOs and spikes (rHFOSs); and reduction in sleep spindle duration and dominant frequency at the transition from stage III to rapid eye movement sleep. EEG studies in humans have yielded conflicting data; recent evidence suggests that epileptiform abnormalities detected acutely after traumatic brain injury carry a significantly increased risk of subsequent epilepsy. Well-designed studies are required to validate these promising findings, and ultimately establish whether there are post-traumatic electrophysiological features which can guide the development of 'antiepileptogenic' therapies. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Congenital heart disease protein 5 associates with CASZ1 to maintain myocardial tissue integrity.

PubMed

Sojka, Stephen; Amin, Nirav M; Gibbs, Devin; Christine, Kathleen S; Charpentier, Marta S; Conlon, Frank L

2014-08-01

The identification and characterization of the cellular and molecular pathways involved in the differentiation and morphogenesis of specific cell types of the developing heart are crucial to understanding the process of cardiac development and the pathology associated with human congenital heart disease. Here, we show that the cardiac transcription factor CASTOR (CASZ1) directly interacts with congenital heart disease 5 protein (CHD5), which is also known as tryptophan-rich basic protein (WRB), a gene located on chromosome 21 in the proposed region responsible for congenital heart disease in individuals with Down's syndrome. We demonstrate that loss of CHD5 in Xenopus leads to compromised myocardial integrity, improper deposition of basement membrane, and a resultant failure of hearts to undergo cell movements associated with cardiac formation. We further report that CHD5 is essential for CASZ1 function and that the CHD5-CASZ1 interaction is necessary for cardiac morphogenesis. Collectively, these results establish a role for CHD5 and CASZ1 in the early stages of vertebrate cardiac development. © 2014. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

The biomechanics of upper extremity kinematic and kinetic modeling: applications to rehabilitation engineering.

PubMed

Slavens, Brooke A; Harris, Gerald F

2008-01-01

Human motion analysis has evolved from the lower extremity to the upper extremity. Rehabilitation engineering is reliant upon three-dimensional biome-chanical models for a thorough understanding of upper body motions and forces in order to improve treatment methods, rehabilitation strategies and to prevent injury. Due to the complex nature of upper body movements, a standard biomechanical model does not exist. This paper reviews several kinematic and kinetic rehabilitation engineering models from the literature. These models may capture a single joint; multijoints such as the shoulder, elbow and wrist; or a combination of joints and an ambulatory aid, which serves as the extension of the upper arm. With advances in software and hardware, new models continuously arise due to the clinical questions at hand. When designing a biomechanical upper extremity model, several key components must be determined. These include deciding on the anatomic segments of the model, the number of markers and placement on bony landmarks, the definition of joint coordinate systems, and the description of the joint motions. It is critical to apply the proper model to further our understanding of pathologic populations.

Pathological alterations typical of human Tay-Sachs disease, in the retina of a deep-sea fish.

PubMed

Fishelson, L; Delarea, Y; Galil, B S

2000-08-01

Micrographs of retinas from the deep-sea fish Cataetyx laticeps revealed visual cells containing membranous whorls in the ellipsoids of the inner segments resulting from stretching and modifications of the mitochondria membranes and their cristae. These pathological structures seem to be homologous to the whorls observed in retinas of human carriers of Tay-Sachs disease. This disease, a genetic disorder, is found in humans and some mammals. Our findings in fish suggest that the gene responsible can be found throughout the vertebrate evolutionary tree, possibly dormant in most taxa.

Changing Issue Representation among Major United States Environmental Movement Organizations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Erik

2006-01-01

Histories of the environmental movement have emphasized the importance of a shift in focus from those issues traditionally associated with the movement, such as resource and wildlife protection, towards "new" quality of life issues, such as environmental pollution and its human health effects. Here, time-series data between 1970 and 2000…

Asymmetric Action in the Human Newborn: Sex Differences in Patterns of Organization.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grattan, Mary P.; And Others

1992-01-01

Examined asymmetries in movement behaviors of 36 full-term, newborn infants. The majority of infants had right-biased movement behaviors. Multiple subsystems, rather than a single asymmetric system, appeared to control asymmetric action of different body regions. There were sex differences in asymmetry of distal lower body movement behaviors that…

Update on the Notochord Including its Embryology, Molecular Development, and Pathology: A Primer for the Clinician

PubMed Central

Ramesh, Tushar; Nagula, Sai V; Saker, Erfanul; Shoja, Mohammadali; Loukas, Marios; Oskouian, Rod J; Tubbs, R. Shane

2017-01-01

The notochord is a rod-like embryological structure, which plays a vital role in the development of the vertebrate. Though embryological, remnants of this structure have been observed in the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral discs of normal adults. Pathologically, these remnants can give rise to slow-growing and recurrent notochord-derived tumors called chordomas. Using standard search engines, the literature was reviewed regarding the anatomy, embryology, molecular development, and pathology of the human notochord. Clinicians who interpret imaging or treat patients with pathologies linked to the notochord should have a good working knowledge of its development and pathology. PMID:28480155

Unidirectional adaptation in tempo in pairs of chimpanzees during simultaneous tapping movement: an examination under face-to-face setup.

PubMed

Yu, Lira; Tomonaga, Masaki

2016-04-01

Many studies have reported a spontaneous nature to synchronized movement in humans and in non-human primates. However, it is not yet clear whether individuals mutually adapt their movement to each other or whether one individual significantly changes to synchronize with the other. In the current study, we examined a directionality of the tempo adaptation to understand an introductive process of interactional synchrony in pairs of chimpanzees. Four pairs, consisting of five female chimpanzees, produced a finger-tapping movement under a face-to-face experimental setup where both auditory and visual cues of the partner's movement were available. Two test conditions were prepared: alone and paired. An analysis of the tapping tempo depending on condition showed that only one chimpanzee in each pair significantly changed their tapping tempo in the direction of the partner's tapping tempo in the paired condition compared with the alone condition. The current study demonstrated that unidirectional adaptation in tempo occurs in pairs of chimpanzees when they simultaneously produce the tapping movement under auditory and visual interaction.

Goals and Objectives for Molecular Pathology Education in Residency Programs

PubMed Central

1999-01-01

Increasing knowledge of the molecular basis of disease and advances in technology for analyzing nucleic acids and gene products are changing pathology practice. The explosion of information regarding inherited susceptibility to disease is an important aspect of this transformation. Pathology residency programs are incorporating molecular pathology education into their curricula to prepare newly trained pathologists for the future, yet little guidance has been available regarding the important components of molecular pathology training. We present general goals for pathology training programs for molecular pathology education. These include recommendations to pathology residents for the acquisition of both basic knowledge in human genetics and molecular biology and specific skills relevant to microbiology, molecular oncology, genetics, histocompatibility, and identity determination. The importance of residents gaining facility in integrating data gained via nucleic acid based-technology with other laboratory and clinical information available in the care of patients is emphasized. PMID:11272908

Detection of Nonverbal Synchronization through Phase Difference in Human Communication

PubMed Central

Kwon, Jinhwan; Ogawa, Ken-ichiro; Ono, Eisuke; Miyake, Yoshihiro

2015-01-01

Nonverbal communication is an important factor in human communication, and body movement synchronization in particular is an important part of nonverbal communication. Some researchers have analyzed body movement synchronization by focusing on changes in the amplitude of body movements. However, the definition of “body movement synchronization” is still unclear. From a theoretical viewpoint, phase difference is the most important factor in synchronization analysis. Therefore, there is a need to measure the synchronization of body movements using phase difference. The purpose of this study was to provide a quantitative definition of the phase difference distribution for detecting body movement synchronization in human communication. The phase difference distribution was characterized using four statistical measurements: density, mean phase difference, standard deviation (SD) and kurtosis. To confirm the effectiveness of our definition, we applied it to human communication in which the roles of speaker and listener were defined. Specifically, we examined the difference in the phase difference distribution between two different communication situations: face-to-face communication with visual interaction and remote communication with unidirectional visual perception. Participant pairs performed a task supposing lecture in the face-to-face communication condition and in the remote communication condition via television. Throughout the lecture task, we extracted a set of phase differences from the time-series data of the acceleration norm of head nodding motions between two participants. Statistical analyses of the phase difference distribution revealed the characteristics of head nodding synchronization. Although the mean phase differences in synchronized head nods did not differ significantly between the conditions, there were significant differences in the densities, the SDs and the kurtoses of the phase difference distributions of synchronized head nods. These results show the difference in nonverbal synchronization between different communication types. Our study indicates that the phase difference distribution is useful in detecting nonverbal synchronization in various human communication situations. PMID:26208100

Detection of Nonverbal Synchronization through Phase Difference in Human Communication.

PubMed

Kwon, Jinhwan; Ogawa, Ken-ichiro; Ono, Eisuke; Miyake, Yoshihiro

2015-01-01

Nonverbal communication is an important factor in human communication, and body movement synchronization in particular is an important part of nonverbal communication. Some researchers have analyzed body movement synchronization by focusing on changes in the amplitude of body movements. However, the definition of "body movement synchronization" is still unclear. From a theoretical viewpoint, phase difference is the most important factor in synchronization analysis. Therefore, there is a need to measure the synchronization of body movements using phase difference. The purpose of this study was to provide a quantitative definition of the phase difference distribution for detecting body movement synchronization in human communication. The phase difference distribution was characterized using four statistical measurements: density, mean phase difference, standard deviation (SD) and kurtosis. To confirm the effectiveness of our definition, we applied it to human communication in which the roles of speaker and listener were defined. Specifically, we examined the difference in the phase difference distribution between two different communication situations: face-to-face communication with visual interaction and remote communication with unidirectional visual perception. Participant pairs performed a task supposing lecture in the face-to-face communication condition and in the remote communication condition via television. Throughout the lecture task, we extracted a set of phase differences from the time-series data of the acceleration norm of head nodding motions between two participants. Statistical analyses of the phase difference distribution revealed the characteristics of head nodding synchronization. Although the mean phase differences in synchronized head nods did not differ significantly between the conditions, there were significant differences in the densities, the SDs and the kurtoses of the phase difference distributions of synchronized head nods. These results show the difference in nonverbal synchronization between different communication types. Our study indicates that the phase difference distribution is useful in detecting nonverbal synchronization in various human communication situations.

Heart rate variability in normal and pathological sleep.

PubMed

Tobaldini, Eleonora; Nobili, Lino; Strada, Silvia; Casali, Karina R; Braghiroli, Alberto; Montano, Nicola

2013-10-16

Sleep is a physiological process involving different biological systems, from molecular to organ level; its integrity is essential for maintaining health and homeostasis in human beings. Although in the past sleep has been considered a state of quiet, experimental and clinical evidences suggest a noteworthy activation of different biological systems during sleep. A key role is played by the autonomic nervous system (ANS), whose modulation regulates cardiovascular functions during sleep onset and different sleep stages. Therefore, an interest on the evaluation of autonomic cardiovascular control in health and disease is growing by means of linear and non-linear heart rate variability (HRV) analyses. The application of classical tools for ANS analysis, such as HRV during physiological sleep, showed that the rapid eye movement (REM) stage is characterized by a likely sympathetic predominance associated with a vagal withdrawal, while the opposite trend is observed during non-REM sleep. More recently, the use of non-linear tools, such as entropy-derived indices, have provided new insight on the cardiac autonomic regulation, revealing for instance changes in the cardiovascular complexity during REM sleep, supporting the hypothesis of a reduced capability of the cardiovascular system to deal with stress challenges. Interestingly, different HRV tools have been applied to characterize autonomic cardiac control in different pathological conditions, from neurological sleep disorders to sleep disordered breathing (SDB). In summary, linear and non-linear analysis of HRV are reliable approaches to assess changes of autonomic cardiac modulation during sleep both in health and diseases. The use of these tools could provide important information of clinical and prognostic relevance.

Up-regulation of autophagy-related gene 5 (ATG5) protects dopaminergic neurons in a zebrafish model of Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Hu, Zhan-Ying; Chen, Bo; Zhang, Jing-Pu; Ma, Yuan-Yuan

2017-11-03

Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most epidemic neurodegenerative diseases and is characterized by movement disorders arising from loss of midbrain dopaminergic (DA) neurons. Recently, the relationship between PD and autophagy has received considerable attention, but information about the mechanisms involved is lacking. Here, we report that autophagy-related gene 5 ( ATG5 ) is potentially important in protecting dopaminergic neurons in a 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced PD model in zebrafish. Using analyses of zebrafish swimming behavior, in situ hybridization, immunofluorescence, and expressions of genes and proteins related to PD and autophagy, we found that the ATG5 expression level was decreased and autophagy flux was blocked in this model. The ATG5 down-regulation led to the upgrade of PD-associated proteins, such as β-synuclein, Parkin, and PINK1, aggravation of MPTP-induced PD-mimicking pathological locomotor behavior, DA neuron loss labeled by tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) or dopamine transporter (DAT), and blocked autophagy flux in the zebrafish model. ATG5 overexpression alleviated or reversed these PD pathological features, rescued DA neuron cells as indicated by elevated TH/DAT levels, and restored autophagy flux. The role of ATG5 in protecting DA neurons was confirmed by expression of the human atg5 gene in the zebrafish model. Our findings reveal that ATG5 has a role in neuroprotection, and up-regulation of ATG5 may serve as a goal in the development of drugs for PD prevention and management. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Robotic gaming prototype for upper limb exercise: Effects of age and embodiment on user preferences and movement.

PubMed

Eizicovits, Danny; Edan, Yael; Tabak, Iris; Levy-Tzedek, Shelly

2018-01-01

Effective human-robot interactions in rehabilitation necessitates an understanding of how these should be tailored to the needs of the human. We report on a robotic system developed as a partner on a 3-D everyday task, using a gamified approach. To: (1) design and test a prototype system, to be ultimately used for upper-limb rehabilitation; (2) evaluate how age affects the response to such a robotic system; and (3) identify whether the robot's physical embodiment is an important aspect in motivating users to complete a set of repetitive tasks. 62 healthy participants, young (<30 yo) and old (>60 yo), played a 3D tic-tac-toe game against an embodied (a robotic arm) and a non-embodied (a computer-controlled lighting system) partner. To win, participants had to place three cups in sequence on a physical 3D grid. Cup picking-and-placing was chosen as a functional task that is often practiced in post-stroke rehabilitation. Movement of the participants was recorded using a Kinect camera. The timing of the participants' movement was primed by the response time of the system: participants moved slower when playing with the slower embodied system (p = 0.006). The majority of participants preferred the robot over the computer-controlled system. Slower response time of the robot compared to the computer-controlled one only affected the young group's motivation to continue playing. We demonstrated the feasibility of the system to encourage the performance of repetitive 3D functional movements, and track these movements. Young and old participants preferred to interact with the robot, compared with the non-embodied system. We contribute to the growing knowledge concerning personalized human-robot interactions by (1) demonstrating the priming of the human movement by the robotic movement - an important design feature, and (2) identifying response-speed as a design variable, the importance of which depends on the age of the user.

Microvesicating effects of sulfur mustard on an in vitro human skin model.

PubMed

Hayden, Patrick J; Petrali, John P; Stolper, Gina; Hamilton, Tracey A; Jackson, George R; Wertz, Philip W; Ito, Susumu; Smith, William J; Klausner, Mitchell

2009-10-01

Bis-(beta-chloroethyl) sulfide (SM) is a potent skin vesicant previously used for chemical warfare. Progress in determination of the mechanistic basis of SM pathology, and development of prophylactic and/or therapeutic countermeasures to SM exposure has been hampered by lack of physiologically relevant models of human skin. The current work evaluated a newly developed tissue engineered full-thickness human skin model in a completely in vitro approach to investigation of SM-induced dermal pathology. The model was first characterized with regard to overall morphology, lipid composition, basement membrane (BM) composition and ultrastructural features that are important targets of SM pathologic activity. Well-developed BM ultrastructural features were observed at the dermal-epidermal junction (DEJ), thus demonstrating successful resolution of a primary deficiency of models previously evaluated for SM studies. Studies were then conducted to evaluate histopathological effects of SM on the model. Good replication of in vivo effects was observed, including apoptosis of basal keratinocytes (KC) and microblister formation at the DEJ. Tissue engineered skin models with well-developed basement membrane structures thus appear to be useful tools for in vitro mechanistic studies of SM vesicant activity and development of preventive/therapeutic approaches for SM pathology.

A Perspective on DNA Microarrays in Pathology Research and Practice

PubMed Central

Pollack, Jonathan R.

2007-01-01

DNA microarray technology matured in the mid-1990s, and the past decade has witnessed a tremendous growth in its application. DNA microarrays have provided powerful tools for pathology researchers seeking to describe, classify, and understand human disease. There has also been great expectation that the technology would advance the practice of pathology. This review highlights some of the key contributions of DNA microarrays to experimental pathology, focusing in the area of cancer research. Also discussed are some of the current challenges in translating utility to clinical practice. PMID:17600117

Acquiring, recording, and analyzing pathology data from experimental mice: an overview.

PubMed

Scudamore, Cheryl L

2014-03-21

Pathology is often underutilized as an end point in mouse studies in academic research because of a lack of experience and expertise. The use of traditional pathology techniques including necropsy and microscopic analysis can be useful in identifying the basic processes underlying a phenotype and facilitating comparison with equivalent human diseases. This overview aims to provide a guide and reference to the acquisition, recording, and analysis of high-quality pathology data from experimental mice in an academic research setting. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Reciprocal modulation of internal and external factors determines individual movements.

PubMed

Martin, Jodie; van Moorter, Bram; Revilla, Eloy; Blanchard, Pierrick; Dray, Stéphane; Quenette, Pierre-Yves; Allainé, Dominique; Swenson, Jon E

2013-03-01

Movement is fundamental to individual and population dynamics, as it allows individuals to meet their basic requirements. Although movement patterns reflect interactions between internal and external factors, only few studies have examined the effects of these factors on movement simultaneously, and they generally focused on particular biological contexts (e.g. dispersal, foraging). However, the relative importance of these factors in driving individual routine movements might reflect a species' potential flexibility to cope with landscape changes and therefore buffer their potential impact on fitness. We used data from GPS collars on Scandinavian brown bears to investigate the relative role of these factors, as well as an additional factor (period of the year) on routine movements at two spatial scales (hourly and daily relocations). As expected, internal factors played a major role in driving movement, compared to external factors at both scales, but its relative importance was greater at a finer scale. In particular, the interaction between reproductive status and period of the year was one of the most influential variables, females being constrained by the movement capacity of their cubs in the first periods of the year. The effect of human disturbance on movement was also greater for females with cubs than for lone females. This study showed how reciprocal modulation of internal and external factors is shaping space use of brown bears. We stress that these factors should be studied simultaneously to avoid the risk of obtaining context-dependent inferences. Moreover, the study of their relative contribution is also highly relevant in the context of multiple-use landscapes, as human activities generally affect the landscape more than they affect the internal states of an individual. Species or individuals with important internal constraints should be less responsive to changes in their environment as they have less freedom from internal constraints and should thus be more sensitive to human alteration of the landscape, as shown for females with cubs in this study. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2012 British Ecological Society.

The human dynamic clamp as a paradigm for social interaction

PubMed Central

Dumas, Guillaume; de Guzman, Gonzalo C.; Tognoli, Emmanuelle; Kelso, J. A. Scott

2014-01-01

Social neuroscience has called for new experimental paradigms aimed toward real-time interactions. A distinctive feature of interactions is mutual information exchange: One member of a pair changes in response to the other while simultaneously producing actions that alter the other. Combining mathematical and neurophysiological methods, we introduce a paradigm called the human dynamic clamp (HDC), to directly manipulate the interaction or coupling between a human and a surrogate constructed to behave like a human. Inspired by the dynamic clamp used so productively in cellular neuroscience, the HDC allows a person to interact in real time with a virtual partner itself driven by well-established models of coordination dynamics. People coordinate hand movements with the visually observed movements of a virtual hand, the parameters of which depend on input from the subject’s own movements. We demonstrate that HDC can be extended to cover a broad repertoire of human behavior, including rhythmic and discrete movements, adaptation to changes of pacing, and behavioral skill learning as specified by a virtual “teacher.” We propose HDC as a general paradigm, best implemented when empirically verified theoretical or mathematical models have been developed in a particular scientific field. The HDC paradigm is powerful because it provides an opportunity to explore parameter ranges and perturbations that are not easily accessible in ordinary human interactions. The HDC not only enables to test the veracity of theoretical models, it also illuminates features that are not always apparent in real-time human social interactions and the brain correlates thereof. PMID:25114256

Changes in corticospinal excitability and the direction of evoked movements during motor preparation: A TMS study

PubMed Central

van Elswijk, Gijs; Schot, Willemijn D; Stegeman, Dick F; Overeem, Sebastiaan

2008-01-01

Background Preparation of the direction of a forthcoming movement has a particularly strong influence on both reaction times and neuronal activity in the primate motor cortex. Here, we aimed to find direct neurophysiologic evidence for the preparation of movement direction in humans. We used single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to evoke isolated thumb-movements, of which the direction can be modulated experimentally, for example by training or by motor tasks. Sixteen healthy subjects performed brisk concentric voluntary thumb movements during a reaction time task in which the required movement direction was precued. We assessed whether preparation for the thumb movement lead to changes in the direction of TMS-evoked movements and to changes in amplitudes of motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) from the hand muscles. Results When the required movement direction was precued early in the preparatory interval, reaction times were 50 ms faster than when precued at the end of the preparatory interval. Over time, the direction of the TMS-evoked thumb movements became increasingly variable, but it did not turn towards the precued direction. MEPs from the thumb muscle (agonist) were differentially modulated by the direction of the precue, but only in the late phase of the preparatory interval and thereafter. MEPs from the index finger muscle did not depend on the precued direction and progressively decreased during the preparatory interval. Conclusion Our data show that the human corticospinal movement representation undergoes progressive changes during motor preparation. These changes are accompanied by inhibitory changes in corticospinal excitability, which are muscle specific and depend on the prepared movement direction. This inhibition might indicate a corticospinal braking mechanism that counteracts any preparatory motor activation. PMID:18559096

Greater glycosaminoglycan content in human patellar tendon biopsies is associated with more pain and a lower VISA score.

PubMed

Attia, Mohamed; Scott, Alexander; Carpentier, Gilles; Lian, Oystein; Van Kuppevelt, Toin; Gossard, Camille; Papy-Garcia, Dulce; Tassoni, Marie-Claude; Martelly, Isabelle

2014-03-01

People with patellar tendinopathy experience chronic pain and activity limitation, but a pertinent biochemical marker correlated with these clinical features has not been identified. The Victoria Institute of Sport Assessment (VISA) questionnaire is a condition-specific patient-rated outcome measure. Since the quantity of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) increases with advancing tendon pathology, we hypothesised that there would be a correlation between the quantity of GAGs in the patellar tendon and the VISA score. Tissue biopsies from athletes with chronic patellar tendinopathy (confirmed by clinical examination and MRI) were recruited (n=7), as well as controls with no history of knee pain (n=4). The quantity of sulphated GAGs in the human patellar tendons was determined with a dimethyl methylene blue (DMMB) assay; this method was first validated with rat tendon tissue. The extent and distribution of GAG species and proteoglycans (decorin, versican and aggrecan) in the human tendon biopsies were examined using immunohistochemistry. Greater sulphated GAG content of the patellar tendon was correlated with the greater tendon dysfunction (R(2)=0.798). The quantity of aggrecan in the tendon, a chondroitin sulphate-rich proteoglycan, also increased with advancing tendon pathology. Increased GAGs in the pathological human patellar tendon are related to a worse clinical status. These findings indicate that the VISA score reflects the extent of tendon tissue pathology.

Human and Animal Dirofilariasis: the Emergence of a Zoonotic Mosaic

PubMed Central

Siles-Lucas, Mar; Morchón, Rodrigo; González-Miguel, Javier; Mellado, Isabel; Carretón, Elena; Montoya-Alonso, Jose Alberto

2012-01-01

Summary: Dirofilariasis represents a zoonotic mosaic, which includes two main filarial species (Dirofilaria immitis and D. repens) that have adapted to canine, feline, and human hosts with distinct biological and clinical implications. At the same time, both D. immitis and D. repens are themselves hosts to symbiotic bacteria of the genus Wolbachia, the study of which has resulted in a profound shift in the understanding of filarial biology, the mechanisms of the pathologies that they produce in their hosts, and issues related to dirofilariasis treatment. Moreover, because dirofilariasis is a vector-borne transmitted disease, their distribution and infection rates have undergone significant modifications influenced by global climate change. Despite advances in our knowledge of D. immitis and D. repens and the pathologies that they inflict on different hosts, there are still many unknown aspects of dirofilariasis. This review is focused on human and animal dirofilariasis, including the basic morphology, biology, protein composition, and metabolism of Dirofilaria species; the climate and human behavioral factors that influence distribution dynamics; the disease pathology; the host-parasite relationship; the mechanisms involved in parasite survival; the immune response and pathogenesis; and the clinical management of human and animal infections. PMID:22763636

Do Human Fetuses Anticipate Self-Oriented Actions? A Study by Four-Dimensional (4D) Ultrasonography

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Myowa-Yamakoshi, Masako; Takeshita, Hideko

2006-01-01

Using four-dimensional (4D) ultrasonography, arm and hand movements toward the face were examined in 27 human fetuses at 19 to 35 weeks of gestation, thereby enabling the continuous monitoring of their faces and other surface features such as the extremities. More than half of the observed arm movements resulted in the hand touching the mouth…

Thinking in/through Movements; Working with/in Affect within the Context of Norwegian Early Years Education and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rossholt, Nina

2018-01-01

This paper draws on data undertaken with very young children within the context of Norwegian kindergartens. Specifically, the paper focuses on non-human and human movements. Mine included, that are undertaken in time and space. Following I argue that as the researcher I am always already entangled in inquiry and that there is no beginning. As a…

Changing the Past, Present, and Future: Potential Applications of Positive Psychology in School-Based Psychotherapy with Children and Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, David; Nickerson, Amanda B.

2007-01-01

There has recently been a growing movement within psychology toward placing a greater emphasis on the positive aspects of human nature. This movement, known as positive psychology, focuses on the scientific study of human strengths and virtues as well as the variables that promote positive traits, emotions, and institutions. The purpose of this…

Rapid and long-lasting plasticity of input-output mapping.

PubMed

Yamamoto, Kenji; Hoffman, Donna S; Strick, Peter L

2006-11-01

Skilled use of tools requires us to learn an "input-output map" for the device, i.e., how our movements relate to the actions of the device. We used the paradigm of visuo-motor rotation to examine two questions about the plasticity of input-output maps: 1) does extensive practice on one mapping make it difficult to modify and/or to form a new input-output map and 2) once a map has been modified or a new map has been formed, does this map survive a gap in performance? Humans and monkeys made wrist movements to control the position of a cursor on a computer monitor. Humans practiced the task for approximately 1.5 h; monkeys practiced for 3-9 yr. After this practice, we gradually altered the direction of cursor movement relative to wrist movement while subjects moved either to a single target or to four targets. Subjects were unaware of the change in cursor-movement relationship. Despite their prior practice on the task, the humans and the monkeys quickly adjusted their motor output to compensate for the visuo-motor rotation. Monkeys retained the modified input-output map during a 2-wk gap in motor performance. Humans retained the altered map during a gap of >1 yr. Our results show that sensorimotor performance remains flexible despite considerable practice on a specific task, and even relatively short-term exposure to a new input-output mapping leads to a long-lasting change in motor performance.

Tracking the Evolution of Smartphone Sensing for Monitoring Human Movement

PubMed Central

del Rosario, Michael B.; Redmond, Stephen J.; Lovell, Nigel H.

2015-01-01

Advances in mobile technology have led to the emergence of the “smartphone”, a new class of device with more advanced connectivity features that have quickly made it a constant presence in our lives. Smartphones are equipped with comparatively advanced computing capabilities, a global positioning system (GPS) receivers, and sensing capabilities (i.e., an inertial measurement unit (IMU) and more recently magnetometer and barometer) which can be found in wearable ambulatory monitors (WAMs). As a result, algorithms initially developed for WAMs that “count” steps (i.e., pedometers); gauge physical activity levels; indirectly estimate energy expenditure and monitor human movement can be utilised on the smartphone. These algorithms may enable clinicians to “close the loop” by prescribing timely interventions to improve or maintain wellbeing in populations who are at risk of falling or suffer from a chronic disease whose progression is linked to a reduction in movement and mobility. The ubiquitous nature of smartphone technology makes it the ideal platform from which human movement can be remotely monitored without the expense of purchasing, and inconvenience of using, a dedicated WAM. In this paper, an overview of the sensors that can be found in the smartphone are presented, followed by a summary of the developments in this field with an emphasis on the evolution of algorithms used to classify human movement. The limitations identified in the literature will be discussed, as well as suggestions about future research directions. PMID:26263998

The responsiveness of biological motion processing areas to selective attention towards goals.

PubMed

Herrington, John; Nymberg, Charlotte; Faja, Susan; Price, Elinora; Schultz, Robert

2012-10-15

A growing literature indicates that visual cortex areas viewed as primarily responsive to exogenous stimuli are susceptible to top-down modulation by selective attention. The present study examines whether brain areas involved in biological motion perception are among these areas-particularly with respect to selective attention towards human movement goals. Fifteen participants completed a point-light biological motion study following a two-by-two factorial design, with one factor representing an exogenous manipulation of human movement goals (goal-directed versus random movement), and the other an endogenous manipulation (a goal identification task versus an ancillary color-change task). Both manipulations yielded increased activation in the human homologue of motion-sensitive area MT+ (hMT+) as well as the extrastriate body area (EBA). The endogenous manipulation was associated with increased right posterior superior temporal sulcus (STS) activation, whereas the exogenous manipulation was associated with increased activation in left posterior STS. Selective attention towards goals activated a portion of left hMT+/EBA only during the perception of purposeful movement-consistent with emerging theories associating this area with the matching of visual motion input to known goal-directed actions. The overall pattern of results indicates that attention towards the goals of human movement activates biological motion areas. Ultimately, selective attention may explain why some studies examining biological motion show activation in hMT+ and EBA, even when using control stimuli with comparable motion properties. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

ACCOMMODATIVE MOVEMENTS OF THE LENS/CAPSULE AND THE STRAND THAT EXTENDS BETWEEN THE POSTERIOR VITREOUS ZONULE INSERTION ZONE & THE LENS EQUATOR, IN RELATION TO THE VITREOUS FACE AND AGING

PubMed Central

CROFT, MARY ANN; HEATLEY, GREGG; MCDONALD, JARED P.; KATZ, ALEXANDER; KAUFMAN, PAUL L.

2016-01-01

Purpose To elucidate the dynamic accommodative movements of the lens capsule, posterior lens and the strand that attaches to the posterior vitreous zonule insertion zone and posterior lens equator (PVZ INS-LE), and their age-related changes. Methods Twelve human subjects (ages 19–65 years) and twelve rhesus monkeys (ages 6–27 years) were studied. Accommodation was induced pharmacologically (humans) or by central electrical stimulation (monkeys). Ultrasound biomicroscopy was used to image intraocular structures in both species. Surgical procedures and contrast agents were utilized in the monkey eyes to elucidate function and allow visualization of the intraocular accommodative structures. Results Human: The posterior pole of the lens moves posteriorly during accommodation in proportion to accommodative amplitude and ciliary muscle movement. Monkey: Similar accommodative movements of the posterior lens pole were seen in the monkey eyes. Following extracapsular lens extraction (ECLE), the central capsule bows backward during accommodation in proportion to accommodative amplitude and ciliary muscle movement, while the peripheral capsule moves forward. During accommodation the ciliary muscle moved forward by ~1.0 mm, pulling forward the vitreous zonule and the PVZ INS-LE structure. During the accommodative response the PVZ INS-LE structure moved forward when the lens was intact and when the lens substance and capsule were removed. In both the monkey and the human eyes these movements declined with age. Conclusions The accommodative shape change of the central capsule may be due to the elastic properties of the capsule itself. For these capsule/lens accommodative posterior movements to occur, the vitreous face must either allow for it or facilitate it. The PVZ INS-LE structure may act as a “strut” to the posterior lens equator (pushing the lens equator forward) and thereby facilitate accommodative forward lens equator movement and lens thickening. The age-related posterior restriction of the ciliary muscle, vitreous zonule and the PVZ-INS LE structure dampens the accommodative lens shape change. Future descriptions of the accommodative mechanism, and approaches to presbyopia therapy, may need to incorporate these findings. PMID:26769326

Pathologic aerophagia: a rare cause of chronic abdominal distension

PubMed Central

de Jesus, Lisieux Eyer; Cestari, Ana Beatriz C.S.S.; da Silva, Orli Carvalho; Fernandes, Marcia Antunes; Firme, Livia Honorato

2015-01-01

Objective: To describe an adolescent with pathologic aerophagia, a rare condition caused by excessive and inappropriate swallowing of air and to review its treatment and differential diagnoses. Case description: An 11-year-old mentally impaired blind girl presenting serious behavior problems and severe developmental delay with abdominal distension from the last 8 months. Her past history included a Nissen fundoplication. Abdominal CT and abdominal radiographs showed diffuse gas distension of the small bowel and colon. Hirschsprung's disease was excluded. The distention was minimal at the moment the child awoke and maximal at evening, and persisted after control of constipation. Audible repetitive and frequent movements of air swallowing were observed. The diagnosis of pathologic aerophagia associated to obsessive-compulsive disorder and developmental delay was made, but pharmacological treatment was unsuccessful. The patient was submitted to an endoscopic gastrostomy, permanently opened and elevated relative to the stomach. The distention was resolved, while maintaining oral nutrition. Comments: Pathologic aerophagia is a rare self-limiting condition in normal children exposed to high levels of stress and may be a persisting problem in children with psychiatric or neurologic disease. In this last group, the disease may cause serious complications. Pharmacological and behavioral treatments are ill-defined. Severe cases may demand surgical strategies, mainly decompressive gastrostomy. PMID:26100594

Automatic Extraction of Destinations, Origins and Route Parts from Human Generated Route Directions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xiao; Mitra, Prasenjit; Klippel, Alexander; Maceachren, Alan

Researchers from the cognitive and spatial sciences are studying text descriptions of movement patterns in order to examine how humans communicate and understand spatial information. In particular, route directions offer a rich source of information on how cognitive systems conceptualize movement patterns by segmenting them into meaningful parts. Route directions are composed using a plethora of cognitive spatial organization principles: changing levels of granularity, hierarchical organization, incorporation of cognitively and perceptually salient elements, and so forth. Identifying such information in text documents automatically is crucial for enabling machine-understanding of human spatial language. The benefits are: a) creating opportunities for large-scale studies of human linguistic behavior; b) extracting and georeferencing salient entities (landmarks) that are used by human route direction providers; c) developing methods to translate route directions to sketches and maps; and d) enabling queries on large corpora of crawled/analyzed movement data. In this paper, we introduce our approach and implementations that bring us closer to the goal of automatically processing linguistic route directions. We report on research directed at one part of the larger problem, that is, extracting the three most critical parts of route directions and movement patterns in general: origin, destination, and route parts. We use machine-learning based algorithms to extract these parts of routes, including, for example, destination names and types. We prove the effectiveness of our approach in several experiments using hand-tagged corpora.

Assisting Movement Training and Execution With Visual and Haptic Feedback.

PubMed

Ewerton, Marco; Rother, David; Weimar, Jakob; Kollegger, Gerrit; Wiemeyer, Josef; Peters, Jan; Maeda, Guilherme

2018-01-01

In the practice of motor skills in general, errors in the execution of movements may go unnoticed when a human instructor is not available. In this case, a computer system or robotic device able to detect movement errors and propose corrections would be of great help. This paper addresses the problem of how to detect such execution errors and how to provide feedback to the human to correct his/her motor skill using a general, principled methodology based on imitation learning. The core idea is to compare the observed skill with a probabilistic model learned from expert demonstrations. The intensity of the feedback is regulated by the likelihood of the model given the observed skill. Based on demonstrations, our system can, for example, detect errors in the writing of characters with multiple strokes. Moreover, by using a haptic device, the Haption Virtuose 6D, we demonstrate a method to generate haptic feedback based on a distribution over trajectories, which could be used as an auxiliary means of communication between an instructor and an apprentice. Additionally, given a performance measurement, the haptic device can help the human discover and perform better movements to solve a given task. In this case, the human first tries a few times to solve the task without assistance. Our framework, in turn, uses a reinforcement learning algorithm to compute haptic feedback, which guides the human toward better solutions.

Lipidomics of human brain aging and Alzheimer's disease pathology.

PubMed

Naudí, Alba; Cabré, Rosanna; Jové, Mariona; Ayala, Victoria; Gonzalo, Hugo; Portero-Otín, Manuel; Ferrer, Isidre; Pamplona, Reinald

2015-01-01

Lipids stimulated and favored the evolution of the brain. Adult human brain contains a large amount of lipids, and the largest diversity of lipid classes and lipid molecular species. Lipidomics is defined as "the full characterization of lipid molecular species and of their biological roles with respect to expression of proteins involved in lipid metabolism and function, including gene regulation." Therefore, the study of brain lipidomics can help to unravel the diversity and to disclose the specificity of these lipid traits and its alterations in neural (neurons and glial) cells, groups of neural cells, brain, and fluids such as cerebrospinal fluid and plasma, thus helping to uncover potential biomarkers of human brain aging and Alzheimer disease. This review will discuss the lipid composition of the adult human brain. We first consider a brief approach to lipid definition, classification, and tools for analysis from the new point of view that has emerged with lipidomics, and then turn to the lipid profiles in human brain and how lipids affect brain function. Finally, we focus on the current status of lipidomics findings in human brain aging and Alzheimer's disease pathology. Neurolipidomics will increase knowledge about physiological and pathological functions of brain cells and will place the concept of selective neuronal vulnerability in a lipid context. © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessment of Renal Pathological Changes in Lupus Nephritis Using Diffusion Weighted Imaging: A Multiple Correspondence Analysis.

PubMed

Zheng, Zhenfeng; Yan, Tiekun; Jia, Junya; Li, Dong; Wei, Li; Shang, Wenya; Zheng, Zhenfeng

2018-05-30

Renal pathological changes affect the motion of water molecules, which can be detected using diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). The current study was performed to explore the correlation between renal tissue pathological injuries and DWI iconographical parameters in lupus nephritis (LN). Twenty adult patients with LN and 11 healthy volunteers were recruited. Patients with LN received renal biopsies and renal DWI-MRI inspections. The renal biopsy tissues were characterized based on the ISN/RPS 2003 classification. The volunteers, who were of comparable gender and age, only underwent renal DWI-MRI inspection. Four DWI parameters, namely, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), pure diffusion coefficient (Dt), pseudo-diffusion coefficient (Dp), and perfusion fraction (fp), were calculated using monoexponential and biexponential functions, respectively. Data from different renal areas and pathological pattern groups were compared. Multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) was performed to explore the correlation between each DWI index and multiple pathological features. ADC, Dt, and fp values were lower in the LN group compared to the controls (P < 0.001) regardless of the renal area in the cortex and medulla. Dp values were higher in the LN group (P = 0.004). A difference in mean DWI parameters was found between three LN subgroups and the healthy volunteers, with the exception of the Dp index in the renal cortex. MCA showed that serious proliferative pathological injuries and lower ADC and Dt values were located in the same quadrant. The MCA plots of Dp and fp provided similar results. Higher Dp and fp values were located in the MCA plot quadrant with more serious proliferative pathological changes. DWI is a noninvasive technique that may be used to detect renal pathophysiological changes. Renal cell proliferation and intestinal fibrosis may impact the movement of water in certain microenvironments. Enhanced perfusion may be a compensatory mechanism that is associated with renal pathological injuries. © 2018 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.

Effects of phencyclidine, secobarbital and diazepam on eye tracking in rhesus monkeys.

PubMed

Ando, K; Johanson, C E; Levy, D L; Yasillo, N J; Holzman, P S; Schuster, C R

1983-01-01

Rhesus monkeys were trained to track a moving disk using a procedure in which responses on a lever were reinforced with water delivery only when the disk, oscillating in a horizontal plane on a screen at a frequency of 0.4 Hz in a visual angle of 20 degrees, dimmed for a brief period. Pursuit eye movements were recorded by electrooculography (EOG). IM phencyclidine, secobarbital, and diazepam injections decreased the number of reinforced lever presses in a dose-related manner. Both secobarbital and diazepam produced episodic jerky-pursuit eye movements, while phencyclidine had no consistent effects on eye movements. Lever pressing was disrupted at doses which had little effect on the quality of smooth-pursuit eye movements in some monkeys. This separation was particularly pronounced with diazepam. The similarities of the drug effects on smooth-pursuit eye movements between the present study and human studies indicate that the present method using rhesus monkeys may be useful for predicting drug effects on eye tracking and oculomotor function in humans.

An MRPS12 mutation modifies aminoglycoside sensitivity caused by 12S rRNA mutations

PubMed Central

Emperador, Sonia; Pacheu-Grau, David; Bayona-Bafaluy, M. Pilar; Garrido-Pérez, Nuria; Martín-Navarro, Antonio; López-Pérez, Manuel J.; Montoya, Julio; Ruiz-Pesini, Eduardo

2015-01-01

Several homoplasmic pathologic mutations in mitochondrial DNA, such as those causing Leber hereditary optic neuropathy or non-syndromic hearing loss, show incomplete penetrance. Therefore, other elements must modify their pathogenicity. Discovery of these modifying factors is not an easy task because in multifactorial diseases conventional genetic approaches may not always be informative. Here, we have taken an evolutionary approach to unmask putative modifying factors for a particular homoplasmic pathologic mutation causing aminoglycoside-induced and non-syndromic hearing loss, the m.1494C>T transition in the mitochondrial DNA. The mutation is located in the decoding site of the mitochondrial ribosomal RNA. We first looked at mammalian species that had fixed the human pathologic mutation. These mutations are called compensated pathogenic deviations because an organism carrying one must also have another that suppresses the deleterious effect of the first. We found that species from the primate family Cercopithecidae (old world monkeys) harbor the m.1494T allele even if their auditory function is normal. In humans the m.1494T allele increases the susceptibility to aminoglycosides. However, in primary fibroblasts from a Cercopithecidae species, aminoglycosides do not impair cell growth, respiratory complex IV activity and quantity or the mitochondrial protein synthesis. Interestingly, this species also carries a fixed mutation in the mitochondrial ribosomal protein S12. We show that the expression of this variant in a human m.1494T cell line reduces its susceptibility to aminoglycosides. Because several mutations in this human protein have been described, they may possibly explain the absence of pathologic phenotype in some pedigree members with the most frequent pathologic mutations in mitochondrial ribosomal RNA. PMID:25642242

Structures of Human Golgi-resident Glutaminyl Cyclase and Its Complexes with Inhibitors Reveal a Large Loop Movement upon Inhibitor Binding*

PubMed Central

Huang, Kai-Fa; Liaw, Su-Sen; Huang, Wei-Lin; Chia, Cho-Yun; Lo, Yan-Chung; Chen, Yi-Ling; Wang, Andrew H.-J.

2011-01-01

Aberrant pyroglutamate formation at the N terminus of certain peptides and proteins, catalyzed by glutaminyl cyclases (QCs), is linked to some pathological conditions, such as Alzheimer disease. Recently, a glutaminyl cyclase (QC) inhibitor, PBD150, was shown to be able to reduce the deposition of pyroglutamate-modified amyloid-β peptides in brain of transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer disease, leading to a significant improvement of learning and memory in those transgenic animals. Here, we report the 1.05–1.40 Å resolution structures, solved by the sulfur single-wavelength anomalous dispersion phasing method, of the Golgi-luminal catalytic domain of the recently identified Golgi-resident QC (gQC) and its complex with PBD150. We also describe the high-resolution structures of secretory QC (sQC)-PBD150 complex and two other gQC-inhibitor complexes. gQC structure has a scaffold similar to that of sQC but with a relatively wider and negatively charged active site, suggesting a distinct substrate specificity from sQC. Upon binding to PBD150, a large loop movement in gQC allows the inhibitor to be tightly held in its active site primarily by hydrophobic interactions. Further comparisons of the inhibitor-bound structures revealed distinct interactions of the inhibitors with gQC and sQC, which are consistent with the results from our inhibitor assays reported here. Because gQC and sQC may play different biological roles in vivo, the different inhibitor binding modes allow the design of specific inhibitors toward gQC and sQC. PMID:21288892

Structures of human Golgi-resident glutaminyl cyclase and its complexes with inhibitors reveal a large loop movement upon inhibitor binding.

PubMed

Huang, Kai-Fa; Liaw, Su-Sen; Huang, Wei-Lin; Chia, Cho-Yun; Lo, Yan-Chung; Chen, Yi-Ling; Wang, Andrew H-J

2011-04-08

Aberrant pyroglutamate formation at the N terminus of certain peptides and proteins, catalyzed by glutaminyl cyclases (QCs), is linked to some pathological conditions, such as Alzheimer disease. Recently, a glutaminyl cyclase (QC) inhibitor, PBD150, was shown to be able to reduce the deposition of pyroglutamate-modified amyloid-β peptides in brain of transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer disease, leading to a significant improvement of learning and memory in those transgenic animals. Here, we report the 1.05-1.40 Å resolution structures, solved by the sulfur single-wavelength anomalous dispersion phasing method, of the Golgi-luminal catalytic domain of the recently identified Golgi-resident QC (gQC) and its complex with PBD150. We also describe the high-resolution structures of secretory QC (sQC)-PBD150 complex and two other gQC-inhibitor complexes. gQC structure has a scaffold similar to that of sQC but with a relatively wider and negatively charged active site, suggesting a distinct substrate specificity from sQC. Upon binding to PBD150, a large loop movement in gQC allows the inhibitor to be tightly held in its active site primarily by hydrophobic interactions. Further comparisons of the inhibitor-bound structures revealed distinct interactions of the inhibitors with gQC and sQC, which are consistent with the results from our inhibitor assays reported here. Because gQC and sQC may play different biological roles in vivo, the different inhibitor binding modes allow the design of specific inhibitors toward gQC and sQC.

Unobstructive Body Area Networks (BAN) for Efficient Movement Monitoring

PubMed Central

Felisberto, Filipe; Costa, Nuno; Fdez-Riverola, Florentino; Pereira, António

2012-01-01

The technological advances in medical sensors, low-power microelectronics and miniaturization, wireless communications and networks have enabled the appearance of a new generation of wireless sensor networks: the so-called wireless body area networks (WBAN). These networks can be used for continuous monitoring of vital parameters, movement, and the surrounding environment. The data gathered by these networks contributes to improve users' quality of life and allows the creation of a knowledge database by using learning techniques, useful to infer abnormal behaviour. In this paper we present a wireless body area network architecture to recognize human movement, identify human postures and detect harmful activities in order to prevent risk situations. The WBAN was created using tiny, cheap and low-power nodes with inertial and physiological sensors, strategically placed on the human body. Doing so, in an as ubiquitous as possible way, ensures that its impact on the users' daily actions is minimum. The information collected by these sensors is transmitted to a central server capable of analysing and processing their data. The proposed system creates movement profiles based on the data sent by the WBAN's nodes, and is able to detect in real time any abnormal movement and allows for a monitored rehabilitation of the user. PMID:23112726

Planning Ahead: Object-Directed Sequential Actions Decoded from Human Frontoparietal and Occipitotemporal Networks

PubMed Central

Gallivan, Jason P.; Johnsrude, Ingrid S.; Randall Flanagan, J.

2016-01-01

Object-manipulation tasks (e.g., drinking from a cup) typically involve sequencing together a series of distinct motor acts (e.g., reaching toward, grasping, lifting, and transporting the cup) in order to accomplish some overarching goal (e.g., quenching thirst). Although several studies in humans have investigated the neural mechanisms supporting the planning of visually guided movements directed toward objects (such as reaching or pointing), only a handful have examined how manipulatory sequences of actions—those that occur after an object has been grasped—are planned and represented in the brain. Here, using event-related functional MRI and pattern decoding methods, we investigated the neural basis of real-object manipulation using a delayed-movement task in which participants first prepared and then executed different object-directed action sequences that varied either in their complexity or final spatial goals. Consistent with previous reports of preparatory brain activity in non-human primates, we found that activity patterns in several frontoparietal areas reliably predicted entire action sequences in advance of movement. Notably, we found that similar sequence-related information could also be decoded from pre-movement signals in object- and body-selective occipitotemporal cortex (OTC). These findings suggest that both frontoparietal and occipitotemporal circuits are engaged in transforming object-related information into complex, goal-directed movements. PMID:25576538

Consensus Paper: Pathological Role of the Cerebellum in Autism

PubMed Central

Fatemi, S. Hossein; Aldinger, Kimberly A.; Ashwood, Paul; Bauman, Margaret L.; Blaha, Charles D.; Blatt, Gene J.; Chauhan, Abha; Chauhan, Ved; Dager, Stephen R.; Dickson, Price E.; Estes, Annette M.; Goldowitz, Dan; Heck, Detlef H.; Kemper, Thomas L.; King, Bryan H.; Martin, Loren A.; Millen, Kathleen J.; Mittleman, Guy; Mosconi, Matthew W.; Persico, Antonio M.; Sweeney, John A.; Webb, Sara J.; Welsh, John P.

2013-01-01

There has been significant advancement in various aspects of scientific knowledge concerning the role of cerebellum in the etiopathogenesis of autism. In the current consensus paper, we will observe the diversity of opinions regarding the involvement of this important site in the pathology of autism. Recent emergent findings in literature related to cerebellar involvement in autism are discussed, including: cerebellar pathology, cerebellar imaging and symptom expression in autism, cerebellar genetics, cerebellar immune function, oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction, GABAergic and glutamatergic systems, cholinergic, dopaminergic, serotonergic, and oxytocin related changes in autism, motor control and cognitive deficits, cerebellar coordination of movements and cognition, gene-environment interactions, therapeutics in autism and relevant animal models of autism. Points of consensus include presence of abnormal cerebellar anatomy, abnormal neurotransmitter systems, oxidative stress, cerebellar motor and cognitive deficits, and neuroinflammation in subjects with autism. Undefined areas or areas requiring further investigation include lack of treatment options for core symptoms of autism, vermal hypoplasia and other vermal abnormalities as a consistent feature of autism, mechanisms underlying cerebellar contributions to cognition, and unknown mechanisms underlying neuroinflammation. PMID:22370873

A neural mass model of basal ganglia nuclei simulates pathological beta rhythm in Parkinson's disease

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Fei; Wang, Jiang; Liu, Chen; Li, Huiyan; Deng, Bin; Fietkiewicz, Chris; Loparo, Kenneth A.

2016-12-01

An increase in beta oscillations within the basal ganglia nuclei has been shown to be associated with movement disorder, such as Parkinson's disease. The motor cortex and an excitatory-inhibitory neuronal network composed of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and the external globus pallidus (GPe) are thought to play an important role in the generation of these oscillations. In this paper, we propose a neuron mass model of the basal ganglia on the population level that reproduces the Parkinsonian oscillations in a reciprocal excitatory-inhibitory network. Moreover, it is shown that the generation and frequency of these pathological beta oscillations are varied by the coupling strength and the intrinsic characteristics of the basal ganglia. Simulation results reveal that increase of the coupling strength induces the generation of the beta oscillation, as well as enhances the oscillation frequency. However, for the intrinsic properties of each nucleus in the excitatory-inhibitory network, the STN primarily influences the generation of the beta oscillation while the GPe mainly determines its frequency. Interestingly, describing function analysis applied on this model theoretically explains the mechanism of pathological beta oscillations.

Consensus paper: pathological role of the cerebellum in autism.

PubMed

Fatemi, S Hossein; Aldinger, Kimberly A; Ashwood, Paul; Bauman, Margaret L; Blaha, Charles D; Blatt, Gene J; Chauhan, Abha; Chauhan, Ved; Dager, Stephen R; Dickson, Price E; Estes, Annette M; Goldowitz, Dan; Heck, Detlef H; Kemper, Thomas L; King, Bryan H; Martin, Loren A; Millen, Kathleen J; Mittleman, Guy; Mosconi, Matthew W; Persico, Antonio M; Sweeney, John A; Webb, Sara J; Welsh, John P

2012-09-01

There has been significant advancement in various aspects of scientific knowledge concerning the role of cerebellum in the etiopathogenesis of autism. In the current consensus paper, we will observe the diversity of opinions regarding the involvement of this important site in the pathology of autism. Recent emergent findings in literature related to cerebellar involvement in autism are discussed, including: cerebellar pathology, cerebellar imaging and symptom expression in autism, cerebellar genetics, cerebellar immune function, oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction, GABAergic and glutamatergic systems, cholinergic, dopaminergic, serotonergic, and oxytocin-related changes in autism, motor control and cognitive deficits, cerebellar coordination of movements and cognition, gene-environment interactions, therapeutics in autism, and relevant animal models of autism. Points of consensus include presence of abnormal cerebellar anatomy, abnormal neurotransmitter systems, oxidative stress, cerebellar motor and cognitive deficits, and neuroinflammation in subjects with autism. Undefined areas or areas requiring further investigation include lack of treatment options for core symptoms of autism, vermal hypoplasia, and other vermal abnormalities as a consistent feature of autism, mechanisms underlying cerebellar contributions to cognition, and unknown mechanisms underlying neuroinflammation.