Breast biopsy -- stereotactic

MedlinePlus

... sent to a pathologist to be examined. Normal Results A normal result means there is no sign ... follow-up mammogram or other tests. What Abnormal Results Mean If the biopsy shows benign breast tissue ...

Type I error rates of rare single nucleotide variants are inflated in tests of association with non-normally distributed traits using simple linear regression methods.

PubMed

Schwantes-An, Tae-Hwi; Sung, Heejong; Sabourin, Jeremy A; Justice, Cristina M; Sorant, Alexa J M; Wilson, Alexander F

2016-01-01

In this study, the effects of (a) the minor allele frequency of the single nucleotide variant (SNV), (b) the degree of departure from normality of the trait, and (c) the position of the SNVs on type I error rates were investigated in the Genetic Analysis Workshop (GAW) 19 whole exome sequence data. To test the distribution of the type I error rate, 5 simulated traits were considered: standard normal and gamma distributed traits; 2 transformed versions of the gamma trait (log 10 and rank-based inverse normal transformations); and trait Q1 provided by GAW 19. Each trait was tested with 313,340 SNVs. Tests of association were performed with simple linear regression and average type I error rates were determined for minor allele frequency classes. Rare SNVs (minor allele frequency < 0.05) showed inflated type I error rates for non-normally distributed traits that increased as the minor allele frequency decreased. The inflation of average type I error rates increased as the significance threshold decreased. Normally distributed traits did not show inflated type I error rates with respect to the minor allele frequency for rare SNVs. There was no consistent effect of transformation on the uniformity of the distribution of the location of SNVs with a type I error.

hs-CRP Test

MedlinePlus

... Time and International Normalized Ratio (PT/INR) PSEN1 Quantitative Immunoglobulins Red Blood Cell (RBC) Antibody Identification Red ... date have focused on heart disease , but new research shows that having CRP in the high normal ...

Static and dynamic postural control in low-vision and normal-vision adults.

PubMed

Tomomitsu, Mônica S V; Alonso, Angelica Castilho; Morimoto, Eurica; Bobbio, Tatiana G; Greve, Julia M D

2013-04-01

This study aimed to evaluate the influence of reduced visual information on postural control by comparing low-vision and normal-vision adults in static and dynamic conditions. Twenty-five low-vision subjects and twenty-five normal sighted adults were evaluated for static and dynamic balance using four protocols: 1) the Modified Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction on Balance on firm and foam surfaces with eyes opened and closed; 2) Unilateral Stance with eyes opened and closed; 3) Tandem Walk; and 4) Step Up/Over. The results showed that the low-vision group presented greater body sway compared with the normal vision during balance on a foam surface (p≤0.001), the Unilateral Stance test for both limbs (p≤0.001), and the Tandem Walk test. The low-vision group showed greater step width (p≤0.001) and slower gait speed (p≤0.004). In the Step Up/Over task, low-vision participants were more cautious in stepping up (right p≤0.005 and left p≤0.009) and in executing the movement (p≤0.001). These findings suggest that visual feedback is crucial for determining balance, especially for dynamic tasks and on foam surfaces. Low-vision individuals had worse postural stability than normal-vision adults in terms of dynamic tests and balance on foam surfaces.

Differences in ME and CFS Symptomology in Patients with Normal and Abnormal Exercise Test Results.

PubMed

McManimen, Stephanie L; Jason, Leonard A

2017-01-01

Post-exertional malaise (PEM) is a cardinal symptom of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), which often distinguishes patients with this illness from healthy controls or individuals with exclusionary illnesses such as depression. However, occurrence rates for PEM fluctuate from subject to how the symptom is operationalized. One commonly utilized method is exercise testing, maximal or submaximal. Many patients with ME and CFS experience PEM after participating in these tests, and often show abnormal results. However, some patients still exhibit normal results after participating in the exercise testing. This study examined the differences between two patient groups with ME and CFS, those with normal results and those with abnormal results, on several PEM-related symptoms and illness characteristics. The results suggest those that displayed abnormal results following testing have more frequent and severe PEM, worse overall functioning, and are more likely to be bedbound than those that displayed normal results.

A new selective developmental deficit: Impaired object recognition with normal face recognition.

PubMed

Germine, Laura; Cashdollar, Nathan; Düzel, Emrah; Duchaine, Bradley

2011-05-01

Studies of developmental deficits in face recognition, or developmental prosopagnosia, have shown that individuals who have not suffered brain damage can show face recognition impairments coupled with normal object recognition (Duchaine and Nakayama, 2005; Duchaine et al., 2006; Nunn et al., 2001). However, no developmental cases with the opposite dissociation - normal face recognition with impaired object recognition - have been reported. The existence of a case of non-face developmental visual agnosia would indicate that the development of normal face recognition mechanisms does not rely on the development of normal object recognition mechanisms. To see whether a developmental variant of non-face visual object agnosia exists, we conducted a series of web-based object and face recognition tests to screen for individuals showing object recognition memory impairments but not face recognition impairments. Through this screening process, we identified AW, an otherwise normal 19-year-old female, who was then tested in the lab on face and object recognition tests. AW's performance was impaired in within-class visual recognition memory across six different visual categories (guns, horses, scenes, tools, doors, and cars). In contrast, she scored normally on seven tests of face recognition, tests of memory for two other object categories (houses and glasses), and tests of recall memory for visual shapes. Testing confirmed that her impairment was not related to a general deficit in lower-level perception, object perception, basic-level recognition, or memory. AW's results provide the first neuropsychological evidence that recognition memory for non-face visual object categories can be selectively impaired in individuals without brain damage or other memory impairment. These results indicate that the development of recognition memory for faces does not depend on intact object recognition memory and provide further evidence for category-specific dissociations in visual recognition. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Srl. All rights reserved.

Induced vasodilation as treatment for Raynaud's disease.

PubMed

Jobe, J B; Sampson, J B; Roberts, D E; Beetham, W P

1982-11-01

We examined the efficacy of induced vasodilation as a treatment of idiopathic Raynaud's disease. Eight persons with Raynaud's disease and seven normal persons each received 27 simultaneous pairings of hand immersion in warm water (43 degrees C) for 10 minutes with exposure of the whole body to cold (0 degrees C). A second group of seven normal persons and nine persons with Raynaud's disease received no treatments. All subjects had cold test exposures (0 degrees C) at the start and end of the study. Subjects with Raynaud's disease who received treatments showed significant increases in digital temperatures (2.2 degrees C) during the cold test compared with the values of untreated subjects with Raynaud's disease (p less than 0.05); normal subjects who had received treatments showed no difference from those who had not. Digital temperatures of subjects with Raynaud's disease after treatment increased to levels approaching those of normal subjects, although they showed lower digital temperatures during initial exposure to cold (p less than 0.01). This therapy offers a practical alternative to traditional treatments.

Low-frequency pitch perception in children with cochlear implants in comparison to normal hearing peers.

PubMed

Dincer D'Alessandro, Hilal; Filipo, Roberto; Ballantyne, Deborah; Attanasio, Giuseppe; Bosco, Ersilia; Nicastri, Maria; Mancini, Patrizia

2015-11-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate the application of two new pitch perception tests in children with cochlear implants (CI) and to compare CI outcomes to normal hearing (NH) children, as well as investigating the effect of chronological age on performance. The tests were believed to be linked to the availability of Temporal Fine Structure (TFS) cues. 20 profoundly deaf children with CI (5-17 years) and 31 NH peers participated in the study. Harmonic Intonation (HI) and Disharmonic Intonation (DI) tests were used to measure low-frequency pitch perception. HI/DI outcomes were found poorer in children with CI. CI and NH groups showed a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001). HI scores were better than those of DI test (p < 0.001). Chronological age had a significant effect on DI performance in NH group (p < 0.05); children under the age of 8.5 years showed larger inter-subject-variability; however, the majority of NH children showed outcomes that were considered normal at adult-level. For the DI test, bimodal listeners had better performance than when listening with CI alone. HI/DI tests were applicable as clinical tools in the pediatric population. The majority of CI users showed abnormal outcomes on both tests confirming poor TFS processing in the hearing-impaired population. Findings indicated that the DI test provided more differential low-frequency pitch perception outcomes in that it reflected phase locking and TFS processing capacities of the ear, whereas HI test provided information of its place coding capacity as well.

Unreliability of classic provocative tests for the diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency.

PubMed

Mazzola, A; Meazza, C; Travaglino, P; Pagani, S; Frattini, D; Bozzola, E; Corneli, G; Aimaretti, G; Bozzola, M

2008-02-01

In this study we investigated 9 prepubertal children with blunted GH response to classic pharmacological stimuli in contrast with normal auxological evaluation. The children were followed to evaluate their growth velocity for a longer period before starting replacement GH therapy. To evaluate the pituitary reserve a supraphysiologic stimulus such as GHRH plus arginine was used. Serum GH levels were measured by a time-resolved immunofluorimetric assay before and after 1 microg/kg body weight iv injection of GHRH, while serum PRL, IGF-I, and insulin were evaluated only in basal conditions using an automatic immunometric assay. Out of 9 studied subjects, 7 underwent GHRH plus arginine administration and showed a normal GH response; the parents of the remaining 2 children refused the test. Normal serum levels of PRL, IGF-I, insulin, and a normal insulin sensitivity were observed in all children. After 1 yr, the growth rate in each patient was further improved and reached almost normal values. Our results further confirm that the decision to start replacement GH therapy should be based on both auxological parameters and laboratory findings. The GHRH plus arginine test appears to be useful to identify false GH deficiency in children showing a blunted GH response to classic stimuli in contrast with normal growth rate.

Evaluation of Critical Bandwidth Using Digitally Processed Speech.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-05-12

observed after re- peating the two tests on persons with confirmed cases of sensorineural hearing impairment. Again, the plotted speech discrimination...quantifying the critical bandwidth of persons on a cli- nical or pre-employment level. The complex portion of the test design (the computer generation of...34super" normal hearing indi- viduals (i.e., those persons with narrower-than-normal cri- tical bands). This ability of the test shows promise as a valuable

Perinatal choline deficiency produces abnormal sensory inhibition in Sprague-Dawley rats

PubMed Central

Stevens, Karen E.; Adams, Catherine E.; Mellott, Tiffany J.; Robbins, Emily; Kisley, Michael A.

2008-01-01

Adequate choline levels in rodents during gestation have been shown to be critical to several functions, including certain learning and memory functions, when tested at adulthood. Choline is a selective agonist for the α7 nicotinic receptor which appears in development before acetylcholine is present. Normal sensory inhibition is dependent, in part, upon sufficient numbers of this receptor in the hippocampus. The present study assessed sensory inhibition in Sprague-Dawley rats gestated on normal (1.1 g/kg), deficient (0 g/kg) or supplemented (5 g/kg) choline in the maternal diet during the critical period for cholinergic cell development (E12-18). Rats gestated on deficient choline showed abnormal sensory inhibition when tested at adulthood, while rats gestated on normal or supplemented choline showed normal sensory inhibition. Assessment of hippocampal α-bungarotoxin to visualize nicotinic α7 receptors revealed no difference between the gestational choline levels. These data suggest that attention to maternal choline levels for human pregnancy may be important to the normal functioning of the offspring. PMID:18778692

Perinatal choline deficiency produces abnormal sensory inhibition in Sprague-Dawley rats.

PubMed

Stevens, Karen E; Adams, Catherine E; Mellott, Tiffany J; Robbins, Emily; Kisley, Michael A

2008-10-27

Adequate choline levels in rodents during gestation have been shown to be critical to several functions, including certain learning and memory functions, when tested at adulthood. Choline is a selective agonist for the alpha7 nicotinic receptor which appears in development before acetylcholine is present. Normal sensory inhibition is dependent, in part, upon sufficient numbers of this receptor in the hippocampus. The present study assessed sensory inhibition in Sprague-Dawley rats gestated on normal (1.1 g/kg), deficient (0 g/kg) or supplemented (5 g/kg) choline in the maternal diet during the critical period for cholinergic cell development (E12-18). Rats gestated on deficient choline showed abnormal sensory inhibition when tested at adulthood, while rats gestated on normal or supplemented choline showed normal sensory inhibition. Assessment of hippocampal alpha-bungarotoxin to visualize nicotinic alpha7 receptors revealed no difference between the gestational choline levels. These data suggest that attention to maternal choline levels for human pregnancy may be important to the normal functioning of the offspring.

[Descriptive analysis of pelvic asymmetry in an asymptomatic population].

PubMed

Barbosa, A C; Bonifácio, D N; Lopes, I P; Martins, F L M; Barbosa, M C S A; Barbosa, A C

2014-01-01

Pelvic tilt is clinically assessed based on its relationship with spinal conditions, but there is little evidence from the asymptomatic-population for comparison purposes. To analyze an asymptomatic population focusing,on pelvic asymmetries using photogrammetry. 92 subjects (18-35 years old) underwent marking of the anterior and posterior iliac spines and were photographed. Alcimage software was used to measure the pelvic tilt angle. Other tests included: the Kolmogorov normality test, t test, Wilcoxon test, and Pearson coefficient to measure the correlation. 11.96% of males had anteversion and 34.78% normality; 38.04% of females had anteversion and 15.22% normality. Angles between iliacs for bilateral tilt showed no difference, but a difference was seen with the predominance of one side. For unilateral tilt a difference between illacs was seen. Good correlation of predominance versus anteversion was observed, and correlation was poor for side angles. The rest showed a weak or non-significant correlation. Tilt cannot be used individually to characterize pelvic dysfunction or pathology.

Heparin-induced hyperkalemia.

PubMed

Thomas, C M; Thomas, J; Smeeton, F; Leatherdale, B A

2008-05-01

An 85-year-old lady with type 2 diabetes mellitus of 32 years duration with peripheral neuropathy was admitted under the vascular surgeons with extensive gangrene of her lower limb. She was on insulin for the last 7 years. Initial investigations showed normal serum electrolytes. She was started on antibiotics and unfractionated heparin, and her electrolytes showed hyperkalemia, which persisted on active treatment. Her short synacthen test showed good response, renin was normal with low aldosterone, urinary pH, sodium, potassium and osmolality was normal. On stopping heparin serum, potassium became normal. On restarting heparin (low molecular weight) during a suspected episode of pulmonary embolism, she developed hyperkalemia and heparin was stopped. Her potassium and aldosterone became normal on discontinuation of heparin. She developed hyperkalemia with both unfractionated and low molecular weight heparin.

The retest distribution of the visual field summary index mean deviation is close to normal.

PubMed

Anderson, Andrew J; Cheng, Allan C Y; Lau, Samantha; Le-Pham, Anne; Liu, Victor; Rahman, Farahnaz

2016-09-01

When modelling optimum strategies for how best to determine visual field progression in glaucoma, it is commonly assumed that the summary index mean deviation (MD) is normally distributed on repeated testing. Here we tested whether this assumption is correct. We obtained 42 reliable 24-2 Humphrey Field Analyzer SITA standard visual fields from one eye of each of five healthy young observers, with the first two fields excluded from analysis. Previous work has shown that although MD variability is higher in glaucoma, the shape of the MD distribution is similar to that found in normal visual fields. A Shapiro-Wilks test determined any deviation from normality. Kurtosis values for the distributions were also calculated. Data from each observer passed the Shapiro-Wilks normality test. Bootstrapped 95% confidence intervals for kurtosis encompassed the value for a normal distribution in four of five observers. When examined with quantile-quantile plots, distributions were close to normal and showed no consistent deviations across observers. The retest distribution of MD is not significantly different from normal in healthy observers, and so is likely also normally distributed - or nearly so - in those with glaucoma. Our results increase our confidence in the results of influential modelling studies where a normal distribution for MD was assumed. © 2016 The Authors Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics © 2016 The College of Optometrists.

Inheritance of balanced translocation t(17; 22) from a Down syndrome mother to a phenotypically normal daughter.

PubMed

Liu, X Y; Jiang, Y T; Wang, R X; Luo, L L; Liu, Y H; Liu, R Z

2015-08-28

We report that a 30-year-old woman with mental retardation was referred for prenatal diagnoses during pregnancy. An ultrasound scan showed that the heart structure and function of the fetus were normal. Cytogenetic analysis showed that the female karyotype was 47,XX, t(17; 22) (q21; q11), +21. The woman's husband had a normal male karyotype and was phenotypically normal. During this first pregnancy, an amniocentesis, which was done at 19 weeks, revealed that the fetal karyotype was 46,XX, t(17; 22) (q21; q11). Fluorescence in situ hybridization testing of amniotic fluid gave a normal result for chromosome 21. The child was a phenotypically normal female baby.

Effects of Peripheral Vestibular Dysfunction on Dynamic Postural Stability Measured by the Functional Reach Test and Timed Up and Go Test.

PubMed

Nishi, Toshiko; Kamogashira, Teru; Fujimoto, Chisato; Kinoshita, Makoto; Egami, Naoya; Sugasawa, Keiko; Yamasoba, Tatsuya; Iwasaki, Shinichi

2017-06-01

To investigate the influence of vestibular function on dynamic postural stability assessed by the functional reach test (FRT) and the timed up and go test (TUG). Retrospective study. Tertiary referral center. The FRT and TUG were performed in 399 patients with dizziness. The effects of peripheral vestibular dysfunction assessed by the caloric test and cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (cVEMPs) to air-conducted sound (500 Hz, tone burst) on the results of FRT and TUG were analyzed. Neither FRT nor TUG scores showed significant differences in relation to the results of the caloric test ( P > .3). The FRT scores in patients who showed abnormal cVEMP responses on both sides were significantly smaller than those in patients who showed normal cVEMP responses ( P < .01). The TUG scores in patients who showed abnormal cVEMP responses on both sides were significantly greater than those in patients who showed normal cVEMP responses ( P < .05). The vestibulo-spinal reflex mediated by the saccule and its afferents is one of the factors that influence the maintenance of dynamic postural stability as measured by FRT and TUG.

Measurement of central corneal thickness with optical low-coherence reflectometry and ultrasound pachymetry in normal and post-femtosecond laser in situ keratomileusis eyes.

PubMed

Huang, Jinhai; Liao, Na; Savini, Giacomo; Li, Yuanguang; Bao, Fangjun; Yu, Ye; Yu, Ayong; Wang, Qinmei

2015-02-01

To determine the repeatability and reproducibility of measurements of central corneal thickness (CCT) using optical low-coherence reflectometry (Lenstar LS900; Haag Streit) in normal eyes and post-femtosecond laser in situ keratomileusis (post-FS-LASIK) eyes and evaluate their agreement with ultrasound (US) pachymetry. CCT was measured using Lenstar and US pachymetry sequentially in normal and post-FS-LASIK eyes by 2 experienced observers. Intraoperator repeatability and interoperator reproducibility were assessed by within-subject standard deviation, test-retest repeatability, coefficient of variation (CoV), and intraclass correlation coefficient. Paired t-tests and Bland-Altman plots were used for analyzing agreement between the 2 devices. In this study, 55 healthy subjects and 50 post-FS-LASIK patients were recruited. Test-retest repeatability of Lenstar was within 10 μm, CoV was less than 1.0%, and intraclass correlation coefficient was more than 0.9 in both normal and post-FS-LASIK groups. Mean difference between these methods was 1.4 ± 4.2 μm and -1.7 ± 5.4 μm, respectively. Moreover, measurements of CCT showed narrow 95% limits of agreement (range, normal group: -6.8 and 9.6 μm; post-FS-LASIK group: -12.4 and 8.9 μm), which implied good agreement. Measurements of CCT using Lenstar showed excellent intraoperator repeatability and interoperator reproducibility both in normal eyes and post-FS-LASIK eyes. Measurements of CCT using Lenstar and US pachymetry showed good agreement and both can be used interchangeably.

Persistent neurotoxicity from a battery fire: is cadmium the culprit?

PubMed

Kilburn, K H; McKinley, K L

1996-07-01

Two train conductors had chest tightness, painful breathing, muscle cramps, and nausea after fighting a fire in a battery box under a passenger coach. Shortly thereafter, they became anosmic and had excessive fatigue, persistent headaches, sleep disturbances, irritability, unstable moods, and hypertension. Urinary cadmium and nickel levels were elevated. Neurobehavioral testing showed, in comparison to referents, prolonged reaction times, abnormal balance, prolonged blink reflex latency, severely constricted visual fields, and decreased vibration sense. Test scores showed that immediate verbal and visual recall were normal but delayed recall was reduced. Scores on overlearned information were normal. Tests measuring dexterity, coordination, decision making, and peripheral sensation and discrimination revealed abnormalities. Repeat testing 6 and 12 months after exposure showed persistent abnormalities. Cadmium and vinyl chloride are the most plausible causes of the neurotoxicity, but fumes from the fire may have contained other neurotoxic chemicals.

Development of a novel image-based program to teach narrow-band imaging.

PubMed

Dumas, Cedric; Fielding, David; Coles, Timothy; Good, Norm

2016-08-01

Narrow-band imaging (NBI) is a widely available endoscopic imaging technology; however, uptake of the technique could be improved. Teaching new imaging techniques and assessing trainees' performance can be a challenging exercise during a 1-day workshop. To support NBI training, we developed an online training tool (Medimq) to help experts train novices in NBI bronchoscopy that could assess trainees' performance and provide feedback before the close of the 1-day course. The present study determines whether trainees' capacity to identify relevant pathology increases with the proposed interactive testing method. Two groups of 20 and 18 bronchoscopists have attended an NBI course where they did a pretest and post-test before and after the main lecture, and a follow-up test 4 weeks later to measure retention of knowledge. We measured their ability to mark normal and abnormal 'biopsy size' areas on bronchoscopic NBI images for biopsy. These markings were compared with areas marked by experts on the same images. The first group results were used to pilot the test. After modifications, the results of the improved test for group 2 showed trainees improved by 32% (total class average normalized gain) in detecting normal or abnormal areas. On follow-up testing, Group 2 improved by 23%. The overall class average normalized gain of 32% shows our test can be used to improve trainees' competency in analyzing NBI Images. The testing method (and tool) can be used to measure the follow up 4 weeks later. Better follow-up test results would be expected with more frequent practice by trainees after the course. © The Author(s), 2016.

Descriptive Statistics for Modern Test Score Distributions: Skewness, Kurtosis, Discreteness, and Ceiling Effects.

PubMed

Ho, Andrew D; Yu, Carol C

2015-06-01

Many statistical analyses benefit from the assumption that unconditional or conditional distributions are continuous and normal. More than 50 years ago in this journal, Lord and Cook chronicled departures from normality in educational tests, and Micerri similarly showed that the normality assumption is met rarely in educational and psychological practice. In this article, the authors extend these previous analyses to state-level educational test score distributions that are an increasingly common target of high-stakes analysis and interpretation. Among 504 scale-score and raw-score distributions from state testing programs from recent years, nonnormal distributions are common and are often associated with particular state programs. The authors explain how scaling procedures from item response theory lead to nonnormal distributions as well as unusual patterns of discreteness. The authors recommend that distributional descriptive statistics be calculated routinely to inform model selection for large-scale test score data, and they illustrate consequences of nonnormality using sensitivity studies that compare baseline results to those from normalized score scales.

Compass: clinical evaluation of a new instrument for the diagnosis of glaucoma.

PubMed

Rossetti, Luca; Digiuni, Maurizio; Rosso, Alberto; Riva, Roberta; Barbaro, Giuliano; Smolek, Michael K; Orzalesi, Nicola; De Cilla', Stefano; Autelitano, Alessandro; Fogagnolo, Paolo

2015-01-01

To evaluate Compass, a new instrument for glaucoma screening and diagnosis that combines scanning ophthalmoscopy, automated perimetry, and eye tracking. A total of 320 human subjects (200 normal, 120 with glaucoma) underwent full ophthalmological evaluation and perimetric evaluation using the Humphrey SITA standard 24° test (HFA), and the Compass test that consisted of a full-threshold program on the central 24° with a photograph of the central 30° of the retina. A subgroup of normal subjects and glaucoma patients underwent a second Compass test during the same day in order to study test-retest variability. After exclusion of 30 patients due to protocol rules, a database was created to compare the Compass to the HFA, and to evaluate retinal image quality and fixation stability. The difference in mean sensitivity between Compass and HFA was -1.02 ± 1.55 dB in normal subjects (p<0.001) and -1.01 ± 2.81 dB in glaucoma (p<0.001). Repeatability SD for the average sensitivity was 1.53 for normal subjects and 1.84 for glaucoma. Test time with the Compass was 634±96 s (607±78 for normals, 678±108 for glaucoma). Compass analysis showed the percentage of fixation within the central 1° was 86.6% in normal subjects, and 79.3% in glaucoma patients. Color image quality was sufficient for diagnostic use in >65% of cases; Image-based diagnosis was in accordance with the initial diagnosis in 85% of the subjects. Based on preliminary results, Compass showed useful diagnostic characteristics for the study of glaucoma, and combined morphological information with functional data.

Pericardiocentesis in massive pericardial effusions due to hypothyroidism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nainggolan, F. H.; Dalimunthe, N. N.; Harahap, S.; Isnanta, R.; Realsyah, T.; Safri, Z.; Hasan, R.

2018-03-01

Pericardial effusion is the accumulation of abnormal fluid in the pericardial cavity. The symptoms are not specific and associated with the underlying disease. It was reported that a 53-year-old male patient entered the Emergency Room with a shortness of breath, and getting worse during activity and position. There was weight loss and smoking history. The history of diabetic, hypertension and malignancy were denied. On physical examination showed the enlarged right and left heart border and weakened heartbeat sheer off is found and edema pretibial and normal the other. The laboratory results;blood routine, renal and liver function within normal; lipid profile: hypercholesterolemia; viral marker is non-reactive.Rontgen thorax suggests cardiomegaly, but there was no infiltrate or nodules. Electrocardiogram (ECG) showed a low voltage. Echocardiography examination showed massive pericardial effusion. Pericardiosynthetis performed produces 750 cc of clear yellow liquid and showed transudate. Other laboratory tests such as ANA test, anti ds-DNA, cyfra were a normal impression. Thyroid function: hypothyroid, Mantoux test is negative. Finally, the patient is a massive pericardial effusion caused by hypothyroidism. The pericardiocentesis took, and the hypothyroid drug of euthirax is administered. The patient was well done and continued for recontrol.

Confirmed viral meningitis with normal CSF findings.

PubMed

Dawood, Naghum; Desjobert, Edouard; Lumley, Janine; Webster, Daniel; Jacobs, Michael

2014-07-17

An 18-year-old woman presented with a progressively worsening headache, photophobia feverishness and vomiting. Three weeks previously she had returned to the UK from a trip to Peru. At presentation, she had clinical signs of meningism. On admission, blood tests showed a mild lymphopenia, with a normal C reactive protein and white cell count. Chest X-ray and CT of the head were normal. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) microscopy was normal. CSF protein and glucose were in the normal range. MRI of the head and cerebral angiography were also normal. Subsequent molecular testing of CSF detected enterovirus RNA by reverse transcriptase PCR. The patient's clinical syndrome correlated with her virological diagnosis and no other cause of her symptoms was found. Her symptoms were self-limiting and improved with supportive management. This case illustrates an important example of viral central nervous system infection presenting clinically as meningitis but with normal CSF microscopy. 2014 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.

Normality of raw data in general linear models: The most widespread myth in statistics

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kery, Marc; Hatfield, Jeff S.

2003-01-01

In years of statistical consulting for ecologists and wildlife biologists, by far the most common misconception we have come across has been the one about normality in general linear models. These comprise a very large part of the statistical models used in ecology and include t tests, simple and multiple linear regression, polynomial regression, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) and covariance (ANCOVA). There is a widely held belief that the normality assumption pertains to the raw data rather than to the model residuals. We suspect that this error may also occur in countless published studies, whenever the normality assumption is tested prior to analysis. This may lead to the use of nonparametric alternatives (if there are any), when parametric tests would indeed be appropriate, or to use of transformations of raw data, which may introduce hidden assumptions such as multiplicative effects on the natural scale in the case of log-transformed data. Our aim here is to dispel this myth. We very briefly describe relevant theory for two cases of general linear models to show that the residuals need to be normally distributed if tests requiring normality are to be used, such as t and F tests. We then give two examples demonstrating that the distribution of the response variable may be nonnormal, and yet the residuals are well behaved. We do not go into the issue of how to test normality; instead we display the distributions of response variables and residuals graphically.

Six1-Eya-Dach Network in Breast Cancer

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-05-01

Ctrl scramble controls. Responsiveness was tested using luciferase activity of the 3TP reporter construct and normalized to renilla luciferase...construct and normalized to renilla luciferase activity. Data points show the mean of two individual clones from two experiments and error bars represent

Pitfalls in the diagnostic evaluation of subacute combined degeneration.

PubMed

Ulrich, A; Müller, D; Linnebank, M; Tarnutzer, A A

2015-05-14

We report a case of a 43-year-old man presenting with a 2-week history of painless ascending sensory disturbances, suspected to be suffering from acute inflammatory polyneuropathy. On clinical examination, deep tendon reflexes were preserved and muscle strength was 5/5 everywhere. Gait was ataxic with positive Romberg test. Lumbar puncture was normal and electroneurography demonstrated demyelination. With spinal cord involvement centred on the posterior tracts on MRI, differential diagnosis focused on cobalamin deficiency. Initial laboratory work up showed nearly normal holotranscobalamin (43 pmol/L, normal>50) suggesting no vitamin B12 deficiency. Surprisingly, further testing including methylmalonic acid (3732 nmol/L, normal<271) and homocysteine (48.5 µmol/L, normal<10) showed an impairment of vitamin B12-dependent metabolism leading to the diagnosis of subacute combined degeneration. Only after repeated history taking did the patient remember having taken tablets containing cobalamin for 3 days before hospitalisation. In case of B12 deficiency, holotranscobalamin can rapidly normalise during supplementation, whereas methylmalonic acid and homocysteine might help to detect B12 deficiency in patients who recently started supplementation. 2015 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.

Detecting navigational deficits in cognitive aging and Alzheimer disease using virtual reality

PubMed Central

Cushman, Laura A.; Stein, Karen; Duffy, Charles J.

2008-01-01

Background: Older adults get lost, in many cases because of recognized or incipient Alzheimer disease (AD). In either case, getting lost can be a threat to individual and public safety, as well as to personal autonomy and quality of life. Here we compare our previously described real-world navigation test with a virtual reality (VR) version simulating the same navigational environment. Methods: Quantifying real-world navigational performance is difficult and time-consuming. VR testing is a promising alternative, but it has not been compared with closely corresponding real-world testing in aging and AD. We have studied navigation using both real-world and virtual environments in the same subjects: young normal controls (YNCs, n = 35), older normal controls (ONCs, n = 26), patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI, n = 12), and patients with early AD (EAD, n = 14). Results: We found close correlations between real-world and virtual navigational deficits that increased across groups from YNC to ONC, to MCI, and to EAD. Analyses of subtest performance showed similar profiles of impairment in real-world and virtual testing in all four subject groups. The ONC, MCI, and EAD subjects all showed greatest difficulty in self-orientation and scene localization tests. MCI and EAD patients also showed impaired verbal recall about both test environments. Conclusions: Virtual environment testing provides a valid assessment of navigational skills. Aging and Alzheimer disease (AD) share the same patterns of difficulty in associating visual scenes and locations, which is complicated in AD by the accompanying loss of verbally mediated navigational capacities. We conclude that virtual navigation testing reveals deficits in aging and AD that are associated with potentially grave risks to our patients and the community. GLOSSARY AD = Alzheimer disease; EAD = early Alzheimer disease; MCI = mild cognitive impairment; MMSE = Mini-Mental State Examination; ONC = older normal control; std. wt. = standardized weight; THSD = Tukey honestly significant difference; VR = virtual reality; YNC = young normal control. PMID:18794491

Use of thyroid-stimulating hormone tests for identifying primary hypothyroidism in family medicine patients.

PubMed

Birk-Urovitz, Elizabeth; Elisabeth Del Giudice, M; Meaney, Christopher; Grewal, Karan

2017-09-01

To assess the use of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) tests for identifying primary hypothyroidism in 2 academic family medicine settings. Descriptive study involving a retrospective electronic chart review of family medicine patients who underwent TSH testing. Two academic family practice sites: one site is within a tertiary hospital in Toronto, Ont, and the other is within a community hospital in Newmarket, Ont. A random sample of 205 adult family medicine patients who had 1 or more TSH tests for identifying potential primary hypothyroidism between July 1, 2009, and September 15, 2013. Exclusion criteria included a previous diagnosis of any thyroid condition or abnormality, as well as pregnancy or recent pregnancy within the year preceding the study period. The proportion of normal TSH test results and the proportion of TSH tests that did not conform to test-ordering guidelines. Of the 205 TSH test results, 200 (97.6%, 95% CI 94.4% to 99.2%) showed TSH levels within the normal range. All 5 patients with abnormal TSH test results had TSH levels above the upper reference limits. Nearly one-quarter (22.4%, 95% CI 16.9% to 28.8%) of tests did not conform to test-ordering guidelines. All TSH tests classified as not conforming to test-ordering guidelines showed TSH levels within normal limits. There was a significant difference ( P < .001) between the proportions of nonconforming TSH tests at the tertiary site (14.3%, 95% CI 8.2% to 22.5%) and the community site (31.0%, 95% CI 22.1% to 41.0%). Preliminary analyses examining which variables might be associated with abnormal TSH levels showed that only muscle cramps or myalgia ( P = .0286) and a history of an autoimmune disorder ( P = .0623) met or approached statistical significance. In this study, the proportion of normal TSH test results in the context of primary hypothyroidism case finding and screening was high, and the overall proportion of TSH tests that did not conform to test-ordering guidelines was relatively high as well. These results highlight a need for more consistent TSH test-ordering guidelines for primary hypothyroidism and perhaps some educational interventions to help curtail the overuse of TSH tests in the family medicine setting. Copyright© the College of Family Physicians of Canada.

Histomorphometric analysis of nuclear and cellular volumetric alterations in oral lichen planus, lichenoid lesions and normal oral mucosa using image analysis software.

PubMed

Venkatesiah, Sowmya S; Kale, Alka D; Hallikeremath, Seema R; Kotrashetti, Vijayalakshmi S

2013-01-01

Lichen planus is a chronic inflammatory mucocutaneous disease that clinically and histologically resembles lichenoid lesions, although the latter has a different etiology. Though criteria have been suggested for differentiating oral lichen planus from lichenoid lesions, confusion still prevails. To study the cellular and nuclear volumetric features in the epithelium of normal mucosa, lichen planus, and lichenoid lesions to determine variations if any. A retrospective study was done on 25 histologically diagnosed cases each of oral lichen planus, oral lichenoid lesions, and normal oral mucosa. Cellular and nuclear morphometric measurements were assessed on hematoxylin and eosin sections using image analysis software. Analysis of variance test (ANOVA) and Tukey's post-hoc test. The basal cells of oral lichen planus showed a significant increase in the mean nuclear and cellular areas, and in nuclear volume; there was a significant decrease in the nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio as compared to normal mucosa. The suprabasal cells showed a significant increase in nuclear and cellular areas, nuclear diameter, and nuclear and cellular volumes as compared to normal mucosa. The basal cells of oral lichenoid lesions showed significant difference in the mean cellular area and the mean nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio as compared to normal mucosa, whereas the suprabasal cells differed significantly from normal mucosa in the mean nuclear area and the nuclear and cellular volumes. Morphometry can differentiate lesions of oral lichen planus and oral lichenoid lesions from normal oral mucosa. Thus, morphometry may serve to discriminate between normal and premalignant lichen planus and lichenoid lesions. These lesions might have a high risk for malignant transformation and may behave in a similar manner with respect to malignant transformation.

The development and initial validation of a sensitive bedside cognitive screening test.

PubMed

Faust, D; Fogel, B S

1989-01-01

Brief bedside cognitive examinations such as the Mini-Mental State Examination are designed to detect delirium and dementia but not more subtle or delineated cognitive deficits. Formal neuropsychological evaluation provides greater sensitivity and detects a wider range of cognitive deficits but is too lengthy for efficient use at the bedside or in epidemiological studies. The authors developed the High Sensitivity Cognitive Screen (HSCS), a 20-minute interview-based test, to identify patients who show disorder on formal neuropsychological evaluation. An initial study demonstrated satisfactory test-retest and interrater reliability. The HSCS was then administered to 60 psychiatric and neurological patients with suspected cognitive deficits but without gross impairment, who also completed formal neuropsychological testing. Results of both tests were independently classified as either normal, borderline, or abnormal. The HSCS correctly classified 93% of patients across the normal-abnormal dichotomy and showed promise for characterizing the extent and severity of cognitive dysfunction.

Biomechanical testing of isolated bones: holographic study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silvennoinen, Raimo; Nygren, Kaarlo; Karna, Markku

1992-08-01

Holographic nondestructive testing (HNDT) is used to investigate the complex structures of bones of various shapes and sizes subjected to forces. Three antlered deer skulls of different species were investigated and significant species-specific differences were observed. The HNDT method was also used to verify the advanced healing of an osteosynthetized sheep jawbone. Radioulnar bones of a normal and an orphaned moose calf were subjected to a bending test. The undernourished calf showed torsio displacement combined with the bending of the bone, which was not seen in the normal calf. The effects of the masticatory forces on the moose skull surface were studied by simulating masseter muscle contractions with jawbones in occlusion. The fringe patterns showed fast-moving bone surfaces on the naso- maxillo-lacrimal region.

The influence of surgical transection and anastomosis on the rate of cell proliferation in the colonic epithelium of normal and DMH-treated rats.

PubMed

Barkla, D H; Tutton, P M

1983-10-01

Normal and DMH-treated male rats aged 18-20 weeks underwent surgical transection and anastomosis of the transverse colon. Animals were subsequently killed at intervals of 14, 30 and 72 days. Three hours prior to sacrifice animals were injected with vinblastine sulphate and mitotic indices were subsequently estimated in histological sections. Possible differences between experimental and control groups were tested using a Student's t-test. The results show that the accumulated mitotic indices in normal and DMH-treated colon are statistically similar. The results also show that transection and anastomosis stimulates cell division in both normal and DMH-treated colon and that the increase is of greater amplitude and more prolonged duration in the DMH-treated rats. Carcinomas developed close to the line of anastomosis in DMH-treated but not in control rats. The results support the hypothesis that non-specific injury to hyperplastic colonic epithelium promotes carcinogenesis.

The Power of Exclusion using Automated Osteometric Sorting: Pair-Matching.

PubMed

Lynch, Jeffrey James; Byrd, John; LeGarde, Carrie B

2018-03-01

This study compares the original pair-matching osteometric sorting model (J Forensic Sci 2003;48:717) against two new models providing validation and performance testing across three samples. The samples include the Forensic Data Bank, USS Oklahoma, and the osteometric sorting reference used within the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. A computer science solution to generating dynamic statistical models across a commingled assemblage is presented. The issue of normality is investigated showing the relative robustness against non-normality and a data transformation to control for normality. A case study is provided showing the relative exclusion power of all three models from an active commingled case within the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. In total, 14,357,220 osteometric t-tests were conducted. The results indicate that osteometric sorting performs as expected despite reference samples deviating from normality. The two new models outperform the original, and one of those is recommended to supersede the original for future osteometric sorting work. © 2017 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Putting New Laboratory Tests Into Practice

MedlinePlus

... Time and International Normalized Ratio (PT/INR) PSEN1 Quantitative Immunoglobulins Red Blood Cell (RBC) Antibody Identification Red ... a particular test that shows promise in the research stages actually get to the point where it ...

Physical and mechanical properties of self-compacting concrete containing superplasticizer and metakaolin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shahidan, Shahiron; Tayeh, Bassam A.; Jamaludin, A. A.; Bahari, N. A. A. S.; Mohd, S. S.; Zuki Ali, N.; Khalid, F. S.

2017-11-01

The development of concrete technology shows a variety of admixtures in concrete to produce special concrete. This includes the production of self-compacting concrete which is able to fill up all spaces, take formwork shapes and pass through congested reinforcement bars without vibrating or needing any external energy. In this study, the main objective is to compare the physical and mechanical properties of self-compacting concrete containing metakaolin with normal concrete. Four types of samples were produced to study the effect of metakaolin towards the physical and mechanical properties of self-compacting concrete where 0%, 5%, 10% and 15% of metakaolin were used as cement replacement. The physical properties were investigated using slump test for normal concrete and slump flow test for self-compacting concrete. The mechanical properties were tested for compressive strength and tensile strength. The findings of this study show that the inclusion of metakaolin as cement replacement can increase both compressive and tensile strength compared to normal concrete. The highest compressive strength was found in self-compacting concrete with 15% metakaolin replacement at 53.3 MPa while self-compacting concrete with 10% metakaolin replacement showed the highest tensile strength at 3.6 MPa. On top of that, the finishing or concrete surface of both cube and cylinder samples made of self-compacting concrete produced a smooth surface with the appearance of less honeycombs compared to normal concrete.

The Effect of Spinal Tap Test on Different Sensory Modalities of Postural Stability in Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus.

PubMed

Abram, Katrin; Bohne, Silvia; Bublak, Peter; Karvouniari, Panagiota; Klingner, Carsten M; Witte, Otto W; Guntinas-Lichius, Orlando; Axer, Hubertus

2016-01-01

Postural instability in patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) is a most crucial symptom leading to falls with secondary complications. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the therapeutic effect of spinal tap on postural stability in these patients. Seventeen patients with clinical symptoms of NPH were examined using gait scale, computerized dynamic posturography (CDP), and neuropsychological assessment. Examinations were done before and after spinal tap test. The gait score showed a significant improvement 24 h after spinal tap test in all subtests and in the sum score (p < 0.003), while neuropsychological assessment did not reveal significant differences 72 h after spinal tap test. CDP showed significant improvements after spinal tap test in the Sensory Organization Tests 2 (p = 0.017), 4 (p = 0.001), and 5 (p = 0.009) and the composite score (p = 0.01). Patients showed best performance in somatosensory and worst performance in vestibular dominated tests. Vestibular dominated tests did not improve significantly after spinal tap test, while somatosensory and visual dominated tests did. Postural stability in NPH is predominantly affected by deficient vestibular functions, which did not improve after spinal tap test. Conditions which improved best were mainly independent from visual control and are based on proprioceptive functions.

Biochemical studies on hepatic involvement in infectious mononucleosis

PubMed Central

Baron, D. N.; Bell, Joyce L.; Dunnet, W. N.

1965-01-01

Eighty cases of infectious mononucleosis have been investigated by serum enzyme studies and other liver function tests. Maximum abnormalities occurred between the second and fourth weeks of illness and all tests were usually normal by the sixth week. Serum isocitric dehydrogenase activity was increased in 93% of cases and serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase in 74%. Conventional liver function tests were less sensitive. Serum bilirubin was above normal in 40% of cases; in 17% of cases the increase was sufficient to show as clinical jaundice. No patient has developed chronic hepatitis. PMID:14276157

Test of a chromomagnetic model for hadron mass differences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lichtenberg, D. B.; Roncaglia, R.

1993-05-01

An oversimplified model consisting of the QCD color-magnetic interaction has been used previously by Silvestre-Brac and others to compare the masses of exotic and normal hadrons. We show that the model can give qualitatively wrong answers when applied to systems of normal hadrons.

Suboptimal Performance in Cleft Lip/Palate Children- Who is Responsible?

PubMed

Lakhkar, Bhavana B

2016-10-01

Information in this article is from an observational study comparing intelligence in children with cleft lip and palate with normal children. Both groups performed "draw a man test", the investigator noted the attitude and behaviour of children and their parents. The study shows low, but normal intelligence quotient in children with oral defects as compared to normal. The probable reason for sub-normal performance appeared to be overprotective attitude of parents and poor self esteem of children with oral defects.

The effect of adhesive dressing edges on cutaneous irritancy and skin barrier function.

PubMed

Dykes, P J

2007-03-01

To assess the effect of repeated application and removal of adhesive edges from wound-care products on cutaneous irritancy and barrier function in normal volunteer subjects. This was a study using a 'repeat-insult patch test'. Adhesive edges from six commonly used wound-care products were applied continuously to the same site (six applications over a 14-day period) in 30 normal volunteer subjects. The test sites were assessed clinically before product reapplication using established ranking scales for cutaneous erythema. The cumulative irritancy score (CIS) for each test site was determined by adding the erythema scores at days 3, 5, 8, 10, 12 and 15. At the study end the barrier function of each test site was assessed by measuring transepidermal water loss (TEWL). The CIS showed that the products fall into two distinct groups, with Mepilex, Tielle and Allevyn giving low scores and Biatain, Comfeel and DuoDERM higher scores. Statistical analysis indicated significant differences (p < 0.05) between Mepilex and Biatain, Mepilex and Comfeel, Mepilex and DuoDERM, Tielle and Biatain, Allevyn and Biatain. The mean TEWL values also indicated that the products fall into two distinct groups: Mepilex, Tielle and Allevyn with low mean values close to that of normal adjacent back skin and Biatain, Comfeel and DuoDERM with much higher mean values. Statistical analysis indicated that Mepilex, Tielle and Allevyn were not significantly different from normal skin (p < 0.05), whereas Biatain, Comfeel and DuoDERM were significantly higher than normal skin and the other products tested. The results show clear differences between products; the clinical scores and TEWL measurements indicate that the products fall into two distinct groups. This novel approach seems able to discriminate between adhesive borders and may be useful during product development and in selecting products for clinical trials.

Microtensile bond strength of three simplified adhesive systems to caries-affected dentin.

PubMed

Scholtanus, J D; Purwanta, Kenny; Dogan, Nilgun; Kleverlaan, Cees J; Feilzer, Albert J

2010-08-01

The purpose of the study was to determine the microtensile bond strength of three different simplified adhesive systems to caries-affected dentin. Fifteen extracted human molars with primary carious lesions were ground flat until dentin was exposed. Soft caries-infected dentin was excavated with the help of caries detector dye. On the remaining hard dentin, a standardized smear layer was created by polishing with 600-grit SiC paper. Teeth were divided into three groups and treated with one of the three tested adhesives: Adper Scotchbond 1 XT (3M ESPE), a 2-step etch-andrinse adhesive, Clearfil S3 Bond (Kuraray), a 1-step self-etching or all-in-one adhesive, and Clearfil SE Bond (Kuraray), a 2-step self-etching adhesive. Five-mm-thick composite buildups (Z-250, 3M ESPE) were built and light cured. After water storage for 24 h at 37ºC, the bonded specimens were sectioned into bars (1.0 x 1.0 mm; n = 20 to 30). Microtensile bond strength of normal dentin specimens and caries-affected dentin specimens was measured in a universal testing machine (crosshead speed = 1 mm/min). Data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA and Tukey's post-hoc test (p < 0.05). No significant differences in bond strength values to normal dentin between the three adhesives were found. Adper Scotchbond 1 XT and Clearfil S3 Bond showed significantly lower bond strength values to caries-affected dentin. For Clearfil SE Bond, bond strength values to normal and caries-affected dentin were not significantly different. All the tested simplified adhesives showed similar bond strength values to normal dentin. For the tested 2-step etch-and-rinse adhesive and the all-in-one adhesive, the bond strength values to caries-affected dentin were lower than to normal dentin.

Pigment tests evaluated by a model of chromatic discrimination.

PubMed

Smith, V C; Pokorny, J; Yeh, T

1993-08-01

Clinical color-vision tests are evaluated within the framework of a model of chromatic discrimination in terms of cone excitation. The motivation for this study was to derive a method for evaluation of test design, test sensitivity, and observer performance. The discrimination model is based on the assumption that chromatic discrimination is mediated in two independent channels, one for short-wavelength cones and one for long- and middle-wavelength cones. Luminance-dependent templates are derived for each channel, and they describe chromatic-discrimination behavior of the young color-normal observer. The templates incorporate receptor- and opponent-level gain controls. We show how the chromaticities of clinical tests can be calculated in cone-excitation units and how discrimination behavior on the tests can be plotted on the templates. The tests include the Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue, the Farnsworth Panel D-15, the Farnsworth Panel D-15 desaturated, the American Optical Hardy-Rand-Rittler, the Farnsworth F2 plate, the Standard Pseudoisochromatic Plates, Part II, the Ishihara, and the Minimalist tests. Clinical-test data collected on young color-normal observers at different illumination levels show the validity of the techniques.

Estimating and testing interactions when explanatory variables are subject to non-classical measurement error.

PubMed

Murad, Havi; Kipnis, Victor; Freedman, Laurence S

2016-10-01

Assessing interactions in linear regression models when covariates have measurement error (ME) is complex.We previously described regression calibration (RC) methods that yield consistent estimators and standard errors for interaction coefficients of normally distributed covariates having classical ME. Here we extend normal based RC (NBRC) and linear RC (LRC) methods to a non-classical ME model, and describe more efficient versions that combine estimates from the main study and internal sub-study. We apply these methods to data from the Observing Protein and Energy Nutrition (OPEN) study. Using simulations we show that (i) for normally distributed covariates efficient NBRC and LRC were nearly unbiased and performed well with sub-study size ≥200; (ii) efficient NBRC had lower MSE than efficient LRC; (iii) the naïve test for a single interaction had type I error probability close to the nominal significance level, whereas efficient NBRC and LRC were slightly anti-conservative but more powerful; (iv) for markedly non-normal covariates, efficient LRC yielded less biased estimators with smaller variance than efficient NBRC. Our simulations suggest that it is preferable to use: (i) efficient NBRC for estimating and testing interaction effects of normally distributed covariates and (ii) efficient LRC for estimating and testing interactions for markedly non-normal covariates. © The Author(s) 2013.

How did the Elimination of the Earnings Test above the Normal Retirement Age affect Retirement Expectations?1

PubMed Central

Michaud, Pierre-Carl

2010-01-01

We look at the effect of the 2000 repeal of the earnings test above the normal retirement age on retirement expectations of workers in the Health and Retirement Study, aged 51 to 61 in 1992. For men, we find that those whose marginal wage rate increased when the earnings test was repealed, had the largest increase in the probability to work full-time past normal retirement age. We do not find significant evidence of effects of the repeal of the earnings test on the probability to work past age 62 or the expected claiming age. On the other hand, for those reaching the normal retirement age, deviations between the age at which Social Security benefits are actually claimed and the previously reported expected age are more negative in 2000 than in 1998. Since our calculations show that the tax introduced by the earnings test was small when accounting for actuarial benefit adjustments and differential mortality, our results suggest that although male workers form expectations in a way consistent with forward-looking behavior, they misperceive the complicated rules of the earnings test. Results for females suggest similar patterns but estimates are imprecise. PMID:21037938

Neuronal Function in Male Sprague Dawley Rats During Normal Ageing.

PubMed

Idowu, A J; Olatunji-Bello, I I; Olagunju, J A

2017-03-06

During normal ageing, there are physiological changes especially in high energy demanding tissues including the brain and skeletal muscles. Ageing may disrupt homeostasis and allow tissue vulnerability to disease. To establish an appropriate animal model which is readily available and will be useful to test therapeutic strategies during normal ageing, we applied behavioral approaches to study age-related changes in memory and motor function as a basis for neuronal function in ageing in male Sprague Dawley rats. 3 months, n=5; 6 months, n=5 and 18 months, n=5 male Sprague Dawley Rats were tested using the Novel Object Recognition Task (NORT) and the Elevated plus Maze (EPM) Test. Data was analyzed by ANOVA and the Newman-Keuls post hoc test. The results showed an age-related gradual decline in exploratory behavior and locomotor activity with increasing age in 3 months, 6 months and 18 months old rats, although the values were not statistically significant, but grooming activity significantly increased with increasing age. Importantly, we established a novel finding that the minimum distance from the novel object was statistically significant between 3 months and 18 months old rats and this may be an index for age-related memory impairment in the NORT. Altogether, we conclude that the male Sprague Dawley rat show age-related changes in neuronal function and may be a useful model for carrying out investigations into the mechanisms involved in normal ageing.

A cross-national study of calculus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chai, Jun; Friedler, Louis M.; Wolff, Edward F.; Li, Jun; Rhea, Karen

2015-05-01

The results from a cross-national study comparing calculus performance of students at East China Normal University (ECNU) in Shanghai and students at the University of Michigan before and after their first university calculus course are presented. Overall, ECNU significantly outperformed Michigan on both the pre- and post-tests, but the Michigan students showed a larger gain and normalized gain, and hence narrowed the gap. ECNU's superior performance was especially striking on the subset of problems requiring only a pre-calculus background. On those, Michigan's post-test scores were below ECNU's pre-test scores and, indeed, ECNU's higher performance on both the overall pre-test and overall post-test is attributable to its success on these problems.

NONPARAMETRIC MANOVA APPROACHES FOR NON-NORMAL MULTIVARIATE OUTCOMES WITH MISSING VALUES

PubMed Central

He, Fanyin; Mazumdar, Sati; Tang, Gong; Bhatia, Triptish; Anderson, Stewart J.; Dew, Mary Amanda; Krafty, Robert; Nimgaonkar, Vishwajit; Deshpande, Smita; Hall, Martica; Reynolds, Charles F.

2017-01-01

Between-group comparisons often entail many correlated response variables. The multivariate linear model, with its assumption of multivariate normality, is the accepted standard tool for these tests. When this assumption is violated, the nonparametric multivariate Kruskal-Wallis (MKW) test is frequently used. However, this test requires complete cases with no missing values in response variables. Deletion of cases with missing values likely leads to inefficient statistical inference. Here we extend the MKW test to retain information from partially-observed cases. Results of simulated studies and analysis of real data show that the proposed method provides adequate coverage and superior power to complete-case analyses. PMID:29416225

Applications of multiscale change point detections to monthly stream flow and rainfall in Xijiang River in southern China, part I: correlation and variance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Yuxiang; Jiang, Jianmin; Huang, Changxing; Chen, Yongqin David; Zhang, Qiang

2018-04-01

This article, as part I, introduces three algorithms and applies them to both series of the monthly stream flow and rainfall in Xijiang River, southern China. The three algorithms include (1) normalization of probability distribution, (2) scanning U test for change points in correlation between two time series, and (3) scanning F-test for change points in variances. The normalization algorithm adopts the quantile method to normalize data from a non-normal into the normal probability distribution. The scanning U test and F-test have three common features: grafting the classical statistics onto the wavelet algorithm, adding corrections for independence into each statistic criteria at given confidence respectively, and being almost objective and automatic detection on multiscale time scales. In addition, the coherency analyses between two series are also carried out for changes in variance. The application results show that the changes of the monthly discharge are still controlled by natural precipitation variations in Xijiang's fluvial system. Human activities disturbed the ecological balance perhaps in certain content and in shorter spells but did not violate the natural relationships of correlation and variance changes so far.

A novel mutation in the FGB: c.1105C>T turns the codon for amino acid Bβ Q339 into a stop codon causing hypofibrinogenemia.

PubMed

Marchi, Rita; Brennan, Stephen; Meyer, Michael; Rojas, Héctor; Kanzler, Daniela; De Agrela, Marisela; Ruiz-Saez, Arlette

2013-03-01

Routine coagulation tests on a 14year-old male with frequent epistaxis showed a prolonged thrombin time together with diminished functional (162mg/dl) and gravimetric (122mg/dl) fibrinogen concentrations. His father showed similar aberrant results and sequencing of the three fibrinogen genes revealed a novel heterozygous nonsense mutation in the FGB gene c.1105C>T, which converts the codon for residue Bβ 339Q to stop, causing deletion of Bβ chain residues 339-461. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and RP-HPLC (reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography) of purified fibrinogen showed only normal Aα, Bβ, and γ chains, indicating that molecules with the truncated 37,990Da β chain were not secreted into plasma. Functional analysis showed impaired fibrin polymerization, fibrin porosity, and elasticity compared to controls. By laser scanning confocal microscopy the patient's fibers were slightly thinner than normal. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI MS) presented normal sialylation of the oligosaccharide chains, and liver function tests showed no evidence of liver dysfunction that might explain the functional abnormalities. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Static and dynamic balance of children and adolescents with sensorineural hearing loss.

PubMed

Melo, Renato de Souza; Marinho, Sônia Elvira Dos Santos; Freire, Maryelly Evelly Araújo; Souza, Robson Arruda; Damasceno, Hélio Anderson Melo; Raposo, Maria Cristina Falcão

2017-01-01

To assess the static and dynamic balance performance of students with normal hearing and with sensorineural hearing loss. A cross-sectional study assessing 96 students, 48 with normal hearing and 48 with sensorineural hearing loss of both sexes, aged 7 and 18 years. To evaluate static balance, Romberg, Romberg-Barré and Fournier tests were used; and for the dynamic balance, we applied the Unterberger test. Hearing loss students showed more changes in static and dynamic balance as compared to normal hearing, in all tests used (p<0.001). The same difference was found when subjects were grouped by sex. For females, Romberg, Romberg-Barré, Fournier and Unterberger test p values were, respectively, p=0.004, p<0.001, p<0.001 and p=0.023; for males, the p values were p=0.009, p<0.001, p<0.001 and p=0.002, respectively. The same difference was observed when students were classified by age. For 7 to 10 years old students, the p values for Romberg, Romberg-Barré and Fournier tests were, respectively, p=0.007, p<0.001 and p=0.001; for those aged 11 and 14 years, the p values for Romberg, Romberg-Barré, Fournier and Unterberger tests were p=0.002, p<0.001, p<0.001 and p=0.015, respectively; and for those aged 15 and 18 years, the p values for Romberg-Barré, Fournier and Unterberger tests were, respectively, p=0.037, p<0.001 and p=0.037. Hearing-loss students showed more changes in static and dynamic balance comparing to normal hearing of same sex and age groups.

Modeling the brain morphology distribution in the general aging population

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huizinga, W.; Poot, D. H. J.; Roshchupkin, G.; Bron, E. E.; Ikram, M. A.; Vernooij, M. W.; Rueckert, D.; Niessen, W. J.; Klein, S.

2016-03-01

Both normal aging and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease cause morphological changes of the brain. To better distinguish between normal and abnormal cases, it is necessary to model changes in brain morphology owing to normal aging. To this end, we developed a method for analyzing and visualizing these changes for the entire brain morphology distribution in the general aging population. The method is applied to 1000 subjects from a large population imaging study in the elderly, from which 900 were used to train the model and 100 were used for testing. The results of the 100 test subjects show that the model generalizes to subjects outside the model population. Smooth percentile curves showing the brain morphology changes as a function of age and spatiotemporal atlases derived from the model population are publicly available via an interactive web application at agingbrain.bigr.nl.

Effects of chronic mild stress on rats selectively bred for behavior related to bipolar disorder and depression.

PubMed

Murray, Ryan; Boss-Williams, Katherine A; Weiss, Jay M

2013-07-02

To test the possibility that chronic mild stress (CMS) might be unreliable in producing its often-intended outcome (i.e., decreased preference for sucrose, hypothesized to represent depression-relevant anhedonia) because it is typically applied to "normal" rats, a CMS procedure was applied to rats that may possess genetic susceptibility to affective disorders, having had been selectively-bred to show behavior indicative of such disorders. These rat lines were: Hyperactive (HYPER) rats, which show characteristics of bipolar disorder, Swim-test Susceptible (SUS) and Swim-test Resistant (RES) rats, being susceptible or resistant to effects of stress in the swim test, Swim High-active (SwHi) and Swim Low-active (SwLo) rats, which innately show high or low activity in the swim test. These selectively-bred lines were compared to normal, non-selectively bred (NS) rats. During CMS, HYPER rats, both females and males, as well as RES and SwHi rats, showed reduced consumption of a palatable 2% sucrose solution, and reduced preference for sucrose (vs. water) in comparison to non-stressed rats (no CMS) of the same lines. In contrast, CMS produced no decrease in sucrose consumption or in preference for sucrose in normal NS rats, and actually a caused a slight increase in sucrose consumption and preference in male NS rats. Other measures that indicate depression - food intake and motor activity in the home cage - were also assessed. SwLo and SwHi showed greater sensitivity to having their home-cage ambulatory activity reduced by CMS than did NS rats, but no other such differences relative to NS rats were seen for these other measures; thus, changes in sucrose intake or preference could not be explained by a change in caloric intake. These results suggest that the genetic attributes of animals can influence the outcome of CMS, and that the application of CMS to normal, non-selected rats may account, at least in part, for the unreliability of CMS in decreasing consumption of palatable substances and decreasing preference for such substances. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Fitness differences according to BMI categories: a new point of view.

PubMed

Lovecchio, Nicola; Zago, Matteo

2018-03-06

Many studies have reported negative association between fitness level and BMI categories but the lack of body weight correction and and the systematic use of physical endurance test made these differences controversial. Thus, the aim of this study was the assessment of physical fitness level associated to BMI using alternative tests. BMI was calculated as body mass/stature2 while fitness level was assessed using field test. In particular, Sit and Reach (SAR), Standing Broad Jump (SBJ), Shuttle Run Test 5mx 10 (SHR), Sit ups (SUP), Bent arm hang (BAH) were assessed in 2545 students. Subsequently, normal weight/overweight/obesity/underweight/thinness students were classified according to the cut-off points defined in literature and then the relative fitness results. The performances in SBJ showed very low differences between BMI categories such as for SUP test. The effects size in SHR were low or close to moderate while in BAH thin students revealed high performance than normal/overweight peers. In SAR test no clear trends in the BMI categories were observed. All test (exluding BAH) were similar for normal, overweight and thin students. This finding can be useful to teachers to encourage over/under-weighted students to adopt active life style because they are close to normal weight counterparts.

Statistical studies of animal response data from USF toxicity screening test method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hilado, C. J.; Machado, A. M.

1978-01-01

Statistical examination of animal response data obtained using Procedure B of the USF toxicity screening test method indicates that the data deviate only slightly from a normal or Gaussian distribution. This slight departure from normality is not expected to invalidate conclusions based on theoretical statistics. Comparison of times to staggering, convulsions, collapse, and death as endpoints shows that time to death appears to be the most reliable endpoint because it offers the lowest probability of missed observations and premature judgements.

Characteristics of Mild Cognitive Impairment Using the Thai Version of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease Tests: A Multivariate and Machine Learning Study.

PubMed

Tunvirachaisakul, Chavit; Supasitthumrong, Thitiporn; Tangwongchai, Sookjareon; Hemrunroj, Solaphat; Chuchuen, Phenphichcha; Tawankanjanachot, Itthipol; Likitchareon, Yuthachai; Phanthumchinda, Kamman; Sriswasdi, Sira; Maes, Michael

2018-04-04

The Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD) developed a neuropsychological battery (CERAD-NP) to screen patients with Alzheimer's dementia. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) has received attention as a pre-dementia stage. To delineate the CERAD-NP features of MCI and their clinical utility to externally validate MCI diagnosis. The study included 60 patients with MCI, diagnosed using the Clinical Dementia Rating, and 63 normal controls. Data were analysed employing receiver operating characteristic analysis, Linear Support Vector Machine, Random Forest, Adaptive Boosting, Neural Network models, and t-distributed stochastic neighbour embedding (t-SNE). MCI patients were best discriminated from normal controls using a combination of Wordlist Recall, Wordlist Memory, and Verbal Fluency Test. Machine learning showed that the CERAD features learned from MCI patients and controls were not strongly predictive of the diagnosis (maximal cross-validation 77.2%), whilst t-SNE showed that there is a considerable overlap between MCI and controls. The most important features of the CERAD-NP differentiating MCI from normal controls indicate impairments in episodic and semantic memory and recall. While these features significantly discriminate MCI patients from normal controls, the tests are not predictive of MCI. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Normalization of RNA-seq data using factor analysis of control genes or samples

PubMed Central

Risso, Davide; Ngai, John; Speed, Terence P.; Dudoit, Sandrine

2015-01-01

Normalization of RNA-seq data has proven essential to ensure accurate inference of expression levels. Here we show that usual normalization approaches mostly account for sequencing depth and fail to correct for library preparation and other more-complex unwanted effects. We evaluate the performance of the External RNA Control Consortium (ERCC) spike-in controls and investigate the possibility of using them directly for normalization. We show that the spike-ins are not reliable enough to be used in standard global-scaling or regression-based normalization procedures. We propose a normalization strategy, remove unwanted variation (RUV), that adjusts for nuisance technical effects by performing factor analysis on suitable sets of control genes (e.g., ERCC spike-ins) or samples (e.g., replicate libraries). Our approach leads to more-accurate estimates of expression fold-changes and tests of differential expression compared to state-of-the-art normalization methods. In particular, RUV promises to be valuable for large collaborative projects involving multiple labs, technicians, and/or platforms. PMID:25150836

Development and Validation of a Test for Bulimia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Marcia C.; Thelen, Mark H.

1984-01-01

Developed the Bulimia Test (BULIT) based on responses of clinically identified females (N=18) and normal female college students (N=119) to preliminary test items. Results showed that the BULIT provided an objective, reliable, and valid measure by which to identify individuals with symptoms of bulimia. (Instrument is appended.) (LLL)

Effects of normalization on quantitative traits in association test

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background Quantitative trait loci analysis assumes that the trait is normally distributed. In reality, this is often not observed and one strategy is to transform the trait. However, it is not clear how much normality is required and which transformation works best in association studies. Results We performed simulations on four types of common quantitative traits to evaluate the effects of normalization using the logarithm, Box-Cox, and rank-based transformations. The impact of sample size and genetic effects on normalization is also investigated. Our results show that rank-based transformation gives generally the best and consistent performance in identifying the causal polymorphism and ranking it highly in association tests, with a slight increase in false positive rate. Conclusion For small sample size or genetic effects, the improvement in sensitivity for rank transformation outweighs the slight increase in false positive rate. However, for large sample size and genetic effects, normalization may not be necessary since the increase in sensitivity is relatively modest. PMID:20003414

Story Comprehension as a Function of Modality and Reading Ability.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marlowe, Wendy; And Others

1979-01-01

In a study 12 normal children and 12 reading disabled (word recognition difficulties) children (mean age 9.2 years) were compared for reading and listening comprehension to test whether disabled readers, given an auditory presentation, would show comprehension of material comparable to that of normal readers given visual presentation. (PHR)

Syntactic and Reading Abilities in Normal and Learning Disabled Junior High School Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferraro, Mary F.; Doyle, Beverly A.

The study involving 12 learning disabled (LD) junior high school students investigated whether LD students with reading comprehension difficulties were deficient in syntactic abilities as compared to normal students. Syntactic and reading tests were administered to each student. Comparison of the scores between the two groups showed that LD Ss…

Generalized Hurst exponent estimates differentiate EEG signals of healthy and epileptic patients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lahmiri, Salim

2018-01-01

The aim of our current study is to check whether multifractal patterns of the electroencephalographic (EEG) signals of normal and epileptic patients are statistically similar or different. In this regard, the generalized Hurst exponent (GHE) method is used for robust estimation of the multifractals in each type of EEG signals, and three powerful statistical tests are performed to check existence of differences between estimated GHEs from healthy control subjects and epileptic patients. The obtained results show that multifractals exist in both types of EEG signals. Particularly, it was found that the degree of fractal is more pronounced in short variations of normal EEG signals than in short variations of EEG signals with seizure free intervals. In contrary, it is more pronounced in long variations of EEG signals with seizure free intervals than in normal EEG signals. Importantly, both parametric and nonparametric statistical tests show strong evidence that estimated GHEs of normal EEG signals are statistically and significantly different from those with seizure free intervals. Therefore, GHEs can be efficiently used to distinguish between healthy and patients suffering from epilepsy.

PLEMT: A NOVEL PSEUDOLIKELIHOOD BASED EM TEST FOR HOMOGENEITY IN GENERALIZED EXPONENTIAL TILT MIXTURE MODELS.

PubMed

Hong, Chuan; Chen, Yong; Ning, Yang; Wang, Shuang; Wu, Hao; Carroll, Raymond J

2017-01-01

Motivated by analyses of DNA methylation data, we propose a semiparametric mixture model, namely the generalized exponential tilt mixture model, to account for heterogeneity between differentially methylated and non-differentially methylated subjects in the cancer group, and capture the differences in higher order moments (e.g. mean and variance) between subjects in cancer and normal groups. A pairwise pseudolikelihood is constructed to eliminate the unknown nuisance function. To circumvent boundary and non-identifiability problems as in parametric mixture models, we modify the pseudolikelihood by adding a penalty function. In addition, the test with simple asymptotic distribution has computational advantages compared with permutation-based test for high-dimensional genetic or epigenetic data. We propose a pseudolikelihood based expectation-maximization test, and show the proposed test follows a simple chi-squared limiting distribution. Simulation studies show that the proposed test controls Type I errors well and has better power compared to several current tests. In particular, the proposed test outperforms the commonly used tests under all simulation settings considered, especially when there are variance differences between two groups. The proposed test is applied to a real data set to identify differentially methylated sites between ovarian cancer subjects and normal subjects.

The effects of deanol on cognitive performance and electrophysiology in elderly humans.

PubMed

Marsh, G R; Linnoila, M

1979-01-01

Deanol (900 mg/day for 21 days) had no effect on learning a list of words when tested at weekly intervals. Tests of simple and complex reaction time and a test of continuous serial decoding of digits showed no enhancement with the drug. Several components of evoked potentials recorded from several scalp sites did show enhanced amplitude under drug treatment. These changes were not accompanied by changes in the EEG spectrum as are seen with some other psychoactive drugs. Deanol seems to be an ineffective treatment for the normal slowing of cognitive function seen in the normal elderly person or those elderly with only minimal cognitive decline and free of symptoms of dementia. Contrary to earlier reports, elderly persons were found to be able to benefit from warning signals in a complex reaction time task.

Video Head Impulse Test for Early Diagnosis of Vestibular Neuritis Among Acute Vertigo.

PubMed

Guan, Qiongfeng; Zhang, Lisan; Hong, Wenke; Yang, Yi; Chen, Zhaoying; Lu, Peilin; Zhang, Dan; Hu, Xingyue

2017-09-01

This study assesses the value of the video head impulse test (vHIT) for early diagnosis of vestibular neuritis (VN) among acute vertigo. Thirty-three cases of vestibular neuritis (VN), 96 patients with other acute vertigo (AV), and 50 cases of normal controls used vHIT to quantitatively test a pair of horizontal vestibulo-ocular reflection (VOR) gains, two pairs of vertical VOR gains, and the corresponding three pairs of VOR gain asymmetry. The peculiarity of VOR gains in VN and the differences between VN and other AV, normal controls by vHIT, were collected and analyzed. There were statistically significant differences in the three pairs of VOR gains asymmetry between VN and other AV, and normal controls (P<0.01). The sensitivity was 87.9% and specificity was 94.3% in differentiating VN from normal and other acute vertigo by vHIT. This study shows vHIT has advantages in the diagnosis of VN in acute vertigo with good sensitivity and specificity and indicates a widespread clinical application.

Polymorphic Expression of a Human Superficial Bladder Tumor Antigen Defined by Mouse Monoclonal Antibodies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fradet, Yves; Islam, Nazrul; Boucher, Lucie; Parent-Vaugeois, Carmen; Tardif, Marc

1987-10-01

Three mouse monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), which define a highly restricted antigen, were obtained by simultaneous immunizations with superficial papillary bladder tumor cells and mouse polyclonal serum against normal urothelium. The antigen was detected by the avidin/biotin/peroxidase method in 30/44 superficial bladder tumors (68%) but in only 4/27 infiltrating urothelial cancers (with much less intensity). No normal adult or fetal tissues tested expressed the antigen, including normal urothelium from 40 individuals, 13 of whom had a bladder tumor positive for the antigen. Only 1 of 45 nonbladder tumors showed some reactivity with one of the three mAbs. Serological tests on a large panel of human cancer cell lines and normal cultured cells were negative. The antigen is highly stable and well preserved on paraffin-embedded tissues. Electrophoretic transfer blot experiments with fresh tumor extracts showed that all three mAbs react with a determinant on a component of 300,000 Mr (pI 9.5) and 62,000 Mr (pI 6.5). The antigen shows polymorphic expression at the cellular level on tissue sections and also at a molecular level on immunoblots where the two bands are differentially detected on extracts of a series of tumors but are not visualized on normal urothelium extracts. The characteristics of this antigenic system suggest that it may provide some insights about the biology of bladder cancer. Specific detection of the antigen on 70% of superficial bladder tumors with normal cytology may be useful for their diagnosis and follow-up.

A Study of Remitted and Treatment-Resistant Depression Using MMPI and Including Pessimism and Optimism Scales

PubMed Central

Suzuki, Masatoshi; Takahashi, Michio; Muneoka, Katsumasa; Sato, Koichi; Hashimoto, Kenji; Shirayama, Yukihiko

2014-01-01

Background The psychological aspects of treatment-resistant and remitted depression are not well documented. Methods We administered the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) to patients with treatment-resistant depression (n = 34), remitted depression (n = 25), acute depression (n = 21), and healthy controls (n = 64). Pessimism and optimism were also evaluated by MMPI. Results ANOVA and post-hoc tests demonstrated that patients with treatment-resistant and acute depression showed similarly high scores for frequent scale (F), hypochondriasis, depression, conversion hysteria, psychopathic device, paranoia, psychasthenia and schizophrenia on the MMPI compared with normal controls. Patients with treatment-resistant depression, but not acute depression registered high on the scale for cannot say answer. Using Student's t-test, patients with remitted depression registered higher on depression and social introversion scales, compared with normal controls. For pessimism and optimism, patients with treatment-resistant depression demonstrated similar changes to acutely depressed patients. Remitted depression patients showed lower optimism than normal controls by Student's t-test, even though these patients were deemed recovered from depression using HAM-D. Conclusions The patients with remitted depression and treatment-resistant depression showed subtle alterations on the MMPI, which may explain the hidden psychological features in these cohorts. PMID:25279466

Affect, affective disorder and schizophrenia. A neuropsychological investigation of right hemisphere function.

PubMed

David, A S; Cutting, J C

1990-04-01

Performance on a happy-sad chimeric face test was used to examine the role of right hemisphere activation in positive and negative affect, both normal and abnormal, as well as in schizophrenia. This test is known to elicit a left-sided perceptual bias in right-handed normal subjects. Happy and sad mood in normals did not influence the perceptual bias. Depression and mania were associated with reduced and increased biases respectively, while schizophrenics showed no bias to either side. Possible explanations are right hemisphere hyperfunction in mania, moderate relative hypofunction in depression, and severe relative hypofunction in schizophrenia. The marked difference between mania and schizophrenia supports distinct pathophysiologies underlying the two conditions.

[Normal lung volumes in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema].

PubMed

Casas, Juan Pablo; Abbona, Horacio; Robles, Adriana; López, Ana María

2008-01-01

Pulmonary function tests in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis characteristically show a restrictive pattern, resulting from reduction of pulmonary compliance due to diffuse fibrosis. Conversely, an obstructive pattern with hyperinflation results in emphysema by loss of elastic recoil, expiratory collapse of the peripheral airways and air trapping. Previous reports suggest that when both diseases coexist, pulmonary volumes are compensated and a smaller than expected reduction or even normal lung volumes can be found. We report 4 male patients of 64, 60, 73 and 70 years, all with heavy cigarette smoking history and progressive breathlessness. Three of them had severe limitation in their quality of life. All four showed advanced lung interstitial involvement, at high resolution CT scan, fibrotic changes predominantly in the subpleural areas of lower lung fields and concomitant emphysema in the upper lobes. Emphysema and pulmonary fibrosis was confirmed by open lung biopsy in one patient. The four patients showed normal spirometry and lung volumes with severe compromise of gas exchange and poor exercise tolerance evaluated by 6 minute walk test. Severe pulmonary arterial hypertension was also confirmed in three patients. Normal lung volumes does not exclude diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in patients with concomitant emphysema. The relatively preserved lung volumes may underestimate the severity of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and attenuate its effects on lung function parameters.

The feasibility of transradial laser atherectomy for chronic total occlusion using the 5 Fr sheath system.

PubMed

Sherif, Khaled; Yaqub, Yasir; Suarez, Jose A

2016-05-01

We present a case of chronic total occlusion (CTO) approached with LASER endovascular intervention by radial artery approach using a 5 French sheath. A 57-year-old man presented to our hospital having had retrosternal chest pain for two days. Physical examination was normal at the time of presentation. The laboratory tests were within normal limits, including cardiac enzymes except the lipid panel which showed hypertriglyceridemia. The patient underwent a myocardial perfusion scintigraphy stress test that revealed inferior wall ischemia, with normal left ventricular ejection fraction. A 5-French vascular sheath was placed in the right radial artery. Selective coronary artery angiography was performed, which showed right coronary artery (RCA) CTO. A 5-French JR4 guide catheter successfully engaged the RCA and Laser angioplasty was performed across the CTO into the RCA. A marked improvement of flow was evident thereafter. To best of our knowledge this is the first case report showing the feasibility of laser atherectomy using the 5 French sheath system in a coronary arterial CTO. Copyright © 2016 by Academy of Sciences and Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus, quantitative EEG findings, and the cerebrospinal fluid tap test: a pilot study.

PubMed

Seo, Jong-Geun; Kang, Kyunghun; Jung, Ji-Young; Park, Sung-Pa; Lee, Maan-Gee; Lee, Ho-Won

2014-12-01

In this pilot study, we analyzed relationships between quantitative EEG measurements and clinical parameters in idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus patients, along with differences in these quantitative EEG markers between cerebrospinal fluid tap test responders and nonresponders. Twenty-six idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus patients (9 cerebrospinal fluid tap test responders and 17 cerebrospinal fluid tap test nonresponders) constituted the final group for analysis. The resting EEG was recorded and relative powers were computed for seven frequency bands. Cerebrospinal fluid tap test nonresponders, when compared with responders, showed a statistically significant increase in alpha2 band power at the right frontal and centrotemporal regions. Higher delta2 band powers in the frontal, central, parietal, and occipital regions and lower alpha1 band powers in the right temporal region significantly correlated with poorer cognitive performance. Higher theta1 band powers in the left parietal and occipital regions significantly correlated with gait dysfunction. And higher delta1 band powers in the right frontal regions significantly correlated with urinary disturbance. Our findings may encourage further research using quantitative EEG in patients with ventriculomegaly as a potential electrophysiological marker for predicting cerebrospinal fluid tap test responders. This study additionally suggests that the delta, theta, and alpha bands are statistically correlated with the severity of symptoms in idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus patients.

RSRM nozzle fixed housing cooldown test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bolieau, D. J.

1989-01-01

Flight 5 aft segments with nozzles were exposed to -17 F temperatures while awaiting shipment to KSC in February, 1989. No records were found which show that any previous nozzles were exposed to air temperatures as low as those seen by the Flight 5 nozzles. Thermal analysis shows that the temperature of the fixed housing, and forward and aft exit cone components dropped as low as -10 F. Structural analysis of the nozzles at these low temperatures show the forward and aft exit cone adhesive bonds to have a positive margin of safety, based on a 2.0 safety factor. These analyses show the normal and shear stresses in the fixed housing bond as low values. However, the hoop and meridinal stresses were predicted to be in the 4000 psi range; the failure stress allowable of EA913NA adhesive at -7 F. If the bonds did break in directions perpendicular to the surfaces, called bond crazing, no normal bond strength would be lost. Testing was conducted in two phases, showing that no degradation to the adhesive bonds occurred while the Flight 5 nozzles were subjected to subzero temperatures. The results of these tests are documented. Phase 1 testing cooled a full-scale RSRM insulated fixed housing to -13 F, with extensive bondline inspections. Phase 2 testing cooled the witness panel adhesive tensile buttions to -13 F, with failure strengths recorded before, during, and after the cooldown.

Detection of Person Misfit in Computerized Adaptive Tests with Polytomous Items.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Krimpen-Stoop, Edith M. L. A.; Meijer, Rob R.

2002-01-01

Compared the nominal and empirical null distributions of the standardized log-likelihood statistic for polytomous items for paper-and-pencil (P&P) and computerized adaptive tests (CATs). Results show that the empirical distribution of the statistic differed from the assumed standard normal distribution for both P&P tests and CATs. Also…

Central Auditory Nervous System Dysfunction in Echolalic Autistic Individuals.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wetherby, Amy Miller; And Others

1981-01-01

The results showed that all the Ss had normal hearing on the monaural speech tests; however, there was indication of central auditory nervous system dysfunction in the language dominant hemisphere, inferred from the dichotic tests, for those Ss displaying echolalia. (Author)

Evaluation of the relationship between obesity, dental caries and periodontal disease in adolescents.

PubMed

Vallogini, G; Nobili, V; Rongo, R; De Rosa, S; Magliarditi, F; D'Antò, V; Galeotti, A

2017-12-01

To assess the prevalence of caries, oral hygiene quality and periodontal disease in a cohort of obese adolescents compared to a control group. Study Design: cross-sectional study conducted on 204 subjects (age range 10-16 years). Ninety obese subjects (BMI >90) and 114 normal-weight subjects (BMI <75) were visited at the Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital and in a junior high school in Rome, respectively. An ad hoc questionnaire (investigating demographic and oral health behaviour data) was filled in by patients and their caregivers. Accurate oral examinations were conducted. The Decayed-Missing-Filled Teeth/Surfaces Index in both permanent (DMFT/DMFS) and primary dentition (dmft/dmfs), Gingival Bleeding Index (GBI), Visible Plaque Index (VPI), and Probing Depth (PD) were recorded. data analysis was carried out using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS 21.0; SPSS IBM, New York, NY). The data of the two groups were compared by means of Student's t Test or the Mann-Whitney test for numerical data and the Chi-square test for categorical data. Patients affected by obesity, compared with controls, presented less compromised teeth in the primary dentition (dmft obese: 0.30 ±± 1.12; normal-weight: 1.00 ± 1.90; P<0.001) and less compromised dental surfaces (dmfs obese: 0.51 ± 2.14; normal-weight: 1.61 ± 3.10; P<0.001). Furthermore obese patients showed minor gingival inflammation with less bleeding on probing (GBI) (obese: 23.95 ± 21.43; normal-weight: 38.17± 24.37; P<0.001), and less probing depth in a greater number of sites (PPD ≤ 3) (obese: 101.92 ± 9.27; normal-weight: 97.28 ± 12.13; P<0.001). Moreover, the obese group showed a better oral hygiene (VPI) (obese: 25.69 ±25.83; normal-weight: 37.72 ±24.34; P<0.001). In our study, obese adolescents showed a better oral hygiene, fewer compromised teeth and better periodontal health when compared with normal-weight patients.

Juvenile spermatogonial depletion (jsd): a genetic defect of germ cell proliferation of male mice.

PubMed

Beamer, W G; Cunliffe-Beamer, T L; Shultz, K L; Langley, S H; Roderick, T H

1988-05-01

Adult C57BL/6J male mice homozygous for the mutant gene, juvenile spermatogonial depletion (jsd/jsd), show azoosper4ia and testes reduced to one-third normal size, but are otherwise phenotypically normal. In contrast, adult jsd/jsd females are fully fertile. This feature facilitated mapping the jsd gene to the centromeric end of chromosome 1; the gene order is jsd-Isocitrate dehydrogenase-1 (Idh-1)-Peptidase-3 (Pep-3). Analysis of testicular histology from jsd/jsd mice aged 3-10 wk revealed that these mutant mice experience one wave of spermatogenesis, but fail to continue mitotic proliferation of type A spermatogonial cells at the basement membrane. As a consequence, histological sections of testes from mutant mice aged 8-52 wk showed tubules populated by modest numbers of Sertoli cells, with only an occasional spermatogonial cell. Some sperm with normal morphology and motility were observed in epididymides of 6.5- but not in 8-wk or older mutants. Treatment with retinol failed to alter the loss of spermatogenesis in jsd/jsd mice. Analyses of serum hormones of jsd/jsd males showed that testosterone levels were normal at all ages--a finding corroborated by normal seminal vesicle and vas deferens weights, whereas serum follicle-stimulating hormone levels were significantly elevated in mutant mice from 4 to 20 wk of age. We hypothesize the jsd/jsd male may be deficient in proliferative signals from Sertoli cells that are needed for spermatogenesis.

Bell-Curve Genetic Algorithm for Mixed Continuous and Discrete Optimization Problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kincaid, Rex K.; Griffith, Michelle; Sykes, Ruth; Sobieszczanski-Sobieski, Jaroslaw

2002-01-01

In this manuscript we have examined an extension of BCB that encompasses a mix of continuous and quasi-discrete, as well as truly-discrete applications. FVe began by testing two refinements to the discrete version of BCB. The testing of midpoint versus fitness (Tables 1 and 2) proved inconclusive. The testing of discrete normal tails versus standard mutation showed was conclusive and demonstrated that the discrete normal tails are better. Next, we implemented these refinements in a combined continuous and discrete BCB and compared the performance of two discrete distance on the hub problem. Here we found when "order does matter" it pays to take it into account.

Normal paraspinal muscle electromyographic fatigue characteristics in patients with primary fibromyalgia.

PubMed

Stokes, M J; Colter, C; Klestov, A; Cooper, R G

1993-08-01

Paraspinal muscle fatigue mechanisms were compared in 14 primary fibromyalgia patients and 14 age and sex matched normal subjects using a standardized 60-s isometric endurance test of the paraspinal muscles, during which surface integrated electromyographic (IEMG) activity was recorded. Fatigue-induced IEMG increases were similar for both groups during the initial 40 s (up to 112 +/- 20% and 111 +/- 6% of initial values in patients and normal subjects respectively). Thereafter, IEMG fell significantly in patients (P < 0.05) but only slightly in controls, so that at 58 s IEMG was 102 +/- 13% in patients and 109 +/- 12% in controls. If patients were divided according to body mass index (BMI, range 19-25 in controls) those with a BMI < 26 (n = 5) showed IEMG changes similar to those of control subjects throughout the test, while obese patients with BMI > 26 (n = 9) showed greater IEMG declines after 40 s than either normal subjects or in the fibromyalgia group as a whole. Paraspinal muscle fatigue mechanisms appear normal in primary fibromyalgia patients. Isometric force maintenance in overweight patients, despite IEMG declines, illustrates the action of intrinsic fatigue resistance mechanisms which were presumably utilized to a greater extent in these patients to cope with the extra load.

Head Position Comparison between Students with Normal Hearing and Students with Sensorineural Hearing Loss.

PubMed

Melo, Renato de Souza; Amorim da Silva, Polyanna Waleska; Souza, Robson Arruda; Raposo, Maria Cristina Falcão; Ferraz, Karla Mônica

2013-10-01

Introduction Head sense position is coordinated by sensory activity of the vestibular system, located in the inner ear. Children with sensorineural hearing loss may show changes in the vestibular system as a result of injury to the inner ear, which can alter the sense of head position in this population. Aim Analyze the head alignment in students with normal hearing and students with sensorineural hearing loss and compare the data between groups. Methods This prospective cross-sectional study examined the head alignment of 96 students, 48 with normal hearing and 48 with sensorineural hearing loss, aged between 7 and 18 years. The analysis of head alignment occurred through postural assessment performed according to the criteria proposed by Kendall et al. For data analysis we used the chi-square test or Fisher exact test. Results The students with hearing loss had a higher occurrence of changes in the alignment of the head than normally hearing students (p < 0.001). Forward head posture was the type of postural change observed most, occurring in greater proportion in children with hearing loss (p < 0.001), followed by the side slope head posture (p < 0.001). Conclusion Children with sensorineural hearing loss showed more changes in the head posture compared with children with normal hearing.

Head Position Comparison between Students with Normal Hearing and Students with Sensorineural Hearing Loss

PubMed Central

Melo, Renato de Souza; Amorim da Silva, Polyanna Waleska; Souza, Robson Arruda; Raposo, Maria Cristina Falcão; Ferraz, Karla Mônica

2013-01-01

Introduction Head sense position is coordinated by sensory activity of the vestibular system, located in the inner ear. Children with sensorineural hearing loss may show changes in the vestibular system as a result of injury to the inner ear, which can alter the sense of head position in this population. Aim Analyze the head alignment in students with normal hearing and students with sensorineural hearing loss and compare the data between groups. Methods This prospective cross-sectional study examined the head alignment of 96 students, 48 with normal hearing and 48 with sensorineural hearing loss, aged between 7 and 18 years. The analysis of head alignment occurred through postural assessment performed according to the criteria proposed by Kendall et al. For data analysis we used the chi-square test or Fisher exact test. Results The students with hearing loss had a higher occurrence of changes in the alignment of the head than normally hearing students (p < 0.001). Forward head posture was the type of postural change observed most, occurring in greater proportion in children with hearing loss (p < 0.001), followed by the side slope head posture (p < 0.001). Conclusion Children with sensorineural hearing loss showed more changes in the head posture compared with children with normal hearing. PMID:25992037

Lanthony 15-Hue Desaturated Test for screening of early color vision defects in uncomplicated juvenile diabetes.

PubMed

Giusti, C

2001-01-01

To identify the most appropriate test for screening of early color vision abnormalities in uncomplicated juvenile diabetes. Enrolled in this study were 39 diabetic adolescents, characterized by optimal Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study criteria for visual acuity, transparent dioptric means and angiographically normal retinas. Color vision was examined with Standard Pseudoisochromatic Plates (Part 2, SPP2), Roth 28-Hue Test (R28), Farnsworth-Munsell 100-Hue Tests (FM100), and Lanthony 15-Hue Desaturated Test (L15). Color confusion score (CCS) and desaturation angle (DSAT) were measured on L15 only. Thirty-nine normal subjects served as a control group. Poor metabolic control was an exclusion criteria. CCS was significantly higher in the patients than in the controls (37.8 +/- 11.1 vs 0 +/- P < .001) and normal scores were found in only 4 diabetic patients. DSAT values were spread, not showing a well-defined axis of the defect. The results of FM100 were clinically reliable but affected by a longer execution time. R28 and SPP2 demonstrated a low sensitivity, as all patients scored normally with both tests. Impaired color vision is a common observation even in patients with uncomplicated juvenile diabetes. Our results indicate that L15 is the most suitable test for screening of early color vision abnormalities in these subjects.

What is the normal response to structural differentiation within the slump and straight leg raise tests?

PubMed

Herrington, Lee; Bendix, Katie; Cornwell, Catherine; Fielden, Nicola; Hankey, Karen

2008-08-01

The purpose of the study was to assess the effect of structural differentiation or sensitising manoeuvres on responses of normal subjects to standard neurodynamic tests of straight leg raise (SLR) and slump test. Eighty-eight (39 males and 49 females) asymptomatic subjects were examined (aged 18-39 mean age 21.9+/-4.1 years). Knee flexion angle was measured using a goniometer during the slump test in two conditions cervical flexion and extension. Hip flexion angle was measured using a goniometer during SLR test in two conditions; ankle dorsi-flexion and neutral. The change in knee flexion, following addition of the structural differentiating manoeuvre to the slump test, was a significant increase in knee flexion angle for both males (change in knee angle; 6.6+/-4.7 degrees /18.7+/-17.5%, p<0.01) and females (change in knee angle 5.4+/-5.8 degrees /17.6+/-23.7%, p<0.01), though showed no difference between sides (p>0.05). During the SLR test, a significant reduction in hip flexion occurred following structural differentiation for both groups (change in hip angle; males = 9.5+/-8.3 degrees /21.5+/-18.8%, p<0.01; females = 15.2+/-9.5 degrees /25.9+/-13.9%, p<0.01), though showed no difference between sides (p>0.05). Structural differentiating manoeuvres have a significant effect on test response in terms of range of movement even in normal asymptomatic individuals. These responses should be taken into account during the assessment clinical reasoning process.

Spatial contrast sensitivity - Effects of age, test-retest, and psychophysical method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Higgins, Kent E.; Jaffe, Myles J.; Caruso, Rafael C.; Demonasterio, Francisco M.

1988-01-01

Two different psychophysical methods were used to test the spatial contrast sensitivity in normal subjects from five age groups. The method of adjustment showed a decline in sensitivity with increasing age at all spatial frequencies, while the forced-choice procedure showed an age-related decline predominantly at high spatial frequencies. It is suggested that a neural component is responsible for this decline.

Search for Pompe disease among patients with undetermined myopathies.

PubMed

Lindberg, C; Anderson, B; Engvall, M; Hult, M; Oldfors, A

2015-07-20

Pompe disease is a rare treatable glycogen storage disease with in adults - a limb-girdle muscle weakness. Muscle biopsy may fail to show the typical vacuolar myopathy. We asked if we had un-diagnosed patients with Pompe disease in western Sweden. We searched the muscle biopsy registry during the time period 1986 until 2006 including 3665 biopsies and included patients at our Neuromuscular Center with unspecified myopathy or limb-girdle muscular dystrophy. The dry blood spot test was used to identify patients with Pompe disease. A total of 82 patients (46 from the biopsy register and 36 from our center) were seen and dry blood spot test was obtained. No patient with Pompe disease was found. The dry blood spot test was low in three cases (11, 16, and 18% of normal) but a second blood sample showed a normal result based on GAA enzyme activity in lymphocytes in all three patients. In one patient with low normal result of the analysis in lymphocytes a genetic test showed no pathogenic mutations. Further investigation gave a definite diagnose of another myopathy in 12 patients. The prevalence of Pompe disease in western Sweden (3 in 1.27 million or 0.24 per 100.000 inhabitants) is lower than in the Netherlands and New York. Re-evaluation of patients with myopathies but without definite diagnosis is rewarding since 12 of 82 patients in our study had a definite molecular diagnosis after workup. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Motor outcome at the age of one after perinatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.

PubMed

van Schie, P E M; Becher, J G; Dallmeijer, A J; Barkhof, F; Weissenbruch, M M; Vermeulen, R J

2007-04-01

The aim of this report is to describe the motor outcome in one year-old children who were born at full-term with perinatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Relationships between motor ability tests and neurological examination at one year, and between these tests and neonatal brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were investigated. 32 surviving children, born full-term with perinatal HIE, are included in this report. All children had a neonatal MRI. At one year, motor ability was assessed with the Alberta Infant Motor Scale and the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (2nd version). Neurological examinations included the neurological optimality score (NOS). At one year, 14 children (44%) had normal motor ability, nine (28%) had mildly delayed, and nine had significantly delayed motor ability. The NOS ranged from 14.6-27 points. All children with normal motor ability had (near) optimal NOS, however, not all children with high NOS had normal motor ability. Eleven children (34%) had normal neonatal MRI; at one year, six of them had normal, and five had mildly delayed motor ability. Eight children with normal motor ability showed abnormalities on neonatal MRI. Neonatal brain MRI does not predict motor outcome at one year. Motor ability tests and neurological examinations should be used in a complementary manner to describe outcome after HIE.

Inter-relation between "classic" motor neuron disease and frontotemporal dementia: neuropsychological and single photon emission computed tomography study.

PubMed Central

Talbot, P R; Goulding, P J; Lloyd, J J; Snowden, J S; Neary, D; Testa, H J

1995-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the possible association between "classic" motor neuron disease (cMND) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), using neuropsychological evaluation and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Psychological tests assessing language, perceptuospatial, memory, and "frontal lobe" functions were given to patients with cMND and test scores were compared with those of normal control subjects. 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT was performed on patients with cMND, FTD and motor neuron disease (FTD/MND), FTD alone, and normal control subjects. Regional cerebral blood flow indices (rCBFi) were determined in 36 cortical regions, and differences between grouped rCBFi data were investigated by canonical discriminant analysis. There were significant group differences in the scores of picture sequencing and token tests in patients with cMND compared with normal controls. Regional CBFi data showed frontal and anterior temporal reductions in patients with cMND compared with normal controls. A similar pattern of SPECT abnormality was seen in patients with FTD/MND and FTD alone, but to a more pronounced degree than in patients with cMND. Neuropsychological and SPECT findings in cMND, FTD/MND, and FTD showed a common pattern of cerebral involvement, most pronounced in the second two conditions. It is suggested that cMND, FTD/MND, and FTD represent a clinical range of a pathological continuum. Images PMID:7745399

A novel fibrinogen variant--Liberec: dysfibrinogenaemia associated with gamma Tyr262Cys substitution.

PubMed

Kotlín, Roman; Sobotková, Alzbeta; Suttnar, Jirí; Salaj, Peter; Walterová, Lenka; Riedel, Tomás; Reicheltová, Zuzana; Dyr, Jan Evangelista

2008-08-01

A 22-yr-old woman had abnormal preoperative coagulation test results and congenital dysfibrinogenaemia was suspected. The patient from Liberec (Czech Republic) had a low fibrinogen plasma level as determined by Clauss method, normal fibrinogen level as determined by immunoturbidimetrical method, and prolonged thrombin time. To identify the genetic mutation responsible for this dysfibrinogen, genomic DNA extracted from the blood was analysed. Fibrin polymerisation measurement, kinetics of fibrinopeptide release, fibrinogen clottability measurement and scanning electron microscopy were performed. DNA sequencing showed the heterozygous fibrinogen gamma Y262C mutation. Kinetics of fibrinopeptide release was normal, however fibrin polymerisation was impaired. Fibrinogen clottability measurement showed that only about 45% molecules of fibrinogen are involved in the clot formation. Scanning electron microscopy revealed thicker fibres, which were significantly different from the normal control. A case of dysfibrinogenaemia, found by routine coagulation testing, was genetically identified as a novel fibrinogen variant (gamma Y262C) that has been named Liberec.

Euthyroid ''thyroxine toxicosis''

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

Mankikar, G.D.; Clark, A.N.

A survey was made of thyroid function tests on 1,153 patients screened for thyroid disease during a two-year period in a Geriatric Department; 13 percent of the test results fell outside the normal range. Of 88 patients who showed above-normal results, only 12 presented with clinical features of thyrotoxicosis. In 37 patients, the biochemical findings indicated euthyroid ''thyroxine toxicosis''; high values were found for serum thyroxine (T4) and the free thyroxine index (FT4I) but there were no clinical signs or symptoms of thyrotoxicosis; the values reverted to normal within one to three weeks. This pattern was seen also in 7more » examples of T4-treated hypothyroidism. (Overall, the test findings indicated 61 cases of hypothyroidism.) The significance of this transient increase in T4 and FT4I values is discussed. The false positive results suggest that, when laboratory findings are not compatible with the clinical signs, the thyroid function tests should be repeated after another two weeks.« less

Ex vivo characterization of normal and adenocarcinoma colon samples by Mueller matrix polarimetry.

PubMed

Ahmad, Iftikhar; Ahmad, Manzoor; Khan, Karim; Ashraf, Sumara; Ahmad, Shakil; Ikram, Masroor

2015-05-01

Mueller matrix polarimetry along with polar decomposition algorithm was employed for the characterization of ex vivo normal and adenocarcinoma human colon tissues by polarized light in the visible spectral range (425-725 nm). Six derived polarization metrics [total diattenuation (DT ), retardance (RT ), depolarization(ΔT ), linear diattenuation (DL), retardance (δ), and depolarization (ΔL)] were compared for normal and adenocarcinoma colon tissue samples. The results show that all six polarimetric properties for adenocarcinoma samples were significantly higher as compared to the normal samples for all wavelengths. The Wilcoxon rank sum test illustrated that total retardance is a good candidate for the discrimination of normal and adenocarcinoma colon samples. Support vector machine classification for normal and adenocarcinoma based on the four polarization properties spectra (ΔT , ΔL, RT ,and δ) yielded 100% accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity, while both DTa nd DL showed 66.6%, 33.3%, and 83.3% accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity, respectively. The combination of polarization analysis and given classification methods provides a framework to distinguish the normal and cancerous tissues.

Applications of multiple change point detections to monthly streamflow and rainfall in Xijiang River in southern China, part II: trend and mean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yongqin David; Jiang, Jianmin; Zhu, Yuxiang; Huang, Changxing; Zhang, Qiang

2018-05-01

This article, as part II, illustrates applications of other two algorithms, i.e., the scanning F test of change points in trend and the scanning t test of change points in mean, to both series of the normalized streamflow index (NSI) at Makou section in the Xijiang River and the normalized precipitation index (NPI) over the watershed of Xijiang River. The results from these two tests show mainly positive coherency of changes between the NSI and NPI. However, some minor negative coherency patches may expose somewhat impacts of human activities, but they were often associated with nearly normal climate periods. These suggest that the runoff still depends upon well the precipitation in the Xijiang catchment. The anthropogenic disturbances have not yet reached up to violating natural relationship on the whole in this river.

Estimating Latent Variable Interactions With Non-Normal Observed Data: A Comparison of Four Approaches

PubMed Central

Cham, Heining; West, Stephen G.; Ma, Yue; Aiken, Leona S.

2012-01-01

A Monte Carlo simulation was conducted to investigate the robustness of four latent variable interaction modeling approaches (Constrained Product Indicator [CPI], Generalized Appended Product Indicator [GAPI], Unconstrained Product Indicator [UPI], and Latent Moderated Structural Equations [LMS]) under high degrees of non-normality of the observed exogenous variables. Results showed that the CPI and LMS approaches yielded biased estimates of the interaction effect when the exogenous variables were highly non-normal. When the violation of non-normality was not severe (normal; symmetric with excess kurtosis < 1), the LMS approach yielded the most efficient estimates of the latent interaction effect with the highest statistical power. In highly non-normal conditions, the GAPI and UPI approaches with ML estimation yielded unbiased latent interaction effect estimates, with acceptable actual Type-I error rates for both the Wald and likelihood ratio tests of interaction effect at N ≥ 500. An empirical example illustrated the use of the four approaches in testing a latent variable interaction between academic self-efficacy and positive family role models in the prediction of academic performance. PMID:23457417

Open angle glaucoma effects on preattentive visual search efficiency for flicker, motion displacement and orientation pop-out tasks.

PubMed

Loughman, James; Davison, Peter; Flitcroft, Ian

2007-11-01

Preattentive visual search (PAVS) describes rapid and efficient retinal and neural processing capable of immediate target detection in the visual field. Damage to the nerve fibre layer or visual pathway might reduce the efficiency with which the visual system performs such analysis. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that patients with glaucoma are impaired on parallel search tasks, and that this would serve to distinguish glaucoma in early cases. Three groups of observers (glaucoma patients, suspect and normal individuals) were examined, using computer-generated flicker, orientation, and vertical motion displacement targets to assess PAVS efficiency. The task required rapid and accurate localisation of a singularity embedded in a field of 119 homogeneous distractors on either the left or right-hand side of a computer monitor. All subjects also completed a choice reaction time (CRT) task. Independent sample T tests revealed PAVS efficiency to be significantly impaired in the glaucoma group compared with both normal and suspect individuals. Performance was impaired in all types of glaucoma tested. Analysis between normal and suspect individuals revealed a significant difference only for motion displacement response times. Similar analysis using a PAVS/CRT index confirmed the glaucoma findings but also showed statistically significant differences between suspect and normal individuals across all target types. A test of PAVS efficiency appears capable of differentiating early glaucoma from both normal and suspect cases. Analysis incorporating a PAVS/CRT index enhances the diagnostic capacity to differentiate normal from suspect cases.

Portable acuity screening for any school: validation of patched HOTV with amblyopic patients and Bangerter normals.

PubMed

Tsao Wu, Maya; Armitage, M Diane; Trujillo, Claire; Trujillo, Anna; Arnold, Laura E; Tsao Wu, Lauren; Arnold, Robert W

2017-12-04

We needed to validate and calibrate our portable acuity screening tools so amblyopia could be detected quickly and effectively at school entry. Spiral-bound flip cards and download pdf surround HOTV acuity test box with critical lines were combined with a matching card. Amblyopic patients performed critical line, then threshold acuity which was then compared to patched E-ETDRS acuity. 5 normal subjects wore Bangerter foil goggles to simulate blur for comparative validation. The 31 treated amblyopic eyes showed: logMAR HOTV = 0.97(logMAR E-ETDRS)-0.04 r2 = 0.88. All but two (6%) fell less than 2 lines difference. The five showed logMAR HOTV = 1.09 ((logMAR E-ETDRS) + .15 r2 = 0.63. The critical-line, test box was 98% efficient at screening within one line of 20/40. These tools reliably detected acuity in treated amblyopic patients and Bangerter blurred normal subjects. These free and affordable tools provide sensitive screening for amblyopia in children from public, private and home schools. Changing "pass" criteria to 4 out of 5 would improve sensitivity with somewhat slower testing for all students.

Role of breast milk in a mouse model of maternal transmission of asthma susceptibility.

PubMed

Leme, Adriana S; Hubeau, Cedric; Xiang, Yuhong; Goldman, Alejandra; Hamada, Kaoru; Suzaki, Yasue; Kobzik, Lester

2006-01-15

Epidemiologic data suggest a link between nursing by asthmatic mothers and increased risk of allergy in babies. We sought to experimentally test the potential contribution of breast milk mediator(s) in a mouse model of maternal transmission of asthma risk by evaluating the effect of adoptive nursing on asthma susceptibility in the offspring. We measured airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and allergic airway inflammation (AI) after an intentionally suboptimal OVA Ag sensitization, tested the allergen independence of the maternal effect by using a second allergen, casein, for sensitization of the baby mice, and tested the potential role of cytokines by measuring their levels in breast milk. Offspring of asthmatic, but not normal, mothers showed AHR and AI, indicating a maternal transfer of asthma risk. After adoptive nursing, both groups (litters born to asthmatic mothers and nursed by normal mothers, and normal babies nursed by asthmatic mothers) showed AHR (enhanced pause after methacholine aerosol, 50 mg/ml, 3.7 +/- 0.7, 4.2 +/- 0.5, respectively, vs 1.1 +/- 0.1 normal controls, n = 25, p < 0.01) and AI, seen as eosinophilia on histology and bronchoalveolar lavage (40.7 +/- 4.5%, 28.7 +/- 3.7%, vs 1.0 +/- 0.5% normals, n = 25, p < 0.01) after OVA sensitization. Similar results using casein allergen were observed. Multiplex assays for cytokines (IFN-gamma, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, TNF-alpha, and IL-13) in breast milk were negative. Breast milk is sufficient, but not necessary, to mediate allergen-independent maternal transmission of asthma risk to offspring.

Statistical analysis of content of Cs-137 in soils in Bansko-Razlog region

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

Kobilarov, R. G., E-mail: rkobi@tu-sofia.bg

Statistical analysis of the data set consisting of the activity concentrations of {sup 137}Cs in soils in Bansko–Razlog region is carried out in order to establish the dependence of the deposition and the migration of {sup 137}Cs on the soil type. The descriptive statistics and the test of normality show that the data set have not normal distribution. Positively skewed distribution and possible outlying values of the activity of {sup 137}Cs in soils were observed. After reduction of the effects of outliers, the data set is divided into two parts, depending on the soil type. Test of normality of themore » two new data sets shows that they have a normal distribution. Ordinary kriging technique is used to characterize the spatial distribution of the activity of {sup 137}Cs over an area covering 40 km{sup 2} (whole Razlog valley). The result (a map of the spatial distribution of the activity concentration of {sup 137}Cs) can be used as a reference point for future studies on the assessment of radiological risk to the population and the erosion of soils in the study area.« less

Comparison of Performance of Eight-Year-Old Children on Three Auditory Sequential Memory Tests.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chermak, Gail D.; O'Connell, Vickie I.

1981-01-01

Twenty normal children were administered three tests of auditory sequential memory. A Pearson product-moment correlation of .50 and coefficients of determination showed all but one relationship to be nonsignificant and predictability between pairs of scores to be poor. (Author)

Estimating the Classification Efficiency of a Test Battery.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Corte, Wilfried

2000-01-01

Shows how a theorem proven by H. Brogden (1951, 1959) can be used to estimate the allocation average (a predictor based classification of a test battery) assuming that the predictor intercorrelations and validities are known and that the predictor variables have a joint multivariate normal distribution. (SLD)

[Improvement in functional capacity after levothyroxine treatment in patients with chronic heart failure and subclinical hypothyroidism].

PubMed

Curotto Grasiosi, Jorge; Peressotti, Bruno; Machado, Rogelio A; Filipini, Eduardo C; Angel, Adriana; Delgado, Jorge; Cortez Quiroga, Gustavo A; Rus Mansilla, Carmen; Martínez Quesada, María del Mar; Degregorio, Alejandro; Cordero, Diego J; Dak, Marcelo; Izurieta, Carlos; Esper, Ricardo J

2013-10-01

To assess whether levothyroxine treatment improves functional capacity in patients with chronic heart failure (New York Heart Association class i-iii) and subclinical hypothyroidism. One hundred and sixty-three outpatients with stable chronic heart failure followed up for at least 6 months were enrolled. A physical examination was performed, and laboratory tests including thyroid hormone levels, Doppler echocardiogram, radionuclide ventriculography, and Holter monitoring were requested. Functional capacity was assessed by of the 6-min walk test. Patients with subclinical hypothyroidism were detected and, after undergoing the s6-min walk test, were given replacement therapy. When they reached normal thyrotropin (TSH) levels, the 6-min walk test was performed again. The distance walked in both tests was recorded, and the difference in meters covered by each patient was analyzed. Prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism in patients with heart failure was 13%. These patients walked 292±63m while they were hypothyroid and 350±76m when TSH levels returned to normal, a difference of 58±11m (P<.011). Patients with normal baseline TSH levels showed no significant difference between the 2 6-min walk tests. Patients with chronic heart failure and subclinical hypothyroidism significantly improved their physical performance when normal TSH levels were reached. Copyright © 2012 SEEN. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Specialized neuromuscular training to improve neuromuscular function and biomechanics in a patient with quiescent juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

PubMed

Myer, Gregory D; Brunner, Hermine I; Melson, Paula G; Paterno, Mark V; Ford, Kevin R; Hewett, Timothy E

2005-08-01

The purpose of this case report is to describe a novel multidisciplinary approach for evaluating and preparing a patient with quiescent juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) for safe sports participation. The patient was a 10-year-old girl with a history of bilateral knee arthritis who desired to participate in soccer and basketball. Range of motion and manual muscle testing of the lower extremity were within normal limits. Neuromuscular testing included kinematic and kinetic testing, isokinetic assessment, and postural stability testing. The patient's gait was near normal; however, she had narrowed step width and increased knee flexion at heel-strike. Landing analysis during a box drop vertical jump task showed increased and imbalanced (right versus left lower extremity) peak impact forces. The testing was followed by specialized neuromuscular training (SNT). Following SNT, heel-strike and step width were within normal limits, peak impact forces on the box drop test decreased by 31%, imbalance decreased by 46%, and vertical jump increased 15%. The isokinetic strength ratio between knee flexors and extensors and the overall balance measures were within normal limits and equal bilaterally. Patients with quiescent JRA may have abnormal biomechanics, which could place them at increased risk for injury or future articular cartilage damage. Specialized neuromuscular training may have helped to decrease the patient's risk for future injury or disease progression.

Correlation to FVIII:C in Two Thrombin Generation Tests: TGA-CAT and INNOVANCE ETP.

PubMed

Ljungkvist, Marcus; Berndtsson, Maria; Holmström, Margareta; Mikovic, Danijela; Elezovic, Ivo; Antovic, Jovan P; Zetterberg, Eva; Berntorp, Erik

2017-01-01

Several thrombin-generation tests are available, but few have been directly compared. Our primary aim was to investigate the correlation of two thrombin generation tests, thrombin generation assay-calibrated automated thrombogram (TGA-CAT) and INNOVANCE ETP, to factor VIII levels (FVIII:C) in a group of patients with hemophilia A. The secondary aim was to investigate inter-laboratory variation for the TGA-CAT method. Blood samples were taken from 45 patients with mild, moderate and severe hemophilia A. The TGA-CAT method was performed at both centers while the INNOVANCE ETP was only performed at the Stockholm center. Correlation between parameters was evaluated using Spearman's rank correlation test. For determination of the TGA-CAT inter-laboratory variability, Bland-Altman plots were used. The correlation for the INNOVANCE ETP and TGA-CAT methods with FVIII:C in persons with hemophilia (PWH) was r=0.701 and r=0.734 respectively.The correlation between the two methods was r=0.546.When dividing the study material into disease severity groups (mild, moderate and severe) based on FVIII levels, both methods fail to discriminate between them.The variability of the TGA-CAT results performed at the two centers was reduced after normalization; before normalization, 29% of values showed less than ±10% difference while after normalization the number increased to 41%. Both methods correlate in an equal manner to FVIII:C in PWH but show a poor correlation with each other. The level of agreement for the TGA-CAT method was poor though slightly improved after normalization of data. Further improvement of standardization of these methods is warranted.

Development and validation of a new cognitive screening test: The Hong Kong Brief Cognitive Test (HKBC).

PubMed

Chiu, Helen F K; Zhong, Bao-Liang; Leung, Tony; Li, S W; Chow, Paulina; Tsoh, Joshua; Yan, Connie; Xiang, Yu-Tao; Wong, Mike

2018-07-01

To develop and examine the validity of a new brief cognitive test with less educational bias for screening cognitive impairment. A new cognitive test, Hong Kong Brief Cognitive Test (HKBC), was developed based on review of the literature, as well as the views of an expert panel. Three groups of subjects aged 65 or above were recruited after written consent: normal older people recruited in elderly centres, people with mild NCD (neurocognitive disorder), and people with major NCD. The brief cognitive test, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA), were administered to the subjects. The performance of HKBC in differentiating subjects with major NCD, mild NCD, and normal older people were compared with the clinical diagnosis, as well as the MMSE and MoCA scores. In total, 359 subjects were recruited, with 99 normal controls, 132 subjects with major NCD, and 128 with mild NCD. The mean MMSE, MoCA, and HKBC scores showed significant differences among the 3 groups of subjects. In the receiving operating characteristic curve analysis of the HKBC in differentiating normal subjects from those with cognitive impairment (mild NCD + major NCD), the area under the curve was 0.955 with an optimal cut-off score of 21/22. The performances of MMSE and MoCA in differentiating normal from cognitively impaired subjects are slightly inferior to the HKBC. The HKBC is a brief instrument useful for screening cognitive impairment in older adults and is also useful in populations with low educational level. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Auditory agnosia as a clinical symptom of childhood adrenoleukodystrophy.

PubMed

Furushima, Wakana; Kaga, Makiko; Nakamura, Masako; Gunji, Atsuko; Inagaki, Masumi

2015-08-01

To investigate detailed auditory features in patients with auditory impairment as the first clinical symptoms of childhood adrenoleukodystrophy (CSALD). Three patients who had hearing difficulty as the first clinical signs and/or symptoms of ALD. Precise examination of the clinical characteristics of hearing and auditory function was performed, including assessments of pure tone audiometry, verbal sound discrimination, otoacoustic emission (OAE), and auditory brainstem response (ABR), as well as an environmental sound discrimination test, a sound lateralization test, and a dichotic listening test (DLT). The auditory pathway was evaluated by MRI in each patient. Poor response to calling was detected in all patients. Two patients were not aware of their hearing difficulty, and had been diagnosed with normal hearing by otolaryngologists at first. Pure-tone audiometry disclosed normal hearing in all patients. All patients showed a normal wave V ABR threshold. Three patients showed obvious difficulty in discriminating verbal sounds, environmental sounds, and sound lateralization and strong left-ear suppression in a dichotic listening test. However, once they discriminated verbal sounds, they correctly understood the meaning. Two patients showed elongation of the I-V and III-V interwave intervals in ABR, but one showed no abnormality. MRIs of these three patients revealed signal changes in auditory radiation including in other subcortical areas. The hearing features of these subjects were diagnosed as auditory agnosia and not aphasia. It should be emphasized that when patients are suspected to have hearing impairment but have no abnormalities in pure tone audiometry and/or ABR, this should not be diagnosed immediately as psychogenic response or pathomimesis, but auditory agnosia must also be considered. Copyright © 2014 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Test-retest reliability of the multifocal photopic negative response.

PubMed

Van Alstine, Anthony W; Viswanathan, Suresh

2017-02-01

To assess the test-retest reliability of the multifocal photopic negative response (mfPhNR) of normal human subjects. Multifocal electroretinograms were recorded from one eye of 61 healthy adult subjects on two separate days using a Visual Evoked Response Imaging System software version 4.3 (EDI, San Mateo, California). The visual stimulus delivered on a 75-Hz monitor consisted of seven equal-sized hexagons each subtending 12° of visual angle. The m-step exponent was 9, and the m-sequence was slowed to include at least 30 blank frames after each flash. Only the first slice of the first-order kernel was analyzed. The mfPhNR amplitude was measured at a fixed time in the trough from baseline (BT) as well as at the same fixed time in the trough from the preceding b-wave peak (PT). Additionally, we also analyzed BT normalized either to PT (BT/PT) or to the b-wave amplitude (BT/b-wave). The relative reliability of test-retest differences for each test location was estimated by the Wilcoxon matched-pair signed-rank test and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Absolute test-retest reliability was estimated by Bland-Altman analysis. The test-retest amplitude differences for neither of the two measurement techniques were statistically significant as determined by Wilcoxon matched-pair signed-rank test. PT measurements showed greater ICC values than BT amplitude measurements for all test locations. For each measurement technique, the ICC value of the macular response was greater than that of the surrounding locations. The mean test-retest difference was close to zero for both techniques at each of the test locations, and while the coefficient of reliability (COR-1.96 times the standard deviation of the test-retest difference) was comparable for the two techniques at each test location when expressed in nanovolts, the %COR (COR normalized to the mean test and retest amplitudes) was superior for PT than BT measurements. The ICC and COR were comparable for the BT/PT and BT/b-wave ratios and were better than the ICC and COR for BT but worse than PT. mfPhNR amplitude measured at a fixed time in the trough from the preceding b-wave peak (PT) shows greater test-retest reliability when compared to amplitude measurement from baseline (BT) or BT amplitude normalized to either the PT or b-wave amplitudes.

The effect of tinnitus on some psychoacoustical abilities in individuals with normal hearing sensitivity.

PubMed

Jain, Chandni; Sahoo, Jitesh Prasad

Tinnitus is the perception of a sound without an external source. It can affect auditory perception abilities in individuals with normal hearing sensitivity. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of tinnitus on psychoacoustic abilities in individuals with normal hearing sensitivity. The study was conducted on twenty subjects with tinnitus and twenty subjects without tinnitus. Tinnitus group was again divided into mild and moderate tinnitus based on the tinnitus handicap inventory. Differential limen of intensity, differential limen of frequency, gap detection test, modulation detection thresholds were done through the mlp toolbox in Matlab and speech in noise test was done with the help of Quick SIN in Kannada. RESULTS of the study showed that the clinical group performed poorly in all the tests except for differential limen of intensity. Tinnitus affects aspects of auditory perception like temporal resolution, speech perception in noise and frequency discrimination in individuals with normal hearing. This could be due to subtle changes in the central auditory system which is not reflected in the pure tone audiogram.

Effects of restricted maternal contact in neonatal rats on sexual behaviour in the adult.

PubMed

Forsberg, G; Abrahamsson, K; Södersten, P; Eneroth, P

1985-03-01

Rats, deprived of maternal contact and nutrition every alternate day starting on day 5 of life, attained a body weight at 45 days of age which was 50% of that of rats which had free access to maternal contact and nutrition. After 55 days of unrestricted food availability the body weight of the neonatally deprived rats was approximately 15% lower than that of the controls. Malnourished female rats showed normal behavioural oestrous cycles and became pregnant and lactated normally as young adults. After ovariectomy they showed higher lordosis quotients in response to treatment with oestradiol benzoate and progesterone than controls but lost less body weight in response to treatment with oestradiol-filled constant-release implants. Malnourished male rats ejaculated less frequently than controls in tests with sexually receptive female rats but this difference disappeared with repeated testing. The malnourished males showed longer ejaculation latencies and had somewhat higher serum concentrations of LH than controls after castration and treatment with testosterone-filled constant-release implants which reduced serum androgen concentrations to about 30% of the intact level. The results show that rats are capable of sustaining a rather severe neonatal nutritional deprivation without losing the capacity for essentially normal mating behaviour in adulthood.

Correlation- and covariance-supported normalization method for estimating orthodontic trainer treatment for clenching activity.

PubMed

Akdenur, B; Okkesum, S; Kara, S; Günes, S

2009-11-01

In this study, electromyography signals sampled from children undergoing orthodontic treatment were used to estimate the effect of an orthodontic trainer on the anterior temporal muscle. A novel data normalization method, called the correlation- and covariance-supported normalization method (CCSNM), based on correlation and covariance between features in a data set, is proposed to provide predictive guidance to the orthodontic technique. The method was tested in two stages: first, data normalization using the CCSNM; second, prediction of normalized values of anterior temporal muscles using an artificial neural network (ANN) with a Levenberg-Marquardt learning algorithm. The data set consists of electromyography signals from right anterior temporal muscles, recorded from 20 children aged 8-13 years with class II malocclusion. The signals were recorded at the start and end of a 6-month treatment. In order to train and test the ANN, two-fold cross-validation was used. The CCSNM was compared with four normalization methods: minimum-maximum normalization, z score, decimal scaling, and line base normalization. In order to demonstrate the performance of the proposed method, prevalent performance-measuring methods, and the mean square error and mean absolute error as mathematical methods, the statistical relation factor R2 and the average deviation have been examined. The results show that the CCSNM was the best normalization method among other normalization methods for estimating the effect of the trainer.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the evaluation of thrombocytopenia induced by heparin.

PubMed

Howe, S E; Lynch, D M

1985-05-01

Five patients with heparin-associated thrombocytopenia (HAT) were evaluated by platelet aggregation and quantitation of immunoglobulin binding to intact target platelets in both the presence and absence of heparin. These patients developed thrombocytopenia (12,000 to 70,000 platelets/microliter) 7 to 15 days and embolic and hemorrhagic complications 9 to 15 days after the initiation of heparin therapy. Platelet aggregation after the addition of heparin was demonstrated in two of four HAT serum samples, whereas normal serum samples showed no significant platelet aggregation. The five HAT serum samples showed normal to elevated baseline serum platelet-bindable immunoglobulin (SPBIg) with a range of 4.3 to 11.4 fg/platelet (normal less than or equal to 1.0 to 6.5 fg/platelet). When HAT sera were incubated with target platelets and heparin (5 U/ml), the SPBIg increased to 8.5 to 37.5 fg/platelet, a mean increase of 148% in the presence of heparin. Normal and control serum samples (from 10 normal laboratory volunteers, nine patients without thrombocytopenia receiving heparin, nine patients with autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura, and nine patients with nonimmune thrombocytopenia not receiving heparin) showed only a slight increase in SPBIg of 0 to 2.8 fg/platelet above baseline, a mean increase of 15% after heparin incubation with the serum samples. The measurement of SPBIg of washed platelets incubated with test serum samples in the presence and absence of heparin is potentially a specific and sensitive in vitro test for the diagnosis of HAT and may prove more sensitive than platelet aggregation studies with heparin.

Study of Critical Heat Flux and Two-Phase Pressure Drop Under Reduced Gravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abdollahian, Davood; Quintal, Joseph; Barez, Fred; Zahm, Jennifer; Lohr, Victor

1996-01-01

The design of the two-phase flow systems which are anticipated to be utilized in future spacecraft thermal management systems requires a knowledge of two-phase flow and heat transfer phenomena in reduced gravities. This program was funded by NASA headquarters in response to NRA-91-OSSA-17 and was managed by Lewis Research Center. The main objective of this program was to design and construct a two-phase test loop, and perform a series of normal gravity and aircraft trajectory experiments to study the effect of gravity on the Critical Heat Flux (CHF) and onset of instability. The test loop was packaged on two aircraft racks and was also instrumented to generate data for two-phase pressure drop. The normal gravity tests were performed with vertical up and downflow configurations to bound the effect of gravity on the test parameters. One set of aircraft trajectory tests was performed aboard the NASA DC-9 aircraft. These tests were mainly intended to evaluate the test loop and its operational performance under actual reduced gravity conditions, and to produce preliminary data for the test parameters. The test results were used to demonstrate the applicability of the normal gravity models for prediction of the two-phase friction pressure drop. It was shown that the two-phase friction multipliers for vertical upflow and reduced gravity conditions can be successfully predicted by the appropriate normal gravity models. Limited critical heat flux data showed that the measured CHF under reduced gravities are of the same order of magnitude as the test results with vertical upflow configuration. A simplified correlation was only successful in predicting the measured CHF for low flow rates. Instability tests with vertical upflow showed that flow becomes unstable and critical heat flux occurs at smaller powers when a parallel flow path exists. However, downflow tests and a single reduced gravity instability experiment indicated that the system actually became more stable with a parallel single-phase flow path. Several design modifications have been identified which will improve the system performance for generating reduced gravity data. The modified test loop can provide two-phase flow data for a range of operating conditions and can serve as a test bed for component evaluation.

Cluster analysis of cognitive performance in elderly and demented subjects.

PubMed

Giaquinto, S; Nolfe, G; Calvani, M

1985-06-01

48 elderly normals, 14 demented subjects and 76 young controls were tested for basic cognitive functions. All the tests were quantified and could therefore be subjected to statistical analysis. The results show a difference in the speed of information processing and in memory load between the young controls and elderly normals but the age groups differed in quantitative terms only. Cluster analysis showed that the elderly and the demented formed two distinctly separate groups at the qualitative level, the basic cognitive processes being damaged in the demented group. Age thus appears to be only a risk factor for dementia and not its cause. It is concluded that batteries based on precise and measurable tasks are the most appropriate not only for the study of dementia but for rehabilitation purposes too.

Whole-Lesion Apparent Diffusion Coefficient-Based Entropy-Related Parameters for Characterizing Cervical Cancers: Initial Findings.

PubMed

Guan, Yue; Li, Weifeng; Jiang, Zhuoran; Chen, Ying; Liu, Song; He, Jian; Zhou, Zhengyang; Ge, Yun

2016-12-01

This study aimed to develop whole-lesion apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC)-based entropy-related parameters of cervical cancer to preliminarily assess intratumoral heterogeneity of this lesion in comparison to adjacent normal cervical tissues. A total of 51 women (mean age, 49 years) with cervical cancers confirmed by biopsy underwent 3-T pelvic diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging with b values of 0 and 800 s/mm 2 prospectively. ADC-based entropy-related parameters including first-order entropy and second-order entropies were derived from the whole tumor volume as well as adjacent normal cervical tissues. Intraclass correlation coefficient, Wilcoxon test with Bonferroni correction, Kruskal-Wallis test, and receiver operating characteristic curve were used for statistical analysis. All the parameters showed excellent interobserver agreement (all intraclass correlation coefficients  > 0.900). Entropy, entropy(H) 0 , entropy(H) 45 , entropy(H) 90 , entropy(H) 135 , and entropy(H) mean were significantly higher, whereas entropy(H) range and entropy(H) std were significantly lower in cervical cancers compared to adjacent normal cervical tissues (all P <.0001). Kruskal-Wallis test showed that there were no significant differences among the values of various second-order entropies including entropy(H) 0, entropy(H) 45 , entropy(H) 90 , entropy(H) 135 , and entropy(H) mean. All second-order entropies had larger area under the receiver operating characteristic curve than first-order entropy in differentiating cervical cancers from adjacent normal cervical tissues. Further, entropy(H) 45 , entropy(H) 90 , entropy(H) 135 , and entropy(H) mean had the same largest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.867. Whole-lesion ADC-based entropy-related parameters of cervical cancers were developed successfully, which showed initial potential in characterizing intratumoral heterogeneity in comparison to adjacent normal cervical tissues. Copyright © 2016 The Association of University Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Validity of the Worth 4 Dot Test in Patients with Red-Green Color Vision Defect.

PubMed

Bak, Eunoo; Yang, Hee Kyung; Hwang, Jeong-Min

2017-05-01

The Worth four dot test uses red and green glasses for binocular dissociation, and although it has been believed that patients with red-green color vision defects cannot accurately perform the Worth four dot test, this has not been validated. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to demonstrate the validity of the Worth four dot test in patients with congenital red-green color vision defects who have normal or abnormal binocular vision. A retrospective review of medical records was performed on 30 consecutive congenital red-green color vision defect patients who underwent the Worth four dot test. The type of color vision anomaly was determined by the Hardy Rand and Rittler (HRR) pseudoisochromatic plate test, Ishihara color test, anomaloscope, and/or the 100 hue test. All patients underwent a complete ophthalmologic examination. Binocular sensory status was evaluated with the Worth four dot test and Randot stereotest. The results were interpreted according to the presence of strabismus or amblyopia. Among the 30 patients, 24 had normal visual acuity without strabismus nor amblyopia and 6 patients had strabismus and/or amblyopia. The 24 patients without strabismus nor amblyopia all showed binocular fusional responses by seeing four dots of the Worth four dot test. Meanwhile, the six patients with strabismus or amblyopia showed various results of fusion, suppression, and diplopia. Congenital red-green color vision defect patients of different types and variable degree of binocularity could successfully perform the Worth four dot test. They showed reliable results that were in accordance with their estimated binocular sensory status.

Effect of root-extracts of Ficus benghalensis (Banyan) in memory, anxiety, muscle co-ordination and seizure in animal models.

PubMed

Panday, Dipesh Raj; Rauniar, G P

2016-11-03

Ficus benghalensis L. (Banyan) is a commonly found tree in Eastern Nepal. Its different plant parts are used for various neurological ailments. This study was performed in mice to see its effects in various neuropharmacological parameters. Passive-avoidance (memory), Open-field (anxiety), Pentobarbital-induced Sleep potentiation (sleep), Rota-rod (muscle-co-ordination), Pentylenetetrazol-Induced and Maximal Electroshock Seizure Tests were performed. Sample size was calculated using G*Power 3.1.9.2. Aqueous root extracts (Soxhlet method) of Ficus benghalensis 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg with negative and positive controls were used. The experimental results were represented as Mean ± SD. P-value was set at <0.05. Oneway analysis of variance (ANOVA) or Mann-Whitney U test was appropriately used. Passive-avoidance test showed 200 mg/kg group spent significantly less. Time (0.00s + 0.00s) in shock-zone than Normal Saline-group (9.67 s + 14.36 s, P = 0.000) or Diazepam-group (41.07 s + 88.24 s, P = 0.000). Open-field test showed 200 mg/kg group spent significantly longer Time (24.77 s + 12.23 s) in central-square than either Normal Saline group (15.08 s + 6.81 s, P = 0.000) or Diazepam-group (15.32 s + 5.12 s, P = 0.000). In Rota-rod test, 200 mg/kg group fell off the rod significantly (P = 0.000) earlier (33.01 s + 43.61 s) than both Normal Saline (>120 s) and Diazepam (62.07 s + 43.83 s) PTZ model showed that 100 mg/kg significantly (P = 0.004) delayed seizure-onset (184.40s + 36.36 s) compared to Normal Saline (101.79 s + 22.81 s), however, in MES model 200 mg/kg significantly (P = 0.000) prolonged tonic hind-limb extension (17.57 s + 2.15 s) compared to Normal Saline (13.55 s + 2.75 s) or Phenytoin (00.00s + 00.00s). Aerial roots of Ficus benghalensis have memory-enhancing, anxiolytic, musclerelaxant, and seizure-modifying effect.

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

Altazi, B; Fernandez, D; Zhang, G

Purpose: Site-specific investigations of the role of Radiomics in cancer diagnosis and therapy are needed. We report of the reproducibility of quantitative image features over different discrete voxel levels in PET/CT images of cervical cancer. Methods: Our dataset consisted of the pretreatment PET/CT scans from a cohort of 76 patients diagnosed with cervical cancer, FIGO stage IB-IVA, age range 31–76 years, treated with external beam radiation therapy to a dose range between 45–50.4 Gy (median dose: 45 Gy), concurrent cisplatin chemotherapy and MRI-based Brachytherapy to a dose of 20–30 Gy (median total dose: 28 Gy). Two board certified radiation oncologistsmore » delineated Metabolic Tumor volume (MTV) for each patient. Radiomics features were extracted based on 32, 64, 128 and 256 discretization levels (DL). The 64 level was chosen to be the reference DL. Features were calculated based on Co-occurrence (COM), Gray Level Size Zone (GLSZM) and Run-Length (RLM) matrices. Mean Percentage Differences (Δ) of features for discrete levels were determined. Normality distribution of Δ was tested using Kolomogorov - Smirnov test. Bland-Altman test was used to investigate differences between feature values measured on different DL. The mean, standard deviation and upper/lower value limits for each pair of DL were calculated. Interclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) analysis was performed to examine the reliability of repeated measures within the context of the test re-test format. Results: 3 global and 5 regional features out of 48 features showed distribution not significantly different from a normal one. The reproducible features passed the normality test. Only 5 reproducible results were reliable, ICC range 0.7 – 0.99. Conclusion: Most of the radiomics features tested showed sensitivity to voxel level discretization between (32 – 256). Only 4 GLSZM, 3 COM and 1 RLM showed insensitivity towards mentioned discrete levels.« less

Systematic bias in genomic classification due to contaminating non-neoplastic tissue in breast tumor samples.

PubMed

Elloumi, Fathi; Hu, Zhiyuan; Li, Yan; Parker, Joel S; Gulley, Margaret L; Amos, Keith D; Troester, Melissa A

2011-06-30

Genomic tests are available to predict breast cancer recurrence and to guide clinical decision making. These predictors provide recurrence risk scores along with a measure of uncertainty, usually a confidence interval. The confidence interval conveys random error and not systematic bias. Standard tumor sampling methods make this problematic, as it is common to have a substantial proportion (typically 30-50%) of a tumor sample comprised of histologically benign tissue. This "normal" tissue could represent a source of non-random error or systematic bias in genomic classification. To assess the performance characteristics of genomic classification to systematic error from normal contamination, we collected 55 tumor samples and paired tumor-adjacent normal tissue. Using genomic signatures from the tumor and paired normal, we evaluated how increasing normal contamination altered recurrence risk scores for various genomic predictors. Simulations of normal tissue contamination caused misclassification of tumors in all predictors evaluated, but different breast cancer predictors showed different types of vulnerability to normal tissue bias. While two predictors had unpredictable direction of bias (either higher or lower risk of relapse resulted from normal contamination), one signature showed predictable direction of normal tissue effects. Due to this predictable direction of effect, this signature (the PAM50) was adjusted for normal tissue contamination and these corrections improved sensitivity and negative predictive value. For all three assays quality control standards and/or appropriate bias adjustment strategies can be used to improve assay reliability. Normal tissue sampled concurrently with tumor is an important source of bias in breast genomic predictors. All genomic predictors show some sensitivity to normal tissue contamination and ideal strategies for mitigating this bias vary depending upon the particular genes and computational methods used in the predictor.

Influence of the educational status on the Dichotic Sentence Identification test in Brazilian Portuguese.

PubMed

Andrade, Adriana Neves de; Silva, Mariane Richetto da; Iorio, Maria Cecilia Martinelli; Gil, Daniela

2015-01-01

To compare the performance of the Dichotic Sentence Identification (DSI) test in the Brazilian Portuguese version, considering: the right and left ears and the educational status in normal-hearing individuals. This investigation assessed 200 individuals who are normal listeners and right-handed and were divided into seven groups according to the years of schooling. All the participants underwent basic audiologic evaluation and behavioral auditory processing assessment (sound localization test, memory test for verbal and nonverbal sounds in sequence, dichotic digits test, and DSI). The evaluated individuals revealed an average educational status of 13.1 years and results within normal limits in the selected tests for the audiologic and auditory processing assessments. Regarding the DSI test, the educational status showed a dependent relationship with the percentages of correct answers in each stage of the test and the evaluated ear. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between the educational status and the percentage of correct answers for all the stages of the DSI test in both the ears. There was also an effect of the educational level on the results obtained in each condition of the DSI test, with the exception of directed attention to the right ear. Comparing the performance considering the variables studied in the DSI test, we concluded that there is an advantage of the right ear and that, the better the educational level, the better the performance of the individuals.

Metabolic differences between short children with GH peak levels in the lower normal range and healthy children of normal height.

PubMed

Tidblad, Anders; Gustafsson, Jan; Marcus, Claude; Ritzén, Martin; Ekström, Klas

2017-06-01

Severe growth hormone deficiency (GHD) leads to several metabolic effects in the body ranging from abnormal body composition to biochemical disturbances. However, less is known regarding these parameters in short children with GH peak levels in the lower normal range during provocation tests. Our aim was to study the metabolic profile of this group and compare it with that of healthy children of normal height. Thirty-five pre-pubertal short children (<-2.5 SDS) aged between 7 and 10years, with peak levels of GH between 7 and 14μg/L in an arginine insulin tolerance test (AITT), were compared with twelve age- and sex-matched children of normal height. The metabolic profile of the subjects was analysed by blood samples, DEXA, frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test, microdialysis and stable isotope examinations of rates of glucose production and lipolysis. There were no overall significant metabolic differences between the groups. However, in the subgroup analysis, the short children with GH peaks <10μg/L had significantly lower fasting insulin levels which also correlated to other metabolic parameters. The short pre-pubertal children with GH peak levels between 7 and 14μg/L did not differ significantly from healthy children of normal height but subpopulations within this group show significant metabolic differences. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reference Genes for Accurate Transcript Normalization in Citrus Genotypes under Different Experimental Conditions

PubMed Central

Mafra, Valéria; Kubo, Karen S.; Alves-Ferreira, Marcio; Ribeiro-Alves, Marcelo; Stuart, Rodrigo M.; Boava, Leonardo P.; Rodrigues, Carolina M.; Machado, Marcos A.

2012-01-01

Real-time reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) has emerged as an accurate and widely used technique for expression profiling of selected genes. However, obtaining reliable measurements depends on the selection of appropriate reference genes for gene expression normalization. The aim of this work was to assess the expression stability of 15 candidate genes to determine which set of reference genes is best suited for transcript normalization in citrus in different tissues and organs and leaves challenged with five pathogens (Alternaria alternata, Phytophthora parasitica, Xylella fastidiosa and Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus). We tested traditional genes used for transcript normalization in citrus and orthologs of Arabidopsis thaliana genes described as superior reference genes based on transcriptome data. geNorm and NormFinder algorithms were used to find the best reference genes to normalize all samples and conditions tested. Additionally, each biotic stress was individually analyzed by geNorm. In general, FBOX (encoding a member of the F-box family) and GAPC2 (GAPDH) was the most stable candidate gene set assessed under the different conditions and subsets tested, while CYP (cyclophilin), TUB (tubulin) and CtP (cathepsin) were the least stably expressed genes found. Validation of the best suitable reference genes for normalizing the expression level of the WRKY70 transcription factor in leaves infected with Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus showed that arbitrary use of reference genes without previous testing could lead to misinterpretation of data. Our results revealed FBOX, SAND (a SAND family protein), GAPC2 and UPL7 (ubiquitin protein ligase 7) to be superior reference genes, and we recommend their use in studies of gene expression in citrus species and relatives. This work constitutes the first systematic analysis for the selection of superior reference genes for transcript normalization in different citrus organs and under biotic stress. PMID:22347455

Cognitive, emotional and social markers of serial murdering.

PubMed

Angrilli, Alessandro; Sartori, Giuseppe; Donzella, Giovanna

2013-01-01

Although criminal psychopathy is starting to be relatively well described, our knowledge of the characteristics and scientific markers of serial murdering is still very poor. A serial killer who murdered more than five people, KT, was administered a battery of standardized tests aimed at measuring neuropsychological impairment and social/emotional cognition deficits. KT exhibited a striking dissociation between a high level of emotional detachment and a low score on the antisocial behavior scale on the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R). The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 showed a normal pattern with the psychotic triad at borderline level. KT had a high intelligence score and showed almost no impairment in cognitive tests sensitive to frontal lobe dysfunction (Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Theory of Mind, Tower of London, this latter evidenced a mild impairment in planning performance). In the tests on moral, emotional and social cognition, his patterns of response differed from matched controls and from past reports on criminal psychopaths as, unlike these individuals, KT exhibited normal recognition of fear and a relatively intact knowledge of moral rules but he was impaired in the recognition of anger, embarrassment and conventional social rules. The overall picture of KT suggests that serial killing may be closer to normality than psychopathy defined according to either the DSM IV or the PCL-R, and it would be characterized by a relatively spared moral cognition and selective deficits in social and emotional cognition domains.

Fast normal mode computations of capsid dynamics inspired by resonance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Na, Hyuntae; Song, Guang

2018-07-01

Increasingly more and larger structural complexes are being determined experimentally. The sizes of these systems pose a formidable computational challenge to the study of their vibrational dynamics by normal mode analysis. To overcome this challenge, this work presents a novel resonance-inspired approach. Tests on large shell structures of protein capsids demonstrate that there is a strong resonance between the vibrations of a whole capsid and those of individual capsomeres. We then show how this resonance can be taken advantage of to significantly speed up normal mode computations.

Normal modes of the world's oceans: A numerical investigation using Proudman functions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sanchez, Braulio V.; Morrow, Dennis

1993-01-01

The numerical modeling of the normal modes of the global oceans is addressed. The results of such modeling could be expected to serve as a guide in the analysis of observations and measurements intended to detect these modes. The numerical computation of normal modes of the global oceans is a field in which several investigations have obtained results during the past 15 years. The results seem to be model-dependent to an unsatisfactory extent. Some modeling areas, such as higher resolution of the bathymetry, inclusion of self-attraction and loading, the role of the Arctic Ocean, and systematic testing by means of diagnostic models are addressed. The results show that the present state of the art is such that a final solution to the normal mode problem still lies in the future. The numerical experiments show where some of the difficulties are and give some insight as to how to proceed in the future.

Toothguide Trainer tests with color vision deficiency simulation monitor.

PubMed

Borbély, Judit; Varsányi, Balázs; Fejérdy, Pál; Hermann, Péter; Jakstat, Holger A

2010-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether simulated severe red and green color vision deficiency (CVD) influenced color matching results and to investigate whether training with Toothguide Trainer (TT) computer program enabled better color matching results. A total of 31 color normal dental students participated in the study. Every participant had to pass the Ishihara Test. Participants with a red/green color vision deficiency were excluded. A lecture on tooth color matching was given, and individual training with TT was performed. To measure the individual tooth color matching results in normal and color deficient display modes, the TT final exam was displayed on a calibrated monitor that served as a hardware-based method of simulating protanopy and deuteranopy. Data from the TT final exams were collected in normal and in severe red and green CVD-simulating monitor display modes. Color difference values for each participant in each display mode were computed (∑ΔE(ab)(*)), and the respective means and standard deviations were calculated. The Student's t-test was used in statistical evaluation. Participants made larger ΔE(ab)(*) errors in severe color vision deficient display modes than in the normal monitor mode. TT tests showed significant (p<0.05) difference in the tooth color matching results of severe green color vision deficiency simulation mode compared to normal vision mode. Students' shade matching results were significantly better after training (p=0.009). Computer-simulated severe color vision deficiency mode resulted in significantly worse color matching quality compared to normal color vision mode. Toothguide Trainer computer program improved color matching results. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Glycophenotype evaluation in cutaneous tumors using lectins labeled with acridinium ester.

PubMed

Lima, Luiza Rayanna Amorim; Bezerra, Matheus Filgueira; Almeida, Sinara Mônica Vitalino; Silva, Lúcia Patrícia Bezerra Gomes; Beltrão, Eduardo Isidoro Carneiro; Carvalho Júnior, Luiz Bezerra

2013-01-01

Tumor cells show alterations in their glycosylation patterns when compared to normal cells. Lectins can be used to evaluate these glycocode changes. Chemiluminescence assay is an effective technique for quantitative analysis of proteins, nucleic acids, and carbohydrates due to its high sensitivity, specificity, and rapid testing. To use histochemiluminescence based on lectin conjugated to acridinium ester (AE) for the investigation of glycophenotype changes in cutaneous tumors. Concanavalin A (Con A), Peanut agglutinin (PNA), Ulex europaeus agglutinin-I (UEA-I), and Maackia amurensis agglutinin (MAA) were conjugated to acridinium ester. Biopsies of cutaneous tumors and normal skin were incubated with the lectins-AE, and chemiluminescence was quantified and expressed as Relative Light Units (RLU). Results. Actinic keratosis (AK), keratoacanthoma (KA), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) showed lower expression of α -D-glucose/mannose and α -L-fucose residues compared to normal tissue. Cutaneous tumors displayed higher expression of Gal- β (1-3)-GalNAc residues than normal tissue. AK and SCC exhibited higher expression of Neu5Ac- α (2,3)Gal residues than normal epidermis. KA and BCC showed equivalent RLU values compared to normal tissue. Lectin histochemiluminescence allowed quantitative assessment of the carbohydrate expression in cutaneous tissues, contributing to eliminate the subjectivity of conventional techniques used in the histopathological diagnosis.

A Digital Image-Based Discrete Fracture Network Model and Its Numerical Investigation of Direct Shear Tests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Peitao; Cai, Meifeng; Ren, Fenhua; Li, Changhong; Yang, Tianhong

2017-07-01

This paper develops a numerical approach to determine the mechanical behavior of discrete fractures network (DFN) models based on digital image processing technique and particle flow code (PFC2D). A series of direct shear tests of jointed rocks were numerically performed to study the effect of normal stress, friction coefficient and joint bond strength on the mechanical behavior of joint rock and evaluate the influence of micro-parameters on the shear properties of jointed rocks using the proposed approach. The complete shear stress-displacement curve of the DFN model under direct shear tests was presented to evaluate the failure processes of jointed rock. The results show that the peak and residual strength are sensitive to normal stress. A higher normal stress has a greater effect on the initiation and propagation of cracks. Additionally, an increase in the bond strength ratio results in an increase in the number of both shear and normal cracks. The friction coefficient was also found to have a significant influence on the shear strength and shear cracks. Increasing in the friction coefficient resulted in the decreasing in the initiation of normal cracks. The unique contribution of this paper is the proposed modeling technique to simulate the mechanical behavior of jointed rock mass based on particle mechanics approaches.

Notes on power of normality tests of error terms in regression models

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

Střelec, Luboš

2015-03-10

Normality is one of the basic assumptions in applying statistical procedures. For example in linear regression most of the inferential procedures are based on the assumption of normality, i.e. the disturbance vector is assumed to be normally distributed. Failure to assess non-normality of the error terms may lead to incorrect results of usual statistical inference techniques such as t-test or F-test. Thus, error terms should be normally distributed in order to allow us to make exact inferences. As a consequence, normally distributed stochastic errors are necessary in order to make a not misleading inferences which explains a necessity and importancemore » of robust tests of normality. Therefore, the aim of this contribution is to discuss normality testing of error terms in regression models. In this contribution, we introduce the general RT class of robust tests for normality, and present and discuss the trade-off between power and robustness of selected classical and robust normality tests of error terms in regression models.« less

In vivo Investigation of Anti-diabetic Properties of Ripe Onion Juice in Normal and Streptozotocin-induced Diabetic Rats

PubMed Central

Lee, Chul-Won; Lee, Hyung-Seok; Cha, Yong-Jun; Joo, Woo-Hong; Kang, Dae-Ook; Moon, Ja-Young

2013-01-01

The acute and subacute hypoglycemic and antihyperglycemic effects of drinkable ripe onion juice (Commercial product name is “Black Onion Extract”) were investigated in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. For tests of acute and subacute hypoglycemic effects, ripe onion juice (5 and 15 mL/kg b.w.) was administered by oral gavage to normal Sprague Dawley rats and measurements of fasting glucose levels and oral glucose tolerance tests were performed. Tolbutamide was used as a reference drug at a single oral dose of 250 mg/kg b.w. To test anti-hyper-glycemic activity, the ripe onion juice was administered to streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats by oral gavage at single dose of 15 mL/kg b.w. per day for 7 consecutive days. Oral administration of the ripe onion juice at either dosed level of 5 or 15 mL/kg b.w. showed no remarkable acute hypoglycemic effect in normal rats. The two dosed levels caused a relatively small reduction, only 18% and 12% (5 and 15 mL/kg b.w., respectively) decrease in glucose levels at 2 h after glucose loading in normal rats. However, at 3 h after glucose loading, blood glucose levels in the ripe onion juice-dosed rats were decreased to the corresponding blood glucose level in tolbutamide-dosed rats. Although showing weak hypoglycemic potential compared to that of tolbutamide, oral administration of ripe onion juice (15 mL/kg b.w.) for a short period (8 days) resulted in a slight reduction in the blood glucose levels that had elevated in Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. In conclusion, these results suggest that the commercial product “Black Onion Extract” may possess anti-hyperglycemic potential in diabetes. PMID:24471128

Comparison of Video Head Impulse Test and Caloric Reflex Test in advanced unilateral definite Menière's disease.

PubMed

Rubin, F; Simon, F; Verillaud, B; Herman, P; Kania, R; Hautefort, C

2018-06-01

There have been very few studies of the Video Head Impulse Test (VHIT) in patients with Menière's Disease (MD). Some reported 100% normal VHIT results, others not. These discrepancies may be due to differences in severity. The present study compared VHIT and caloric reflex test results in advanced unilateral definite MD. A prospective study included 37 consecutive patients, with a mean age of 56±12 years. Mean hearing loss was 59±18dB HL; 12 patients were subject to Tumarkin's otolithic crises. Abnormal caloric reflex was defined as ≥20% deficit, and abnormal VHIT as presence of saccades or <0.64 gain in vertical semicircular canals and <0.78 in horizontal canals. All patients had normal VHIT results, and 3 had normal caloric reflex; mean caloric reflex deficit was 45%. The present study is the only one to use the August 2015 updated definition of MD. The results showed that, outside of episodes of crisis, VHIT was normal during advanced unilateral definite MD, in contrast to abnormal caloric reflex. This feature could help distinguish MD from other inner ear diseases, and it would be interesting to try to confirm this hypothesis by studying MD patients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

The Kmif (Kveim-induced macrophage migration inhibition factor) test in sarcoidosis

PubMed Central

Williams, W. Jones; Pioli, E.; Jones, D. J.; Dighero, M.

1972-01-01

Circulating lymphocytes from 30 patients with sarcoidosis when stimulated in vitro with Kveim-induced macrophage migration factor, the Kmif test, produced a guinea-pig macrophage migration inhibition factor in 21 of 30 cases (70%). In those patients not on steroids the results showed a good correlation with the cutaneous Kveim test. One positive test was found in 16 normal subjects. Our results suggest that the Kmif test may prove a useful rapid alternative to the Kveim test. PMID:4675181

Development and validation of a smartphone-based digits-in-noise hearing test in South African English.

PubMed

Potgieter, Jenni-Marí; Swanepoel, De Wet; Myburgh, Hermanus Carel; Hopper, Thomas Christopher; Smits, Cas

2015-07-01

The objective of this study was to develop and validate a smartphone-based digits-in-noise hearing test for South African English. Single digits (0-9) were recorded and spoken by a first language English female speaker. Level corrections were applied to create a set of homogeneous digits with steep speech recognition functions. A smartphone application was created to utilize 120 digit-triplets in noise as test material. An adaptive test procedure determined the speech reception threshold (SRT). Experiments were performed to determine headphones effects on the SRT and to establish normative data. Participants consisted of 40 normal-hearing subjects with thresholds ≤15 dB across the frequency spectrum (250-8000 Hz) and 186 subjects with normal-hearing in both ears, or normal-hearing in the better ear. The results show steep speech recognition functions with a slope of 20%/dB for digit-triplets presented in noise using the smartphone application. The results of five headphone types indicate that the smartphone-based hearing test is reliable and can be conducted using standard Android smartphone headphones or clinical headphones. A digits-in-noise hearing test was developed and validated for South Africa. The mean SRT and speech recognition functions correspond to previous developed telephone-based digits-in-noise tests.

Detection of survivin mRNA in healthy oral mucosa, oral leucoplakia and oral cancer.

PubMed

Lodi, G; Franchini, R; Bez, C; Sardella, A; Moneghini, L; Pellegrini, C; Bosari, S; Manfredi, M; Vescovi, P; Carrassi, A

2010-01-01

Survivin is involved in modulation of cell death and cell division processes. Survivin expression in normal adult tissues has not been fully understood, although it is markedly lower than in cancer, where it is over-expressed. To investigate survivin expression in normal, potentially malignant and cancerous oral mucosa. We measured survivin mRNA levels by real-time RT-PCR in specimens of oral mucosa (15 from normal mucosa, 17 from potentially malignant lesions, 17 from neoplasms). Scores were compared using Kruskal-Wallis test and post hoc according to Conover. Chi-squared test was used for dichotomous data. The median relative levels of survivin mRNA resulted six for normal mucosa, eight for potentially malignant lesions, 13 for cancers: differences among these three groups were statistically significant, as between cancer and potentially malignant lesions. Expression in normal mucosa and potentially lesions group showed no significant difference. Low, but not marginal expression of survivin in normal mucosa is a new finding, and it could be explained with the higher sensibility of our methods. Survivin expression in oral potentially malignant lesions might indicate a progressive deregulation of expression paralleling oncogenesis, particularly during the first stages of process, suggesting a putative predictive role for survivin.

24. Photocopy of photograph (original in the Langley Research Center ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

24. Photocopy of photograph (original in the Langley Research Center Archives, Hampton, VA CARRIAGE IN SEAPLANE TOWING CHANNEL SHOWING OGIVE SHAPE READY FOR TEST. TANK HAS BEEN DRAINED AND THE OGIVE WOULD BE SUBMERGED UNDER NORMAL TEST CONDITIONS. - NASA Langley Research Center, Seaplane Towing Channel, 108 Andrews Street, Hampton, Hampton, VA

Overweight and obese infants present lower cognitive and motor development scores than normal-weight peers.

PubMed

Camargos, Ana Cristina Resende; Mendonça, Vanessa Amaral; Andrade, Camila Alves de; Oliveira, Katherine Simone Caires; Lacerda, Ana Cristina Rodrigues

2016-12-01

Compare the cognitive and motor development in overweight/obese infants versus normal-weight peers and investigate the correlation of body weight, body length and body mass index with cognitive and motor development. We conducted a cross-sectional study with 28 overweight/obese infants and 28 normal-weight peers between 6 and 24 months of age. Both groups were evaluated with cognitive and motor scales of the Bayley-III infant development test. The t-test for independent samples was performed to compare the groups, and the Spearman correlation was used to verify the association between variables. Overweight/obese infants showed lower cognitive and motor composite scores than their normal-weight peers. A significant negative association was found of body weight and body length with cognitive development and of body mass index with motor development. This is the first study that found an effect on both cognitive and motor development in overweight/obese infants when compared with normal-weight peers between 6 and 24 months of age. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Computerized Color Vision Test Based Upon Postreceptoral Channel Sensitivities

PubMed Central

E, Miyahara; J, Pokorny; VC, Smith; E, Szewczyk; J, McCartin; K, Caldwell; A, Klerer

2006-01-01

An automated, computerized color vision test was designed to diagnose congenital red-green color vision defects. The observer viewed a yellow appearing CRT screen. The principle was to measure increment thresholds for three different chromaticities, the background yellow, a red, and a green chromaticity. Spatial and temporal parameters were chosen to favor parvocellular pathway mediation of thresholds. Thresholds for the three test stimuli were estimated by 4AFC, randomly interleaved staircases. Four 1.5°, 4.2 cd/m2 square pedestals were arranged as a 2 x 2 matrix around the center of the display with 15’ separations. A trial incremented all four squares by 1.0 cd/m2 for 133 msec. One randomly chosen square included an extra increment of a test chromaticity. The observer identified the different appearing square using the cursor. Administration time was ~5 minutes. Normal trichromats showed clear Sloan notch as defined by log (ΔY/ΔR), whereas red-green color defectives generally showed little or no Sloan notch, indicating that their thresholds were mediated by their luminance system, not by the chromatic system. Data from 107 normal trichromats showed a mean Sloan notch of 0.654 (SD = 0.123). Among 16 color vision defectives tested (2 protanopes, 1 protanomal, 6 deuteranopes, 7 deuteranomals), the Sloan notch was between −0.062 and 0.353 for deutans and was < −0.10 for protans. A sufficient number of color defective observers have not yet been tested to determine whether the test can reliably discriminate between protans and deutans. Nevertheless, the current data show that the test can work as a quick diagnostic procedure (functional trichromatism or dichromatism) of red-green color vision defect. PMID:15518231

Evaluation of Interleukin-17 and Interleukin-23 in Pterygium: Immunohistochemistry Study.

PubMed

Tiong, Kiew Ing; Mohd Zahidin, Aida Zairani; Sumugam, S Kala A/P; Uchang, Joseph; Mohd Isa, Hazlita Dato'

2017-01-01

To compare the interleukin-17 (IL-17) and interleukin-23 (IL-23) positive cell counts between pterygium and normal conjunctiva. A case-control study. This study received ethical approval (NMRR Research ID 23957) and informed consent was obtained from all participants. It involved 20 participants with 20 samples of pterygium and 20 samples of normal conjunctiva that were obtained from the same eye of each participant. All the participants underwent history taking, slit lamp examination, and pterygium excision surgery. Both samples underwent immunohistochemistry procedure. Pretreatment procedure was conducted using heat-induced epitope retrieval with PT link, subsequently followed by EnVision FLEX staining procedure and incubation with anti‒IL-17 antibody and anti‒IL-23 antibody. Slides were examined in high-power fields (400x) for both samples in 3 different fields. Total positive stained cell counts in all 3 fields with IL-17 and IL-23 between pterygium and normal conjunctiva were analyzed by using Wilcoxon signed rank test. IL-17 positive cell counts for normal conjunctiva showed mean 196.10 ± 80.487 but for pterygium was 331.10 ± 108.416. As for IL-23, the mean for positive cell counts for normal conjunctiva was 62.10 ± 33.462 and IL-23 positive cell counts for pterygium showed mean 102.95 ± 41.378. Both IL-17 and IL-23 were significantly increased in pterygium compared with normal conjunctiva (P < 0.001). Both IL-17 and IL-23 were found to be significantly higher in the pterygium group than in the normal conjunctiva group with P < 0.001 by Wilcoxon signed rank test. Copyright 2017 Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology.

The 10:00-11:00 pm urine cortisol/creatinine ratio. An alternative to late-night salivary cortisol for the diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome.

PubMed

Bruno, Oscar D; Rossi, María A; Juárez-Allen, Lea; Serra, Héctor A; Albiero, María C

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate interchangeability of two tests to diagnose Cushing's syndrome. We compared 10:00-11:00 PM urinary free cortisol/creatinine ratio (UFC/Cr) with late night 11:00 PM salivary cortisol (LNSC) in normal and obese controls vs. patients with Cushing's syndrome. Mean UFC/Cr did not differ between 69 normal and 62 obese controls (9.9 ± 7.9 vs. 9.7 ± 9.3) whereas 116 Cushing's patients had significantly higher values (277.0 ± 318.0; z: -11.1 and -10.2, respectively; p < 0.001). LNSC was 1.9 ± 1.2 nmol/l in 44 normal and 2.5 ± 1.6 in 45 obese subjects with no differences between them, but was significantly higher in 47 Cushing's patients (24.8 ± 23.3; z: -7.22 and -6.96, respectively, p < 0.001). Comparison of UFC/Cr and LNSC in samples obtained simultaneously showed that UFC/Cr was 12.0 ± 8.7 ng cortisol/mg creatinine in 34 normal, 12.3 ± 8.9 in 40 obese and 319.5 ± 333.4 in 35 CS subjects (p < 0.001 vs. normal and obese), whereas LNSC was 1.8 ± 1.2 nmol/l in normal, 2.6 ± 1.7 in obese and 24.6 ± 17.4 in CS patients (p < 0.001 vs. normal and obese); ROC curves showed comparable high sensitivity and specificity figures for the diagnosis of CS. We concluded that UFC/Cr test is easy to perform, readily available in routine laboratories, has high sensitivity and specificity, and offers a valuable alternative to LNSC in the study of Cushing's syndrome.

Power of tests of normality for detecting contaminated normal samples

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

Thode, H.C. Jr.; Smith, L.A.; Finch, S.J.

1981-01-01

Seventeen tests of normality or goodness of fit were evaluated for power at detecting a contaminated normal sample. This study used 1000 replications each of samples of size 12, 17, 25, 33, 50, and 100 from six different contaminated normal distributions. The kurtosis test was the most powerful over all sample sizes and contaminations. The Hogg and weighted Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests were second. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov, chi-squared, Anderson-Darling, and Cramer-von-Mises tests had very low power at detecting contaminated normal random variables. Tables of the power of the tests and the power curves of certain tests are given.

An Affine Invariant Bivariate Version of the Sign Test.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-06-01

words: affine invariance, bivariate quantile, bivariate symmetry, model,. generalized median, influence function , permutation test, normal efficiency...calculate a bivariate version of the influence function , and the resulting form is bounded, as is the case for the univartate sign test, and shows the...terms of a blvariate analogue of IHmpel’s (1974) influence function . The latter, though usually defined as a von-Mises derivative of certain

Cortisol responses on the dexamethasone suppression test among women with Bulimia-spectrum eating disorders: associations with clinical symptoms.

PubMed

Bruce, Kenneth R; Steiger, Howard; Israël, Mimi; Groleau, Patricia; Ng Ying Kin, N M K; Ouellette, Anne-Sophie; Sycz, Lindsay; Badawi, Ghislaine

2012-08-07

Evidence associates Bulimia Nervosa (BN) with altered functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, but the clinical implications of such alterations need to be better understood. We contrasted cortisol responses to the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) in bulimic and non-eating disordered women and examined relationships among DST cortisol responses, eating symptoms and co-morbid disturbances. Sixty women with Bulimia Spectrum (BS) Disorders (either BN or normal weight Eating Disorder NOS with regular binge eating or purging) and 54 non-eating disordered women of similar age and body mass index participated in a 0.5 mg DST, and completed interviews and questionnaires assessing eating symptoms and co-morbid psychopathology. Compared with the normal-eater group, the BS women demonstrated significantly less DST suppression. Among BS women, DST non-suppression was associated with more severe depression, anxiety and eating preoccupations. Our findings show BS women to show less DST suppression compared to normal eater women, and results link extent of non-suppression, in BS individuals, to severity of depression, anxiety and eating preoccupations. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Music therapy in adults with cochlear implants : Effects on music perception and subjective sound quality].

PubMed

Hutter, E; Grapp, M; Argstatter, H

2016-12-01

People with severe hearing impairments and deafness can achieve good speech comprehension using a cochlear implant (CI), although music perception often remains impaired. A novel concept of music therapy for adults with CI was developed and evaluated in this study. This study included 30 adults with a unilateral CI following postlingual deafness. The subjective sound quality of the CI was rated using the hearing implant sound quality index (HISQUI) and musical tests for pitch discrimination, melody recognition and timbre identification were applied. As a control 55 normally hearing persons also completed the musical tests. In comparison to normally hearing subjects CI users showed deficits in the perception of pitch, melody and timbre. Specific effects of therapy were observed in the subjective sound quality of the CI, in pitch discrimination into a high and low pitch range and in timbre identification, while general learning effects were found in melody recognition. Music perception shows deficits in CI users compared to normally hearing persons. After individual music therapy in the rehabilitation process, improvements in this delicate area could be achieved.

Special tinted contact lens on colour-defects.

PubMed

Mutilab, H A; Sharanjeet-Kaur; Keu, L K; Choo, P F

2012-01-01

The objective of this study was to determine the visual function of colour-deficient subjects when wearing special red tint contact lenses. A total of 17 subjects with congenital colour vision deficiency (14 deutans and 3 protans), voluntarily participated in this study. The average age for the subjects was 23.00 ± 4.06 years old. Visual functions tested were visual acuity (LogMAR), contrast sensitivity (FACT Chart) and stereopsis (TNO and Howard Dolman tests). Two types of special red tint lenses were used in this study; Type I (light red) and Type II (dark red). The protans and deutans showed no significant changes in visual acuity and contrast sensitivity when wearing either type of contact lens. Stereopsis testing using the Horward-Dolman test gave no significant changes but significant differences were seen using the TNO test. Stereopsis using the TNO test was significantly poorer with the red tinted contact lenses compared to without for both protons and deutans. Testing binocularly with Ishihara plates showed that 88% (n=15) of patients passed the test with Type I and Type II contact lenses. When D15 test was done, 3 patients (17.6%) were 'normal' when using the Type I contact lenses and 2 patients (11.8%) were 'normal' when using the Type II contact lenses. However, with FM100Hue test, most patients showed deutan responses. Total error scores (TES) were found to be higher with Type I and Type II contact lenses compared to without. The Type I and II special tinted contact lens used in this study did not cause a reduction of visual acuity and contrast sensitivity for the colour defects. Stereopsis was also not reduced with the Type I and Type II contact lenses for the colour defects except when tested with the TNO test. Colour vision defects became difficult to detect using the Ishihara plates but FM100Hue test did not show any improvement with the Type I and Type II contact lenses.

The Association Between Vestibular Physical Examination, Vertigo Questionnaires, and the Electronystagmography in Patients With Vestibular Symptoms.

PubMed

Gofrit, Shany G; Mayler, Yulia; Eliashar, Ron; Bdolah-Abram, Tali; Ilan, Ophir; Gross, Menachem

2017-04-01

Dizziness makes up a diagnostic and treatment challenge. The diagnostic accuracy of the medical history and vestibular physical examination in cases of vestibular symptoms is not clear. The aim of this study is to determine the association between vestibular physical examination, vestibular questionnaires, and electronystagmography (ENG) test in patients with vestibular symptoms. This is a prospective study of 135 adults with vestibular symptoms. The subjects underwent targeted physical examination and filled vestibular questionnaires, including the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), before ENG testing. The results of the physical examination and questionnaires were compared with the final ENG findings. Of patients who had normal ENG results, 32.1% (17/52) showed abnormal physical examination, and 48.8% (40/82) of the patient who had normal physical examination showed abnormal ENG results ( P = .46). Among patients with severe disability by DHI, 46.4% (13/28) had an abnormal ENG, and 42.9% (12/28) had a normal ENG ( P = .39). This study did not demonstrate association between vestibular physical examination, vestibular questionnaires, and ENG results. Although history (augmented by questionnaires) and physical examination are the initial steps in the evaluation of vertigo, the current study suggests that they should be complemented by objective testing for evaluation of inner ear origin of vertigo.

GH Responsiveness to Combined GH-Releasing Hormone and Arginine Administration in Obese Patients with Fibromyalgia Syndrome.

PubMed

Rigamonti, Antonello E; Grugni, Graziano; Arreghini, Marco; Capodaglio, Paolo; De Col, Alessandra; Agosti, Fiorenza; Sartorio, Alessandro

2017-01-01

Reportedly, fibromyalgia (FM) is frequently associated with reduced IGF-1 levels and GH hyporesponsiveness to different GH stimulation tests. Since there is a high prevalence of obesity in FM, and obesity itself is characterized by hyposomatotropism, the aim of this study was to assess IGF-1 levels and GH responsiveness in sixteen severely obese women suffering from FM, who, subdivided into two subgroups on the basis of their age-dependent IGF-1 values (> or <-2 SDS), underwent the combined GHRH plus arginine test. Four out of 16 obese women with FM (25%) had low IGF-1 SDS values, 2 cases of this subgroup (12.5%) failing also to normally respond to the test. Among patients with normal GH responses, 4 showed a delayed GH peak. The subgroup with low IGF-1 SDS values had higher BMI than that with normal IGF-1 SDS. GH peak and area under the curve were not correlated with CRP, ESR, or tender point score, while significant correlations were found with fat-free mass and fat mass. In conclusion, this study shows the existence of a high prevalence of GH-IGF-1 dysfunction in patients with both FM and obesity, presumably as a consequence of the obese rather than fibromyalgic condition.

Statistical validation of normal tissue complication probability models.

PubMed

Xu, Cheng-Jian; van der Schaaf, Arjen; Van't Veld, Aart A; Langendijk, Johannes A; Schilstra, Cornelis

2012-09-01

To investigate the applicability and value of double cross-validation and permutation tests as established statistical approaches in the validation of normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) models. A penalized regression method, LASSO (least absolute shrinkage and selection operator), was used to build NTCP models for xerostomia after radiation therapy treatment of head-and-neck cancer. Model assessment was based on the likelihood function and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. Repeated double cross-validation showed the uncertainty and instability of the NTCP models and indicated that the statistical significance of model performance can be obtained by permutation testing. Repeated double cross-validation and permutation tests are recommended to validate NTCP models before clinical use. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Amphibian Development in the Virtual Absence of Gravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Souza, Kenneth A.; Black, Steven D.; Wassersug, Richard J.

1995-01-01

To test whether gravity is required for normal amphibian development, Xenopus laevis females were induced to ovulate aboard the orbiting Space Shuttle. Eggs were fertilized in vitro, and although early embryonic stages showed some abnormalities, the embryos were able to regulate and produce nearly normal larvae. These results demonstrate that a vertebrate can ovulate in the virtual absence of gravity and that the eggs can develop to a free-living stage.

Normal serum protein electrophoresis and mutated IGHV genes detect very slowly evolving chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients.

PubMed

Chauzeix, Jasmine; Laforêt, Marie-Pierre; Deveza, Mélanie; Crowther, Liam; Marcellaud, Elodie; Derouault, Paco; Lia, Anne-Sophie; Boyer, François; Bargues, Nicolas; Olombel, Guillaume; Jaccard, Arnaud; Feuillard, Jean; Gachard, Nathalie; Rizzo, David

2018-05-09

More than 35 years after the Binet classification, there is still a need for simple prognostic markers in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Here, we studied the treatment-free survival (TFS) impact of normal serum protein electrophoresis (SPE) at diagnosis. One hundred twelve patients with CLL were analyzed. The main prognostic factors (Binet stage; lymphocytosis; IGHV mutation status; TP53, SF3B1, NOTCH1, and BIRC3 mutations; and cytogenetic abnormalities) were studied. The frequencies of IGHV mutation status, cytogenetic abnormalities, and TP53, SF3B1, NOTCH1, and BIRC3 mutations were not significantly different between normal and abnormal SPE. Normal SPE was associated with Binet stage A, nonprogressive disease for 6 months, lymphocytosis below 30 G/L, and the absence of the IGHV3-21 gene rearrangement which is associated with poor prognosis. The TFS of patients with normal SPE was significantly longer than that of patients with abnormal SPE (log-rank test: P = 0.0015, with 51% untreated patients at 5.6 years and a perfect plateau afterward vs. a median TFS at 2.64 years for abnormal SPE with no plateau). Multivariate analysis using two different Cox models and bootstrapping showed that normal SPE was an independent good prognostic marker for either Binet stage, lymphocytosis, or IGHV mutation status. TFS was further increased when both normal SPE and mutated IGHV were present (log-rank test: P = 0.008, median not reached, plateau at 5.6 years and 66% untreated patients). A comparison with other prognostic markers suggested that normal SPE could reflect slowly advancing CLL disease. Altogether, our results show that a combination of normal SPE and mutated IGHV genes defines a subgroup of patients with CLL who evolve very slowly and who might never need treatment. © 2018 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Performance in normal subjects on a novel battery of driving-related sensory-motor and cognitive tests.

PubMed

Innes, Carrie R H; Jones, Richard D; Anderson, Tim J; Hollobon, Susan G; Dalrymple-Alford, John C

2009-05-01

Currently, there is no international standard for the assessment of fitness to drive for cognitively or physically impaired persons. A computerized battery of driving-related sensory-motor and cognitive tests (SMCTests) has been developed, comprising tests of visuoperception, visuomotor ability, complex attention, visual search, decision making, impulse control, planning, and divided attention. Construct validity analysis was conducted in 60 normal, healthy subjects and showed that, overall, the novel cognitive tests assessed cognitive functions similar to a set of standard neuropsychological tests. The novel tests were found to have greater perceived face validity for predicting on-road driving ability than was found in the equivalent standard tests. Test-retest stability and reliability of SMCTests measures, as well as correlations between SMCTests and on-road driving, were determined in a subset of 12 subjects. The majority of test measures were stable and reliable across two sessions, and significant correlations were found between on-road driving scores and measures from ballistic movement, footbrake reaction, hand-control reaction, and complex attention. The substantial face validity, construct validity, stability, and reliability of SMCTests, together with the battery's level of correlation with on-road driving in normal subjects, strengthen our confidence in the ability of SMCTests to detect and identify sensory-motor and cognitive deficits related to unsafe driving and increased risk of accidents.

Defective balancing ability and hyperactivity in the CLX (circling behavior linked to the X-chromosome) mutant rat.

PubMed

Fuji, Jun-ichiro; Tanabe, Hiroyuki; Fukuda, Ryo; Ooshima, Yojiro

2003-12-01

We have reported that the recently described circling behavior rat (CLX) is a hereditary mutant controlled by a single sex-linked recessive gene (gene symbol: clx). This mutant shows intermittent circle walking and/or running and head tossing with the neck twisted. The abnormal behavior begins to appear around weaning and continues throughout life. In the present study, behavioral tests were performed during the suckling and post-weaning periods and when the rats reached maturity, and the following peculiar abnormalities were revealed: (1) in the righting reflex test, the CLX young show a tendency to take a longer time to revert to normal posture; (2) in the negative geotaxis test, they had difficulty moving upward at 12 days of age; (3) in the air righting reflex test, they frequently fell on their backs or shoulders even after weaning; (4) almost none of the CLX rats showed nystagmus, which is invariably observed in normal rats after rotating stimulation, at 20 weeks of age; and (5) they showed hyperactivity in the open field test at the age of 5 or 6 weeks and a higher degree of locomotor activity in the home cage at the age of 7 and 15 weeks. These results suggest that CLX mutant rats may have some defect in vestibular function (balance sense) or abnormalities in an area of the central nervous system responsible for posture control, e.g., in the dopaminergic or GABAergic neurons.

Age-related changes in human posture control: Motor coordination tests

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peterka, R. J.; Black, F. O.

1989-01-01

Postural responses to support surface displacements were measured in 214 normal human subjects ranging in age from 7 to 81 years. Motor tests measured leg muscle Electromyography (EMG) latencies, body sway, and the amplitude and timing of changes in center of pressure displacements in response to sudden forward and backward horizontal translations of the support surface upon which the subjects stood. There were small increases in both EMG latencies and the time to reach the peak amplitude of center of pressure responses with increasing age. The amplitude of center of pressure responses showed little change with age if the amplitude measures were normalized by a factor related to subject height. In general, postural responses to sudden translations showed minimal changes with age, and all age related trends which were identified were small relative to the variability within the population.

Face ethnicity and measurement reliability affect face recognition performance in developmental prosopagnosia: evidence from the Cambridge Face Memory Test-Australian.

PubMed

McKone, Elinor; Hall, Ashleigh; Pidcock, Madeleine; Palermo, Romina; Wilkinson, Ross B; Rivolta, Davide; Yovel, Galit; Davis, Joshua M; O'Connor, Kirsty B

2011-03-01

The Cambridge Face Memory Test (CFMT, Duchaine & Nakayama, 2006) provides a validated format for testing novel face learning and has been a crucial instrument in the diagnosis of developmental prosopagnosia. Yet, some individuals who report everyday face recognition symptoms consistent with prosopagnosia, and are impaired on famous face tasks, perform normally on the CFMT. Possible reasons include measurement error, CFMT assessment of memory only at short delays, and a face set whose ethnicity is matched to only some Caucasian groups. We develop the "CFMT-Australian" (CFMT-Aus), which complements the CFMT-original by using ethnicity better matched to a different European subpopulation. Results confirm reliability (.88) and validity (convergent, divergent using cars, inversion effects). We show that face ethnicity within a race has subtle but clear effects on face processing even in normal participants (includes cross-over interaction for face ethnicity by perceiver country of origin in distinctiveness ratings). We show that CFMT-Aus clarifies diagnosis of prosopagnosia in 6 previously ambiguous cases. In 3 cases, this appears due to the better ethnic match to prosopagnosics. We also show that face memory at short (<3-min), 20-min, and 24-hr delays taps overlapping processes in normal participants. There is some suggestion that a form of prosopagnosia may exist that is long delay only and/or reflects failure to benefit from face repetition. © 2011 Psychology Press, an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business

Normalized Rotational Multiple Yield Surface Framework (NRMYSF) stress-strain curve prediction method based on small strain triaxial test data on undisturbed Auckland residual clay soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noor, M. J. Md; Ibrahim, A.; Rahman, A. S. A.

2018-04-01

Small strain triaxial test measurement is considered to be significantly accurate compared to the external strain measurement using conventional method due to systematic errors normally associated with the test. Three submersible miniature linear variable differential transducer (LVDT) mounted on yokes which clamped directly onto the soil sample at equally 120° from the others. The device setup using 0.4 N resolution load cell and 16 bit AD converter was capable of consistently resolving displacement of less than 1µm and measuring axial strains ranging from less than 0.001% to 2.5%. Further analysis of small strain local measurement data was performed using new Normalized Multiple Yield Surface Framework (NRMYSF) method and compared with existing Rotational Multiple Yield Surface Framework (RMYSF) prediction method. The prediction of shear strength based on combined intrinsic curvilinear shear strength envelope using small strain triaxial test data confirmed the significant improvement and reliability of the measurement and analysis methods. Moreover, the NRMYSF method shows an excellent data prediction and significant improvement toward more reliable prediction of soil strength that can reduce the cost and time of experimental laboratory test.

Belching, regurgitation, chest tightness and dyspnea: not gastroesophageal reflux disease but asthma.

PubMed

Zhang, Jing-Xi; Zhan, Xian-Bao; Bai, Chong; Li, Qiang

2015-02-07

Belching is a common symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease. If the symptoms are not relieved after anti-reflux treatment, another etiology should be considered. Here, we report a case of a 43-year-old man who presented with belching, regurgitation, chest tightness and dyspnea for 18 mo, which became gradually more severe. Gastroscopic examination suggested superficial gastritis. Twenty-four-hour esophageal pH monitoring showed that the Demeester score was 11.4, in the normal range. High-resolution manometry showed that integrated relaxation pressure and intrabolus pressure were higher than normal (20 mmHg and 22.4 mmHg, respectively), indicating gastroesophageal junction outflow tract obstruction. Pulmonary function test showed severe obstructive ventilation dysfunction [forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1)/forced vital capacity 32%, FEV1 was 1.21 L, occupying 35% predicted value after salbuterol inhalation], and positive bronchial dilation test (∆FEV1 260 mL, ∆FEV1% 27%). Skin prick test showed Dermatophagoides farinae (++), house dust mite (++++), and shrimp protein (++). Fractional exhaled nitric oxide measurement was 76 ppb. All the symptoms were alleviated completely and pulmonary function increased after combination therapy with corticosteroids and long-acting β2-agonist. Bronchial asthma was eventually diagnosed by laboratory tests and the effect of anti-asthmatic treatment, therefore, physicians, especially the Gastrointestinal physicians, should pay attention to the belching symptoms of asthma.

Orthostatic Intolerance and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome in Joint Hypermobility Syndrome/Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Hypermobility Type: Neurovegetative Dysregulation or Autonomic Failure?

PubMed

Celletti, Claudia; Camerota, Filippo; Castori, Marco; Censi, Federica; Gioffrè, Laura; Calcagnini, Giovanni; Strano, Stefano

2017-01-01

Background . Joint hypermobility syndrome/Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, hypermobility type (JHS/EDS-HT), is a hereditary connective tissue disorder mainly characterized by generalized joint hypermobility, skin texture abnormalities, and visceral and vascular dysfunctions, also comprising symptoms of autonomic dysfunction. This study aims to further evaluate cardiovascular autonomic involvement in JHS/EDS-HT by a battery of functional tests. Methods . The response to cardiovascular reflex tests comprising deep breathing, Valsalva maneuver, 30/15 ratio, handgrip test, and head-up tilt test was studied in 35 JHS/EDS-HT adults. Heart rate and blood pressure variability was also investigated by spectral analysis in comparison to age and sex healthy matched group. Results . Valsalva ratio was normal in all patients, but 37.2% of them were not able to finish the test. At tilt, 48.6% patients showed postural orthostatic tachycardia, 31.4% orthostatic intolerance, 20% normal results. Only one patient had orthostatic hypotension. Spectral analysis showed significant higher baroreflex sensitivity values at rest compared to controls. Conclusions. This study confirms the abnormal cardiovascular autonomic profile in adults with JHS/EDS-HT and found the higher baroreflex sensitivity as a potential disease marker and clue for future research.

Apparent migration of implantable port devices: normal variations in consideration of BMI.

PubMed

Wyschkon, Sebastian; Löschmann, Jan-Phillip; Scheurig-Münkler, Christian; Nagel, Sebastian; Hamm, Bernd; Elgeti, Thomas

2016-01-01

To evaluate the extent of normal variation in implantable port devices between supine fluoroscopy and upright chest x-ray in relation to body mass index (BMI) based on three different measurement methods. Retrospectively, 80 patients with implanted central venous access port systems from 2012-01-01 until 2013-12-31 were analyzed. Three parameters (two quantitative and one semi-quantitative) were determined to assess port positions: projection of port capsule to anterior ribs (PCP) and intercostal spaces, ratio of extra- and intravascular catheter portions (EX/IV), normalized distance of catheter tip to carina (nCTCD). Changes were analyzed for males and females and normal-weight and overweight patients using analysis of variance with Bonferroni-corrected pairwise comparison. PCP revealed significantly greater changes in chest x-rays in overweight women than in the other groups (p<0.001, F-test). EX/IV showed a significantly higher increase in overweight women than normal-weight women and men and overweight men (p<0.001). nCTCD showed a significantly greater increase in overweight women than overweight men (p = 0.0130). There were no significant differences between the other groups. Inter- and intra-observer reproducibility was high (Cronbach alpha of 0.923-1.0) and best for EX/IV. Central venous port systems show wide normal variations in the projection of catheter tip and port capsule. In overweight women apparent catheter migration is significantly greater compared with normal-weight women and with men. The measurement of EX/IV and PCP are straightforward methods, quick to perform, and show higher reproducibility than measurement of catheter tip-to-carina distance.

Parabolic trough receiver heat loss and optical efficiency round robin 2015/2016

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pernpeintner, Johannes; Schiricke, Björn; Sallaberry, Fabienne; de Jalón, Alberto García; López-Martín, Rafael; Valenzuela, Loreto; de Luca, Antonio; Georg, Andreas

2017-06-01

A round robin for parabolic trough receiver heat loss and optical efficiency in the laboratory was performed between five institutions using five receivers in 2015/2016. Heat loss testing was performed at three cartridge heater test benches and one Joule heating test bench in the temperature range between 100 °C and 550 °C. Optical efficiency testing was performed with two spectrometric test bench and one calorimetric test bench. Heat loss testing results showed standard deviations at the order of 6% to 12 % for most temperatures and receivers and a standard deviation of 17 % for one receiver at 100 °C. Optical efficiency is presented normalized for laboratories showing standard deviations of 0.3 % to 1.3 % depending on the receiver.

Normal sensory and range of motion (ROM) responses during Thoracic Slump Test (ST) in asymptomatic subjects.

PubMed

Joshi, Ketaki C; Eapen, Charu; Kumar, Senthil P

2013-02-01

The purpose of the study was to determine the normal sensory and range of motion (ROM) responses during the movement components of Thoracic Slump Test (Thoracic ST) in asymptomatic subjects. Sixty asymptomatic subjects were included in the study. Thoracic ST was performed in two sequences, proximal initiation, which was proximal to distal and distal initiation, which was distal to proximal. Subjects were randomized into four groups depending on the order of sequences and sides. Outcome measures of sensory responses (intensity, type, and location) and ROM responses were recorded after each sequence. Friedman's test was done to compare between sensory responses of the subjects. Between-component comparison for prevalence of sensory responses within each sequence was done using Kruskal-Wallis test and Wilcoxonsigned ranks test was used for between-component comparisons of intensity of symptoms within each sequence of testing. Independent t test was used to assess the ROM responses. Results show the prevalence of sensory responses, its nature, area and intensity. These sensory and ROM responses may be considered as normal response of Thoracic ST. The intensity of the symptoms of proximal initiation sequence (1.09±1.35 cm) was significant (P<0.05) when compared to distal initiation sequence (0.08±1.26 cm). The change in the ROM was significant (P<0.05) for distal initiation (7.55±4.51 degrees) when compared to proximal initiation (4.96±3.76 degrees). These normal responses may be used as a reference when using the Thoracic ST as an assessment technique.

Normal sensory and range of motion (ROM) responses during Thoracic Slump Test (ST) in asymptomatic subjects

PubMed Central

Joshi, Ketaki C; Eapen, Charu; Kumar, Senthil P

2013-01-01

The purpose of the study was to determine the normal sensory and range of motion (ROM) responses during the movement components of Thoracic Slump Test (Thoracic ST) in asymptomatic subjects. Sixty asymptomatic subjects were included in the study. Thoracic ST was performed in two sequences, proximal initiation, which was proximal to distal and distal initiation, which was distal to proximal. Subjects were randomized into four groups depending on the order of sequences and sides. Outcome measures of sensory responses (intensity, type, and location) and ROM responses were recorded after each sequence. Friedman’s test was done to compare between sensory responses of the subjects. Between-component comparison for prevalence of sensory responses within each sequence was done using Kruskal–Wallis test and Wilcoxonsigned ranks test was used for between-component comparisons of intensity of symptoms within each sequence of testing. Independent t test was used to assess the ROM responses. Results show the prevalence of sensory responses, its nature, area and intensity. These sensory and ROM responses may be considered as normal response of Thoracic ST. The intensity of the symptoms of proximal initiation sequence (1.09±1.35 cm) was significant (P<0.05) when compared to distal initiation sequence (0.08±1.26 cm). The change in the ROM was significant (P<0.05) for distal initiation (7.55±4.51 degrees) when compared to proximal initiation (4.96±3.76 degrees). These normal responses may be used as a reference when using the Thoracic ST as an assessment technique. PMID:24421610

Diagnostic Value of Facial Nerve Antidromic Evoked Potential in Patients With Bell's Palsy: A Preliminary Study

PubMed Central

Lee, Ji Hoon; Kim, Sun Mi; Yang, Hea Eun; Lee, Jang Woo

2014-01-01

Objective To assess the practical diagnostic value of facial nerve antidromic evoked potential (FNAEP), we compared it with the diagnostic value of the electroneurography (ENoG) test in Bell's palsy. Methods In total, 20 patients with unilateral Bell's palsy were recruited. Between the 1st and 17th days after the onset of facial palsy, FNAEP and ENoG tests were conducted. The degeneration ratio and FNAEP latency difference between the affected and unaffected sides were calculated in all subjects. Results In all patients, FNAEP showed prolonged latencies on the affected side versus the unaffected side. The difference was statistically significant. In contrast, there was no significant difference between sides in the normal control group. In 8 of 20 patients, ENoG revealed a degeneration ratio less than 50%, but FNAEP show a difference of more than 0.295±0.599 ms, the average value of normal control group. This shows FNAEP could be a more sensitive test for Bell's palsy diagnosis than ENoG. In particular, in 10 patients tested within 7 days after onset, an abnormal ENoG finding was noted in only four of them, but FNAEP showed a significant latency difference in all patients at this early stage. Thus, FANEP was more sensitive in detecting facial nerve injury than the ENoG test (p=0.031). Conclusion FNAEP has some clinical value in the diagnosis of facial nerve degeneration. It is important that FNAEP be considered in patients with facial palsy at an early stage and integrated with other relevant tests. PMID:25024963

Computing simulated endolymphatic flow thermodynamics during the caloric test using normal and hydropic duct models.

PubMed

Rey-Martinez, Jorge; McGarvie, Leigh; Pérez-Fernández, Nicolás

2017-03-01

The obtained simulations support the underlying hypothesis that the hydrostatic caloric drive is dissipated by local convective flow in a hydropic duct. To develop a computerized model to simulate and predict the internal fluid thermodynamic behavior within both normal and hydropic horizontal ducts. This study used a computational fluid dynamics software to simulate the effects of cooling and warming of two geometrical models representing normal and hydropic ducts of one semicircular horizontal canal during 120 s. Temperature maps, vorticity, and velocity fields were successfully obtained to characterize the endolymphatic flow during the caloric test in the developed models. In the normal semicircular canal, a well-defined endolymphatic linear flow was obtained, this flow has an opposite direction depending only on the cooling or warming condition of the simulation. For the hydropic model a non-effective endolymphatic flow was predicted; in this model the velocity and vorticity fields show a non-linear flow, with some vortices formed inside the hydropic duct.

Speaker normalization for chinese vowel recognition in cochlear implants.

PubMed

Luo, Xin; Fu, Qian-Jie

2005-07-01

Because of the limited spectra-temporal resolution associated with cochlear implants, implant patients often have greater difficulty with multitalker speech recognition. The present study investigated whether multitalker speech recognition can be improved by applying speaker normalization techniques to cochlear implant speech processing. Multitalker Chinese vowel recognition was tested with normal-hearing Chinese-speaking subjects listening to a 4-channel cochlear implant simulation, with and without speaker normalization. For each subject, speaker normalization was referenced to the speaker that produced the best recognition performance under conditions without speaker normalization. To match the remaining speakers to this "optimal" output pattern, the overall frequency range of the analysis filter bank was adjusted for each speaker according to the ratio of the mean third formant frequency values between the specific speaker and the reference speaker. Results showed that speaker normalization provided a small but significant improvement in subjects' overall recognition performance. After speaker normalization, subjects' patterns of recognition performance across speakers changed, demonstrating the potential for speaker-dependent effects with the proposed normalization technique.

Is Coefficient Alpha Robust to Non-Normal Data?

PubMed Central

Sheng, Yanyan; Sheng, Zhaohui

2011-01-01

Coefficient alpha has been a widely used measure by which internal consistency reliability is assessed. In addition to essential tau-equivalence and uncorrelated errors, normality has been noted as another important assumption for alpha. Earlier work on evaluating this assumption considered either exclusively non-normal error score distributions, or limited conditions. In view of this and the availability of advanced methods for generating univariate non-normal data, Monte Carlo simulations were conducted to show that non-normal distributions for true or error scores do create problems for using alpha to estimate the internal consistency reliability. The sample coefficient alpha is affected by leptokurtic true score distributions, or skewed and/or kurtotic error score distributions. Increased sample sizes, not test lengths, help improve the accuracy, bias, or precision of using it with non-normal data. PMID:22363306

Evaluation of normalization methods in mammalian microRNA-Seq data

PubMed Central

Garmire, Lana Xia; Subramaniam, Shankar

2012-01-01

Simple total tag count normalization is inadequate for microRNA sequencing data generated from the next generation sequencing technology. However, so far systematic evaluation of normalization methods on microRNA sequencing data is lacking. We comprehensively evaluate seven commonly used normalization methods including global normalization, Lowess normalization, Trimmed Mean Method (TMM), quantile normalization, scaling normalization, variance stabilization, and invariant method. We assess these methods on two individual experimental data sets with the empirical statistical metrics of mean square error (MSE) and Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S) statistic. Additionally, we evaluate the methods with results from quantitative PCR validation. Our results consistently show that Lowess normalization and quantile normalization perform the best, whereas TMM, a method applied to the RNA-Sequencing normalization, performs the worst. The poor performance of TMM normalization is further evidenced by abnormal results from the test of differential expression (DE) of microRNA-Seq data. Comparing with the models used for DE, the choice of normalization method is the primary factor that affects the results of DE. In summary, Lowess normalization and quantile normalization are recommended for normalizing microRNA-Seq data, whereas the TMM method should be used with caution. PMID:22532701

A Box-Cox normal model for response times.

PubMed

Klein Entink, R H; van der Linden, W J; Fox, J-P

2009-11-01

The log-transform has been a convenient choice in response time modelling on test items. However, motivated by a dataset of the Medical College Admission Test where the lognormal model violated the normality assumption, the possibilities of the broader class of Box-Cox transformations for response time modelling are investigated. After an introduction and an outline of a broader framework for analysing responses and response times simultaneously, the performance of a Box-Cox normal model for describing response times is investigated using simulation studies and a real data example. A transformation-invariant implementation of the deviance information criterium (DIC) is developed that allows for comparing model fit between models with different transformation parameters. Showing an enhanced description of the shape of the response time distributions, its application in an educational measurement context is discussed at length.

A transparent bending-insensitive pressure sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Sungwon; Reuveny, Amir; Reeder, Jonathan; Lee, Sunghoon; Jin, Hanbit; Liu, Qihan; Yokota, Tomoyuki; Sekitani, Tsuyoshi; Isoyama, Takashi; Abe, Yusuke; Suo, Zhigang; Someya, Takao

2016-05-01

Measuring small normal pressures is essential to accurately evaluate external stimuli in curvilinear and dynamic surfaces such as natural tissues. Usually, sensitive and spatially accurate pressure sensors are achieved through conformal contact with the surface; however, this also makes them sensitive to mechanical deformation (bending). Indeed, when a soft object is pressed by another soft object, the normal pressure cannot be measured independently from the mechanical stress. Here, we show a pressure sensor that measures only the normal pressure, even under extreme bending conditions. To reduce the bending sensitivity, we use composite nanofibres of carbon nanotubes and graphene. Our simulations show that these fibres change their relative alignment to accommodate bending deformation, thus reducing the strain in individual fibres. Pressure sensitivity is maintained down to a bending radius of 80 μm. To test the suitability of our sensor for soft robotics and medical applications, we fabricated an integrated sensor matrix that is only 2 μm thick. We show real-time (response time of ∼20 ms), large-area, normal pressure monitoring under different, complex bending conditions.

Normal expiratory flow rate and lung volumes in patients with combined emphysema and interstitial lung disease: a case series and literature review.

PubMed

Heathcote, Karen L; Cockcroft, Donald W; Fladeland, Derek A; Fenton, Mark E

2011-01-01

Pulmonary function tests in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis characteristically show a restrictive pattern including small lung volumes and increased expiratory flow rates resulting from a reduction in pulmonary compliance due to diffuse fibrosis. Conversely, an obstructive pattern with hyperinflation results in emphysema by loss of elastic recoil, expiratory collapse of the peripheral airways and air trapping. When the diseases coexist, pulmonary volumes are compensated, and a smaller than expected reduction or even normal lung volumes can be found. The present report describes 10 patients with progressive breathlessness, three of whom experienced severe limitation in their quality of life. All patients showed lung interstitial involvement and emphysema on computed tomography scan of the chest. The 10 patients showed normal spirometry and lung volumes with severe compromise of gas exchange. Normal lung volumes do not exclude diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in patients with concomitant emphysema. The relatively preserved lung volumes may underestimate the severity of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and attenuate its effects on lung function parameters.

Estrogen receptor alpha localization in the testes of men with normal spermatogenesis.

PubMed

Filipiak, Eliza; Suliborska, Dagmara; Laszczynska, Maria; Walczak-Jedrzejowska, Renata; Oszukowska, Elzbieta; Marchlewska, Katarzyna; Kula, Krzysztof; Slowikowska-Hilczer, Jolanta

2013-10-08

It is known that estrogens act on the male reproductive tract by binding to estrogen receptors (ER) α and β. However, studies on ER localization in the human testis are discordant. The aim of this study was to investigate the localization of ERα in the testes of adult men with normal spermatogenesis. Semen analysis of ten adult men revealed azoospermia. FSH, LH and testosterone serum concentrations were within normal values, and the volume of the testes was normal, hence obstructive azoospermia was suspected. The tissues from testicular surgical biopsies were fixed in Bouin's fluid and embedded in paraffin. Assessments of the seminiferous epithelium (scoring 10 to -1), the number of Leydig cells (scoring 1 to 5), the areal fraction of intertubular space (IS), measurements of seminiferous tubule diameter, and the thickness of the tubular wall, were performed on microscopic sections. Immunohistochemical staining was applied with monoclonal antibodies against ERα. The mean spermatogenesis score was 10 points; IS - 30.6 ± 8.1%; seminiferous tubule diameter - 193.9 ± 19.4 μm; thickness of tubular wall - 7.44 ± 1.1 μm; number of Leydig cells - 1.6 ± 1.1 points. Immunohistochemical staining showed the localization of ERα to be in the Sertoli and Leydig cell cytoplasm, while ERα was absent in germ cells. The results of testicular tissue analysis confirmed its normal structure and normal, full spermatogenesis. The presence of ERα in Sertoli and Leydig cells in normal human testis demonstrated in this study suggests that estrogens may affect testicular function.

A mental retardation gene, motopsin/neurotrypsin/prss12, modulates hippocampal function and social interaction

PubMed Central

Mitsui, Shinichi; Osako, Yoji; Yokoi, Fumiaki; Dang, Mai T.; Yuri, Kazunari; Li, Yuqing; Yamaguchi, Nozomi

2010-01-01

Motopsin is a mosaic serine protease secreted from neuronal cells in various brain regions including the hippocampus. The loss of motopsin function causes nonsyndromic mental retardation in humans and impairs long-term memory formation in Drosophila. To understand motopsin’s function in the mammalian brain, motopsin knockout mice were generated. Motopsin knockout mice did not have significant deficit in memory formation, as was tested using in the Morris water maze, passive avoidance, and Y-maze tests. A social recognition test showed that the motopsin knockout mice had the ability to recognize two stimulator mice, suggesting normal social memory. In a social novelty test, motopsin knockout mice spent a longer time investigating a familiar mouse than wild-type mice did. In a resident-intruder test, motopsin knockout mice showed prolonged social interaction compared to wild-type mice. Consistent with the behavioral deficit, spine density was significantly decreased on apical dendrites, but not on basal dendrites, of hippocampal pyramidal neurons of motopsin knockout mice. In contrast, pyramidal neurons at the cingulate cortex showed normal spine density. Spatial learning and social interaction induced the phosphorylation of cAMP responsive element binding protein (CREB) in hippocampal neurons of wild-type mice, whereas the phosphorylation of CREB was markedly decreased in mutant mouse brains. Our results indicate that an extracellular protease, motopsin, preferentially affects social behaviors, and modulates the functions of hippocampal neurons. PMID:20092579

A mental retardation gene, motopsin/neurotrypsin/prss12, modulates hippocampal function and social interaction.

PubMed

Mitsui, Shinichi; Osako, Yoji; Yokoi, Fumiaki; Dang, Mai T; Yuri, Kazunari; Li, Yuqing; Yamaguchi, Nozomi

2009-12-01

Motopsin is a mosaic serine protease secreted from neuronal cells in various brain regions, including the hippocampus. The loss of motopsin function causes nonsyndromic mental retardation in humans and impairs long-term memory formation in Drosophila. To understand motopsin's function in the mammalian brain, motopsin knockout (KO) mice were generated. Motopsin KO mice did not have significant deficits in memory formation, as tested using the Morris water maze, passive avoidance and Y-maze tests. A social recognition test showed that the motopsin KO mice had the ability to recognize two stimulator mice, suggesting normal social memory. In a social novelty test, motopsin KO mice spent a longer time investigating a familiar mouse than wild-type (WT) mice did. In a resident-intruder test, motopsin KO mice showed prolonged social interaction as compared with WT mice. Consistent with the behavioral deficit, spine density was significantly decreased on apical dendrites, but not on basal dendrites, of hippocampal pyramidal neurons of motopsin KO mice. In contrast, pyramidal neurons at the cingulate cortex showed normal spine density. Spatial learning and social interaction induced the phosphorylation of cAMP-responsive element-binding protein (CREB) in hippocampal neurons of WT mice, whereas the phosphorylation of CREB was markedly decreased in mutant mouse brains. Our results indicate that an extracellular protease, motopsin, preferentially affects social behaviors, and modulates the functions of hippocampal neurons.

Bone structure studies with holographic interferometric nondestructive testing and x-ray methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silvennoinen, Raimo; Nygren, Kaarlo; Rouvinen, Juha; Petrova, Valentina V.

1994-02-01

Changes in the biomechanics and in the molecular texture and structure of isolated radioulnar bones of subadult European moose (Alces alces L.) collected in various environmentally polluted areas of Finland were investigated by means of holographic interferometric non- destructive testing (HNDT), radiological, morphometrical, and x-ray diffraction methods. By means of small caudal-cranial bending forces, the surface movements of the lower end (distal epiphysis) of the radial bone were recorded with the HNDT method. To study bone molecular texture and structure changes under external compressing forces, the samples for x-ray diffraction analysis were taken from the upper end of the ulnar bone (olecranon tip). Results showed that the bones obtained from the Harjavalta area and those of North Karelian moose showing malnutrition and healing femoral fractures produced different HNDT pictures compared with the four normally developed North Karelian moose. In the x-ray diffraction, the Harjavalta samples showed changes in molecular texture and structure compared with the samples from the apparently normal North Karelian animals.

Clinical investigation and mechanism of air-bone gaps in large vestibular aqueduct syndrome.

PubMed

Merchant, Saumil N; Nakajima, Hideko H; Halpin, Christopher; Nadol, Joseph B; Lee, Daniel J; Innis, William P; Curtin, Hugh; Rosowski, John J

2007-07-01

Patients with large vestibular aqueduct syndrome (LVAS) often demonstrate an air-bone gap at the low frequencies on audiometric testing. The mechanism causing such a gap has not been well elucidated. We investigated middle ear sound transmission in patients with LVAS, and present a hypothesis to explain the air-bone gap. Observations were made on 8 ears from 5 individuals with LVAS. The diagnosis of LVAS was made by computed tomography in all cases. Investigations included standard audiometry and measurements of umbo velocity by laser Doppler vibrometry (LDV) in all cases, as well as tympanometry, acoustic reflex testing, vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) testing, distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) testing, and middle ear exploration in some ears. One ear with LVAS had anacusis. The other 7 ears demonstrated air-bone gaps at the low frequencies, with mean gaps of 51 dB at 250 Hz, 31 dB at 500 Hz, and 12 dB at 1,000 Hz. In these 7 ears with air-bone gaps, LDV showed the umbo velocity to be normal or high normal in all 7; tympanometry was normal in all 6 ears tested; acoustic reflexes were present in 3 of the 4 ears tested; VEMP responses were present in all 3 ears tested; DPOAEs were present in 1 of the 2 ears tested, and exploratory tympanotomy in 1 case showed a normal middle ear. The above data suggest that an air-bone gap in LVAS is not due to disease in the middle ear. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that a large vestibular aqueduct introduces a third mobile window into the inner ear, which can produce an air-bone gap by 1) shunting air-conducted sound away from the cochlea, thus elevating air conduction thresholds, and 2) increasing the difference in impedance between the scala vestibuli side and the scala tympani side of the cochlear partition during bone conduction testing, thus improving thresholds for bone-conducted sound. We conclude that LVAS can present with an air-bone gap that can mimic middle ear disease. Diagnostic testing using acoustic reflexes, VEMPs, DPOAEs, and LDV can help to identify a non-middle ear source for such a gap, thereby avoiding negative middle ear exploration. A large vestibular aqueduct may act as a third mobile window in the inner ear, resulting in an air-bone gap at low frequencies.

Learning with sublexical information from emerging reading vocabularies in exceptionally early and normal reading development.

PubMed

Thompson, G Brian; Fletcher-Flinn, Claire M; Wilson, Kathryn J; McKay, Michael F; Margrain, Valerie G

2015-03-01

Predictions from theories of the processes of word reading acquisition have rarely been tested against evidence from exceptionally early readers. The theories of Ehri, Share, and Byrne, and an alternative, Knowledge Sources theory, were so tested. The former three theories postulate that full development of context-free letter sounds and awareness of phonemes are required for normal acquisition, while the claim of the alternative is that with or without such, children can use sublexical information from their emerging reading vocabularies to acquire word reading. Results from two independent samples of children aged 3-5, and 5 years, with mean word reading levels of 7 and 9 years respectively, showed underdevelopment of their context-free letter sounds and phoneme awareness, relative to their word reading levels and normal comparison samples. Despite such underdevelopment, these exceptional readers engaged in a form of phonological recoding that enabled pseudoword reading, at the level of older-age normal controls matched on word reading level. Moreover, in the 5-year-old sample further experiments showed that, relative to normal controls, they had a bias toward use of sublexical information from their reading vocabularies for phonological recoding of heterophonic pseudowords with irregular consistent spelling, and were superior in accessing word meanings independently of phonology, although only if the readers were without exposure to explicit phonics. The three theories were less satisfactory than the alternative theory in accounting for the learning of the exceptionally early readers. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Third Moment Adjusted Test Statistic for Small Sample Factor Analysis.

PubMed

Lin, Johnny; Bentler, Peter M

2012-01-01

Goodness of fit testing in factor analysis is based on the assumption that the test statistic is asymptotically chi-square; but this property may not hold in small samples even when the factors and errors are normally distributed in the population. Robust methods such as Browne's asymptotically distribution-free method and Satorra Bentler's mean scaling statistic were developed under the presumption of non-normality in the factors and errors. This paper finds new application to the case where factors and errors are normally distributed in the population but the skewness of the obtained test statistic is still high due to sampling error in the observed indicators. An extension of Satorra Bentler's statistic is proposed that not only scales the mean but also adjusts the degrees of freedom based on the skewness of the obtained test statistic in order to improve its robustness under small samples. A simple simulation study shows that this third moment adjusted statistic asymptotically performs on par with previously proposed methods, and at a very small sample size offers superior Type I error rates under a properly specified model. Data from Mardia, Kent and Bibby's study of students tested for their ability in five content areas that were either open or closed book were used to illustrate the real-world performance of this statistic.

Hand function with touch screen technology in children with normal hand formation, congenital differences, and neuromuscular disease.

PubMed

Shin, David H; Bohn, Deborah K; Agel, Julie; Lindstrom, Katy A; Cronquist, Sara M; Van Heest, Ann E

2015-05-01

To measure and compare hand function for children with normal hand development, congenital hand differences (CHD), and neuromuscular disease (NMD) using a function test with touch screen technology designed as an iPhone application. We measured touch screen hand function in 201 children including 113 with normal hand formation, 43 with CHD, and 45 with NMD. The touch screen test was developed on the iOS platform using an Apple iPhone 4. We measured 4 tasks: touching dots on a 3 × 4 grid, dragging shapes, use of the touch screen camera, and typing a line of text. The test takes 60 to 120 seconds and includes a pretest to familiarize the subject with the format. Each task is timed independently and the overall time is recorded. Children with normal hand development took less time to complete all 4 subtests with increasing age. When comparing children with normal hand development with those with CHD or NMD, in children aged less than 5 years we saw minimal differences; those aged 5 to 6 years with CHD took significantly longer total time; those aged 7 to 8 years with NMD took significantly longer total time; those aged 9 to 11 years with CHD took significantly longer total time; and those aged 12 years and older with NMD took significantly longer total time. Touch screen technology has becoming increasingly relevant to hand function in modern society. This study provides standardized age norms and shows that our test discriminates between normal hand development and that in children with CHD or NMD. Diagnostic III. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A reduced order, test verified component mode synthesis approach for system modeling applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butland, Adam; Avitabile, Peter

2010-05-01

Component mode synthesis (CMS) is a very common approach used for the generation of large system models. In general, these modeling techniques can be separated into two categories: those utilizing a combination of constraint modes and fixed interface normal modes and those based on a combination of free interface normal modes and residual flexibility terms. The major limitation of the methods utilizing constraint modes and fixed interface normal modes is the inability to easily obtain the required information from testing; the result of this limitation is that constraint mode-based techniques are primarily used with numerical models. An alternate approach is proposed which utilizes frequency and shape information acquired from modal testing to update reduced order finite element models using exact analytical model improvement techniques. The connection degrees of freedom are then rigidly constrained in the test verified, reduced order model to provide the boundary conditions necessary for constraint modes and fixed interface normal modes. The CMS approach is then used with this test verified, reduced order model to generate the system model for further analysis. A laboratory structure is used to show the application of the technique with both numerical and simulated experimental components to describe the system and validate the proposed approach. Actual test data is then used in the approach proposed. Due to typical measurement data contaminants that are always included in any test, the measured data is further processed to remove contaminants and is then used in the proposed approach. The final case using improved data with the reduced order, test verified components is shown to produce very acceptable results from the Craig-Bampton component mode synthesis approach. Use of the technique with its strengths and weaknesses are discussed.

Excitability of the Primary Motor Cortex Increases More Strongly with Slow- than with Normal-Speed Presentation of Actions

PubMed Central

Moriuchi, Takefumi; Iso, Naoki; Sagari, Akira; Ogahara, Kakuya; Kitajima, Eiji; Tanaka, Koji; Tabira, Takayuki; Higashi, Toshio

2014-01-01

Introduction The aim of the present study was to investigate how the speed of observed action affects the excitability of the primary motor cortex (M1), as assessed by the size of motor evoked potentials (MEPs) induced by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Methods Eighteen healthy subjects watched a video clip of a person catching a ball, played at three different speeds (normal-, half-, and quarter-speed). MEPs were induced by TMS when the model's hand had opened to the widest extent just before catching the ball (“open”) and when the model had just caught the ball (“catch”). These two events were locked to specific frames of the video clip (“phases”), rather than occurring at specific absolute times, so that they could easily be compared across different speeds. MEPs were recorded from the thenar (TH) and abductor digiti minimi (ADM) muscles of the right hand. Results The MEP amplitudes were higher when the subjects watched the video clip at low speed than when they watched the clip at normal speed. A repeated-measures ANOVA, with the factor VIDEO-SPEED, showed significant main effects. Bonferroni's post hoc test showed that the following MEP amplitude differences were significant: TH, normal vs. quarter; ADM, normal vs. half; and ADM, normal vs. quarter. Paired t-tests showed that the significant MEP amplitude differences between TMS phases under each speed condition were TH, “catch” higher than “open” at quarter speed; ADM, “catch” higher than “open” at half speed. Conclusions These results indicate that the excitability of M1 was higher when the observed action was played at low speed. Our findings suggest that the action observation system became more active when the subjects observed the video clip at low speed, because the subjects could then recognize the elements of action and intention in others. PMID:25479161

Determination of rolling resistance coefficient based on normal tyre stiffness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rykov, S. P.; Tarasuyk, V. N.; Koval, V. S.; Ovchinnikova, N. I.; Fedotov, A. I.; Fedotov, K. V.

2018-03-01

The purpose of the article is to develop analytical dependence of wheel rolling resistance coefficient based on the mathematical description of normal tyre stiffness. The article uses the methods of non-holonomic mechanics and plane section methods. The article shows that the abscissa of gravity center of tyre stiffness expansion by the length of the contact area is the shift of normal road response. It can be used for determining rolling resistance coefficient. When determining rolling resistance coefficient using ellipsis and power function equations, one can reduce labor costs for testing and increase assessment accuracy.

40 CFR 1048.305 - How must I prepare and test my production-line engines?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... testing procedures specified in subpart F of this part to show you meet the duty-cycle emission standards... way that represents the assembly procedures for other engines in the engine family. You must ask us to approve any deviations from your normal assembly procedures for other production engines in the engine...

40 CFR 1048.305 - How must I prepare and test my production-line engines?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... testing procedures specified in subpart F of this part to show you meet the duty-cycle emission standards... way that represents the assembly procedures for other engines in the engine family. You must ask us to approve any deviations from your normal assembly procedures for other production engines in the engine...

40 CFR 1048.305 - How must I prepare and test my production-line engines?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... testing procedures specified in subpart F of this part to show you meet the duty-cycle emission standards... way that represents the assembly procedures for other engines in the engine family. You must ask us to approve any deviations from your normal assembly procedures for other production engines in the engine...

40 CFR 1048.305 - How must I prepare and test my production-line engines?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... testing procedures specified in subpart F of this part to show you meet the duty-cycle emission standards... way that represents the assembly procedures for other engines in the engine family. You must ask us to approve any deviations from your normal assembly procedures for other production engines in the engine...

40 CFR 1048.305 - How must I prepare and test my production-line engines?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... testing procedures specified in subpart F of this part to show you meet the duty-cycle emission standards... way that represents the assembly procedures for other engines in the engine family. You must ask us to approve any deviations from your normal assembly procedures for other production engines in the engine...

A normal incidence high resolution X-ray telescope for solar coronal observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Golub, Leon

1987-01-01

The preflight preparation of the multilayer mirror fabrication and testing, integration and testing, and WSMR activities are described. Post-flight analysis shows that all payload systems and subsystems performed well within acceptable limits, with the sole exception of the light-blocking prefilters. Suggested corrective actions were discussed. Refurbishment and reflight are then described.

Size effect and cylinder test on several commercial explosives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Souers, P. Clark; Lauderbach, Lisa; Moua, Kou; Garza, Raul

2012-03-01

Some size (diameter) effect and the Cylinder test results for Kinepak (ammonium nitrate/nitromethane), Semtex 1, Semtex H and urea nitrate are presented. Cylinder test data appears normal despite faster sound speeds in the copper wall. Most explosives come to steady state in the Cylinder test as expected, but Kinepak shows a steadily increasing wall velocity with distance down the cylinder. Some data on powder densities as a function of loading procedure are also given.

Regulative development of Xenopus laevis in microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Black, S.; Larkin, K.; Jacqmotte, N.; Wassersug, R.; Pronych, S.; Souza, K.

1996-01-01

To test whether gravity is required for normal amphibian development, Xenopus leavis females were induced to ovulate aboard the orbiting Space Shuttle. Eggs were fertilized in vitro, and although early embryonic stages showed some abnormalities, the embryos were able to regulate and produce nearly normal larvae. These results demonstrate for the first time that a vertebrate can ovulate in the virtual absence of gravity, and that the eggs can develop to a free-living stage.

Improvement in conduction velocity after optic neuritis measured with the multifocal VEP.

PubMed

Yang, E Bo; Hood, Donald C; Rodarte, Chris; Zhang, Xian; Odel, Jeffrey G; Behrens, Myles M

2007-02-01

To test the efficacy of the multifocal visual evoked potential (mfVEP) technique after long-term latency changes in optic neuritis (ON)/multiple sclerosis (MS), mfVEPs were recorded in 12 patients with ON/MS. Sixty local VEP responses were recorded simultaneously. mfVEP was recorded from both eyes of 12 patients with ON/MS. Patients were tested twice after recovery from acute ON episodes, which occurred in 14 of the 24 eyes. After recovery, all eyes had 20/20 or better visual acuity and normal visual fields as measured with static automated perimetry (SAP). The time between the two postrecovery tests varied from 6 to 56 months. Between test days, the visual fields obtained with SAP remained normal. Ten of the 14 affected eyes showed improvement in median latency on the mfVEP. Six of these eyes fell at or below (improved latency) the 96% confidence interval for the control eyes. None of the 10 initially unaffected eyes fell below the 96% lower limit. Although the improvement was widespread across the field, it did not include all regions. For the six eyes showing clear improvement, on average, 78% of the points had latencies that were shorter on test 2 than on test 1. A substantial percentage of ON/MS patients show a long-term improvement in conduction velocity. Because this improvement can be local, the mfVEP should allow these improvements to be monitored in patients with ON/MS.

Normal pressure hydrocephalus: Diagnostic and predictive evaluationon

PubMed Central

Damasceno, Benito Pereira

2009-01-01

In typical cases, normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) manifests itself with the triad of gait disturbance, which begins first, followed by mental deterioration and urinary incontinence associated with ventriculomegaly (on CT or MRI) and normal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure. These cases present minor diagnostic difficulties and are the most likely to improve after shunting. Problems arise when NPH shows atypical or incomplete clinical manifestations (25–50% of cases) or is mimicked by other diseases. In this scenario, other complementary tests have to be used, preferentially those that can best predict surgical outcome. Radionuclide cisternography, intracranial pressure monitoring (ICP) and lumbar infusion tests can show CSF dynamics malfunction, but none are able to confirm whether the patient will benefit from surgery. The CSF tap test (CSF-TT) is the only procedure that can temporarily simulate the effect of definitive shunt. Since the one tap CSF-TT has low sensitivity, it cannot be used to exclude patients from surgery. In such cases, we have to resort to a repeated CSF-TT (RTT) or continuous lumbar external drainage (LED). The most reliable prediction would be achieved if RTT or LED proved positive, in addition to the occurrence of B-waves during more than 50% of ICP recording time. This review was based on a PubMed literature search from 1966 to date. It focuses on clinical presentation, neuroimaging, complementary prognostic tests, and differential diagnosis of NPH, particularly on the problem of selecting appropriate candidates for shunt. PMID:29213603

Accuracy and uncertainty analysis of soil Bbf spatial distribution estimation at a coking plant-contaminated site based on normalization geostatistical technologies.

PubMed

Liu, Geng; Niu, Junjie; Zhang, Chao; Guo, Guanlin

2015-12-01

Data distribution is usually skewed severely by the presence of hot spots in contaminated sites. This causes difficulties for accurate geostatistical data transformation. Three types of typical normal distribution transformation methods termed the normal score, Johnson, and Box-Cox transformations were applied to compare the effects of spatial interpolation with normal distribution transformation data of benzo(b)fluoranthene in a large-scale coking plant-contaminated site in north China. Three normal transformation methods decreased the skewness and kurtosis of the benzo(b)fluoranthene, and all the transformed data passed the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test threshold. Cross validation showed that Johnson ordinary kriging has a minimum root-mean-square error of 1.17 and a mean error of 0.19, which was more accurate than the other two models. The area with fewer sampling points and that with high levels of contamination showed the largest prediction standard errors based on the Johnson ordinary kriging prediction map. We introduce an ideal normal transformation method prior to geostatistical estimation for severely skewed data, which enhances the reliability of risk estimation and improves the accuracy for determination of remediation boundaries.

Glycophenotype Evaluation in Cutaneous Tumors Using Lectins Labeled with Acridinium Ester

PubMed Central

Lima, Luiza Rayanna Amorim; Almeida, Sinara Mônica Vitalino; Silva, Lúcia Patrícia Bezerra Gomes; Beltrão, Eduardo Isidoro Carneiro; Carvalho Júnior, Luiz Bezerra

2013-01-01

Background. Tumor cells show alterations in their glycosylation patterns when compared to normal cells. Lectins can be used to evaluate these glycocode changes. Chemiluminescence assay is an effective technique for quantitative analysis of proteins, nucleic acids, and carbohydrates due to its high sensitivity, specificity, and rapid testing. Objective. To use histochemiluminescence based on lectin conjugated to acridinium ester (AE) for the investigation of glycophenotype changes in cutaneous tumors. Methods. Concanavalin A (Con A), Peanut agglutinin (PNA), Ulex europaeus agglutinin-I (UEA-I), and Maackia amurensis agglutinin (MAA) were conjugated to acridinium ester. Biopsies of cutaneous tumors and normal skin were incubated with the lectins-AE, and chemiluminescence was quantified and expressed as Relative Light Units (RLU). Results. Actinic keratosis (AK), keratoacanthoma (KA), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) showed lower expression of α-D-glucose/mannose and α-L-fucose residues compared to normal tissue. Cutaneous tumors displayed higher expression of Gal-β(1-3)-GalNAc residues than normal tissue. AK and SCC exhibited higher expression of Neu5Ac-α(2,3)Gal residues than normal epidermis. KA and BCC showed equivalent RLU values compared to normal tissue. Conclusions. Lectin histochemiluminescence allowed quantitative assessment of the carbohydrate expression in cutaneous tissues, contributing to eliminate the subjectivity of conventional techniques used in the histopathological diagnosis. PMID:24167360

Cytogenetic, cytotoxic and GC-MS studies on concrete and absolute oils from Taif rose, Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Hagag, Heba A; Bazaid, Salih A; Abdel-Hameed, El-Sayed S; Salman, Mahmood

2014-12-01

Taif rose (Rosa damascena trigintipetala Dieck) is a sort of damask rose, which is considered as one of the most important economic products of Taif. In this study, the authors investigated the possible cytotoxic, genotoxic, antimutagenic and anticancer effect of concrete and absolute rose oils. The results showed that both concrete and absolute rose oils were cytotoxically and genotoxically safe at a dose of 10 μg/ml when tested on cultures of normal human blood lymphocytes. Also, the results showed significant antimutagenic activity at p < 0.001 for absolute rose oil at the same dose level when tested on cultures of normal human blood lymphocytes supplemented with 300 ng/ml mitomycin C (MMC). On the other hand, concrete and absolute oils exerted a cytotoxic activity against two kinds of human cancer cell lines: HepG2 and MCF7. Concrete oil showed cytotoxic activity against HepG2 and MCF7 with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 16.28 and 18.09 μg/ml, respectively, whereas absolute rose oil showed its cytotoxic activity against HepG2 and MCF7 with an IC50 of 24.94 and 19.69, respectively. From this study, it is concluded that concrete and absolute rose oils are cytotoxically and genotoxically safe at a dose of 10 μg/ml when tested on cultures of normal human blood lymphocytes. In addition, absolute oil has an antimutagenic activity at the same dose. Further investigations are needed to study the activity of higher doses of both oils in vitro and in vivo in experimental animals in order to evaluate the capability of using these oils as therapeutic for treatment of some kinds of cancers.

Balance and postural skills in normal-weight and overweight prepubertal boys.

PubMed

Deforche, Benedicte I; Hills, Andrew P; Worringham, Charles J; Davies, Peter S W; Murphy, Alexia J; Bouckaert, Jacques J; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse M

2009-01-01

This study investigated differences in balance and postural skills in normal-weight versus overweight prepubertal boys. Fifty-seven 8-10-year-old boys were categorized overweight (N = 25) or normal-weight (N = 32) according to the International Obesity Task Force cut-off points for overweight in children. The Balance Master, a computerized pressure plate system, was used to objectively measure six balance skills: sit-to-stand, walk, step up/over, tandem walk (walking on a line), unilateral stance and limits of stability. In addition, three standardized field tests were employed: standing on one leg on a balance beam, walking heel-to-toe along the beam and the multiple sit-to-stand test. Overweight boys showed poorer performances on several items assessed on the Balance Master. Overweight boys had slower weight transfer (p < 0.05), lower rising index (p < 0.05) and greater sway velocity (p < 0.001) in the sit-to-stand test, greater step width while walking (p < 0.05) and lower speed when walking on a line (p < 0.01) compared with normal-weight counterparts. Performance on the step up/over test, the unilateral stance and the limits of stability were comparable between both groups. On the balance beam, overweight boys could not hold their balance on one leg as long (p < 0.001) and had fewer correct steps in the heel-to-toe test (p < 0.001) than normal-weight boys. Finally, overweight boys were slower in standing up and sitting down five times in the multiple sit-to-stand task (p < 0.01). This study demonstrates that when categorised by body mass index (BMI) level, overweight prepubertal boys displayed lower capacity on several static and dynamic balance and postural skills.

[Oral health status of women with normal and high-risk pregnancies].

PubMed

Chaloupka, P; Korečko, V; Turek, J; Merglová, V

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare the oral health status of women with normal pregnancies and those with high-risk pregnancies. A total of 142 women in the third trimester of pregnancy were randomly selected for this study. The pregnant women were divided into two groups: a normal pregnancy group (group F, n = 61) and a high-risk pregnancy group (group R, n = 81). The following variables were recorded for each woman: age, general health status, DMF index, CPITN index, PBI index, amounts of Streptococcus mutans in the saliva and dental treatment needs. The data obtained were analysed statistically. The Mann-Whitney test, Kruskal-Wallis test and chi square test were used, and p-values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. The two-sided t-test was used to compare the two cohorts. Women with high-risk pregnancies showed increased values in all measured indices and tests, but there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in the DMF index, CPITN index and amounts of Streptococcus mutans present in the saliva. Statistically significant differences were detected between the two groups for the PBI index and dental treatment needs. In group F, the maximum PBI index value was 2.9 in group F and 3.8 in group R. Significant differences were found also in mean PBI values. Out of the entire study cohort, 94 women (66.2%) required dental treatment, including 52% (n = 32) of the women with normal pregnancies and 77% (n = 62) of the women with high-risk pregnancies. This study found that women with complications during pregnancy had severe gingivitis and needed more frequent dental treatment than women with normal pregnancies.

Prefrontal cortex damage abolishes brand-cued changes in cola preference.

PubMed

Koenigs, Michael; Tranel, Daniel

2008-03-01

Human decision-making is remarkably susceptible to commercial advertising, yet the neurobiological basis of this phenomenon remains largely unexplored. With a series of Coke and Pepsi taste tests we show that patients with damage specifically involving ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPC), an area important for emotion, did not demonstrate the normal preference bias when exposed to brand information. Both comparison groups (neurologically normal adults and lesion patients with intact VMPC) preferred Pepsi in a blind taste test, but in subsequent taste tests that featured brand information ('semi-blind' taste tests), both comparison groups' preferences were skewed toward Coke, illustrating the so-called 'Pepsi paradox'. Like comparison groups, the VMPC patients preferred Pepsi in the blind taste test, but unlike comparison groups, the VMPC patients maintained their Pepsi preference in the semi-blind test. The result that VMPC damage abolishes the 'Pepsi paradox' suggests that the VMPC is an important part of the neural substrate for translating commercial images into brand preferences.

Prefrontal cortex damage abolishes brand-cued changes in cola preference

PubMed Central

Tranel, Daniel

2008-01-01

Human decision-making is remarkably susceptible to commercial advertising, yet the neurobiological basis of this phenomenon remains largely unexplored. With a series of Coke and Pepsi taste tests we show that patients with damage specifically involving ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPC), an area important for emotion, did not demonstrate the normal preference bias when exposed to brand information. Both comparison groups (neurologically normal adults and lesion patients with intact VMPC) preferred Pepsi in a blind taste test, but in subsequent taste tests that featured brand information (‘semi-blind’ taste tests), both comparison groups’ preferences were skewed toward Coke, illustrating the so-called ‘Pepsi paradox’. Like comparison groups, the VMPC patients preferred Pepsi in the blind taste test, but unlike comparison groups, the VMPC patients maintained their Pepsi preference in the semi-blind test. The result that VMPC damage abolishes the ‘Pepsi paradox’ suggests that the VMPC is an important part of the neural substrate for translating commercial images into brand preferences. PMID:18392113

Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein levels are normal in Fanconi anemia: Can it be a lack of postnatal inhibition of AFP gene resulting in the elevation?

PubMed

Aslan, Deniz; Karabacak, Recep Onur; Aslan, Oner Deniz

2017-04-01

We investigated the feasibility of using serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels as a screening test for prenatal diagnosis of Fanconi anemia (FA). Serial measurements in maternal serum were recorded. Parents, both heterozygous for FA, had declined prenatal molecular testing. The infant was born with no somatic abnormalities, and FA was confirmed by postnatal molecular analysis. Maternal serum AFP levels during each trimester of pregnancy were normal indicating that these levels cannot be used as a screening test in prenatal diagnosis. Three-year follow-up after birth showed constantly elevated serum levels in the patient from the start, suggesting a lack of postnatal inhibition on AFP gene. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The assessment of fetal brain function in fetuses with ventrikulomegaly: the role of the KANET test.

PubMed

Talic, Amira; Kurjak, Asim; Stanojevic, Milan; Honemeyer, Ulrich; Badreldeen, Ahmed; DiRenzo, Gian Carlo

2012-08-01

To assess differences in fetal behavior in both normal fetuses and fetuses with cerebral ventriculomegaly (VM). In a period of eighteen months, in a longitudinal prospective cohort study, Kurjak Antenatal NeuorogicalTest (KANET) was applied to assess fetal behavior in both normal pregnancies and pregnancies with cerebral VM using four-dimensional ultrasound (4D US). According to the degree of enlargement of the ventricles, VM was divided into three groups: mild, moderate and severe. Moreover fetuses with isolated VM were separated from those with additional abnormalities. According to the KANET, fetuses with scores ≥ 14 were considered normal, those with scores 6-13 borderline and abnormal if the score was ≤ 5. Differences between two groups were examined by Fisher's exact test. Differences within the subgroups were examined by Kruskal-Wallis test and contingency table test. KANET scores in normal pregnancies and pregnancies with VM showed statistically significant differences. Most of the abnormal KANET scores as well as most of the borderline-scores were found among the fetuses with severe VM associated with additional abnormalities. There were no statistically significant differences between the control group and the groups with isolated and mild and /or moderate VM. Evaluation of the fetal behavior in fetuses with cerebral VM using KANET test has the potential to detect fetuses with abnormal behavior, and to add the dimension of CNS function to the morphological criteria of VM. Long-term postnatal neurodevelopmental follow-up should confirm the data from prenatal investigation of fetal behavior.

Hearing in Noise Test, HINT-Brazil, in normal-hearing children.

PubMed

Novelli, Carolina Lino; Carvalho, Nádia Giulian de; Colella-Santos, Maria Francisca

The auditory processing is related to certain skills such as speech recognition in noise. The HINT-Brazil test allows the measurement of the Speech/Noise ratio however there are no studies in the national literature that establish parameters for the child population. To analyze the performance of normal-hearing subjects aged 8-10 years old in tasks for speech recognition in noise using HINT test. Sixty schoolchildren were evaluated. They were between 8 and 10 years of age, of both genders, and had no auditory and school complaints, with results ranking within normality for the Basic Audiological Assessment and the Dichotic Digits Test. HINT-Brazil test was applied with headphones, with the Speech/Noise ratio in conditions of frontal noise, noise to the right, and noise to the left being investigated. The software calculated the Composite Noise, which corresponds to the weighted mean of the tested conditions. There was no statistically significant difference between the ears, nor between the genders. There was a statistically significant difference for age ranges of 8 and 10 years, in situations with noise, and for Composite Noise. The age group of 10 years showed better performance than the age group of 8; the age group of 9 years did not show statistically significant difference regarding the other age ranges. We suggest the values of mean and standard deviation of the Speech/Noise ratio, considering the age ranges of: 8 years - Frontal Noise: -2.09 (±1.09); Right Noise: -7.64 (±1.72); Left Noise: -7.53 (±2.80); Composite Noise: -4.86 (±1.31); 9 years - Frontal Noise: -2.82 (±0.74); Right Noise: -8.49 (±2.24); Left Noise: -8.41 (±1.75); Composite Noise: -5.63 (±1.02); 10 years - Frontal Noise: -3.01 (±0.95); Right Noise: -9.47 (±1.43); Left Noise: -9.16 (±1.65); Composite Noise: -6.16 (±0.91). HINT-Brazil test is a simple and fast test, and is not difficult to performed with normal-hearing children. The results confirm that it is an efficient test to be used with the age range evaluated. Copyright © 2017 Associação Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia Cérvico-Facial. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Experimental Investigation of Normal Shock Boundary-Layer Interaction with Hybrid Flow Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vyas, Manan A.; Hirt, Stefanie M.; Anderson, Bernhard H.

2012-01-01

Hybrid flow control, a combination of micro-ramps and micro-jets, was experimentally investigated in the 15x15 cm Supersonic Wind Tunnel (SWT) at the NASA Glenn Research Center. Full factorial, a design of experiments (DOE) method, was used to develop a test matrix with variables such as inter-ramp spacing, ramp height and chord length, and micro-jet injection flow ratio. A total of 17 configurations were tested with various parameters to meet the DOE criteria. In addition to boundary-layer measurements, oil flow visualization was used to qualitatively understand shock induced flow separation characteristics. The flow visualization showed the normal shock location, size of the separation, path of the downstream moving counter-rotating vortices, and corner flow effects. The results show that hybrid flow control demonstrates promise in reducing the size of shock boundary-layer interactions and resulting flow separation by means of energizing the boundary layer.

Indicator methods to evaluate the hygienic performance of industrial scale operating Biowaste Composting Plants.

PubMed

Martens, Jürgen

2005-01-01

The hygienic performance of biowaste composting plants to ensure the quality of compost is of high importance. Existing compost quality assurance systems reflect this importance through intensive testing of hygienic parameters. In many countries, compost quality assurance systems are under construction and it is necessary to check and to optimize the methods to state the hygienic performance of composting plants. A set of indicator methods to evaluate the hygienic performance of normal operating biowaste composting plants was developed. The indicator methods were developed by investigating temperature measurements from indirect process tests from 23 composting plants belonging to 11 design types of the Hygiene Design Type Testing System of the German Compost Quality Association (BGK e.V.). The presented indicator methods are the grade of hygienization, the basic curve shape, and the hygienic risk area. The temperature courses of single plants are not distributed normally, but they were grouped by cluster analysis in normal distributed subgroups. That was a precondition to develop the mentioned indicator methods. For each plant the grade of hygienization was calculated through transformation into the standard normal distribution. It shows the part in percent of the entire data set which meet the legal temperature requirements. The hygienization grade differs widely within the design types and falls below 50% for about one fourth of the plants. The subgroups are divided visually into basic curve shapes which stand for different process courses. For each plant the composition of the entire data set out of the various basic curve shapes can be used as an indicator for the basic process conditions. Some basic curve shapes indicate abnormal process courses which can be emended through process optimization. A hygienic risk area concept using the 90% range of variation of the normal temperature courses was introduced. Comparing the design type range of variation with the legal temperature defaults showed hygienic risk areas over the temperature courses which could be minimized through process optimization. The hygienic risk area of four design types shows a suboptimal hygienic performance.

A comparison of vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) between definite Meniere's disease patients and normal healthy adults.

PubMed

Jariengprasert, Chanchai; Tiensuwan, Montip; Euasirirattanapaisan, Khongpol

2013-12-01

To compare the results of VEMP between unilateral definite Meniere's disease patients and normal healthy adults. Thirty-two patients with unilateral definite Meniere's disease patients and 32 age-matched normal healthy adults (control) underwent VEMP tests with short tone burst of 500 Hz at 90 dBnHL. Student-t test was used for comparison of means of all parameters between two groups. Absent VEMP response was found in 14 MD patients and abnormal asymmetry ratio (AR) was found in five MD patients. Normal responses were found in all subjects of the control group. The mean P1 and N1 latencies, VEMP amplitude between unilateral MD, and control were not significantly different between two groups. However the difference between the mean AR of both groups showed statistically significant (p-value < 0.05). The upper limit of normal AR was calculated to be of 35.15%. The absence of VEMP response and AR of VEMP were more dominant than other parameters such as P1 and N1 latencies or VEMP amplitude in the detection of saccular dysfunction in MD. The results suggested that AR should be used as a tool in interpretation of VEMP response for the diagnostic batteries in MD. The upper limit of normal AR of < or = 35% should be recommended.

Chromosomal Radiosensitivity in Lymphocytes of Cervix Cancer Patients—Correlation with Side Effect after Radiotherapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wegierek-Ciuk, Aneta; Lankoff, Anna; Lisowska, Halina; Banasik-Nowak, Anna; Arabski, Michał; Kedzierawski, Piotr; Florek, Agnieszka; Wojcik, Andrzej

2010-01-01

It is well known that cancer patients receiving similar radiotherapy treatments differ widely in normal tissue reactions ranging from undetectable to unacceptably severe levels. Therefore, an important goal of radiobiological research is to establish a test which would allow identifying individual radiosensitivity of patients prior to radiotherapy. The aim of the presented study is to assess the relationship between lymphocyte intrinsic radiosensitivity in vitro and early reaction of normal tissue in cervix cancer patients treated by radiotherapy. The following endpoints are analyzed in vitro: frequency of micronuclei, the kinetics of DNA repair and apoptosis. Acute normal tissue reaction to radiotherapy in the skin, bladder and rectum are scored according to the EORTC/RTOG scale. Our results show a wide inter-individual variability in chromosomal radiosensitivity in vitro. The majority of patients show a Grade 0, 1 or 2 reaction for all organs studied. No statistically significant correlation has been observed between the in vitro results in lymphocytes and the degree of early normal tissue and organ reaction.

Mere exposure effect: A consequence of direct and indirect fluency-preference links.

PubMed

Willems, Sylvie; Van der Linden, Martial

2006-06-01

In three experiments, picture quality between test items was manipulated to examine whether subjects' expectations about the fluency normally associated with these different stimuli might influence the effects of fluency on preference or familiarity-based recognition responses. The results showed that fluency due to pre-exposure influenced responses less when objects were presented with high picture quality, suggesting that attributions of fluency to preference and familiarity are adjusted according to expectations about the different test pictures. However, this expectations influence depended on subjects' awareness of these different quality levels. Indeed, imperceptible differences seemed not to induce expectations about the test item fluency. In this context, fluency due to both picture quality and pre-exposure influenced direct responses. Conversely, obvious, and noticed, differences in test picture quality did no affect responses, suggesting that expectations moderated attributions of fluency only when fluency normally associated with these different stimuli was perceptible but difficult to assess.

The predictive value of cerebrospinal fluid tap-test in normal pressure hydrocephalus.

PubMed

Damasceno, B P; Carelli, E F; Honorato, D C; Facure, J J

1997-06-01

Eighteen patients (mean age of 66.5 years) with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) underwent a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt surgery. Prior to operation a cerebrospinal fluid tap-test (CSF-TT) was performed with measurements of gait pattern and psychometric functions (memory, visuo-motor speed and visuo-constructive skills) before and after the removal of 50 ml CSF by lumbar puncture (LP). Fifteen patients improved and 3 were unchanged after surgery. Short duration of disease, gait disturbance preceding mental deterioration, wide temporal horns and small sulci on CT-scan were associated with good outcome after shunting. There was a good correlation between the results of CSF-TT and shunt surgery (chi 2 = 4.11, phi = 0.48, p < 0.05), with gait test showing highest correlation (r = 0.99, p = 0.01). In conclusion, this version of CSF-TT proved to be an effective test to predict improvement after shunting in patients with NPH.

VCAM1 and ICAM1 expression in oral lichen planus

PubMed Central

Seyedmajidi, Maryam; Shafaee, Shahryar; Bijani, Ali; Bagheri, Soodabeh

2013-01-01

Oral lichen planus is a chronic inflammatory immune-mediated disease. ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 are vascular adhesion molecules that their receptors are located on endothelial cells and leukocytes. The aim of this study is the immunohistochemical evaluation of VCAM1 and ICAM1 in oral lichen planus and to compare these two markers with normal mucosa for evaluation of angiogenesis. This descriptive-analytical study was performed on 70 paraffined blocks of oral lichen planus and 30 normal mucosa samples taken from around the lesions. Samples were stained with H & E and then with Immunohistochemistry using monoclonal mouse anti human VCAM1 (CD106), & monoclonal mouse anti human ICAM1(CD54) for confirmation of diagnosis. Slides were evaluated under light microscope and VCAM1 and ICAM1 positive cells (endothelial cells and leukocytes) were counted. Data were analyzed with Mann-Whitney test, Wilcoxon and Chi-Square and p<0.001 was declared significant. VCAM1 and ICAM1 expression significantly increased compared to normal mucosa in oral lichen planus according to the percentage of stained cells (p=0.000& p=0.000, Mann-Whitney test). Thirty cases of oral normal mucosa associated with lichen planus showed that the VCAM1 has increased significantly in comparison to normal mucosa (p<0.001). Also, ICAM1 expression between lichen planus and normal mucosa, showed a significantly difference (p<0.001). A significant difference between VCAM1 and ICAM1 expression and type of lichen planus was not observed (p>0.05). Regarding the results, it seems that high expression of VCAM1 and ICAM1 is related to oral lichen planus. PMID:24551788

Neuropsychological Correlates of Normal Variation in Emotional Response to Visual Stimuli

PubMed Central

Robinson, Robert G.; Paradiso, Sergio; Mizrahi, Romina; Fiedorowicz, Jess G.; Kouzoukas, Dimitrios E.; Moser, David J.

2007-01-01

Although the neural substrates of induced emotion have been the focus of numerous investigations, the factors related to individual variation in emotional experience have rarely been investigated in older adults. Twenty-six older normal subjects (mean age, 54) were shown color slides to elicit emotions of sadness, fear, or happiness and asked to rate the intensity of their emotional responses. Subjects who experienced negative emotion most intensely showed relative impairment on every aspect of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. Intense positive emotion was associated with relatively impaired performance on the Rey Complex Figure Test. The volume of frontal brain structures, however, was not associated with emotion responses. Hemisphere-specific executive dysfunction was associated with greater intensity of emotional experience in normal older subjects. The role of these differences in intensity of induced emotion and impairment in executive function in daily social and vocational activity should be investigated. PMID:17299297

Canadian medical experiments on Shuttle Flight 41-G

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watt, D. G. D.; Money, K. E.; Bondar, R. L.; Thirsk, R. B.; Garneau, M.

1985-01-01

During the 41-G mission, two payload specialist astronauts took part in six Canadian medical experiments designed to measure how the human nervous system adapts to weightlessness, and how this might contribute to space motion sickness. Similar tests conducted pre-flight provided base-line data, and post-flight experiments examined re-adaptation to the ground. No changes were detected in the vestibulo-ocular reflex during this 8-day mission. Pronounced proprioceptive illusions were experienced, especially immediately post-flight. Tactile acuity was normal in the fingers and toes, but the ability to judge limb position was degraded. Estimates of the locations of familiar targets were grossly distorted in the absence of vision. There were no differences in taste thresholds or olfaction. Despite pre-flight tests showing unusual susceptibility to motion sickness, the Canadian payload specialist turned out to be less susceptible than normal on-orbit. Re-adaptation to the normal gravity environment occurred within the first day after landing.

Baseline neuropsychological profile and cognitive response to cerebrospinal fluid shunting for idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus.

PubMed

Thomas, George; McGirt, Matthew J; Woodworth, Graeme; Heidler, Jennifer; Rigamonti, Daniele; Hillis, Argye E; Williams, Michael A

2005-01-01

To evaluate neurocognitive changes and predict neurocognitive outcome after ventriculoperitoneal shunting for idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (INPH). Reports of neurocognitive response to shunting have been variable and studies that predict cognitive outcomes after shunting are limited. We reviewed our experience with cognitive outcomes for INPH patients who were selected for shunting based on abnormal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure monitoring and positive response in any of the NPH symptoms following large volume CSF drainage. Forty-two INPH patients underwent neurocognitive testing and Folstein Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) prior to shunting. Neurocognitive testing or MMSEwere performed at least 3 months after shunt insertion. Significant improvement in a neurocognitive subtest was defined as improvement by one standard deviation (1 SD) for the patient's age, sex and education level. Significant improvement in overall neurocognitive outcome was defined as a 4-point improvement in MMSE or improvement by 1 SD in 50% of the administered neurocognitive subtests. Nonparametric tests were used to assess changes. Predictors of outcome were assessed via logistic regression analysis. Twenty-two patients (52.3%) showed overall neurocognitive improvement, and significant improvement was seen in tests of verbal memory and psychomotor speed. Predictive analysis showed that patients scoring more than 1 SD below mean at baseline on verbal memory immediate recall were fourfold less likely to show overall cognitive improvement, and sixfold less likely if also associated with visuoconstructional deficit or executive dysfunction. Verbal memory scores at baseline were higher in patients who showed overall cognitive improvement. Shunting INPH patients on the basis of CSF pressure monitoring and drainage response shows a significant rate of cognitive improvement, and baseline neurocognitive test scores may distinguish patients likely to respond to shunt surgery from those who will not. Copyright (c) 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Comparisons Between Experimental and Semi-theoretical Cutting Forces of CCS Disc Cutters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, Yimin; Guo, Ben; Tan, Qing; Zhang, Xuhui; Lan, Hao; Ji, Zhiyong

2018-05-01

This paper focuses on comparisons between the experimental and semi-theoretical forces of CCS disc cutters acting on different rocks. The experimental forces obtained from LCM tests were used to evaluate the prediction accuracy of a semi-theoretical CSM model. The results show that the CSM model reliably predicts the normal forces acting on red sandstone and granite, but underestimates the normal forces acting on marble. Some additional LCM test data from the literature were collected to further explore the ability of the CSM model to predict the normal forces acting on rocks of different strengths. The CSM model underestimates the normal forces acting on soft rocks, semi-hard rocks and hard rocks by approximately 38, 38 and 10%, respectively, but very accurately predicts those acting on very hard and extremely hard rocks. A calibration factor is introduced to modify the normal forces estimated by the CSM model. The overall trend of the calibration factor is characterized by an exponential decrease with increasing rock uniaxial compressive strength. The mean fitting ratios between the normal forces estimated by the modified CSM model and the experimental normal forces acting on soft rocks, semi-hard rocks and hard rocks are 1.076, 0.879 and 1.013, respectively. The results indicate that the prediction accuracy and the reliability of the CSM model have been improved.

From forensic toxicology to biological chemistry: Normal arsenic and the hazards of sensitivity during the nineteenth century.

PubMed

Bertomeu-Sánchez, José Ramón

2016-06-01

This paper reviews the cultural meanings, social uses and circulations of arsenic in different legal, medical and popular settings. The focus is on nineteenth-century France. In the first section, I review the advent of the Marsh test for arsenic, which is commonly regarded as a milestone in the history of toxicology. I claim that the high sensitivity of the Marsh test introduced puzzling problems for forensic doctors, the most disturbing one being the so-called 'normal arsenic.' I reconstruct early research on normal arsenic and the ensuing controversies in courts, academies and salons. A report from the French Academy of Science converted normal arsenic from a big discovery to an experimental mistake. In the next section, I study how these disturbing conclusions were perceived by toxicologists all over Europe and how normal arsenic disappeared from view by the middle of the nineteenth century. Finally, I review the return of normal arsenic thanks to Armand Gautier and Gabriel Bertrand, who introduced an innovative research framework and so prompted the displacement of arsenic from criminal toxicology to pharmacology and nutrition science. The last section will also show that the issue of normal arsenic was recaptured in public debates concerning criminal poisoning at the beginning of the twentieth century. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Emergency department triage strategies for acute chest pain using creatine kinase-MB and troponin I assays: a cost-effectiveness analysis.

PubMed

Polanczyk, C A; Kuntz, K M; Sacks, D B; Johnson, P A; Lee, T H

1999-12-21

Evaluation of acute chest pain is highly variable. To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of strategies using cardiac markers and noninvasive tests for myocardial ischemia. Cost-effectiveness analysis. Prospective data from 1066 patients with chest pain and from the published literature. Patients admitted with acute chest pain. Lifetime. Societal. Creatine kinase (CK)-MB mass assay alone; CK-MB mass assay followed by cardiac troponin I assay if the CK-MB value is normal; CK-MB mass assay followed by troponin I assay if the CK-MB value is normal and electrocardiography shows ischemic changes; both CK-MB mass and troponin I assays; and troponin I assay alone. These strategies were evaluated alone or in combination with early exercise testing. Lifetime cost, life expectancy (in years), and incremental cost-effectiveness. For patients 55 to 64 years of age, measurement of CK-MB mass followed by exercise testing in appropriate patients was the most competitive strategy ($43000 per year of life saved). Measurement of CK-MB mass followed by troponin I measurement had an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $47400 per year of life saved for patients 65 to 74 years of age; it was also the most cost-effective strategy when early exercise testing could not be performed, CK-MB values were normal, and ischemic changes were seen on electrocardiography. Results were influenced by age, probability of myocardial infarction, and medical costs. Measurement of CK-MB mass plus early exercise testing is a cost-effective initial strategy for younger patients and those with a low to moderate probability of myocardial infarction. Troponin I measurement can be a cost-effective second test in higher-risk subsets of patients if the CK-MB level is normal and early exercise testing is not an option.

Emotional instability but intact spatial cognition in adenosine receptor 1 knock out mice.

PubMed

Lang, Undine E; Lang, Florian; Richter, Kerstin; Vallon, Volker; Lipp, Hans-Peter; Schnermann, Jürgen; Wolfer, David P

2003-10-17

Several lines of evidence point to the involvement of adenosine in the regulation of important central mechanisms such as cognition, arousal, aggression and anxiety. In order to elucidate the involvement of the adenosine A1 receptor (A1AR) in spatial learning and the control of exploratory behaviour, we assessed A1AR knockout mice (A1AR-/-) and their wild-type littermates (A1AR+/+) in a place navigation task in the water maze and in a battery of forced and free exploration tests. In the water maze, A1AR-/- mice showed normal escape latencies and were indistinguishable from controls with respect to measures of spatial performance during both training and probe trial. But despite normal performance they showed increased wall hugging, most prominently after the relocation of the goal platform for reversal training. Quantitative analysis of strategy choices indicated that wall hugging was increased mainly at the expense of chaining and passive floating, whereas the frequency of trials characterised as direct swims or focal searching was normal in A1AR-/- mice. These results indicate intact spatial cognition, but mildly altered emotional reactions to the water maze environment. In line with this interpretation, A1AR-/- mice showed normal levels and patterns of activity, but a mild increase of some measures of anxiety in our battery of forced and free exploration paradigms. These results are in line with findings published using a genetically similar line, but demonstrate that the magnitude of the changes and the range of affected behavioural measures may vary considerably depending on the environmental conditions during testing.

The neurological safety of epidural parecoxib in rats.

PubMed

Kim, Yang Hyun; Lee, Pyung Bok; Park, Jeongmi; Lim, Young Jin; Kim, Yong Chul; Lee, Sang Chul; Ahn, Wonsik

2011-12-01

Epidural injection of cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors has been suggested as a useful therapeutic modality in pain management in animal studies and clinical settings. Direct epidural administration of parecoxib, a highly selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor, may have advantages over its parenteral administration regarding required dose, side effects, and efficacy. However, no animal studies have been performed to investigate the possible neurotoxicity of epidurally injected parecoxib. Therefore, the present study was performed to assess the neurotoxicity of epidurally injected parecoxib in rats. Rats (n=45) were randomly divided into three groups: normal saline group (group N, n=15), ethanol group (group E, n=15), and parecoxib group (group P, n=15). 0.3 mL of epidural parecoxib (6 mg) and the same volume of epidural ethanol or normal saline were injected into the epidural space. Neurologic assessment was performed 3, 7 and 21 days after the injection by pinch toe testing. Histologic changes were evaluated for vacuolation of the dorsal funiculus, chromatolytic changes of the motor neurons, neuritis, and meningeal inflammation. All rats in groups N and P showed normal response to pinch-toe testing and had a normal gait at each observation point. Histological examination showed no evidence suggestive of neuronal body or axonal lesions, gliosis, or myelin sheet damage in group N or P at any time. However, all rats in group E showed sensory-motor dysfunction, behavioral change, or histopathological abnormalities. No neurotoxicity on the spinal cord or abnormalities in sensorimotor function or behavior was noted in rats that received epidural parecoxib. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Optimizing Aircraft Availability: Where to Spend Your Next O&M Dollar

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-01

patterns of variance are present. In addition, we use the Breusch - Pagan test to statistically determine whether homoscedasticity exists. For this... Breusch - Pagan test , large p-values are preferred so that we may accept the null hypothesis of normality. Failure to meet the fourth assumption is...Next, we show the residual by predicted plot and the Breusch - Pagan test for constant variance of the residuals. The null hypothesis is that the

[SD-OCT As screening test for hydroxychloroquine retinopathy: The «flying saucer» sign].

PubMed

Asensio-Sánchez, V M

2015-07-01

Two asymptomatic women treated with hydroxychloroquine 200mg every day for 8 and 16 years developed retinal toxicity. Patient 1 was found to have a normal fundus and autofluorescence examination. Patient 2 was found to have a completely normal fundus examination. Fluorescein angiography shows parafoveal hyperfluorescence, and autofluorescence shows a minimal decrease in signal in the same region. In both patients the SD-OCT shows disruption of the ellipsoid zone in parafoveal region («flying saucer» sign). SD-OCT findings in the retina can identify hydroxychloroquine retinopathy in asymptomatic patients. Copyright © 2013 Sociedad Española de Oftalmología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Experimental Investigation of the Peak Shear Strength Criterion Based on Three-Dimensional Surface Description

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Quansheng; Tian, Yongchao; Ji, Peiqi; Ma, Hao

2018-04-01

The three-dimensional (3D) morphology of joints is enormously important for the shear mechanical properties of rock. In this study, three-dimensional morphology scanning tests and direct shear tests are conducted to establish a new peak shear strength criterion. The test results show that (1) surface morphology and normal stress exert significant effects on peak shear strength and distribution of the damage area. (2) The damage area is located at the steepest zone facing the shear direction; as the normal stress increases, it extends from the steepest zone toward a less steep zone. Via mechanical analysis, a new formula for the apparent dip angle is developed. The influence of the apparent dip angle and the average joint height on the potential contact area is discussed, respectively. A new peak shear strength criterion, mainly applicable to specimens under compression, is established by using new roughness parameters and taking the effects of normal stress and the rock mechanical properties into account. A comparison of this newly established model with the JRC-JCS model and the Grasselli's model shows that the new one could apparently improve the fitting effect. Compared with earlier models, the new model is simpler and more precise. All the parameters in the new model have clear physical meanings and can be directly determined from the scanned data. In addition, the indexes used in the new model are more rational.

Normal Distribution of CD8+ T-Cell-Derived ELISPOT Counts within Replicates Justifies the Reliance on Parametric Statistics for Identifying Positive Responses.

PubMed

Karulin, Alexey Y; Caspell, Richard; Dittrich, Marcus; Lehmann, Paul V

2015-03-02

Accurate assessment of positive ELISPOT responses for low frequencies of antigen-specific T-cells is controversial. In particular, it is still unknown whether ELISPOT counts within replicate wells follow a theoretical distribution function, and thus whether high power parametric statistics can be used to discriminate between positive and negative wells. We studied experimental distributions of spot counts for up to 120 replicate wells of IFN-γ production by CD8+ T-cell responding to EBV LMP2A (426 - 434) peptide in human PBMC. The cells were tested in serial dilutions covering a wide range of average spot counts per condition, from just a few to hundreds of spots per well. Statistical analysis of the data using diagnostic Q-Q plots and the Shapiro-Wilk normality test showed that in the entire dynamic range of ELISPOT spot counts within replicate wells followed a normal distribution. This result implies that the Student t-Test and ANOVA are suited to identify positive responses. We also show experimentally that borderline responses can be reliably detected by involving more replicate wells, plating higher numbers of PBMC, addition of IL-7, or a combination of these. Furthermore, we have experimentally verified that the number of replicates needed for detection of weak responses can be calculated using parametric statistics.

Comparison between Siriraj mite allergen vaccine and standardized commercial mite vaccine by skin prick testing in normal Thai adults.

PubMed

Visitsunthorn, Nualanong; Pacharn, Punchama; Jirapongsananuruk, Orathai; Weeravejsukit, Sirirat; Sripramong, Chaweewan; Sookrung, Nitat; Bunnag, Chaweewan

2010-03-01

House dust mite is a major cause of allergic asthma and rhinitis in Thai population. Skin prick test (SPT) is a useful tool for the diagnosis of the IgE-mediated reactions. The imported commercial mite vaccine for SPT is available but it is relatively expensive. Aim of this study is to compare Siriraj Mite Allergen Vaccine (SMAV) with standardized commercial mite allergen vaccine by skin prick testing in normal Thai adults. A double blind, self-controlled study between the SMAV and standardized commercial mite allergen vaccine was performed by SPT in 17 normal Thai adult males and non-pregnant or non-lactating females aged 18-60 years. The study showed that 35.29 % of non atopic adults had positive SPT reaction to Dp and Df of both SMAV and standardized commercial mite allergen vaccine. Mean wheal and flare diameters from SPT of Dp and Df of SMAV showed strong correlation with standardized commercial mite allergen vaccine (r= 0.768 and 0.897 in Dp and Df respectively, p <0.001). The intraclass correlation was also excellent (0.893 and 0.775 in Dp and Df respectively). There was no significant difference in wheal and flare diameter between SMAV and standardized commercial mite allergen vaccine. No systemic or large local reaction was found in any of the study cases.

Synthesis, characterization, X-ray crystal structures of heterocyclic Schiff base compounds and in vitro cholinesterase inhibition and anticancer activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arafath, Md. Azharul; Adam, Farook; Al-Suede, Fouad Saleih R.; Razali, Mohd R.; Ahamed, Mohamed B. Khadeer; Abdul Majid, Amin Malik Shah; Hassan, Mohd Zaheen; Osman, Hasnah; Abubakar, Saifullah

2017-12-01

Four heterocyclic embedded Schiff base derivatives (1-4) were synthesized and characterized by melting point, elemental analysis, FTIR, 1H, 13C NMR, UV-Visible spectral data. The structures of compounds 1, 2 and 4 were successfully established through single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. In vitro cholinesterase inhibition assays showed that the cyclized derivative 1 displayed higher BuChE enzyme inhibitory activity with IC50 value of 1.45 ± 0.09 μM. The anti-proliferative efficacies of the compounds were also evaluated using human colorectal HCT 116 and breast MCF-7 adenocarcinoma cell lines. In addition, a human normal endothelial cell line (Ea.hy926) was also tested to assess the safety and selectivity of the compounds towards normal and cancer cells, respectively. Among the compounds tested, compound 2 displayed potent cytotoxic effect (IC50 = 34 μM) against HCT 116 cells with highest selectivity index of 3.1 with respect to the normal endothelial cells. Whereas, compound 4 exhibited significant anti-proliferative effect (IC50 = 21.1 μM) against MCF-7 cells with highest selectivity index of 3.3 with respect to the normal endothelial cells. The docking result of these compounds against hAChE showed potent activities with different binding modes. These compounds could be a promising pharmacological agent to treat cancer and Alzheimer's disease.

Effects of pre-radiation exposure to LLLT of normal and malignant cells.

PubMed

Barasch, Andrei; Raber-Durlacher, Judith; Epstein, Joel B; Carroll, James

2016-06-01

Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) efficacy for the prevention of cancer treatment-induced oral mucositis (OM) has been amply described. However, potential protection of malignant cells remains a legitimate concern for clinicians. We tested LLLT-induced protection from ionizing radiation killing in both malignant and normal cells. We treated six groups each of normal human lymphoblasts (TK6) and human leukemia cells (HL60) with He-Ne LLLT (632.8 nm, 35 mW, CW, 1 cm(2), 35 mW/cm(2) for 3-343 s, 0.1-12 J/cm(2)) prior to exposure to ionizing radiation (IR). Cells were then incubated and counted daily to determine their survival. Optimization of IR dose and incubation time was established prior to testing the effect of LLLT. Growth curves for both cell lines showed significant declines after exposure to 50-200 cGy IR when compared to controls. Pre-radiation exposure to LLLT (4.0 J/cm(2)) followed by 1-h incubation blocked this decline in TK6 but not in HL60 cells. The latter cells were sensitized to the killing effects of IR in a dose-dependent manner. This study shows that pre-IR LLLT treatment results in a differential response of normal vs. malignant cells, suggesting that LLLT does not confer protection and may even sensitize cancer cells to IR killing.

Using monolingual neuropsychological test norms with bilingual Hispanic americans: application of an individual comparison standard.

PubMed

Gasquoine, Philip Gerard; Gonzalez, Cassandra Dayanira

2012-05-01

Conventional neuropsychological norms developed for monolinguals likely overestimate normal performance in bilinguals on language but not visual-perceptual format tests. This was studied by comparing neuropsychological false-positive rates using the 50th percentile of conventional norms and individual comparison standards (Picture Vocabulary or Matrix Reasoning scores) as estimates of preexisting neuropsychological skill level against the number expected from the normal distribution for a consecutive sample of 56 neurologically intact, bilingual, Hispanic Americans. Participants were tested in separate sessions in Spanish and English in the counterbalanced order on La Bateria Neuropsicologica and the original English language tests on which this battery was based. For language format measures, repeated-measures multivariate analysis of variance showed that individual estimates of preexisting skill level in English generated the mean number of false positives most approximate to that expected from the normal distribution, whereas the 50th percentile of conventional English language norms did the same for visual-perceptual format measures. When using conventional Spanish or English monolingual norms for language format neuropsychological measures with bilingual Hispanic Americans, individual estimates of preexisting skill level are recommended over the 50th percentile.

Comparison of eigenvectors for coupled seismo-electromagnetic layered-Earth modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grobbe, N.; Slob, E. C.; Thorbecke, J. W.

2016-07-01

We study the accuracy and numerical stability of three eigenvector sets for modelling the coupled poroelastic and electromagnetic layered-Earth response. We use a known eigenvector set, its flux-normalized version and a newly derived flux-normalized set. The new set is chosen such that the system is properly uncoupled when the coupling between the poroelastic and electromagnetic fields vanishes. We carry out two different numerical stability tests: the first test focuses on the internal system, eigenvector and eigenvalue consistency; the second test investigates the stability and preciseness of the flux-normalized systems by looking at identity relations. We find that the known set shows the largest deviation for both tests, whereas the new set performs best. In two additional numerical modelling experiments, these numerical inaccuracies are shown to generate numerical noise levels comparable to small signals, such as signals coming from the important interface conversion responses, especially when the coupling coefficient is small. When coupling vanishes completely, the known set does not produce proper results. The new set produces numerically stable and accurate results in all situations. We therefore strongly recommend to use this newly derived set for future layered-Earth seismo-electromagnetic modelling experiments.

Identifying Otosclerosis with Aural Acoustical Tests of Absorbance, Group Delay, Acoustic Reflex Threshold, and Otoacoustic Emissions.

PubMed

Keefe, Douglas H; Archer, Kelly L; Schmid, Kendra K; Fitzpatrick, Denis F; Feeney, M Patrick; Hunter, Lisa L

2017-10-01

Otosclerosis is a progressive middle-ear disease that affects conductive transmission through the middle ear. Ear-canal acoustic tests may be useful in the diagnosis of conductive disorders. This study addressed the degree to which results from a battery of ear-canal tests, which include wideband reflectance, acoustic stapedius muscle reflex threshold (ASRT), and transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs), were effective in quantifying a risk of otosclerosis and in evaluating middle-ear function in ears after surgical intervention for otosclerosis. To evaluate the ability of the test battery to classify ears as normal or otosclerotic, measure the accuracy of reflectance in classifying ears as normal or otosclerotic, and evaluate the similarity of responses in normal ears compared with ears after surgical intervention for otosclerosis. A quasi-experimental cross-sectional study incorporating case control was used. Three groups were studied: one diagnosed with otosclerosis before corrective surgery, a group that received corrective surgery for otosclerosis, and a control group. The test groups included 23 ears (13 right and 10 left) with normal hearing from 16 participants (4 male and 12 female), 12 ears (7 right and 5 left) diagnosed with otosclerosis from 9 participants (3 male and 6 female), and 13 ears (4 right and 9 left) after surgical intervention from 10 participants (2 male and 8 female). Participants received audiometric evaluations and clinical immittance testing. Experimental tests performed included ASRT tests with wideband reference signal (0.25-8 kHz), reflectance tests (0.25-8 kHz), which were parameterized by absorbance and group delay at ambient pressure and at swept tympanometric pressures, and TEOAE tests using chirp stimuli (1-8 kHz). ASRTs were measured in ipsilateral and contralateral conditions using tonal and broadband noise activators. Experimental ASRT tests were based on the difference in wideband-absorbed sound power before and after presenting the activator. Diagnostic accuracy to classify ears as otosclerotic or normal was quantified by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for univariate and multivariate reflectance tests. The multivariate predictor used a small number of input reflectance variables, each having a large AUC, in a principal components analysis to create independent variables and followed by a logistic regression procedure to classify the test ears. Relative to the results in normal ears, diagnosed otosclerosis ears more frequently showed absent TEOAEs and ASRTs, reduced ambient absorbance at 4 kHz, and a different pattern of tympanometric absorbance and group delay (absorbance increased at 2.8 kHz at the positive-pressure tail and decreased at 0.7-1 kHz at the peak pressure, whereas group delay decreased at positive and negative-pressure tails from 0.35-0.7 kHz, and at 2.8-4 kHz at positive-pressure tail). Using a multivariate predictor with three reflectance variables, tympanometric reflectance (AUC = 0.95) was more accurate than ambient reflectance (AUC = 0.88) in classifying ears as normal or otosclerotic. Reflectance provides a middle-ear test that is sensitive to classifying ears as otosclerotic or normal, which may be useful in clinical applications. American Academy of Audiology

Severe rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure in an adolescent with hypothyroidism.

PubMed

Comak, Elif; Koyun, Mustafa; Kiliçarslan-Akkaya, Bahar; Bircan, Iffet; Akman, Sema

2011-01-01

Hypothyroidism has been reported rarely as the cause of rhabdomyolysis in adults and children. We present here a non-compliant adolescent with a diagnosis of hypothyroidism who developed rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure with no additional predisposing factor. A 13-year-old girl with a previous history of hypothyroidism due to thyroid hypoplasia presented with generalized myalgia, malaise, vomiting, and oliguria lasting for three days. Neurological examination revealed bilateral marked weakness and tenderness of muscles of both lower and upper extremities. Urine had bloody appearance and urine analysis showed blood reaction with dipstick test, but there were no erythrocytes on microscopic examination. Serum creatine phosphokinase and myoglobin levels were elevated. Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels were high, and free thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) levels were low, compatible with uncontrolled hypothyroidism. Renal function tests showed acute renal failure. Other causes of rhabdomyolysis such as muscular trauma, drugs, toxins, infections, vigorous exercise, and electrolyte abnormalities were excluded. Hemodialysis was administered for 24 sessions. After L-thyroxine therapy, thyroid function tests normalized, muscle strength improved, serum muscle enzyme levels returned to normal levels, and renal function tests recovered. One must be aware that rhabdomyolysis may develop in a non-compliant patient with hypothyroidism.

Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials and digital vectoelectro-nystagmography's study in patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo

PubMed Central

Maria da Silva Lira-Batista, Marta; Schaffeln Dorigueto, Ricardo; Freitas Ganança, Cristina

2013-01-01

Summary Introduction: Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) is a very common vestibular disorder characterized by brief but intense attacks of rotatory vertigo triggered by simple rapid movement of the head. The integrity of the vestibular pathways can be assessed using tests such as digital vectoelectronystagmography (VENG) and vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP). Aim: This study aimed to determine the VEMP findings with respect to latency, amplitude, and waveform peak to peak and the results of the oculomotor and vestibular components of VENG in patients with BPPV. Method: Although this otoneurological condition is quite common, little is known of the associated VEMP and VENG changes, making it important to research and describe these results. Results: We examined the records of 4438 patients and selected 35 charts after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Of these, 26 patients were women and 9 men. The average age at diagnosis was 52.7 years, and the most prevalent physiological cause, accounting for 97.3% of cases, was ductolithiasis. There was a statistically significant association between normal hearing and mild contralateral sensorineural hearing loss. The results of the oculomotor tests were within the normal reference ranges for all subjects. Patients with BPPV exhibited symmetrical function of the semicircular canals in their synergistic pairs (p < 0.001). The caloric test showed statistically normal responses from the lateral canals. The waveforms of all patients were adequate, but the VEMP results for the data-crossing maneuver with positive positioning showed a trend toward a relationship for the left ear Lp13. There was also a trend towards an association between normal reflexes in the caloric test and the inter-peak VEMP of the left ear. It can be concluded that although there are some differences between the average levels of the VENG and VEMP results, these differences were not statistically significant. Conclusion: In conclusion, the results of audiologic assessment, hearing thresholds, positioning maneuvers, and caloric tests have no effect on the quantitative results of VEMP. Additional research is warranted to establish the relationships among VENG, VEMP, and BPPV, especially as concerns the oculomotor tests. PMID:25992006

Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials and digital vectoelectro-nystagmography's study in patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.

PubMed

Maria da Silva Lira-Batista, Marta; Schaffeln Dorigueto, Ricardo; Freitas Ganança, Cristina

2013-04-01

 Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) is a very common vestibular disorder characterized by brief but intense attacks of rotatory vertigo triggered by simple rapid movement of the head. The integrity of the vestibular pathways can be assessed using tests such as digital vectoelectronystagmography (VENG) and vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP).  This study aimed to determine the VEMP findings with respect to latency, amplitude, and waveform peak to peak and the results of the oculomotor and vestibular components of VENG in patients with BPPV.  Although this otoneurological condition is quite common, little is known of the associated VEMP and VENG changes, making it important to research and describe these results.  We examined the records of 4438 patients and selected 35 charts after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Of these, 26 patients were women and 9 men. The average age at diagnosis was 52.7 years, and the most prevalent physiological cause, accounting for 97.3% of cases, was ductolithiasis. There was a statistically significant association between normal hearing and mild contralateral sensorineural hearing loss. The results of the oculomotor tests were within the normal reference ranges for all subjects. Patients with BPPV exhibited symmetrical function of the semicircular canals in their synergistic pairs (p < 0.001). The caloric test showed statistically normal responses from the lateral canals. The waveforms of all patients were adequate, but the VEMP results for the data-crossing maneuver with positive positioning showed a trend toward a relationship for the left ear Lp13. There was also a trend towards an association between normal reflexes in the caloric test and the inter-peak VEMP of the left ear. It can be concluded that although there are some differences between the average levels of the VENG and VEMP results, these differences were not statistically significant.  In conclusion, the results of audiologic assessment, hearing thresholds, positioning maneuvers, and caloric tests have no effect on the quantitative results of VEMP. Additional research is warranted to establish the relationships among VENG, VEMP, and BPPV, especially as concerns the oculomotor tests.

Myocardial perfusion imaging in patients with a recent, normal exercise test.

PubMed

Bovin, Ann; Klausen, Ib C; Petersen, Lars J

2013-03-26

To investigate the added value of myocardial perfusion scintigraphy imaging (MPI) in consecutive patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) and a recent, normal exercise electrocardiography (ECG). This study was a retrospective analysis of consecutive patients referred for MPI during a 2-year period from 2006-2007 at one clinic. All eligible patients were suspected of suffering from CAD, and had performed a satisfactory bicycle exercise test (i.e., peak heart rate > 85% of the expected, age-predicted maximum) within 6 mo of referral, their exercise ECG was had no signs of ischemia, there was no exercise-limiting angina, and no cardiac events occurred between the exercise test and referral. The patients subsequently underwent a standard 2-d, stress-rest exercise MPI. Ischemia was defined based on visual scoring supported by quantitative segmental analysis (i.e., sum of stress score > 3). The results of cardiac catheterization were analyzed, and clinical follow up was performed by review of electronic medical files. A total of 56 patients fulfilled the eligibility criteria. Most patients had a low or intermediate ATPIII pre-test risk of CAD (6 patients had a high pre-test risk). The referral exercise test showed a mean Duke score of 5 (range: 2 to 11), which translated to a low post-exercise risk in 66% and intermediate risk in 34%. A total of seven patients were reported with ischemia by MPI. Three of these patients had high ATPIII pre-test risk scores. Six of these seven patients underwent cardiac catheterization, which showed significant stenosis in one patient with a high pre-test risk of CAD, and indeterminate lesions in three patients (two of whom had high pre-test risk scores). With MPI as a gate keeper for catheterization, no significant, epicardial stenosis was observed in any of the 50 patients (0%, 95% confidence interval 0.0 to 7.1) with low to intermediate pre-test risk of CAD and a negative exercise test. No cardiac events occurred in any patients within a median follow up period of > 1200 d. The added diagnostic value of MPI in patients with low or intermediate risk of CAD and a recent, normal exercise test is marginal.

Intra-Amygdala Muscimol Injections Impair Freezing and Place Avoidance in Aversive Contextual Conditioning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holahan, Matthew R.; White, Norman M.

2004-01-01

Rats were trained by shocking them in a closed compartment. When subsequently tested in the same closed compartment with no shock, normal rats showed an increased tendency to freeze. They also showed an increased tendency to actively avoid the compartment when given access to an adjacent neutral compartment for the first time. Amygdala…

A three-dimensional printed patient-specific scaphoid replacement: a cadaveric study.

PubMed

Honigmann, Philipp; Schumacher, Ralf; Marek, Romy; Büttner, Franz; Thieringer, Florian; Haefeli, Mathias

2018-05-01

We present our first cadaveric test results of a three-dimensional printed patient-specific scaphoid replacement with tendon suspension, which showed normal motion behaviour and preservation of a stable scapholunate interval during physiological range of motion.

Non-Normality and Testing that a Correlation Equals Zero

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levy, Kenneth J.

1977-01-01

The importance of the assumption of normality for testing that a bivariate normal correlation equals zero is examined. Both empirical and theoretical evidence suggest that such tests are robust with respect to violation of the normality assumption. (Author/JKS)

FUNCTIONAL PERFORMANCE AND KNEE LAXITY IN NORMAL INDIVIDUALS AND IN INDIVIDUALS SUBMITTED TO ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT RECONSTRUCTION

PubMed Central

de Vasconcelos, Rodrigo Antunes; Bevilaqua-Grossi, Débora; Shimano, Antonio Carlos; Jansen Paccola, Cleber Antonio; Salvini, Tânia Fátima; Prado, Christiane Lanatovits; Mello Junior, Wilson A.

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to analyze the correlation between deficits in the isokinetic peak torque of the knee extensors and flexors with hop tests, postoperative knee laxity and functional scores in normal and ACL- reconstructed subjects with patellar tendon and hamstring tendon autografts. Methods: Sixty male subjects were enrolled and subdivided into three groups: Twenty subjects without knee injuries (GC group) and two groups of 20 subjects submitted to ACL reconstruction with patellar tendon (GTP group) and hamstrings autograft (GTF group). Results: The results showed significant correlation between knee extensors peak torque and performance in the hop tests for GTF and GC groups. There are no significantly correlations between post op knee laxity and Lysholm score compared with the hop tests and peak torque deficits. Concerning the differences between groups, the GTP group showed greater peak torque deficits in knee extensors, worst Lysholm scores and higher percentage of individuals with lower limb symmetry index (ISM) < 90% in both hop tests when compared to the other two groups. Conclusion: It is not recommendable to use only one measurement instrument for the functional evaluation of ACL-reconstructed patients, because significant correlation between peak torque, subject's functional score, knee laxity and hop tests were not observed in all groups. PMID:26998464

Detecting navigational deficits in cognitive aging and Alzheimer disease using virtual reality.

PubMed

Cushman, Laura A; Stein, Karen; Duffy, Charles J

2008-09-16

Older adults get lost, in many cases because of recognized or incipient Alzheimer disease (AD). In either case, getting lost can be a threat to individual and public safety, as well as to personal autonomy and quality of life. Here we compare our previously described real-world navigation test with a virtual reality (VR) version simulating the same navigational environment. Quantifying real-world navigational performance is difficult and time-consuming. VR testing is a promising alternative, but it has not been compared with closely corresponding real-world testing in aging and AD. We have studied navigation using both real-world and virtual environments in the same subjects: young normal controls (YNCs, n = 35), older normal controls (ONCs, n = 26), patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI, n = 12), and patients with early AD (EAD, n = 14). We found close correlations between real-world and virtual navigational deficits that increased across groups from YNC to ONC, to MCI, and to EAD. Analyses of subtest performance showed similar profiles of impairment in real-world and virtual testing in all four subject groups. The ONC, MCI, and EAD subjects all showed greatest difficulty in self-orientation and scene localization tests. MCI and EAD patients also showed impaired verbal recall about both test environments. Virtual environment testing provides a valid assessment of navigational skills. Aging and Alzheimer disease (AD) share the same patterns of difficulty in associating visual scenes and locations, which is complicated in AD by the accompanying loss of verbally mediated navigational capacities. We conclude that virtual navigation testing reveals deficits in aging and AD that are associated with potentially grave risks to our patients and the community.

Getting better, but not well: A 1.5 year follow-up of cognitive performance and cortisol levels in clinical and non-Clinical burnout.

PubMed

Oosterholt, Bart G; Maes, Joseph H R; Van der Linden, Dimitri; Verbraak, Marc J P M; Kompier, Michiel A J

2016-05-01

The purpose was to reexamine cognitive performance and cortisol levels of initial clinical burnout patients, non-clinical burnout individuals, and healthy controls. After 1.5-years of the initial measurement, clinical burnout patients showed a reduction of burnout symptoms and general physical and psychological complaints, but these were still elevated compared with controls. Nonetheless, they continued to report cognitive problems and still showed a minor impaired cognitive test performance. However, they no longer reported larger subjective costs associated with cognitive test performance and their cortisol awakening response (CAR) returned to a normal level. Compared with controls, non-clinical burnout individuals still reported the same, elevated, level of burnout symptoms, general physical and psychological complaints, and cognitive problems. Their cognitive test performance and associated subjective costs remained normal. However, they seemed to continue to display a lowered CAR. To conclude, after 1.5-years, clinical burnout patients got better, but not 'well', and non-clinical burnout individuals remained not 'well'. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Numerical and arithmetical cognition: a longitudinal study of process and concept deficits in children with learning disability.

PubMed

Geary, D C; Hamson, C O; Hoard, M K

2000-11-01

Based on the stability and level of performance on standard achievement tests in first and second grade (mean age in first grade = 82 months), children with IQ scores in the low-average to high-average range were classified as learning disabled (LD) in mathematics (MD), reading (RD), or both (MD/RD). These children (n = 42), a group of children who showed variable achievement test performance across grades (n = 16), and a control group of academically normal peers (n = 35) were administered a series of experimental and psychometric tasks. The tasks assessed number comprehension and production skills, counting knowledge, arithmetic skills, working memory, the ease of activation of phonetic representations of words and numbers, and spatial abilities. The children with variable achievement test performance did not differ from the academically normal children in any cognitive domain, whereas the children in the LD groups showed specific patterns of cognitive deficit, above and beyond the influence of IQ. Discussion focuses on the similarities and differences across the groups of LD children. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

Wind-Tunnel Investigation of Effects of Unsymmetrical Horizontal-Tail Arrangements on Power-on Static Longitudinal Stability of a Single-Engine Airplane Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Purser, Paul E.; Spear, Margaret F.

1947-01-01

A wind-tunnel investigation has been made to determine the effects of unsymmetrical horizontal-tail arrangements on the power-on static longitudinal stability of a single-engine single-rotation airplane model. Although the tests and analyses showed that extreme asymmetry in the horizontal tail indicated a reduction in power effects on longitudinal stability for single-engine single-rotation airplanes, the particular "practical" arrangement tested did not show marked improvement. Differences in average downwash between the normal tail arrangement and various other tail arrangements estimated from computed values of propeller-slipstream rotation agreed with values estimated from pitching-moment test data for the flaps-up condition (low thrust and torque) and disagreed for the flaps-down condition (high thrust and torque). This disagreement indicated the necessity for continued research to determine the characteristics of the slip-stream behind various propeller-fuselage-wing combinations. Out-of-trim lateral forces and moments of the unsymmetrical tail arrangements that were best from consideration of longitudinal stability were no greater than those of the normal tail arrangement.

The effect of learning multimedia on students’ understanding of macroscopic, sub-microscopic, and symbolic levels in electrolyte and nonelectrolyte

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eliyawati; Rohman, I.; Kadarohman, A.

2018-05-01

This research aims to investigate the effect of learning multimedia on students’ understanding of macroscopic, sub-microscopic, and symbolic levels in electrolyte and nonelectrolyte topic. The quasi-experimental with one group pre-test post-test design was used. Thirty-five students were experimental class and another thirty-five were control class. The instrument was used is three representation levels. The t-test was performed on average level of 95% to identify the significant difference between experimental class and control class. The results show that the normalized gain average of experimental class is 0.75 (high) and the normalized gain average of control class is 0.45 (moderate). There is significant difference in students’ understanding in sub-microscopic and symbolic levels and there is not significant difference of students’ understanding in macroscopic level between experimental class and control class. The normalized gain of students’ understanding of macroscopic, sub-microscopic and symbolic in experimental class are 0.6 (moderate), 0.75 (high), and 0.64 (moderate), while the normalized gain of students’ understanding of macroscopic, sub-microscopic and symbolic in control class are 0.49 (moderate), 0.39 (high), and 0.3 (moderate). Therefore, it can be concluded that learning multimedia can help in improving students’ understanding especially in sub-microscopic and symbolic levels.

[Cognitive markers to discriminate between mild cognitive impairment and normal ageing].

PubMed

Rodríguez Rodríguez, Nely; Juncos-Rabadán, Onésimo; Facal Mayo, David

2008-01-01

mild cognitive impairment (MCI) has been characterized as a transitional stage between normal ageing and dementia. The aim of the present study was to examine differences between normal ageing and MCI in the performance of several cognitive tests. These differences might serve as differential markers. we performed a longitudinal study (24 months) with two evaluations at 12-monthly intervals using the CAMCOG-R and a verbal learning test [test de aprendizaje verbal España-Complutense (TAVEC)]. The sample was composed of 25 persons aged more than 50 years old (five men and 20 women), distributed into two groups: the control group and the MCI group. To assign persons to either of the two groups, Petersen's MCI criteria were applied to Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores. repeated measures ANOVA (2 groups x 2 assessment) showed significant differences between the MCI and control group in the CAMCOG-R scores in orientation, language, memory, abstract thinking, executive function and global score and in the TAVEC scores for immediate recall and short- and long-term free and clued recall. No significant differences were found between the first and second assessment or in the interaction group assessment. the results of the present study confirm that the CAMCOG-R and the TAVEC effectively discriminate between normal ageing and MCI and can be used complementarily.

Visual and binocular status in elementary school children with a reading problem.

PubMed

Christian, Lisa W; Nandakumar, Krithika; Hrynchak, Patricia K; Irving, Elizabeth L

2017-11-21

This descriptive study provides a summary of the binocular anomalies seen in elementary school children identified with reading problems. A retrospective chart review of all children identified with reading problems and seen by the University of Waterloo, Optometry Clinic, from September 2012 to June 2013. Files of 121 children (mean age 8.6 years, range 6-14 years) were reviewed. No significant refractive error was found in 81% of children. Five and 8 children were identified as strabismic at distance and near respectively. Phoria test revealed 90% and 65% of patients had normal distance and near phoria. Near point of convergencia (NPC) was <5cm in 68% of children, and 77% had stereoacuity of ≤40seconds of arc. More than 50% of the children had normal fusional vergence ranges except for near positive fusional vergencce (base out) break (46%). Tests for accommodation showed 91% of children were normal for binocular facility, and approximately 70% of children had an expected accuracy of accommodation. Findings indicate that some children with an identified reading problem also present with abnormal binocular test results compared to published normal values. Further investigation should be performed to investigate the relationship between binocular vision function and reading performance. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Tailored Testing Theory and Practice: A Basic Model, Normal Ogive Submodels, and Tailored Testing Algorithms

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-08-01

ACCESSION NO «• TITLE (and Sublltle) TAILORED TESTING THEORY AND PRACTICE: A BASIC MODEL , NORMAL OGIVE SUBMODELS, AND TAILORED TESTING ALGORITHMS 7...single common-factor model , the author derives the two- and three-parametir normal ogfve il’^irTr^ functions as submodels. For both of these...PAOEfWiwi Dmia Bnfnd) NPRDC TR 83-32 AUGUST 1983 TAILORED TESTING THEORY AND PRACTICE: A BASIC MODEL , NORMAL OGIVE SUBMODELS, AND TAILORED TESTING

[Loss of capture by myocardial ischemia: A case report].

PubMed

Sonou, A; Adjagba, P M; Hounkponou, M; Codjo, L; Houéhanou-Sonou, C; Assani, S; Yessoufou, T; Sacca, J; Houénassi, M

2017-02-01

We report the case of a patient with pacemaker who presented chest pain during exercise followed by fainting. He has a history of arterial hypertension and diabetes. The initial examination was normal; the ventricular stimulation threshold was 1.125 volts (V) and cardiac enzymes were normal. Stress test has reproduced chest pain followed by loss of pacemaker capture and asystole. Coronary angiography showed a tight stenosis of the proximal anterior interventricular artery dilated by a drug-eluting stent. The control of stress test was normal. A stent thrombosis eight days later led to an acute coronary syndrome with recurrent syncope due to the loss of ventricular capture. The ventricular pacing threshold was then 2.25V. After revascularization and stabilization of the patient's clinical status, this threshold returned to 1.125V. This clinic case has confirmed that coronary artery disease could increase pacing threshold. It also highlights the usefulness of automatic capture algorithms in coronary patients. The stress test cannot only help to detect coronary artery disease but also allows the optimization of programming the pacemaker. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Skeletal maturation in obese patients.

PubMed

Giuca, Maria Rita; Pasini, Marco; Tecco, Simona; Marchetti, Enrico; Giannotti, Laura; Marzo, Giuseppe

2012-12-01

The objective of this study was to compare skeletal maturation in obese patients and in subjects of normal weight to evaluate the best timing for orthopedic and orthodontic treatment. The null hypothesis was that obese and normal-weight patients show similar degrees of skeletal maturation. The sample for this retrospective study consisted of 50 white patients (28 boys, 22 girls) whose x-rays (hand-wrist and lateral cephalometric radiographs) were already available. The test group included 25 obese patients (11 girls, 14 boys; average age, 9.8 ± 2.11 years), and the control group included 25 subjects of normal weight (11 girls, 14 boys; average age, 9.9 ± 2.5 years). Skeletal maturation was determined by using the carpal analysis method and the cervical vertebral maturation method. According to the carpal analysis, there was a significant difference between skeletal and chronologic ages between the test group (11.8 ± 11.4 months) and the control group (-2.9 ± 3.1 months). Furthermore, the obese subjects exhibited a significantly higher mean cervical vertebral maturation score (2.8 ± 0.7) than did the control subjects (2 ± 0.6) (P <0.05). Compared with the normal-weight subjects, the obese subjects showed a higher mean discrepancy between skeletal and chronologic ages according to the carpal analysis and had a significantly higher cervical vertebral maturation score. Thus, to account for the growth in obese patients with skeletal discrepancies, it might be necessary to perform examinations and dentofacial and orthopedic treatments earlier than in normal-weight subjects. Copyright © 2012 American Association of Orthodontists. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Sound Source Localization and Speech Understanding in Complex Listening Environments by Single-sided Deaf Listeners After Cochlear Implantation.

PubMed

Zeitler, Daniel M; Dorman, Michael F; Natale, Sarah J; Loiselle, Louise; Yost, William A; Gifford, Rene H

2015-09-01

To assess improvements in sound source localization and speech understanding in complex listening environments after unilateral cochlear implantation for single-sided deafness (SSD). Nonrandomized, open, prospective case series. Tertiary referral center. Nine subjects with a unilateral cochlear implant (CI) for SSD (SSD-CI) were tested. Reference groups for the task of sound source localization included young (n = 45) and older (n = 12) normal-hearing (NH) subjects and 27 bilateral CI (BCI) subjects. Unilateral cochlear implantation. Sound source localization was tested with 13 loudspeakers in a 180 arc in front of the subject. Speech understanding was tested with the subject seated in an 8-loudspeaker sound system arrayed in a 360-degree pattern. Directionally appropriate noise, originally recorded in a restaurant, was played from each loudspeaker. Speech understanding in noise was tested using the Azbio sentence test and sound source localization quantified using root mean square error. All CI subjects showed poorer-than-normal sound source localization. SSD-CI subjects showed a bimodal distribution of scores: six subjects had scores near the mean of those obtained by BCI subjects, whereas three had scores just outside the 95th percentile of NH listeners. Speech understanding improved significantly in the restaurant environment when the signal was presented to the side of the CI. Cochlear implantation for SSD can offer improved speech understanding in complex listening environments and improved sound source localization in both children and adults. On tasks of sound source localization, SSD-CI patients typically perform as well as BCI patients and, in some cases, achieve scores at the upper boundary of normal performance.

Measurement of multiaxial ply strength by an off-axis flexure test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crews, John H., Jr.; Naik, Rajiv A.

1992-01-01

An off-axis flexure (OAF) test was performed to measure ply strength under multiaxial stress states. This test involves unidirectional off-axis specimens loaded in bending, using an apparatus that allows these anisotropic specimens to twist as well as flex without the complications of a resisting torque. A 3D finite element stress analysis verified that simple beam theory could be used to compute the specimen bending stresses at failure. Unidirectional graphite/epoxy specimens with fiber angles ranging from 90 deg to 15 deg have combined normal and shear stresses on their failure planes that are typical of 45 deg plies in structural laminates. Tests for a range of stress states with AS4/3501-6 specimens showed that both normal and shear stresses on the failure plane influenced cracking resistance. This OAF test may prove to be useful for generating data needed to predict ply cracking in composite structures and may also provide an approach for studying fiber-matrix interface failures under stress states typical of structures.

Phonological awareness and the working memory of children with and without literacy difficulties.

PubMed

Cardoso, Andreia Martins de Souza; Silva, Mônica Marins da; Pereira, Mônica Medeiros de Britto

2013-01-01

To investigate phonological awareness and working memory skills as well as their influence on the literacy process in a group of intellectually normal children. Forty intellectually normal children (7.6-8.0 years) from the second and third grades of elementary school participated. Children were organized in two groups (20 children each): one with and another without literacy difficulties. These participants underwent RAVEN's intelligence quotient test, audiometric assessment, CONFIAS test of phonological awareness, written spelling task, and working memory test. Children in the alphabetic phase presented a good development of phonological awareness, and 85% of them showed a high-performance working memory. Children in the syllabic-alphabetic phase had changes in phonological awareness, and 91.6% of them showed an average working memory performance. The subjects at pre-syllabic and syllabic phases demonstrated more difficulties in phonological awareness than those at syllabic-alphabetic and had a poor working memory performance. Between-group differences were observed for CONFIAS and working memory tests (p<0.0001). There was also a significant correlation (r=0.78, p=0.01) between the skills of phonological awareness and working memory for the total sample of individuals. Based on these results, it was found that as phonological awareness and working memory levels increased, the literacy phase also advanced, therefore showing that these are directly proportional measures.

Chewing in adolescents with overweight and obesity: An exploratory study with behavioral approach.

PubMed

Pedroni-Pereira, Aline; Araujo, Darlle Santos; Scudine, Kelly Guedes de Oliveira; Prado, Daniela Galvão de Almeida; Lima, Débora Alves Nunes Leite; Castelo, Paula Midori

2016-12-01

Physiological and behavioral aspects of masticatory function may have an impact on nutritional status, which has been little studied. The aim was to perform a comprehensive evaluation of objective, subjective and behavioral aspects of masticatory function in 231 adolescents, aged 14-17 years and compare these parameters between normal-weight (n = 115) and adolescents with overweight/obesity (n = 116). Objective aspects were examined by the Oro-facial Myofunctional Evaluation-expanded protocol (OMES-e), determining the masticatory type, chewing time/frequency, abnormal movements, and other; masticatory performance (color changeable chewing gum) and bite force were also explored. The subjective and behavioral evaluations were assessed using the Quality of Mastication Function Questionnaire, which explores the masticatory behavior and frequency/intensity of difficulty in chewing different types of foods. Results were submitted to normality tests, Chi-square, unpaired t-test and Mann-Whitney. A multiple linear regression model was used to evaluate which of the variables under study contributed to the variation in Percent Body Fat (α = 0.05). The results showed that OMES-e total score differed significantly between groups, that is, individuals with overweight showed more changes in oro-facial myofunctional aspects than normal-weight ones. Unilateral mastication was more frequent among females with overweight/obesity. They also showed greater difficulty on Habits and Fruit domains, reporting the need of adding sauce to the meal to facilitate swallowing and peeling and cutting fruit (apples) in small pieces in order to better chew them. OMES-e total score also showed a significant relationship with Percent Body Fat. Masticatory performance evaluated by chewing gum and bite force did not differ between groups. This study showed that adolescents with excess weight presented changes in masticatory behavior and greater difficulty in performing the masticatory function comparing to normal-weight ones. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Difficulty with learning of exercise instructions associated with 'working memory' dysfunction and frontal glucose hypometabolism in a patient with very mild subcortical vascular dementia with knee osteoarthritis.

PubMed

Takeda, Kenji; Meguro, Kenichi; Tanaka, Naofumi; Nakatsuka, Masahiro

2013-07-25

We present a patient with no dementia, depression or apathy, who had difficulty in learning self-exercise instructions. The patient was an 80-year-old right-handed woman who was admitted to a rehabilitation unit to receive postoperative rehabilitation after a femoral neck fracture. She was instructed quadriceps isometric exercises to perform 10 repetitions and to hold each stretch for 10 s. She performed the exercise correctly with motivation, but she had difficulty in learning the number of repetitions and the duration of each stretch. She had no history of cerebrovascular accident and the neurological examination was normal. Neuropsychological testing, MRI and (18)F-fluoro- D-glucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) were performed to examine the neural mechanisms associated with this difficulty in learning instructions. Neuropsychological tests revealed dysfunction of working memory while other cognitive domains were relatively preserved. Her neuropsychological tests scores were (1) Mini-Mental State Examination: 24 (mild cognitive impairment), (2) Geriatric Depression Scale-15: 2 (no depression), (3) Apathy Scale: 2 (no apathy), (4) digit span forward: 5 (normal), (5) digit span backward: 2 (impaired), (6) visuospatial span forward: 4 (normal), (7) visuospatial span backward: 2 (impaired), (8) frontal assessment battery: 11 (normal), (9) Weigl test: 0 (impaired), (10) trail making test A: 52 s (normal), (11) train making test B: failed (impaired). T2-weighted and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery MRI showed high signal-intensity lesions in the cerebral deep white matter. FDG-PET revealed hypometabolic areas in the bilateral frontal lobes, particularly in the bilateral dorsolateral frontal area, anterior cingulate cortex and orbitofrontal cortex. One of the possible neural mechanisms underlying the learning difficulties in this patient may have been partial blockage of the cingulofrontal network by deep white matter lesions.

The Distribution of the Product Explains Normal Theory Mediation Confidence Interval Estimation.

PubMed

Kisbu-Sakarya, Yasemin; MacKinnon, David P; Miočević, Milica

2014-05-01

The distribution of the product has several useful applications. One of these applications is its use to form confidence intervals for the indirect effect as the product of 2 regression coefficients. The purpose of this article is to investigate how the moments of the distribution of the product explain normal theory mediation confidence interval coverage and imbalance. Values of the critical ratio for each random variable are used to demonstrate how the moments of the distribution of the product change across values of the critical ratio observed in research studies. Results of the simulation study showed that as skewness in absolute value increases, coverage decreases. And as skewness in absolute value and kurtosis increases, imbalance increases. The difference between testing the significance of the indirect effect using the normal theory versus the asymmetric distribution of the product is further illustrated with a real data example. This article is the first study to show the direct link between the distribution of the product and indirect effect confidence intervals and clarifies the results of previous simulation studies by showing why normal theory confidence intervals for indirect effects are often less accurate than those obtained from the asymmetric distribution of the product or from resampling methods.

Mesh size selectivity of the gillnet in East China Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, L. Z.; Tang, J. H.; Xiong, Y.; Huang, H. L.; Wu, L.; Shi, J. J.; Gao, Y. S.; Wu, F. Q.

2017-07-01

A production test using several gillnets with various mesh sizes was carried out to discover the selectivity of gillnets in the East China Sea. The result showed that the composition of the catch species was synthetically affected by panel height and mesh size. The bycatch species of the 10-m nets were more than those of the 6-m nets. For target species, the effect of panel height on juvenile fish was ambiguous, but the number of juvenile fish declined quickly with the increase in mesh size. According to model deviance (D) and Akaike’s information criterion, the bi-normal model provided the best fit for small yellow croaker (Larimichthy polyactis), and the relative retention was 0.2 and 1, respectively. For Chelidonichthys spinosus, the log-normal was the best model; the right tilt of the selectivity curve was obvious and well coincided with the original data. The contact population of small yellow croaker showed a bi-normal distribution, and body lengths ranged from 95 to 215 mm. The contact population of C. spinosus showed a normal distribution, and the body lengths ranged from 95 to 205 mm. These results can provide references for coastal fishery management.

Gitelman or Bartter type 3 syndrome? A case of distal convoluted tubulopathy caused by CLCNKB gene mutation

PubMed Central

Cruz, António José; Castro, Alexandra

2013-01-01

A 32-year-old woman with no significant medical history was sent to our consultation due to hypokalaemia (<3.0 mmol/l). Her main complaints were longstanding polyuria and nocturia. Physical examination was normal. Basic investigations showed normal renal function, low serum potassium (2.7 mmol/l) and magnesium (0.79 mmol/l), metabolic alkalosis (pH 7.54; bicarbonate 32.5 mmol/l), elevated urinary potassium (185 mmol/24 h) and normal urinary calcium (246 mg/24 h). Thiazide test revealed blunted response. Chronic vomiting and the abuse of diuretics were excluded. Genetic tests for SLC12A3 gene mutation described in Gitelman syndrome (GS) came negative. CLCNKB gene mutation analysis present in both GS and Bartter (BS) type 3 syndromes was positive. The patient is now being treated with potassium and magnesium oral supplements, ramipril and spironolactone with stable near-normal potassium and magnesium levels. This article presents the case of a patient with hypokalaemia caused by CLCNKB gene mutation hard to categorise as GS or BS type 3. PMID:23345488

Gitelman or Bartter type 3 syndrome? A case of distal convoluted tubulopathy caused by CLCNKB gene mutation.

PubMed

Cruz, António José; Castro, Alexandra

2013-01-22

A 32-year-old woman with no significant medical history was sent to our consultation due to hypokalaemia (<3.0 mmol/l). Her main complaints were longstanding polyuria and nocturia. Physical examination was normal. Basic investigations showed normal renal function, low serum potassium (2.7 mmol/l) and magnesium (0.79 mmol/l), metabolic alkalosis (pH 7.54; bicarbonate 32.5 mmol/l), elevated urinary potassium (185 mmol/24 h) and normal urinary calcium (246 mg/24 h). Thiazide test revealed blunted response. Chronic vomiting and the abuse of diuretics were excluded. Genetic tests for SLC12A3 gene mutation described in Gitelman syndrome (GS) came negative. CLCNKB gene mutation analysis present in both GS and Bartter (BS) type 3 syndromes was positive. The patient is now being treated with potassium and magnesium oral supplements, ramipril and spironolactone with stable near-normal potassium and magnesium levels. This article presents the case of a patient with hypokalaemia caused by CLCNKB gene mutation hard to categorise as GS or BS type 3.

Experimental investigation of the effect of Reynolds number on flow structures in the wake of a circular parachute canopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Zhe-Yan; Pasqualini, Sylvio; Qin, Bo

2014-06-01

In the present study, an experimental study was conducted to characterize the effect of Reynolds number on flow structures in the turbulent wake of a circular parachute canopy by utilizing stereoscopic particle image velocimetry (Stereo-PIV) technique. The parachute model tested in the present study was attached by 28 nylon suspension lines and placed horizontally at the test section center of the wind tunnel. The obtained results showed that with the increase of Reynolds number, the intensities of the vortices near the downstream region of the canopy skirt were found to increase accordingly. However, the increase of Reynolds number did not result in a significant change in ensembleaveraged normalized x-component of the velocity, ensembleaveraged normalized vorticity, normalized Reynolds stress, and normalized turbulent kinetic energy distributions in the turbulent wake of the circular parachute canopy. The obtained results are very useful to further our understanding about the unsteady aerodynamics in the wake of flexible circular parachute canopies and to constitute a reference for CFD computation.

Working memory training using EEG neurofeedback in normal young adults.

PubMed

Xiong, Shi; Cheng, Chen; Wu, Xia; Guo, Xiaojuan; Yao, Li; Zhang, Jiacai

2014-01-01

Recent studies have shown that working memory (WM) performance can be improved by intensive and adaptive computerized training. Here, we explored the WM training effect using Electroencephalography (EEG) neurofeedback (NF) in normal young adults. In the first study, we identified the EEG features related to WM in normal young adults. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that the power ratio of the theta-to-alpha rhythms in the anterior-parietal region, accurately classified a high percentage of the EEG trials recorded during WM and fixation control (FC) tasks. Based on these results, a second study aimed to assess the training effects of the theta-to-alpha ratio and tested the hypothesis that up-regulating the power ratio can improve working memory behavior. Our results demonstrated that these normal young adults succeeded in improving their WM performance with EEG NF, and the pre- and post-test evaluations also indicated that WM performance increase in experimental group was significantly greater than control groups. In summary, our findings provided preliminarily evidence that WM performance can be improved through learned regulation of the EEG power ratio using EEG NF.

A Third Moment Adjusted Test Statistic for Small Sample Factor Analysis

PubMed Central

Lin, Johnny; Bentler, Peter M.

2012-01-01

Goodness of fit testing in factor analysis is based on the assumption that the test statistic is asymptotically chi-square; but this property may not hold in small samples even when the factors and errors are normally distributed in the population. Robust methods such as Browne’s asymptotically distribution-free method and Satorra Bentler’s mean scaling statistic were developed under the presumption of non-normality in the factors and errors. This paper finds new application to the case where factors and errors are normally distributed in the population but the skewness of the obtained test statistic is still high due to sampling error in the observed indicators. An extension of Satorra Bentler’s statistic is proposed that not only scales the mean but also adjusts the degrees of freedom based on the skewness of the obtained test statistic in order to improve its robustness under small samples. A simple simulation study shows that this third moment adjusted statistic asymptotically performs on par with previously proposed methods, and at a very small sample size offers superior Type I error rates under a properly specified model. Data from Mardia, Kent and Bibby’s study of students tested for their ability in five content areas that were either open or closed book were used to illustrate the real-world performance of this statistic. PMID:23144511

POSTSURGICAL RECURRENT CUSHING DISEASE: CLINICAL BENEFIT OF EARLY INTERVENTION IN PATIENTS WITH NORMAL URINARY FREE CORTISOL.

PubMed

Carroll, Ty B; Javorsky, Bradley R; Findling, James W

2016-10-01

To assess the performance of biochemical markers in the detection of recurrent Cushing disease (CD), as well as the potential benefit of early intervention in recurrent CD patients with elevated late-night salivary cortisol (LNSC) and normal urinary free cortisol (UFC). The design was a single-center, retrospective chart review. Patients treated by the authors from 2008-2013 were included. Recurrence was defined by postsurgical remission of CD with subsequent abnormal LNSC, UFC, or dexamethasone suppression test (DST). We identified 15 patients with postsurgical recurrent CD after initial remission; all but one underwent testing with LNSC, DST, and UFC. Although 12 of 15 patients had normal UFC at time of recurrence, DST was abnormal in 11 of 15, and all 14 patients with LNSC results had ≥1 elevated measurement. Nine patients (7 with normal UFC) showed radiologic evidence of a pituitary tumor at time of recurrence. Among the 14 patients with available follow-up data, 12 have demonstrated significant improvement since receiving treatment. Five patients underwent repeat pituitary surgery and 4 achieved clinical and biochemical remission. Eight patients received mifepristone or cabergoline, and 6 showed clinical and/or biochemical improvement. Three patients (2 with prior mifepristone) underwent bilateral adrenalectomy and 2 demonstrated significant clinical improvements. LNSC is more sensitive than UFC or DST for detection of CD recurrence. Prompt intervention when LNSC is elevated, despite normal UFC, may yield significant clinical benefit for many patients with CD. Early treatment for patients with recurrent CD should be prospectively evaluated, utilizing LNSC elevation as an early biochemical marker. ACTH = adrenocorticotropic hormone CD = Cushing disease CS = Cushing syndrome CV = coefficient of variation DST = dexamethasone suppression test IPSS = inferior petrosal sinus sampling LNSC = late-night salivary cortisol QoL = quality of life TSS = transsphenoidal adenoma resection UFC = urinary free cortisol.

Reduced Structural Connectivity in Frontostriatal White Matter Tracts in the Associative Loop in Schizophrenia.

PubMed

Levitt, James J; Nestor, Paul G; Levin, Laura; Pelavin, Paula; Lin, Pan; Kubicki, Marek; McCarley, Robert W; Shenton, Martha E; Rathi, Yogesh

2017-11-01

The striatum receives segregated and integrative white matter tracts from the cortex facilitating information processing in the cortico-basal ganglia network. The authors examined both types of input tracts in the striatal associative loop in chronic schizophrenia patients and healthy control subjects. Structural and diffusion MRI scans were acquired on a 3-T system from 26 chronic schizophrenia patients and 26 matched healthy control subjects. Using FreeSurfer, the associative cortex was parcellated into ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex subregions. The striatum was manually parcellated into its associative and sensorimotor functional subregions. Fractional anisotropy and normalized streamlines, an estimate of fiber counts, were assessed in four frontostriatal tracts (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex-associative striatum, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex-sensorimotor striatum, ventrolateral prefrontal cortex-associative striatum, and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex-sensorimotor striatum). Furthermore, these measures were correlated with a measure of cognitive control, the Trail-Making Test, Part B. Results showed reduced fractional anisotropy and fewer streamlines in chronic schizophrenia patients for all four tracts, both segregated and integrative. Post hoc t tests showed reduced fractional anisotropy in the left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex-associative striatum and left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex-sensorimotor striatum and fewer normalized streamlines in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex-sensorimotor striatum and in the left and right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex-sensorimotor striatum in chronic schizophrenia patients. Furthermore, normalized streamlines in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex-sensorimotor striatum negatively correlated with Trail-Making Test, Part B, time spent in healthy control subjects but not in chronic schizophrenia patients. These findings demonstrated that structural connectivity is reduced in both segregated and integrative tracts in the striatal associative loop in chronic schizophrenia and that reduced normalized streamlines in the right-hemisphere dorsolateral prefrontal cortex-sensorimotor striatum predicted worse cognitive control in healthy control subjects but not in chronic schizophrenia patients, suggesting a loss of a "normal" brain-behavior correlation in chronic schizophrenia.

Super-delta: a new differential gene expression analysis procedure with robust data normalization.

PubMed

Liu, Yuhang; Zhang, Jinfeng; Qiu, Xing

2017-12-21

Normalization is an important data preparation step in gene expression analyses, designed to remove various systematic noise. Sample variance is greatly reduced after normalization, hence the power of subsequent statistical analyses is likely to increase. On the other hand, variance reduction is made possible by borrowing information across all genes, including differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and outliers, which will inevitably introduce some bias. This bias typically inflates type I error; and can reduce statistical power in certain situations. In this study we propose a new differential expression analysis pipeline, dubbed as super-delta, that consists of a multivariate extension of the global normalization and a modified t-test. A robust procedure is designed to minimize the bias introduced by DEGs in the normalization step. The modified t-test is derived based on asymptotic theory for hypothesis testing that suitably pairs with the proposed robust normalization. We first compared super-delta with four commonly used normalization methods: global, median-IQR, quantile, and cyclic loess normalization in simulation studies. Super-delta was shown to have better statistical power with tighter control of type I error rate than its competitors. In many cases, the performance of super-delta is close to that of an oracle test in which datasets without technical noise were used. We then applied all methods to a collection of gene expression datasets on breast cancer patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. While there is a substantial overlap of the DEGs identified by all of them, super-delta were able to identify comparatively more DEGs than its competitors. Downstream gene set enrichment analysis confirmed that all these methods selected largely consistent pathways. Detailed investigations on the relatively small differences showed that pathways identified by super-delta have better connections to breast cancer than other methods. As a new pipeline, super-delta provides new insights to the area of differential gene expression analysis. Solid theoretical foundation supports its asymptotic unbiasedness and technical noise-free properties. Implementation on real and simulated datasets demonstrates its decent performance compared with state-of-art procedures. It also has the potential of expansion to be incorporated with other data type and/or more general between-group comparison problems.

The Effect of Ultrapolish on a Transonic Axial Rotor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roberts, William B.; Thorp, Scott; Prahst, Patricia S.; Strazisar, Anthony

2005-01-01

Back-to-back testing has been done using NASA fan rotor 67 in the Glenn Research Center W8 Axial Compressor Test Facility. The rotor was baseline tested with a normal industrial RMS surface finish of 0.5-0.6 m (20-24 microinches) at 60, 80 and 100% of design speed. At design speed the tip relative Mach number was 1.38. The blades were then removed from the facility and ultrapolished to a surface finish of 0.125 m (5 microinch) or less and retested. At 100% speed near the design point, the ultrapolished blades showed approximately 0.3 - 0.5% increase in adiabatic efficiency. The difference was greater near maximum flow. Due to increased relative measurement error at 60 and 80% speed, the performance difference between the normal and ultrapolished blades was indeterminate at these speeds.

Robust joint score tests in the application of DNA methylation data analysis.

PubMed

Li, Xuan; Fu, Yuejiao; Wang, Xiaogang; Qiu, Weiliang

2018-05-18

Recently differential variability has been showed to be valuable in evaluating the association of DNA methylation to the risks of complex human diseases. The statistical tests based on both differential methylation level and differential variability can be more powerful than those based only on differential methylation level. Anh and Wang (2013) proposed a joint score test (AW) to simultaneously detect for differential methylation and differential variability. However, AW's method seems to be quite conservative and has not been fully compared with existing joint tests. We proposed three improved joint score tests, namely iAW.Lev, iAW.BF, and iAW.TM, and have made extensive comparisons with the joint likelihood ratio test (jointLRT), the Kolmogorov-Smirnov (KS) test, and the AW test. Systematic simulation studies showed that: 1) the three improved tests performed better (i.e., having larger power, while keeping nominal Type I error rates) than the other three tests for data with outliers and having different variances between cases and controls; 2) for data from normal distributions, the three improved tests had slightly lower power than jointLRT and AW. The analyses of two Illumina HumanMethylation27 data sets GSE37020 and GSE20080 and one Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC data set GSE107080 demonstrated that three improved tests had higher true validation rates than those from jointLRT, KS, and AW. The three proposed joint score tests are robust against the violation of normality assumption and presence of outlying observations in comparison with other three existing tests. Among the three proposed tests, iAW.BF seems to be the most robust and effective one for all simulated scenarios and also in real data analyses.

Vertical drop test of a transport fuselage section located forward of the wing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, M. S.; Hayduk, R. J.

1983-01-01

A Boeing 707 fuselage section was drop tested at the NASA Langley Research Center to measure structural, seat, and occupant response to vertical crack loads. Post-test inspection showed that the section bottom collapsed inward approximately 2 ft. Preliminary data traces indicated maximum normal accelerations of 20 g on the fuselage bottom, 10 to 12 g on the cabin floor, and 6.5 to 8 g in the pelvises of the anthropomorphic dummies.

Comparing performance on the MNREAD iPad application with the MNREAD acuity chart.

PubMed

Calabrèse, Aurélie; To, Long; He, Yingchen; Berkholtz, Elizabeth; Rafian, Paymon; Legge, Gordon E

2018-01-01

Our purpose was to compare reading performance measured with the MNREAD Acuity Chart and an iPad application (app) version of the same test for both normally sighted and low-vision participants. Our methods included 165 participants with normal vision and 43 participants with low vision tested on the standard printed MNREAD and on the iPad app version of the test. Maximum Reading Speed, Critical Print Size, Reading Acuity, and Reading Accessibility Index were compared using linear mixed-effects models to identify any potential differences in test performance between the printed chart and the iPad app. Our results showed the following: For normal vision, chart and iPad yield similar estimates of Critical Print Size and Reading Acuity. The iPad provides significantly slower estimates of Maximum Reading Speed than the chart, with a greater difference for faster readers. The difference was on average 3% at 100 words per minute (wpm), 6% at 150 wpm, 9% at 200 wpm, and 12% at 250 wpm. For low vision, Maximum Reading Speed, Reading Accessibility Index, and Critical Print Size are equivalent on the iPad and chart. Only the Reading Acuity is significantly smaller (I. E., better) when measured on the digital version of the test, but by only 0.03 logMAR (p = 0.013). Our conclusions were that, overall, MNREAD parameters measured with the printed chart and the iPad app are very similar. The difference found in Maximum Reading Speed for the normally sighted participants can be explained by differences in the method for timing the reading trials.

Comparing performance on the MNREAD iPad application with the MNREAD acuity chart

PubMed Central

Calabrèse, Aurélie; To, Long; He, Yingchen; Berkholtz, Elizabeth; Rafian, Paymon; Legge, Gordon E.

2018-01-01

Our purpose was to compare reading performance measured with the MNREAD Acuity Chart and an iPad application (app) version of the same test for both normally sighted and low-vision participants. Our methods included 165 participants with normal vision and 43 participants with low vision tested on the standard printed MNREAD and on the iPad app version of the test. Maximum Reading Speed, Critical Print Size, Reading Acuity, and Reading Accessibility Index were compared using linear mixed-effects models to identify any potential differences in test performance between the printed chart and the iPad app. Our results showed the following: For normal vision, chart and iPad yield similar estimates of Critical Print Size and Reading Acuity. The iPad provides significantly slower estimates of Maximum Reading Speed than the chart, with a greater difference for faster readers. The difference was on average 3% at 100 words per minute (wpm), 6% at 150 wpm, 9% at 200 wpm, and 12% at 250 wpm. For low vision, Maximum Reading Speed, Reading Accessibility Index, and Critical Print Size are equivalent on the iPad and chart. Only the Reading Acuity is significantly smaller (I. E., better) when measured on the digital version of the test, but by only 0.03 logMAR (p = 0.013). Our conclusions were that, overall, MNREAD parameters measured with the printed chart and the iPad app are very similar. The difference found in Maximum Reading Speed for the normally sighted participants can be explained by differences in the method for timing the reading trials. PMID:29351351

Color Vision and the Railways: Part 2. Comparison of the CN Lantern Used on the Canadian Railways and Railway LED Lantern Tests.

PubMed

Dain, Stephen J; Casolin, Armand; Long, Jennifer

2015-02-01

There are two currently available lantern tests that have their design based solely on the practices of the rail industry. These are the CN Lantern (CNLAN) used on the Canadian Railways and the Railway LED Lantern Tests (RLLT). In the same way that the signaling practices differ in the two jurisdictions, the design of the lanterns also differ. The CIE (Commission Internationale de l'Éclairage)-recommended color vision standards for transport predate both lanterns. The study was undertaken to assess the appropriateness of these lanterns in CIE Color Vision Standard 1. CIE Standard 1 is called "Normal color vision" but some very mild anomalous trichromats may pass the specified "lantern test that presents a high level of difficulty." The lantern tests were undertaken by 46 color vision-normal and 37 color vision-deficient subjects. Subjects made more errors on the RLLT, and the pattern of errors is different, partly because there are blank presentations in the RLLT and "no light" is an acceptable response. The two lanterns showed agreement on the pass/fail categorization of 73 of the 83 subjects. The RLLT fails more color vision-normal subjects. Despite the different construction principles, the RLLT and CNLAN have pass/fail levels that are comparable with the Holmes-Wright Type B lantern, which is nominated in CIE Color Vision Standard 1 but is no longer commercially available. The higher failure rate of color vision-normal subjects on the RLLT has been addressed by changing the intensities of the two darkest red lights.

The study on the nanomachining property and cutting model of single-crystal sapphire by atomic force microscopy.

PubMed

Huang, Jen-Ching; Weng, Yung-Jin

2014-01-01

This study focused on the nanomachining property and cutting model of single-crystal sapphire during nanomachining. The coated diamond probe is used to as a tool, and the atomic force microscopy (AFM) is as an experimental platform for nanomachining. To understand the effect of normal force on single-crystal sapphire machining, this study tested nano-line machining and nano-rectangular pattern machining at different normal force. In nano-line machining test, the experimental results showed that the normal force increased, the groove depth from nano-line machining also increased. And the trend is logarithmic type. In nano-rectangular pattern machining test, it is found when the normal force increases, the groove depth also increased, but rather the accumulation of small chips. This paper combined the blew by air blower, the cleaning by ultrasonic cleaning machine and using contact mode probe to scan the surface topology after nanomaching, and proposed the "criterion of nanomachining cutting model," in order to determine the cutting model of single-crystal sapphire in the nanomachining is ductile regime cutting model or brittle regime cutting model. After analysis, the single-crystal sapphire substrate is processed in small normal force during nano-linear machining; its cutting modes are ductile regime cutting model. In the nano-rectangular pattern machining, due to the impact of machined zones overlap, the cutting mode is converted into a brittle regime cutting model. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Glucose, Insulin and C-peptide Kinetics during an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test in Patients with Chronic Liver Disease

PubMed Central

Min, Yong Ki; Suh, Kyo II; Choi, Sang Jeon; Lee, Hong Kyu; Kim, Chung Yong; Koh, Chang-Soon; Min, Hun Ki

1987-01-01

To elucidate the mechanism of glucose intolerance in patients with chronic liver disease(CLD), we measured the levels of plasma glucose, insulin and C-peptide during oral glucose tolerance test and urinary excretion of C-peptide per 24 hours during a weight maintenance diet in 20 patients with CLD who had fasting plasma glucose(FBS) of less than 100 mg/dl. The patients with CLD who had normal FBS(FBS less than 100 mg/dl) were divided into two groups by the National Diabetes Data Group Criteria: one with abnormal glucose tolerance (abnormal GTT, Group 1) and the other with normal glucose tolerance (normal GTT. Group 2). Group 1 patients showed significantly higher plasma insulin (p<0.02 and p<0.01, respectively) and C-peptide concentrations (p<0.01) in the fasting state and 2 hours after a 75gram oral glucose loading (PP2) than group 2 patients. Urinary excretion of C-peptide per 24 hours was also higher in group 1 patients than in group 2 patients (p<0.01). Group 2 patients demonstrated similar plasma insulin, C-peptide and urinary excretion of C-peptide per 24 hours to normal subjects (p>0.05). These results suggest that patients with CLD who had normal FBS can be divided into two groups by oral glucose tolerance test(GTT) and those with abnormal GTT have hyperinsulinemia the mechanism of which is insulin hypersecretion from pancreatic B-cell. PMID:3154815

Clinical Investigation and Mechanism of Air-Bone Gaps in LargeVestibular Aqueduct Syndrome

PubMed Central

Merchant, Saumil N.; Nakajima, Hideko H.; Halpin, Christopher; Nadol, Joseph B.; Lee, Daniel J.; Innis, William P.; Curtin, Hugh; Rosowski, John J.

2008-01-01

Objectives Patients with large vestibular aqueduct syndrome (LVAS) often demonstrate an air-bone gap at the low frequencies on audiometric testing. The mechanism causing such a gap has not been well elucidated. We investigated middle ear sound transmission in patients with LVAS, and present a hypothesis to explain the air-bone gap. Methods Observations were made on 8 ears from 5 individuals with LVAS. The diagnosis of LVAS was made by computed tomography in all cases. Investigations included standard audiometry and measurements of umbo velocity by laser Doppler vibrometry (LDV) in all cases, as well as tympanometry, acoustic reflex testing, vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) testing, distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) testing, and middle ear exploration in some ears. Results One ear with LVAS had anacusis. The other 7 ears demonstrated air-bone gaps at the low frequencies, with mean gaps of 51 dB at 250 Hz, 31 dB at 500 Hz, and 12 dB at 1,000 Hz. In these 7 ears with air-bone gaps, LDV showed the umbo velocity to be normal or high normal in all 7; tympanometry was normal in all 6 ears tested; acoustic reflexes were present in 3 of the 4 ears tested; VEMP responses were present in all 3 ears tested; DPOAEs were present in 1 of the 2 ears tested, and exploratory tympanotomy in 1 case showed a normal middle ear. The above data suggest that an air-bone gap in LVAS is not due to disease in the middle ear. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that a large vestibular aqueduct introduces a third mobile window into the inner ear, which can produce an air-bone gap by 1) shunting air-conducted sound away from the cochlea, thus elevating air conduction thresholds, and 2) increasing the difference in impedance between the scala vestibuli side and the scala tympani side of the cochlear partition during bone conduction testing, thus improving thresholds for bone-conducted sound. Conclusions We conclude that LVAS can present with an air-bone gap that can mimic middle ear disease. Diagnostic testing using acoustic reflexes, VEMPs, DPOAEs, and LDV can help to identify a non–middle ear source for such a gap, thereby avoiding negative middle ear exploration. A large vestibular aqueduct may act as a third mobile window in the inner ear, resulting in an air-bone gap at low frequencies. PMID:17727085

Independent Deficits of Visual Word and Motion Processing in Aging and Early Alzheimer's Disease

PubMed Central

Velarde, Carla; Perelstein, Elizabeth; Ressmann, Wendy; Duffy, Charles J.

2013-01-01

We tested whether visual processing impairments in aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD) reflect uniform posterior cortical decline, or independent disorders of visual processing for reading and navigation. Young and older normal controls were compared to early AD patients using psychophysical measures of visual word and motion processing. We find elevated perceptual thresholds for letters and word discrimination from young normal controls, to older normal controls, to early AD patients. Across subject groups, visual motion processing showed a similar pattern of increasing thresholds, with the greatest impact on radial pattern motion perception. Combined analyses show that letter, word, and motion processing impairments are independent of each other. Aging and AD may be accompanied by independent impairments of visual processing for reading and navigation. This suggests separate underlying disorders and highlights the need for comprehensive evaluations to detect early deficits. PMID:22647256

The multifocal electroretinogram in X-linked juvenile retinoschisis.

PubMed

Huang, Shizhou; Wu, Dezheng; Jiang, Futian; Luo, Guangwei; Liang, Jiongji; Wen, Feng; Yu, Minzhong; Long, Shixian; Wu, Lezheng

2003-05-01

To measure and compare the multifocal electroretinography in normal control and X-linked juvenile retinoschisis, 13 cases (13 right eyes) of normal control and nine cases (17 eyes) of X-linked juvenile retinoschisis were measured with VERIS Science 4.0. Four cases (eight eyes) out of the nine retinoschisis cases were tested with Ganzfeld ERG at the same day. The results showed statistically significant difference of average response densities and latencies in six ring retinal regions between the normal control and retinoschisis. The trace array and 3-D topography of multifocal ERG showed multi-area amplitude decrease with absence or reduction of central peak amplitude in patients with retinoschisis. The P1/N1 ratio of multifocal ERG average response densities in six ring retinal regions was different from the b/a ratio of Ganzfeld ERG. The multifocal ERG and Ganzfeld ERG each had its advantage in the diagnosis of retinoschisis.

Corneal permeability changes in dry eye disease: an observational study.

PubMed

Fujitani, Kenji; Gadaria, Neha; Lee, Kyu-In; Barry, Brendan; Asbell, Penny

2016-05-13

Diagnostic tests for dry eye disease (DED), including ocular surface disease index (OSDI), tear breakup time (TBUT), corneal fluorescein staining, and lissamine staining, have great deal of variability. We investigated whether fluorophotometry correlated with previously established DED diagnostic tests and whether it could serve as a novel objective metric to evaluate DED. Dry eye patients who have had established signs or symptoms for at least 6 months were included in this observational study. Normal subjects with no symptoms of dry eyes served as controls. Each eye had a baseline fluorescein scan prior to any fluorescein dye. Fluorescein dye was then placed into both eyes, rinsed with saline solution, and scanned at 5, 10, 15, and 30 min. Patients were administered the following diagnostic tests to correlate with fluorophotometry: OSDI, TBUT, fluorescein, and lissamine. Standard protocols were used. P < 0.05 was considered significant. Fifty eyes from 25 patients (DED = 22 eyes, 11 patients; Normal = 28 eyes, 14 patients) were included. Baseline scans of the dry eye and control groups did not show any statistical difference (p = 0.84). Fluorescein concentration of DED and normal patients showed statistical significance at all time intervals (p < 10(-5), 0.001, 0.002, 0.049 for 5, 10, 15, & 30 min respectively). Fluorophotometry values converged towards baseline as time elapsed, but both groups were still statistically different at 30 min (p < 0.01). We used four fluorophotometry scoring methods and correlated them with OSDI, TBUT, fluorescein, and lissamine along with adjusted and aggregate scores. The four scoring schemes did not show any significant correlations with the other tests, except for correlations seen with lissamine and 10 (p = 0.045, 0.034) and 15 min (p = 0.013, 0.012), and with aggregate scores and 15 min (p = 0.042, 0.017). Fluorophotometry generally did not correlate with any other DED tests, even though it showed capability of differentiating between DED and normal eyes up to 30 min after fluorescein dye instillation. There may be an aspect of DED that is missed in the current regimen of DED tests and only captured with fluorophotometry. Adding fluorophotometry may be useful in screening, diagnosing, and monitoring patients with DED.

Effect of chromium picolinate on modified forced swimming test in diabetic rats: involvement of serotonergic pathways and potassium channels.

PubMed

Khanam, Razia; Pillai, K K

2006-02-01

Depression occurs frequently in patients with diabetes mellitus. Chromium picolinate, an essential trace element is recommended for diabetes and also has been reported to benefit depression, but its mechanism is still debated. To investigate the mechanism, we studied its effects on serum insulin, serum glucose and on modified forced swimming test, a behavioural paradigm for depression in rats. The study involving co-administration of sub-active doses of glimepiride, a K(+) channel blocker and chromium picolinate on blood glucose levels and modified forced swimming test was also performed to probe any role of K(+) channels in its antidiabetic and antidepressants effects. Streptozotocin (55 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) was injected in rats to induce diabetes (Type 1). After a week, chromium picolinate (8 microg/ml in drinking water) was administered for 4 weeks. Normal rats received similar drug treatment. The sub-active doses of chromium picolinate (4 microg/ml in drinking water) and glimeperide (2.5 mg/kg, orally) were co-administered and their effects on modified forced swimming test and on glucose levels were measured. Chromium picolinate (8 microg/ml in drinking water) produced hypoglycaemia in diabetic and normal rats. It had no effects on the streptozotocin-induced reduction in insulin levels. Chromium picolinate (8 microg/ml in drinking water) increased swimming with subsequent decrease in immobility. The sub-active doses of chromium picolinate and glimeperide showed significant additive effects in modified forced swimming test and reduction in serum glucose concentrations, though statistically insignificant. In conclusion chromium picolinate shows antidepressant action on modified forced swimming test affecting only swimming that suggests serotonergic pathways involvement. The additive effects on swimming in modified forced swimming test and reduction in serum glucose levels shows involvement of K(+) channels in antidiabetic and antidepressant actions of chromium picolinate.

Baseline MNREAD Measures for Normally Sighted Subjects From Childhood to Old Age

PubMed Central

Calabrèse, Aurélie; Cheong, Allen M. Y.; Cheung, Sing-Hang; He, Yingchen; Kwon, MiYoung; Mansfield, J. Stephen; Subramanian, Ahalya; Yu, Deyue; Legge, Gordon E.

2016-01-01

Purpose The continuous-text reading-acuity test MNREAD is designed to measure the reading performance of people with normal and low vision. This test is used to estimate maximum reading speed (MRS), critical print size (CPS), reading acuity (RA), and the reading accessibility index (ACC). Here we report the age dependence of these measures for normally sighted individuals, providing baseline data for MNREAD testing. Methods We analyzed MNREAD data from 645 normally sighted participants ranging in age from 8 to 81 years. The data were collected in several studies conducted by different testers and at different sites in our research program, enabling evaluation of robustness of the test. Results Maximum reading speed and reading accessibility index showed a trilinear dependence on age: first increasing from 8 to 16 years (MRS: 140–200 words per minute [wpm]; ACC: 0.7–1.0); then stabilizing in the range of 16 to 40 years (MRS: 200 ± 25 wpm; ACC: 1.0 ± 0.14); and decreasing to 175 wpm and 0.88 by 81 years. Critical print size was constant from 8 to 23 years (0.08 logMAR), increased slowly until 68 years (0.21 logMAR), and then more rapidly until 81 years (0.34 logMAR). logMAR reading acuity improved from −0.1 at 8 years to −0.18 at 16 years, then gradually worsened to −0.05 at 81 years. Conclusions We found a weak dependence of the MNREAD parameters on age in normal vision. In broad terms, MNREAD performance exhibits differences between three age groups: children 8 to 16 years, young adults 16 to 40 years, and middle-aged to older adults >40 years. PMID:27442222

Evaluation of cranial tibial and extensor carpi radialis reflexes before and after anesthetic block in cats.

PubMed

Tudury, Eduardo Alberto; de Figueiredo, Marcella Luiz; Fernandes, Thaiza Helena Tavares; Araújo, Bruno Martins; Bonelli, Marília de Albuquerque; Diogo, Camila Cardoso; Silva, Amanda Camilo; Santos, Cássia Regina Oliveira; Rocha, Nadyne Lorrayne Farias Cardoso

2017-02-01

Objectives This study aimed to test the extensor carpi radialis and cranial tibial reflexes in cats before and after anesthetic block of the brachial and lumbosacral plexus, respectively, to determine whether they depend on a myotatic reflex arc. Methods Fifty-five cats with a normal neurologic examination that were referred for elective gonadectomy were divided into group 1 (29 cats) for testing the extensor carpi radialis reflex, and group 2 (26 cats) for testing the cranial tibial reflex. In group 1, the extensor carpi radialis reflex was tested after anesthetic induction and 15 mins after brachial plexus block with lidocaine. In group 2, the cranial tibial, withdrawal and patellar reflexes were elicited in 52 hindlimbs and retested 15 mins after epidural anesthesia. Results In group 1, before the anesthetic block, 55.17% of the cats had a decreased and 44.83% had a normal extensor carpi radialis reflex. After the block, 68.96% showed a decreased and 27.59% a normal reflex. No cat had an increased or absent reflex before anesthetic block. In group 2, prior to the anesthetic block, 15.38% of the cats had a decreased cranial tibial reflex and 84.62% had a normal response, whereas after the block it was decreased in 26.92% and normal in 73.08% of the cats. None of the cats had an increased or absent reflex. Regarding the presence of both reflexes before and after anesthetic block, there was no significant difference at 1% ( P = 0.013). Conclusions and relevance The extensor carpi radialis and cranial tibial reflexes in cats are not strictly myotatic reflexes, as they are independent of the reflex arc, and may be idiomuscular responses. Therefore, they are not reliable for neurologic examination in this species.

Shake Test Results and Dynamic Calibration Efforts for the Large Rotor Test Apparatus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Russell, Carl R.

2014-01-01

Prior to the full-scale wind tunnel test of the UH-60A Airloads rotor, a shake test was completed on the Large Rotor Test Apparatus. The goal of the shake test was to characterize the oscillatory response of the test rig and provide a dynamic calibration of the balance to accurately measure vibratory hub loads. This paper provides a summary of the shake test results, including balance, shaft bending gauge, and accelerometer measurements. Sensitivity to hub mass and angle of attack were investigated during the shake test. Hub mass was found to have an important impact on the vibratory forces and moments measured at the balance, especially near the UH-60A 4/rev frequency. Comparisons were made between the accelerometer data and an existing finite-element model, showing agreement on mode shapes, but not on natural frequencies. Finally, the results of a simple dynamic calibration are presented, showing the effects of changes in hub mass. The results show that the shake test data can be used to correct in-plane loads measurements up to 10 Hz and normal loads up to 30 Hz.

14 CFR 25.171 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... STANDARDS: TRANSPORT CATEGORY AIRPLANES Flight Stability § 25.171 General. The airplane must be.... In addition, suitable stability and control feel (static stability) is required in any condition normally encountered in service, if flight tests show it is necessary for safe operation. [Doc. No. 5066...

14 CFR 25.171 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... STANDARDS: TRANSPORT CATEGORY AIRPLANES Flight Stability § 25.171 General. The airplane must be.... In addition, suitable stability and control feel (static stability) is required in any condition normally encountered in service, if flight tests show it is necessary for safe operation. [Doc. No. 5066...

14 CFR 25.171 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... STANDARDS: TRANSPORT CATEGORY AIRPLANES Flight Stability § 25.171 General. The airplane must be.... In addition, suitable stability and control feel (static stability) is required in any condition normally encountered in service, if flight tests show it is necessary for safe operation. [Doc. No. 5066...

14 CFR 23.171 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false General. 23.171 Section 23.171 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AIRCRAFT AIRWORTHINESS... any condition normally encountered in service, if flight tests show it is necessary for safe operation. ...

14 CFR 25.171 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false General. 25.171 Section 25.171 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AIRCRAFT AIRWORTHINESS... normally encountered in service, if flight tests show it is necessary for safe operation. [Doc. No. 5066...

14 CFR 25.171 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false General. 25.171 Section 25.171 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AIRCRAFT AIRWORTHINESS... normally encountered in service, if flight tests show it is necessary for safe operation. [Doc. No. 5066...

14 CFR 23.171 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false General. 23.171 Section 23.171 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AIRCRAFT AIRWORTHINESS... any condition normally encountered in service, if flight tests show it is necessary for safe operation. ...

Interactive Assessment as a Research Tool.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haywood, H. Carl; Wingenfeld, Sabine A.

1992-01-01

This paper discusses dynamic/interactive approaches to psychological assessment based on the concept of induced change as a research tactic. Studies are reviewed showing how interactive assessment has yielded new knowledge in psychopathology; neuropsychology; learning disabilities; intelligence testing (in normal, deaf, and immigrant children);…

Growth hormone-releasing hormone resistance in pseudohypoparathyroidism type ia: new evidence for imprinting of the Gs alpha gene.

PubMed

Mantovani, Giovanna; Maghnie, Mohamad; Weber, Giovanna; De Menis, Ernesto; Brunelli, Valeria; Cappa, Marco; Loli, Paola; Beck-Peccoz, Paolo; Spada, Anna

2003-09-01

Heterozygous inactivating mutations in the Gs alpha gene cause Albright's hereditary osteodystrophy. Consistent with the observation that only maternally inherited mutations lead to resistance to hormone action [pseudohypoparathyroidism type Ia (PHP Ia)], recent studies provided evidence for a predominant maternal origin of Gs alpha transcripts in endocrine organs, such as thyroid, gonad, and pituitary. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of pituitary resistance to hypothalamic hormones acting via Gs alpha-coupled receptors in patients with PHP Ia. Six of nine patients showed an impaired GH responsiveness to GHRH plus arginine, consistent with a complete GH deficiency (GH peak from 2.6-8.6 microg/liter, normal > 16.5), and partial (GH peak 13.9 and 13.6 microg/liter) and normal responses were found in two and one patient, respectively. Accordingly, IGF-I levels were below and in the low-normal range in seven and two patients. All patients had a normal cortisol response to 1 microg ACTH test, suggesting a normal corticotroph function that was confirmed by a normal ACTH and cortisol response to CRH test in three patients. In conclusion, we report that in addition to PTH and TSH resistance, patients with PHP Ia display variable degrees of GHRH resistance, consistent with Gs alpha imprinting in human pituitary.

Effect of cigarette smoke on body weight, food intake and reproductive organs in adult albino rats.

PubMed

Audi, Sumedha S; Abraham, Marjorie E; Borker, Abhaya S

2006-07-01

One hour daily exposure to cigarette smoke for two months significantly decreased the body weight and food intake in male and female albino rats. The latency for conception increased significantly and the litter size decreased. Mortality rate per litter increased and grayish discoloration of the skin in the experimental group was the only congenital anomaly seen. Testes and ovaries showed a significant decrease in weight. The stroma of the ovaries were occupied by very few Graafian follicles. Testes showed disruption of the normal orderly progression of the spermatogonia. The tubules showed only one layer of spermatogonia and very few germinal cells. The number of sperms was less in the testes. The results show that exposure to cigarette smoke is detrimental to the reproductivity in both, male and female albino rats.

Evaluation of three different histamine concentrations in intradermal testing of normal cats and attempted determination of 'irritant' threshold concentrations for 48 allergens.

PubMed

Austel, Michaela; Hensel, Patrick; Jackson, Dawn; Vidyashankar, Anand; Zhao, Ying; Medleau, Linda

2006-06-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the optimal histamine concentration and 'irritant' allergen threshold concentrations in intradermal testing (IDT) in normal cats. Thirty healthy cats were tested with three different histamine concentrations and four different concentrations of each allergen. The optimal histamine concentration was determined to be 1: 50,000 w/v (0.05 mg mL(-1)). Using this histamine concentration, the 'irritant' threshold concentration for most allergens was above the highest concentrations tested (4,000 PNU mL(-1) for 41 allergens and 700 PNU mL(-1) for human dander). The 'irritant' threshold concentration for flea antigen was determined to be 1:750 w/v. More than 10% of the tested cats showed positive reactions to Dermatophagoides farinae, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, housefly, mosquito and moth at every allergen concentration, which suggests that the 'irritant' threshold concentration for these allergens is below 1,000 PNU mL(-1), the lowest allergen concentration tested. Our results confirm previous studies in indicating that allergen and histamine concentrations used in feline IDT may need to be revised.

Chemical composition of PM10 and its in vitro toxicological impacts on lung cells during the Middle Eastern Dust (MED) storms in Ahvaz, Iran.

PubMed

Naimabadi, Abolfazl; Ghadiri, Ata; Idani, Esmaeil; Babaei, Ali Akbar; Alavi, Nadali; Shirmardi, Mohammad; Khodadadi, Ali; Marzouni, Mohammad Bagherian; Ankali, Kambiz Ahmadi; Rouhizadeh, Ahmad; Goudarzi, Gholamreza

2016-04-01

Reports on the effects of PM10 from dust storm on lung cells are limited. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the chemical composition and in vitro toxicological impacts of PM10 suspensions, its water-soluble fraction, and the solvent-extractable organics extracted from Middle Eastern Dust storms on the human lung epithelial cell (A549). Samples of dust storms and normal days (PM10 < 200 μg m(-3)) were collected from December 2012 until June 2013 in Ahvaz, the capital of Khuzestan Province in Iran. The chemical composition and cytotoxicity were analyzed by ICP- OES and Lactase Dehydrogenase (LDH) reduction assay, respectively. The results showed that PM10 suspensions, their water-soluble fraction and solvent-extractable organics from both dust storm and normal days caused a decrease in the cell viability and an increase in LDH in supernatant in a dose-response manner. Although samples of normal days showed higher cytotoxicity than those of dust storm at the highest treated dosage, T Test showed no significant difference in cytotoxicity between normal days and dust event days (P value > 0.05). These results led to the conclusions that dust storm PM10 as well as normal day PM10 could lead to cytotoxicity, and the organic compounds (PAHs) and the insoluble particle-core might be the main contributors to cytotoxicity. Our results showed that cytotoxicity and the risk of PM10 to human lung may be more severe during dust storm than normal days due to inhalation of a higher mass concentration of airborne particles. Further research on PM dangerous fractions and the most responsible components to make cytotoxicity in exposed cells is recommended. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of static foot posture on the dynamic stiffness of foot joints during walking.

PubMed

Sanchis-Sales, E; Sancho-Bru, J L; Roda-Sales, A; Pascual-Huerta, J

2018-05-01

The static foot posture has been related to the development of lower limb injuries. This study aimed to investigate the dynamic stiffness of foot joints during gait in the sagittal plane to understand the role of the static foot posture in the development of injuries. Seventy healthy adult male subjects with different static postures, assessed by the Foot Posture Index (FPI) (30 normal, 20 highly pronated and 20 highly supinated), were recruited. Kinematic and kinetic data were recorded using an optical motion capture system and a pressure platform, and dynamic stiffness at the different stages of the stance was calculated from the slopes of the linear regression on the flexion moment-angle curves. The effect of foot type on dynamic stiffness and on ranges of motion and moments was analysed using ANOVAs and post-hoc tests, and linear correlation between dynamic stiffness and FPI was also tested. Highly pronated feet showed a significantly smaller range of motion at the ankle and metatarsophalangeal joints and also a larger range of moments at the metatarsophalangeal joint than highly supinated feet. Dynamic stiffness during propulsion was significantly greater at all foot joints for highly pronated feet, with positive significant correlations with the squared FPI. Highly supinated feet showed greater dynamic stiffness than normal feet, although to a lesser extent. Highly pronated feet during normal gait experienced the greatest decrease in the dorsiflexor moments during propulsion, normal feet being the most balanced regarding work generated and absorbed. Extreme static foot postures show greater dynamic stiffness during propulsion and greater absorbed work, which increases the risk of developing injuries. The data presented may be used when designing orthotics or prostheses, and also when planning surgery that modifies joint stiffness. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pre-operative language ability in patients with presumed low-grade glioma.

PubMed

Antonsson, Malin; Longoni, Francesca; Jakola, Asgeir; Tisell, Magnus; Thordstein, Magnus; Hartelius, Lena

2018-03-01

In patients with low-grade glioma (LGG), language deficits are usually only found and investigated after surgery. Deficits may be present before surgery but to date, studies have yielded varying results regarding the extent of this problem and in what language domains deficits may occur. This study therefore aims to explore the language ability of patients who have recently received a presumptive diagnosis of low-grade glioma, and also to see whether they reported any changes in their language ability before receiving treatment. Twenty-three patients were tested using a comprehensive test battery that consisted of standard aphasia tests and tests of lexical retrieval and high-level language functions. The patients were also asked whether they had noticed any change in their use of language or ability to communicate. The test scores were compared to a matched reference group and to clinical norms. The presumed LGG group performed significantly worse than the reference group on two tests of lexical retrieval. Since five patients after surgery were discovered to have a high-grade glioma, a separate analysis excluding them were performed. These analyses revealed comparable results; however one test of word fluency was no longer significant. Individually, the majority exhibited normal or nearly normal language ability and only a few reported subjective changes in language or ability to communicate. This study shows that patients who have been diagnosed with LGG generally show mild or no language deficits on either objective or subjective assessment.

Enhanced Combined Tomography and Biomechanics Data for Distinguishing Forme Fruste Keratoconus.

PubMed

Luz, Allan; Lopes, Bernardo; Hallahan, Katie M; Valbon, Bruno; Ramos, Isaac; Faria-Correia, Fernando; Schor, Paulo; Dupps, William J; Ambrósio, Renato

2016-07-01

To evaluate the performance of the Ocular Response Analyzer (ORA) (Reichert Ophthalmic Instruments, Depew, NY) variables and Pentacam HR (Oculus Optikgeräte GmbH, Wetzlar, Germany) tomographic parameters in differentiating forme fruste keratoconus (FFKC) from normal corneas, and to assess a combined biomechanical and tomographic parameter to improve outcomes. Seventy-six eyes of 76 normal patients and 21 eyes of 21 patients with FFKC were included in the study. Fifteen variables were derived from exported ORA signals to characterize putative indicators of biomechanical behavior and 37 ORA waveform parameters were tested. Sixteen tomographic parameters from Pentacam HR were tested. Logistic regression was used to produce a combined biomechanical and tomography linear model. Differences between groups were assessed by the Mann-Whitney U test. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUROC) was used to compare diagnostic performance. No statistically significant differences were found in age, thinnest point, central corneal thickness, and maximum keratometry between groups. Twenty-one parameters showed significant differences between the FFKC and control groups. Among the ORA waveform measurements, the best parameters were those related to the area under the first peak, p1area1 (AUROC, 0.717 ± 0.065). Among the investigator ORA variables, a measure incorporating the pressure-deformation relationship of the entire response cycle was the best predictor (hysteresis loop area, AUROC, 0.688 ± 0.068). Among tomographic parameters, Belin/Ambrósio display showed the highest predictive value (AUROC, 0.91 ± 0.057). A combination of parameters showed the best result (AUROC, 0.953 ± 0.024) outperforming individual parameters. Tomographic and biomechanical parameters demonstrated the ability to differentiate FFKC from normal eyes. A combination of both types of information further improved predictive value. [J Refract Surg. 2016;32(7):479-485.]. Copyright 2016, SLACK Incorporated.

Effects of experimental suppression of active (REM) sleep during early development upon adult brain and behavior in the rat.

PubMed

Mirmiran, M; Scholtens, J; van de Poll, N E; Uylings, H B; van der Gugten, J; Boer, G J

1983-04-01

In order to test the hypothesis that active sleep (AS) is important for the normal development of the central nervous system, 3 different deprivation methods were applied to male Wistar rat pups during the first month of life. Daily injection of clomipramine from 8 to 21 days of age reduced the high level of AS to less than the adult value throughout most of the experimental period. Administration of clonidine from 8 to 21 days of life induced an almost total suppression of AS. Instrumental deprivation, using the 'pendulum' method, led to a significant (but less severe) AS reduction during 2-4 weeks of postnatal age. Open-field behavior testing in adulthood revealed a higher than normal level of ambulation in all 3 experimental groups. Masculine sexual responses were deficient, due to a low level of both mounts and ejaculations, in both clomipramine- and clonidine-treated animals. Neither passive avoidance learning nor dark preference tests revealed any differences between the experimental and control rats. Sleep observations showed that there was an abnormally high incidence of large myoclonic jerks during AS in both clomipramine- and clonidine-treated rats. Subsequent measurement of regional brain weights showed a significant reduction in the cerebral cortex and medulla oblongata, as compared with the respective control groups, in both the clomipramine- and the clonidine-treated rats. In addition, DNA and protein determination in the affected brain areas showed a proportional reduction in the cortex and in the medulla. These results demonstrate that interference with normal functioning either of AS per se or of specific monoaminergic transmitter systems during early development can produce long-lasting behavioral as well as brain morphological and biochemical abnormalities in later life.

Sensitivity and validity of psychometric tests for assessing driving impairment: effects of sleep deprivation.

PubMed

Jongen, Stefan; Perrier, Joy; Vuurman, Eric F; Ramaekers, Johannes G; Vermeeren, Annemiek

2015-01-01

To assess drug induced driving impairment, initial screening is needed. However, no consensus has been reached about which initial screening tools have to be used. The present study aims to determine the ability of a battery of psychometric tests to detect performance impairing effects of clinically relevant levels of drowsiness as induced by one night of sleep deprivation. Twenty four healthy volunteers participated in a 2-period crossover study in which the highway driving test was conducted twice: once after normal sleep and once after one night of sleep deprivation. The psychometric tests were conducted on 4 occasions: once after normal sleep (at 11 am) and three times during a single night of sleep deprivation (at 1 am, 5 am, and 11 am). On-the-road driving performance was significantly impaired after sleep deprivation, as measured by an increase in Standard Deviation of Lateral Position (SDLP) of 3.1 cm compared to performance after a normal night of sleep. At 5 am, performance in most psychometric tests showed significant impairment. As expected, largest effect sizes were found on performance in the Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT). Large effects sizes were also found in the Divided Attention Test (DAT), the Attention Network Test (ANT), and the test for Useful Field of View (UFOV) at 5 and 11 am during sleep deprivation. Effects of sleep deprivation on SDLP correlated significantly with performance changes in the PVT and the DAT, but not with performance changes in the UFOV. From the psychometric tests used in this study, the PVT and DAT seem most promising for initial evaluation of drug impairment based on sensitivity and correlations with driving impairment. Further studies are needed to assess the sensitivity and validity of these psychometric tests after benchmark sedative drug use.

Frontal parenchymal atrophy measures in multiple sclerosis.

PubMed

Locatelli, Laura; Zivadinov, Robert; Grop, Attilio; Zorzon, Marino

2004-10-01

The aim of this study was to establish whether, in a cross-sectional study, the normalized measures of whole and regional brain atrophy correlate better with tests assessing the cognitive function than the absolute brain atrophy measures. The neuropsychological performances and disability have been assessed in 39 patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS). T1- and T2-lesion load (LL) of total brain and frontal lobes (FLs) were measured using a reproducible semiautomated technique. The whole brain volume and the regional brain parenchymal volume (RBPV) of FLs were obtained using a computerized interactive program, which incorporates semiautomated and automated segmentation processes. Normalized measures of brain atrophy, i.e., brain parenchymal fraction (BPF) and regional brain parenchymal fraction (RBPF) of FLs, were calculated. The scan-rescan, inter- and intrarater coefficient of variation (COV) and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) have been estimated. The RBPF of FLs showed an acceptable level of reproducibility which ranged from 1.7% for intrarater variability to 3.2% for scan-rescan variability. The mean ICC was 0.88 (CI 0.82-0.93). The RBPF of FLs demonstrated stronger magnitudes of correlation with neuropsychological functioning, disability and quantitative MRI lesion measures than RBPV. These differences were statistically significant: P<0.001 for Stroop Color Word Interference test, P<0.001 for Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test, P=0.04 for Standard Raven Progressive Matrices, P=0.049 for Expanded Disability Status Scale, P=0.01 for T2-LL of FLs and P<0.001 for T1-LL of FLs. BPF demonstrated significant correlations with tests assessing cognitive functions, whereas BPAV did not. The correlation analysis results were supported by the results of multiple regression analysis which showed that only the normalized brain atrophy measures were associated with tests exploring the cognitive functions. These data suggest that RBPF is a reproducible and sensitive method for measuring frontal parenchymal atrophy. The normalized measures of whole and regional brain parenchymal atrophy should be preferred to absolute measures in future studies that correlate neuropsychological performances and brain atrophy measures in patients with MS.

Effect of stimulus configuration on crowding in strabismic amblyopia.

PubMed

Norgett, Yvonne; Siderov, John

2017-11-01

Foveal vision in strabismic amblyopia can show increased levels of crowding, akin to typical peripheral vision. Target-flanker similarity and visual-acuity test configuration may cause the magnitude of crowding to vary in strabismic amblyopia. We used custom-designed visual acuity tests to investigate crowding in observers with strabismic amblyopia. LogMAR was measured monocularly in both eyes of 11 adults with strabismic or mixed strabismic/anisometropic amblyopia using custom-designed letter tests. The tests used single-letter and linear formats with either bar or letter flankers to introduce crowding. Tests were presented monocularly on a high-resolution display at a test distance of 4 m, using standardized instructions. For each condition, five letters of each size were shown; testing continued until three letters of a given size were named incorrectly. Uncrowded logMAR was subtracted from logMAR in each of the crowded tests to highlight the crowding effect. Repeated-measures ANOVA showed that letter flankers and linear presentation individually resulted in poorer performance in the amblyopic eyes (respectively, mean normalized logMAR = 0.29, SE = 0.07, mean normalized logMAR = 0.27, SE = 0.07; p < 0.05) and together had an additive effect (mean = 0.42, SE = 0.09, p < 0.001). There was no difference across the tests in the fellow eyes (p > 0.05). Both linear presentation and letter rather than bar flankers increase crowding in the amblyopic eyes of people with strabismic amblyopia. These results suggest the influence of more than one mechanism contributing to crowding in linear visual-acuity charts with letter flankers.

Dopamine activates masculine sexual behavior independent of the estrogen receptor alpha.

PubMed

Wersinger, S R; Rissman, E F

2000-06-01

Estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) is believed to be a critical part of the regulatory processes involved in normal reproduction and sexual behavior. However, in this study we show the ERalpha is not required for display of masculine sexual behavior. Male and female, ERalpha knock-out (ERalphaKO) and wild-type mice were gonadectomized and implanted with testosterone. Sexual behavior and social preferences were tested after injection of the dopamine agonist, apomorphine (APO), or vehicle. All wild-type mice showed normal masculine behavior, including mounts and pelvic thrusts in females, and ejaculation in males. In agreement with past reports, ERalphaKO mice, given vehicle, failed to show mating behavior. Yet, ERalphaKO males given APO showed masculine copulatory behavior and chemoinvestigatory behavior directed at females. ERalphaKO females, treated with APO, mounted and thrusted when tested with receptive females. HPLC revealed that wild-type and ERalphaKO mice had equivalent catecholamine content in brain regions associated with masculine sexual behavior. These data show that the ERalpha is not essential during development or adulthood for the expression of masculine sexual behavior in mice. Moreover, dopamine can activate sexual behavior via a mechanism that either acts on an ER other than ERalpha or via an estrogen-independent pathway.

Detection of chromosomal abnormalities by fluorescent in-situ hybridization in immotile viable spermatozoa determined by hypo-osmotic sperm swelling test.

PubMed

Zeyneloglu, H B; Baltaci, V; Ege, S; Haberal, A; Batioglu, S

2000-04-01

If randomly selected immotile spermatozoa are used for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), pregnancy rates are significantly decreased. The hypo-osmotic swelling test (HOST) is the only method available to detect the viable, but immotile spermatozoa for ICSI. However, evidence is still lacking for the chromosomal abnormalities for the normal-looking, but immotile spermatozoa positive for HOST. Sperm samples from 20 infertile men with normal chromosomal constitution were obtained. After Percoll separation, morphologically normal but immotile spermatozoa were transported individually into HOST solution for 1 min using micropipettes. Cells that showed tail curling with swelling in HOST were then transferred back into human tubal fluid solution to allow reversal of swelling. These sperm cells were fixed and processed for the multi-colour fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) for chromosomes X, Y and 18. The same FISH procedure was applied for the motile spermatozoa from the same cohort, which formed the control group. The average aneuploidy rates were 1.70 and 1.54% in 1000 HOST positive immotile and motile spermatozoa respectively detected by FISH for each patient. Our results indicate that morphologically normal, immotile but viable spermatozoa have an aneuploidy rate similar to that of normal motile spermatozoa.

Development of a nerve conduction technique for the recurrent laryngeal nerve.

PubMed

J Kim, Sang; G Lee, Dae; Kwon, Jeong-Yi

2014-12-01

To develop a reliable and safe laryngeal nerve conduction technique and to obtain consistent parameters as normal reference values. A prospective single-arm study. A nerve conduction test was performed on the contralateral normal side in 42 patients with unilateral vocal fold palsy. The recording was performed in the intact thyroarytenoid muscle using a monopolar needle. The electrical stimulation using a 37-mm monopolar needle was applied 3 cm below the lower margin of the cricoid cartilage, just lateral to the trachea and medial to the carotid artery, and its intensity was gradually increased until the amplitude of the electrical response reached the maximum level. The latency of the evoked muscle response was acquired at the first evoked waveform deflection from the baseline. The average latency of the recurrent laryngeal nerves was 1.98 ± 0.26 ms. The latencies showed normal distribution according to the quantile-quantile plot and Kolmogorov-Smirnov test (P = .098). There was no significant difference in latencies between the right and left recurrent laryngeal nerves. Anthropometric factors including height and weight did not show any correlation with the latencies. We developed a reliable and safe laryngeal nerve conduction technique and obtained normal reference values for the recurrent laryngeal nerve conduction study. This laryngeal nerve conduction study can be an additional tool for detecting recurrent laryngeal nerve injury if it is performed in combination with the conventional laryngeal electromyography. 4. © 2014 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Pseudohypoparathyroidism: defective excretion of 3′,5′-AMP in response to parathyroid hormone

PubMed Central

Chase, Lewis R.; Melson, G. Leland; Aurbach, G. D.

1969-01-01

Urinary excretion of cyclic adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate (3′,5′-AMP) was tested in normal subjects and patients with pseudohypoparathyroidism, idiopathic hypoparathyroidism, surgical hypoparathyroidism, and pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism under basal conditions and after a 15 min infusion of purified parathyroid hormone. Basal excretion of the nucleotide was less than normal in the patients with hypocalcemic disorders and greater than normal in pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism. Parathyroid hormone caused a marked increase in excretion of 3′,5′-AMP in all subjects except those with pseudohypoparathyroidism; nine patients with this disorder did not respond to the hormone and four showed a markedly deficient response. Radioimmunoassay showed that parathyroid hormone circulated in increased amounts in plasma from patients with pseudohypoparathyroidism and became undetectable when serum calcium was increased above 12 mg/100 ml. Suppression of parathyroid hormone secretion by induction of hypercalcemia did not alter the deficient response to exogenous hormone. The results indicate that: (a) parathyroid hormone circulates in abnormally high concentrations in pseudohypoparathyroidism and secretion of the hormone responds normally to physiological control by calcium; (b) testing urinary excretion of 3′,5′-AMP in response to infusion of purified parathyroid hormone appears to be an accurate and sensitive index for establishing the diagnosis of pseudohypoparathyroidism; and (c) the metabolic defect of the disorder can be accounted for by a lack of or defective form of parathyroid hormone-sensitive adenyl cyclase in bone and kidney. PMID:4309802

Electromyographic amplitude variability of chewing cycles in deaf individuals.

PubMed

de Oliveira, A Siriani; Vitti, M; Chaves, T C; Bevilaqua-Grossi, D; Zuccolotto, M C C; Regalo, S C H

2006-09-01

This study had the goal of determining if the amplitude of the surface electromyograph signals changes in terms of time of analysis and subjects, deaf or normal listeners, when estimated in a 250 ms of length window, visually determined, considering the most stable signal period from the center of the chewing cycle. In order to do this, groups with control subjects, listeners and deaf individuals, who made use of the Brazilian sign language (LIBRAS), were studied. All participants performed continuous 5 s of chewing for the electromyographic recording of the temporalis and masseter muscles. The normalized RMS values of three chewing cycles were compared between and among groups. The results from the Kruskall-Wallis test did not show any statistically significant differences (p > 0.05) between the normalized RMS values obtained in the three individual chewing cycles, for each of the two completed and evaluated cycles, in both groups studied. The Mann-Whitney test showed that the mean normalized RMS values obtained in the first chewing cycle were higher for the control group when compared to the mean amplitude values of the first chewing cycle of the group of deaf volunteers. It can be concluded that, in these experimental conditions, the RMS values obtained from the select windows of 250 ms length duration, in relatively stable periods of the electromyographic signal of chewing cycles did not suffer any changes in terms of EMG register duration, in both studied groups, but does give evidence of the differences among the groups.

Rock-avalanche Deposits Record Quantitative Information On Internal Deformation During Runout

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McSaveney, M. J.; Zhang, M.

2016-12-01

The rock avalanche deposit at Wenjiagou Creek, China, shows grain-size changes with distance from source and with depth below the surface. To see what quantitative information on internal deformation might be able to be inferred from such information, we conducted a series of laboratory tests using a conventional ring-shear apparatus (Torshear Model 27-WF2202) at GNS Science, Lower Hutt, NZ. Lacking ready access to the limestone of the Wenjiagou Creek deposit, we used locally sourced 0.5-2 mm sand sieved from the greywacke-derived gravel bed of the Hutt River. To keep within the reliable operating limits of the apparatus, we conducted 38 dry tests using the combinations of normal stress, shear rate and shear displacement listed in Table 1. Size distributions were determined over the range 0.1 - 2000 µm using a laser sizer. Results showed that the number of grain breakages increased systematically with increasing normal stress and shear displacement, while shear rate had no significant influence. We concluded that if calibrated using appropriate materials, we would be able to quantify amounts of internal shear deformation in a rock avalanche by analysis of grain-size variations in the deposit. Table 1 Ring-shear test program Normal stress (kPa) Shear rate (mm/min) Shear displacement (mm) 200 100 74.2 37.1 0 100 200 500 1000 3000 400 100 74.2 37.1 0 100 200 500 1000 600 100 74.2 0 100 200 500 1000

Virgin coconut oil (VCO) by normalizing NLRP3 inflammasome showed potential neuroprotective effects in Amyloid-β induced toxicity and high-fat diet fed rat.

PubMed

Mirzaei, Fatemeh; Khazaei, Mozafar; Komaki, Alireza; Amiri, Iraj; Jalili, Cyrus

2018-05-02

Both dyslipidemia and Alzheimer disease (AD) are associated with aging. In this study, the effects of virgin coconut oil (VCO) on inflammasome and oxidative stress in Alzheimer's model (receiving Amyloid-β (Aβ)) and high-fat diet (HFD) model were determined. A total of 120 male Wistar rats, were divided into 12 groups (n = 10), including; healthy control, sham surgery, sham surgery receiving normal saline, HFD, HFD + 8% VCO, HFD + 10% VCO, Aβ received rats, Aβ + 8%VCO, Aβ + 10%VCO, HFD + Aβ, HFD + Aβ+8%VCO, and HFD + Aβ + 10%VCO. Following memory and learning tests, blood sample prepared from the heart and hippocampus of rats in each group was kept at -70 °C for genes expression, oxidative stress, and biochemical tests. Aβ and HFD significantly impaired memory and learning by activating of both NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and oxidative stress (p<0.05), while treatment with both 8 and 10% VCO normalized inflammasome genes expression and oxidative stress (p<0.05). The Congo Red, Cresyl Violet staining and immunohistochemistry (IHC) test revealed that VCO improved hippocampus histological changes, reduced Aβ plaques and phosphorylated Tau. High-fat diet has exacerbated the effects of Aβ, while VCO showed potential neuroprotective effect. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of Oritavancin on Coagulation Tests in the Clinical Laboratory.

PubMed

Belley, Adam; Robson, Richard; Francis, John L; Adcock, Dorothy M; Tiefenbacher, Stefan; Rubino, Christopher M; Moeck, Greg; Sylvester, David; Dudley, Michael N; Loutit, Jeffery

2017-02-01

Previous studies have shown that some lipoglycopeptide and lipopeptide antimicrobial agents may cause falsely elevated values for some phospholipid-dependent coagulation tests. The effect of oritavancin, a lipoglycopeptide antibiotic, on coagulation test results was explored using pooled human plasma samples spiked with drug and in a clinical study after an infusion of a single 1,200-mg intravenous dose of oritavancin in normal healthy volunteers. Pooled plasma with oritavancin added ex vivo showed concentration-dependent prolongation of prothrombin time/international normalized ratio (PT/INR), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), and dilute Russell viper venom time (DRVVT) test results. In contrast, oritavancin had no effect on the activated protein C resistance assay, chromogenic anti-factor Xa assay (anti-FXa), thrombin time, and an immunoassay for the laboratory diagnosis of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. In participants that received a single dose of oritavancin, elevations in PT/INR result, aPTT, DRVVT, activated clotting time, and silica clotting time occurred, with the maximum times to resolution of test interference determined to be 12, 120, 72, 24, and 18 h, respectively. The anti-FXa assay was unaffected, whereas transient elevations in D dimer levels were observed in 30% of participants, with a maximum time to resolution of 72 h. Although oritavancin has no impact on the coagulation system in vivo, a single dose of oritavancin can produce falsely elevated values of some coagulation tests used to monitor hemostasis. The interference of oritavancin on affected tests is transient, and the test results revert to normal ranges within specified times after dosing. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

Effects of Oritavancin on Coagulation Tests in the Clinical Laboratory

PubMed Central

Robson, Richard; Francis, John L.; Adcock, Dorothy M.; Tiefenbacher, Stefan; Rubino, Christopher M.; Moeck, Greg; Sylvester, David; Dudley, Michael N.; Loutit, Jeffery

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Previous studies have shown that some lipoglycopeptide and lipopeptide antimicrobial agents may cause falsely elevated values for some phospholipid-dependent coagulation tests. The effect of oritavancin, a lipoglycopeptide antibiotic, on coagulation test results was explored using pooled human plasma samples spiked with drug and in a clinical study after an infusion of a single 1,200-mg intravenous dose of oritavancin in normal healthy volunteers. Pooled plasma with oritavancin added ex vivo showed concentration-dependent prolongation of prothrombin time/international normalized ratio (PT/INR), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), and dilute Russell viper venom time (DRVVT) test results. In contrast, oritavancin had no effect on the activated protein C resistance assay, chromogenic anti-factor Xa assay (anti-FXa), thrombin time, and an immunoassay for the laboratory diagnosis of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. In participants that received a single dose of oritavancin, elevations in PT/INR result, aPTT, DRVVT, activated clotting time, and silica clotting time occurred, with the maximum times to resolution of test interference determined to be 12, 120, 72, 24, and 18 h, respectively. The anti-FXa assay was unaffected, whereas transient elevations in D dimer levels were observed in 30% of participants, with a maximum time to resolution of 72 h. Although oritavancin has no impact on the coagulation system in vivo, a single dose of oritavancin can produce falsely elevated values of some coagulation tests used to monitor hemostasis. The interference of oritavancin on affected tests is transient, and the test results revert to normal ranges within specified times after dosing. PMID:27956417

Application of Poisson random effect models for highway network screening.

PubMed

Jiang, Ximiao; Abdel-Aty, Mohamed; Alamili, Samer

2014-02-01

In recent years, Bayesian random effect models that account for the temporal and spatial correlations of crash data became popular in traffic safety research. This study employs random effect Poisson Log-Normal models for crash risk hotspot identification. Both the temporal and spatial correlations of crash data were considered. Potential for Safety Improvement (PSI) were adopted as a measure of the crash risk. Using the fatal and injury crashes that occurred on urban 4-lane divided arterials from 2006 to 2009 in the Central Florida area, the random effect approaches were compared to the traditional Empirical Bayesian (EB) method and the conventional Bayesian Poisson Log-Normal model. A series of method examination tests were conducted to evaluate the performance of different approaches. These tests include the previously developed site consistence test, method consistence test, total rank difference test, and the modified total score test, as well as the newly proposed total safety performance measure difference test. Results show that the Bayesian Poisson model accounting for both temporal and spatial random effects (PTSRE) outperforms the model that with only temporal random effect, and both are superior to the conventional Poisson Log-Normal model (PLN) and the EB model in the fitting of crash data. Additionally, the method evaluation tests indicate that the PTSRE model is significantly superior to the PLN model and the EB model in consistently identifying hotspots during successive time periods. The results suggest that the PTSRE model is a superior alternative for road site crash risk hotspot identification. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hypothetical Preclinical Alzheimer Disease Groups and Longitudinal Cognitive Change.

PubMed

Soldan, Anja; Pettigrew, Corinne; Cai, Qing; Wang, Mei-Cheng; Moghekar, Abhay R; O'Brien, Richard J; Selnes, Ola A; Albert, Marilyn S

2016-06-01

Clinical trials testing treatments for Alzheimer disease (AD) are increasingly focused on cognitively normal individuals in the preclinical phase of the disease. To optimize observing a treatment effect, such trials need to enroll cognitively normal individuals likely to show cognitive decline over the duration of the trial. To identify which group of cognitively normal individuals shows the greatest cognitive decline over time based on their cerebrospinal fluid biomarker profile. In this cohort study, cognitively normal participants were classified into 1 of the following 4 hypothetical preclinical AD groups using baseline cerebrospinal fluid levels of Aβ and tau or Aβ and phosphorylated tau (p-tau): stage 0 (high Aβ and low tau), stage 1 (low Aβ and low tau), stage 2 (low Aβ and high tau), and suspected non-AD pathology (SNAP) (high Aβ and high tau). The data presented herein were collected between August 1995 and August 2014. An a priori cognitive composite score based on the following 4 tests previously shown to predict progression from normal cognition to symptom onset of mild cognitive impairment or dementia: Paired Associates immediate recall, Logical Memory delayed recall, Boston Naming, and Digit-Symbol Substitution. Linear mixed-effects models were used to compare the cognitive composite scores across the 4 groups over time, adjusting for baseline age, sex, education, and their interactions with time. Two hundred twenty-two cognitively normal participants were included in the analyses (mean follow-up, 11.0 years [range, 0-18.3 years] and mean baseline age, 56.9 years [range, 22.1-85.8 years]). Of these, 102 were stage 0, 46 were stage 1, 28 were stage 2, and 46 were SNAP. Individuals in stage 2 (low Aβ and high tau [or p-tau]) had lower baseline cognitive scores and a greater decline in the cognitive composite score relative to the other 3 groups (β ≤ -0.06 for all and P ≤ .001 for the rate of decline for all). Individuals in stage 0, stage 1, and SNAP did not differ from one another in cognitive performance at baseline or over time (11.0 years) and showed practice-related improvement in performance. The APOE ε4 genotype was not associated with baseline cognitive composite score or the rate of change in the cognitive composite score. These results suggest that, to optimize observing a treatment effect, clinical trials enrolling cognitively normal individuals should selectively recruit participants with abnormal levels of both amyloid and tau (ie, stage 2) because this group would be expected to show the greatest cognitive decline over time if untreated.

Significance and value of the Widal test in the diagnosis of typhoid fever in an endemic area.

PubMed Central

Pang, T; Puthucheary, S D

1983-01-01

The diagnostic value of the Widal test was assessed in an endemic area. The test was done on 300 normal individuals, 297 non-typhoidal fevers and 275 bacteriologically proven cases of typhoid. Of 300 normal individuals, 2% had an H agglutinin titre of 1/160 and 5% had an O agglutinin titre of 1/160. On the basis of these criteria a significant H and/or O agglutinin titre of 1/320 or more was observed in 93-97% of typhoid cases and in only 3% of patients with non-typhoidal fever. Of the sera from typhoid cases which gave a significant Widal reaction, the majority (79.9%) showed increases in both H and O agglutinins and 51 of 234 (21.8%) of these sera were collected in the first week of illness. The significance and implications of these findings are discussed. PMID:6833514

Bilateral Parietal Cortex Damage Does Not Impair Associative Memory for Paired Stimuli

PubMed Central

Berryhill, Marian E.; Drowos, David B.; Olson, Ingrid R.

2010-01-01

Recent neuroimaging and neuropsychological findings indicate that the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) plays an important, albeit undefined, role in episodic memory. Here we ask whether this region is specifically involved in associative aspects of episodic memory. Experiment 1 tested whether PPC damage affects the ability to learn and retrieve novel word-pair associations. Experiment 2 tested whether PPC damage affects the retrieval of object-location associations, in a spatial fan task. In both experiments, patients showed normal levels of associative memory. These findings demonstrated that PPC damage did not prevent association memory for verbal items. Finally Experiment 3 tested whether PPC damage affects memory for non-verbal audio-visual pairs. The patients performed with normal accuracy, but with significantly reduced confidence. These findings indicate that the PPC does not have a central role in association formation per se and instead, indicate that the PPC is involved in other aspects of episodic memory. PMID:20104378

[Collagenous gastritis and colitis in a 10-year-old girl].

PubMed

Hangard, P; Lasfargue, M; Rubio, A

2016-07-01

There are few data in the literature on microscopic gastritis and colitis in the pediatric population. The diagnosis is often made after the occurrence of complications. We report the case of a 10.5 year-old girl for whom the diagnosis was made several years after the initial symptoms. Test for infections, inflammation, and auto-immunity yielded normal results. Upper endoscopy and colonoscopy revealed an abnormal mucosa. However, histology showed microscopic inflammation and fibrotic lesions in the lamina propria, and a thick subepithelial collagenous band. This led to the diagnosis of collagenous gastritis and colitis. Budesonide treatment resulted in the cessation of diarrhea and significant weight gain. Treatment by oral budesonide indeed seems to be highly effective but relapses are frequent when the treatment is stopped. This case shows the importance of being vigilant regarding transit disorders with impact on growth kinetics. Upper endoscopy and colonoscopy need to be carried out when children have organic diarrhea with normal blood tests. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Image analysis to evaluate the browning degree of banana (Musa spp.) peel.

PubMed

Cho, Jeong-Seok; Lee, Hyeon-Jeong; Park, Jung-Hoon; Sung, Jun-Hyung; Choi, Ji-Young; Moon, Kwang-Deog

2016-03-01

Image analysis was applied to examine banana peel browning. The banana samples were divided into 3 treatment groups: no treatment and normal packaging (Cont); CO2 gas exchange packaging (CO); normal packaging with an ethylene generator (ET). We confirmed that the browning of banana peels developed more quickly in the CO group than the other groups based on sensory test and enzyme assay. The G (green) and CIE L(∗), a(∗), and b(∗) values obtained from the image analysis sharply increased or decreased in the CO group. And these colour values showed high correlation coefficients (>0.9) with the sensory test results. CIE L(∗)a(∗)b(∗) values using a colorimeter also showed high correlation coefficients but comparatively lower than those of image analysis. Based on this analysis, browning of the banana occurred more quickly for CO2 gas exchange packaging, and image analysis can be used to evaluate the browning of banana peels. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dehydroleucodine, a Sesquiterpene Lactone from Gynoxys verrucosa, Demonstrates Cytotoxic Activity against Human Leukemia Cells.

PubMed

Ordóñez, Paola E; Sharma, Krishan K; Bystrom, Laura M; Alas, Maria A; Enriquez, Raul G; Malagón, Omar; Jones, Darin E; Guzman, Monica L; Compadre, Cesar M

2016-04-22

The sesquiterpene lactones dehydroleucodine (1) and leucodine (2) were isolated from Gynoxys verrucosa, a species used in traditional medicine in southern Ecuador. The activity of these compounds was determined against eight acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell lines and compared with their activity against normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Compound 1 showed cytotoxic activity against the tested cell lines, with LD50 values between 5.0 and 18.9 μM. Compound 2 was inactive against all of the tested cell lines, demonstrating that the exocyclic methylene in the lactone ring is required for cytotoxic activity. Importantly, compound 1 induced less toxicity to normal blood cells than to AML cell lines and was active against human AML cell samples from five patients, with an average LD50 of 9.4 μM. Mechanistic assays suggest that compound 1 has a similar mechanism of action to parthenolide (3). Although these compounds have significant structural differences, their lipophilic surface signatures show striking similarities.

Effects of short immersion time and cooling rates of copperizing process to the evolution of microstructures and copper behavior in the dead mild steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jatimurti, Wikan; Sutarsis, Cunika, Aprida Ulya

2017-01-01

In a dead mild steel with maximum carbon content of 0.15%, carbon does not contribute much to its strength. By adding copper as an alloying element, a balance between strength and ductility could be obtained through grain refining, solid solution, or Cu precipitation. This research aimed to analyse the changes in microstructures and copper behaviour on AISI 1006, including the phases formed, composition, and Cu dispersion. The addition of cooper was done by immersing steel into molten copper or so we called, copperizing using the principles of diffusion. Specimens were cut with 6 × 3 × 0.3 cm measurement then preheated to 900°C and melting the copper at 1100°C. Subsequently, the immersion of the specimens into molten copper varied to 5 and 7 minutes, and also varying the cooling rate to annealing, normalizing, and quenching. A series of test being conduct were optical microscope test, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), optical emission spectroscopy (OES), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results showed that the longer the immersion time and slower cooling rate, the more Cu diffused causing smaller grain size with the highest Cu diffused recorded was 0.277% in the copperized AISI 1006 steel with 7 minutes of immersion and was annealed. The grain size reduced to 23041.5404 µm2. The annealed specimens show ferrite phase, the normalized ones show polygonal ferrite phase, while the quenched ones show granular bainite phase. The phase formed is single phase Cu. In addition, the normalized and quenched specimens show that Cu dissolved in Fe crystal forming solid solution.

EMG normalization to study muscle activation in cycling.

PubMed

Rouffet, David M; Hautier, Christophe A

2008-10-01

The value of electromyography (EMG) is sensitive to many physiological and non-physiological factors. The purpose of the present study was to determine if the torque-velocity test (T-V) can be used to normalize EMG signals into a framework of biological significance. Peak EMG amplitude of gluteus maximus (GMAX), vastus lateralis (VL), rectus femoris (RF), biceps femoris long head (BF), gastrocnemius medialis (GAS) and soleus (SOL) was calculated for nine subjects during isometric maximal voluntary contractions (IMVC) and torque-velocity bicycling tests (T-V). Then, the reference EMG signals obtained from IMVC and T-V bicycling tests were used to normalize the amplitude of the EMG signals collected for 15 different submaximal pedaling conditions. The results of this study showed that the repeatability of the measurements between IMVC (from 10% to 23%) and T-V (from 8% to 20%) was comparable. The amplitude of the peak EMG of VL was 99+/-43% higher (p<0.001) when measured during T-V. Moreover, the inter-individual variability of the EMG patterns calculated for submaximal cycling exercises differed significantly when using T-V bicycling normalization method (GMAX: 0.33+/-0.16 vs. 1.09+/-0.04, VL: 0.07+/-0.02 vs. 0.64+/-0.14, SOL: 0.07+/-0.03 vs. 1.00+/-0.07, RF: 1.21+/-0.20 vs. 0.92+/-0.13, BF: 1.47+/-0.47 vs. 0.84+/-0.11). It was concluded that T-V bicycling test offers the advantage to be less time and energy-consuming and to be as repeatable as IMVC tests to measure peak EMG amplitude. Furthermore, this normalization method avoids the impact of non-physiological factors on the amplitude of the EMG signals so that it allows quantifying better the activation level of lower limb muscles and the variability of the EMG patterns during submaximal bicycling exercises.

Fast diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) with Inherent COrrelation-based Normalization (ICON) enhances automatic segmentation of heterogeneous diffusion MRI lesion in acute stroke.

PubMed

Zhou, Iris Yuwen; Guo, Yingkun; Igarashi, Takahiro; Wang, Yu; Mandeville, Emiri; Chan, Suk-Tak; Wen, Lingyi; Vangel, Mark; Lo, Eng H; Ji, Xunming; Sun, Phillip Zhe

2016-12-01

Diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) has been shown to augment diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) for the definition of irreversible ischemic injury. However, the complexity of cerebral structure/composition makes the kurtosis map heterogeneous, limiting the specificity of kurtosis hyperintensity to acute ischemia. We propose an Inherent COrrelation-based Normalization (ICON) analysis to suppress the intrinsic kurtosis heterogeneity for improved characterization of heterogeneous ischemic tissue injury. Fast DKI and relaxation measurements were performed on normal (n = 10) and stroke rats following middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) (n = 20). We evaluated the correlations between mean kurtosis (MK), mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) derived from the fast DKI sequence and relaxation rates R 1 and R 2 , and found a highly significant correlation between MK and R 1 (p < 0.001). We showed that ICON analysis suppressed the intrinsic kurtosis heterogeneity in normal cerebral tissue, enabling automated tissue segmentation in an animal stroke model. We found significantly different kurtosis and diffusivity lesion volumes: 147 ± 59 and 180 ± 66 mm 3 , respectively (p = 0.003, paired t-test). The ratio of kurtosis to diffusivity lesion volume was 84% ± 19% (p < 0.001, one-sample t-test). We found that relaxation-normalized MK (RNMK), but not MD, values were significantly different between kurtosis and diffusivity lesions (p < 0.001, analysis of variance). Our study showed that fast DKI with ICON analysis provides a promising means of demarcation of heterogeneous DWI stroke lesions. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

High-resolution imaging of retinal nerve fiber bundles in glaucoma using adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy.

PubMed

Takayama, Kohei; Ooto, Sotaro; Hangai, Masanori; Ueda-Arakawa, Naoko; Yoshida, Sachiko; Akagi, Tadamichi; Ikeda, Hanako Ohashi; Nonaka, Atsushi; Hanebuchi, Masaaki; Inoue, Takashi; Yoshimura, Nagahisa

2013-05-01

To detect pathologic changes in retinal nerve fiber bundles in glaucomatous eyes seen on images obtained by adaptive optics (AO) scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (AO SLO). Prospective cross-sectional study. Twenty-eight eyes of 28 patients with open-angle glaucoma and 21 normal eyes of 21 volunteer subjects underwent a full ophthalmologic examination, visual field testing using a Humphrey Field Analyzer, fundus photography, red-free SLO imaging, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, and imaging with an original prototype AO SLO system. The AO SLO images showed many hyperreflective bundles suggesting nerve fiber bundles. In glaucomatous eyes, the nerve fiber bundles were narrower than in normal eyes, and the nerve fiber layer thickness was correlated with the nerve fiber bundle widths on AO SLO (P < .001). In the nerve fiber layer defect area on fundus photography, the nerve fiber bundles on AO SLO were narrower compared with those in normal eyes (P < .001). At 60 degrees on the inferior temporal side of the optic disc, the nerve fiber bundle width was significantly lower, even in areas without nerve fiber layer defect, in eyes with glaucomatous eyes compared with normal eyes (P = .026). The mean deviations of each cluster in visual field testing were correlated with the corresponding nerve fiber bundle widths (P = .017). AO SLO images showed reduced nerve fiber bundle widths both in clinically normal and abnormal areas of glaucomatous eyes, and these abnormalities were associated with visual field defects, suggesting that AO SLO may be useful for detecting early nerve fiber bundle abnormalities associated with loss of visual function. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Experimental Hydromechanical Characterization and Numerical Modelling of a Fractured and Porous Sandstone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Souley, Mountaka; Lopez, Philippe; Boulon, Marc; Thoraval, Alain

2015-05-01

The experimental device previously used to study the hydromechanical behaviour of individual fractures on a laboratory scale, was adapted to make it possible to measure flow through porous rock mass samples in addition to fracture flows. A first series of tests was performed to characterize the hydromechanical behaviour of the fracture individually as well as the porous matrix (sandstone) comprising the fracture walls. A third test in this series was used to validate the experimental approach. These tests showed non-linear evolution of the contact area on the fracture walls with respect to effective normal stress. Consequently, a non-linear relationship was noted between the hydraulic aperture on the one hand, and the effective normal stress and mechanical opening on the other hand. The results of the three tests were then analysed by numerical modelling. The VIPLEF/HYDREF numerical codes used take into account the dual-porosity of the sample (fracture + rock matrix) and can be used to reproduce hydromechanical loading accurately. The analyses show that the relationship between the hydraulic aperture of the fracture and the mechanical closure has a significant effect on fracture flow rate predictions. By taking simultaneous measurements of flow in both fracture and rock matrix, we were able to carry out a global evaluation of the conceptual approach used.

Motor fitness and preschooler children obesity status.

PubMed

Silva-Santos, Sandra; Santos, Amanda; Vale, Susana; Mota, Jorge

2017-09-01

The aim of this study was to examine the association between motor fitness (MF) and obesity status in preschool children. The sample comprised 467 children aged 3-6 years. Preschool children body mass index was classified according to International Obesity Task Force and categorised into three levels, normal, overweight and obesity. Total physical activity was assessed by accelerometer and MF test was assessed through two MF tests 10 × 5m shuttle run test (SRT) and a 7 m jumping distance on 2 feet test (J2F). Low MF was considered for MF if SD above 1. A single variable with three categories was created: low MF medium MF and high MF. The prevalence of normal weight, overweight and obesity was 67.6%, 22.7% and 9.7%, respectively. The prevalence of SD > 1 for SRT was 13.7% and 14.4% for J2F, for single variable was 19.2%. Multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that obese preschoolers were more likely six times classified as having low MF level than their non-overweight counterparts (OR: 6.4; IC: 1.3-36.6). This study showed a considerable prevalence of overweight and obesity among preschoolers. Obesity has already been associated with lower MF. Further longitudinal studies are needed to confirm this data.

Cardiorespiratory endurance evaluation using heart rate analysis during ski simulator exercise and the Harvard step test in elementary school students.

PubMed

Lee, Hyo Taek; Roh, Hyo Lyun; Kim, Yoon Sang

2016-01-01

[Purpose] Efficient management using exercise programs with various benefits should be provided by educational institutions for children in their growth phase. We analyzed the heart rates of children during ski simulator exercise and the Harvard step test to evaluate the cardiopulmonary endurance by calculating their post-exercise recovery rate. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects (n = 77) were categorized into a normal weight and an overweight/obesity group by body mass index. They performed each exercise for 3 minutes. The cardiorespiratory endurance was calculated using the Physical Efficiency Index formula. [Results] The ski simulator and Harvard step test showed that there was a significant difference in the heart rates of the 2 body mass index-based groups at each minute. The normal weight and the ski-simulator group had higher Physical Efficiency Index levels. [Conclusion] This study showed that a simulator exercise can produce a cumulative load even when performed at low intensity, and can be effectively utilized as exercise equipment since it resulted in higher Physical Efficiency Index levels than the Harvard step test. If schools can increase sport durability by stimulating students' interests, the ski simulator exercise can be used in programs designed to improve and strengthen students' physical fitness.

Comparison of diagnostic capability of macular ganglion cell complex and retinal nerve fiber layer among primary open angle glaucoma, ocular hypertension, and normal population using Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography and determining their functional correlation in Indian population

PubMed Central

Barua, Nabanita; Sitaraman, Chitra; Goel, Sonu; Chakraborti, Chandana; Mukherjee, Sonai; Parashar, Hemandra

2016-01-01

Context: Analysis of diagnostic ability of macular ganglionic cell complex and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) in glaucoma. Aim: To correlate functional and structural parameters and comparing predictive value of each of the structural parameters using Fourier-domain (FD) optical coherence tomography (OCT) among primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) and ocular hypertension (OHT) versus normal population. Setting and Design: Single centric, cross-sectional study done in 234 eyes. Materials and Methods: Patients were enrolled in three groups: POAG, ocular hypertensive and normal (40 patients in each group). After comprehensive ophthalmological examination, patients underwent standard automated perimetry and FD-OCT scan in optic nerve head and ganglion cell mode. The relationship was assessed by correlating ganglion cell complex (GCC) parameters with mean deviation. Results were compared with RNFL parameters. Statistical Analysis: Data were analyzed with SPSS, analysis of variance, t-test, Pearson's coefficient, and receiver operating curve. Results: All parameters showed strong correlation with visual field (P < 0.001). Inferior GCC had highest area under curve (AUC) for detecting glaucoma (0.827) in POAG from normal population. However, the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.5) when compared with other parameters. None of the parameters showed significant diagnostic capability to detect OHT from normal population. In diagnosing early glaucoma from OHT and normal population, only inferior GCC had statistically significant AUC value (0.715). Conclusion: In this study, GCC and RNFL parameters showed equal predictive capability in perimetric versus normal group. In early stage, inferior GCC was the best parameter. In OHT population, single day cross-sectional imaging was not valuable. PMID:27221682

Predictions of structural integrity of steam generator tubes under normal operating, accident, an severe accident conditions

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

Majumdar, S.

1997-02-01

Available models for predicting failure of flawed and unflawed steam generator tubes under normal operating, accident, and severe accident conditions are reviewed. Tests conducted in the past, though limited, tended to show that the earlier flow-stress model for part-through-wall axial cracks overestimated the damaging influence of deep cracks. This observation was confirmed by further tests at high temperatures, as well as by finite-element analysis. A modified correlation for deep cracks can correct this shortcoming of the model. Recent tests have shown that lateral restraint can significantly increase the failure pressure of tubes with unsymmetrical circumferential cracks. This observation was confirmedmore » by finite-element analysis. The rate-independent flow stress models that are successful at low temperatures cannot predict the rate-sensitive failure behavior of steam generator tubes at high temperatures. Therefore, a creep rupture model for predicting failure was developed and validated by tests under various temperature and pressure loadings that can occur during postulated severe accidents.« less

Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus: the CSF tap-test may predict the clinical response to shunting.

PubMed

Sand, T; Bovim, G; Grimse, R; Myhr, G; Helde, G; Cappelen, J

1994-05-01

A follow-up study was performed in nine patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) 37 months (mean) after shunting and 10 non-operated controls with comparable degrees of ventricular enlargement, gait disorder, and dementia. Five operated patients vs. no controls reported sustained general improvement (p < 0.02). Objectively improved gait at follow-up (compared with preoperative status) was found in five of the six tested NPH-patients vs. none of the controls (p < 0.005). Improved gait and/or psychometric function was found in four of six NPH vs. none of eight control patients (p < 0.02) after drainage of 40 ml cerebrospinal fluid (CSF tap-test). Improved gait during the CSF tap-test predicted continued improvement at follow-up. Temporal horn size was the only radiological variable which showed a (moderate) positive correlation with resistance to CSF absorption and rate of pressure increase. The size of the third ventricle diminished in parallel with clinical improvement.

Cognitive spare capacity: evaluation data and its association with comprehension of dynamic conversations

PubMed Central

Keidser, Gitte; Best, Virginia; Freeston, Katrina; Boyce, Alexandra

2015-01-01

It is well-established that communication involves the working memory system, which becomes increasingly engaged in understanding speech as the input signal degrades. The more resources allocated to recovering a degraded input signal, the fewer resources, referred to as cognitive spare capacity (CSC), remain for higher-level processing of speech. Using simulated natural listening environments, the aims of this paper were to (1) evaluate an English version of a recently introduced auditory test to measure CSC that targets the updating process of the executive function, (2) investigate if the test predicts speech comprehension better than the reading span test (RST) commonly used to measure working memory capacity, and (3) determine if the test is sensitive to increasing the number of attended locations during listening. In Experiment I, the CSC test was presented using a male and a female talker, in quiet and in spatially separated babble- and cafeteria-noises, in an audio-only and in an audio-visual mode. Data collected on 21 listeners with normal and impaired hearing confirmed that the English version of the CSC test is sensitive to population group, noise condition, and clarity of speech, but not presentation modality. In Experiment II, performance by 27 normal-hearing listeners on a novel speech comprehension test presented in noise was significantly associated with working memory capacity, but not with CSC. Moreover, this group showed no significant difference in CSC as the number of talker locations in the test increased. There was no consistent association between the CSC test and the RST. It is recommended that future studies investigate the psychometric properties of the CSC test, and examine its sensitivity to the complexity of the listening environment in participants with both normal and impaired hearing. PMID:25999904

The intermediates take it all: asymptotics of higher criticism statistics and a powerful alternative based on equal local levels.

PubMed

Gontscharuk, Veronika; Landwehr, Sandra; Finner, Helmut

2015-01-01

The higher criticism (HC) statistic, which can be seen as a normalized version of the famous Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistic, has a long history, dating back to the mid seventies. Originally, HC statistics were used in connection with goodness of fit (GOF) tests but they recently gained some attention in the context of testing the global null hypothesis in high dimensional data. The continuing interest for HC seems to be inspired by a series of nice asymptotic properties related to this statistic. For example, unlike Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests, GOF tests based on the HC statistic are known to be asymptotically sensitive in the moderate tails, hence it is favorably applied for detecting the presence of signals in sparse mixture models. However, some questions around the asymptotic behavior of the HC statistic are still open. We focus on two of them, namely, why a specific intermediate range is crucial for GOF tests based on the HC statistic and why the convergence of the HC distribution to the limiting one is extremely slow. Moreover, the inconsistency in the asymptotic and finite behavior of the HC statistic prompts us to provide a new HC test that has better finite properties than the original HC test while showing the same asymptotics. This test is motivated by the asymptotic behavior of the so-called local levels related to the original HC test. By means of numerical calculations and simulations we show that the new HC test is typically more powerful than the original HC test in normal mixture models. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Radioimmunoassay of human high molecular weight kininogen in normal and deficient plasmas

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

Proud, D.; Pierce, J.V.; Pisano, J.J.

1980-04-01

An RIA for human HMW kininogen, capable of detecting 150 pg of antigen, has been developed. Antibody to HMW kininogen was purified by immunoaffinity chromatography, and double-antibody precipitation was used to separate free and bound antigen. Of the LMW kininogens only one of the forms tested (B3.2) showed significant cross-reaction (2%). Bradykinin and human plasma kallikrein both showed no cross-reaction, and monkey HMW kininogen showed identity to the human antigen. Intraassay and interassay coefficients of variation were 2 and 1.5%, respectively. Recovery of HMW kininogen added to 6 plasmas was 97.7% +- 1.8%. Assay of 17 normal plasmas gave amore » level of 90.8 +- 2.5 ..mu..g/ml HMW kininogen (mean +- S.E.M.). A bioassay of the samples, based on specific release of kinin by purified plasma kallikrein, yielded a level of 90.2 +- 2.8 ..mu..g/ml HMW kininogen (r = 0.83, p < 0.001). In neither assay was any significant sex difference observed. No evidence of any antigenic fragments was seen upon gel filtration of normal plasmas. RIA measurements were also performed on seven plasmas reportedly deficient in HMW kininogen. Williams, Dayton, San Francisco, and Flaujeac plasmas all showed no significant cross-reaction, whereas Fitzgerald, Reid, and Detroit plasmas showed 1.0, 2.5, and 3.5% of normal antigenic levels, respectively. This sensitive, convenient method should facilitate studies on the role of the kallikrein-kinin system in health and disease.« less

Vibrational Spectroscopic Studies of Reduced-Sensitivity RDX under Static Compression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong, Chak

2005-07-01

Explosives formulations with Reduced- Sensitivity RDX showed reduced shock sensitivity using NOL Large Scale Gap Test, compared with similar formulations using normal RDX. Molecular processes responsible for the reduction of sensitivity are unknown and are crucial for formulation development. Vibrational spectroscopy at static high pressure may shed light to the mechanisms responsible for the reduced shock sensitivity as shown by the NOL Large Scale Gap Test. SIRDX, a form of Reduced- Sensitivity RDX, was subjected to static compression at ambient temperature in a Merrill-Bassett sapphire cell from ambient to about 6 GPa. The spectroscopic techniques used were Raman and Fourier-Transformed IR (FTIR). The pressure dependence of the Raman mode frequencies of SIRDX was determined and compared with that of normal RDX. The behavior of SIRDX near the pressure at which normal RDX, at ambient temperature, undergoes a phase transition from the α to the γ polymorph will be presented. Implications to the reduction in sensitivity will be discussed.

Strength degradation and lifetime prediction of dental zirconia ceramics under cyclic normal loading.

PubMed

Li, Wanzhong; Xu, Yingqiang; He, Huiming; Zhao, Haidan; Sun, Jian; Hou, Yue

2015-01-01

Clinical cases show that zirconia restoration could happen fracture by accident under overloading after using a period of time. The purpose of this study is to research mechanical behavior and predict lifetime of dental zirconia ceramics under cyclic normal contact loading with experiments. Cyclic normal contact loading test and three point bending test are carried on specimens made of two brands of dental zirconia ceramic to obtain flexure strength and damage degree after different number of loading cycles. By means of damage mechanics model, damage degree under different number of contact loading cycles are calculated according to flexure strength, and verified by SEM photographs of cross section morphology of zirconia ceramics specimen phenomenologically. Relation curve of damage degree and number of cycles is fitted by polynomial fitting, then the number of loading cycles can be concluded when the specimen is complete damage. Strength degradation of two brands dental zirconia ceramics are researched in vitro, and prediction method of contact fatigue lifetime is established.

Prenatal diagnosis of LAD-I on cord blood by flowcytometry.

PubMed

Madkaikar, Manisha Rajan; Gupta, Maya; Rao, Meghana; Ghosh, Kanjaksha

2012-12-01

To optimize a simple flowcytometric technique for Prenatal diagnosis (PND) for Leukocyte adhesions defect (LAD-I) on cordocentesis sample at 18 wk gestation. Normal reference ranges for expression of CD18/CD11-integrins in neutrophils and lymphocytes at 18 wk of gestation were established by flowcytometry. PND for LAD-I was then performed on the cordocentesis samples in three 'at risk' pregnancies after ruling out maternal contamination. CD18 and CD11a expression on fetal lymphocytes were found to be the most useful parameters for PND of LAD-I. All the three fetuses tested showed normal expression of CD18/CD11-integrins and thus were unaffected. This was confirmed by testing the cord blood (CB) samples after delivery and normal growth and absence of serious infections on follow-up. Flowcytometry offers a rapid and sensitive technique for PND of LAD-I in the absence of facilities for molecular diagnosis. Obstetricians, even in developing countries with modest facilities, can offer considerable relief for the families.

Simplifying BRDF input data for optical signature modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hallberg, Tomas; Pohl, Anna; Fagerström, Jan

2017-05-01

Scene simulations of optical signature properties using signature codes normally requires input of various parameterized measurement data of surfaces and coatings in order to achieve realistic scene object features. Some of the most important parameters are used in the model of the Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF) and are normally determined by surface reflectance and scattering measurements. Reflectance measurements of the spectral Directional Hemispherical Reflectance (DHR) at various incident angles can normally be performed in most spectroscopy labs, while measuring the BRDF is more complicated or may not be available at all in many optical labs. We will present a method in order to achieve the necessary BRDF data directly from DHR measurements for modeling software using the Sandford-Robertson BRDF model. The accuracy of the method is tested by modeling a test surface by comparing results from using estimated and measured BRDF data as input to the model. These results show that using this method gives no significant loss in modeling accuracy.

Audiovestibular impairments associated with intracranial hypotension.

PubMed

Choi, Jae-Hwan; Cho, Kee-Yong; Cha, Seung-Yi; Seo, Jae-Deuk; Kim, Min-Ji; Choi, Yu Ri; Kim, Sung-Hee; Kim, Ji-Soo; Choi, Kwang-Dong

2015-10-15

To investigate the patterns and mechanisms of audiovestibular impairments associated with intracranial hypotension. We had consecutively recruited 16 patients with intracranial hypotension at the Neurology Center of Pusan National University Hospital for two years. Spontaneous, gaze-evoked, and positional nystagmus were recorded using 3D video-oculography in all patients, and the majority of them also had pure tone audiometry and bithermal caloric tests. Of the 16 patients, five (31.3%) reported neuro-otological symptoms along with the orthostatic headache while laboratory evaluation demonstrated audiovestibular impairments in ten (62.5%). Oculographic analyses documented spontaneous and/or positional nystagmus in six patients (37.5%) including weak spontaneous vertical nystagmus with positional modulation (n=4) and pure positional nystagmus (n=2). One patient presented with recurrent spontaneous vertigo and tinnitus mimicking Meniere's disease, and showed unidirectional horizontal and torsional nystagmus with normal head impulse tests during the attacks. Bithermal caloric tests were normal in all nine patients tested. Audiometry showed unilateral (n=6) or bilateral (n=1) sensorineural hearing loss in seven (53.8%) of the 13 patients tested. Intracranial hypotension frequently induces audiovestibular impairments. In addition to endolymphatic hydrops and irritation of the vestibulocochlear nerve, compression or traction of the brainstem or cerebellum due to loss of CSF buoyancy may be considered as a mechanism of frequent spontaneous or positional vertical nystagmus in patients with intracranial hypotension. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Towards early detection of cervical cancer: Fractal dimension of AFM images of human cervical epithelial cells at different stages of progression to cancer.

PubMed

Guz, Nataliia V; Dokukin, Maxim E; Woodworth, Craig D; Cardin, Andrew; Sokolov, Igor

2015-10-01

We used AFM HarmoniX modality to analyse the surface of individual human cervical epithelial cells at three stages of progression to cancer, normal, immortal (pre-malignant) and carcinoma cells. Primary cells from 6 normal strains, 6 cancer, and 6 immortalized lines (derived by plasmid DNA-HPV-16 transfection of cells from 6 healthy individuals) were tested. This cell model allowed for good control of the cell phenotype down to the single cell level, which is impractical to attain in clinical screening tests (ex-vivo). AFM maps of physical (nonspecific) adhesion are collected on fixed dried cells. We show that a surface parameter called fractal dimension can be used to segregate normal from both immortal pre-malignant and malignant cells with sensitivity and specificity of more than 99%. The reported method of analysis can be directly applied to cells collected in liquid cytology screening tests and identified as abnormal with regular optical methods to increase sensitivity. Despite cervical smear screening, sometimes it is very difficult to differentiate cancers cells from pre-malignant cells. By using AFM to analyze the surface properties of human cervical epithelial cells, the authors were able to accurately identify normal from abnormal cells. This method could augment existing protocols to increase diagnostic accuracy. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Experimental Studies on the Mechanical Behaviour of Rock Joints with Various Openings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Y.; Oh, J.; Mitra, R.; Hebblewhite, B.

2016-03-01

The mechanical behaviour of rough joints is markedly affected by the degree of joint opening. A systematic experimental study was conducted to investigate the effect of the initial opening on both normal and shear deformations of rock joints. Two types of joints with triangular asperities were produced in the laboratory and subjected to compression tests and direct shear tests with different initial opening values. The results showed that opened rock joints allow much greater normal closure and result in much lower normal stiffness. A semi-logarithmic law incorporating the degree of interlocking is proposed to describe the normal deformation of opened rock joints. The proposed equation agrees well with the experimental results. Additionally, the results of direct shear tests demonstrated that shear strength and dilation are reduced because of reduced involvement of and increased damage to asperities in the process of shearing. The results indicate that constitutive models of rock joints that consider the true asperity contact area can be used to predict shear resistance along opened rock joints. Because rock masses are loosened and rock joints become open after excavation, the model suggested in this study can be incorporated into numerical procedures such as finite-element or discrete-element methods. Use of the model could then increase the accuracy and reliability of stability predictions for rock masses under excavation.

The effect of cochlear implantation in development of intelligence quotient of 6-9 deaf children in comparison with normal hearing children (Iran, 2009-2011).

PubMed

Hashemi, Seyed Basir; Monshizadeh, Leila

2012-06-01

Before the introduction of cochlear implant (CI) in 1980, hearing aids were the only means by which profoundly deaf children had access to auditory stimuli. Nowadays, CI is firmly established as effective option in speech and language rehabilitation of deaf children, but much of the literature regarding outcomes for children after CI are focused on development of speech and less is known about language acquisition. So, the main aim of this study is the evaluation of verbal intelligence quotient (IQ) of cochlear implanted children in comparison with normal children. 30 cochlear implanted and 30 normal hearing children with similar socio-economic level at the same age were compared by a revised version (in Persian) of WISC test (Wechsler, 1991). Then the data were analyzed through SPSS software 16. In spite of the fact that cochlear implanted children did well in different parameters of WISC test, the average scores of this group was less than normal hearing children. But in similarities (one of the parameters of WISC test) 2 group's performance was approximately the same. CI plays an important role in development of verbal IQ and language acquisition of deaf children. Different researches indicate that most of the cochlear implanted children show less language delay during the time. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The diagnostic use of choroidal thickness analysis and its correlation with visual field indices in glaucoma using spectral domain optical coherence tomography.

PubMed

Lin, Zhongjing; Huang, Shouyue; Huang, Ping; Guo, Lei; Shen, Xi; Zhong, Yisheng

2017-01-01

To evaluate the quantitative characteristics of choroidal thickness in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), normal tension glaucoma (NTG) and in normal eyes using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). To evaluate the diagnostic ability of choroidal thickness in glaucoma and to determine the correlation between choroidal thickness and visual field parameters in glaucoma. A total of 116 subjects including 40 POAG, 30 NTG and 46 healthy subjects were enrolled in this study. Choroidal thickness measurements were acquired in the macular and peripapillary regions using SD-OCT. All subjects underwent white-on-white (W/W) and blue-on-yellow (B/Y) visual field tests using Humphrey Field Analyzer. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the area under curve (AUC) were generated to assess the discriminating power of choroidal thickness for glaucoma. Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated to assess the structure function correlation for glaucoma patients. No significant differences were observed for macular choroidal thickness among the different groups (all P > 0.05). Regarding the peripapillary choroidal thickness (PPCT), significant differences were observed among the three groups (all P < 0.05). Post hoc tests for multiple comparisons revealed a significant difference in the NTG-normal comparison group (all P < 0.01). The inferior and temporal PPCT in POAG patients were significantly thinner than those in normal subjects (P = 0.007, P = 0.002, respectively). Different parameters of PPCT showed significantly low diagnostic values to detect POAG from normal subjects (AUC: 0.555 to 0.652) and to discriminate NTG from POAG (AUC: 0.462 to 0.702), but moderate diagnostic power to detect NTG from normal subjects (AUC: 0.708 to 0.771). Regarding the diagnosis of early glaucoma, different parameters of PPCT showed relatively low diagnostic power (AUC: 0.606 to 0.698). In all the glaucoma subjects, PPCT was not significantly correlated with W/W mean deviation (MD) (all P > 0.05), but showed significant correlations with B/Y MD (all P < 0.05). In the early glaucomatous eyes, PPCT showed significant correlations with W/W MD and B/Y MD (all P < 0.05). In our study, peripapillary choroidal thickness measured on OCT showed a low to moderate but statistically significant diagnostic power and a significant correlation with blue-on-yellow visual field indices in glaucoma. This may indicate a potential adjunct for peripapillary choroidal thickness in glaucoma diagnosis.

Dorsomedial striatum lesions affect adjustment to reward uncertainty, but not to reward devaluation or omission.

PubMed

Torres, Carmen; Glueck, Amanda C; Conrad, Shannon E; Morón, Ignacio; Papini, Mauricio R

2016-09-22

The dorsomedial striatum (DMS) has been implicated in the acquisition of reward representations, a proposal leading to the hypothesis that it should play a role in situations involving reward loss. We report the results of an experiment in which the effects of DMS excitotoxic lesions were tested in consummatory successive negative contrast (reward devaluation), autoshaping training with partial vs. continuous reinforcement (reward uncertainty), and appetitive extinction (reward omission). Animals with DMS lesions exhibited reduced lever pressing responding, but enhanced goal entries, during partial reinforcement training in autoshaping. However, they showed normal negative contrast, acquisition under continuous reinforcement (CR), appetitive extinction, and response facilitation in early extinction trials. Open-field testing also indicated normal motor behavior. Thus, DMS lesions selectively affected the behavioral adjustment to a situation involving reward uncertainty, producing a behavioral reorganization according to which goal tracking (goal entries) became predominant at the expense of sign tracking (lever pressing). This pattern of results shows that the function of the DMS in situations involving reward loss is not general, but restricted to reward uncertainty. We suggest that a nonassociative, drive-related process induced by reward uncertainty requires normal output from DMS neurons. Copyright © 2016 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Statistical Value of Raw Fluorescence Signal in Luminex xMAP Based Multiplex Immunoassays

PubMed Central

Breen, Edmond J.; Tan, Woei; Khan, Alamgir

2016-01-01

Tissue samples (plasma, saliva, serum or urine) from 169 patients classified as either normal or having one of seven possible diseases are analysed across three 96-well plates for the presences of 37 analytes using cytokine inflammation multiplexed immunoassay panels. Censoring for concentration data caused problems for analysis of the low abundant analytes. Using fluorescence analysis over concentration based analysis allowed analysis of these low abundant analytes. Mixed-effects analysis on the resulting fluorescence and concentration responses reveals a combination of censoring and mapping the fluorescence responses to concentration values, through a 5PL curve, changed observed analyte concentrations. Simulation verifies this, by showing a dependence on the mean florescence response and its distribution on the observed analyte concentration levels. Differences from normality, in the fluorescence responses, can lead to differences in concentration estimates and unreliable probabilities for treatment effects. It is seen that when fluorescence responses are normally distributed, probabilities of treatment effects for fluorescence based t-tests has greater statistical power than the same probabilities from concentration based t-tests. We add evidence that the fluorescence response, unlike concentration values, doesn’t require censoring and we show with respect to differential analysis on the fluorescence responses that background correction is not required. PMID:27243383

Hydrogen breath test in schoolchildren.

PubMed Central

Douwes, A C; Schaap, C; van der Klei-van Moorsel, J M

1985-01-01

The frequency of negative hydrogen breath tests due to colonic bacterial flora which are unable to produce hydrogen was determined after oral lactulose challenge in 98 healthy Dutch schoolchildren. There was a negative result in 9.2%. The probability of a false normal lactose breath test (1:77) was calculated from these results together with those from a separate group of children with lactose malabsorption (also determined by hydrogen breath test). A study of siblings and mothers of subjects with a negative breath test did not show familial clustering of this condition. Faecal incubation tests with various sugars showed an increase in breath hydrogen greater than 100 parts per million in those with a positive breath test while subjects with a negative breath test also had a negative faecal incubation test. The frequency of a false negative hydrogen breath test was higher than previously reported, but this does not affect the superiority of this method of testing over the conventional blood glucose determination. PMID:4004310

Work capacity and oxygen uptake abnormalities in hyperthyroidism.

PubMed

Irace, L; Pergola, V; Di Salvo, G; Perna, B; Tedesco, M A; Ricci, C; Tuccillo, B; Iacono, A

2006-06-01

The aim of our study was to evaluate the haemodynamic and the respiratory response to exercise in patients with hyperthyroidism before and 30 days after normalized thyroid hormones levels. These findings were compared with those of 10 control patients. Thirty patients (23 women, aged 34.3 +/- 12 years) with untreated hyperthyroidism were studied. Twenty-four patients were treated with methimazole, 13 of which were also treated with propranolol. Six patients underwent surgery. A symptom-limited cardiopulmonary exercise test and an echocardiography were performed in all patients. At rest patients with hyperthyroidism showed at echocardiography an increased cardiac index (P = 0.006 vs euthyroid, P = 0.007 vs normal) and a higher ejection fraction (P = 0.008 vs euthyroid, P = 0.007 vs normal). The duration of the exercise was lower in hyperthyroid patients (P = 0.006 vs euthyroid; P = 0.0068 vs normal). Anaerobic threshold was reached at 49.6% of peak VO2 during hyperthyroidism, at 60.8% during euthyroidism (P = 0.01) and at 62% in normal (P = 0.01). Work rate was lower in patients with hyperthyroidism at anaerobic threshold (P = 0.01 vs euthyroid, P = 0.03 vs normal) and at maximal work (P = 0.001 vs euthyroid, P = 0.01 vs normal). Patients in hyperthyroidism showed a lower increment of heart rate between rest and anaerobic threshold (P = 0.021 vs euthyroid, P < 0.0001 vs normal) and a lower VO2 at anaerobic threshold (P = 0.03 vs euthyroid; P = 0.04 vs normal). Oxygen pulse at anaerobic threshold was significantly reduced in hyperthyroidism (P = 0.04 vs euthyroid, P = 0.005 vs normal). The mean result is that after only 30 days of appropriate antithyroid treatment there was an appreciable improvement of exertion capacity.

Robust Approach to Verifying the Weak Form of the Efficient Market Hypothesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Střelec, Luboš

2011-09-01

The weak form of the efficient markets hypothesis states that prices incorporate only past information about the asset. An implication of this form of the efficient markets hypothesis is that one cannot detect mispriced assets and consistently outperform the market through technical analysis of past prices. One of possible formulations of the efficient market hypothesis used for weak form tests is that share prices follow a random walk. It means that returns are realizations of IID sequence of random variables. Consequently, for verifying the weak form of the efficient market hypothesis, we can use distribution tests, among others, i.e. some tests of normality and/or some graphical methods. Many procedures for testing the normality of univariate samples have been proposed in the literature [7]. Today the most popular omnibus test of normality for a general use is the Shapiro-Wilk test. The Jarque-Bera test is the most widely adopted omnibus test of normality in econometrics and related fields. In particular, the Jarque-Bera test (i.e. test based on the classical measures of skewness and kurtosis) is frequently used when one is more concerned about heavy-tailed alternatives. As these measures are based on moments of the data, this test has a zero breakdown value [2]. In other words, a single outlier can make the test worthless. The reason so many classical procedures are nonrobust to outliers is that the parameters of the model are expressed in terms of moments, and their classical estimators are expressed in terms of sample moments, which are very sensitive to outliers. Another approach to robustness is to concentrate on the parameters of interest suggested by the problem under this study. Consequently, novel robust testing procedures of testing normality are presented in this paper to overcome shortcomings of classical normality tests in the field of financial data, which are typical with occurrence of remote data points and additional types of deviations from normality. This study also discusses some results of simulation power studies of these tests for normality against selected alternatives. Based on outcome of the power simulation study, selected normality tests were consequently used to verify weak form of efficiency in Central Europe stock markets.

Trilostane treatment of a dog with functional adrenocortical neoplasia.

PubMed

Eastwood, J M; Elwood, C M; Hurley, K J

2003-03-01

A 13-year-old, crossbreed dog presented with a history of recent onset polydipsia, progressive lethargy, weakness and reduced appetite. Blood tests showed raised concentrations of alkaline phosphatase and alanine aminotransferase with marginally low serum potassium. There was a leucocytosis with a mature neutrophilia and no eosinophils. Endocrine tests showed a normal aldosterone concentration and an exaggerated adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation test, consistent with a diagnosis of hyperadrenocorticism (HAC). A diagnosis of adrenal-dependent HAC was made, based on the presence of a calcified mass involving the left adrenal gland, and hepatomegaly, on radiography and ultrasonography. The owners declined surgical adrenalectomy. Medical management with trilostane rapidly improved the clinical signs and normalised the serum chemistry. ACTH stimulation tests showed an improvement in post-ACTH cortisol concentrations and were used to make dose adjustments where necessary. At the time of writing, no adverse side effects had been seen and the dog remained well after 80 weeks of treatment.

Effects of Age and Working Memory Capacity on Speech Recognition Performance in Noise Among Listeners With Normal Hearing.

PubMed

Gordon-Salant, Sandra; Cole, Stacey Samuels

2016-01-01

This study aimed to determine if younger and older listeners with normal hearing who differ on working memory span perform differently on speech recognition tests in noise. Older adults typically exhibit poorer speech recognition scores in noise than younger adults, which is attributed primarily to poorer hearing sensitivity and more limited working memory capacity in older than younger adults. Previous studies typically tested older listeners with poorer hearing sensitivity and shorter working memory spans than younger listeners, making it difficult to discern the importance of working memory capacity on speech recognition. This investigation controlled for hearing sensitivity and compared speech recognition performance in noise by younger and older listeners who were subdivided into high and low working memory groups. Performance patterns were compared for different speech materials to assess whether or not the effect of working memory capacity varies with the demands of the specific speech test. The authors hypothesized that (1) normal-hearing listeners with low working memory span would exhibit poorer speech recognition performance in noise than those with high working memory span; (2) older listeners with normal hearing would show poorer speech recognition scores than younger listeners with normal hearing, when the two age groups were matched for working memory span; and (3) an interaction between age and working memory would be observed for speech materials that provide contextual cues. Twenty-eight older (61 to 75 years) and 25 younger (18 to 25 years) normal-hearing listeners were assigned to groups based on age and working memory status. Northwestern University Auditory Test No. 6 words and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers sentences were presented in noise using an adaptive procedure to measure the signal-to-noise ratio corresponding to 50% correct performance. Cognitive ability was evaluated with two tests of working memory (Listening Span Test and Reading Span Test) and two tests of processing speed (Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test and The Letter Digit Substitution Test). Significant effects of age and working memory capacity were observed on the speech recognition measures in noise, but these effects were mediated somewhat by the speech signal. Specifically, main effects of age and working memory were revealed for both words and sentences, but the interaction between the two was significant for sentences only. For these materials, effects of age were observed for listeners in the low working memory groups only. Although all cognitive measures were significantly correlated with speech recognition in noise, working memory span was the most important variable accounting for speech recognition performance. The results indicate that older adults with high working memory capacity are able to capitalize on contextual cues and perform as well as young listeners with high working memory capacity for sentence recognition. The data also suggest that listeners with normal hearing and low working memory capacity are less able to adapt to distortion of speech signals caused by background noise, which requires the allocation of more processing resources to earlier processing stages. These results indicate that both younger and older adults with low working memory capacity and normal hearing are at a disadvantage for recognizing speech in noise.

The influence of normal and high ultimate muscle pH on the microbiology and colour stability of previously frozen black wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou) meat.

PubMed

Shange, Nompumelelo; Makasi, Thandeka N; Gouws, Pieter A; Hoffman, Louwrens C

2018-01-01

Changes in pH, colour and microbiological counts were investigated in previously frozen Biceps femoris (BF) muscles from black wildebeest. Samples were stored under vacuum at refrigerated conditions (4.2±0.8°C) for 12days. Seven BF muscles had a high pH (DFD) (pH≥6) and five had a normal pH (pH<6). Overtime the pH of DFD did not significantly change whilst that of normal pH meat decreased. Browning under anaerobic storage conditions was seen, more for normal meat than DFD meat. Initial total viable counts, lactic acid bacteria and coliform counts from samples with normal pH, were significantly higher than counts from the DFD samples. However, overtime DFD meat showed a faster increase for all microorganisms tested compared to normal pH meat. Overall, this study revealed that DFD meat can have a shorter shelf-life than normal pH meat stored at 4.2±0.8°C. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hearing and loud music exposure in a group of adolescents at the ages of 14-15 and retested at 17-18.

PubMed

Biassoni, Ester C; Serra, Mario R; Hinalaf, María; Abraham, Mónica; Pavlik, Marta; Villalobo, Jorge Pérez; Curet, Carlos; Joekes, Silvia; Yacci, María R; Righetti, Andrea

2014-01-01

Young people expose themselves to potentially damaging loud sounds while leisure activities and noise induced hearing loss is diagnosed in increasing number of adolescents. Hearing and music exposure in a group of adolescents of a technical high school was assessed at the ages of: 14-15 (test) and 17-18 (retest). The aims of the current study were: (1) To compare the auditory function between test and retest; (2) to compare the musical exposure levels during recreational activities in test and retest; (3) to compare the auditory function with the musical exposure along time in a subgroup of adolescents. The participants in the test were 172 male; in the retest, this number was reduced to 59. At the test and retest the conventional and extended high frequency audiometry, transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs) and recreational habits questionnaire were performed. In the test, hearing threshold levels (HTLs) were classified as: Normal (Group 1), slightly shifted (Group 2), and significantly shifted (Group 3); the Musical General Exposure (MGE), categorized in: Low, moderate, high, and very high exposure. The results revealed a significant difference (P < 0.0001) between test and retest in the HTL and global amplitude of TEOAEs in Group 1, showing an increase of the HTL and a decrease TEOAEs amplitude. A subgroup of adolescents, with normal hearing and low exposure to music in the test, showed an increase of the HTL according with the categories of MGE in the retest. To implement educational programs for assessing hearing function, ear vulnerability and to promote hearing health, would be advisable.

Goodness-of-Fit Tests for Generalized Normal Distribution for Use in Hydrological Frequency Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Samiran

2018-04-01

The use of three-parameter generalized normal (GNO) as a hydrological frequency distribution is well recognized, but its application is limited due to unavailability of popular goodness-of-fit (GOF) test statistics. This study develops popular empirical distribution function (EDF)-based test statistics to investigate the goodness-of-fit of the GNO distribution. The focus is on the case most relevant to the hydrologist, namely, that in which the parameter values are unidentified and estimated from a sample using the method of L-moments. The widely used EDF tests such as Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Cramer von Mises, and Anderson-Darling (AD) are considered in this study. A modified version of AD, namely, the Modified Anderson-Darling (MAD) test, is also considered and its performance is assessed against other EDF tests using a power study that incorporates six specific Wakeby distributions (WA-1, WA-2, WA-3, WA-4, WA-5, and WA-6) as the alternative distributions. The critical values of the proposed test statistics are approximated using Monte Carlo techniques and are summarized in chart and regression equation form to show the dependence of shape parameter and sample size. The performance results obtained from the power study suggest that the AD and a variant of the MAD (MAD-L) are the most powerful tests. Finally, the study performs case studies involving annual maximum flow data of selected gauged sites from Irish and US catchments to show the application of the derived critical values and recommends further assessments to be carried out on flow data sets of rivers with various hydrological regimes.

[The 8-year follow-up study for clinical diagnostic potentials of frequency-doubling technology perimetry for perimetrically normal eyes of open-angle glaucoma patients with unilateral visual field loss].

PubMed

Fan, X; Wu, L L; Xiao, G G; Ma, Z Z; Liu, F

2018-03-11

Objective: To analyze potentials of frequency-doubling technology perimetry (FDP) for diagnosing open-angle glaucoma (OAG) in perimetrically normal eyes of OAG patients diagnosed with standard automated perimetry (SAP) and relating factors from abnormalities on FDP to visual field loss on SAP. Methods: A prospective cohort study. Sixty-eight eyes of 68 OAG patients visiting the ophthalmic clinic of Peking University Third Hospital during November 2003 and October 2007 [32 primary open-angle glaucoma patients and 36 normal tension glaucoma patients, 32 males and 36 females, with an average age of (59±13) years] with unilateral field loss detected by SAP (Octopus101 tG2 program) were examined with the FDP N-30 threshold program (Humphrey Instruments) at baseline. Two groups, FDP positive group and FDP negative group, were divided based on the FDP results, and visual field examinations were followed by a series of SAP examinations for the perimetrically normal eyes over 8 years. During the follow-up, the difference of the converting rate of SAP tests between the two groups was analyzed. Differences between "convertors" and "non-convertors" of SAP tests in the FDP positive group, such as the cup-to-disk ratio and glaucomatous optic neuropathy rate, were also compared with the independent-sample t test or Wilcoxon two-sample test for continuous variable data and the χ(2) test or Fisher exact test for classified variable data and rates. Results: Forty-eight perimetrically normal eyes of 48 participants had complete data and a qualifying follow-up. Baseline FDP results were positive in 33 eyes and negative in 15 eyes. Of the eyes with positive FDP results, 22 eyes developed abnormal SAP results after 4.0 to 90.0 months (median 14.5 months) , whereas none of the eyes with negative FDP results developed abnormal SAP results. For perimetrically normal eyes in the FDP positive group, "converters" showed a greater cup-to-disk ratio (0.73±0.09 vs . 0.63±0.14, Wilcoxon two-sample test, P= 0.011) and more eyes with glaucomatous optic neuropathy (19/22 vs . 4/11, Fisher exact test, P= 0.006). Conclusions: In perimetrically normal eyes of OAG patients, FDP could detect visual field loss of these eyes and predict to some extent future visual field loss on SAP. Severity of glaucomatous optic neuropathy at baseline is related to converting from abnormalities on FDP to visual field loss on SAP. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2018, 54: 177-183) .

A child with chronic manganese exposure from drinking water.

PubMed Central

Woolf, Alan; Wright, Robert; Amarasiriwardena, Chitra; Bellinger, David

2002-01-01

The patient's family bought a home in a suburb, but the proximity of the house to wetlands and its distance from the town water main prohibited connecting the house to town water. The family had a well drilled and they drank the well water for 5 years, despite the fact that the water was turbid, had a metallic taste, and left an orange-brown residue on clothes, dishes, and appliances. When the water was tested after 5 years of residential use, the manganese concentration was elevated (1.21 ppm; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reference, < 0.05 ppm). The family's 10-year-old son had elevated manganese concentrations in whole blood, urine, and hair. The blood manganese level of his brother was normal, but his hair manganese level was elevated. The patient, the 10-year-old, was in the fifth grade and had no history of learning problems; however, teachers had noticed his inattentiveness and lack of focus in the classroom. Our results of cognitive testing were normal, but tests of memory revealed a markedly below-average performance: the patient's general memory index was at the 13th percentile, his verbal memory at the 19th percentile, his visual memory at the 14th percentile, and his learning index at the 19th percentile. The patient's free recall and cued recall tests were all 0.5-1.5 standard deviations (1 SD = 16th percentile) below normal. Psychometric testing scores showed normal IQ but unexpectedly poor verbal and visual memory. These findings are consistent with the known toxic effects of manganese, although a causal relationship cannot necessarily be inferred. PMID:12055054

Clinical use of multifocal visual-evoked potentials in a glaucoma practice: a prospective study

PubMed Central

Liebmann, Jeffrey M.; Ritch, Robert; Hood, Donald C.

2012-01-01

Purpose To test a framework that describes how the multifocal visual-evoked potential (mfVEP) technique is used in a particular glaucoma practice. Methods In this prospective, descriptive study, glaucoma suspects, ocular hypertensives and glaucoma patients were referred for mfVEP testing by a single glaucoma specialist over a 2-year period. All patients underwent standard automated perimetry (SAP) and mfVEP testing within 3 months. Two hundred and ten patients (420 eyes) were referred for mfVEP testing for the following reasons: (1) normal SAP tests suspected of early functional loss (ocular hypertensives, n = 43; and glaucoma suspects on the basis of suspicious optic disks, n = 52); (2) normal-tension glaucoma patients with suspected central SAP defects (n = 33); and (3) SAP abnormalities needing confirmation (n = 82). Results All the glaucoma suspects with normal SAP and mfVEP results remained untreated. Of those with abnormal mfVEP results, 68 % (15/22) were treated because the abnormal regions on the mfVEP were consistent with the abnormal regions seen during clinical examination of the optic disk. The mfVEP was abnormal in 86 % (69/80) of eyes with glaucomatous optic neuropathy and SAP damage, even though it did not result in an altered treatment regimen. In NTG patients, the mfVEP showed central defects in 44 % (12 of 27) of the eyes with apparently normal central fields and confirmed central scotomata in 92 % (36 of 39), leading to more rigorous surveillance of these patients. Conclusions In a clinical practice, the mfVEP was used when clinical examination and subjective visual fields provided insufficient or conflicting information. This information influenced clinical management. PMID:22476612

Clinical use of multifocal visual-evoked potentials in a glaucoma practice: a prospective study.

PubMed

De Moraes, Carlos Gustavo; Liebmann, Jeffrey M; Ritch, Robert; Hood, Donald C

2012-08-01

To test a framework that describes how the multifocal visual-evoked potential (mfVEP) technique is used in a particular glaucoma practice. In this prospective, descriptive study, glaucoma suspects, ocular hypertensives and glaucoma patients were referred for mfVEP testing by a single glaucoma specialist over a 2-year period. All patients underwent standard automated perimetry (SAP) and mfVEP testing within 3 months. Two hundred and ten patients (420 eyes) were referred for mfVEP testing for the following reasons: (1) normal SAP tests suspected of early functional loss (ocular hypertensives, n = 43; and glaucoma suspects on the basis of suspicious optic disks, n = 52); (2) normal-tension glaucoma patients with suspected central SAP defects (n = 33); and (3) SAP abnormalities needing confirmation (n = 82). All the glaucoma suspects with normal SAP and mfVEP results remained untreated. Of those with abnormal mfVEP results, 68 % (15/22) were treated because the abnormal regions on the mfVEP were consistent with the abnormal regions seen during clinical examination of the optic disk. The mfVEP was abnormal in 86 % (69/80) of eyes with glaucomatous optic neuropathy and SAP damage, even though it did not result in an altered treatment regimen. In NTG patients, the mfVEP showed central defects in 44 % (12 of 27) of the eyes with apparently normal central fields and confirmed central scotomata in 92 % (36 of 39), leading to more rigorous surveillance of these patients. In a clinical practice, the mfVEP was used when clinical examination and subjective visual fields provided insufficient or conflicting information. This information influenced clinical management.

[Neuropsychological modifications at high altitude: from Pamir to Karakorum].

PubMed

Nardi, Bernardo; Brandoni, Marco; Capecci, Ilaria; Castellani, Simona; Rupoli, Sara; Bellantuono, Cesario

2009-01-01

Neuropsychological modifications and acclimatization processes at over 8000 without auxiliary oxygen were investigated in two climbers, evaluating attentive abilities and matching their performances. During rest in base-camp (4800 m), at other three Resorts - Resort I (5800 m), Resort II (6400 m), Resort III (7200 m) -, and four months after the return at low altitude, were administered: Temporal Orientation Test (TOT), Trail Making Test (TMT), Animal Naming (AN), Verbal Fluency Test (VFT), Arithmetical Judgment Test (AJT), and Drawing Test (DT). Results. At TOT and at AJT, both the climbers demonstrated scores at higher normal levels (Eq = 4) in all the Resorts in which they were performed. They showed an impairment at AN test, especially at Resort III, showing sensitivity of animal naming to hypoxia. At the DT, human figures were reduced in their dimensions and details, as consequence of the tendency to self closure and introversion that occurs at higher altitudes. Neuropsychological functions concerning verbal fluency showed sensitivity to hypoxia, especially at higher altitudes. TMT demonstrated that attentive ability can be preserved if acclimatization is good. Sensitivity to hypoxia and acclimatization processes showed a significant subjective variability. The results of this study show that exposure to high altitude produces some significant neuropsychological changes.

Chronic administration of parecoxib exerts anxiolytic-like and memory enhancing effects and modulates synaptophysin expression in mice.

PubMed

Wang, Bo; Jin, Xin; Kuang, Xin; Tian, Shaowen

2017-11-13

Previous studies have shown that cyclooxygenase-2, a key enzyme that converts arachidonic acid to prostaglandins, is involved in anxiety and cognitive processes, but few studies have investigated the effects of chronic administration of cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors on anxiety, learning and memory under normal physiological conditions. The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of chronic administration of parecoxib, a cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor, on anxiety behavior and memory performance under normal physiological conditions and to explore the possible neural mechanism underlying parecoxib-mediated effects. Adult male ICR mice were randomly divided into four groups: the control group and three parecoxib groups. Mice received normal saline or parecoxib (2.5, 5.0 or 10 mg/kg) intraperitoneal injection once a day for 21 days, respectively. Elevated plus-maze, novel object recognition and Y maze tests were conducted on day 23, 24 and 26, respectively. Four additional groups that received same drug treatment were used to measure synaptophysin protein levels by western blot and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) levels by ELISA in the amygdala and hippocampus on day 26. Chronic parecoxib exerted an anxiolytic-like effect in the plus-maze test test, and enhanced memory performance in the novel object recognition and Y maze tests. Western blot analysis showed that chronic parecoxib down-regulated synaptophysin levels in the amygdala and up-regulated synaptophysin levels in the hippocampus. ELISA assay showed that chronic parecoxib inhibited PGE2 in the hippocampus but not amygdala. Chronic parecoxib exerts anxiolytic-like and memory enhancing effects, which might be mediated through differential modulation of synaptophysin and PGE2 in the amygdala and hippocampus.

[A case of early onset cerebellar ataxia with hearing loss, mental disturbance and primary hypogonadism].

PubMed

Ikezoe, K; Yamada, A; Takeuchi, H; Miki, H; Katanaka, J

1992-09-01

A 14-year-old girl, whose birth and developmental history were normal till the age of 7, was admitted to our hospital because of slowly progressive difficulties in walking, speaking and hearing. She also complained of absence of menstruation. She showed poor school records since the age of 7. On neurological examination, she showed limb and truncal ataxia. There was no nystagmus but slurred speech was found. Muscular power was good and her sensory system was normal. Tendon reflexes were equally present, and plantar reflexes were flexor. Bilateral moderate nerve deafness was also present. Mental deficiency was diagnosed on an intelligence test. Brain CT and MRI showed cerebellar atrophy. Gynecological examination revealed scanty pubic hair and small uterus. Karyotype was 46XX. Endocrinological studies demonstrated high level of FSH, low level of E2, and the normal response to pituitary stimulation with LHRH, indicating the existence of primary hypogonadism. Although the etiology of this multisystem disorder is unknown, it is possible that both nervous and endocrine disorders were genetically determined.

A selective memory deficit caused by autoimmune encephalopathy associated with Hashimoto thyroiditis.

PubMed

Koros, Christos; Economou, Alexandra; Mastorakos, George; Bonakis, Anastasios; Kalfakis, Nikolaos; Papageorgiou, Sokratis G

2012-09-01

We report a longstanding selective memory deficit in a euthyroid 45-year-old woman who was being treated with levothyroxine for Hashimoto thyroiditis. The patient had complained of memory problems and deterioration of her concentration skills for about 2 years. Her endocrinologist thought that she was depressed. The patient's physical examination was normal. She scored a full 30 points on the Mini-Mental State Examination, but neuropsychological evaluation showed a significant deficit in her verbal memory. Routine blood tests and cerebrospinal fluid analysis showed only antithyroid peroxidase antibodies. Brain magnetic resonance imaging was normal. Electroencephalogram showed scarce intermittent bilateral multifocal theta waves. We increased the patient's daily dose of levothyroxine and started her on dexamethasone therapy. Five months later, we repeated the entire evaluation and found both her cognitive function and her electroencephalogram to be normal. Autoimmune encephalopathy associated with Hashimoto thyroiditis is already known to present with either stroke-like episodes or diffuse progressive deterioration. Our patient shows that the encephalopathy can present as a chronic selective memory deficit that can spare executive functions and short-term memory. This presentation can be missed or mistaken for depression, but can be diagnosed with a detailed neuropsychological evaluation.

Comparison of memory and meta-memory abilities of children with cochlear implant and normal hearing peers.

PubMed

Engel-Yeger, Batya; Durr, Doris H; Josman, Naomi

2011-01-01

This study aimed (1) to compare visual memory and meta-memory abilities, including the use of strategies as context, of children with cochlear implant (CI) and children with normal hearing; (2) to examine the concurrent and construct validity of 'The Contextual Memory Test for Children' (CMT-CH). Twenty children with CI and 20 children with normal hearing, aged 8-10 years, participated in this study. Memory abilities were measured by two subtests of the Children's Memory Scale (CMS) and by CMT-CH, which also measures meta-memory abilities. Children with CI scored significantly lower in both tests of memory and meta-memory and showed less efficient use of context to memorise. Significant positive correlations were found between CMS and CMT-CH memory tests in both groups. Visual memory and meta-memory abilities may be impaired in children with CI. Evaluation and intervention for children with CI should refer to their memory and meta-memory abilities in order to measure the outcomes of CIs, and enhance language development academic achievements. Although more studies on CMT-CH should be performed, the CMT-CH may be used for the evaluation of visual memory of children with CI.

Microscopic Origin of Strain Hardening in Methane Hydrate

PubMed Central

Jia, Jihui; Liang, Yunfeng; Tsuji, Takeshi; Murata, Sumihiko; Matsuoka, Toshifumi

2016-01-01

It has been reported for a long time that methane hydrate presents strain hardening, whereas the strength of normal ice weakens with increasing strain after an ultimate strength. However, the microscopic origin of these differences is not known. Here, we investigated the mechanical characteristics of methane hydrate and normal ice by compressive deformation test using molecular dynamics simulations. It is shown that methane hydrate exhibits strain hardening only if the hydrate is confined to a certain finite cross-sectional area that is normal to the compression direction. For normal ice, it does not present strain hardening under the same conditions. We show that hydrate guest methane molecules exhibit no long-distance diffusion when confined to a finite-size area. They appear to serve as non-deformable units that prevent hydrate structure failure, and thus are responsible for the strain-hardening phenomenon. PMID:27009239

New diagnostic tests of GH reserve.

PubMed

Martul, P; Pineda, J; Pombo, M; Peñalva, A; Bokser, L; Dieguez, C

1993-01-01

Pharmacological tests are essential for the diagnosis of growth hormone (GH) insufficiency. Obesity is a pathological state associated with blunted GH response to all the classical stimuli tested. In the present study, three new pharmacological stimuli for GH reserve were evaluated in three groups of subjects: Normal, GH-insufficient and normal growing obese children. Dexamethasone provokes a clear GH-response in normal children, whereas the response in the other 2 groups of patients is significantly diminished. Galanin-induced GH-secretion is significantly higher in normal than in obese children. GHRP-6 causes a potent GH release in normal children, higher than in GH-insufficiency or obesity. The overlap shown between GH-insufficient patients and normal children reduces the usefulness of the tests. Similar to the classical stimuli, the response to these new tests is also decreased in obesity.

Accelerated behavioural development changes fine-scale search behaviour and spatial memory in honey bees (Apis mellifera L.).

PubMed

Ushitani, Tomokazu; Perry, Clint J; Cheng, Ken; Barron, Andrew B

2016-02-01

Normally, worker honey bees (Apis mellifera) begin foraging when more than 2 weeks old as adults, but if individual bees or the colony is stressed, bees often begin foraging precociously. Here, we examined whether bees that accelerated their behavioural development to begin foraging precociously differed from normal-aged foragers in cognitive performance. We used a social manipulation to generate precocious foragers from small experimental colonies and tested their performance in a free-flight visual reversal learning task, and a test of spatial memory. To assess spatial memory, bees were trained to learn the location of a small sucrose feeder within an array of three landmarks. In tests, the feeder and one landmark were removed and the search behaviour of the bees was recorded. Performance of precocious and normal-aged foragers did not differ in a visual reversal learning task, but the two groups showed a clear difference in spatial memory. Flight behaviour suggested normal-aged foragers were better able to infer the position of the removed landmark and feeder relative to the remaining landmarks than precocious foragers. Previous studies have documented the cognitive decline of old foragers, but this is the first suggestion of a cognitive deficit in young foragers. These data imply that worker honey bees continue their cognitive development during the adult stage. These findings may also help to explain why precocious foragers perform quite poorly as foragers and have a higher than normal loss rate. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Comparative performance of conventional OPC concrete and HPC designed by densified mixture design algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huynh, Trong-Phuoc; Hwang, Chao-Lung; Yang, Shu-Ti

2017-12-01

This experimental study evaluated the performance of normal ordinary Portland cement (OPC) concrete and high-performance concrete (HPC) that were designed by the conventional method (ACI) and densified mixture design algorithm (DMDA) method, respectively. Engineering properties and durability performance of both the OPC and HPC samples were studied using the tests of workability, compressive strength, water absorption, ultrasonic pulse velocity, and electrical surface resistivity. Test results show that the HPC performed good fresh property and further showed better performance in terms of strength and durability as compared to the OPC.

Support Parents to Improve Student Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cattanach, Joanna

2013-01-01

By all rights, Hispanic children should be performing better than test scores show. Strong parent-child relationships at home should equal student success, yet Hispanic students remain the least educated group in the country. The Hispanic family structure epitomizes the values normally associated with high academic performance. Hispanic families…

Effects of axisymmetric and normal air jet plumes and solid plume on cylindrical afterbody pressure distributions at Mach numbers from 1.65 to 2.50

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Covell, P. F.

1982-01-01

A wind tunnel investigation of the interference effects of axisymmetric nozzle air plumes, a solid plume, and normal air jet plumes on the afterbody pressure distributions and base pressures of a cylindrical afterbody model was conducted at Mach numbers from 1.65 to 2.50. The axisymmetric nozzles, which varied in exit lip Mach number from 1.7 to 2.7, and the normal air jet nozzle were tested at jet pressure ratios from 1 (jet off) to 615. The tests were conducted at an angle of attack of 0 deg and a Reynolds number per meter of 6.56 million. The results of the investigation show that the solid plume induces greater interference effects than those induced by the axisymmetric nozzle plumes at the selected underexpanded design conditions. A thrust coefficient parameter based on nozzle lip conditons was found to correlate the afterbody disturbance distance and the base pressure between the different axisymmetric nozzles. The normal air jet plume and the solid plume induce afterbody disturbance distances similar to those induced by the axisymmetric air plumes when base pressure is held constant.

Juvenile granulosa cell tumor arising from intra-abdominal testis in newborn: case report and review of the literature.

PubMed

Partalis, Nikolaos; Tzardi, Maria; Barbagadakis, Sophia; Sakellaris, George

2012-05-01

In the present case, the neonate presented with a left-sided abdominal mass and an empty left scrotum. Abdominal ultrasonography showed well-defined cystic formation, and laparotomy revealed a tumor arising from an intra-abdominal left testis. The carcinoembryonic antigen and neuron-specific enolase levels were within normal limits, and the serum β-human chorionic gonadotropin and α-fetoprotein levels were within age-related normal values. The findings from the immunochemistry tests confirmed the diagnosis. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Color vision testing with a computer graphics system: preliminary results.

PubMed

Arden, G; Gündüz, K; Perry, S

1988-06-01

We report a method for computer enhancement of color vision tests. In our graphics system 256 colors are selected from a much larger range and displayed on a screen divided into 768 x 288 pixels. Eight-bit digital-to-analogue converters drive a high quality monitor with separate inputs to the red, green, and blue amplifiers and calibrated gun chromaticities. The graphics are controlled by a PASCAL program written for a personal computer, which calculates the values of the red, green, and blue signals and specifies them in Commité Internationale d'Eclairage X, Y, and Z fundamentals, so changes in chrominance occur without changes in luminance. The system for measuring color contrast thresholds with gratings is more than adequate in normal observers. In patients with mild retinal damage in whom other tests of visual function are normal, this method of testing color vision shows specific increases in contrast thresholds along tritan color-confusion lines. By the time the Hardy-Rand-Rittler and Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue tests disclose abnormalities, gross defects in color contrast threshold can be seen with our system.

Normalization methods in time series of platelet function assays

PubMed Central

Van Poucke, Sven; Zhang, Zhongheng; Roest, Mark; Vukicevic, Milan; Beran, Maud; Lauwereins, Bart; Zheng, Ming-Hua; Henskens, Yvonne; Lancé, Marcus; Marcus, Abraham

2016-01-01

Abstract Platelet function can be quantitatively assessed by specific assays such as light-transmission aggregometry, multiple-electrode aggregometry measuring the response to adenosine diphosphate (ADP), arachidonic acid, collagen, and thrombin-receptor activating peptide and viscoelastic tests such as rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM). The task of extracting meaningful statistical and clinical information from high-dimensional data spaces in temporal multivariate clinical data represented in multivariate time series is complex. Building insightful visualizations for multivariate time series demands adequate usage of normalization techniques. In this article, various methods for data normalization (z-transformation, range transformation, proportion transformation, and interquartile range) are presented and visualized discussing the most suited approach for platelet function data series. Normalization was calculated per assay (test) for all time points and per time point for all tests. Interquartile range, range transformation, and z-transformation demonstrated the correlation as calculated by the Spearman correlation test, when normalized per assay (test) for all time points. When normalizing per time point for all tests, no correlation could be abstracted from the charts as was the case when using all data as 1 dataset for normalization. PMID:27428217

Examination of ceramic restoration adhesive coverage in cusp-replacement premolar using acoustic emission under fatigue testing.

PubMed

Chang, Yen-Hsiang; Yu, Jin-Jie; Lin, Chun-Li

2014-12-13

This study investigates CAD/CAM ceramic cusp-replacing restoration resistance with and without buccal cusp replacement under static and dynamic cyclic loads, monitored using the acoustic emission (AE) technique. The cavity was designed in a typical MODP (mesial-occlusal-distal-palatal) restoration failure shape when the palatal cusp has been lost. Two ceramic restorations [without coverage (WOC) and with (WC) buccal cuspal coverage with 2.0 mm reduction in cuspal height] were prepared to perform the fracture and fatigue tests with normal (200 N) and high (600 N) occlusal forces. The load versus AE signals in the fracture and fatigue tests were recorded to evaluate the restored tooth failure resistance. The results showed that non-significant differences in load value in the fracture test and the accumulated number of AE signals under normal occlusal force (200 N) in the fatigue test were found between with and without buccal cuspal coverage restorations. The first AE activity occurring for the WOC restoration was lower than that for the WC restoration in the fracture test. The number of AE signals increased with the cyclic load number. The accumulated number of AE signals for the WOC restoration was 187, higher than that (85) for the WC restoration under 600 N in the fatigue test. The AE technique and fatigue tests employed in this study were used as an assessment tool to evaluate the resistances in large CAD/CAM ceramic restorations. Non-significant differences in the tested fracture loads and accumulated number of AE signals under normal occlusal force (200 N) between different restorations indicated that aggressive treatment (with coverage preparation) in palatal cusp-replacing ceramic premolars require more attention for preserving and protecting the remaining tooth.

Evaluating Glaucomatous Retinal Nerve Fiber Damage by GDx VCC Polarimetry in Taiwan Chinese Population

PubMed Central

Chen, Hsin-Yi; Huang, Mei-Ling; Huang, Wei-Cheng

2010-01-01

Purpose To study the capability of scanning laser polarimetry with variable corneal compensation (GDx VCC) to detect differences in retinal nerve fiber layer thickness between normal and glaucomatous eyes in a Taiwan Chinese population. Methods This study included 44 normal eyes and 107 glaucomatous eyes. The glaucomatous eyes were divided into three subgroups on the basis of its visual field defects (early, moderate, severe). Each subject underwent a GDx-VCC exam and visual field testing. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AROC) of each relevant parameter was used to differentiate normal from each glaucoma subgroup, respectively. The correlation between visual field index and each parameter was evaluated for the eyes in the glaucoma group. Results For normal vs. early glaucoma, the parameter with the best AROC was Nerve fiber indicator (NFI) (0.942). For normal vs. moderate glaucoma, the parameter showing the best AROC was NFI (0.985). For normal vs. severe glaucoma, the parameter that had the best AROC was NFI (1.000). For early vs. moderate glaucoma, the parameter with the best AROC was NFI (0.732). For moderate vs. severe, the parameter showing the best AROC was temporal-superior-nasal-inferior-temporal average (0.652). For early vs. severe, the parameter with the best AROC was NFI (0.852). Conclusions GDx-VCC-measured parameters may serve as a useful tool to distinguish normal from glaucomatous eyes; in particular, NFI turned out to be the best discriminating parameter.

Sweat electrolytes test

MedlinePlus

... test is used to confirm these results. Normal Results Normal results include: A sweat chloride test result ... edema) can affect the test results. What Abnormal Results Mean An abnormal test may mean that the ...

Longitudinal development of wideband reflectance tympanometry in normal and at-risk infants

PubMed Central

Hunter, Lisa L.; Keefe, Douglas H.; Feeney, M. Patrick; Fitzpatrick, Denis F.; Lin, Li

2016-01-01

Purpose The goals of this study were to measure normal characteristics of ambient and tympanometric wideband acoustic reflectance, which was parameterized by absorbance and group delay, in newborns cared for in well-baby and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurseries, and to characterize the normal development of reflectance over the first year after birth in a group of infants with clinically normal hearing status followed longitudinally from birth to one year of age. Methods Infants were recruited from a well-baby and NICU nursery, passed newborn otoacoustic emissions (OAE) and automated auditory brainstem response (ABR) tests as well as follow-up diagnostic ABR and audiometry. They were tested longitudinally for up to one year using a wideband middle ear acoustic test battery consisting of tympanometry and ambient-pressure tests. Results were analyzed for ambient reflectance across frequency and tympanometric reflectance across frequency and pressure. Results Wideband absorbance and group delay showed large effects of age in the first 6 months. Immature absorbance and group delay patterns were apparent in the low frequencies at birth and one month, but changed substantially to a more adult-like pattern by age 6 months for both ambient and tympanometric variables. Area and length of the ear canal estimated acoustically increased up to age 1 year. Effects of race (African American and others compared to Caucasian) were found in combination with age effects. Mean and confidence intervals are provided for use as a normative longitudinal database for newborns and infants up to one year of age, for both well-baby and NICU infants. PMID:26712451

A closer look at the effect of preliminary goodness-of-fit testing for normality for the one-sample t-test.

PubMed

Rochon, Justine; Kieser, Meinhard

2011-11-01

Student's one-sample t-test is a commonly used method when inference about the population mean is made. As advocated in textbooks and articles, the assumption of normality is often checked by a preliminary goodness-of-fit (GOF) test. In a paper recently published by Schucany and Ng it was shown that, for the uniform distribution, screening of samples by a pretest for normality leads to a more conservative conditional Type I error rate than application of the one-sample t-test without preliminary GOF test. In contrast, for the exponential distribution, the conditional level is even more elevated than the Type I error rate of the t-test without pretest. We examine the reasons behind these characteristics. In a simulation study, samples drawn from the exponential, lognormal, uniform, Student's t-distribution with 2 degrees of freedom (t(2) ) and the standard normal distribution that had passed normality screening, as well as the ingredients of the test statistics calculated from these samples, are investigated. For non-normal distributions, we found that preliminary testing for normality may change the distribution of means and standard deviations of the selected samples as well as the correlation between them (if the underlying distribution is non-symmetric), thus leading to altered distributions of the resulting test statistics. It is shown that for skewed distributions the excess in Type I error rate may be even more pronounced when testing one-sided hypotheses. ©2010 The British Psychological Society.

Predicting psychopharmacological drug effects on actual driving performance (SDLP) from psychometric tests measuring driving-related skills.

PubMed

Verster, Joris C; Roth, Thomas

2012-03-01

There are various methods to examine driving ability. Comparisons between these methods and their relationship with actual on-road driving is often not determined. The objective of this study was to determine whether laboratory tests measuring driving-related skills could adequately predict on-the-road driving performance during normal traffic. Ninety-six healthy volunteers performed a standardized on-the-road driving test. Subjects were instructed to drive with a constant speed and steady lateral position within the right traffic lane. Standard deviation of lateral position (SDLP), i.e., the weaving of the car, was determined. The subjects also performed a psychometric test battery including the DSST, Sternberg memory scanning test, a tracking test, and a divided attention test. Difference scores from placebo for parameters of the psychometric tests and SDLP were computed and correlated with each other. A stepwise linear regression analysis determined the predictive validity of the laboratory test battery to SDLP. Stepwise regression analyses revealed that the combination of five parameters, hard tracking, tracking and reaction time of the divided attention test, and reaction time and percentage of errors of the Sternberg memory scanning test, together had a predictive validity of 33.4%. The psychometric tests in this test battery showed insufficient predictive validity to replace the on-the-road driving test during normal traffic.

Indentation stiffness does not discriminate between normal and degraded articular cartilage.

PubMed

Brown, Cameron P; Crawford, Ross W; Oloyede, Adekunle

2007-08-01

Relative indentation characteristics are commonly used for distinguishing between normal healthy and degraded cartilage. The application of this parameter in surgical decision making and an appreciation of articular cartilage biomechanics has prompted us to hypothesise that it is difficult to define a reference stiffness to characterise normal articular cartilage. This hypothesis is tested for validity by carrying out biomechanical indentation of articular cartilage samples that are characterised as visually normal and degraded relative to proteoglycan depletion and collagen disruption. Compressive loading was applied at known strain rates to visually normal, artificially degraded and naturally osteoarthritic articular cartilage and observing the trends of their stress-strain and stiffness characteristics. While our results demonstrated a 25% depreciation in the stiffness of individual samples after proteoglycan depletion, they also showed that when compared to the stiffness of normal samples only 17% lie outside the range of the stress-strain behaviour of normal samples. We conclude that the extent of the variability in the properties of normal samples, and the degree of overlap (81%) of the biomechanical properties of normal and degraded matrices demonstrate that indentation data cannot form an accurate basis for distinguishing normal from abnormal articular cartilage samples with consequences for the application of this mechanical process in the clinical environment.

Patellar maltracking is prevalent among patellofemoral pain subjects with patella alta: an upright, weightbearing MRI study

PubMed Central

Pal, Saikat; Besier, Thor F.; Beaupre, Gary S.; Fredericson, Michael; Delp, Scott L.; Gold, Garry E.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine if patellar maltracking is more prevalent among patellofemoral (PF) pain subjects with patella alta compared to subjects with normal patella height. We imaged 37 PF pain and 15 pain free subjects in an open-configuration magnetic resonance imaging scanner while they stood in a weightbearing posture. We measured patella height using the Caton-Deschamps, Blackburne-Peel, Insall-Salvati, Modified Insall-Salvati, and Patellotrochlear indices, and classified the subjects into patella alta and normal patella height groups. We measured patella tilt and bisect offset from oblique-axial plane images, and classified the subjects into maltracking and normal tracking groups. Patellar maltracking was more prevalent among PF pain subjects with patella alta compared to PF pain subjects with normal patella height (two-tailed Fisher’s exact test, p < 0.050). Using the Caton-Deschamps index, 67% (8/12) of PF pain subjects with patella alta were maltrackers, whereas only 16% (4/25) of PF pain subjects with normal patella height were maltrackers. Patellofemoral pain subjects classified as maltrackers displayed a greater patella height compared to the pain free and PF pain subjects classified as normal trackers (two-tailed unpaired t-tests with Bonferroni correction, p < 0.017). This study adds to our understanding of PF pain in two ways - 1) we demonstrate that patellar maltracking is more prevalent in PF pain subjects with patella alta compared to subjects with normal patella height; and 2) we show greater patella height in PF pain subjects compared to pain free subjects using four indices commonly used in clinics. PMID:23165335

A case of hyperammonemia with obstructive urinary tract infection by urease-producing bacteria.

PubMed

Goda, Toshiaki; Watanabe, Kotaro; Kobayashi, Junya; Nagai, Yasuharu; Ohara, Nobuyuki; Takahashi, Daisuke

2017-03-28

A 79-year-old woman was admitted emergently for disturbance of consciousness. Her consciousness level was Japan coma scale 20, and she presented with hypermyotonia. Brain magnetic resonance imaging and cerebrospinal fluid examination showed normal findings. Her blood tests showed an increased ammonia level of 291 μg/dl with normal liver function. We catheterized the bladder for urinary retention. Eight hours after admission, the blood level of ammonia decreased to 57 μg/dl and the patient's consciousness level improved. Corynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum, which is a bacteria producing urease, was detected from a urine culture. It is important to recognize that obstructive urinary tract infection caused by urease-producing bacteria can cause hyperammonemia.

The interactive effect of dietary water-soluble vitamin levels on the depression of gonadal development in growing male rats kept under disturbed daily rhythm.

PubMed

Hanai, Miho; Esashi, Takatoshi

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to clarify the effects of nutrients on the gonadal development of male rats kept under constant darkness as a model of disturbed daily rhythm. In the present study we examined the effects of nine water-soluble vitamins. We selected 7 water-soluble vitamins (choline, nicotinic acid (NA), pantothenic acid (PA), vitamin B6 (VB6), vitamin B1 (VB1), vitamin B2 (VB2) and folic acid (FA)) as experimental factors for the first experiment (Ex. 1) and biotin and vitamin B12 (VB12) as experimental factors for the second experiment (Ex. 2). The dietary content of these vitamins was normal or six times the normal content. Lighting condition (L.C.) was also added as a factor. Four-week-old male rats (Fischer 344 strain) were kept under constant darkness or normal lighting (12-h light/dark cycle) for 4 wk. The depression of gonadal development in the constant darkness groups (D-groups) was shown. The L.C., PA, VB6 and VB1 influenced testes development, and these three vitamins had interactions with L.C. Among the normal lighting groups (N-groups), the highest value for testes weight was observed under the normal-PA, high-VB6 and high-B1 diet; on the other hand, among the D-groups, it was observed under the high-PA, normal-VB6 and normal-VB1 diet. The results showed that the depression of gonadal development in rats kept under disturbed daily rhythm was improved by getting a high amount of PA and normal amount of VB6 and VB1.

Compound heterozygous mutations in the SRD5A2 gene exon 4 in a male pseudohermaphrodite patient of Chinese origin.

PubMed

Fernández-Cancio, Mónica; Nistal, Manuel; Gracia, Ricardo; Molina, M Antonia; Tovar, Juan Antonio; Esteban, Cristina; Carrascosa, Antonio; Audí, Laura

2004-01-01

The goal of this study was to perform 5-alpha-reductase type 2 gene (SRD5A2) analysis in a male pseudohermaphrodite (MPH) patient with normal testosterone (T) production and normal androgen receptor (AR) gene coding sequences. A patient of Chinese origin with ambiguous genitalia at 14 months, a 46,XY karyotype, and normal T secretion under human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) stimulation underwent a gonadectomy at 20 months. Exons 1-8 of the AR gene and exons 1-5 of the SRD5A2 gene were sequenced from peripheral blood DNA. AR gene coding sequences were normal. SRD5A2 gene analysis revealed 2 consecutive mutations in exon 4, each located in a different allele: 1) a T nucleotide deletion, which predicts a frameshift mutation from codon 219, and 2) a missense mutation at codon 227, where the substitution of guanine (CGA) by adenine (CAA) predicts a glutamine replacement of arginine (R227Q). Testes located in the inguinal canal showed a normal morphology for age. The patient was a compound heterozygote for SRD5A2 mutations, carrying 2 mutations in exon 4. The patient showed an R227Q mutation that has been described in an Asian population and MPH patients, along with a novel frameshift mutation, Tdel219. Testis morphology showed that, during early infancy, the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme deficiency may not have affected interstitial or tubular development.

Test method for telescopes using a point source at a finite distance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Griner, D. B.; Zissa, D. E.; Korsch, D.

1985-01-01

A test method for telescopes that makes use of a focused ring formed by an annular aperture when using a point source at a finite distance is evaluated theoretically and experimentally. The results show that the concept can be applied to near-normal, as well as grazing incidence. It is particularly suited for X-ray telescopes because of their intrinsically narrow annular apertures, and because of the largely reduced diffraction effects.

Impact Tests of Welded Joints

DTIC Science & Technology

1936-04-01

indicate that good welds by these two last named processes give excellent impact results. Welds subjected to extremely low or high temperature merit...variation with temperature of the ratio of shear to tensile stress developed in the Izod or Charpy test, falls from a high to an exceedingly low value...and Larsen also showed that high nitrogen or oxygen content shifted the "zone of transition" to higher temperatures , and that normalizing shifted the

Mixed gonadal dysgenesis with Turner`s phenotype and mosaic karyotype

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

Tarim, O.; Lieber, E.

1994-09-01

A 14 8/12-year-old white female patient was evaluated for short stature and amenorrhea. The past and family history were unremarkable. The physical examination revealed a short girl (131.4 cm; height age: 9) with a weight of 39.5kg (weight age: 11-6/12). The blood pressure was in the normal range in all four extremities and the peripheral pulses were positive. She had stigmata of Turner`s syndrome including short neck and slight webbing, cubitus valgus, and shield chest. There was no heart murmur. The only pubertal sign was pubic hair of Tanner stage II. The chromosome study showed a mosaic pattern. A totalmore » of 67 cultured lymphocytes from peripheral blood were analyzed which revealed 13 cells with 45,XO; 14 with 46,XY,r(Y); 39 with 46,XY. The patient had a normal vagina and hypoplastic uterus by sonogram. The diagnosis of mixed gonadal dysgenesis was confirmed by exploratory laparotomy and bilateral gonadectomy. The histologic examination of the gonads showed a testicle on the left and a streak ovary on right. The karyotype of the testicular tissue revealed 45,XO in 32 out of 40 and 46,XY in the remaining 8 cells. Pre-operative hormonal evaluation showed elevated gonadotropin levels of FSH 73.5 and LH 12.5 mIU/ml, low estradiol level of 5 pg/ml, normal testosterone level of 18 and DHEA-S of 181 mcg/dl, and normal thyroid function test with T4 of 6 mcg/dl and TSH of 4.2 mIU/ml. Her bone age was 12 years. The patient was also found to have subnormal growth hormone (GH) secretion by overnight GH study (1.55 ng/ml), clonidine stimulation test (7.3ng/ml), and insulin stimulation test (9.2 ng/ml). She responded well to human synthetic GH treatment with a growth velocity of 11.5 cm in two years. Replacement of sex hormones will be initiated after the completion of growth.« less

Raman spectroscopy of normal oral buccal mucosa tissues: study on intact and incised biopsies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deshmukh, Atul; Singh, S. P.; Chaturvedi, Pankaj; Krishna, C. Murali

2011-12-01

Oral squamous cell carcinoma is one of among the top 10 malignancies. Optical spectroscopy, including Raman, is being actively pursued as alternative/adjunct for cancer diagnosis. Earlier studies have demonstrated the feasibility of classifying normal, premalignant, and malignant oral ex vivo tissues. Spectral features showed predominance of lipids and proteins in normal and cancer conditions, respectively, which were attributed to membrane lipids and surface proteins. In view of recent developments in deep tissue Raman spectroscopy, we have recorded Raman spectra from superior and inferior surfaces of 10 normal oral tissues on intact, as well as incised, biopsies after separation of epithelium from connective tissue. Spectral variations and similarities among different groups were explored by unsupervised (principal component analysis) and supervised (linear discriminant analysis, factorial discriminant analysis) methodologies. Clusters of spectra from superior and inferior surfaces of intact tissues show a high overlap; whereas spectra from separated epithelium and connective tissue sections yielded clear clusters, though they also overlap on clusters of intact tissues. Spectra of all four groups of normal tissues gave exclusive clusters when tested against malignant spectra. Thus, this study demonstrates that spectra recorded from the superior surface of an intact tissue may have contributions from deeper layers but has no bearing from the classification of a malignant tissues point of view.

Analysis of second-harmonic-generation microscopy in a mouse model of ovarian carcinoma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watson, Jennifer M.; Rice, Photini F.; Marion, Samuel L.; Brewer, Molly A.; Davis, John R.; Rodriguez, Jeffrey J.; Utzinger, Urs; Hoyer, Patricia B.; Barton, Jennifer K.

2012-07-01

Second-harmonic-generation (SHG) imaging of mouse ovaries ex vivo was used to detect collagen structure changes accompanying ovarian cancer development. Dosing with 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide and 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene resulted in histologically confirmed cases of normal, benign abnormality, dysplasia, and carcinoma. Parameters for each SHG image were calculated using the Fourier transform matrix and gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM). Cancer versus normal and cancer versus all other diagnoses showed the greatest separation using the parameters derived from power in the highest-frequency region and GLCM energy. Mixed effects models showed that these parameters were significantly different between cancer and normal (P<0.008). Images were classified with a support vector machine, using 25% of the data for training and 75% for testing. Utilizing all images with signal greater than the noise level, cancer versus not-cancer specimens were classified with 81.2% sensitivity and 80.0% specificity, and cancer versus normal specimens were classified with 77.8% sensitivity and 79.3% specificity. Utilizing only images with greater than of 75% of the field of view containing signal improved sensitivity and specificity for cancer versus normal to 81.5% and 81.1%. These results suggest that using SHG to visualize collagen structure in ovaries could help with early cancer detection.

Estimating the concentration of urea and creatinine in the human serum of normal and dialysis patients through Raman spectroscopy.

PubMed

de Almeida, Maurício Liberal; Saatkamp, Cassiano Junior; Fernandes, Adriana Barrinha; Pinheiro, Antonio Luiz Barbosa; Silveira, Landulfo

2016-09-01

Urea and creatinine are commonly used as biomarkers of renal function. Abnormal concentrations of these biomarkers are indicative of pathological processes such as renal failure. This study aimed to develop a model based on Raman spectroscopy to estimate the concentration values of urea and creatinine in human serum. Blood sera from 55 clinically normal subjects and 47 patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis were collected, and concentrations of urea and creatinine were determined by spectrophotometric methods. A Raman spectrum was obtained with a high-resolution dispersive Raman spectrometer (830 nm). A spectral model was developed based on partial least squares (PLS), where the concentrations of urea and creatinine were correlated with the Raman features. Principal components analysis (PCA) was used to discriminate dialysis patients from normal subjects. The PLS model showed r = 0.97 and r = 0.93 for urea and creatinine, respectively. The root mean square errors of cross-validation (RMSECV) for the model were 17.6 and 1.94 mg/dL, respectively. PCA showed high discrimination between dialysis and normality (95 % accuracy). The Raman technique was able to determine the concentrations with low error and to discriminate dialysis from normal subjects, consistent with a rapid and low-cost test.

Vertical drop test of a transport fuselage section located aft of the wing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fasanella, E. L.; Alfaro-Bou, E.

1986-01-01

A 12-foot long Boeing 707 aft fuselage section with a tapering cross section was drop tested at the NASA Langley Research Center to measure structural, seat, and occupant response to vertical crash laods and to provide data for nonlinear finite element modeling. This was the final test in a series of three different transport fuselage sections tested under identical conditions. The test parameters at impact were: 20 ft/s velocity, and zero pitch, roll, and yaw. In addition, the test was an operational shock test of the data acquisition system used for the Controlled Impact Demonstration (CID) of a remotely piloted Boeing 720 that was crash tested at NASA Ames Dryden Flight Research Facility on December 1, 1984. Post-test measurements of the crush showed that the front of the section (with larger diameter) crushed vertically approximately 14 inches while the rear crushed 18 inches. Analysis of the data traces indicate the maximum peak normal (vertical) accelerations at the bottom of the frames were approximately 109 G at body station 1040 and 64 G at body station 1120. The peak floor acceleration varied from 14 G near the wall to 25 G near the center where high frequency oscillations of the floor were evident. The peak anthropomorphic dummy pelvis normal (vertical) acceleration was 19 G's.

Development of a test of suprathreshold acuity in noise in Brazilian Portuguese: a new method for hearing screening and surveillance.

PubMed

Vaez, Nara; Desgualdo-Pereira, Liliane; Paglialonga, Alessia

2014-01-01

This paper describes the development of a speech-in-noise test for hearing screening and surveillance in Brazilian Portuguese based on the evaluation of suprathreshold acuity performances. The SUN test (Speech Understanding in Noise) consists of a list of intervocalic consonants in noise presented in a multiple-choice paradigm by means of a touch screen. The test provides one out of three possible results: "a hearing check is recommended" (red light), "a hearing check would be advisable" (yellow light), and "no hearing difficulties" (green light) (Paglialonga et al., Comput. Biol. Med. 2014). This novel test was developed in a population of 30 normal hearing young adults and 101 adults with varying degrees of hearing impairment and handicap, including normal hearing. The test had 84% sensitivity and 76% specificity compared to conventional pure-tone screening and 83% sensitivity and 86% specificity to detect disabling hearing impairment. The test outcomes were in line with the degree of self-perceived hearing handicap. The results found here paralleled those reported in the literature for the SUN test and for conventional speech-in-noise measures. This study showed that the proposed test might be a viable method to identify individuals with hearing problems to be referred to further audiological assessment and intervention.

Experimental study on the cool storage performance of super absorbent polymers for cool storage clothes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Shidong; Mo, Caisong; Wang, Junze; Zheng, Jingfu; Tian, Ruhong

2017-11-01

In this paper, a kind of cool storage clothes which can cool the human body in high temperature condition is put forward. super absorbent polymers was selected as a cold storage material, through at the normal and extreme environment simulation, the cold storage materials were prepared with different composition, and their performance was tested. Test results show that:under normal temperature conditions, the 1:50 concentration of super absorbent polymers continued to release the longest cooling time, compared with pure water, cooling time extended 43 minutes by about 30%; under the condition of 37°C, the 1:100 concentration of super absorbent polymers continued to release the longest cooling time, compared with pure water, cooling time extended 105 minutes by about 50%.

Semantic memory and frontal executive function during transient global amnesia.

PubMed

Hodges, J R

1994-05-01

To assess semantic memory and frontal executive function, two patients underwent neuropsychological testing during transient global amnesia (TGA) and after an interval of 6-8 weeks. In spite of a profound deficit in anterograde verbal and non-verbal memory, semantic memory was normal, as judged by category fluency measures, picture naming, and picture-word and picture-picture matching, and reading ability was normal. Similarly, there were no deficits on a number of tests known to be sensitive to frontal executive dysfunction. A hexamethylpropyleneamine-oxime (HMPAO) single photon emission CT (SPECT) scan, obtained on one patient 24 hours post-TGA, showed focal left temporal lobe hypoperfusion which had resolved three months later. The observed dissociation between episodic and semantic memory is discussed in the light of contemporary cognitive theories of memory organisation.

On the efficacy of procedures to normalize Ex-Gaussian distributions.

PubMed

Marmolejo-Ramos, Fernando; Cousineau, Denis; Benites, Luis; Maehara, Rocío

2014-01-01

Reaction time (RT) is one of the most common types of measure used in experimental psychology. Its distribution is not normal (Gaussian) but resembles a convolution of normal and exponential distributions (Ex-Gaussian). One of the major assumptions in parametric tests (such as ANOVAs) is that variables are normally distributed. Hence, it is acknowledged by many that the normality assumption is not met. This paper presents different procedures to normalize data sampled from an Ex-Gaussian distribution in such a way that they are suitable for parametric tests based on the normality assumption. Using simulation studies, various outlier elimination and transformation procedures were tested against the level of normality they provide. The results suggest that the transformation methods are better than elimination methods in normalizing positively skewed data and the more skewed the distribution then the transformation methods are more effective in normalizing such data. Specifically, transformation with parameter lambda -1 leads to the best results.

Finding differentially expressed genes in high dimensional data: Rank based test statistic via a distance measure.

PubMed

Mathur, Sunil; Sadana, Ajit

2015-12-01

We present a rank-based test statistic for the identification of differentially expressed genes using a distance measure. The proposed test statistic is highly robust against extreme values and does not assume the distribution of parent population. Simulation studies show that the proposed test is more powerful than some of the commonly used methods, such as paired t-test, Wilcoxon signed rank test, and significance analysis of microarray (SAM) under certain non-normal distributions. The asymptotic distribution of the test statistic, and the p-value function are discussed. The application of proposed method is shown using a real-life data set. © The Author(s) 2011.

Robust regression for large-scale neuroimaging studies.

PubMed

Fritsch, Virgile; Da Mota, Benoit; Loth, Eva; Varoquaux, Gaël; Banaschewski, Tobias; Barker, Gareth J; Bokde, Arun L W; Brühl, Rüdiger; Butzek, Brigitte; Conrod, Patricia; Flor, Herta; Garavan, Hugh; Lemaitre, Hervé; Mann, Karl; Nees, Frauke; Paus, Tomas; Schad, Daniel J; Schümann, Gunter; Frouin, Vincent; Poline, Jean-Baptiste; Thirion, Bertrand

2015-05-01

Multi-subject datasets used in neuroimaging group studies have a complex structure, as they exhibit non-stationary statistical properties across regions and display various artifacts. While studies with small sample sizes can rarely be shown to deviate from standard hypotheses (such as the normality of the residuals) due to the poor sensitivity of normality tests with low degrees of freedom, large-scale studies (e.g. >100 subjects) exhibit more obvious deviations from these hypotheses and call for more refined models for statistical inference. Here, we demonstrate the benefits of robust regression as a tool for analyzing large neuroimaging cohorts. First, we use an analytic test based on robust parameter estimates; based on simulations, this procedure is shown to provide an accurate statistical control without resorting to permutations. Second, we show that robust regression yields more detections than standard algorithms using as an example an imaging genetics study with 392 subjects. Third, we show that robust regression can avoid false positives in a large-scale analysis of brain-behavior relationships with over 1500 subjects. Finally we embed robust regression in the Randomized Parcellation Based Inference (RPBI) method and demonstrate that this combination further improves the sensitivity of tests carried out across the whole brain. Altogether, our results show that robust procedures provide important advantages in large-scale neuroimaging group studies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

47 CFR 2.1053 - Measurements required: Field strength of spurious radiation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... operation. Curves or equivalent data shall be supplied showing the magnitude of each harmonic and other.... For equipment operating on frequencies below 890 MHz, an open field test is normally required, with... either impractical or impossible to make open field measurements (e.g. a broadcast transmitter installed...

Naval Postgraduate School Solar Cell Array Tester

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-12-01

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT ................................45 1. SCHEDULE .....................................47 B. BUDGET...budget and schedule from December 2009 to September 2010. In addition, a total development cost estimate, including labor, equipment, and testing... scheduler becomes active, all tasks become eligible to run, and normal operations begin. Figure 21 shows a diagram of the startup actions [32

Phenotypic characterization of spontaneously mutated rats showing lethal dwarfism and epilepsy.

PubMed

Suzuki, Hiroetsu; Takenaka, Motoo; Suzuki, Katsushi

2007-08-01

We have characterized the phenotype of spontaneously mutated rats, found during experimental inbreeding in a closed colony of Wistar Imamichi rats. Mutant rats showed severe dwarfism, short lifespan (early postnatal lethality), and high incidence of epileptic seizures. Mutant rats showed growth retardation after 3 d of age, and at 21 d their weight was about 56% that of normal rats. Most mutant rats died without reaching maturity, and 95% of the mutant rats had an ataxic gait. About 34% of the dwarf rats experienced epileptic seizures, most of which started as 'wild running' convulsions, progressing to generalized tonic-clonic convulsions. At age 28 d, the relative weight of the testes was significantly lower, and the relative weight of the brain was significantly higher, in mutant than in normal rats. Histologically, increased apoptotic germ cells, lack of spermatocytes, and immature Leydig cells were found in the mutant testes, and extracellular vacuoles of various sizes were present in the hippocampus and amygdala of the mutant brain. Mutant rats had significantly increased concentrations of plasma urea nitrogen, creatinine, and inorganic phosphate, as well as decreased concentrations of plasma growth hormone. Hereditary analysis showed that the defects were inherited as a single recessive trait. We have named the hypothetically mutated gene as lde (lethal dwarfism with epilepsy).

Silk fibroin nanoparticles prepared by electrospray as controlled release carriers of cisplatin.

PubMed

Qu, Jing; Liu, Yu; Yu, Yanni; Li, Jing; Luo, Jingwan; Li, Mingzhong

2014-11-01

To maintain the anti-tumor activity of cis-dichlorodiamminoplatinum (CDDP) while avoiding its cytotoxicity and negative influence on normal tissue, CDDP-loaded silk fibroin nanoparticles approximately 59 nm in diameter were successfully prepared by electrospray without using organic solvent. CDDP was incorporated into nanoparticles through metal-polymer coordination bond exchange. In vitro release tests showed that the cisplatin in the nanoparticles could be slowly and sustainably released for more than 15 days. In vitro anti-cancer experiments and intracellular Pt content testing indicated that CDDP-loaded silk fibroin nanoparticles were easily internalized by A549 lung cancer cells, transferring CDDP into cancer cells and then triggering their apoptosis. In contrast, the particles were not easily internalized by L929 mouse fibroblast cells and hence showed weaker cell growth inhibition. The CDDP-loaded silk fibroin nanoparticles showed sustained and efficient killing of tumor cells but weaker inhibition of normal cells. In general, this study provides not only a novel method for preparing CDDP-loaded silk fibroin nanoparticles but also a new carrier system for clinical therapeutic drugs against lung cancers and other tumors. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Picture superiority in free recall: the effects of normal aging and primary degenerative dementia.

PubMed

Rissenberg, M; Glanzer, M

1986-01-01

A key factor in the decline of memory with age may be a breakdown of communication in the information network involved in memory and cognitive processing. A special case of this communication is assumed to underlie the picture superiority effect in recall. From this hypothesis it follows that the picture superiority effect should lessen with age. In Experiment 1, three groups of adults (young, old normal, and old memory-impaired) were tested in free recall of pictures and word lists. As predicted, the picture superiority effect declined with age. Experiment 2 replicated these findings and showed, moreover, that the picture superiority effect can be reestablished in normal old adults by instructing them to verbalize overtly during item presentation.

Quench Protection of SC Quadrupole Magnets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feher, S.; Bossert, R.; Dimarco, J.; Mitchell, D.; Lamm, M. J.; Limon, P. J.; Mazur, P.; Nobrega, F.; Orris, D.; Ozelis, J. P.; Strait, J. B.; Tompkins, J. C.; Zlobin, A. V.; McInturff, A. D.

1997-05-01

The energy stored in a superconducting accelerator magnet is dissipated after a quench in the coil normal zones, heating the coil and generating a turn to turn and coil to ground voltage drop. Quench heaters are used to protect the superconducting magnet by greatly increasing the coil normal zone thus allowing the energy to be dissipated over a larger conductor volume. Such heaters will be required for the Fermilab/LBNL design of the high gradient quads (HGQ) designed for the LHC interaction regions. As a first step, heaters were installed and tested in several Tevatron low-β superconducting quadrupoles. Experimental studies in normal and superfluid helium are presented which show the heater-induced quench response as a function of magnet excitation current, magnet temperature and peak heater energy density.

Development of a battery of functional tests for low vision.

PubMed

Dougherty, Bradley E; Martin, Scott R; Kelly, Corey B; Jones, Lisa A; Raasch, Thomas W; Bullimore, Mark A

2009-08-01

We describe the development and evaluation of a battery of tests of functional visual performance of everyday tasks intended to be suitable for assessment of low vision patients. The functional test battery comprises-Reading rate: reading aloud 20 unrelated words for each of four print sizes (8, 4, 2, & 1 M); Telephone book: finding a name and reading the telephone number; Medicine bottle label: reading the name and dosing; Utility bill: reading the due date and amount due; Cooking instructions: reading cooking time on a food package; Coin sorting: making a specified amount from coins placed on a table; Playing card recognition: identifying denomination and suit; and Face recognition: identifying expressions of printed, life-size faces at 1 and 3 m. All tests were timed except face and playing card recognition. Fourteen normally sighted and 24 low vision subjects were assessed with the functional test battery. Visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and quality of life (National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire 25 [NEI-VFQ 25]) were measured and the functional tests repeated. Subsequently, 23 low vision patients participated in a pilot randomized clinical trial with half receiving low vision rehabilitation and half a delayed intervention. The functional tests were administered at enrollment and 3 months later. Normally sighted subjects could perform all tasks but the proportion of trials performed correctly by the low vision subjects ranged from 35% for face recognition at 3 m, to 95% for the playing card identification. On average, low vision subjects performed three times slower than the normally sighted subjects. Timed tasks with a visual search component showed poorer repeatability. In the pilot clinical trial, low vision rehabilitation produced the greatest improvement for the medicine bottle and cooking instruction tasks. Performance of patients on these functional tests has been assessed. Some appear responsive to low vision rehabilitation.

Lithium cell test results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bragg, B. J.

1977-01-01

Three lithium SO2 cells, two lithium CF cells, and a vinyl chloride cell, all with crimped seals, and all strictly experimental, were independently discharged on resistors. Three temperatures were used and several different storage temperatures. Discharge rate generally on the nominal discharges were 0.1 amp, 0.5 amp, and 1 amp. Tests results show that the crimp seals are inadequate, especially for the SO2 cells. Normal discharges present no hazards. All cells discharge to zero. The problem of lithium cell explosions, such as occurred during off-limits testing, is discussed.

Measuring unsteady pressure on rotating compressor blades

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Englund, D. R.; Grant, H. P.; Lanati, G. A.

1979-01-01

Miniature semiconductor strain gage pressure transducers mounted in several arrangements were studied. Both surface mountings and recessed flush mountings were tested. Test parameters included mounting arrangement, blade material, temperature, local strain in the acceleration normal to the transducer diaphragm, centripetal acceleration, and pressure. Test results show no failures of transducers or mountings and indicate an uncertainty of unsteady pressure measurement of approximately + or - 6 percent + 0.1 kPa for a typical application. Two configurations were used on a rotating fan flutter program. Examples of transducer data and correction factors are presented.

Some space shuttle tile/strain-isolator-pad sinusoidal vibration tests

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miserentino, R.; Pinson, L. D.; Leadbetter, S. A.

1980-01-01

Vibration tests were performed on the tile/strain-isolator-pad system used as thermal protection for the space shuttle orbiter. Experimental data on normal and in-plane vibration response and damping properties are presented. Three test specimens exhibited shear type motion during failures that occurred in the tile near the tile/strain-isolator-pad bond-line. A dynamic instability is described which has large in-plane motion at a frequency one-half that of the nominal driving frequency. Analysis shows that this phenomenon is a parametric response.

Improving flexible thinking in deaf and hard of hearing children with virtual reality technology.

PubMed

Passig, D; Eden, S

2000-07-01

The study investigated whether rotating three-dimensional (3-D) objects using virtual reality (VR) will affect flexible thinking in deaf and hard of hearing children. Deaf and hard of hearing subjects were distributed into experimental and control groups. The experimental group played virtual 3-D Tetris (a game using VR technology) individually, 15 minutes once weekly over 3 months. The control group played conventional two-dimensional (2-D) Tetris over the same period. Children with normal hearing participated as a second control group in order to establish whether deaf and hard of hearing children really are disadvantaged in flexible thinking. Before-and-after testing showed significantly improved flexible thinking in the experimental group; the deaf and hard of hearing control group showed no significant improvement. Also, before the experiment, the deaf and hard of hearing children scored lower in flexible thinking than the children with normal hearing. After the experiment, the difference between the experimental group and the control group of children with normal hearing was smaller.

Active Brazilian crack cocaine users: nutritional, anthropometric, and drug use profiles.

PubMed

Escobar, Mariana; Scherer, Juliana N; Soares, Cassia M; Guimarães, Luciano S P; Hagen, Martine E; von Diemen, Lisia; Pechansky, Flavio

2018-02-15

To evaluate the nutritional status of crack users and to analyze its correlation with drug use profiles. Cross-sectional study with 108 crack users. Anthropometric data were assessed through body mass index (BMI) and bioimpedance (BIA) measurements. A blood test to analyze hematocrit, hemoglobin, glucose, and lipid profiles was also performed. Crack use was determined through a standardized interview. Based on BMI and BIA, most individuals were eutrophic (about 70%). Regarding hematological parameters, we found that hemoglobin and hematocrit levels were below normal for 32.4 and 30.6% of patients, respectively. Considering normal parameters, a large part of the sample (60.2%) had low levels of HDL cholesterol and high levels of triglycerides (38%). There were no significant correlations between drug profile and nutritional variables. This is a pioneering study that examines the nutritional status of crack users. Our results showed that most crack users present normal anthropometric findings and the prevalence of underweight is low. However, blood analysis showed changes and a specific type of malnutrition.

Wanting and liking in dysphoria: Cardiovascular and facial EMG responses during incentive processing.

PubMed

Franzen, Jessica; Brinkmann, Kerstin

2016-12-01

Theories and research on depression point to reduced responsiveness during reward anticipation and in part also during punishment anticipation. They also suggest weaker affective responses to reward consumption and unchanged affective responses to punishment consumption. However, studies investigating incentive anticipation using effort mobilization and incentive consumption using facial expressions are scarce. The present studies tested reward and punishment responsiveness in a subclinically depressed sample, manipulating a monetary reward (Study 1) and a monetary punishment (Study 2). Effort mobilization was operationalized as cardiovascular reactivity, while facial expressions were measured by facial electromyographic reactivity. Compared to nondysphorics, dysphorics showed reduced pre-ejection period (PEP) reactivity and blunted self-reported wanting during reward anticipation but reduced PEP reactivity and normal self-reported wanting during punishment anticipation. Compared to nondysphorics, dysphorics showed reduced zygomaticus major muscle reactivity and blunted self-reported liking during reward consumption but normal corrugator supercilii muscle reactivity and normal self-reported disliking during punishment consumption. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Deficiency of Sustained Attention in ADHD and Its Potential Genetic Contributor MAOA.

PubMed

Liu, Lu; Cheng, Jia; Su, Yi; Ji, Ning; Gao, Qian; Li, Haimei; Yang, Li; Sun, Li; Qian, Qiujin; Wang, Yufeng

2015-03-17

To investigate the genetic contributors to ADHD sustained attention deficit among noradrenergic genes responsible for the synthesis (dopamine-β-hydroxylase gene, DBH), transport (norepinephrine transporter gene, NET1), reception (alpha-2A adrenergic receptor gene, ADRA2A), and metabolism (monoamine oxidase A gene, MAOA) of noradrenalin (NE). A total of 456 children with ADHD and 108 normal controls were included in a digit cancellation test (DCT). DNA was collected from 242 participants and genotyped for 14 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of noradrenergic genes. Compared with normal controls, children with ADHD showed a lower total score and higher mean error rate in the DCT, indicating poorer sustained attention function. Analysis of covariance showed an association between MAOA genotypes and ADHD performance in DCT, with poorer performance in risk allele carriers. No association was found for other noradrenergic genes. Children with ADHD presented with a sustained attention deficit compared with normal controls. The sustained attention deficit of children with ADHD may be associated with genetic variant of MAOA. © 2015 SAGE Publications.

Evaluation of esophageal function in patients with esophageal motor abnormalities using multichannel intraluminal impedance esophageal manometry.

PubMed

Cho, Yu Kyung; Choi, Myung-Gyu; Park, Jae Myung; Oh, Jung Hwan; Paik, Chang Nyol; Lee, Joon Wook; Lee, In Seok; Kim, Sang Woo; Chung, In-Sik

2006-10-21

To evaluate the functional aspect of esophageal motility in healthy subjects and in patients who were referred for esophageal function testing using multichannel intraluminal impedance-esophageal manometry (MII-EM), and to assess the clinical utility of MII-EM. From September 2003 to January 2004, we performed the MII-EM on healthy volunteers and all the patients who were referred for esophageal function testing. Each patient received 10 liquid and 10 viscous swallows. We analyzed the results, the impedance and the manometric findings. Some of the subjects had additional ambulatory 24-h pH study performed to diagnose gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Among 89 studied subjects, the MII-EM findings showed normal esophageal motility in 50 (56.17%), ineffective esophageal motility (IEM) in 17 (19.10%), nutcracker esophagus in 7 (7.86%), achalasia in 4 (4.49%), and scleroderma esophagus in 11 (12.35%) cases. The completeness and the speed of bolus transit were in the order of nutcracker esophagus, normal manometry and IEM. Some of the swallows showing normal manometry and IEM had incomplete transit. In the achalasia and scleroderma esophagus, almost all the swallows had incomplete transit. The body amplitudes were higher for the swallows with complete transit than for the swallows with incomplete transit. There was not a significant difference in the manometric and impedance findings between the subjects with and without GERD. MII-EM is a useful tool in assessing the esophageal function in the patients having esophageal motility abnormality. The primary factors influencing the bolus transit are the amplitude of the esophageal body and normal peristalsis.

Differential proteins among normal cervix cells and cervical cancer cells with HPV-16 infection, through mass spectrometry-based Proteomics (2D-DIGE) in women from Southern México.

PubMed

Serafín-Higuera, Idanya; Garibay-Cerdenares, Olga Lilia; Illades-Aguiar, Berenice; Flores-Alfaro, Eugenia; Jiménez-López, Marco Antonio; Sierra-Martínez, Pavel; Alarcón-Romero, Luz Del Carmen

2016-01-01

Cervical cancer (CC) is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide with an estimated 528,000 new cases in 2012. The same year México had an incidence of 13,960 and a mortality of 4769 cases. There are several diagnosis methods of CC; among the most frequents are the conventional Pap cytology (Pap), colposcopy, and visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA), histopathological examination, tests of imaging and detection of high-risk papilloma virus (HR-HPV) with molecular tests (PCR, hybridization, sequencing). Proteomics is a tool for the detection of new biomarkers that can be associated with clinical stage, histological type, prognosis, and/or response to treatment. In this study we performed a comparative analysis of CC cells with normal cervical cells. The proteomic analysis was carried out with the fluorescent two-dimensional electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) technique to subsequently identify differential protein profiles using Decyder Software, and the selected proteins were identified by Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF). The proteins that showed an increased expression in cervical cancer in comparison with normal cervix cells were: Mimecan, Actin from aortic smooth muscle and Lumican. While Keratin, type II cytoskeletal 5, Peroxiredoxin-1 and 14-3-3 protein sigma showed a decrease in their protein expression level in cervical cancer in comparison with normal cervix cells. Thus, this study was successful in identifying biomarker signatures for cervical cancer, and might provide new insights into the mechanism of CC progression.

Quantification of tumor perfusion using dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasound: impact of mathematical modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doury, Maxime; Dizeux, Alexandre; de Cesare, Alain; Lucidarme, Olivier; Pellot-Barakat, Claire; Bridal, S. Lori; Frouin, Frédérique

2017-02-01

Dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasound has been proposed to monitor tumor therapy, as a complement to volume measurements. To assess the variability of perfusion parameters in ideal conditions, four consecutive test-retest studies were acquired in a mouse tumor model, using controlled injections. The impact of mathematical modeling on parameter variability was then investigated. Coefficients of variation (CV) of tissue blood volume (BV) and tissue blood flow (BF) based-parameters were estimated inside 32 sub-regions of the tumors, comparing the log-normal (LN) model with a one-compartment model fed by an arterial input function (AIF) and improved by the introduction of a time delay parameter. Relative perfusion parameters were also estimated by normalization of the LN parameters and normalization of the one-compartment parameters estimated with the AIF, using a reference tissue (RT) region. A direct estimation (rRTd) of relative parameters, based on the one-compartment model without using the AIF, was also obtained by using the kinetics inside the RT region. Results of test-retest studies show that absolute regional parameters have high CV, whatever the approach, with median values of about 30% for BV, and 40% for BF. The positive impact of normalization was established, showing a coherent estimation of relative parameters, with reduced CV (about 20% for BV and 30% for BF using the rRTd approach). These values were significantly lower (p  <  0.05) than the CV of absolute parameters. The rRTd approach provided the smallest CV and should be preferred for estimating relative perfusion parameters.

Stability of the Medial Olivocochlear Reflex as Measured by Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions

PubMed Central

Abdala, Carolina

2015-01-01

Purpose The purpose of this study was to assess the repeatability of a fine-resolution, distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE)–based assay of the medial olivocochlear (MOC) reflex in normal-hearing adults. Method Data were collected during 36 test sessions from 4 normal-hearing adults to assess short-term stability and 5 normal-hearing adults to assess long-term stability. DPOAE level and phase measurements were recorded with and without contralateral acoustic stimulation. MOC reflex indices were computed by (a) noting contralateral acoustic stimulation-induced changes in DPOAE level (both absolute and normalized) at fine-structure peaks, (b) recording the effect as a vector difference, and (c) separating DPOAE components and considering a component-specific metric. Results Analyses indicated good repeatability of all indices of the MOC reflex in most frequency ranges. Short- and long-term repeatability were generally comparable. Indices normalized to a subject's own baseline fared best, showing strong short- and long-term stability across all frequency intervals. Conclusions These results suggest that fine-resolution DPOAE-based measures of the MOC reflex measured at strategic frequencies are stable, and natural variance from day-to-day or week-to-week durations is small enough to detect between-group differences and possibly to monitor intervention-related success. However, this is an empirical question that must be directly tested to confirm its utility. PMID:25320951

An Analytical Model for Two-Order Asperity Degradation of Rock Joints Under Constant Normal Stiffness Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yingchun; Wu, Wei; Li, Bo

2018-05-01

Jointed rock masses during underground excavation are commonly located under the constant normal stiffness (CNS) condition. This paper presents an analytical formulation to predict the shear behaviour of rough rock joints under the CNS condition. The dilatancy and deterioration of two-order asperities are quantified by considering the variation of normal stress. We separately consider the dilation angles of waviness and unevenness, which decrease to zero as the normal stress approaches the transitional stress. The sinusoidal function naturally yields the decay of dilation angle as a function of relative normal stress. We assume that the magnitude of transitional stress is proportionate to the square root of asperity geometric area. The comparison between the analytical prediction and experimental data shows the reliability of the analytical model. All the parameters involved in the analytical model possess explicit physical meanings and are measurable from laboratory tests. The proposed model is potentially practicable for assessing the stability of underground structures at various field scales.

A Neural Signature of Divisive Normalization at the Level of Multisensory Integration in Primate Cortex.

PubMed

Ohshiro, Tomokazu; Angelaki, Dora E; DeAngelis, Gregory C

2017-07-19

Studies of multisensory integration by single neurons have traditionally emphasized empirical principles that describe nonlinear interactions between inputs from two sensory modalities. We previously proposed that many of these empirical principles could be explained by a divisive normalization mechanism operating in brain regions where multisensory integration occurs. This normalization model makes a critical diagnostic prediction: a non-preferred sensory input from one modality, which activates the neuron on its own, should suppress the response to a preferred input from another modality. We tested this prediction by recording from neurons in macaque area MSTd that integrate visual and vestibular cues regarding self-motion. We show that many MSTd neurons exhibit the diagnostic form of cross-modal suppression, whereas unisensory neurons in area MT do not. The normalization model also fits population responses better than a model based on subtractive inhibition. These findings provide strong support for a divisive normalization mechanism in multisensory integration. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sodium urine test

MedlinePlus

... or monitor many types of kidney diseases. Normal Results For adults, normal urine sodium values are generally ... meaning of your specific test result. What Abnormal Results Mean A higher than normal urine sodium level ...

Uninstructed BIAT faking when ego depleted or in normal state: differential effect on brain and behavior.

PubMed

Wolff, Wanja; Schindler, Sebastian; Englert, Christoph; Brand, Ralf; Kissler, Johanna

2016-05-03

Deception can distort psychological tests on socially sensitive topics. Understanding the cerebral processes that are involved in such faking can be useful in detection and prevention of deception. Previous research shows that faking a brief implicit association test (BIAT) evokes a characteristic ERP response. It is not yet known whether temporarily available self-control resources moderate this response. We randomly assigned 22 participants (15 females, 24.23 ± 2.91 years old) to a counterbalanced repeated-measurements design. Participants first completed a Brief-IAT (BIAT) on doping attitudes as a baseline measure and were then instructed to fake a negative doping attitude both when self-control resources were depleted and non-depleted. Cerebral activity during BIAT performance was assessed using high-density EEG. Compared to the baseline BIAT, event-related potentials showed a first interaction at the parietal P1, while significant post hoc differences were found only at the later occurring late positive potential. Here, significantly decreased amplitudes were recorded for 'normal' faking, but not in the depletion condition. In source space, enhanced activity was found for 'normal' faking in the bilateral temporoparietal junction. Behaviorally, participants were successful in faking the BIAT successfully in both conditions. Results indicate that temporarily available self-control resources do not affect overt faking success on a BIAT. However, differences were found on an electrophysiological level. This indicates that while on a phenotypical level self-control resources play a negligible role in deliberate test faking the underlying cerebral processes are markedly different.

Effects of Within-Talker Variability on Speech Intelligibility in Mandarin-Speaking Adult and Pediatric Cochlear Implant Patients

PubMed Central

Su, Qiaotong; Galvin, John J.; Zhang, Guoping; Li, Yongxin

2016-01-01

Cochlear implant (CI) speech performance is typically evaluated using well-enunciated speech produced at a normal rate by a single talker. CI users often have greater difficulty with variations in speech production encountered in everyday listening. Within a single talker, speaking rate, amplitude, duration, and voice pitch information may be quite variable, depending on the production context. The coarse spectral resolution afforded by the CI limits perception of voice pitch, which is an important cue for speech prosody and for tonal languages such as Mandarin Chinese. In this study, sentence recognition from the Mandarin speech perception database was measured in adult and pediatric Mandarin-speaking CI listeners for a variety of speaking styles: voiced speech produced at slow, normal, and fast speaking rates; whispered speech; voiced emotional speech; and voiced shouted speech. Recognition of Mandarin Hearing in Noise Test sentences was also measured. Results showed that performance was significantly poorer with whispered speech relative to the other speaking styles and that performance was significantly better with slow speech than with fast or emotional speech. Results also showed that adult and pediatric performance was significantly poorer with Mandarin Hearing in Noise Test than with Mandarin speech perception sentences at the normal rate. The results suggest that adult and pediatric Mandarin-speaking CI patients are highly susceptible to whispered speech, due to the lack of lexically important voice pitch cues and perhaps other qualities associated with whispered speech. The results also suggest that test materials may contribute to differences in performance observed between adult and pediatric CI users. PMID:27363714

The Petit Rat (pet/pet), a New Semilethal Mutant Dwarf Rat with Thymic and Testicular Anomalies

PubMed Central

Chiba, Junko; Suzuki, Katsushi; Suzuki, Hiroetsu

2008-01-01

The petit rat (pet/pet) is a recently discovered semilethal mutant dwarf. The neonatal pet/pet rats had a low body weight and small thymus and testis. During the first 3 d after birth, 50% of the male and 80% of the female pet/pet pups were lost or found dead. Surviving pet/pet rats showed marked retardation of postnatal growth, and their body weights were 41% (female rats) and 32% (male rats) of those of normal rats at the adult stage. The pet/pet rats exhibited proportional dwarfism, and their longitudinal bones were shorter than those of controls without skeletal malformations. Most organs of male pet/pet rats, especially the thymus, testis, adipose tissue surrounding the kidney, and accessory sex organs, weighed markedly less at 140 d of age than did those of their normal counterparts. The thymus of pet/pet rats was small with abnormal thymic follicles. Testes from pet/pet rats exhibited 2 patterns of abnormal histology. Spermatogenesis was present in testes that were only slightly anomalous, but the seminiferous tubules were reduced in diameter. In severely affected testes, most of the seminiferous tubules showed degeneration, and interstitial tissue was increased. Plasma growth hormone concentrations did not differ between pet/pet and normal male rats. The dwarf phenotype of pet/pet rats was inherited as an autosomal recessive trait. These results indicate that the pet/pet rat has a semilethal growth-hormone-independent dwarf phenotype that is accompanied by thymic and testicular anomalies and low birth weight. PMID:19149412

The petit rat (pet/pet), a new semilethal mutant dwarf rat with thymic and testicular anomalies.

PubMed

Chiba, Junko; Suzuki, Katsushi; Suzuki, Hiroetsu

2008-12-01

The petit rat (pet/pet) is a recently discovered semilethal mutant dwarf. The neonatal pet/pet rats had a low body weight and small thymus and testis. During the first 3 d after birth, 50% of the male and 80% of the female pet/pet pups were lost or found dead. Surviving pet/pet rats showed marked retardation of postnatal growth, and their body weights were 41% (female rats) and 32% (male rats) of those of normal rats at the adult stage. The pet/pet rats exhibited proportional dwarfism, and their longitudinal bones were shorter than those of controls without skeletal malformations. Most organs of male pet/pet rats, especially the thymus, testis, adipose tissue surrounding the kidney, and accessory sex organs, weighed markedly less at 140 d of age than did those of their normal counterparts. The thymus of pet/pet rats was small with abnormal thymic follicles. Testes from pet/pet rats exhibited 2 patterns of abnormal histology. Spermatogenesis was present in testes that were only slightly anomalous, but the seminiferous tubules were reduced in diameter. In severely affected testes, most of the seminiferous tubules showed degeneration, and interstitial tissue was increased. Plasma growth hormone concentrations did not differ between pet/pet and normal male rats. The dwarf phenotype of pet/pet rats was inherited as an autosomal recessive trait. These results indicate that the pet/pet rat has a semilethal growth-hormone-independent dwarf phenotype that is accompanied by thymic and testicular anomalies and low birth weight.

Miniature sheathed thermocouples for turbine blade temperature measurement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holanda, R.; Glawe, G. E.; Krause, L. N.

1974-01-01

An investigation was made of sheathed thermocouples for turbine blade temperature measurements. Tests were performed on the Chromel-Alumel sheathed thermocouples with both two-wire and single-wire configurations. Sheath diameters ranged from 0.25 to 0.76 mm, and temperatures ranged from 1080 to 1250 K. Both steady-state and thermal cycling tests were performed for times up to 450 hr. Special-order and commercial-grade thermocouples were tested. The tests showed that special-order single-wire sheathed thermocouples can be obtained that are reliable and accurate with diameters as small as 0.25 mm. However, all samples of 0.25-mm-diameter sheathed commercial-grade two-wire and single-wire thermocouples that were tested showed unacceptable drift rates for long-duration engine testing programs. The drift rates were about 1 percent in 10 hr. A thermocouple drift test is recommended in addition to the normal acceptance tests in order to select reliable miniature sheathed thermocouples for turbine blade applications.

Pre-Test Assessment of the Use Envelope of the Normal Force of a Wind Tunnel Strain-Gage Balance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ulbrich, N.

2016-01-01

The relationship between the aerodynamic lift force generated by a wind tunnel model, the model weight, and the measured normal force of a strain-gage balance is investigated to better understand the expected use envelope of the normal force during a wind tunnel test. First, the fundamental relationship between normal force, model weight, lift curve slope, model reference area, dynamic pressure, and angle of attack is derived. Then, based on this fundamental relationship, the use envelope of a balance is examined for four typical wind tunnel test cases. The first case looks at the use envelope of the normal force during the test of a light wind tunnel model at high subsonic Mach numbers. The second case examines the use envelope of the normal force during the test of a heavy wind tunnel model in an atmospheric low-speed facility. The third case reviews the use envelope of the normal force during the test of a floor-mounted semi-span model. The fourth case discusses the normal force characteristics during the test of a rotated full-span model. The wind tunnel model's lift-to-weight ratio is introduced as a new parameter that may be used for a quick pre-test assessment of the use envelope of the normal force of a balance. The parameter is derived as a function of the lift coefficient, the dimensionless dynamic pressure, and the dimensionless model weight. Lower and upper bounds of the use envelope of a balance are defined using the model's lift-to-weight ratio. Finally, data from a pressurized wind tunnel is used to illustrate both application and interpretation of the model's lift-to-weight ratio.

Evaluation of hemifield sector analysis protocol in multifocal visual evoked potential objective perimetry for the diagnosis and early detection of glaucomatous field defects.

PubMed

Mousa, Mohammad F; Cubbidge, Robert P; Al-Mansouri, Fatima; Bener, Abdulbari

2014-02-01

Multifocal visual evoked potential (mfVEP) is a newly introduced method used for objective visual field assessment. Several analysis protocols have been tested to identify early visual field losses in glaucoma patients using the mfVEP technique, some were successful in detection of field defects, which were comparable to the standard automated perimetry (SAP) visual field assessment, and others were not very informative and needed more adjustment and research work. In this study we implemented a novel analysis approach and evaluated its validity and whether it could be used effectively for early detection of visual field defects in glaucoma. Three groups were tested in this study; normal controls (38 eyes), glaucoma patients (36 eyes) and glaucoma suspect patients (38 eyes). All subjects had a two standard Humphrey field analyzer (HFA) test 24-2 and a single mfVEP test undertaken in one session. Analysis of the mfVEP results was done using the new analysis protocol; the hemifield sector analysis (HSA) protocol. Analysis of the HFA was done using the standard grading system. Analysis of mfVEP results showed that there was a statistically significant difference between the three groups in the mean signal to noise ratio (ANOVA test, p < 0.001 with a 95% confidence interval). The difference between superior and inferior hemispheres in all subjects were statistically significant in the glaucoma patient group in all 11 sectors (t-test, p < 0.001), partially significant in 5 / 11 (t-test, p < 0.01), and no statistical difference in most sectors of the normal group (1 / 11 sectors was significant, t-test, p < 0.9). Sensitivity and specificity of the HSA protocol in detecting glaucoma was 97% and 86%, respectively, and for glaucoma suspect patients the values were 89% and 79%, respectively. The new HSA protocol used in the mfVEP testing can be applied to detect glaucomatous visual field defects in both glaucoma and glaucoma suspect patients. Using this protocol can provide information about focal visual field differences across the horizontal midline, which can be utilized to differentiate between glaucoma and normal subjects. Sensitivity and specificity of the mfVEP test showed very promising results and correlated with other anatomical changes in glaucoma field loss.

Evaluation of Hemifield Sector Analysis Protocol in Multifocal Visual Evoked Potential Objective Perimetry for the Diagnosis and Early Detection of Glaucomatous Field Defects

PubMed Central

Mousa, Mohammad F.; Cubbidge, Robert P.; Al-Mansouri, Fatima

2014-01-01

Purpose Multifocal visual evoked potential (mfVEP) is a newly introduced method used for objective visual field assessment. Several analysis protocols have been tested to identify early visual field losses in glaucoma patients using the mfVEP technique, some were successful in detection of field defects, which were comparable to the standard automated perimetry (SAP) visual field assessment, and others were not very informative and needed more adjustment and research work. In this study we implemented a novel analysis approach and evaluated its validity and whether it could be used effectively for early detection of visual field defects in glaucoma. Methods Three groups were tested in this study; normal controls (38 eyes), glaucoma patients (36 eyes) and glaucoma suspect patients (38 eyes). All subjects had a two standard Humphrey field analyzer (HFA) test 24-2 and a single mfVEP test undertaken in one session. Analysis of the mfVEP results was done using the new analysis protocol; the hemifield sector analysis (HSA) protocol. Analysis of the HFA was done using the standard grading system. Results Analysis of mfVEP results showed that there was a statistically significant difference between the three groups in the mean signal to noise ratio (ANOVA test, p < 0.001 with a 95% confidence interval). The difference between superior and inferior hemispheres in all subjects were statistically significant in the glaucoma patient group in all 11 sectors (t-test, p < 0.001), partially significant in 5 / 11 (t-test, p < 0.01), and no statistical difference in most sectors of the normal group (1 / 11 sectors was significant, t-test, p < 0.9). Sensitivity and specificity of the HSA protocol in detecting glaucoma was 97% and 86%, respectively, and for glaucoma suspect patients the values were 89% and 79%, respectively. Conclusions The new HSA protocol used in the mfVEP testing can be applied to detect glaucomatous visual field defects in both glaucoma and glaucoma suspect patients. Using this protocol can provide information about focal visual field differences across the horizontal midline, which can be utilized to differentiate between glaucoma and normal subjects. Sensitivity and specificity of the mfVEP test showed very promising results and correlated with other anatomical changes in glaucoma field loss. PMID:24511212

Sickle cell test

MedlinePlus

... done to tell which condition someone has. Normal Results A normal test result is called a negative ... meaning of your specific test results. What Abnormal Results Mean An abnormal test result indicates the person ...

Human MAMLD1 Gene Variations Seem Not Sufficient to Explain a 46,XY DSD Phenotype.

PubMed

Camats, Núria; Fernández-Cancio, Mónica; Audí, Laura; Mullis, Primus E; Moreno, Francisca; González Casado, Isabel; López-Siguero, Juan Pedro; Corripio, Raquel; Bermúdez de la Vega, José Antonio; Blanco, José Antonio; Flück, Christa E

2015-01-01

MAMLD1 is thought to cause disordered sex development in 46,XY patients. But its role is controversial because some MAMLD1 variants are also detected in normal individuals, several MAMLD1 mutations have wild-type activity in functional tests, and the male Mamld1-knockout mouse has normal genitalia and reproduction. Our aim was to search for MAMLD1 variations in 108 46,XY patients with disordered sex development, and to test them functionally. We detected MAMDL1 variations and compared SNP frequencies in controls and patients. We tested MAMLD1 transcriptional activity on promoters involved in sex development and assessed the effect of MAMLD1 on androgen production. MAMLD1 expression in normal steroid-producing tissues and mutant MAMLD1 protein expression were also assessed. Nine MAMLD1 mutations (7 novel) were characterized. In vitro, most MAMLD1 variants acted similarly to wild type. Only the L210X mutation showed loss of function in all tests. We detected no effect of wild-type or MAMLD1 variants on CYP17A1 enzyme activity in our cell experiments, and Western blots revealed no significant differences for MAMLD1 protein expression. MAMLD1 was expressed in human adult testes and adrenals. In conclusion, our data support the notion that MAMLD1 sequence variations may not suffice to explain the phenotype in carriers and that MAMLD1 may also have a role in adult life.

Human MAMLD1 Gene Variations Seem Not Sufficient to Explain a 46,XY DSD Phenotype

PubMed Central

Audí, Laura; Mullis, Primus E.; Moreno, Francisca; González Casado, Isabel; López-Siguero, Juan Pedro; Corripio, Raquel; Bermúdez de la Vega, José Antonio; Blanco, José Antonio; Flück, Christa E.

2015-01-01

MAMLD1 is thought to cause disordered sex development in 46,XY patients. But its role is controversial because some MAMLD1 variants are also detected in normal individuals, several MAMLD1 mutations have wild-type activity in functional tests, and the male Mamld1-knockout mouse has normal genitalia and reproduction. Our aim was to search for MAMLD1 variations in 108 46,XY patients with disordered sex development, and to test them functionally. We detected MAMDL1 variations and compared SNP frequencies in controls and patients. We tested MAMLD1 transcriptional activity on promoters involved in sex development and assessed the effect of MAMLD1 on androgen production. MAMLD1 expression in normal steroid-producing tissues and mutant MAMLD1 protein expression were also assessed. Nine MAMLD1 mutations (7 novel) were characterized. In vitro, most MAMLD1 variants acted similarly to wild type. Only the L210X mutation showed loss of function in all tests. We detected no effect of wild-type or MAMLD1 variants on CYP17A1 enzyme activity in our cell experiments, and Western blots revealed no significant differences for MAMLD1 protein expression. MAMLD1 was expressed in human adult testes and adrenals. In conclusion, our data support the notion that MAMLD1 sequence variations may not suffice to explain the phenotype in carriers and that MAMLD1 may also have a role in adult life. PMID:26580071

Performances on a cognitive theory of mind task: specific decline or general cognitive deficits? Evidence from normal aging.

PubMed

Fliss, Rafika; Lemerre, Marion; Mollard, Audrey

2016-06-01

Compromised theory of mind (ToM) can be explained either by a failure to implement specific representational capacities (mental state representations) or by more general executive selection demands. In older adult populations, evidence supporting affected executive functioning and cognitive ToM in normal aging are reported. However, links between these two functions remain unclear. In the present paper, we address these shortcomings by using a specific task of ToM and classical executive tasks. We studied, using an original cognitive ToM task, the effect of age on ToM performances, in link with the progressive executive decline. 96 elderly participants were recruited. They were asked to perform a cognitive ToM task, and 5 executive tests (Stroop test and Hayling Sentence Completion Test to appreciate inhibitory process, Trail Making Test and Verbal Fluency for shifting assessment and backward span dedicated to estimate working memory capacity). The results show changes in cognitive ToM performance according to executive demands. Correlational studies indicate a significant relationship between ToM performance and the selected executive measures. Regression analyzes demonstrates that level of vocabulary and age as the best predictors of ToM performance. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that ToM deficits are related to age-related domain-general decline rather than as to a breakdown in specialized representational system. The implications of these findings for the nature of social cognition tests in normal aging are also discussed.

Correlation between lumbo-ventricular perfusion and MRI-CSF flow studies in idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus.

PubMed

Hakim, R; Black, P M

1998-01-01

After the initial description of normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) and its clinical triad, there has been a continuous interest from clinicians and researchers to set different diagnostic criteria that would make the selection of candidates for shunt surgery easier and more precise. A preliminary group of 12 patients was given a diagnosis of idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus by clinical and radiologic criteria. Each patient underwent two different tests: a magnetic resonance imaging-cerebrospinal fluid (MRI-CSF) flow study and a lumbo-ventricular perfusion test. The purpose was to compare the correlation of the results obtained with these tests and the clinical results obtained after CSF diversion. Eleven patients were given shunts and one was managed with lumbar punctures. One year after treatment, 10 of the 12 patients had improved with good results. The MRI-CSF flow studies were reliable in six patients; there were five false negatives and one false positive. The lumbo-ventricular perfusion test showed reliability in nine patients; there were two false negatives and one false positive. In only three patients were the results of both of these tests in accordance with the outcome. Even though there are few patients in this study so far, the data suggests that at the present time the most predictive guides for the diagnosis of NPH and its outcome after shunting are the clinical criteria and the radiological findings in computed tomography (CT) and/or MRI rather than lumbo-ventricular perfusion and CSF flow studies.

Ten cases of severe oral lichen planus showing granular C3 deposition in oral mucosal basement membrane zone.

PubMed

Hashimoto, Takashi; Fukuda, Aoi; Himejima, Akio; Morita, Shosuke; Tsuruta, Daisuke; Koga, Hiroshi; Krol, Rafal P; Ishii, Norito

2015-01-01

Oral lichen planus (OLP) may show depositions of immunoglobulins and complement components in oral mucosal basement membrane zone (BMZ) in direct immunofluorescence, although these finding are not frequently seen. We collected and examined ten cases of severe OLP showing granular C3 deposition in BMZ. In addition to clinical, histopathological and direct immunofluorescence assessments, we performed various immune-serological tests, including indirect immunofluorescence of normal human skin and 1M NaCl-split skin, immunoblotting of normal human epidermal and dermal extracts, recombinant proteins of BP180 NC16a and C-terminal domains, concentrated culture supernatant of HaCaT cells and purified human laminin-332, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for BP230 and BP180. Direct immunofluorescence showed C3 deposition in BMZ exclusively of granular pattern in 7 cases and of both granular and linear patterns in 3 cases. The 10 cases showed no positive reactivity for either IgG or IgA antibodies in any immuno-serological tests. Detailed analyses of clinical, histopathological and immunological findings revealed striking female prevalence, although other parameters were in general characteristic of OLP. Granular C3 deposition in oral BMZ may be one of the characteristic features of severe OLP, although mechanisms for C3 deposition and its pathogenic role in OLP are currently unknown.

"If it helps..." the use of microarray technology in prenatal testing: patient and partners reflections.

PubMed

Hillman, Sarah C; Skelton, John; Quinlan-Jones, Elizabeth; Wilson, Amie; Kilby, Mark D

2013-07-01

The objective was to gain insight into the experiences of women and their partners diagnosed with a fetal abnormality on prenatal ultrasound examination and receiving genetic testing including microarray. Twenty-five semi-structured interviews were performed with women +/- their partners after receiving the results of prenatal genetic testing. Framework analysis was performed to elicit themes and subthemes. Five main themes were recognized; diagnosis, genetic testing, family and support, reflections of the treatment received and emotions. Our results showed that women recall being told about QFPCR for trisomy 13, 18, and 21 but often no further testing. Women expected the conventional karyotype and microarray result would be normal following a normal QFPCR result. There were frequent misconceptions by couples regarding aspects of counseling/testing. Communication of variants of unknown (clinical) significance (VOUS) presents a particularly difficult challenge. Good clear communication by health care professionals is paramount. When counseling women and their partners for fetal chromosomal testing it should be reinforced that although the most common, trisomy 13, 18, and 21 only account for some of the chromosomal changes resulting in abnormal scan findings. Couples should have literature to take home summarizing scan anomalies and reinforcing information about genetic testing. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A Normalized Direct Approach for Estimating the Parameters of the Normal Ogive Three-Parameter Model for Ability Tests.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gugel, John F.

A new method for estimating the parameters of the normal ogive three-parameter model for multiple-choice test items--the normalized direct (NDIR) procedure--is examined. The procedure is compared to a more commonly used estimation procedure, Lord's LOGIST, using computer simulations. The NDIR procedure uses the normalized (mid-percentile)…

Assessment of Oral Conditions and Quality of Life in Morbid Obese and Normal Weight Individuals: A Cross-Sectional Study.

PubMed

Yamashita, Joselene Martinelli; Moura-Grec, Patrícia Garcia de; Freitas, Adriana Rodrigues de; Sales-Peres, Arsênio; Groppo, Francisco Carlos; Ceneviva, Reginaldo; Sales-Peres, Sílvia Helena de Carvalho

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to identify the impact of oral disease on the quality of life of morbid obese and normal weight individuals. Cohort was composed of 100 morbid-obese and 50 normal-weight subjects. Dental caries, community periodontal index, gingival bleeding on probing (BOP), calculus, probing pocket depth, clinical attachment level, dental wear, stimulated salivary flow, and salivary pH were used to evaluate oral diseases. Socioeconomic and the oral impacts on daily performances (OIDP) questionnaires showed the quality of life in both groups. Unpaired Student, Fisher's Exact, Chi-Square, Mann-Whitney, and Multiple Regression tests were used (p<0.05). Obese showed lower socio-economic level than control group, but no differences were found considering OIDP. No significant differences were observed between groups considering the number of absent teeth, bruxism, difficult mastication, calculus, initial caries lesion, and caries. However, saliva flow was low, and the salivary pH was changed in the obese group. Enamel wear was lower and dentine wear was higher in obese. More BOP, insertion loss, and periodontal pocket, especially the deeper ones, were found in obese subjects. The regression model showed gender, smoking, salivary pH, socio-economic level, periodontal pocket, and periodontal insertion loss significantly associated to obesity. However, both OIDP and BOP did not show significant contribution to the model. The quality of life of morbid obese was more negatively influenced by oral disease and socio-economic factors than in normal weight subjects.

STUDIES ON HOUSEFLIES, STERILIZED WITH X RAYS

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

Sacca, G.

1961-01-01

Experiments were conducted on radiosterilization of male houseflies (Musca domestica). The females are monogamous, so that all the females mating with sterile males lay sterile eggs. Tests with 24-kv x rays showed that the most satisfactory method of sterilizing male houseflies consists of irradiating the pupa with 3000 r 2 to 3 days before emergence. The mortality of the irradiated pupae was not appreciably increased and the flies emerging from them were normal in appearance, viability, longevity, and sexual activity. When the irradiated males were mated with normal females, sterility was 100% complete. However, there was a slight tendency formore » females mated with irradiated males to remate with normal males. Sterile males successfully competed with normal males in search of females, and when they were present in overwhelming numbers succeeded in mating with most of the females, leaving them sterile. (H.H.D.)« less

Smoothing of the bivariate LOD score for non-normal quantitative traits.

PubMed

Buil, Alfonso; Dyer, Thomas D; Almasy, Laura; Blangero, John

2005-12-30

Variance component analysis provides an efficient method for performing linkage analysis for quantitative traits. However, type I error of variance components-based likelihood ratio testing may be affected when phenotypic data are non-normally distributed (especially with high values of kurtosis). This results in inflated LOD scores when the normality assumption does not hold. Even though different solutions have been proposed to deal with this problem with univariate phenotypes, little work has been done in the multivariate case. We present an empirical approach to adjust the inflated LOD scores obtained from a bivariate phenotype that violates the assumption of normality. Using the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism data available for the Genetic Analysis Workshop 14, we show how bivariate linkage analysis with leptokurtotic traits gives an inflated type I error. We perform a novel correction that achieves acceptable levels of type I error.

Direct Shear Tests of Sandstone Under Constant Normal Tensile Stress Condition Using a Simple Auxiliary Device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cen, Duofeng; Huang, Da

2017-06-01

Tension-shear failure is a typical failure mode in the rock masses in unloading zones induced by excavation or river incision, etc., such as in excavation-disturbed zone of deep underground caverns and superficial rocks of high steep slopes. However, almost all the current shear failure criteria for rock are usually derived on the basis of compression-shear failure. This paper proposes a simple device for use with a servo-controlled compression-shear testing machine to conduct the tension-shear tests of cuboid rock specimens, to test the direct shear behavior of sandstone under different constant normal tensile stress conditions ( σ = -1, -1.5, -2, -2.5 and -3 MPa) as well as the uniaxial tension behavior. Generally, the fracture surface roughness decreases and the proportion of comminution areas in fracture surface increases as the change of stress state from tension to tension-shear and to compression-shear. Stepped fracture is a primary fracture pattern in the tension-shear tests. The shear stiffness, shear deformation and normal deformation (except the normal deformation for σ = -1 MPa) decrease during shearing, while the total normal deformation containing the pre-shearing portion increases as the normal tensile stress level (| σ|) goes up. Shear strength is more sensitive to the normal tensile stress than to the normal compressive stress, and the power function failure criterion (or Mohr envelope form of Hoek-Brown criterion) is examined to be the optimal criterion for the tested sandstone in the full region of tested normal stress in this study.

Socio-cultural adaptation and standardization of Dubois' five words testing in a population of normal subject in Mali, West Africa.

PubMed

Guinto, Cheick O; Coulibaly, Toumany; Koné, Zeinab; Coulibaly, Souleymane; Maiga, Boubacar; Dembélé, Kekouta; Cissé, Lassana; Konaté, Mamadou; Coulibaly, Thomas; Sissoko, Adama S; Karambé, Mamadou; Burnett, Barrington; Landouré, Guida; Traoré, Moussa

2016-06-01

Dubois' five words testing (5WT) is a verbal memory test that depends on many parameters. The aim of this study is to adapt Dubois' 5WT to the Malian socio-cultural conditions to (i) determine performances of normal subjects to the 5WT and (ii) provide reference scores of the 5WT. A sample of 276 normal subjects aged ≥ 50 years (154 males and 122 females; 144 literates and 132 illiterates) were enrolled from February 2008 to January 2009. Subjects with a history of symptoms likely to modify cognitive functions and those who were found disabled under Lawton's four simplified item test were excluded. The learning score in illiterates was 1.51 in Dubois' 5WT and 4.90 in the modified 5WT. The mean value of the modified 5WT total score was 9.71. Majority (90.22%) of the subjects scored the maximum (10). The modified 5WT reduced with both the age (p < 0.006) and education level (p < 0.04). Our results show that Dubois' 5WT is influenced by culture and the socio-educative level in French. Its adaptation to the socio-cultural context could prove useful and efficient in countries with a low literacy rate and a diverse cultural background.

Agnosic vision is like peripheral vision, which is limited by crowding.

PubMed

Strappini, Francesca; Pelli, Denis G; Di Pace, Enrico; Martelli, Marialuisa

2017-04-01

Visual agnosia is a neuropsychological impairment of visual object recognition despite near-normal acuity and visual fields. A century of research has provided only a rudimentary account of the functional damage underlying this deficit. We find that the object-recognition ability of agnosic patients viewing an object directly is like that of normally-sighted observers viewing it indirectly, with peripheral vision. Thus, agnosic vision is like peripheral vision. We obtained 14 visual-object-recognition tests that are commonly used for diagnosis of visual agnosia. Our "standard" normal observer took these tests at various eccentricities in his periphery. Analyzing the published data of 32 apperceptive agnosia patients and a group of 14 posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) patients on these tests, we find that each patient's pattern of object recognition deficits is well characterized by one number, the equivalent eccentricity at which our standard observer's peripheral vision is like the central vision of the agnosic patient. In other words, each agnosic patient's equivalent eccentricity is conserved across tests. Across patients, equivalent eccentricity ranges from 4 to 40 deg, which rates severity of the visual deficit. In normal peripheral vision, the required size to perceive a simple image (e.g., an isolated letter) is limited by acuity, and that for a complex image (e.g., a face or a word) is limited by crowding. In crowding, adjacent simple objects appear unrecognizably jumbled unless their spacing exceeds the crowding distance, which grows linearly with eccentricity. Besides conservation of equivalent eccentricity across object-recognition tests, we also find conservation, from eccentricity to agnosia, of the relative susceptibility of recognition of ten visual tests. These findings show that agnosic vision is like eccentric vision. Whence crowding? Peripheral vision, strabismic amblyopia, and possibly apperceptive agnosia are all limited by crowding, making it urgent to know what drives crowding. Acuity does not (Song et al., 2014), but neural density might: neurons per deg 2 in the crowding-relevant cortical area. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

INNOVATIVE INSTRUMENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF THE TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT FOR HIGH TEMPERATURE GASIFICATION

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

Seong W. Lee

During this reporting period, the literature survey including the gasifier temperature measurement literature, the ultrasonic application and its background study in cleaning application, and spray coating process are completed. The gasifier simulator (cold model) testing has been successfully conducted. Four factors (blower voltage, ultrasonic application, injection time intervals, particle weight) were considered as significant factors that affect the temperature measurement. The Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was applied to analyze the test data. The analysis shows that all four factors are significant to the temperature measurements in the gasifier simulator (cold model). The regression analysis for the case with the normalizedmore » room temperature shows that linear model fits the temperature data with 82% accuracy (18% error). The regression analysis for the case without the normalized room temperature shows 72.5% accuracy (27.5% error). The nonlinear regression analysis indicates a better fit than that of the linear regression. The nonlinear regression model's accuracy is 88.7% (11.3% error) for normalized room temperature case, which is better than the linear regression analysis. The hot model thermocouple sleeve design and fabrication are completed. The gasifier simulator (hot model) design and the fabrication are completed. The system tests of the gasifier simulator (hot model) have been conducted and some modifications have been made. Based on the system tests and results analysis, the gasifier simulator (hot model) has met the proposed design requirement and the ready for system test. The ultrasonic cleaning method is under evaluation and will be further studied for the gasifier simulator (hot model) application. The progress of this project has been on schedule.« less

Synthesis and antimalarial testing of neocryptolepine analogues: addition of ester function in SAR study of 2,11-disubstituted indolo[2,3-b]quinolines.

PubMed

Lu, Wen-Jie; Wicht, Kathryn J; Wang, Li; Imai, Kento; Mei, Zhen-Wu; Kaiser, Marcel; El Sayed, Ibrahim El Tantawy; Egan, Timothy J; Inokuchi, Tsutomu

2013-06-01

This report describes the synthesis, and in vitro and in vivo antimalarial evaluations of certain ester-modified neocryptolepine (5-methyl-5H-indolo[2,3-b]quinoline) derivatives. The modifications were carried out by introducing ester groups at the C2 and/or C9 position on the neocryptolepine core and the terminal amino group of the 3-aminopropylamine substituents at the C11 position with a urea/thiourea unit. The antiplasmodial activities of our derivative agents against two different strains (CQS: NF54, and CQR: K1) and the cytotoxic activity against normal L6 cells were evaluated. The test results showed that the ester modified neocryptolepine derivatives have higher antiplasmodial activities against both strains and a low cytotoxic activity against normal cells. The best results were achieved by compounds 9c and 12b against the NF54 strain with the IC50/SI value as 2.27 nM/361 and 1.81 nM/321, respectively. While against K1 strain, all the tested compounds showed higher activity than the well-known antimalarial drug chloroquine. Furthermore, the compounds were tested for β-haematin inhibition and 12 were found to be more active than chloroquine (IC50 = 18 μM). Structure activity relationship studies exposed an interesting linear correlation between polar surface area of the molecule and β-haematin inhibition for this series. In vivo testing of compounds 7 and 8a against NF54 strain on Plasmodium berghei female mice showed that the introduction of the ester group increased the antiplasmodial activity of the neocryptolepine core substantially. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Sugar-water hemolysis test

MedlinePlus

... These proteins work with the immune system. Normal Results A normal test result is called a negative ... meaning of your specific test results. What Abnormal Results Mean A positive test result means the results ...

Fructose intake at current levels in the United States may cause gastrointestinal distress in normal adults.

PubMed

Beyer, Peter L; Caviar, Elena M; McCallum, Richard W

2005-10-01

Fructose intake has increased considerably in the United States, primarily as a result of increased consumption of high-fructose corn syrup, fruits and juices, and crystalline fructose. The purpose was to determine how often fructose, in amounts commonly consumed, would result in malabsorption and/or symptoms in healthy persons. Fructose absorption was measured using 3-hour breath hydrogen tests and symptom scores were used to rate subjective responses for gas, borborygmus, abdominal pain, and loose stools. The study included 15 normal, free-living volunteers from a medical center community and was performed in a gastrointestinal specialty clinic. Subjects consumed 25- and 50-g doses of crystalline fructose with water after an overnight fast on separate test days. Mean peak breath hydrogen, time of peak, area under the curve (AUC) for breath hydrogen and gastrointestinal symptoms were measured during a 3-hour period after subjects consumed both 25- and 50-g doses of fructose. Differences in mean breath hydrogen, AUC, and symptom scores between doses were analyzed using paired t tests. Correlations among peak breath hydrogen, AUC, and symptoms were also evaluated. More than half of the 15 adults tested showed evidence of fructose malabsorption after 25 g fructose and greater than two thirds showed malabsorption after 50 g fructose. AUC, representing overall breath hydrogen response, was significantly greater after the 50-g dose. Overall symptom scores were significantly greater than baseline after each dose, but scores were only marginally greater after 50 g than 25 g. Peak hydrogen levels and AUC were highly correlated, but neither was significantly related to symptoms. Fructose, in amounts commonly consumed, may result in mild gastrointestinal distress in normal people. Additional study is warranted to evaluate the response to fructose-glucose mixtures (as in high-fructose corn syrup) and fructose taken with food in both normal people and those with gastrointestinal dysfunction. Because breath hydrogen peaks occurred at 90 to 114 minutes and were highly correlated with 180-minute breath hydrogen AUC, the use of peak hydrogen measures may be considered to shorten the duration of the exam.

An Experimental Study on Normal Stress and Shear Rate Dependency of Basic Friction Coefficient in Dry and Wet Limestone Joints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mehrishal, Seyedahmad; Sharifzadeh, Mostafa; Shahriar, Korosh; Song, Jae-Jon

2016-12-01

Among all parameters that affect the friction of rocks, variable normal stress and slip rate are the most important second-order parameters. The shear-rate- and normal-stress-dependent friction behavior of rock discontinuities may significantly influence the dynamic responses of rock mass. In this research, two limestone rock types, which were travertine and onyx marble with slickenside and grinded #80 surfaces, were prepared and CNL direct shear tests were performed on the joints under various shear conditions. The shearing rate varied from 0.1 to 50 mm/min under different normal stresses (from 2 to 30 % of UCS) in both dry and wet conditions. Experiments showed that the friction coefficient of slickensided and ground #80 surfaces of limestone increased with the increasing shear velocity and decreased with the increasing normal stress. Micro-asperity interlocking between ground #80 surfaces showed higher wear and an increase in friction coefficient ( µ) compared to slickensided surfaces. Slickensided samples with moist surfaces showed an increase in the coefficient of friction compared to dry surfaces; however, on ground #80 surfaces, the moisture decreased the coefficient of friction to a smaller value. Slickenside of limestone typically slides stably in a dry condition and by stick-slip on moist surfaces. The observed shear-rate- and normal-stress-dependent friction behavior can be explained by a similar framework to that of the adhesion theory of friction and a friction mechanism that involves the competition between microscopic dilatant slip and surface asperity deformation. The results have important implications for understanding the behavior of basic and residual friction coefficients of limestone rock surfaces.

Thin blue lines: product placement and the drama of pregnancy testing in British cinema and television.

PubMed

Olszynko-Gryn, Jesse

2017-09-01

This article uses the case of pregnancy testing in Britain to investigate the process whereby new and often controversial reproductive technologies are made visible and normalized in mainstream entertainment media. It shows how in the 1980s and 1990s the then nascent product placement industry was instrumental in embedding pregnancy testing in British cinema and television's dramatic productions. In this period, the pregnancy-test close-up became a conventional trope and the thin blue lines associated with Unilever's Clearblue rose to prominence in mainstream consumer culture. This article investigates the aestheticization of pregnancy testing and shows how increasingly visible public concerns about 'schoolgirl mums', abortion and the biological clock, dramatized on the big and small screen, propelled the commercial rise of Clearblue. It argues that the Clearblue close-up ambiguously concealed as much as it revealed; abstraction, ambiguity and flexibility were its keys to success.

Diagnostic Value of Electrocardiogram in Predicting Exaggerated Blood Pressure Response to Exercise Stress Testing.

PubMed

Eshraghi, Ali; Ebdali, Reyhaneh Takalloo; Sajjadi, Seyed Sajed; Golnezhad, Reza

2016-08-01

It is believed that an exaggerated blood pressure response (EBPR) to exercise stress test is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular events. It is also assumed that QT dispersion (QT-d), which was originally proposed to measure the spatial dispersion of ventricular recovery times, may have a relationship to cardiovascular events. The objective of this study was to examine the difference of changes in QT-d, Maxi-QT, Mini-QT, and QT-c (corrected QT interval) of the electrocardiogram in two groups of patients with exaggerated blood pressure responses (EBPR group) and normal responses (control group) to exercise testing. Also, the diagnostic value of each of these criteria in the prediction of EBPR was studied. This cross-sectional study was conducted from May 2015 to February 2016 on patients suspected of coronary artery disease (CAD) undergoing exercise testing who had been referred to Ghaem and Imam Reza hospitals in Mashhad (Iran). All patients underwent a treadmill exercise test with the 12-lead ECG, which was optically scanned and digitized for analysis of QT-d, QT max, and QT min. Patients were divided into two groups of normal and EBPR to exercise testing. QT changes of ECG were compared between the two groups, and the diagnostic accuracy of QT variables for prediction of EBPR to exercise testing was studied. A multiple linear regression analysis (MLR), Pearson Chi-qquare, independent samples t-test, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used as statistical methods in IBM SPSS version 19. Sixty patients (55% male) with a mean age of 50.48 ± 10.89 years were studied in two groups of normal (n=30) and exaggerated blood pressure response (n=30) to exercise testing. Maximum QT and QT dispersion were statistically different in individuals' exaggerated blood pressure response to exercise stress test (p < 0.05). The logistic regression analysis revealed that none of our parameters predicted the EBPR. The ROC curve showed that 50 and 345 milliseconds for QT dispersion and Maxi-QT were the optimal cut-off points for the prediction of EBPR. It seems that Maxi-QT and QT-d may be predictors of EBPR during exercise testing. Also, a significant difference in maxi-QT and QT-d was observed between two groups of patients with normal and EBPR during the exercise testing.

Postural control assessment in students with normal hearing and sensorineural hearing loss.

PubMed

Melo, Renato de Souza; Lemos, Andrea; Macky, Carla Fabiana da Silva Toscano; Raposo, Maria Cristina Falcão; Ferraz, Karla Mônica

2015-01-01

Children with sensorineural hearing loss can present with instabilities in postural control, possibly as a consequence of hypoactivity of their vestibular system due to internal ear injury. To assess postural control stability in students with normal hearing (i.e., listeners) and with sensorineural hearing loss, and to compare data between groups, considering gender and age. This cross-sectional study evaluated the postural control of 96 students, 48 listeners and 48 with sensorineural hearing loss, aged between 7 and 18 years, of both genders, through the Balance Error Scoring Systems scale. This tool assesses postural control in two sensory conditions: stable surface and unstable surface. For statistical data analysis between groups, the Wilcoxon test for paired samples was used. Students with hearing loss showed more instability in postural control than those with normal hearing, with significant differences between groups (stable surface, unstable surface) (p<0.001). Students with sensorineural hearing loss showed greater instability in the postural control compared to normal hearing students of the same gender and age. Copyright © 2014 Associação Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia Cérvico-Facial. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Tone discrimination performance in schizophrenic patients and normal volunteers: impact of stimulus presentation levels and frequency differences.

PubMed

Holcomb, H H; Ritzl, E K; Medoff, D R; Nevitt, J; Gordon, B; Tamminga, C A

1995-06-29

Psychophysical and cognitive studies carried out in schizophrenic patients show high within-group performance variance and sizable differences between patients and normal volunteers. Experimental manipulation of a target's signal-to-noise characteristics can, however, make a given task more or less difficult for a given subject. Such signal-to-noise manipulations can substantially reduce performance differences between individuals. Frequency and presentation level (volume) changes of an auditory tone can make a sound more or less difficult to recognize. This study determined how the discrimination accuracy of medicated schizophrenic patients and normal volunteers changed when the frequency difference between two tones (high frequency vs. low frequency) and the presentation levels of tones were systematically degraded. The investigators hypothesized that each group would become impaired in its discrimination accuracy when tone signals were degraded by making the frequencies more similar and the presentation levels lower. Schizophrenic patients were slower and less accurate than normal volunteers on tests using four tone levels and two frequency differences; the schizophrenic patient group showed a significant decrement in accuracy when the signal-to-noise characteristics of the target tones were degraded. The benefits of controlling stimulus discrimination difficulty in functional imaging paradigms are discussed.

Validation of the plain chest radiograph for epidemiologic studies of airflow obstruction

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

Musk, A.W.

The chest radiographs of 125 industrial workers from rural New South Wales were examined for overinflated lungs, with and without attenuated midzonal vessels. Although the mean values of a comprehensive range of pulmonary function tests in the whole group were within normal limits, the nine subjects whose radiographs showed overinflated lungs and attenuated vessels had significantly impaired pulmonary function in comparison with 85 subjects with normal radiographs. The mean values for these nine subjects, expressed as a percentage of the mean value for subjects with normal radiographs, were: forced expiratory volume in 1 second, 75%; total lung capacity, 107%; residualmore » volume, 143%; transpulmonary pressure at maximum inspiration, 60%; static deflation compliance, 158%; lung volume at transpulmonary pressure 10 cm H/sub 2/O, 132%; transfer factor, 79%; and transfer factor/alveolar volume, 77%. Similar results were obtained by a second observer. Those subjects with overinflation but no vascular attenuation had significantly larger mean values for vital capacity and alveolar volume but no significant difference in total lung capacity or other tests of the mechanical properties of the lungs. Agreement on the presence of a positive sign between the two observers expressed as a percentage of those considered positive by either was 81% for overinflation and 62% for attenuated midzonal vessels. The results indicate that in groups of subjects with normal-average values of pulmonary function, the plain chest radiograph may provide information concerning pulmonary structure that is reflected in tests of function.« less

Comparison of genetic algorithm methods for fuel management optimization

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

DeChaine, M.D.; Feltus, M.A.

1995-12-31

The CIGARO system was developed for genetic algorithm fuel management optimization. Tests are performed to find the best fuel location swap mutation operator probability and to compare genetic algorithm to a truly random search method. Tests showed the fuel swap probability should be between 0% and 10%, and a 50% definitely hampered the optimization. The genetic algorithm performed significantly better than the random search method, which did not even satisfy the peak normalized power constraint.

Multicenter study of preservative sensitivity in patients with suspected cosmetic contact dermatitis in Korea.

PubMed

Lee, Sang S; Hong, Dong K; Jeong, Nam J; Lee, Jeung H; Choi, Yun-Seok; Lee, Ai-Young; Lee, Cheol-Heon; Kim, Kea J; Park, Hae Y; Yang, Jun-Mo; Lee, Ga-Young; Lee, Joon; Eun, Hee C; Moon, Kee-Chan; Seo, Seong J; Hong, Chang K; Lee, Sang W; Choi, Hae Y; Lee, Jun Y

2012-08-01

As many new cosmetic products are introduced into the market, attention must be given to contact dermatitis, which is commonly caused by cosmetics. We investigate the prevalence of preservative allergy in 584 patients with suspected cosmetic contact dermatitis at 11 different hospitals. From January 2010 to March 2011, 584 patients at 11 hospital dermatology departments presented with cosmetic contact dermatitis symptoms. These patients were patch-tested for preservative allergens. An irritancy patch test performed on 30 control subjects using allergens of various concentrations showed high irritancy rates. Preservative hypersensitivity was detected in 41.1% of patients. Allergens with the highest positive test rates were benzalkonium chloride (12.1%), thimerosal (9.9%) and methylchloroisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone (MCI/MI) (5.5%). Benzalkonium chloride and chlorphenesin had the highest irritancy rate based on an irritancy patch test performed using various concentrations. Seven of 30 normal subjects had a positive irritant patch reading with 0.1% benzalkonium chloride and eight of 30 normal subjects had a positive irritant patch reading at 4 days with 0.5% chlorphenesin in petrolatum. Although benzalkonium chloride was highly positive for skin reactions in our study, most reactions were probably irritation. MCI/MI and thimerosal showed highly positive allergy reactions in our study. The optimum concentration of chlorphenesin to avoid skin reactions is less than 0.5%. © 2012 Japanese Dermatological Association.

The role of auditory feedback in music-supported stroke rehabilitation: A single-blinded randomised controlled intervention.

PubMed

van Vugt, F T; Kafczyk, T; Kuhn, W; Rollnik, J D; Tillmann, B; Altenmüller, E

2016-01-01

Learning to play musical instruments such as piano was previously shown to benefit post-stroke motor rehabilitation. Previous work hypothesised that the mechanism of this rehabilitation is that patients use auditory feedback to correct their movements and therefore show motor learning. We tested this hypothesis by manipulating the auditory feedback timing in a way that should disrupt such error-based learning. We contrasted a patient group undergoing music-supported therapy on a piano that emits sounds immediately (as in previous studies) with a group whose sounds are presented after a jittered delay. The delay was not noticeable to patients. Thirty-four patients in early stroke rehabilitation with moderate motor impairment and no previous musical background learned to play the piano using simple finger exercises and familiar children's songs. Rehabilitation outcome was not impaired in the jitter group relative to the normal group. Conversely, some clinical tests suggests the jitter group outperformed the normal group. Auditory feedback-based motor learning is not the beneficial mechanism of music-supported therapy. Immediate auditory feedback therapy may be suboptimal. Jittered delay may increase efficacy of the proposed therapy and allow patients to fully benefit from motivational factors of music training. Our study shows a novel way to test hypotheses concerning music training in a single-blinded way, which is an important improvement over existing unblinded tests of music interventions.

Fetal scalp pH testing

MedlinePlus

... such as HIV/AIDS or hepatitis C. Normal Results Normal fetal blood sample results are: Normal pH: ... meaning of your specific test results. What Abnormal Results Mean A fetal scalp blood pH level of ...

Etude hydromecanique d'une fracture en cisaillement sous contrainte normale constante

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamontagne, Eric

This research study deals with the effects of shear direction and injection flow rate on the flow directional anisotropy for a given normal stress. It presents experimental works on hydromechanical shear behaviour of a fracture under constant normal stress conditions that permits the characterisation of the intrinsic hydraulic transmissivity in relation with the directional anisotropy of the roughness morphology on the fracture surfaces. Tests were performed on mortar replicas of a natural fracture so that the fracture roughness and void space geometry were kept the same for each test. The experimental work program was performed through direct shear tests on the fracture replicas in four shear directions under four constant normal stress levels. The application of the normal stress was followed by several injections of fluid under constant flow rate. Then, for each defined shear displacement, several injections of fluid were done at different flow rate but under constant flow rate. The test results show that: (1) for the whole shear tests, the global intrinsic transmissivity is included within an enveloping zone of about one order of size. The transmissivity curves within the enveloping zone has a particularity to increase about two orders of size in the first millimetre of shear displacement and subsequently stabilised rapidly; (2) the highest dilatancy do not correspond necessarily with the highest intrinsic transmissivity so that, the behaviour of the global intrinsic transmissivity is not directly proportional to the fracture dilatancy during shear; (3) after the peak shear stress, the divergence is more marked between the global intrinsic transmissivity curves at various flow rate; (4) after peak shear strength and the beginning of asperity degradation, the gradual passage to residual friction shear behaviour causes a directional flow anisotropy and a reorientation of the flow chenalisation direction sub perpendicularly to the shear direction; (5) the anisotropy is not to develop equally between the two sense in the perpendicular direction to shear direction. In order to characterise the dynamics of the flow pattern in the fracture, a statistical analysis of the surfaces morphology of the fracture and the casting of void space geometry were performed before and after shear. A statistical analysis of asperity heights, on the global scale of the fracture surfaces, permits to characterise the fracture morphology and put in evidence a large morphological structure on which are superposed smaller asperities of variable dimensions. This large dimension structure generate a higher level landing occupying more than half of the fracture area. The study of the surfaces morphology of the fracture, performed with the geostatistical mean asperity heights variogram by direction before shearing, show the presence of two entangled morphologic structure families (28 and 15 mm). This same study done after shearing shows that the asperity degradation seems associated with the reduction of the global intrinsic transmissivity of the fracture. Finally, the void spaces morphology evaluated by casting techniques, during the shear tests, has permitted to verify the contacts evolution with the increasing shear displacement and visualised flow chenalisation during fracture shearing.

Quantitative RNFL attenuation coefficient measurements by RPE-normalized OCT data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vermeer, K. A.; van der Schoot, J.; Lemij, H. G.; de Boer, J. F.

2012-03-01

We demonstrate significantly different scattering coefficients of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) between normal and glaucoma subjects. In clinical care, SD-OCT is routinely used to assess the RNFL thickness for glaucoma management. In this way, the full OCT data set is conveniently reduced to an easy to interpret output, matching results from older (non- OCT) instruments. However, OCT provides more data, such as the signal strength itself, which is due to backscattering in the retinal layers. For quantitative analysis, this signal should be normalized to adjust for local differences in the intensity of the beam that reaches the retina. In this paper, we introduce a model that relates the OCT signal to the attenuation coefficient of the tissue. The average RNFL signal (within an A-line) was then normalized based on the observed RPE signal, resulting in normalized RNFL attenuation coefficient maps. These maps showed local defects matching those found in thickness data. The average (normalized) RNFL attenuation coefficient of a fixed band around the optic nerve head was significantly lower in glaucomatous eyes than in normal eyes (3.0mm-1 vs. 4.9mm-1, P<0.01, Mann-Whitney test).

Normalization for peak oxygen uptake increases the prognostic power of the ventilatory response to exercise in patients with chronic heart failure.

PubMed

Guazzi, Marco; De Vita, Stefano; Cardano, Paola; Barlera, Simona; Guazzi, Maurizio D

2003-09-01

Peak exercise oxygen uptake (peak VO2) and ventilation to CO2 production (VE/VCO2) slope are established prognostic indicators in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). A high VE/VCO2 slope, however, does not take into account the level of physical performance as expressed by peak VO2. We hypothesized that the prognostic value of a high VE/VCO2 slope may be improved by normalization for peak VO2 (VE/VCO2/VO2). One hundred patients with CHF underwent pulmonary function tests at rest (spirometry and lung diffusion capacity) and maximal cardiopulmonary exercise testing. The prognostic value of VE/VCO2 slope, peak VO2 and VE/VCO2/VO2 was probed prospectively. Twenty-one patients died from cardiac reasons during a mean follow-up of 26 +/- 19 months. Nonsurvivors, compared to survivors, showed a lower peak VO2 (13.6 +/- 4.0 vs 17.5 +/- 4.1 mL x min(-1) x kg(-1), P <.01) and a steeper VE/VCO2 slope (43 +/- 11 vs 31.6 +/- 5.0, P <.01). Nonetheless, in patients whose VE/VCO2 slope exceeded 34 (upper normal limit), there was no correlation with peak VO2 (r = -35, P = not significant). Interestingly 35% of them showed a normal exercise performance (peak VO2 > or =18 mL x min(-1) x kg(-1)). At multivariate analysis, the VE/VCO2 slope showed a prognostic power stronger than that of peak VO2; however, the VE/VCO2/VO2 index retained a prognostic power greater than that of both VE/VCO2 slope and peak VO2. A VE/VCO2/VO2 > or =2.4 signaled cases at higher risk. Discrepancies between VE/VCO2 slope and peak VO2 may generate uncertainty. Normalization of the former by the latter improves outcome prediction and may be considered a simple and effective way for maximizing the clinical applicability of these 2 indicators.

Transformation of localized necking of strain space into stress space for advanced high strength steel sheet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakwattanaset, Aeksuwat; Suranuntchai, Surasak

2018-03-01

Normally, Forming Limit Curves (FLCs) can’t explain for shear fracture better than Damage Curve, this article aims to show the experimental of Forming Limit Curve (FLC) for Advanced High Strength Steel (AHSS) sheets grade JAC780Y with the Nakazima forming test and tensile tests of different sample geometries. From these results, the Forming Limit Curve (strain space) was transformed to damage curve (stress space) between plastic strain and stress triaxiality. Therefore, Stress space transformed using by Hill-48 and von-Mises yield function. This article shows that two of these yield criterions can use in the transformation.

Is handgrip strength normalized to body weight a useful tool to identify dynapenia and functional incapacity in post-menopausal women?

PubMed

Dulac, Maude; Boutros, Guy El Hajj; Pion, Charlotte; Barbat-Artigas, Sébastien; Gouspillou, Gilles; Aubertin-Leheudre, Mylène

2016-01-01

To investigate whether handgrip strength normalized to body weight could be a useful clinical tool to identify dynapenia and assess functional capacity in post-menopausal women. A total of 136 postmenopausal women were recruited. Body composition (Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry [DEXA], Bio-electrical Impedence Analysis [BIA]), grip strength (dynamometer) and functional capacity (senior fitness tests) were evaluated. Dynapenia was established according to a handgrip strength index (handgrip strength divided by body weight (BW) in Kg/KgBW) obtained from a reference population of young women: Type I dynapenic (<0.44 kg/KgBW) and type II dynapenic (<0.35 kg/KgBW). The results show a positive correlation between handgrip strength index (in kg/KgBW) and alternate-step test (r=0.30, p<0.001), chair-stand test (r=0.25, p<0.005) and one-leg stance test (r=0.335, p<0.001). The results also showed a significant difference in non-dynapenic compared to type I dynapenic and type II dynapenic for the chair-stand test (Non-dynapenic: 12.0±3.0; Type I: 11.7±2.5; Type II: 10.3±3.0) (p=0.037 and p=0.005, respectively) and the one-leg stance test (Non-dynapenic: 54.2±14.2; Type I: 43.8±21.4; Type II: 35.0±21.8) (p=0.030 and p=0.004, respectively). Finally, a significant difference was observed between type II dynapenic and non-dynapenic for the chair-stand test (p=0.032), but not with type I dynapenic. The results showed that handgrip strength was positively correlated with functional capacity. In addition, non-dynapenic women displayed a better functional status when compared to type I and type II dynapenic women. Thus, the determination of the handgrip strength thresholds could be an accessible and affordable clinical tool to identify people at risk of autonomy loss.

False-Positive Head-Impulse Test in Cerebellar Ataxia

PubMed Central

Kremmyda, Olympia; Kirchner, Hanni; Glasauer, Stefan; Brandt, Thomas; Jahn, Klaus; Strupp, Michael

2012-01-01

The objective of this study was to compare the findings of the bedside head-impulse test (HIT), passive head rotation gain, and caloric irrigation in patients with cerebellar ataxia (CA). In 16 patients with CA and bilaterally pathological bedside HIT, vestibuloocular reflex (VOR) gains were measured during HIT and passive head rotation by scleral search coil technique. Eight of the patients had pathologically reduced caloric responsiveness, while the other eight had normal caloric responses. Those with normal calorics showed a slightly reduced HIT gain (mean ± SD: 0.73 ± 0.15). In those with pathological calorics, gains 80 and 100 ms after the HIT as well as the passive rotation VOR gains were significantly lower. The corrective saccade after head turn occurred earlier in patients with pathological calorics (111 ± 62 ms after onset of the HIT) than in those with normal calorics (191 ± 17 ms, p = 0.0064). We identified two groups of patients with CA: those with an isolated moderate HIT deficit only, probably due to floccular dysfunction, and those with combined HIT, passive rotation, and caloric deficit, probably due to a peripheral vestibular deficit. From a clinical point of view, these results show that the bedside HIT alone can be false-positive for establishing a diagnosis of a bilateral peripheral vestibular deficit in patients with CA. PMID:23162531

R831X mutation of the androgen receptor gene in an adolescent with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome and bilateral testicular hamartomata.

PubMed

Goulis, Dimitrios G; Iliadou, Paschalia K; Papanicolaou, Athanasios; Georgiou, Ioannis; Chatzikyriakidou, Anthi; Gerou, Spiridon; Bondis, Ioannis N; Papadimas, Ioannis

2006-01-01

An 18-year old, phenotypically female individual was examined for primary amenorrhea. Three months before her referral, the patient underwent surgery and a pelvic mass was removed. The physical examination revealed normal female external genitalia, normal breast development, sparse pubic hair and absence of axillary hair. The gynecological examination revealed a short blind vagina pouch and absence of cervix and uterus. Serum testosterone and dihydrotestosterone levels were very high. Karyotype was that of a normal male (46,XY). The transabdominal ultrasound, computed tomography (CT) and Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed absence of uterus and fallopian tubes and revealed testis-like gonads located at the internal opening of the inguinal canal bilaterally. Bilateral gonadectomy was subsequently performed. The pathology report was that of "hamartomatous testes" and associated paratesticular leiomyoma. The clinical, laboratory, imaging, genetic and histological findings confirmed the diagnosis of complete androgen insensitivity syndrome. DNA analysis revealed a R831X mutation in exon 7 of the androgen receptor gene. A Sertoli-cell dynamic test showed elevated basal serum inhibin-B and anti-Müllerian hormone levels without further rise following FSH stimulation. The patient was started on hormone replacement therapy with conjugated estrogens. Complete androgen insensitivity syndrome must be considered in any case of primary amenorrhea. Gonadectomy must be planned to eliminate the risk of gonadal malignancy.

Intraobserver reproducibility of retinal nerve fiber layer measurements using scanning laser polarimetry and optical coherence tomography in normal and ocular hypertensive subjects.

PubMed

Lleó-Pérez, A; Ortuño-Soto, A; Rahhal, M S; Martínez-Soriano, F; Sanchis-Gimeno, J A

2004-01-01

To evaluate quantitatively the intraobserver reproducibility of measurements of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) in healthy subjects and an ocular hypertensive population using two nerve fiber analyzers. Sixty eyes of normal (n=30) and ocular hypertensive subjects (n=30) were consecutively recruited for this study and underwent a complete ophthalmologic examination and achromatic automated perimetry. RNFL were measured using scanning laser polarimeter (GDx-VCC) and optical coherence tomography (OCT Model 3000). Reproducibility of the RNFL measurements obtained with both nerve fiber analyzers were compared using the coefficient of variation. In both groups the authors found fair correlations between the two methods in all ratio and thickness parameters. The mean coefficient of variation for measurement of the variables ranged from 2.24% to 13.12% for GDx-VCC, and from 5.01% to 9.24% for OCT Model 3000. The authors could not detect any significant differences between healthy and ocular hypertensive eyes, although in normal eyes the correlations improved slightly. Nevertheless, the test-retest correlation was slightly better for GDx-VCC than for OCT Model 3000 (5.55% and 7.11%, respectively). Retinal mapping software of both nerve fiber analyzers allows reproducible measurement of RNFL in both healthy subjects and ocular hypertensive eyes, and shows fair correlations and good intraobserver reproducibility. However, in our study, GDx showed a better test-retest correlation.

On the efficacy of procedures to normalize Ex-Gaussian distributions

PubMed Central

Marmolejo-Ramos, Fernando; Cousineau, Denis; Benites, Luis; Maehara, Rocío

2015-01-01

Reaction time (RT) is one of the most common types of measure used in experimental psychology. Its distribution is not normal (Gaussian) but resembles a convolution of normal and exponential distributions (Ex-Gaussian). One of the major assumptions in parametric tests (such as ANOVAs) is that variables are normally distributed. Hence, it is acknowledged by many that the normality assumption is not met. This paper presents different procedures to normalize data sampled from an Ex-Gaussian distribution in such a way that they are suitable for parametric tests based on the normality assumption. Using simulation studies, various outlier elimination and transformation procedures were tested against the level of normality they provide. The results suggest that the transformation methods are better than elimination methods in normalizing positively skewed data and the more skewed the distribution then the transformation methods are more effective in normalizing such data. Specifically, transformation with parameter lambda -1 leads to the best results. PMID:25709588

Fibrinogen variant B[beta]D432A has normal polymerization but does not bind knob 'B'

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

Bowley, Sheryl R.; Lord, Susan T.; UNC)

2009-10-23

Fibrinogen residue B{beta}432Asp is part of hole 'b' that interacts with knob 'B,' whose sequence starts with Gly-His-Arg-Pro-amide (GHRP). Because previous studies showed B{beta}D432A has normal polymerization, we hypothesized that B{beta}432Asp is not critical for knob 'B' binding and that new knob-hole interactions would compensate for the loss of this Asp residue. To test this hypothesis, we solved the crystal structure of fragment D from B{beta}D432A. Surprisingly, the structure (rfD-B{beta}D432A+GH) showed the peptide GHRP was not bound to hole 'b.' We then re-evaluated the polymerization of this variant by examining clot turbidity, clot structure, and the rate of FXIIIa cross-linking.more » The turbidity and the rate of - dimer formation for B{beta}D432A were indistinguishable compared with normal fibrinogen. Scanning electron microscopy showed no significant differences between the clots of B{beta}D432A and normal, but the thrombin-derived clots had thicker fibers than clots obtained from batroxobin, suggesting that cleavage of FpB is more important than 'B:b' interactions. We conclude that hole 'b' and 'B:b' knob-hole binding per se have no influence on fibrin polymerization.« less

The MiAge Calculator: a DNA methylation-based mitotic age calculator of human tissue types.

PubMed

Youn, Ahrim; Wang, Shuang

2018-01-01

Cell division is important in human aging and cancer. The estimation of the number of cell divisions (mitotic age) of a given tissue type in individuals is of great interest as it allows not only the study of biological aging (using a new molecular aging target) but also the stratification of prospective cancer risk. Here, we introduce the MiAge Calculator, a mitotic age calculator based on a novel statistical framework, the MiAge model. MiAge is designed to quantitatively estimate mitotic age (total number of lifetime cell divisions) of a tissue using the stochastic replication errors accumulated in the epigenetic inheritance process during cell divisions. With the MiAge model, the MiAge Calculator was built using the training data of DNA methylation measures of 4,020 tumor and adjacent normal tissue samples from eight TCGA cancer types and was tested using the testing data of DNA methylation measures of 2,221 tumor and adjacent normal tissue samples of five other TCGA cancer types. We showed that within each of the thirteen cancer types studied, the estimated mitotic age is universally accelerated in tumor tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues. Across the thirteen cancer types, we showed that worse cancer survivals are associated with more accelerated mitotic age in tumor tissues. Importantly, we demonstrated the utility of mitotic age by showing that the integration of mitotic age and clinical information leads to improved survival prediction in six out of the thirteen cancer types studied. The MiAge Calculator is available at http://www.columbia.edu/∼sw2206/softwares.htm .

Effect of physical activity on memory function in older adults with mild Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment.

PubMed

Tanigawa, Takanori; Takechi, Hajime; Arai, Hidenori; Yamada, Minoru; Nishiguchi, Shu; Aoyama, Tomoki

2014-10-01

It is very important to maintain cognitive function in patients with mild cognitive disorder. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the amount of physical activity is associated with memory function in older adults with mild cognitive disorder. A total of 47 older adults with mild cognitive disorder were studied; 30 were diagnosed with mild Alzheimer's disease and 17 with mild cognitive impairment. The global cognitive function, memory function, physical performance and amount of physical activity were measured in these patients. We divided these patients according to their walking speed (<1 m/s or >1 m/s). A total of 26 elderly patients were classified as the slow walking group, whereas 21 were classified as the normal walking group. The normal walking group was younger and had significantly better scores than the slow walking group in physical performance. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis showed that only the daily step counts were associated with the Scenery Picture Memory Test in patients of the slow walking group (β=0.471, P=0.031), but not other variables. No variable was significantly associated with the Scenery Picture Memory Test in the normal walking group. Memory function was strongly associated with the amount of physical activity in patients with mild cognitive disorder who showed slow walking speed. The results show that lower physical activities could be a risk factor for cognitive decline, and that cognitive function in the elderly whose motor function and cognitive function are declining can be improved by increasing the amount of physical activity. © 2014 Japan Geriatrics Society.

Physical Characteristics of Laboratory Tested Concrete as a Substituion of Gravel on Normal Concrete

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butar-butar, Ronald; Suhairiani; Wijaya, Kinanti; Sebayang, Nono

2018-03-01

Concrete technology is highly potential in the field of construction for structural and non-structural construction. The amount uses of this concrete material raise the problem of solid waste in the form of concrete remaining test results in the laboratory. This waste is usually just discarded and not economically valuable. In solving the problem, this experiment was made new materials by using recycle material in the form of recycled aggregate which aims to find out the strength characteristics of the used concrete as a gravel substitution material on the normal concrete and obtain the value of the substitution composition of gravel and used concrete that can achieve the strength of concrete according to the standard. Testing of concrete characteristic is one of the requirements before starting the concrete mixture. This test using SNI method (Indonesian National Standard) with variation of comparison (used concrete : gravel) were 15: 85%, 25: 75%, 35:65%, 50:50 %, 75: 25%. The results of physical tests obtained the mud content value of the mixture gravel and used concrete is 0.03 larger than the standard of SNI 03-4142-1996 that is equal to 1.03%. so the need watering or soaking before use. The water content test results show an increase in the water content value if the composition of the used concrete increases. While the specific gravity value for variation 15: 85% until 35: 65% fulfilled the requirements of SNI 03-1969-1990. the other variasion show the specifics gravity value included on the type of light materials.

Executive function impairment in early-treated PKU subjects with normal mental development.

PubMed

Leuzzi, V; Pansini, M; Sechi, E; Chiarotti, F; Carducci, Cl; Levi, G; Antonozzi, I

2004-01-01

Executive functions were studied in 14 early and continuously treated PKU subjects (age 10.8 years, range 8-13) in comparison with controls matched for IQ, sex, age and socioeconomic status. Brain MRI examination was normal in all PKU patients. Neuropsychological evaluation included Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Rey-Osterreith Complex Figure Test, Elithorn's Perceptual Maze Test, Weigl's Sorting Test, Tower of London, Visual Search and Motor Motor Learning Test. Whatever the IQ, PKU subjects performed worse than controls in tests exploring executive functions. Subgrouping the PKU subjects according to the quality of dietary control for the entire follow-up period (using 400 micromol/L as cut-off value for blood phenylalanine (Phe) concentration) showed that patients with worse dietary control performed more poorly than both the PKU group with the best dietary control and the control group. However, a mild impairment of executive functions was still found in PKU patients with a good dietary control (Phe <400 micromol/L) compared to controls. Concerning the PKU group as a whole, no linear correlation was found between neuropsychological performance and historical and concurrent biochemical parameters. We conclude that (a) PKU patients, even when treated early, rigorously and continuously, show an impairment of frontal lobe functions; (b) a protracted exposure to moderately high levels of Phe can affect frontal lobe functions independently of the possible effect of the same exposure on IQ; (c) in order to reduce the risk of frontal lobe dysfunction, the target of dietary therapy should be to maintain blood Phe concentration below 400 micromol/L.

Comparison of Threshold Saccadic Vector Optokinetic Perimetry (SVOP) and Standard Automated Perimetry (SAP) in Glaucoma. Part II: Patterns of Visual Field Loss and Acceptability.

PubMed

McTrusty, Alice D; Cameron, Lorraine A; Perperidis, Antonios; Brash, Harry M; Tatham, Andrew J; Agarwal, Pankaj K; Murray, Ian C; Fleck, Brian W; Minns, Robert A

2017-09-01

We compared patterns of visual field loss detected by standard automated perimetry (SAP) to saccadic vector optokinetic perimetry (SVOP) and examined patient perceptions of each test. A cross-sectional study was done of 58 healthy subjects and 103 with glaucoma who were tested using SAP and two versions of SVOP (v1 and v2). Visual fields from both devices were categorized by masked graders as: 0, normal; 1, paracentral defect; 2, nasal step; 3, arcuate defect; 4, altitudinal; 5, biarcuate; and 6, end-stage field loss. SVOP and SAP classifications were cross-tabulated. Subjects completed a questionnaire on their opinions of each test. We analyzed 142 (v1) and 111 (v2) SVOP and SAP test pairs. SVOP v2 had a sensitivity of 97.7% and specificity of 77.9% for identifying normal versus abnormal visual fields. SAP and SVOP v2 classifications showed complete agreement in 54% of glaucoma patients, with a further 23% disagreeing by one category. On repeat testing, 86% of SVOP v2 classifications agreed with the previous test, compared to 91% of SAP classifications; 71% of subjects preferred SVOP compared to 20% who preferred SAP. Eye-tracking perimetry can be used to obtain threshold visual field sensitivity values in patients with glaucoma and produce maps of visual field defects, with patterns exhibiting close agreement to SAP. Patients preferred eye-tracking perimetry compared to SAP. This first report of threshold eye tracking perimetry shows good agreement with conventional automated perimetry and provides a benchmark for future iterations.

Rapid quantification of color vision: the cone contrast test.

PubMed

Rabin, Jeff; Gooch, John; Ivan, Douglas

2011-02-09

To describe the design, specificity, and sensitivity of the cone contrast test (CCT), a computer-based, cone-specific (L, M, S) contrast sensitivity test for diagnosing type and severity of color vision deficiency (CVD). The CCT presents a randomized series of colored letters visible only to L, M or S cones in decreasing steps of cone contrast to determine L, M, and S letter-recognition thresholds. Sensitivity and specificity were determined by retrospective comparison of CCT scores to anomaloscope and pseudoisochromatic plate (PIP) results in 1446 applicants for pilot training. CVD was detected in 49 (3.4%) of 1446 applicants with hereditary red-green (protan or deutan) CVD detected in 47 (3.5%) of 1359 men and blue-yellow (tritan) in 2 of 1446. In agreement with the anomaloscope, the CCT showed 100% sensitivity for detection and categorization of CVD (40 deutan, 7 protan, 2 tritan). PIP testing showed lower sensitivity (80% detected; 20% missed) due in part to the applicant's prior experience and/or pretest preparation. CCT specificity for confirming normal color vision was 100% for L and M cone tests and 99.8% for S cones. The CCT has sensitivity and specificity comparable to anomaloscope testing and exceeds PIP sensitivity in practiced observers. The CCT provides a rapid (6 minutes), clinically expedient, measure of color vision for quantifying normal color performance, diagnosing type and severity of hereditary deficiency, and detection of acquired sensitivity loss due to ocular, neurologic, and/or systemic disease, as well as injury and physiological stressors, such as altitude and fatigue.

Korsakoff Syndrome in Non-alcoholic Psychiatric Patients. Variable Cognitive Presentation and Impaired Frontotemporal Connectivity.

PubMed

Nikolakaros, Georgios; Kurki, Timo; Paju, Janina; Papageorgiou, Sokratis G; Vataja, Risto; Ilonen, Tuula

2018-01-01

Background: Non-alcoholic Wernicke's encephalopathy and Korsakoff syndrome are greatly underdiagnosed. There are very few reported cases of neuropsychologically documented non-alcoholic Korsakoff syndrome, and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data are scarce. Methods: We report clinical characteristics and neuropsychological as well as radiological findings from three psychiatric patients (one woman and two men) with a history of probable undiagnosed non-alcoholic Wernicke's encephalopathy and subsequent chronic memory problems. Results: All patients had abnormal neuropsychological test results, predominantly in memory. Thus, the neuropsychological findings were compatible with Korsakoff syndrome. However, the neuropsychological findings were not uniform. The impairment of delayed verbal memory of the first patient was evident only when the results of the memory tests were compared to her general cognitive level. In addition, the logical memory test and the verbal working memory test were abnormal, but the word list memory test was normal. The second patient had impaired attention and psychomotor speed in addition to impaired memory. In the third patient, the word list memory test was abnormal, but the logical memory test was normal. All patients had intrusions in the neuropsychological examination. Executive functions were preserved, except for planning and foresight, which were impaired in two patients. Conventional MRI examination was normal. DTI showed reduced fractional anisotropy values in the uncinate fasciculus in two patients, and in the corpus callosum and in the subgenual cingulum in one patient. Conclusions: Non-alcoholic Korsakoff syndrome can have diverse neuropsychological findings. This may partly explain its marked underdiagnosis. Therefore, a strong index of suspicion is needed. The presence of intrusions in the neuropsychological examination supports the diagnosis. Damage in frontotemporal white matter tracts, particularly in the uncinate fasciculus, may be a feature of non-alcoholic Korsakoff syndrome in psychiatric patients.

Korsakoff Syndrome in Non-alcoholic Psychiatric Patients. Variable Cognitive Presentation and Impaired Frontotemporal Connectivity

PubMed Central

Nikolakaros, Georgios; Kurki, Timo; Paju, Janina; Papageorgiou, Sokratis G.; Vataja, Risto; Ilonen, Tuula

2018-01-01

Background: Non-alcoholic Wernicke's encephalopathy and Korsakoff syndrome are greatly underdiagnosed. There are very few reported cases of neuropsychologically documented non-alcoholic Korsakoff syndrome, and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data are scarce. Methods: We report clinical characteristics and neuropsychological as well as radiological findings from three psychiatric patients (one woman and two men) with a history of probable undiagnosed non-alcoholic Wernicke's encephalopathy and subsequent chronic memory problems. Results: All patients had abnormal neuropsychological test results, predominantly in memory. Thus, the neuropsychological findings were compatible with Korsakoff syndrome. However, the neuropsychological findings were not uniform. The impairment of delayed verbal memory of the first patient was evident only when the results of the memory tests were compared to her general cognitive level. In addition, the logical memory test and the verbal working memory test were abnormal, but the word list memory test was normal. The second patient had impaired attention and psychomotor speed in addition to impaired memory. In the third patient, the word list memory test was abnormal, but the logical memory test was normal. All patients had intrusions in the neuropsychological examination. Executive functions were preserved, except for planning and foresight, which were impaired in two patients. Conventional MRI examination was normal. DTI showed reduced fractional anisotropy values in the uncinate fasciculus in two patients, and in the corpus callosum and in the subgenual cingulum in one patient. Conclusions: Non-alcoholic Korsakoff syndrome can have diverse neuropsychological findings. This may partly explain its marked underdiagnosis. Therefore, a strong index of suspicion is needed. The presence of intrusions in the neuropsychological examination supports the diagnosis. Damage in frontotemporal white matter tracts, particularly in the uncinate fasciculus, may be a feature of non-alcoholic Korsakoff syndrome in psychiatric patients.

Gemfibrozil hepatotoxicity: a case report.

PubMed

Domínguez Tordera, Patricia; Comellas Alabern, José Francisco; Ronda Rivero, Félix

2011-10-01

A 55-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital for management of thoracic trauma and bone fractures. One month after admission she started to receive gemfibrozil for hypertriglyceridemia. In the second month of admission, the patient complained of nausea and malaise. Laboratory value showed an acute hepatitis with raised AST, ALT. The abdominal ultrasound scan was normal, and viral serologic tests were negative. Gemfibrozil was discontinued and in a few days AST and ALT levels returned to normal. Gemfibrozil-induced hepatitis is a rare event but should be considered in the differential diagnoses of hepatitis in which no other obvious alternative cause is found.

Handwritten word preprocessing for database adaptation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oprean, Cristina; Likforman-Sulem, Laurence; Mokbel, Chafic

2013-01-01

Handwriting recognition systems are typically trained using publicly available databases, where data have been collected in controlled conditions (image resolution, paper background, noise level,...). Since this is not often the case in real-world scenarios, classification performance can be affected when novel data is presented to the word recognition system. To overcome this problem, we present in this paper a new approach called database adaptation. It consists of processing one set (training or test) in order to adapt it to the other set (test or training, respectively). Specifically, two kinds of preprocessing, namely stroke thickness normalization and pixel intensity normalization are considered. The advantage of such approach is that we can re-use the existing recognition system trained on controlled data. We conduct several experiments with the Rimes 2011 word database and with a real-world database. We adapt either the test set or the training set. Results show that training set adaptation achieves better results than test set adaptation, at the cost of a second training stage on the adapted data. Accuracy of data set adaptation is increased by 2% to 3% in absolute value over no adaptation.

Sensitivity and Validity of Psychometric Tests for Assessing Driving Impairment: Effects of Sleep Deprivation

PubMed Central

Jongen, Stefan; Perrier, Joy; Vuurman, Eric F.; Ramaekers, Johannes G.; Vermeeren, Annemiek

2015-01-01

Objective To assess drug induced driving impairment, initial screening is needed. However, no consensus has been reached about which initial screening tools have to be used. The present study aims to determine the ability of a battery of psychometric tests to detect performance impairing effects of clinically relevant levels of drowsiness as induced by one night of sleep deprivation. Methods Twenty four healthy volunteers participated in a 2-period crossover study in which the highway driving test was conducted twice: once after normal sleep and once after one night of sleep deprivation. The psychometric tests were conducted on 4 occasions: once after normal sleep (at 11 am) and three times during a single night of sleep deprivation (at 1 am, 5 am, and 11 am). Results On-the-road driving performance was significantly impaired after sleep deprivation, as measured by an increase in Standard Deviation of Lateral Position (SDLP) of 3.1 cm compared to performance after a normal night of sleep. At 5 am, performance in most psychometric tests showed significant impairment. As expected, largest effect sizes were found on performance in the Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT). Large effects sizes were also found in the Divided Attention Test (DAT), the Attention Network Test (ANT), and the test for Useful Field of View (UFOV) at 5 and 11 am during sleep deprivation. Effects of sleep deprivation on SDLP correlated significantly with performance changes in the PVT and the DAT, but not with performance changes in the UFOV. Conclusion From the psychometric tests used in this study, the PVT and DAT seem most promising for initial evaluation of drug impairment based on sensitivity and correlations with driving impairment. Further studies are needed to assess the sensitivity and validity of these psychometric tests after benchmark sedative drug use. PMID:25668292

Five-year outcome of normal pressure hydrocephalus with or without a shunt: predictive value of the clinical signs, neuropsychological evaluation and infusion test.

PubMed

Savolainen, S; Hurskainen, H; Paljärvi, L; Alafuzoff, I; Vapalahti, M

2002-06-01

Between 1993-1995, 51 patients under 75 years of age with clinical symptoms and CT-based diagnosis of normal pressure hydrocephalus were investigated prospectively in order to clarify the value of neuropsychological tests, clinical symptoms and signs and infusion test in the differential diagnosis and prediction of outcome in normal pressure hydrocephalus. Patients had a thorough neurological examination, and neuropsychological evaluation. A 24-hour intraventricular ICP-measurement, infusion test, neurophysiological investigations and MRI study were performed, and a cortical biopsy was obtained. The ICP measurement defined the need for a shunt. All 51 patients were re-examined three and twelve months later. The final follow-up was accomplished five years postoperatively. 25 of the patients needed a shunt operation. One year after a shunt placement 72% of these patients had a good recovery concerning activities of daily living, 58% benefited in their urinary incontinence and 57% walked better. During the 5 years of follow-up 8 patients with shunt and 9 without shunt had died. Positive effect of shunting remained. Only one neuropsychological test, recognition of words test, distinguishes the patients with the need for a shunt. Simple mini mental examination test was not different in those who improved. In the postoperative follow-up patients with shunt showed no change in neuropsychological tests even if they were subjectively better. The infusion test was of no value in diagnosing NPH. The 16 patients with Alzheimer's disease did worse after one year than those without pathological changes, but the mortality was not increased. Specific neuropsychological tests are of little value in diagnosing NPH. Mini-Mental status examination was neither of value in diagnosing NPH nor in prediction of the outcome. In this study the infusion test did not improve diagnostic accuracy of NPH, but shunt placement relieves urinary incontinence and walking disability in patients with increased ICP. The patients with positive Alzheimer diagnosis on biopsy did not improve.

The 48-Pictures Test: a two-alternative forced-choice recognition test for the detection of malingering.

PubMed

Chouinard, M J; Rouleau, I

1997-11-01

We tested the validity of the 48-Pictures Test, a 2-alternative forced-choice recognition test, in detecting exaggerated memory impairments. This test maximizes subjective difficulty, through a large number of stimuli and shows minimal objective difficulty. We compared 17 suspected malingerers to 39 patients with memory impairments (6 amnesic, 15 frontal lobe dysfunctions, 18 other etiologies), and 17 normal adults instructed to simulate malingering on three memory tests: the 48-Pictures Test, the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), and the Rey Complex Figure Test (RCFT). On the 48-Pictures Test, the clinical groups showed good recognition performance (amnesics: 85%; frontal dysfunction: 94%; other memory impairments: 97%), whereas the two simulator groups showed a poor performance (suspected malingerers: 62% correct; volunteer simulators 68% correct). The two other tests did not show a high degree of discrimination between the clinical groups and the simulator groups, except in 2 measures: the 2 simulator groups tended to show a performance decrement from the last recall trial to immediate recognition of the RAVLT and also performed better than the clinical groups on the immediate recall of the RCFT. A discriminant analysis with the latter 2 measures and the 48-Pictures Test correctly classified 96% of the participants. These results suggest that the 48-Pictures Test is a useful tool for the detection of possible simulated memory impairment and that when combined to the RAVLT recall-recognition difference score and to the immediate recall score on the RCFT can provide strong evidence of exaggerated memory impairment.

How to Distinguish Normal from Disordered Children with Poor Language or Motor Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dyck, Murray; Piek, Jan

2010-01-01

Background & Aims: We tested the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) hypothesis that so-called specific developmental disorders are marked by a pattern of specific discrepant achievement, and an alternative hypothesis that children with these disorders show a pattern of relatively pervasive low achievement. Methods…

Color Preference and MMPI Scores of Alcohol and Drug Addicts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cernovsky, Zdenek

1986-01-01

Inpatients (n=67) treated for alcohol and drug abuse were administered the MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory) and Luescher Color Test (LCT). Patients showed more preference for brown than did normal adults and also obtained higher (i.e., presumably more pathological) scores on Luescher's total score scale and compensation scale.…

Mild clinical involvement in two males with a large FMR1 premutation

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

Hagerman, R.; O`Connor, R.; Staley, L.

1994-09-01

Both male and female individuals who carry the FMR1 premutation are considered to be clinically unaffected and have been reported to have normal transcription of their FMR1 gene and normal FMR1 protein (FMRP) production. We have evaluated two males who are mildly affected clinically with features of fragile X syndrome and demonstrate a large premutation on DNA studies. The first patient is a 2 year 8 month old boy who demonstrated the fragile X chromosome in 3% of his lymphocytes on cytogenetic testing. His physical features include mildly prominent ears and hyperextensible finger joints. He has language delays along withmore » behavioral problems including tantrums and attention deficit. Developmental testing revealed a mental scale of 116 on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, which is in the normal range. DNA testing demonstrated a premutation with 161 CGG repeats. This premutation was methylated in a small percent of his cells (<2%). These findings were observed in both blood leukocytes and buccal cells. Protein studies of transformed lymphocytes from this boy showed approximately 50 to 70% of the normal level of FMRP. The second patient is a 14 year old male who was cytogenetically negative for fragile X expression. His physical exam demonstrates a long face, a high palate and macroorchidism, (testicular volume of approximately 35 ml). His overall full scale IQ on the WISC-III is 73. He has language deficits and visual spatial perceptual deficits which have caused significant learning problems in school. Behaviorally he has problems with shyness and social anxiety, although he does not have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. DNA testing revealed an FMR1 mutation of approximately 210 CGG repeats that is methylated in 4.7% of his cells.« less

Thermal Threshold: Research Study on Small Fiber Dysfunction in Distal Diabetic Polyneuropathy

PubMed Central

Jimenez-Cohl, Pedro; Grekin, Carlos; Leyton, Cristian; Vargas, Claudio; Villaseca, Roberto

2012-01-01

Objective The most commonly used technique for diagnosis of diabetic neuropathy (DN) is nervous conduction (NC). Our hypothesis is that the use of the thermal threshold (TT) technique to evaluate small fiber damage, which precedes large fiber damage, could enable earlier diagnosis and diminish false negatives. Research Design and Methods The study involved 70 asymptomatic patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) all being treated with oral hypoglycemic medication, and having negative metabolic control levels with glycosylated hemoglobin A1c greater than 7% and less than 8%. Diabetic neuropathy was their only evident complication. All other complications or other causes of neuropathy were discarded. Their time of evolution was 1 to 48 months since date of diagnosis of diabetes. Both thermal threshold and sensory and motor nervous conduction were determined in upper and lower limbs. Results Nervous conduction was found normal in 81% and altered in 19% of patients (large fiber neuropathy). Thermal threshold was normal in 57% and altered in 43% of patients (small fiber neuropathy). In those with normal TTs, no case with an altered NC was found (p < 0.001). Patients with altered TTs could have normal (57%) or altered NC (43%). Thus, NC showed a high frequency of false negatives for DN (57% of 30 cases). The frequency of small fiber neuropathy found with the TT test was higher than that of large fiber neuropathy found with the NC test (p < 0.001) and was found at an earlier age. Conclusions The TT test demonstrated a higher frequency of neuropathy than the NC test in clinically asymptomatic T2DM patients. We suggest that small fiber should be studied before large fiber function to diagnosis distal and symmetrical DN. PMID:22401337

In Vitro Study of Flow Regulation for Pulmonary Insufficiency

PubMed Central

Camp, T. A.; Stewart, K. C.; Figliola, R. S.; McQuinn, T.

2007-01-01

Given the tolerance of the right heart circulation to mild regurgitation and gradient, we study the potential of using motionless devices to regulate the pulmonary circulation. In addition, we document the flow performance of two mechanical valves. A motionless diode, a nozzle, a mechanical bileaflet valve, and a tilting disk valve were tested in a pulmonary mock circulatory system over the normal human range of pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR). For the mechanical valves, regurgitant fractions (RFs) and transvalvular pressure gradients were found to be weak functions of PVR. On the low end of normal PVR, the bileaflet and tilting disk valves fluttered and would not fully close. Despite this anomaly, the regurgitant fraction of either valve did not change significantly. The values for RF and transvalvular gradient measured varied from 4 to 7% and 4 to 7 mm Hg, respectively, at 5 lpm for all tests. The diode valve was able to regulate flow with mild regurgitant fraction and trivial gradient but with values higher than either mechanical valve tested. Regurgitant fraction ranged from 2 to 17% in tests extending from PVR values of 1 to 4.5 mm Hg/lpm at 5 lpm and with concomitant increases in gradient up to 17 mm Hg. The regurgitant fraction for the nozzle increased from 2 to 23% over the range of PVR with gradients increasing to 18 mm Hg. The significant findings were: (1) the mechanical valves controlled regurgitation at normal physiological cardiac output and PVR even though they failed to close at some normal values of PVR and showed leaflet flutter; and (2) it may be possible to regulate the pulmonary circulation to tolerable levels using a motionless pulmonary valve device. PMID:17408334

Elbow flexor fatigue modulates central excitability of the knee extensors.

PubMed

Aboodarda, Saied Jalal; Copithorne, David B; Power, Kevin E; Drinkwater, Eric; Behm, David G

2015-09-01

The present study investigated the effects of exercise-induced elbow flexor fatigue on voluntary force output, electromyographic (EMG) activity and motoneurone excitability of the nonexercised knee extensor muscles. Eleven participants attended 3 testing sessions: (i) control, (ii) unilateral fatiguing elbow flexion and (iii) bilateral fatiguing elbow flexion (BiFlex). The nonfatigued knee extensor muscles were assessed with thoracic motor evoked potentials (TMEPs), maximal compound muscle action potential (Mmax), knee extensor maximal voluntary contractions (MVCs), and normalized EMG activity before and at 30 s, 3 min, and 5 min postexercise. BiFlex showed significantly lower (Δ = -18%, p = 0.03) vastus lateralis (VL) normalized EMG activity compared with the control session whereas knee extension MVC force did not show any statistical difference between the 3 conditions (p = 0.12). The TMEP·Mmax(-1) ratio measured at the VL showed a significantly higher value (Δ = +46%, p = 0.003) following BiFlex compared with the control condition at 30 s postexercise. The results suggest that the lower VL normalized EMG following BiFlex might have been due to a reduction in supraspinal motor output because spinal motoneuronal responses demonstrated substantially higher value (30 s postexercise) and peripheral excitability (compound muscle action potential) showed no change following BiFelex than control condition.

Segmentation of Slow Slip Events in South Central Alaska Possibly Controlled by a Subducted Oceanic Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Haotian; Wei, Meng; Li, Duo; Liu, Yajing; Kim, YoungHee; Zhou, Shiyong

2018-01-01

Recent GPS observations show that slow slip events in south central Alaska are segmented along strike. Here we review several mechanisms that might contribute to this segmentation and focus on two: along-strike variation of slab geometry and effective normal stress. We then test them by running numerical simulations in the framework of rate-and-state friction with a nonplanar fault geometry. Results show that the segmentation is most likely related to the along-strike variation of the effective normal stress on the fault plane caused by the Yakutat Plateau. The Yakutat Plateau could affect the effective normal stress by either lowering the pore pressure in Upper Cook Inlet due to less fluids release or increasing the normal stress due to the extra buoyancy caused by the subducted Yakutat Plateau. We prefer the latter explanation because it is consistent with the relative amplitudes of the effective normal stress in Upper and Lower Cook Inlet and there is very little along-strike variation in Vp/Vs ratio in the fault zone from receiver function analysis. However, we cannot exclude the possibility that the difference in effective normal stress results from along-strike variation of pore pressure due to the uncertainties in the Vp/Vs estimates. Our work implies that a structural anomaly can have a long-lived effect on the subduction zone slip behavior and might be a driving factor on along-strike segmentation of slow slip events.

Periodic alternating nystagmus during caloric stimulation.

PubMed

Taki, Masakatsu; Hasegawa, Tatsuhisa; Adachi, Naoko; Fujita, Tomoki; Sakaguchi, Hirofumi; Hisa, Yasuo

2014-04-01

Periodic alternating nystagmus (PAN) is a form of horizontal jerk nystagmus characterized by periodic reversals in direction. We report a case who exhibited transient PAN induced by caloric stimulation. The patient was a 75-year-old male. He had experienced floating sensation in January 2010. Eight months later, he was referred to our university hospital. Gaze nystagmus and positional tests revealed no nystagmus. Only weak right-beating horizontal nystagmus was observed during left Dix-Hallpike maneuver. Electronystagmography showed normal saccadic and smooth pursuit eye movements. The optokinetic nystagmus pattern test was also bilaterally normal. However, during the caloric stimulation to the right ear, at 166 s from the start of irrigation, the direction of nystagmus alternated from leftward to rightward, and thereafter this reversal of direction repeated 15 times. Magnetic resonance imaging showed no significant lesion except for chronic ischemia in the brain. The patient probably had some kind of latent lesion of impaired velocity storage and exhibited transient PAN induced by caloric stimulation. Caloric stimulation is useful and simple examination to disclose latent eye movement disorders of which velocity storage mechanism is impaired. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improved normal tissue protection by proton and X-ray microchannels compared to homogeneous field irradiation.

PubMed

Girst, S; Marx, C; Bräuer-Krisch, E; Bravin, A; Bartzsch, S; Oelfke, U; Greubel, C; Reindl, J; Siebenwirth, C; Zlobinskaya, O; Multhoff, G; Dollinger, G; Schmid, T E; Wilkens, J J

2015-09-01

The risk of developing normal tissue injuries often limits the radiation dose that can be applied to the tumour in radiation therapy. Microbeam Radiation Therapy (MRT), a spatially fractionated photon radiotherapy is currently tested at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) to improve normal tissue protection. MRT utilizes an array of microscopically thin and nearly parallel X-ray beams that are generated by a synchrotron. At the ion microprobe SNAKE in Munich focused proton microbeams ("proton microchannels") are studied to improve normal tissue protection. Here, we comparatively investigate microbeam/microchannel irradiations with sub-millimetre X-ray versus proton beams to minimize the risk of normal tissue damage in a human skin model, in vitro. Skin tissues were irradiated with a mean dose of 2 Gy over the irradiated area either with parallel synchrotron-generated X-ray beams at the ESRF or with 20 MeV protons at SNAKE using four different irradiation modes: homogeneous field, parallel lines and microchannel applications using two different channel sizes. Normal tissue viability as determined in an MTT test was significantly higher after proton or X-ray microchannel irradiation compared to a homogeneous field irradiation. In line with these findings genetic damage, as determined by the measurement of micronuclei in keratinocytes, was significantly reduced after proton or X-ray microchannel compared to a homogeneous field irradiation. Our data show that skin irradiation using either X-ray or proton microchannels maintain a higher cell viability and DNA integrity compared to a homogeneous irradiation, and thus might improve normal tissue protection after radiation therapy. Copyright © 2015 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recurrent postural vasovagal syncope: sympathetic nervous system phenotypes.

PubMed

Vaddadi, Gautam; Guo, Ling; Esler, Murray; Socratous, Florentia; Schlaich, Markus; Chopra, Reena; Eikelis, Nina; Lambert, Gavin; Trauer, Thomas; Lambert, Elisabeth

2011-10-01

The pathophysiology of vasovagal syncope is poorly understood, and the treatment usually ineffective. Our clinical experience is that patients with vasovagal syncope fall into 2 groups, based on their supine systolic blood pressure, which is either normal (>100 mm Hg) or low (70-100 mm Hg). We investigated neural circulatory control in these 2 phenotypes. Sympathetic nervous testing was at 3 levels: electric, measuring sympathetic nerve firing (microneurography); neurochemical, quantifying norepinephrine spillover to plasma; and cellular, with Western blot analysis of sympathetic nerve proteins. Testing was done during head-up tilt (HUT), simulating the gravitational stress of standing, in 18 healthy control subjects and 36 patients with vasovagal syncope, 15 with the low blood pressure phenotype and 21 with normal blood pressure. Microneurography and norepinephrine spillover increased significantly during HUT in healthy subjects. The microneurography response during HUT was normal in normal blood pressure and accentuated in low blood pressure phenotype (P=0.05). Norepinephrine spillover response was paradoxically subnormal during HUT in both patient groups (P=0.001), who thus exhibited disjunction between nerve firing and neurotransmitter release; this lowered norepinephrine availability, impairing the neural circulatory response. Subnormal norepinephrine spillover in low blood pressure phenotype was linked to low tyrosine hydroxylase (43.7% normal, P=0.001), rate-limiting in norepinephrine synthesis, and in normal blood pressure to increased levels of the norepinephrine transporter (135% normal, P=0.019), augmenting transmitter reuptake. Patients with recurrent vasovagal syncope, when phenotyped into 2 clinical groups based on their supine blood pressure, show unique sympathetic nervous system abnormalities. It is predicted that future therapy targeting the specific mechanisms identified in the present report should translate into more effective treatment.

In vivo traffic of indium-111-oxine labeled human lymphocytes collected by automated apheresis

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

Read, E.J.; Keenan, A.M.; Carter, C.S.

1990-06-01

The in vivo traffic patterns of autologous lymphocytes were studied in five normal human volunteers using lymphocytes obtained by automated apheresis, separated on Ficoll-Hypaque gradients, and labeled ex vivo with {sup 111}In-oxine. Final lymphocyte infusions contained 1.8-3.1 X 10(9) cells and 270-390 microCi (9.99-14.43 MBq) {sup 111}In, or 11-17 microCi (0.41-0.63 MBq) per 10(8) lymphocytes. Gamma imaging showed transient lung uptake and significant retention of radioactivity in the liver and spleen. Progressive uptake of activity in normal, nonpalpable axillary and inguinal lymph nodes was seen from 24 to 96 hr. Accumulation of radioactivity also was demonstrated at the forearm skinmore » test site, as well as in its associated epitrochlear and axillary lymph nodes, in a subject who had been tested for delayed hypersensitivity with tetanus toxoid. Indium-111-oxine labeled human lymphocytes may provide a useful tool for future studies of normal and abnormal lymphocyte traffic.« less

A novel fibrinogen variant--Praha I: hypofibrinogenemia associated with gamma Gly351Ser substitution.

PubMed

Kotlín, Roman; Chytilová, Martina; Suttnar, Jirí; Salaj, Peter; Riedel, Tomás; Santrůcek, Jirí; Klener, Pavel; Dyr, Jan Evangelista

2007-05-01

A 25-yr-old man from Prague had abnormal bleeding after several surgical operations with low fibrinogen level and hypofibrinogenemia was suspected. The patient, 25 yr-old male had a low fibrinogen concentration as determined by the thrombin time and immunoturbidimetrical method. His 48-yr-old mother presented with normal coagulation tests, normal fibrinogen level and reported no history of bleeding. To identify the genetic mutation responsible for this hypofibrinogen, genomic DNA extracted from the blood was analyzed. Fibrin polymerization measurement, kinetics of fibrinopeptide release, fibrinogen clottability measurement, mass spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy were performed. DNA sequencing showed heterogeneous fibrinogen gammaG351S mutation in the propositus. The mutant chain was found not to be expressed to the circulation by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry. Scanning electron micrographs of the patient's fibrin clot as well as kinetics of fibrinopeptide release and fibrin polymerization were found to be normal. A case of hypofibrinogenemia gammaG351S was found by routine coagulation testing and was genetically identified.

Living Donor Liver Transplantation Using a Liver Graft With Congenital Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt

PubMed Central

Kamei, Hideya; Imai, Hisashi; Onishi, Yasuharu; Sugimoto, Hiroyuki; Suzuki, Kojiro; Ogura, Yasuhiro

2016-01-01

Background Despite of recent development of imaging modalities, congenital intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (IPSS) is rarely diagnosed. Therefore, living donor liver transplantation using a liver graft with IPSS has not been previously published. Materials and Methods We report a 28-year-old male patient with end-stage liver disease secondary to Wilson disease. His 26-year-old brother was a potential living donor, who had an IPSS of 25 mm in diameter at segment 6 as shown by computed tomography. Liver function tests were normal, and blood ammonia concentration was in the upper limit of normal. Results Living donor liver transplantation was uneventfully performed. After surgery, a recipient liver function tests showed a quick recovery, and serum ammonia levels were consistently normal. Although thrombosis inside the IPSS was confirmed by computed tomography on postoperative day 21, this thrombosis disappeared at 3 months posttransplant with anticoagulants. Currently (12 months posttransplant), the patient has fully recovered, and the IPSS is still the same size. Conclusions Based on our experience, liver allografts with IPSS can be accepted as potential liver allografts. PMID:27500240

Repetitive reddish discoloration of urine in a female adolescent following short-distance walking on a smooth road: Questions.

PubMed

Siomou, Ekaterini; Baziou, Maria; Premetis, Evagelos; Vercellati, Cristina; Chaliasos, Nikolaos; Makis, Alexandros

2017-12-01

A previously healthy 15-year-old girl was evaluated following five episodes of reddish urine discoloration after walking for approximately 30 min on a smooth roadway. In each episode, the discoloration lasted for four to five urinations and followed by normal urine dipstick tests. No other exercise-produced urine discoloration and no other symptoms were reported. Laboratory evaluation during the episodes revealed a reddish urine sample with 3+ hemoglobin/myoglobin and absence of hematuria. Full blood count, serum creatinine, liver function tests, and electrolyte levels were all within normal limits. Myoglobulinuria was excluded, since muscle enzymes were within normal limits. Blood smear analysis showed mild anisopoikilocytosis with stomatocytes and ovalocytes, leading to extended evaluation for erythrocyte disorders. This case is interesting in that the hemoglobinuria occurred after mild walking and was accompanied by erythrocyte morphological changes. This quiz discusses the differential diagnosis of hemoglobinuria with particular reference to the conditions of appearance (after walking) and emphasizes the importance of step-by-step investigations to reach a definitive diagnosis.

Normalization of white matter intensity on T1-weighted images of patients with acquired central nervous system demyelination.

PubMed

Ghassemi, Rezwan; Brown, Robert; Narayanan, Sridar; Banwell, Brenda; Nakamura, Kunio; Arnold, Douglas L

2015-01-01

Intensity variation between magnetic resonance images (MRI) hinders comparison of tissue intensity distributions in multicenter MRI studies of brain diseases. The available intensity normalization techniques generally work well in healthy subjects but not in the presence of pathologies that affect tissue intensity. One such disease is multiple sclerosis (MS), which is associated with lesions that prominently affect white matter (WM). To develop a T1-weighted (T1w) image intensity normalization method that is independent of WM intensity, and to quantitatively evaluate its performance. We calculated median intensity of grey matter and intraconal orbital fat on T1w images. Using these two reference tissue intensities we calculated a linear normalization function and applied this to the T1w images to produce normalized T1w (NT1) images. We assessed performance of our normalization method for interscanner, interprotocol, and longitudinal normalization variability, and calculated the utility of the normalization method for lesion analyses in clinical trials. Statistical modeling showed marked decreases in T1w intensity differences after normalization (P < .0001). We developed a WM-independent T1w MRI normalization method and tested its performance. This method is suitable for longitudinal multicenter clinical studies for the assessment of the recovery or progression of disease affecting WM. Copyright © 2014 by the American Society of Neuroimaging.

[Disorders of cognitive activity in schizophrenics].

PubMed

Follin, S; Perrette, J; Sandretto, M

1979-01-01

4 tests are exploring the cognitive activity of 3 groups of persons: normal, mental patients of various types, schizophrenics, homogeneous as far as the I.Q. is concerned (above 110) and education (secondary school, or university). Whereas normal and mental patients give identical results, except that they are worse for the latter, schizophrenics have better success than other patients in two tests of logic-mathematical reasoning and obviously worse in two tests of experimental logic. These results are interpreted in the frame of Piaget's theory as demonstrating the discordance of the very dynamics of schizophrenic thinking whose cognitive activity is at the same time too near to the object by adherence to the perceived structure (too concrete) and too far from it by adherence to formal reasoning schemes acquired under genetic development (too abstract). These results are coherent with clinical features showing that autistic thinking is not only discordant by its contents and its meaning, but also by the formal dynamic patterns of its modus operandi.

[Detection of human papillomavirus (HVP) 16/18 infections of the vaginal uterine cervix in females before and following conisation].

PubMed

Götze, W; Jantschak, J; Kohls, A; Elling, D; Schildhaus, I

1990-01-01

280 women have been tested by FISH to detect an HPV 16/18-infection of the portio uteri. In a group of 133 women treated by conisation (all with a history of abnormal smear and colposcopy) 67 (50%) were positive for HPV 16/18 DNA before the operation. Follow up examinations of 20 cases with positive HPV 16/18 test before conisation, showed 6 and 12 months after operation only in 3 cases a persistence of HPV 16/18 infection. Only 5 (6.4%) of 78 women with a history of conisation and diagnosis CIN III some years ago were positive for HPV 16/18. In another group of 47 elderly women, treated by abrasio and with normal cervical histology, only 5 (10.6%) had a positive result in the HPV 16/18 FISH-test. 2 (10.6%) of 22 women with normal smear and colposcopy (control group) were positive for HPV 16/18.

Robustness of S1 statistic with Hodges-Lehmann for skewed distributions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahad, Nor Aishah; Yahaya, Sharipah Soaad Syed; Yin, Lee Ping

2016-10-01

Analysis of variance (ANOVA) is a common use parametric method to test the differences in means for more than two groups when the populations are normally distributed. ANOVA is highly inefficient under the influence of non- normal and heteroscedastic settings. When the assumptions are violated, researchers are looking for alternative such as Kruskal-Wallis under nonparametric or robust method. This study focused on flexible method, S1 statistic for comparing groups using median as the location estimator. S1 statistic was modified by substituting the median with Hodges-Lehmann and the default scale estimator with the variance of Hodges-Lehmann and MADn to produce two different test statistics for comparing groups. Bootstrap method was used for testing the hypotheses since the sampling distributions of these modified S1 statistics are unknown. The performance of the proposed statistic in terms of Type I error was measured and compared against the original S1 statistic, ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis. The propose procedures show improvement compared to the original statistic especially under extremely skewed distribution.

A new detection method for the K variant of butyrylcholinesterase based on PCR primer introduced restriction analysis (PCR-PIRA).

PubMed Central

Shibuta, K; Abe, M; Suzuki, T

1994-01-01

The K variant of human butyrylcholinesterase is caused by a G/A transition in the butyrylcholinesterase gene, which neither creates nor destroys any restriction site. In an attempt to detect the K variant both simply and rapidly, we developed a two step method of "PCR primer introduced restriction analysis" (PCR-PIRA). The first step was used to introduce a new Fun4HI site into the normal allele for a screening test, while the second step was performed to create a new MaeIII site on the variant allele for a specific test. This method thus enabled us to distinguish clearly the K variant from the normal allele, and also showed that the frequency of the K variant allele is 0.164 in the Japanese population. Images PMID:7966197

A MEMS turbine prototype for respiration harvesting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goreke, U.; Habibiabad, S.; Azgin, K.; Beyaz, M. I.

2015-12-01

The design, manufacturing, and performance characterization of a MEMS-scale turbine prototype is reported. The turbine is designed for integration into a respiration harvester that can convert normal human breathing into electrical power through electromagnetic induction. The device measures 10 mm in radius, and employs 12 blades located around the turbine periphery along with ball bearings around the center. Finite element simulations showed that an average torque of 3.07 μNm is induced at 12 lpm airflow rate, which lies in normal breathing levels. The turbine and a test package were manufactured using CNC milling on PMMA. Tests were performed at respiration flow rates between 5-25 lpm. The highest rotational speed was measured to be 9.84 krpm at 25 lpm, resulting in 8.96 mbar pressure drop across the device and 370 mW actuation power.

A new approach for low-cost noninvasive detection of asymptomatic heart disease at rest.

PubMed

DeMarzo, Arthur P; Calvin, James E

2007-01-01

It would be useful to have an inexpensive, noninvasive point-of-care test for early detection of asymptomatic heart disease. This study used impedance cardiography (ICG) in a new way to assess heart function that did not use stroke volume or cardiac output. There is a model of the ICG dZ/dt waveform that may be used as a template to represent normal heart function. The hypothesis was that a dZ/dt waveform which deviates from that template should indicate heart dysfunction and therefore heart disease. The objective was to assess the accuracy of this new ICG approach, using echocardiography as the standard. Thirty-four outpatients undergoing echocardiographic testing were tested by ICG while sitting upright and supine. All patients had no symptoms or history of a structural or functional heart disorder. Echocardiographic testing showed 17 patients with abnormalities and 17 as normal. ICG testing yielded 16 true positives for heart dysfunction with 1 false negative (sensitivity = 94%) and 17 true negatives with no false positives (specificity = 100%). Considering that the cost, technical skill, and time required for this ICG test are comparable to those of an electrocardiograph, this new approach has potential as a point-of-care screening test for asymptomatic heart disease.

Fluctuating serotonergic function in premenstrual dysphoric disorder and premenstrual syndrome: findings from neuroendocrine challenge tests.

PubMed

Inoue, Y; Terao, T; Iwata, N; Okamoto, K; Kojima, H; Okamoto, T; Yoshimura, R; Nakamura, J

2007-02-01

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) has been assumed to be a subtype of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) with depressive symptoms, such as depressive mood, tension, anxiety, and mood liability during luteal phase. At present, no conclusion has been established about serotonergic function in PMDD. The purpose of this study was to investigate the serotonergic function of PMDD subjects in comparison to PMS without PMDD subjects and normal controls via neuroendocrine challenge tests. Twenty-four women (seven with PMDD, eight with PMS without PMDD, and nine normal controls) were tested on three occasions (follicular phase, early luteal phase, and late luteal phase) receiving paroxetine 20 mg orally as a serotonergic probe at 8:00 A: .M: . Plasma ACTH and cortisol were measured prior to the administration and every hour for 6 h thereafter. As a whole, there were significant differences in serotonergic function measured by ACTH and cortisol responses to paroxetine challenge across these three groups. PMDD subjects showed higher serotonergic function in follicular phase but lower serotonergic function in luteal phase, compared with women with PMS without PMDD and normal controls. The present findings suggest that PMDD women have fluctuating serotonergic function across their menstrual cycles and that the pattern may be different from PMS without PMDD.

Differences in neural activation between preterm and full term born adolescents on a sentence comprehension task: implications for educational accommodations.

PubMed

Barde, Laura H F; Yeatman, Jason D; Lee, Eliana S; Glover, Gary; Feldman, Heidi M

2012-02-15

Adolescent survivors of preterm birth experience persistent functional problems that negatively impact academic outcomes, even when standardized measures of cognition and language suggest normal ability. In this fMRI study, we compared the neural activation supporting auditory sentence comprehension in two groups of adolescents (ages 9-16 years); sentences varied in length and syntactic difficulty. Preterms (n=18, mean gestational age 28.8 weeks) and full terms (n=14) had scores on verbal IQ, receptive vocabulary, and receptive language tests that were within or above normal limits and similar between groups. In early and late phases of the trial, we found interactions by group and length; in the late phase, we also found a group by syntactic difficulty interaction. Post hoc tests revealed that preterms demonstrated significant activation in the left and right middle frontal gyri as syntactic difficulty increased. ANCOVA showed that the interactions could not be attributed to differences in age, receptive language skill, or reaction time. Results are consistent with the hypothesis that preterm birth modulates brain-behavior relations in sentence comprehension as task demands increase. We suggest preterms' differences in neural processing may indicate a need for educational accommodations, even when formal test scores indicate normal academic achievement. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.