WorldWideScience

Sample records for internal target movement

  1. Lateralization of the posterior parietal cortex for internal monitoring of self- versus externally generated movements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ogawa, Kenji; Inui, Toshio

    2007-11-01

    Internal monitoring or state estimation of movements is essential for human motor control to compensate for inherent delays and noise in sensorimotor loops. Two types of internal estimation of movements exist: self-generated movements, and externally generated movements. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate differences in brain activity for internal monitoring of self- versus externally generated movements during visual occlusion. Participants tracked a sinusoidally moving target with a mouse cursor. On some trials, vision of either target (externally generated) or cursor (self-generated) movement was transiently occluded, during which subjects continued tracking by estimating current position of either the invisible target or cursor on screen. Analysis revealed that both occlusion conditions were associated with increased activity in the presupplementary motor area and decreased activity in the right lateral occipital cortex compared to a control condition with no occlusion. Moreover, the right and left posterior parietal cortex (PPC) showed greater activation during occlusion of target and cursor movements, respectively. This study suggests lateralization of the PPC for internal monitoring of internally versus externally generated movements, fully consistent with previously reported clinical findings.

  2. Startle stimuli reduce the internal model control in discrete movements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wright, Zachary A; Rogers, Mark W; MacKinnon, Colum D; Patton, James L

    2009-01-01

    A well known and major component of movement control is the feedforward component, also known as the internal model. This model predicts and compensates for expected forces seen during a movement, based on recent experience, so that a well-learned task such as reaching to a target can be executed in a smooth straight manner. It has recently been shown that the state of preparation of planned movements can be tested using a startling acoustic stimulus (SAS). SAS, presented 500, 250 or 0 ms before the expected "go" cue resulted in the early release of the movement trajectory associated with the after-effects of the force field training (i.e. the internal model). In a typical motor adaptation experiment with a robot-applied force field, we tested if a SAS stimulus influences the size of after-effects that are typically seen. We found that in all subjects the after-effect magnitudes were significantly reduced when movements were released by SAS, although this effect was not further modulated by the timing of SAS. Reduced after-effects reveal at least partial existence of learned preparatory control, and identify startle effects that could influence performance in tasks such as piloting, teleoperation, and sports.

  3. Image thresholding in the high resolution target movement monitor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moss, Randy H.; Watkins, Steve E.; Jones, Tristan H.; Apel, Derek B.; Bairineni, Deepti

    2009-03-01

    Image thresholding in the High Resolution Target Movement Monitor (HRTMM) is examined. The HRTMM was developed at the Missouri University of Science and Technology to detect and measure wall movements in underground mines to help reduce fatality and injury rates. The system detects the movement of a target with sub-millimeter accuracy based on the images of one or more laser dots projected on the target and viewed by a high-resolution camera. The relative position of the centroid of the laser dot (determined by software using thresholding concepts) in the images is the key factor in detecting the target movement. Prior versions of the HRTMM set the image threshold based on a manual, visual examination of the images. This work systematically examines the effect of varying threshold on the calculated centroid position and describes an algorithm for determining a threshold setting. First, the thresholding effects on the centroid position are determined for a stationary target. Plots of the centroid positions as a function of varying thresholds are obtained to identify clusters of thresholds for which the centroid position does not change for stationary targets. Second, the target is moved away from the camera in sub-millimeter increments and several images are obtained at each position and analyzed as a function of centroid position, target movement and varying threshold values. With this approach, the HRTMM can accommodate images in batch mode without the need for manual intervention. The capability for the HRTMM to provide automated, continuous monitoring of wall movement is enhanced.

  4. Online manual movement adjustments in response to target position changes and apparent target motion

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Oostwoud Wijdenes, L.; Brenner, E.; Smeets, J.B.J.

    2014-01-01

    This study set out to determine whether the fastest online hand movement corrections are only responses to changing judgments of the targets' position or whether they are also influenced by the apparent target motion. Introducing a gap between when a target disappears and when it reappears at a new

  5. Internal targets for LEAR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kilian, K.; Gspann, J.; Mohl, D.; Poth, H.

    1984-01-01

    This chapter considers the use of thin internal targets in conjunction with phase-space cooling at the Low-Energy Antiproton Ring (LEAR). Topics considered include the merits of internal target operation; the most efficient use of antiprotons and of proton synchrotron (PS) protons, highest center-of-mass (c.m.) energy resolution; highest angular resolution and access to extreme angles; the transparent environment for all reaction products; a windowless source and pure targets; highest luminosity and count rates; access to lowest energies with increasing resolution; internal target thickness and vacuum requirements; required cooling performance; and modes of operation. It is demonstrated that an internal target in conjunction with phase-space cooling has the potential of better performance in terms of the economic use of antiprotons and consequently of PS protons; energy resolution; angular resolution; maximum reaction rate capability (statistical precision); efficient parasitic operation; transparency of the target for reaction products; access to low energies; and the ease of polarized target experiments. It is concluded that all p - experiments which need high statistics and high p - flux, such as studies of rare channels or broad, weak resonance structures, would profit from internal targets

  6. The Effects of Mirror Feedback during Target Directed Movements on Ipsilateral Corticospinal Excitability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mathew Yarossi

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Mirror visual feedback (MVF training is a promising technique to promote activation in the lesioned hemisphere following stroke, and aid recovery. However, current outcomes of MVF training are mixed, in part, due to variability in the task undertaken during MVF. The present study investigated the hypothesis that movements directed toward visual targets may enhance MVF modulation of motor cortex (M1 excitability ipsilateral to the trained hand compared to movements without visual targets. Ten healthy subjects participated in a 2 × 2 factorial design in which feedback (veridical, mirror and presence of a visual target (target present, target absent for a right index-finger flexion task were systematically manipulated in a virtual environment. To measure M1 excitability, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS was applied to the hemisphere ipsilateral to the trained hand to elicit motor evoked potentials (MEPs in the untrained first dorsal interosseous (FDI and abductor digiti minimi (ADM muscles at rest prior to and following each of four 2-min blocks of 30 movements (B1–B4. Targeted movement kinematics without visual feedback was measured before and after training to assess learning and transfer. FDI MEPs were decreased in B1 and B2 when movements were made with veridical feedback and visual targets were absent. FDI MEPs were decreased in B2 and B3 when movements were made with mirror feedback and visual targets were absent. FDI MEPs were increased in B3 when movements were made with mirror feedback and visual targets were present. Significant MEP changes were not present for the uninvolved ADM, suggesting a task-specific effect. Analysis of kinematics revealed learning occurred in visual target-directed conditions, but transfer was not sensitive to mirror feedback. Results are discussed with respect to current theoretical mechanisms underlying MVF-induced changes in ipsilateral excitability.

  7. Reciprocal modulation of internal and external factors determines individual movements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, Jodie; van Moorter, Bram; Revilla, Eloy; Blanchard, Pierrick; Dray, Stéphane; Quenette, Pierre-Yves; Allainé, Dominique; Swenson, Jon E

    2013-03-01

    Movement is fundamental to individual and population dynamics, as it allows individuals to meet their basic requirements. Although movement patterns reflect interactions between internal and external factors, only few studies have examined the effects of these factors on movement simultaneously, and they generally focused on particular biological contexts (e.g. dispersal, foraging). However, the relative importance of these factors in driving individual routine movements might reflect a species' potential flexibility to cope with landscape changes and therefore buffer their potential impact on fitness. We used data from GPS collars on Scandinavian brown bears to investigate the relative role of these factors, as well as an additional factor (period of the year) on routine movements at two spatial scales (hourly and daily relocations). As expected, internal factors played a major role in driving movement, compared to external factors at both scales, but its relative importance was greater at a finer scale. In particular, the interaction between reproductive status and period of the year was one of the most influential variables, females being constrained by the movement capacity of their cubs in the first periods of the year. The effect of human disturbance on movement was also greater for females with cubs than for lone females. This study showed how reciprocal modulation of internal and external factors is shaping space use of brown bears. We stress that these factors should be studied simultaneously to avoid the risk of obtaining context-dependent inferences. Moreover, the study of their relative contribution is also highly relevant in the context of multiple-use landscapes, as human activities generally affect the landscape more than they affect the internal states of an individual. Species or individuals with important internal constraints should be less responsive to changes in their environment as they have less freedom from internal constraints and should

  8. HIRFL–CSR internal cluster target

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shao, Caojie; Lu, Rongchun; Cai, Xiaohong; Yu, Deyang; Ruan, Fangfang; Xue, Yingli; Zhang, Jianming; Torpokov, D.K.; Nikolenko, D.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • An internal cluster target was built and installed at HIRFL–CSR. • The target thickness for H 2 amounts up to 6.6 × 10 12 atoms/cm 2 . • The feasibility and stability of the internal cluster target were verified by on-line experiments. -- Abstract: Since HIRFL–CSR internal cluster target was built, it has played a key role in in-ring experiments at HIRFL–CSR. So far it have been operated with five gas species as targets for scattering experiments, i.e. hydrogen, nitrogen, argon, neon, and krypton. The obtained highest thickness for hydrogen target amounts up to 10 12 atoms/cm 2 , and those of other targets are larger than 10 13 atoms/cm 2 with the background pressure of 10 −11 mbar in CSR. The target thickness can be varied by regulating the nozzle temperature and pressure of the inlet gas. The first online internal target experiment dedicated to investigate radioactive electron capture (REC) process with Xe 54+ ions colliding with the nitrogen target demonstrated the stability and reliability of the internal target system. In addition, hydrogen and krypton were also tested online in recent experiments, which indicate the target system can meet experimental requirements for the thickness of target, pressure in scattering chamber, and long-term stability

  9. Contemporary forms of international movement of capital

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sanja Šovran

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available International movement of capital is one of the most important forms of international economic cooperation and achievement of strategic goals of enterprises. It leads to international diversification of business activities, strengthening of competitive advantage, changes in economic structures, employment rates and economic stability of participating countries. The present research addresses the contemporary forms of international movement of capital, with an emphasis on the public-private partnerships and concessions. The creation of different forms of public-private partnerships (PPPs in Serbia gained in importance in the early ‘90s of the 20th century. PPP implies joint activities within the framework of which the public and private sector pool resources, especially financial capital and expertise in order to meet the public needs of local, regional or national significance for adequate resource allocation. This type of partnership between the public and private sector has become an effective way towards a more rational use of limited resources and development of business entities from different sectors. The partnership of the public and private sector is particularly important in the construction and maintenance of transportation and other infrastructure facilities. Concessions represent a special form of public-private partnerships.

  10. The case for an internal dynamics model versus equilibrium point control in human movement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hinder, Mark R; Milner, Theodore E

    2003-06-15

    The equilibrium point hypothesis (EPH) was conceived as a means whereby the central nervous system could control limb movements by a relatively simple shift in equilibrium position without the need to explicitly compensate for task dynamics. Many recent studies have questioned this view with results that suggest the formation of an internal dynamics model of the specific task. However, supporters of the EPH have argued that these results are not incompatible with the EPH and that there is no reason to abandon it. In this study, we have tested one of the fundamental predictions of the EPH, namely, equifinality. Subjects learned to perform goal-directed wrist flexion movements while a motor provided assistance in proportion to the instantaneous velocity. It was found that the subjects stopped short of the target on the trials where the magnitude of the assistance was randomly decreased, compared to the preceding control trials (P = 0.003), i.e. equifinality was not achieved. This is contrary to the EPH, which predicts that final position should not be affected by external loads that depend purely on velocity. However, such effects are entirely consistent with predictions based on the formation of an internal dynamics model.

  11. [Target volume margins for lung cancer: internal target volume/clinical target volume].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jouin, A; Pourel, N

    2013-10-01

    The aim of this study was to carry out a review of margins that should be used for the delineation of target volumes in lung cancer, with a focus on margins from gross tumour volume (GTV) to clinical target volume (CTV) and internal target volume (ITV) delineation. Our review was based on a PubMed literature search with, as a cornerstone, the 2010 European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) recommandations by De Ruysscher et al. The keywords used for the search were: radiotherapy, lung cancer, clinical target volume, internal target volume. The relevant information was categorized under the following headings: gross tumour volume definition (GTV), CTV-GTV margin (first tumoural CTV then nodal CTV definition), in field versus elective nodal irradiation, metabolic imaging role through the input of the PET scanner for tumour target volume and limitations of PET-CT imaging for nodal target volume definition, postoperative radiotherapy target volume definition, delineation of target volumes after induction chemotherapy; then the internal target volume is specified as well as tumoural mobility for lung cancer and respiratory gating techniques. Finally, a chapter is dedicated to planning target volume definition and another to small cell lung cancer. For each heading, the most relevant and recent clinical trials and publications are mentioned. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier SAS.

  12. Internal magnetic target of proton synchrotron

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gachurin, V.V.; Kats, M.M.; Kondrat'ev, L.N.; Rogal', A.D.; Rusinov, V.Yu.

    1988-01-01

    Proton extraction from a synchrotron by means of an internal target of magnetized iron is described. The particles that are aimed at the target pass directly through it and are deflected by the internal magnetic field of the target in the extraction direction. The general properties of magnetic targets are examined theoretically and a specific devices and results of its testing are described

  13. Chewing movements altered in the presence of temporomandibular joint internal derangements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radke, John C; Kull, Robert S; Sethi, Manminder S

    2014-07-01

    The objectives were to find specific factors that are mathematically distinct between the chewing timings, movement pattern shapes, variability, and movement velocities of: (1) normal asymptomatic subjects and (2) a group of subjects with verified temporomandibular joint (TMJ) internal derangements. Left- and right-sided chewing movement recordings of 28 subjects (34.5 ± 14.0 years) were randomly selected from a large database of patients exhibiting verified unilateral or bilateral TMJ internal derangements. The chewing movements of an age- and gender-matched control group of 20 asymptomatic subjects (32.5 ± 11.6 years, P>0.60) with verified normal TMJ function were also recorded. Means and standard deviations of the opening, closing, turning point, terminal chewing position, and velocity patterns were calculated. A two-tailed Student's t-test with unequal variances was used to compare the parameters between the two groups (alpha = 0.05). The dysfunctional group functioned significantly slower and with greater variability than the control group. The vertical dimension was consistently smaller in the dysfunctional group (Pchewing position was significantly less precise in the dysfunctional group (vertical: Pchewing patterns than the control group. The functional pattern of mastication appears to be significantly altered in the presence of an internal derangement of the TMJ.

  14. Correlation of the Auger electrons direction of movement with the internal electron conversion direction of movement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mitrokhovich, N.F.; Kupryashkin, V.T.; Sidorenko, L.P.

    2013-01-01

    On installation of coincidences of γ-quanta with electrons and with law energy electrons about zero area the spatial correlation of the direction emitting Auger-electrons and electron of internal conversion was investigated at the 152 Eu decay. Auger-electrons were registered on e 0 -electrons of the secondary electron emission (γ e IC e 0 -coincidences). It was established, that Auger-electrons of M-series, as well as electrons 'shake-off' at β-decay and internal conversion, are strongly correlated at the direction of movement with the direction of movement of basic particle (β -particle, conversion electron), moving together mainly in the forward hemisphere. The intensity of correlated M-Auger radiation in range energy 1000 - 1700 eV is equal to intensity of correlated radiation 'shake-off' electron from internal conversion in this range. The assumption, that the presence of spatial correlating Auger-electron and conversion electron caused by cur-rent components of electron-electron interaction of particles in the final state is made

  15. A State Space Model for Spatial Updating of Remembered Visual Targets during Eye Movements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohsenzadeh, Yalda; Dash, Suryadeep; Crawford, J Douglas

    2016-01-01

    In the oculomotor system, spatial updating is the ability to aim a saccade toward a remembered visual target position despite intervening eye movements. Although this has been the subject of extensive experimental investigation, there is still no unifying theoretical framework to explain the neural mechanism for this phenomenon, and how it influences visual signals in the brain. Here, we propose a unified state-space model (SSM) to account for the dynamics of spatial updating during two types of eye movement; saccades and smooth pursuit. Our proposed model is a non-linear SSM and implemented through a recurrent radial-basis-function neural network in a dual Extended Kalman filter (EKF) structure. The model parameters and internal states (remembered target position) are estimated sequentially using the EKF method. The proposed model replicates two fundamental experimental observations: continuous gaze-centered updating of visual memory-related activity during smooth pursuit, and predictive remapping of visual memory activity before and during saccades. Moreover, our model makes the new prediction that, when uncertainty of input signals is incorporated in the model, neural population activity and receptive fields expand just before and during saccades. These results suggest that visual remapping and motor updating are part of a common visuomotor mechanism, and that subjective perceptual constancy arises in part from training the visual system on motor tasks.

  16. Impact forces cannot explain the one-target advantage in rapid aimed hand movements

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Biegstraaten, Marianne; Smeets, Jeroen B J; Brenner, Eli

    A pointing movement is executed faster when a subject is allowed to stop at the first target than when the subject has to proceed to a second target ("one-target advantage"). Our hypothesis was that this is because the impact at the target helps to stop the finger when the finger does not have to

  17. Maxillary movement in distraction osteogenesis using internal devices in cleft palate patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tomita, Daisuke; Omura, Susumu; Ozaki, Shusaku; Shimazaki, Kazuo; Fukuyama, Eiji; Tohnai, Iwai; Torikai, Katsuyuki

    2011-03-01

    The purpose of this cephalometric study was to compare the actual movement with the planned movement of the maxilla by using internal maxillary distraction in cleft lip and palate patients. Twelve patients, including eight with unilateral and four with bilateral cleft lip and palate, underwent maxillary advancement with internal maxillary distractors. Lateral cephalometric radiographs obtained preoperatively, predistraction, and postdistraction were used for analysis. The movement of the maxilla, angular change of the internal devices and rotation of the mandible were measured at each stage, and the planned vector of advancement predicted from the placement vector of the distractors was compared with the actual vector. Internal maxillary distractors were rotated in a clockwise direction during the distraction period. The angular change of the distractors was 7.7°. The amount of actual advancement at anterior nasal spine with distraction was 6.3 mm, which represented about 70% of the distance of activation of distraction. The actual advanced vector at anterior nasal spine was 9.7° smaller than the planned vector. The mandible underwent a clockwise rotation of 3.5°. In the internal distraction technique, the maxilla was advanced inferiorly to the planned vector and with a slight clockwise rotation. These results are useful for surgical planning when using internal distractors.

  18. STANFORD: Internal targets

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Riordan, Michael

    1989-05-15

    Of burgeoning interest to many nuclear and particle physicists is a storage ring technique for fixed target experiments. It hinges on the use of gas-jet targets, shooting a narrow stream of atoms through a circulating beam of electrons or protons. Pioneered at CERN and the Soviet Novosibirsk Laboratory, more such 'internal targets' are being built or contemplated for storage rings in Europe, the Soviet Union, and the United States. From 9-12 January, physicists from around the world met at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) to discuss prospects and problems in this expanding field.

  19. Polarized internal targets for electronuclear experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    van den Brand, J.F.J.

    1993-01-01

    Polarized internal gas targets represent a unique opportunity for the measurement of spin observables in electro-nuclear physics. Two measurements will be discussed. First, spin observables have been measured in elastic and quasi-free scattering of 45, 200, 300, and 415 MeV polarized protons from a polarized 3 He internal gas target at the Indiana University Cyclotron Facility Cooler Ring. The data obtained constitute the first measurement of spin correlation parameters using a storage ring with polarized beam and polarized internal gas target. Second, a quasi-free (e,e'p) experiment using tensor polarized deuterium will be discussed. Here, the goal is the measurement of the S- and D-state parts of the proton spectral function by scattering 700 MeV electrons from an atomic beam source. Large acceptance detectors have been used in both experiments. The internal-target technique has broad applicability in nuclear and particle physics

  20. Co-movement measure of information transmission on international equity markets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al Rahahleh, Naseem; Bhatti, M. Ishaq

    2017-03-01

    Recently, Bhatti and Nguyen (2012) used EVT and various stochastic copulas to study the cross-country co-movements diversification and asset pricing allocation. Weiss (2013) observed that Dynamic Conditional Correlation (DCC) models outperform various copula models. This paper attempts to contribute to the literature on multivariate models for capturing forward and backward return co-movement, spillover effects and volatility linkages. It reflects cross-country forward and backward co-movements more clearly among various coupled international stock markets relating to information transmission and price discovery for making investment decisions. Given the reality of fat-tail or skewed distribution of financial data, this paper proposes the use of VECM-DCC and VAR-DCC models which capture dynamic dependences between the Australian and other selected international financial stock markets. We observe that the return co-movement effects between Australian and Asian countries are bidirectional ((AUS ↔ Hong Kong), (AUS ↔ Japan)) with the exception of Taiwan (AUS → Taiwan). We also observe that the volatility spillover between the Australian and both the UK and the US markets are bidirectional with a larger volatility spillover from both toward the AUS market. Further, the UK market has a higher volatility spillover on the Australian market compared to the US market and the US market has a higher volatility spillover on the UK than that of the Australian market.

  1. External and internal movement of firm´s financies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Štangová Nora

    1997-12-01

    Full Text Available The movement of financies is an indicator of actual financial situation of the firm and is influenced externally and internally. This article presents the analysis of this motion in one of our state firm, which indicates the form how to use these possibilities.

  2. Does Bilateral Market and Financial Integration Explains International Co-Movement Patterns1

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mobeen Ur Rehman

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available This study aims to explore the relationship between market integration, foreign portfolio equity holding and inflation rates on international stock market linkages between Pakistan and India. To measure stock equity interlinkage, we constructed international co-movement index through rolling beta estimation. Market integration variable between these two countries is constructed using the International Capital Asset Pricing Model (ICAPM. To check the impact of market integration, foreign portfolio equity holding and inflation rate on Pakistan-Indian stock market co-movement, we applied autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL estimation. ARDL estimation is applied due to different stationarity levels of the included variables. The level of convergence speed is measured by the introduction of error correction term (ECT followed by variance decomposition analysis. Results of the study indicated presence of long term relationship among the included variables along with significance variance in bilateral co-movement due to inflation rate differential. The significance of inflation rate differences between these two countries are in accordance with portfolio balance theory stating that investors possess information about the macroeconomic variables thereby readjusting their portfolios for effective diversification.

  3. Stay Focused! The Effects of Internal and External Focus of Attention on Movement Automaticity in Patients with Stroke

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kal, E. C.; van der Kamp, J.; Houdijk, H.; Groet, E.; van Bennekom, C. A. M.; Scherder, E. J. A.

    2015-01-01

    Dual-task performance is often impaired after stroke. This may be resolved by enhancing patients’ automaticity of movement. This study sets out to test the constrained action hypothesis, which holds that automaticity of movement is enhanced by triggering an external focus (on movement effects), rather than an internal focus (on movement execution). Thirty-nine individuals with chronic, unilateral stroke performed a one-leg-stepping task with both legs in single- and dual-task conditions. Attentional focus was manipulated with instructions. Motor performance (movement speed), movement automaticity (fluency of movement), and dual-task performance (dual-task costs) were assessed. The effects of focus on movement speed, single- and dual-task movement fluency, and dual-task costs were analysed with generalized estimating equations. Results showed that, overall, single-task performance was unaffected by focus (p = .341). Regarding movement fluency, no main effects of focus were found in single- or dual-task conditions (p’s ≥ .13). However, focus by leg interactions suggested that an external focus reduced movement fluency of the paretic leg compared to an internal focus (single-task conditions: p = .068; dual-task conditions: p = .084). An external focus also tended to result in inferior dual-task performance (β = -2.38, p = .065). Finally, a near-significant interaction (β = 2.36, p = .055) suggested that dual-task performance was more constrained by patients’ attentional capacity in external focus conditions. We conclude that, compared to an internal focus, an external focus did not result in more automated movements in chronic stroke patients. Contrary to expectations, trends were found for enhanced automaticity with an internal focus. These findings might be due to patients’ strong preference to use an internal focus in daily life. Future work needs to establish the more permanent effects of learning with different attentional foci on re-automating motor

  4. Stay Focused! The Effects of Internal and External Focus of Attention on Movement Automaticity in Patients with Stroke.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kal, E C; van der Kamp, J; Houdijk, H; Groet, E; van Bennekom, C A M; Scherder, E J A

    2015-01-01

    Dual-task performance is often impaired after stroke. This may be resolved by enhancing patients' automaticity of movement. This study sets out to test the constrained action hypothesis, which holds that automaticity of movement is enhanced by triggering an external focus (on movement effects), rather than an internal focus (on movement execution). Thirty-nine individuals with chronic, unilateral stroke performed a one-leg-stepping task with both legs in single- and dual-task conditions. Attentional focus was manipulated with instructions. Motor performance (movement speed), movement automaticity (fluency of movement), and dual-task performance (dual-task costs) were assessed. The effects of focus on movement speed, single- and dual-task movement fluency, and dual-task costs were analysed with generalized estimating equations. Results showed that, overall, single-task performance was unaffected by focus (p = .341). Regarding movement fluency, no main effects of focus were found in single- or dual-task conditions (p's ≥ .13). However, focus by leg interactions suggested that an external focus reduced movement fluency of the paretic leg compared to an internal focus (single-task conditions: p = .068; dual-task conditions: p = .084). An external focus also tended to result in inferior dual-task performance (β = -2.38, p = .065). Finally, a near-significant interaction (β = 2.36, p = .055) suggested that dual-task performance was more constrained by patients' attentional capacity in external focus conditions. We conclude that, compared to an internal focus, an external focus did not result in more automated movements in chronic stroke patients. Contrary to expectations, trends were found for enhanced automaticity with an internal focus. These findings might be due to patients' strong preference to use an internal focus in daily life. Future work needs to establish the more permanent effects of learning with different attentional foci on re-automating motor control

  5. Popularising the "New International Political Economy": The ATTAC Movement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bobulescu, Roxana

    2008-01-01

    Born in France in 1997, the ATTAC (Association for the Taxation of Financial Transactions to Aid Citizens) movement is popularising IPE (international political economy), the interdisciplinary field of study born in the United Kingdom in the 1970s. The affinity between the ideas and main concerns of ATTAC and IPE can be clearly stated. ATTAC is a…

  6. Increasing convergence between imagined and executed movement across development: evidence for the emergence of movement representations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caeyenberghs, Karen; Wilson, Peter H; van Roon, Dominique; Swinnen, Stephan P; Smits-Engelsman, Bouwien C M

    2009-04-01

    Motor imagery (MI) has become a principal focus of interest in studies on brain and behavior. However, changes in MI across development have received virtually no attention so far. In the present study, children (N = 112, 6 to 16 years old) performed a new, computerized Virtual Radial Fitts Task (VRFT) to determine their MI ability as well as the age-related confluence between performance in executed and imagined movement conditions. Participants aimed at five targets, which were positioned along radial axes from a central target circle. The targets differed in width (2.5, 5, 10, 20 or 40 mm), resulting in an index of difficulty (ID) that varied from 6.9 to 2.9 bits. Performance was indexed by the linear relationship between ID and Movement Time (MT). The findings showed that executed task performance was slower than imagined performance. Moreover, conformance to Fitts' Law during executed movement performance was obtained from a very young age. Most importantly, correlations between imagined and executed movements were low in the young participants but gradually increased across age. These age-related changes in MI are hypothesized to reflect the children's emerging ability to represent internal models for prospective actions, consistent with the gradual unfolding of feedforward control processes.

  7. Illegality of international population movements in Poland.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okolski, M

    2000-01-01

    Until the beginning of the 1990s Poland did not receive foreign migrants. Thereafter, the situation changed dramatically. A large part of the inflow proved to be illegal migrants, many of whom were in transit to Western Europe. Although these movements gradually declined in the second half of the decade, some became increasingly identified with relatively sophisticated smuggling of people. Foreigners smuggled from the South to the West, together with the international criminal networks assisting them, became typical of the migratory movements of people in Central and Eastern Europe during the 1990s. This article seeks to describe illegal migration from the perspective of Poland, a country often perceived as a major transit area in the smuggling of persons to Western Europe. The conclusions draw on the findings of several surveys recently carried out in Poland. Basic concepts related to illegal migration are defined and juxtaposed, and various myths and stereotypes concerning it that most often stem from the paucity of empirical evidence are examined. Finally, the trends observed in Poland are interpreted within the larger context of contemporary European migration.

  8. The Nuclotron internal target control and data acquisition system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Isupov, A.Yu., E-mail: isupov@moonhe.jinr.ru [Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna 141980 (Russian Federation); Krasnov, V.A.; Ladygin, V.P.; Piyadin, S.M.; Reznikov, S.G. [Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna 141980 (Russian Federation)

    2013-01-11

    The new control system of the Nuclotron (JINR, Dubna) internal target is described in both hardware and software aspects. The CAMAC hardware is based on the use of the standard CAMAC modules developed and manufactured at JINR. The internal target control and data acquisition (IntTarg CDAQ) system software is implemented using the ngdp framework under the Unix-like operating system (OS) FreeBSD to allow easy network distribution of the online data collected from internal target and accompanying detectors, as well as the internal target remote control.

  9. Nuclear physics with internal targets in electron storage rings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holt, R.J.

    1986-01-01

    Two key experiments in nuclear physics will be discussed in order to illustrate the advantages of the internal target method and demonstrate the power of polarization techniques in electron scattering studies. The progress of internal target experiments will be discussed and the technology of internal polarized target development will be reviewed. 43 refs., 11 figs

  10. Workshop on electronuclear physics with internal targets: Proceedings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arnold, R.G.; Minehart, R.C.

    1987-05-01

    The Workshop on Electronuclear Physics with Internal Targets was held at SLAC on January 5-8, 1987. The idea for this workshop grew out of interest among physicists at SLAC and MIT/Bates who have been exploring the possibilities for internal targets in the PEP ring at SLAC and in a proposed stretcher ring at MIT/Bates. The aim of the workshop was to bring together physicists from these groups and from other laboratories and universities to discuss the new physics that could be made accessible with internal targets, and to share information on recent developments in internal target technology, on the impact of internal targets on ring operation, and on the detector requirements. The workshop was sponsored by NPAS, the program of Nuclear Physics at SLAC, and it was attended by more than 100 physicists from the US, Canada, Europe, and Japan. The workshop sessions began with two days of invited talks followed by two days of shorter presentations organized by the chairmen of four Working Groups. Written versions of all the plenary talks and all but four of the Working Group talks are presented here

  11. Workshop on electronuclear physics with internal targets: Proceedings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Arnold, R.G.; Minehart, R.C. (eds.)

    1987-05-01

    The Workshop on Electronuclear Physics with Internal Targets was held at SLAC on January 5-8, 1987. The idea for this workshop grew out of interest among physicists at SLAC and MIT/Bates who have been exploring the possibilities for internal targets in the PEP ring at SLAC and in a proposed stretcher ring at MIT/Bates. The aim of the workshop was to bring together physicists from these groups and from other laboratories and universities to discuss the new physics that could be made accessible with internal targets, and to share information on recent developments in internal target technology, on the impact of internal targets on ring operation, and on the detector requirements. The workshop was sponsored by NPAS, the program of Nuclear Physics at SLAC, and it was attended by more than 100 physicists from the US, Canada, Europe, and Japan. The workshop sessions began with two days of invited talks followed by two days of shorter presentations organized by the chairmen of four Working Groups. Written versions of all the plenary talks and all but four of the Working Group talks are presented here.

  12. Contribution of eye position to movement perception.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pettorossi, V E; Panichi, R; Bambagioni, D; Grassi, S; Botti, F M

    2004-05-01

    To investigate the influence of gaze eccentricity on movement perception during asymmetric vestibular stimulation. Subjects (n = 10) were placed on a rotating platform and oscillated asymmetrically in the dark. Subjects were asked to reproduce with a pointer the location in space of a light spot that was turned off at the beginning of the oscillation. The target was presented in centric and eccentric (0 degrees, 20 degrees and 40 degrees) positions. In the centric position a large shift from the real position of the target was observed in the opposite direction to that of the faster vestibular stimulation. The shift increased when the target was placed eccentrically toward the slower vestibular stimulation side and decreased when it was placed in the opposite direction. The dependence of rotation perception on the target position suggests that the eye deviation, imposed by the eccentricity of the target, is able to influence the perception of body movement and may modulate the internal reference frame.

  13. Spatial Analysis of International Tourist Movement to Langkawi for 2010 and 2011

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Basiron Nur Fatma Zuhra

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Tourism is a temporary movement of people to a destination of their choice intended for leisure or recreation. The resulting of this movement can be divided into interdestination dan intradestinastion. This study is about interdestination movement which is characterised by movement from tourist-generating regions to one or more destinations. This research aims to analyse the movement of international tourist who come to Langkawi in 2010 and 2011. The application geographic information system (GIS is aids in visualizing spatial data through mapping. Regression analysis using SPSS was also used to examine the relationship between the distance and the amount of flow that exists. Map of the distribution and flow of tourist was produced to facilitate the analysis. The results of the analyses show that the tourist movement is driven by certain factors such as climatic, economic, distance and etc. Regression analysis showed the nexus between the distance and the amount of the tourist flow was not strong. Map produced can be used by LADA specifically for planning marketing strategies and etc.

  14. Extended Fitts' model of pointing time in eye-gaze input system - Incorporating effects of target shape and movement direction into modeling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murata, Atsuo; Fukunaga, Daichi

    2018-04-01

    This study attempted to investigate the effects of the target shape and the movement direction on the pointing time using an eye-gaze input system and extend Fitts' model so that these factors are incorporated into the model and the predictive power of Fitts' model is enhanced. The target shape, the target size, the movement distance, and the direction of target presentation were set as within-subject experimental variables. The target shape included: a circle, and rectangles with an aspect ratio of 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, and 1:4. The movement direction included eight directions: upper, lower, left, right, upper left, upper right, lower left, and lower right. On the basis of the data for identifying the effects of the target shape and the movement direction on the pointing time, an attempt was made to develop a generalized and extended Fitts' model that took into account the movement direction and the target shape. As a result, the generalized and extended model was found to fit better to the experimental data, and be more effective for predicting the pointing time for a variety of human-computer interaction (HCI) task using an eye-gaze input system. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  15. Words without Grammar: Linguists and the International Auxiliary Language Movements in the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Falk, Julia S.

    1995-01-01

    Discusses movements in the United States during the first half of the 20th century to develop an international language, focusing on proponents of the reestablishment of Latin as an international language and the work of the International Auxiliary Language Association to develop an entirely new language. (72 references) (MDM)

  16. A Brief History of International Latin American Student Fraternities: A Movement That Lasted 86 Years (1889-1975)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fajardo, Oliver

    2015-01-01

    An international Latin American student fraternity movement preceded the current Latino Greeks that are seen on college campuses today. This document provides new information that has not been published. The movement lasted 86 years and primarily served wealthy international Latin American students who came to the United States to study and, once…

  17. Global health interdependence and the international physicians' movement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gellert, G A

    1990-08-01

    International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War has had an impressive public impact in the 1980s, helping to shatter the myths of surviving and medically responding to a nuclear attack. The 1990s present a new challenge for the medical community in a different social and international context characterized by increasing global interdependence. Another view of physician activism is presented to complement advocacy for nuclear disarmament in the promotion of peace. A framework for analysis is provided by "fateful visions"--accepted policy views of prospective superpower relations--drawn from practitioners of foreign policy, international relations, and security affairs. A perceptual gap may exist between physicians who wish to address underlying ethical and public health concerns on security issues and policy practitioners who are accustomed to discussion within existing policy frames of reference that can be pragmatically used. A strategy is proposed for physicians to use their specialized training and skills to evaluate trends in global health interdependence. The international physicians' movement may contribute substantively to the formulation of policy by expanding and interpreting an increasingly complex database on interdependence, and by creating a dialogue with policy formulators based on mutual recognition of the value and legitimacy of each professions' expertise and complementary contributions to international security policy.

  18. Global health interdependence and the international physicians' movement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gellert, G.A.

    1990-01-01

    International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War has had an impressive public impact in the 1980s, helping to shatter the myths of surviving and medically responding to a nuclear attack. The 1990s present a new challenge for the medical community in a different social and international context characterized by increasing global interdependence. Another view of physician activism is presented to complement advocacy for nuclear disarmament in the promotion of peace. A framework for analysis is provided by fateful visions--accepted policy views of prospective superpower relations--drawn from practitioners of foreign policy, international relations, and security affairs. A perceptual gap may exist between physicians who wish to address underlying ethical and public health concerns on security issues and policy practitioners who are accustomed to discussion within existing policy frames of reference that can be pragmatically used. A strategy is proposed for physicians to use their specialized training and skills to evaluate trends in global health interdependence. The international physicians' movement may contribute substantively to the formulation of policy by expanding and interpreting an increasingly complex database on interdependence, and by creating a dialogue with policy formulators based on mutual recognition of the value and legitimacy of each professions' expertise and complementary contributions to international security policy

  19. [An attempt to combine humanitarianism and pacifism. The Red Cross and the Dutch movement for international peace].

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Bergen, L

    2001-01-01

    Both the International and the Dutch Red Cross were heavily damaged by World War II. The Red Cross movement especially was blamed for its lack of care for persecuted Jews and political prisoners. To restore its reputation all kinds of initiatives were taken. Amongst these was an attempt of the Dutch Red Cross to cooperate with several pacifist movements in the Dutch Movement for International Peace and Security. It seemed a good and sensible initiative, especially in 1945, but although it was supported by international Red Cross resolutions, it failed. The DRC grew immensely in numbers in the years after 1945. With the cold war coming up the peace movement lost most of its popularity and therefore lost its attraction for the Red Cross as a partner. As in the rest of its mutual history, the attempt to humanise war did not mix with the wish to abolish it.

  20. Competition between color and luminance for target selection in smooth pursuit and saccadic eye movements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spering, Miriam; Montagnini, Anna; Gegenfurtner, Karl R

    2008-11-24

    Visual processing of color and luminance for smooth pursuit and saccadic eye movements was investigated using a target selection paradigm. In two experiments, stimuli were varied along the dimensions color and luminance, and selection of the more salient target was compared in pursuit and saccades. Initial pursuit was biased in the direction of the luminance component whereas saccades showed a relative preference for color. An early pursuit response toward luminance was often reversed to color by a later saccade. Observers' perceptual judgments of stimulus salience, obtained in two control experiments, were clearly biased toward luminance. This choice bias in perceptual data implies that the initial short-latency pursuit response agrees with perceptual judgments. In contrast, saccades, which have a longer latency than pursuit, do not seem to follow the perceptual judgment of salience but instead show a stronger relative preference for color. These substantial differences in target selection imply that target selection processes for pursuit and saccadic eye movements use distinctly different weights for color and luminance stimuli.

  1. Internal Targeting and External Control: Phototriggered Targeting in Nanomedicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arrue, Lily; Ratjen, Lars

    2017-12-07

    The photochemical control of structure and reactivity bears great potential for chemistry, biology, and life sciences. A key feature of photochemistry is the spatiotemporal control over secondary events. Well-established applications of photochemistry in medicine are photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photopharmacology (PP). However, although both are highly localizable through the application of light, they lack cell- and tissue-specificity. The combination of nanomaterial-based drug delivery and targeting has the potential to overcome limitations for many established therapy concepts. Even more privileged seems the merger of nanomedicine and cell-specific targeting (internal targeting) controlled by light (external control), as it can potentially be applied to many different areas of medicine and pharmaceutical research, including the aforementioned PDT and PP. In this review a survey of the interface of photochemistry, medicine and targeted drug delivery is given, especially focusing on phototriggered targeting in nanomedicine. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  2. Movement of global warming issues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sugiyama, Taishi

    2015-01-01

    This paper summarizes the report of IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), and the movement of the global warming issues as seen from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (Conference of the Parties: COP) and the policy discussions in Japan. From the Fifth Assessment Report published by IPCC, it shows the following items: (1) increasing trends of greenhouse effect gas emissions during 1970 and 2010, (2) trends in world's greenhouse effect gas emissions according to income segment, and (3) factor analysis of changes in greenhouse effect gas emissions. Next, it takes up the greenhouse gas emission scenario of IPCC, shows the scenario due to temperature rise pattern, and introduces the assumption of emission reduction due to BECCS. Regarding the 2 deg. scenario that has become a hot topic in international negotiations, it describes the reason for difficulties in its implementation. In addition, as the international trends of global warming, it describes the agreement of numerical targets for emissions at COP3 (Kyoto Conference) and the subsequent movements. Finally, it introduces Japan's measures against global warming, as well as the future movement. (A.O.)

  3. The effect of COMT gene on the target precision of the athlete movement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. V. Mikhailova

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the study was to find correlation between COMT gene alleles and the target precision of the athlete movement. 68 Russian competing athletes involved in boxing and volleyball, participated in the study. We found interrelation between COMT Met allele and a tall stature in the volleyball players.

  4. Characterization of the preferential movement of elements during sputtering of binary targets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Davarya, F.

    1982-01-01

    The knowledge of the physics of ion bombardment effects has matured considerably during the last decade. This has generated an ever increasing number of new applications and the subsequent need for better understanding of the collisional interaction, especially in bombardment of multicomponent materials. This research investigates the near-surface composition changes due to the preferential movement of target elements in binary systems under ion bombardment. The Monte-Carlo code EVOLVE, which has been developed at the University of Maryland for ion transport studies, has been utilized for these investigations. The effects of differences in three key parameters, surface binding energy, displacement energy, and mass of target elements have been studied. It has been observed that in the absence of any binding energy differences, the effect of the mass difference of target elements is contrary to the previously commonly held belief that the lighter target elements tend to be preferentially implanted inward relative to the heavier elements. Cases are presented where preferential inward movement of the heavier elements were observed. Further studies were carried out using EVOLVE and it has been observed that the heavier elements, while having shorter path length relative to the lighter elements, have a longer projected penetration depth. Due to the lack of standard reference materials (SRM's) for studing ion bombardment effects, quantitative comparison of results obtained using different techniques has been unreliable. In an effort to help resolve this need, multilayered thin-film structures (prepared for SRM use) have been studied using both experimental techniques and computer simulaton. The characteristics of those structures which are useful for SMR application, such as layer thickness, layer periodicity, and interface widths are presented

  5. Code of Practice on the International Transboundary Movement of Radioactive Waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1990-11-01

    On 21 September 1990, the General Conference, by resolution GC(XXXIV)/RES/530, adopted a Code of Practice on the International Transboundary Movement of Radioactive Waste and requested the Director General - inter alia - to take all necessary steps to ensure wide dissemination of the Code of Practice at both the national and the international level. The Code of Practice was elaborated by a Group of Experts established pursuant to resolution GC(XXXII)/RES/490 adopted by the General Conference in 1988. The text of the Code of Practice is reproduced herewith for the information of all Member States

  6. Code of Practice on the International Transboundary Movement of Radioactive Waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1990-01-01

    On 21 September 1990, the General Conference, by resolution GC(XXXIV)/RES/530, adopted a Code of Practice on the International Transboundary Movement of Radioactive Waste and requested the Director General - inter alia - to take all necessary steps to ensure wide dissemination of the Code of Practice at both the national and the international level. The Code of Practice was elaborated by a Group of Experts established pursuant to resolution GC(XXXII)/RES/490 adopted by the General Conference in 1988. The text of the Code of Practice is reproduced herewith for the information of all Member States [fr

  7. Code of Practice on the International Transboundary Movement of Radioactive Waste

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1990-11-14

    On 21 September 1990, the General Conference, by resolution GC(XXXIV)/RES/530, adopted a Code of Practice on the International Transboundary Movement of Radioactive Waste and requested the Director General - inter alia - to take all necessary steps to ensure wide dissemination of the Code of Practice at both the national and the international level. The Code of Practice was elaborated by a Group of Experts established pursuant to resolution GC(XXXII)/RES/490 adopted by the General Conference in 1988. The text of the Code of Practice is reproduced herewith for the information of all Member States.

  8. Code of Practice on the International Transboundary Movement of Radioactive Waste

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1990-11-15

    On 21 September 1990, the General Conference, by resolution GC(XXXIV)/RES/530, adopted a Code of Practice on the International Transboundary Movement of Radioactive Waste and requested the Director General - inter alia - to take all necessary steps to ensure wide dissemination of the Code of Practice at both the national and the international level. The Code of Practice was elaborated by a Group of Experts established pursuant to resolution GC(XXXII)/RES/490 adopted by the General Conference in 1988. The text of the Code of Practice is reproduced herewith for the information of all Member States.

  9. Code of Practice on the International Transboundary Movement of Radioactive Waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1990-01-01

    On 21 September 1990, the General Conference, by resolution GC(XXXIV)/RES/530, adopted a Code of Practice on the International Transboundary Movement of Radioactive Waste and requested the Director General - inter alia - to take all necessary steps to ensure wide dissemination of the Code of Practice at both the national and the international level. The Code of Practice was elaborated by a Group of Experts established pursuant to resolution GC(XXXII)/RES/490 adopted by the General Conference in 1988. The text of the Code of Practice is reproduced herewith for the information of all Member States

  10. Polarization measurement for internal polarized gaseous targets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ye Zhenyu; Ye Yunxiu; Lv Haijiang; Mao Yajun

    2004-01-01

    The authors present an introduction to internal polarized gaseous targets, polarization method, polarization measurement method and procedure. To get the total nuclear polarization of hydrogen atoms (including the polarization of the recombined hydrogen molecules) in the target cell, authors have measured the parameters relating to atomic polarization and polarized hydrogen atoms and molecules. The total polarization of the target during our measurement is P T =0.853 ± 0.036. (authors)

  11. Islamic movement and human rights: Pertubuhan Jamaah Islah Malaysia’s involvement in the “Abolish Internal Security Act Movement,” 2000-2012

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maszlee Malik

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Human rights has been acknowledged as one of the essential characteristics of good governance. Abuse of human rights is strongly associated with bad governance, which is believed by many to be a serious impediment to development and sustainable growth. Despite the active participations of Islamic movements in many parts of the political world, very little is known of their involvement in advocating human rights issues as part of their struggle for power. Nevertheless, as an Islamic movement and an Islamic revivalism actor in Malaysia, Pertubuhan Jamaah Islah Malaysia (JIM has shown otherwise. JIM has resembled a different attitude towards the issue of human rights that they believe as an integrated and pertinent composition of good governance. By scrutinising their political activities and discourse since 2000, it becomes clear that JIM has been actively engaged in good governance and human rights issues, especially those that relate to the political rights of citizens through its involvement in the Abolish Internal Security Act (ISA Movement (Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA. This paper examines JIM’s involvement in human rights issues with a special focus on its active and leading role in calling for the abolishment of the Internal Security Act (ISA.

  12. Movement Demands of Elite Under-20s and Senior International Rugby Union Players

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drawer, Scott; Pollard, Ben; Eager, Robin; Taylor, Neil; Cook, Christian J.

    2016-01-01

    This study compared the movement demands of elite international Under-20 age grade (U20s) and senior international rugby union players during competitive tournament match play. Forty elite professional players from an U20 and 27 elite professional senior players from international performance squads were monitored using 10Hz global positioning systems (GPS) during 15 (U20s) and 8 (senior) international tournament matches during the 2014 and 2015 seasons. Data on distances, velocities, accelerations, decelerations, high metabolic load (HML) distance and efforts, and number of sprints were derived. Data files from players who played over 60 min (n = 258) were separated firstly into Forwards and Backs, and more specifically into six positional groups; FR–Front Row (prop & hooker), SR–Second Row, BR–Back Row (Flankers & No.8), HB–Half Backs (scrum half & outside half), MF–Midfield (centres), B3 –Back Three (wings & full back) for match analysis. Linear mixed models revealed significant differences between U20 and senior teams in both the forwards and backs. In the forwards the seniors covered greater HML distance (736.4 ± 280.3 vs 701.3 ± 198.7m, p = 0.01) and severe decelerations (2.38 ± 2.2 vs 2.28 ± 1.65, p = 0.05) compared to the U20s, but performed less relative HSR (3.1 ± 1.6 vs 3.2 ± 1.5, p rugby, however, the current study highlight for the first time that certain positional groups may require more time to be able to match the movement demands required at a higher playing level than others. Conditioning staff must also bear in mind that the U20s players whilst maintaining or improving match movement capabilities may require to gain substantial mass in some positions to match their senior counterparts. PMID:27824865

  13. A polarized sup 3 He internal target for storage rings

    CERN Document Server

    Poolman, H R; Bulten, H J; Doets, M; Ent, R; Ferro-Luzzi, M; Geurts, D G; Harvey, M; Mul, F A

    2000-01-01

    A polarized sup 3 He internal target was employed at the internal target facility of the Amsterdam electron Pulse Stretcher and Storage ring (AmPS) at the Dutch National Institute for Nuclear and High-Energy Physics (NIKHEF). The unique features of internal targets such as chemical and isotopic purity, high and rapidly reversible polarization, and the ability to manipulate the target spin orientation were successfully demonstrated. A nuclear polarization of 0.50 (0.42) at a sup 3 He gas flow of 1.0 (2.0)x10 sup 1 sup 7 at s sup - sup 1 could be obtained. Operation at a nominal flow of 1x10 sup 1 sup 7 at s sup - sup 1 resulted in a target thickness of 0.7x10 sup 1 sup 5 at cm sup - sup 2 at a target temperature of 17 K.

  14. Code of practice on the international transboundary movement of radioactive waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1990-11-01

    This Code of Practice should serve as guidelines of the IAEA to the States for the development and harmonization of policies and laws on the international transboundary movement of radioactive wastes. It relies on international standards for the safe transport of radioactive material and the physical protection of nuclear material, as well as the standards for basic nuclear safety and radiation protection and radioactive waste management; it does not establish separate guidance in these areas. Furthermore, this Code, which is advisory, does not affect in any way existing and future arrangements among States which relate to matters covered by it and are compatible with its objectives

  15. National environmental targets and international emission reduction instruments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morthorst, P.E.

    2003-01-01

    According to the agreed burden sharing within the European Union the overall EU emission reduction target as agreed by in the Kyoto protocol is converted into national greenhouse gas reduction-targets for each of the member states. In parallel with national emission reduction initiatives common EU policies for emission reductions are considered. Currently discussed is the introduction of a market for tradable permits for CO 2 -emissions to achieve emission reductions within the power industry and other energy intensive industries. In parallel with this markets for green certificates to deploy renewable energy technologies seem to be appearing in a number of countries, among these Denmark, Italy, Sweden, Belgium (Flanders), England and Australia. Although these national initiatives for a green certificate market are fairly different, they could be a starting point for establishing a common EU certificate market. But interactions between national targets for greenhouse gas emissions and these international instruments for emission reduction are not a trivial matter, especially not seen in relation to the possible contributions of these instruments in achieving national GHG-reduction targets. The paper is split into three parts all taking a liberalised power market as starting point: The first part discusses the consequences of a general deployment of renewable energy technologies, using planning initiatives or national promotion schemes (feed-in tariffs). In the second part an international green certificate market is introduced into the liberalised power market context, substituting other national promotion schemes. Finally, in the third part a combination of an international green certificate market (TGC) and an international emission-trading scheme for CO 2 is analysed within the liberalised international power market set-up. The main conclusion is that neither the use of national renewable support schemes nor the introduction of a TGC-market into a liberalised

  16. Functional Movement Disorder

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Publications Patient Organizations International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) See all related organizations Publications Order NINDS Publications Definition Psychogenic movement is an unwanted muscle movement such ...

  17. A comparative study of mandibular movements with their MR images in patients with internal derangement of the TMJ

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miyamoto, Satoshi; Ogawa, Takumi; Hosoda, Yutaka

    1993-01-01

    Thirty one patients with internal derangement of the TMJ and 12 subjects with normal TMJ were selected and their MR imaging and border movements of the mandible were recorded. In addition, the relationship between them were examined. In this study, the disk position and configuration in MR findings were classified as follows. Disk position: superior, anterior and anterolateral (medial and lateral were omitted), grade of anterior disk displacement (with and without reduction): slight, moderate and severe, disk configuration: biconcave, enlargement of posterior band, even thickness and biconvex. Border movements of the mandible were influenced not only by unilateral or bilateral interior derangement but also by with or without reduction of the disk. Border movements in patients with anterolateral disk displacement were more severely restricted than those with anterior disk displacement. Border movements were remarkably limited in patients with slight disk displacement, especially in unilateral cases with reduction of the disk. Border movements in patients with even thickness and biconvex types of disk configuration were a little restricted and rather similar to those of normal subjects. There was significant correlation between border movements and disk position and configuration. It means that measurement of the mandibular movements is very significant to diagnose the condition of internal derangements of the TMJ. (author)

  18. Synchronizing the tracking eye movements with the motion of a visual target: Basic neural processes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goffart, Laurent; Bourrelly, Clara; Quinet, Julie

    2017-01-01

    In primates, the appearance of an object moving in the peripheral visual field elicits an interceptive saccade that brings the target image onto the foveae. This foveation is then maintained more or less efficiently by slow pursuit eye movements and subsequent catch-up saccades. Sometimes, the tracking is such that the gaze direction looks spatiotemporally locked onto the moving object. Such a spatial synchronism is quite spectacular when one considers that the target-related signals are transmitted to the motor neurons through multiple parallel channels connecting separate neural populations with different conduction speeds and delays. Because of the delays between the changes of retinal activity and the changes of extraocular muscle tension, the maintenance of the target image onto the fovea cannot be driven by the current retinal signals as they correspond to past positions of the target. Yet, the spatiotemporal coincidence observed during pursuit suggests that the oculomotor system is driven by a command estimating continuously the current location of the target, i.e., where it is here and now. This inference is also supported by experimental perturbation studies: when the trajectory of an interceptive saccade is experimentally perturbed, a correction saccade is produced in flight or after a short delay, and brings the gaze next to the location where unperturbed saccades would have landed at about the same time, in the absence of visual feedback. In this chapter, we explain how such correction can be supported by previous visual signals without assuming "predictive" signals encoding future target locations. We also describe the basic neural processes which gradually yield the synchronization of eye movements with the target motion. When the process fails, the gaze is driven by signals related to past locations of the target, not by estimates to its upcoming locations, and a catch-up is made to reinitiate the synchronization. © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights

  19. Correcting slightly less simple movements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M.P. Aivar

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available Many studies have analysed how goal directed movements are corrected in response to changes in the properties of the target. However, only simple movements to single targets have been used in those studies, so little is known about movement corrections under more complex situations. Evidence from studies that ask for movements to several targets in sequence suggests that whole sequences of movements are planned together. Planning related segments of a movement together makes it possible to optimise the whole sequence, but it means that some parts are planned quite long in advance, so that it is likely that they will have to be modified. In the present study we examined how people respond to changes that occur while they are moving to the first target of a sequence. Subjects moved a stylus across a digitising tablet. They moved from a specified starting point to two targets in succession. The first of these targets was always at the same position but it could have one of two sizes. The second target could be in one of two different positions and its size was different in each case. On some trials the first target changed size, and on some others the second target changed size and position, as soon as the subject started to move. When the size of the first target changed the subjects slowed down the first segment of their movements. Even the peak velocity, which was only about 150 ms after the change in size, was lower. Beside this fast response to the change itself, the dwell time at the first target was also affected: its duration increased after the change. Changing the size and position of the second target did not influence the first segment of the movement, but also increased the dwell time. The dwell time was much longer for a small target, irrespective of its initial size. If subjects knew in advance which target could change, they moved faster than if they did not know which could change. Taken together, these

  20. Physics and technology of superthin internal targets in storage rings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Popov, S.G.

    1989-01-01

    The new generation of accelerators for coincidence electronuclear investigations is discussed. The luminosity and beam parameters are calculated for an electron storage ring with an internal target operating in the superthin regime. The advantages and disadvantages in comparison with conventional operation using an external beam and target are described. The intermediate results for 2 GeV electron scattering on polarized internal deuterium target are given (joint Novosibirsk-Argonne experiment). 32 refs.; 5 figs

  1. 3rd International Conference on Movement, Health and Exercise 2016

    CERN Document Server

    Cheong, Jadeera; Usman, Juliana; Ahmad, Mohd; Razman, Rizal; Selvanayagam, Victor

    2017-01-01

    This volume presents the proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Movement, Health and Exercise 2016 (MoHE2016). The conference was jointly organized by the Biomedical Engineering Department and Sports Centre, University of Malaya. It was held in Malacca, from 28-30 September 2016. MoHE 2016 provided a good opportunity for speakers and participants to actively discuss about recent developments in a wide range of topics in the area of sports and exercise science. In total, 83 presenters and 140 participants took part in this successful conference. .

  2. Reinforcement learning of targeted movement in a spiking neuronal model of motor cortex.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    George L Chadderdon

    Full Text Available Sensorimotor control has traditionally been considered from a control theory perspective, without relation to neurobiology. In contrast, here we utilized a spiking-neuron model of motor cortex and trained it to perform a simple movement task, which consisted of rotating a single-joint "forearm" to a target. Learning was based on a reinforcement mechanism analogous to that of the dopamine system. This provided a global reward or punishment signal in response to decreasing or increasing distance from hand to target, respectively. Output was partially driven by Poisson motor babbling, creating stochastic movements that could then be shaped by learning. The virtual forearm consisted of a single segment rotated around an elbow joint, controlled by flexor and extensor muscles. The model consisted of 144 excitatory and 64 inhibitory event-based neurons, each with AMPA, NMDA, and GABA synapses. Proprioceptive cell input to this model encoded the 2 muscle lengths. Plasticity was only enabled in feedforward connections between input and output excitatory units, using spike-timing-dependent eligibility traces for synaptic credit or blame assignment. Learning resulted from a global 3-valued signal: reward (+1, no learning (0, or punishment (-1, corresponding to phasic increases, lack of change, or phasic decreases of dopaminergic cell firing, respectively. Successful learning only occurred when both reward and punishment were enabled. In this case, 5 target angles were learned successfully within 180 s of simulation time, with a median error of 8 degrees. Motor babbling allowed exploratory learning, but decreased the stability of the learned behavior, since the hand continued moving after reaching the target. Our model demonstrated that a global reinforcement signal, coupled with eligibility traces for synaptic plasticity, can train a spiking sensorimotor network to perform goal-directed motor behavior.

  3. Reinforcement learning of targeted movement in a spiking neuronal model of motor cortex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chadderdon, George L; Neymotin, Samuel A; Kerr, Cliff C; Lytton, William W

    2012-01-01

    Sensorimotor control has traditionally been considered from a control theory perspective, without relation to neurobiology. In contrast, here we utilized a spiking-neuron model of motor cortex and trained it to perform a simple movement task, which consisted of rotating a single-joint "forearm" to a target. Learning was based on a reinforcement mechanism analogous to that of the dopamine system. This provided a global reward or punishment signal in response to decreasing or increasing distance from hand to target, respectively. Output was partially driven by Poisson motor babbling, creating stochastic movements that could then be shaped by learning. The virtual forearm consisted of a single segment rotated around an elbow joint, controlled by flexor and extensor muscles. The model consisted of 144 excitatory and 64 inhibitory event-based neurons, each with AMPA, NMDA, and GABA synapses. Proprioceptive cell input to this model encoded the 2 muscle lengths. Plasticity was only enabled in feedforward connections between input and output excitatory units, using spike-timing-dependent eligibility traces for synaptic credit or blame assignment. Learning resulted from a global 3-valued signal: reward (+1), no learning (0), or punishment (-1), corresponding to phasic increases, lack of change, or phasic decreases of dopaminergic cell firing, respectively. Successful learning only occurred when both reward and punishment were enabled. In this case, 5 target angles were learned successfully within 180 s of simulation time, with a median error of 8 degrees. Motor babbling allowed exploratory learning, but decreased the stability of the learned behavior, since the hand continued moving after reaching the target. Our model demonstrated that a global reinforcement signal, coupled with eligibility traces for synaptic plasticity, can train a spiking sensorimotor network to perform goal-directed motor behavior.

  4. Hierarchical Targeting Strategy for Enhanced Tumor Tissue Accumulation/Retention and Cellular Internalization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Sheng; Huang, Peng; Chen, Xiaoyuan

    2016-09-01

    Targeted delivery of therapeutic agents is an important way to improve the therapeutic index and reduce side effects. To design nanoparticles for targeted delivery, both enhanced tumor tissue accumulation/retention and enhanced cellular internalization should be considered simultaneously. So far, there have been very few nanoparticles with immutable structures that can achieve this goal efficiently. Hierarchical targeting, a novel targeting strategy based on stimuli responsiveness, shows good potential to enhance both tumor tissue accumulation/retention and cellular internalization. Here, the recent design and development of hierarchical targeting nanoplatforms, based on changeable particle sizes, switchable surface charges and activatable surface ligands, will be introduced. In general, the targeting moieties in these nanoplatforms are not activated during blood circulation for efficient tumor tissue accumulation, but re-activated by certain internal or external stimuli in the tumor microenvironment for enhanced cellular internalization. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  5. Examining Age-Related Movement Representations for Sequential (Fine-Motor) Finger Movements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gabbard, Carl; Cacola, Priscila; Bobbio, Tatiana

    2011-01-01

    Theory suggests that imagined and executed movement planning relies on internal models for action. Using a chronometry paradigm to compare the movement duration of imagined and executed movements, we tested children aged 7-11 years and adults on their ability to perform sequential finger movements. Underscoring this tactic was our desire to gain a…

  6. Car Motivations in the Young Target Group: An International Perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael Bahles

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Globally, there are many profound changes going on within the automotive sector. There are new technological developments like e-mobility and autonomous cars, as well as new business models such as car sharing that may make purchasing a car obsolete for the younger, international target group. The intention of this paper is to identify the role and importance of cars in the young target group internationally and to explore current motives for buying an automobile. To this end, the authors conducted a psychological research study on a diverse group of upper division undergraduate and master’s degree level students originating from more than twenty different nations. Research methods used include structured one-on-one interviews and in-depth focus groups. The study’s results are useful for international marketing practitioners as they contribute to understanding the relevance and importance of automobiles for the international youth target market as well as identification of motives regarding car purchase across various countries. The results have implications for international managers within the automotive industry for the development of new mobility concepts as well as for international marketing communications within the automotive sector.

  7. Target Canada: Lesson from Failure of International Entry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nikolay Megits

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Target Corporation, the second largest retailing company in the United States, is well known for their value to guests (customers, continuous innovation, and exceptional guest experience. With a desire of international expansion, Target announced their Foreign Direct Investment (FDI plans for Target Canada in January 2011.  In August 2012, headquarters opened in Mississauga with 124 store openings following throughout 2013. Two years later an unsuccessful attempt at entering the Canadian retail market resulted in a loss of over $5.4B. Target Canada rushed into its expansion into the Canadian foreign market and corporation was unable to repeat the successful US concept in Canada for several factors. Target’s scale was too large, the timeline was too aggressive, and the entrance method was attractive from a price perspective.  As a consequence, Target was unable to efficiently manage the whole supply-chain, resulting in an unpleasant shopping experience for the customers.  Finally, the incapability to differentiate itself from other retailers led to an unsuccessful attempt at gaining greater market share from the competition. Despite the fact that Target does not have a plan to enter back into Canada, this case offers suggestions for Target’s location strategy and plausible alternatives when revisiting potential re-entry into the international retail market. Recommendations are given based on what they learned from their first attempt at failed expansion.

  8. Internal target effects in ion storage rings with beam cooling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gostishchev, Vitaly

    2008-06-01

    The accurate description of internal target effects is important for the prediction of operation conditions which are required for experiments in the planned storage rings of the FAIR facility. The BETACOOL code developed by the Dubna group has been used to evaluate beam dynamics in ion storage rings, where electron cooling in combination with an internal target is applied. Systematic benchmarking experiments of this code were carried out at the ESR storage ring at GSI. A mode with vanishing dispersion in the target position was applied to evaluate the influence of the dispersion function on the parameters when the target is heating the beam. The influence of the internal target on the beam parameters is demonstrated in the present work. A comparison of experimental results with simple models describing the energy loss of the beam particles in the target as well as with more sophisticated simulations with the BETACOOL code is given. In order to study the conditions which can be achieved in the proposed experiments the simulation results were quantitatively compared with experimental results and simulations for the ESR. The results of this comparison are discussed in the present thesis. BETACOOL simulations of target effects were performed for the NESR and the HESR of the future FAIR facility in order to predict the beam parameters for the planned experiments. (orig.)

  9. Internal target effects in ion storage rings with beam cooling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gostishchev, Vitaly

    2008-06-15

    The accurate description of internal target effects is important for the prediction of operation conditions which are required for experiments in the planned storage rings of the FAIR facility. The BETACOOL code developed by the Dubna group has been used to evaluate beam dynamics in ion storage rings, where electron cooling in combination with an internal target is applied. Systematic benchmarking experiments of this code were carried out at the ESR storage ring at GSI. A mode with vanishing dispersion in the target position was applied to evaluate the influence of the dispersion function on the parameters when the target is heating the beam. The influence of the internal target on the beam parameters is demonstrated in the present work. A comparison of experimental results with simple models describing the energy loss of the beam particles in the target as well as with more sophisticated simulations with the BETACOOL code is given. In order to study the conditions which can be achieved in the proposed experiments the simulation results were quantitatively compared with experimental results and simulations for the ESR. The results of this comparison are discussed in the present thesis. BETACOOL simulations of target effects were performed for the NESR and the HESR of the future FAIR facility in order to predict the beam parameters for the planned experiments. (orig.)

  10. Detection of organ movement in cervix cancer patients using a fluoroscopic electronic portal imaging device and radiopaque markers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaatee, Robert S.J.P.; Olofsen, Manouk J.J.; Verstraate, Marjolein B.J.; Quint, Sandra; Heijmen, Ben J.M.

    2002-01-01

    Purpose: To investigate the use of a fluoroscopic electronic portal imaging device (EPID) and radiopaque markers to detect internal cervix movement. Methods and Materials: For 10 patients with radiopaque markers clamped to the cervix, electronic portal images were made during external beam irradiation. Bony structures and markers in the portal images were registered with the same structures in the corresponding digitally reconstructed radiographs of the planning computed tomogram. Results: The visibility of the markers in the portal images was good, but their fixation should be improved. Generally, the correlation between bony structure displacements and marker movement was poor, the latter being substantially larger. The standard deviations describing the systematic and random bony anatomy displacements were 1.2 and 2.6 mm, 1.7 and 2.9 mm, and 1.6 and 2.7 mm in the lateral, cranial-caudal, and dorsal-ventral directions, respectively. For the marker movement those values were 3.4 and 3.4 mm, 4.3 and 5.2 mm, 3.2 and 5.2 mm, respectively. Estimated clinical target volume to planning target volume (CTV-PTV) planning margins (∼11 mm) based on the observed overall marker displacements (bony anatomy + internal cervix movement) are only marginally larger than the margins required to account for internal marker movement alone. Conclusions: With our current patient setup techniques and methods of setup verification and correction, the required CTV-PTV margins are almost fully determined by internal organ motion. Setup verification and correction using radiopaque markers might allow decreasing those margins, but technical improvements are needed

  11. International movements, post-apartheid dispensations and illegal immigration into South Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kambidima Wotela

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Arising from the supposed negative impact of illegal immigration, including security threats as well as recent xenophobic violence, the South African Government would like to counter illegal immigration. To do this, it needs to understand the root causes of illegal immigration into the country. This article, therefore, seeks to explain and interpret why illegal immigrants make South Africa their ideal choice of destination. To provide a context, the article begins with a discussion on the research setting, that is, the South African international boundaries. Thereafter, the article discusses the concept of illegal immigration from the South African context before reviewing literature on the number of illegal immigrants in South Africa and the supposed impact. The article then explores literature on international movements and discusses established migration frameworks that explain and interpret these movements. Lastly, to confirm some facts arising from the review, we interviewed officials that manage illegal immigration as well as detained immigrants. We establish that four migration streams that have created a blended society in Southern Africa sparked illegal immigration into South Africa. The article conclude that the problem of illegal immigration into South Africa is perpetuated by deep-rooted migration networks. Therefore, if the South African Government wants to avert illegal immigration, its policy-makers should examine these roots and take them into account to arrive at a solution that is in sync with the root causes of the problem.

  12. Using eye movements as an index of implicit face recognition in autism spectrum disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hedley, Darren; Young, Robyn; Brewer, Neil

    2012-10-01

    Individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) typically show impairment on face recognition tasks. Performance has usually been assessed using overt, explicit recognition tasks. Here, a complementary method involving eye tracking was used to examine implicit face recognition in participants with ASD and in an intelligence quotient-matched non-ASD control group. Differences in eye movement indices between target and foil faces were used as an indicator of implicit face recognition. Explicit face recognition was assessed using old-new discrimination and reaction time measures. Stimuli were faces of studied (target) or unfamiliar (foil) persons. Target images at test were either identical to the images presented at study or altered by changing the lighting, pose, or by masking with visual noise. Participants with ASD performed worse than controls on the explicit recognition task. Eye movement-based measures, however, indicated that implicit recognition may not be affected to the same degree as explicit recognition. Autism Res 2012, 5: 363-379. © 2012 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2012 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  13. A role of the human thalamus in predicting the perceptual consequences of eye movements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ostendorf, Florian; Liebermann, Daniela; Ploner, Christoph J

    2013-01-01

    Internal monitoring of oculomotor commands may help to anticipate and keep track of changes in perceptual input imposed by our eye movements. Neurophysiological studies in non-human primates identified corollary discharge (CD) signals of oculomotor commands that are conveyed via thalamus to frontal cortices. We tested whether disruption of these monitoring pathways on the thalamic level impairs the perceptual matching of visual input before and after an eye movement in human subjects. Fourteen patients with focal thalamic stroke and 20 healthy control subjects performed a task requiring a perceptual judgment across eye movements. Subjects reported the apparent displacement of a target cue that jumped unpredictably in sync with a saccadic eye movement. In a critical condition of this task, six patients exhibited clearly asymmetric perceptual performance for rightward vs. leftward saccade direction. Furthermore, perceptual judgments in seven patients systematically depended on oculomotor targeting errors, with self-generated targeting errors erroneously attributed to external stimulus jumps. Voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping identified an area in right central thalamus as critical for the perceptual matching of visual space across eye movements. Our findings suggest that trans-thalamic CD transmission decisively contributes to a correct prediction of the perceptual consequences of oculomotor actions.

  14. A role of the human thalamus in predicting the perceptual consequences of eye movements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Florian eOstendorf

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available Internal monitoring of oculomotor commands may help to anticipate and keep track of changes in perceptual input imposed by our eye movements. Neurophysiological studies in non-human primates identified corollary discharge signals of oculomotor commands that are conveyed via thalamus to frontal cortices. We tested whether disruption of these monitoring pathways on the thalamic level impairs the perceptual matching of visual input before and after an eye movement in human subjects. Fourteen patients with focal thalamic stroke and twenty healthy control subjects performed a task requiring a perceptual judgment across eye movements. Subjects reported the apparent displacement of a target cue that jumped unpredictably in sync with a saccadic eye movement. In a critical condition of this task, six patients exhibited clearly asymmetric perceptual performance for rightward versus leftward saccade direction. Furthermore, perceptual judgments in seven patients systematically depended on oculomotor targeting errors, with self-generated targeting errors erroneously attributed to external stimulus jumps. Voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping identified an area in right central thalamus as critical for the perceptual matching of visual space across eye movements. Our findings suggest that trans-thalamic corollary discharge transmission decisively contributes to a correct prediction of the perceptual consequences of oculomotor actions.

  15. [Internationalism and science. Social and scientific bases of the European information science movement].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olague de Ros, G; Menendez Navarro, A; Medina Domenech, R M; Astrain Gallart, M

    1997-01-01

    As part of a continuing line of research on scientific documentation we propose in this article a novel approach to the study of the European information science movement at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries. We suggest that this movement took place within the context of increasing internationalism of scientific endeavours, a process which was paralleled by the standardization of units, weight and measures for the different sciences. We investigate problems arising from scientific communication in connection with other aspects apparently unrelated to Information Science. Specifically, we refer to conflicts between nationalism and colonialism; concordance and discord between science policy and the corporate interests of nonscientific associations; higher educational policy; the professionalization of sciences; and the economic interests at stake as a consequence of the use of different information models.

  16. Mechanical energy expenditures and movement efficiency in full body reaching movements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sha, Daohang; France, Christopher R; Thomas, James S

    2010-02-01

    The effect of target location, speed, and handedness on the average total mechanical energy and movement efficiency is studied in 15 healthy subjects (7 males and 8 females with age 22.9 +/- 1.79 years old) performing full body reaching movements. The average total mechanical energy is measured as the time average of integration of joint power, potential energy, and kinetic energy respectively. Movement efficiency is calculated as the ratio of total kinetic energy to the total joint power and potential energy. Results show that speed and target location have significant effects on total mechanical energy and movement efficiency, but reaching hand only effects kinetic energy. From our findings we conclude that (1) efficiency in whole body reaching is dependent on whether the height of the body center of mass is raised or lowered during the task; (2) efficiency is increased as movement speed is increased, in part because of greater changes in potential energy; and (3) the CNS does not appear to use movement efficiency as a primary planning variable in full body reaching. It may be dependent on a combination of other factors or constraints.

  17. Movement Demands of Elite U20 International Rugby Union Players

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drawer, Scott; Eager, Robin; Taylor, Neil; Cook, Christian

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to quantify movement demands of elite international age grade (U20) rugby union players during competitive tournament match play. Forty elite professional players from an U20 international performance squad were monitored using 10Hz global positioning systems (GPS) during 15 international tournament matches during the 2014/15 and 2015/16 seasons. Data on distances, velocities, accelerations, decelerations, high metabolic load (HML) distance and efforts, and number of sprints were derived. Data files from players who played over 60 min (n = 161) were separated firstly into Forwards and Backs, and more specifically into six positional groups; FR—Front Row (prop & hooker), SR—Second Row, BR—Back Row (Flankers & No.8), HB—Half Backs (scrum half & outside half), MF—Midfield (centres), B3 –Back Three (wings & full back) for match analysis. Analysis revealed significant differences between forwards and backs positions. Backs scored higher on all variables measured with the exception of number of moderate accelerations, decelerations (no difference). The centres covered the greatest total distance with the front row covering the least (6.51 ± 0.71 vs 4.97 ± 0.75 km, p rugby union players specific to positional roles. PMID:27055230

  18. Respiration-induced movement correlation for synchronous noninvasive renal cancer surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abhilash, Rakkunedeth H; Chauhan, Sunita

    2012-07-01

    Noninvasive surgery (NIS), such as high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU)-based ablation or radiosurgery, is used for treating tumors and cancers in various parts of the body. The soft tissue targets (usually organs) deform and move as a result of physiological processes such as respiration. Moreover, other deformations induced during surgery by changes in patient position, changes in physical properties caused by repeated exposures and uncertainties resulting from cavitation also occur. In this paper, we present a correlation-based movement prediction technique to address respiration-induced movement of the urological organs while targeting through extracorporeal trans-abdominal route access. Among other organs, kidneys are worst affected during respiratory cycles, with significant three-dimensional displacements observed on the order of 20 mm. Remote access to renal targets such as renal carcinomas and cysts during noninvasive surgery, therefore, requires a tightly controlled real-time motion tracking and quantitative estimate for compensation routine to synchronize the energy source(s) for precise energy delivery to the intended regions. The correlation model finds a mapping between the movement patterns of external skin markers placed on the abdominal access window and the internal movement of the targeted kidney. The coarse estimate of position is then fine-tuned using the Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS), thereby achieving a nonlinear mapping. The technical issues involved in this tracking scheme are threefold: the model must have sufficient accuracy in mapping the movement pattern; there must be an image-based tracking scheme to provide the organ position within allowable system latency; and the processing delay resulting from modeling and tracking must be within the achievable prediction horizon to accommodate the latency in the therapeutic delivery system. The concept was tested on ultrasound image sequences collected from 20 healthy

  19. Storage rings, internal targets and PEP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spencer, J.E.

    1986-11-01

    Storage rings with internal targets are described, using PEP as an example. The difference between electrons and heavier particles such as protons, antiprotons, and heavy ions is also discussed because it raises possibilities of bypass insertions for more exotic experiments. PEP is compared to other rings in various contexts to verify the assertion that it is an ideal ring for many fundamental and practical applications that can be carried on simultaneously

  20. Dynamic functional coupling of high resolution EEG potentials related to unilateral internally triggered one-digit movements.

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    1998-06-01

    Between-electrode cross-covariances of delta (0-3 Hz)- and theta (4-7 Hz)-filtered high resolution EEG potentials related to preparation, initiation. and execution of human unilateral internally triggered one-digit movements were computed to investigate statistical dynamic coupling between these potentials. Significant (P planning, starting, and performance of unilateral movement. The involvement of these cortical areas is supported by the observation that averaged spatially enhanced delta- and theta-bandpassed potentials were computed from the scalp regions where task-related electrical activation of primary sensorimotor areas and supplementary motor area was roughly represented.

  1. Reprogramming movements: Extraction of motor intentions from cortical ensemble activity when movement goals change

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peter James Ifft

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available The ability to inhibit unwanted movements and change motor plans is essential for behaviors of advanced organisms. The neural mechanisms by which the primate motor system rejects undesired actions have received much attention during the last decade, but it is not well understood how this neural function could be utilized to improve the efficiency of brain-machine interfaces (BMIs. Here we employed linear discriminant analysis (LDA and a Wiener filter to extract motor plan transitions from the activity of ensembles of sensorimotor cortex neurons. Two rhesus monkeys, chronically implanted with multielectrode arrays in primary motor (M1 and primary sensory (S1 cortices, were overtrained to produce reaching movements with a joystick towards visual targets upon their presentation. Then, the behavioral task was modified to include a distracting target that flashed for 50, 150 or 250 ms (25% of trials each followed by the true target that appeared at a different screen location. In the remaining 25% of trials, the initial target stayed on the screen and was the target to be approached. M1 and S1 neuronal activity represented both the true and distracting targets, even for the shortest duration of the distracting event. This dual representation persisted both when the monkey initiated movements towards the distracting target and then made corrections and when they moved directly towards the second, true target. The Wiener filter effectively decoded the location of the true target, whereas the LDA classifier extracted the location of both targets from ensembles of 50-250 neurons. Based on these results, we suggest developing real-time BMIs that inhibit unwanted movements represented by brain activity while enacting the desired motor outcome concomitantly.

  2. Hashtagging Politics: Transnational Anti-Fracking Movement Twitter Practices

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jill E. Hopke

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available I examine a 2-week window into an environmental movement trying to gain traction in the public sphere, centered on a transnational day of action calling for a ban on the drilling technology, high-volume hydraulic fracturing, the Global Frackdown. Twitter serves a different purpose for the anti-fracking Global Frackdown movement than other Internet-based communications, most notably email listservs. Findings show that Global Frackdown tweeters engage in framing practices of movement convergence and solidarity, declarative and targeted engagement, prefabricated messaging, and multilingual tweeting. In contrast to Global Frackdown tweeters’ use of the platform for in-the-moment communication, Global Frackdown activists report in in-depth interviews that they place more emphasis on private (i.e., listservs communication channels for longer term, durable movement building. The episodic, crowdsourced, and often personalized, transnational framing practices of Global Frackdown tweeters support core organizers’ goal of promoting the globalness of activism to ban fracking. This research extends past scholarship on socially mediated activism by providing a case study of how environmental activists use Twitter for ephemeral movement communication during a pre-planned transnational day of action, blurring internal movement collective identity-building and affirmation with publicly enacted strategic framing.

  3. A Large-Acceptance Detector System for Electron Scattering from Polarized Internal targets.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Passchier, E.; Bouwhuis, M.; Choi, S.; Zhou, Z.L.; Alarcon, R.; Anghinolfi, M.; Botto, T.; van den Brand, J.F.J.; Bulten, H.J.; Dimitroyannis, D.; Doets, M.; Ent, R.; Ferro Luzzi, M.M.E.; Higinbotham, D.W.; de Jager, C.W.; Lang, J.; de Lange, D.J.; Nikolenko, D.; Nooren, G.J.; Papadakis, N.; Passchier, I.; Popov, S.G.; Rachek, I.; Ripani, M.; Steijger, J.J.M.; Taiuti, M.; Vodinas, N.; de Vries, H.

    1997-01-01

    The design and the performance of a non-magnetic detector setup for internal target physics at the NIKHEF electron-scattering facility is described. The detector setup, used in the first internal-target experiment at the AmPS ring, measures the spin dependence in the elastic and break-up reaction

  4. Investigations of internal noise levels for different target sizes, contrasts, and noise structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Minah; Choi, Shinkook; Baek, Jongduk

    2014-03-01

    To describe internal noise levels for different target sizes, contrasts, and noise structures, Gaussian targets with four different sizes (i.e., standard deviation of 2,4,6 and 8) and three different noise structures(i.e., white, low-pass, and highpass) were generated. The generated noise images were scaled to have standard deviation of 0.15. For each noise type, target contrasts were adjusted to have the same detectability based on NPW, and the detectability of CHO was calculated accordingly. For human observer study, 3 trained observers performed 2AFC detection tasks, and correction rate, Pc, was calculated for each task. By adding proper internal noise level to numerical observer (i.e., NPW and CHO), detectability of human observer was matched with that of numerical observers. Even though target contrasts were adjusted to have the same detectability of NPW observer, detectability of human observer decreases as the target size increases. The internal noise level varies for different target sizes, contrasts, and noise structures, demonstrating different internal noise levels should be considered in numerical observer to predict the detection performance of human observer.

  5. Evaluating camouflage design using eye movement data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Chiuhsiang Joe; Chang, Chi-Chan; Lee, Yung-Hui

    2014-05-01

    This study investigates the characteristics of eye movements during a camouflaged target search task. Camouflaged targets were randomly presented on two natural landscapes. The performance of each camouflage design was assessed by target detection hit rate, detection time, number of fixations on display, first saccade amplitude to target, number of fixations on target, fixation duration on target, and subjective ratings of search task difficulty. The results showed that the camouflage patterns could significantly affect the eye-movement behavior, especially first saccade amplitude and fixation duration, and the findings could be used to increase the sensitivity of the camouflage assessment. We hypothesized that the assessment could be made with regard to the differences in detectability and discriminability of the camouflage patterns. These could explain less efficient search behavior in eye movements. Overall, data obtained from eye movements can be used to significantly enhance the interpretation of the effects of different camouflage design. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

  6. Gamma knife radiosurgery in movement disorders: Indications and limitations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Higuchi, Yoshinori; Matsuda, Shinji; Serizawa, Toru

    2017-01-01

    Functional radiosurgery has advanced steadily during the past half century since the development of the gamma knife technique for treating intractable cancer pain. Applications of radiosurgery for intracranial diseases have increased with a focus on understanding radiobiology. Currently, the use of gamma knife radiosurgery to ablate deep brain structures is not widespread because visualization of the functional targets remains difficult despite the increased availability of advanced neuroimaging technology. Moreover, most existing reports have a small sample size or are retrospective. However, increased experience with intraoperative neurophysiological evaluations in radiofrequency thalamotomy and deep brain stimulation supports anatomical and neurophysiological approaches to the ventralis intermedius nucleus. Two recent prospective studies have promoted the clinical application of functional radiosurgery for movement disorders. For example, unilateral gamma knife thalamotomy is a potential alternative to radiofrequency thalamotomy and deep brain stimulation techniques for intractable tremor patients with contraindications for surgery. Despite the promising efficacy of gamma knife thalamotomy, however, these studies did not include sufficient follow-up to confirm long-term effects. Herein, we review the radiobiology literature, various techniques, and the treatment efficacy of gamma knife radiosurgery for patients with movement disorders. Future research should focus on randomized controlled studies and long-term effects. © 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. © 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

  7. Eye movements in interception with delayed visual feedback.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cámara, Clara; de la Malla, Cristina; López-Moliner, Joan; Brenner, Eli

    2018-04-19

    The increased reliance on electronic devices such as smartphones in our everyday life exposes us to various delays between our actions and their consequences. Whereas it is known that people can adapt to such delays, the mechanisms underlying such adaptation remain unclear. To better understand these mechanisms, the current study explored the role of eye movements in interception with delayed visual feedback. In two experiments, eye movements were recorded as participants tried to intercept a moving target with their unseen finger while receiving delayed visual feedback about their own movement. In Experiment 1, the target randomly moved in one of two different directions at one of two different velocities. The delay between the participant's finger movement and movement of the cursor that provided feedback about the finger movements was gradually increased. Despite the delay, participants followed the target with their gaze. They were quite successful at hitting the target with the cursor. Thus, they moved their finger to a position that was ahead of where they were looking. Removing the feedback showed that participants had adapted to the delay. In Experiment 2, the target always moved in the same direction and at the same velocity, while the cursor's delay varied across trials. Participants still always directed their gaze at the target. They adjusted their movement to the delay on each trial, often succeeding to intercept the target with the cursor. Since their gaze was always directed at the target, and they could not know the delay until the cursor started moving, participants must have been using peripheral vision of the delayed cursor to guide it to the target. Thus, people deal with delays by directing their gaze at the target and using both experience from previous trials (Experiment 1) and peripheral visual information (Experiment 2) to guide their finger in a way that will make the cursor hit the target.

  8. Low-Z internal target from a cryogenically cooled liquid microjet source

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kuehnel, M.; Petridis, N. [Institut fuer Kernphysik, J.W. Goethe-Universitaet, Max-von-Laue-Str. 1, 60438 Frankfurt (Germany); Winters, D.F.A. [GSI, Planckstr. 1, 64291 (Germany); Physikalisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls-Universitaet, Philosophenweg 12, 69120 Heidelberg (Germany); Popp, U. [GSI, Planckstr. 1, 64291 (Germany); Doerner, R. [Institut fuer Kernphysik, J.W. Goethe-Universitaet, Max-von-Laue-Str. 1, 60438 Frankfurt a. M. (Germany); Stoehlker, Th. [GSI, Planckstr. 1, 64291 (Germany); Physikalisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls-Universitaet, Philosophenweg 12, 69120 Heidelberg (Germany); Grisenti, R.E. [Institut fuer Kernphysik, J.W. Goethe-Universitaet, Max-von-Laue-Str. 1, 60438 Frankfurt (Germany); GSI, Planckstr. 1, 64291 (Germany)], E-mail: grisenti@atom.uni-frankfurt.de

    2009-04-21

    We carried out an extensive investigation on the production of cryogenically cooled liquid hydrogen and helium droplet beams at the experimental storage ring at GSI with the goal to achieve high area densities for these low-Z internal targets. Our results show that an area density of up to 10{sup 14}cm{sup -2} is achieved for both light gases by expanding the liquid through sub-10 {mu}m diameter nozzles. The achieved area density is comparable with the previous results for the hydrogen internal target and represents an improvement by about four orders of magnitude for the helium target.

  9. Low-Z internal target from a cryogenically cooled liquid microjet source

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuehnel, M.; Petridis, N.; Winters, D.F.A.; Popp, U.; Doerner, R.; Stoehlker, Th.; Grisenti, R.E.

    2009-01-01

    We carried out an extensive investigation on the production of cryogenically cooled liquid hydrogen and helium droplet beams at the experimental storage ring at GSI with the goal to achieve high area densities for these low-Z internal targets. Our results show that an area density of up to 10 14 cm -2 is achieved for both light gases by expanding the liquid through sub-10 μm diameter nozzles. The achieved area density is comparable with the previous results for the hydrogen internal target and represents an improvement by about four orders of magnitude for the helium target.

  10. A mathematical model of single target site location by Brownian movement in subcellular compartments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuthan, Hartmut

    2003-03-07

    The location of distinct sites is mandatory for many cellular processes. In the subcompartments of the cell nucleus, only very small numbers of diffusing macromolecules and specific target sites of some types may be present. In this case, we are faced with the Brownian movement of individual macromolecules and their "random search" for single/few specific target sites, rather than bulk-averaged diffusion and multiple sites. In this article, I consider the location of a distant central target site, e.g. a globular protein, by individual macromolecules executing unbiased (i.e. drift-free) random walks in a spherical compartment. For this walk-and-capture model, the closed-form analytic solution of the first passage time probability density function (p.d.f.) has been obtained as well as the first and second moment. In the limit of a large ratio of the radii of the spherical diffusion space and central target, well-known relations for the variance and the first two moments for the exponential p.d.f. were found to hold with high accuracy. These calculations reinforce earlier numerical results and Monte Carlo simulations. A major implication derivable from the model is that non-directed random movement is an effective means for locating single sites in submicron-sized compartments, even when the diffusion coefficients are comparatively small and the diffusing species are present in one copy only. These theoretical conclusions are underscored numerically for effective diffusion constants ranging from 0.5 to 10.0 microm(2) s(-1), which have been reported for a couple of nuclear proteins in their physiological environment. Spherical compartments of submicron size are, for example, the Cajal bodies (size: 0.1-1.0 microm), which are present in 1-5 copies in the cell nucleus. Within a small Cajal body of radius 0.1 microm a single diffusing protein molecule (with D=0.5 microm(2) s(-1)) would encounter a medium-sized protein of radius 2.5 nm within 1 s with a probability near

  11. THE INTERNATIONAL WALDORF SCHOOL MOVEMENT.

    Science.gov (United States)

    VON BARAVALLE, HERMANN

    AN HISTORICAL REVIEW OF THE WALDORF SCHOOL PLAN TRACES THE MOVEMENT FROM ITS FOUNDING IN STUTTGART, GERMANY IN 1919, BY THE WALDORF ASTORIA COMPANY AND UNDER THE DIRECTION OF RUDOLF STEINER, TO ITS INTRODUCTION INTO SWITZERLAND, OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES, THE AMERICAS, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, AND SOUTH AFRICA, A TOTAL OF 175 SCHOOLS AS OF 1963. THE…

  12. Motion-specific internal target volumes for FDG-avid mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lamb, James M.; Robinson, Clifford G.; Bradley, Jeffrey D.; Low, Daniel A.

    2013-01-01

    Background and purpose: To quantify the benefit of motion-specific internal target volumes for FDG-avid mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes generated using 4D-PET, vs. conventional internal target volumes generated using non-respiratory gated PET and 4D-CT scans. Materials and methods: Five patients with FDG-avid tumors metastatic to 11 hilar or mediastinal lymph nodes were imaged with respiratory-correlated FDG-PET (4D-PET) and 4D-CT. FDG-avid nodes were contoured by a radiation oncologist in two ways. Standard-of-care volumes were contoured using conventional un-gated PET, 4D-CT, and breath-hold CT. A second, motion-specific, set of volumes were contoured using 4D-PET.Contours based on 4D-PET corresponded directly to an internal target volume (ITV 4D ), whereas contours based on un-gated PET were expanded by a series of exploratory isotropic margins (from 5 to 13 mm) based on literature recommendations on lymph node motion to form internal target volumes (ITV 3D ). Results: A 13 mm expansion of the un-gated PET nodal volume was needed to cover the ITV 4D for 10 of 11 nodes studied. The ITV 3D based on a 13 mm expansion included on average 45 cm 3 of tissue that was not included in the ITV 4D . Conclusions: Motion-specific lymph-node internal target volumes generated from 4D-PET imaging could be used to improve accuracy and/or reduce normal-tissue irradiation compared to the standard-of-care un-gated PET based internal target volumes

  13. Potentialities of the internal target station at the Nuclotron

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Malakhov, A.I.; Afanasiev, S.V.; Anisimov, Yu.S.; Artiomov, A.S.; Bazilev, S.N.; Khrenov, A.N.; Kliman, J.; Krasnov, V.A.; Matousek, V.; Morhac, M. E-mail: fyzimiro@savba.sk; Starikov, A.Yu.; Shabunov, A.V.; Slepnev, V.M.; Turzo, I

    2000-02-01

    The potentialities of the internal target station used in physics experiments at the Nuclotron, as well as its construction, hardware and software configurations are described. The remote control of the station is performed by means of a PC and is based on operative presentation of the magnetic field cycle, the beam parameters and the target position on screen. Consequently, the space-time trajectory of motion of a chosen target can be determined in an interactive way by an operator. During the accelerator operation the motion is carried out by means of a stepper motor.

  14. Test of internal halo targets in the HERA proton ring

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hast, C.; Hofmann, W.; Khan, S.; Knoepfle, K.T.; Reber, M.; Rieling, J.; Spahn, M.; Spengler, J.; Lohse, T.; Pugatch, V.

    1994-07-01

    Internal wire targets in the halo of stored proton beams provide a line source of proton-nucleus interactions for highest-rate fixed target experiments. We have studied such internal halo targets at the 820 GeV proton ring of the HERA ep collider. The tests showed that most of the protons in the beam halo - which would otherwise hit the collimators - can be brought to interaction in a relatively thin target wire at distances of 7 to 8 beam widths from the center of the beam. At less than 10% of the HERA total design current, and less than 20% of the current per bunch, interaction rates up to 8 MHz were observed, corresponding to more than 2 interactions per bunch crossing. The halo targets were used in parallel to the HERA luminosity operation; no significant disturbances of the HERA ep experiments, of the machine stability or beam quality were observed. We present data on the steady-state and transient behaviour of interaction rates and discuss the interpretation in terms of a simple beam dynamics model. Issues of short-, medium- and long-term rate fluctuations and of rate stabilization by feedback are addressed. (orig.)

  15. Test of internal halo targets in the HERA proton ring

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hast, C.; Hofmann, W.; Khan, S.; Knoepfle, K.T.; Reber, M.; Rieling, J.; Spahn, M.; Spengler, J.; Lohse, T.; Pugatch, V.

    1995-01-01

    Internal wire targets in the halo of stored proton beams provide a line source of proton-nucleus interactions for highest-rate fixed target experiments. We have studied such internal halo targets at the 820 GeV proton ring of the HERA ep collider. The tests showed that most of the protons in the beam halo - which would otherwise hit the collimators - can be brought to interaction in a relatively thin target wire at distances of 7 to 8 beam widths from the center of the beam. At less than 10% of the HERA total design current, and less than 20% of the current per bunch, interaction rates up to 8 MHz were observed, corresponding to more than 2 interactions per bunch crossing. The halo targets were used in parallel to the HERA luminosity operation; no significant disturbances of the HERA ep experiments, of the machine stability or beam quality were observed. We present data on the steady-state and transient behaviour of interaction rates and discuss the interpretation in terms of a simple beam dynamics model. Issues of short-, medium- and long-term rate fluctuations and of rate stabilization by feedback are addressed. ((orig.))

  16. Effect of an internal target on the beam behaviour in a storage ring

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Diehl, N.

    1988-04-01

    For the study of the effects of an internal target on the beam behaviour in a storage ring a Monte Carlo simulation program was developed. Special importance was attached to the ranges of validity of the used models. The dominating effects are the Coulomb scattering of the projectiles on the target nuclei, which lead to an angular dispersion, and the collisions of the projectiles on the electrons of the target atoms which cause an energy loss. The target effects are regarded in the simulation program. The simulation calculations for the storage ring COSY give cause for the hope that experiments with internal targets because of high luminosity represent an interesting alternative in spite of thin targets. (orig./HSI) [de

  17. Movement Demands of Elite Under-20s and Senior International Rugby Union Players.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel J Cunningham

    Full Text Available This study compared the movement demands of elite international Under-20 age grade (U20s and senior international rugby union players during competitive tournament match play. Forty elite professional players from an U20 and 27 elite professional senior players from international performance squads were monitored using 10Hz global positioning systems (GPS during 15 (U20s and 8 (senior international tournament matches during the 2014 and 2015 seasons. Data on distances, velocities, accelerations, decelerations, high metabolic load (HML distance and efforts, and number of sprints were derived. Data files from players who played over 60 min (n = 258 were separated firstly into Forwards and Backs, and more specifically into six positional groups; FR-Front Row (prop & hooker, SR-Second Row, BR-Back Row (Flankers & No.8, HB-Half Backs (scrum half & outside half, MF-Midfield (centres, B3 -Back Three (wings & full back for match analysis. Linear mixed models revealed significant differences between U20 and senior teams in both the forwards and backs. In the forwards the seniors covered greater HML distance (736.4 ± 280.3 vs 701.3 ± 198.7m, p = 0.01 and severe decelerations (2.38 ± 2.2 vs 2.28 ± 1.65, p = 0.05 compared to the U20s, but performed less relative HSR (3.1 ± 1.6 vs 3.2 ± 1.5, p < 0.01, moderate (19.4 ± 10.5 vs 23.6 ± 10.5, p = 0.01 and high accelerations (2.2 ± 1.9 vs 4.3 ± 2.7, p < 0.01 and sprint•min-1 (0.11 ± 0.06 vs 0.11 ± 0.05, p < 0.01. Senior backs covered a greater relative distance (73.3 ± 8.1 vs 69.1 ± 7.6 m•min-1, p < 0.01, greater High Metabolic Load (HML distance (1138.0 ± 233.5 vs 1060.4 ± 218.1m, p < 0.01, HML efforts (112.7 ± 22.2 vs 98.8 ± 21.7, p < 0.01 and heavy decelerations (9.9 ± 4.3 vs 9.5 ± 4.4, p = 0.04 than the U20s backs. However, the U20s backs performed more relative HSR (7.3 ± 2.1 vs 7.2 ± 2.1, p <0.01 and sprint•min-1 (0.26 ± 0.07 vs 0.25 ± 0.07, p < 0.01. Further investigation

  18. Consensus Statement on the classification of tremors. from the task force on tremor of the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhatia, Kailash P; Bain, Peter; Bajaj, Nin; Elble, Rodger J; Hallett, Mark; Louis, Elan D; Raethjen, Jan; Stamelou, Maria; Testa, Claudia M; Deuschl, Guenther

    2018-01-01

    Consensus criteria for classifying tremor disorders were published by the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society in 1998. Subsequent advances with regard to essential tremor, tremor associated with dystonia, and other monosymptomatic and indeterminate tremors make a significant revision necessary. Convene an international panel of experienced investigators to review the definition and classification of tremor. Computerized MEDLINE searches in January 2013 and 2015 were conducted using a combination of text words and MeSH terms: "tremor", "tremor disorders", "essential tremor", "dystonic tremor", and "classification" limited to human studies. Agreement was obtained using consensus development methodology during four in-person meetings, two teleconferences, and numerous manuscript reviews. Tremor is defined as an involuntary, rhythmic, oscillatory movement of a body part and is classified along two axes: Axis 1-clinical characteristics, including historical features (age at onset, family history, and temporal evolution), tremor characteristics (body distribution, activation condition), associated signs (systemic, neurological), and laboratory tests (electrophysiology, imaging); and Axis 2-etiology (acquired, genetic, or idiopathic). Tremor syndromes, consisting of either isolated tremor or tremor combined with other clinical features, are defined within Axis 1. This classification scheme retains the currently accepted tremor syndromes, including essential tremor, and provides a framework for defining new syndromes. This approach should be particularly useful in elucidating isolated tremor syndromes and syndromes consisting of tremor and other signs of uncertain significance. Consistently defined Axis 1 syndromes are needed to facilitate the elucidation of specific etiologies in Axis 2. © 2017 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. © 2017 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

  19. Degeneration of rapid eye movement sleep circuitry underlies rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKenna, Dillon; Peever, John

    2017-05-01

    During healthy rapid eye movement sleep, skeletal muscles are actively forced into a state of motor paralysis. However, in rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder-a relatively common neurological disorder-this natural process is lost. A lack of motor paralysis (atonia) in rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder allows individuals to actively move, which at times can be excessive and violent. At first glance this may sound harmless, but it is not because rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder patients frequently injure themselves or the person they sleep with. It is hypothesized that the degeneration or dysfunction of the brain stem circuits that control rapid eye movement sleep paralysis is an underlying cause of rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder. The link between brain stem degeneration and rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder stems from the fact that rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder precedes, in the majority (∼80%) of cases, the development of synucleinopathies such as Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple system atrophy, which are known to initially cause degeneration in the caudal brain stem structures where rapid eye movement sleep circuits are located. Furthermore, basic science and clinical evidence demonstrate that lesions within the rapid eye movement sleep circuits can induce rapid eye movement sleep-specific motor deficits that are virtually identical to those observed in rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder. This review examines the evidence that rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder is caused by synucleinopathic neurodegeneration of the core brain stem circuits that control healthy rapid eye movement sleep and concludes that rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder is not a separate clinical entity from synucleinopathies but, rather, it is the earliest symptom of these disorders. © 2017 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. © 2017 International Parkinson and

  20. Sleep-related movement disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merlino, Giovanni; Gigli, Gian Luigi

    2012-06-01

    Several movement disorders may occur during nocturnal rest disrupting sleep. A part of these complaints is characterized by relatively simple, non-purposeful and usually stereotyped movements. The last version of the International Classification of Sleep Disorders includes these clinical conditions (i.e. restless legs syndrome, periodic limb movement disorder, sleep-related leg cramps, sleep-related bruxism and sleep-related rhythmic movement disorder) under the category entitled sleep-related movement disorders. Moreover, apparently physiological movements (e.g. alternating leg muscle activation and excessive hypnic fragmentary myoclonus) can show a high frequency and severity impairing sleep quality. Clinical and, in specific cases, neurophysiological assessments are required to detect the presence of nocturnal movement complaints. Patients reporting poor sleep due to these abnormal movements should undergo non-pharmacological or pharmacological treatments.

  1. Grassroots engagement with transition to sustainability: diversity and modes of participation in the international permaculture movement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rafter Sass. Ferguson

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Grassroots networks and social movements are increasingly regarded as agents of change that can help respond to environmental degradation both by generating novel solutions to existing problems and influencing institutions toward more substantive responses. We examine permaculture, an international movement that, despite its broad international distribution and relatively high public profile, has received little systematic scrutiny in the scientific literature. We attempt to remedy that gap by conducting a broad international (though English-only survey of 731 permaculture participants, and assessing the socio-demographic characteristics of the movement.  The survey examined self-identified roles of permaculture participants and explored the relationships between those roles and socio-demographic factors race, gender, and socioeconomic status. The influence of structural factors on participant roles was examined by including multidimensional national indices development, inequality, and ecosystem vitality, for the 45 countries in the sample. Results showed the participation of women at or above parity (53%, while participation by race showed a white supermajority (96%. Multivariate regression demonstrated that race, gender, and socioeconomic status are shaping participation in distinct ways and that each interact with structural factors. The effects of gender on social roles varied with ecosystem vitality, with women scoring higher than men in countries with high levels of ecosystem vitality, and the reverse where ecosystem vitality was low. The observed effect of race on practice varied with national inequality, such that the scores of respondents of color were equivalent to white respondents in countries with the least inequality, but descended as inequality increased, while whites were unaffected. Different indicators of socioeconomic status depressed and amplified different dimensions of participation. Results point toward a theoretical

  2. A movement ecology paradigm for unifying organismal movement research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nathan, Ran; Getz, Wayne M; Revilla, Eloy; Holyoak, Marcel; Kadmon, Ronen; Saltz, David; Smouse, Peter E

    2008-12-09

    Movement of individual organisms is fundamental to life, quilting our planet in a rich tapestry of phenomena with diverse implications for ecosystems and humans. Movement research is both plentiful and insightful, and recent methodological advances facilitate obtaining a detailed view of individual movement. Yet, we lack a general unifying paradigm, derived from first principles, which can place movement studies within a common context and advance the development of a mature scientific discipline. This introductory article to the Movement Ecology Special Feature proposes a paradigm that integrates conceptual, theoretical, methodological, and empirical frameworks for studying movement of all organisms, from microbes to trees to elephants. We introduce a conceptual framework depicting the interplay among four basic mechanistic components of organismal movement: the internal state (why move?), motion (how to move?), and navigation (when and where to move?) capacities of the individual and the external factors affecting movement. We demonstrate how the proposed framework aids the study of various taxa and movement types; promotes the formulation of hypotheses about movement; and complements existing biomechanical, cognitive, random, and optimality paradigms of movement. The proposed framework integrates eclectic research on movement into a structured paradigm and aims at providing a basis for hypothesis generation and a vehicle facilitating the understanding of the causes, mechanisms, and spatiotemporal patterns of movement and their role in various ecological and evolutionary processes. "Now we must consider in general the common reason for moving with any movement whatever." (Aristotle, De Motu Animalium, 4th century B.C.).

  3. Endpoints of arm movements to visual targets

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van den Dobbelsteen, John; Brenner, Eli; Smeets, Jeroen B J

    2001-01-01

    Reaching out for objects with an unseen arm involves using both visual and kinesthetic information. Neither visual nor kinesthetic information is perfect. Each is subject to both constant and variable errors. To evaluate how such errors influence performance in natural goal-directed movements, we

  4. Goal-selection and movement-related conflict during bimanual reaching movements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diedrichsen, Jörn; Grafton, Scott; Albert, Neil; Hazeltine, Eliot; Ivry, Richard B

    2006-12-01

    Conflict during bimanual movements can arise during the selection of movement goals or during movement planning and execution. We demonstrate a behavioral and neural dissociation of these 2 types of conflict. During functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning, participants performed bimanual reaching movements with symmetric (congruent) or orthogonal (incongruent) trajectories. The required movements were indicated either spatially, by illuminating the targets, or symbolically, using centrally presented letters. The processing of symbolic cues led to increased activation in a left hemisphere network including the intraparietal sulcus, premotor cortex, and inferior frontal gyrus. Reaction time cost for incongruent movements was substantially larger for symbolic than for spatial cues, indicating that the cost was primarily associated with the selection and assignment of movement goals, demands that are minimized when goals are directly specified by spatial cues. This goal-selection conflict increased activity in the pre-supplementary motor area and cingulate motor areas. Both cueing conditions led to larger activation for incongruent movements in the convexity of the superior parietal cortex, bilaterally, making this region a likely neural site for conflict that arises during the planning and execution of bimanual movements. These results suggest distinct neural loci for 2 forms of constraint on our ability to perform bimanual reaching movements.

  5. Social movements and the construction of crisis actors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bourne, Angela; Chatzopoulou, Sevasti

    2015-01-01

    of social movements occurs when they collaborate with similar movements in other countries, claim a European identity, invoke Europe-wide solidarity, contest authorities beyond the state and ascribe responsibility for solving the crisis to European Union (EU). By targeting EU authorities, social movements......This article examines the Europeanization of social movements following the European sovereign debt crisis. It develops a theoretical framework to measure degrees of social movement Europeanization, incorporating targets, participants, and issue frame dimensions of mobilization. Europeanization...... may contribute to the construction of the EU as a crisis actor and through deliberative processes define the roles and identities of such actors....

  6. Slow extraction from the IHEP accelerator by internal target scattering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maksimov, A.V.

    1994-01-01

    The existing slow extraction system is not able to satisfy the required quality of the beam time structure in the intensity region 10 10 - 10 11 ppp. Calculations on simulation of slow extraction by internal target scattering are presented. Two regime of slow extraction are analysed: nonresonant and resonant extraction by target scattering. Resonant extraction by target scattering is able to ensure intensity of extracted beam up to 10 11 . The agreement between calculations and experimental data is good enough. The calculation of extraction possibility by thin W-target scattering are also presented. In this case the extraction efficiency is about 85%. 15 refs., 6 figs

  7. Independence of Movement Preparation and Movement Initiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haith, Adrian M; Pakpoor, Jina; Krakauer, John W

    2016-03-09

    Initiating a movement in response to a visual stimulus takes significantly longer than might be expected on the basis of neural transmission delays, but it is unclear why. In a visually guided reaching task, we forced human participants to move at lower-than-normal reaction times to test whether normal reaction times are strictly necessary for accurate movement. We found that participants were, in fact, capable of moving accurately ∼80 ms earlier than their reaction times would suggest. Reaction times thus include a seemingly unnecessary delay that accounts for approximately one-third of their duration. Close examination of participants' behavior in conventional reaction-time conditions revealed that they generated occasional, spontaneous errors in trials in which their reaction time was unusually short. The pattern of these errors could be well accounted for by a simple model in which the timing of movement initiation is independent of the timing of movement preparation. This independence provides an explanation for why reaction times are usually so sluggish: delaying the mean time of movement initiation relative to preparation reduces the risk that a movement will be initiated before it has been appropriately prepared. Our results suggest that preparation and initiation of movement are mechanistically independent and may have a distinct neural basis. The results also demonstrate that, even in strongly stimulus-driven tasks, presentation of a stimulus does not directly trigger a movement. Rather, the stimulus appears to trigger an internal decision whether to make a movement, reflecting a volitional rather than reactive mode of control. Copyright © 2016 the authors 0270-6474/16/363007-10$15.00/0.

  8. PC-based control of the internal target station at the Nuclotron

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kilman, J [and others

    1996-12-31

    A PC-based control system of the internal target at the Nuclotron is described. The system is based on CAMAC-control of the step motor of the station and screen representation of information about needed beam parameters and space-time position of targets relative to a beam. 6 refs.; 4 figs.

  9. Laser-driven nuclear-polarized hydrogen internal gas target

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seely, J.; Crawford, C.; Clasie, B.; Xu, W.; Dutta, D.; Gao, H.

    2006-01-01

    We report the performance of a laser-driven polarized internal hydrogen gas target (LDT) in a configuration similar to that used in scattering experiments. This target used the technique of spin-exchange optical pumping to produce nuclear spin polarized hydrogen gas that was fed into a cylindrical storage (target) cell. We present in this paper the performance of the target, methods that were tried to improve the figure-of-merit (FOM) of the target, and a Monte Carlo simulation of spin-exchange optical pumping. The dimensions of the apparatus were optimized using the simulation and the experimental results were in good agreement with the results from the simulation. The best experimental result achieved was at a hydrogen flow rate of 1.1x10 18 atoms/s, where the sample beam exiting the storage cell had 58.2% degree of dissociation and 50.5% polarization. Based on this measurement, the atomic fraction in the storage cell was 49.6% and the density averaged nuclear polarization was 25.0%. This represents the highest FOM for hydrogen from an LDT and is higher than the best FOM reported by atomic beam sources that used storage cells

  10. Target size matters: target errors contribute to the generalization of implicit visuomotor learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reichenthal, Maayan; Avraham, Guy; Karniel, Amir; Shmuelof, Lior

    2016-08-01

    The process of sensorimotor adaptation is considered to be driven by errors. While sensory prediction errors, defined as the difference between the planned and the actual movement of the cursor, drive implicit learning processes, target errors (e.g., the distance of the cursor from the target) are thought to drive explicit learning mechanisms. This distinction was mainly studied in the context of arm reaching tasks where the position and the size of the target were constant. We hypothesize that in a dynamic reaching environment, where subjects have to hit moving targets and the targets' dynamic characteristics affect task success, implicit processes will benefit from target errors as well. We examine the effect of target errors on learning of an unnoticed perturbation during unconstrained reaching movements. Subjects played a Pong game, in which they had to hit a moving ball by moving a paddle controlled by their hand. During the game, the movement of the paddle was gradually rotated with respect to the hand, reaching a final rotation of 25°. Subjects were assigned to one of two groups: The high-target error group played the Pong with a small ball, and the low-target error group played with a big ball. Before and after the Pong game, subjects performed open-loop reaching movements toward static targets with no visual feedback. While both groups adapted to the rotation, the postrotation reaching movements were directionally biased only in the small-ball group. This result provides evidence that implicit adaptation is sensitive to target errors. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

  11. Commissioning experiment of the polarized internal gas target with deuterium at ANKE/COSY

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gou, Boxing [Institut fuer Kernphysik, Forschungszentrum Juelich (Germany); Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou (China); Collaboration: ANKE-Collaboration

    2012-07-01

    In order to conduct the production experiments with polarized deuterium target and (un)polarized proton beam at ANKE/COSY, a commissioning experiment of the polarized internal target with deuterium is imperative. The commissioning experiment includes the measurements of both the vector (Q{sub y}) and tensor (Q{sub yy}) polarization of the deuterium gas target through the nuclear reactions with large and well known analyzing powers, which can be detected in ANKE. The dependence of the polarizations along the storage cell is also determined. The poster presents the physics case for the experiments with deuterium polarized internal target and the apparatus needed for the commissioning experiment, as well as the procedure of extraction for spin observables.

  12. Pressure control of a proton beam-irradiated water target through an internal flow channel-induced thermosyphon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hong, Bong Hwan; Jung, In Su

    2017-07-01

    A water target was designed to enhance cooling efficiency using a thermosyphon, which is a system that uses natural convection to induce heat exchange. Two water targets were fabricated: a square target without any flow channel and a target with a flow channel design to induce a thermosyphon mechanism. These two targets had the same internal volume of 8 ml. First, visualization experiments were performed to observe the internal flow by natural convection. Subsequently, an experiment was conducted to compare the cooling performance of both water targets by measuring the temperature and pressure. A 30-MeV proton beam with a beam current of 20 μA was used to irradiate both targets. Consequently, the target with an internal flow channel had a lower mean temperature and a 50% pressure drop compared to the target without a flow channel during proton beam irradiation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Visual reinforcement shapes eye movements in visual search.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paeye, Céline; Schütz, Alexander C; Gegenfurtner, Karl R

    2016-08-01

    We use eye movements to gain information about our visual environment; this information can indirectly be used to affect the environment. Whereas eye movements are affected by explicit rewards such as points or money, it is not clear whether the information gained by finding a hidden target has a similar reward value. Here we tested whether finding a visual target can reinforce eye movements in visual search performed in a noise background, which conforms to natural scene statistics and contains a large number of possible target locations. First we tested whether presenting the target more often in one specific quadrant would modify eye movement search behavior. Surprisingly, participants did not learn to search for the target more often in high probability areas. Presumably, participants could not learn the reward structure of the environment. In two subsequent experiments we used a gaze-contingent display to gain full control over the reinforcement schedule. The target was presented more often after saccades into a specific quadrant or a specific direction. The proportions of saccades meeting the reinforcement criteria increased considerably, and participants matched their search behavior to the relative reinforcement rates of targets. Reinforcement learning seems to serve as the mechanism to optimize search behavior with respect to the statistics of the task.

  14. Using NEG-pumping near a high density internal target

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gruber, A.; Marton, J.; Widmann, E.; Zmeskal, J.; Orth, H.

    2008-01-01

    Full text: The Stefan Meyer Institut (SMI) is part of the international PANDA collaboration. The universal detector will be constructed at the future high-energy antiproton storage ring HESR at FAIR (Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research, GSI/Darmstadt). PANDA will use antiproton beams (1.5 to 15 GeV/c) for hadron physics in the charmonium region. SMI contributes to major parts of the PANDA detector like the hydrogen cluster-jet target and the vacuum system of the antiproton - target interaction zone. To ensure low background, the residual gas load in the interaction zone and in the antiproton beam-pipe has to be minimized. Most of the gas load, of course will come from the high density internal hydrogen target. Since the PANDA detector will cover almost the full solid angle, the installation of pumps near the interaction zone is impossible. Therefore, the use of NEG (non-evaporative-getter) coated beam pipes has been considered as an alternative. Two setups with NEG coated tubes have been installed at SMI as prototypes of the PANDA interaction zone. The outgassing behavior, the pumping speed and the pumping capacity for hydrogen have been tested. The status of the studies of the interaction region will be presented. (author)

  15. Internal combustion engine run on biogas is a potential solution to meet Indonesia emission target

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ambarita, Himsar

    2017-09-01

    Indonesia has released two different Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets. The first target, released in 2009, is reduction GHG emissions 26% from Business-as-Usual (BAU) level using own budget and up 41% if supported international aids by 2020. The second target is reduction 29% and 41% from BAU by 2030 using own budget and with international support, respectively. In this paper, the BAU emissions and emissions reduction target of these two targets are elaborated. In addition, the characteristics of emissions from transportation sector are discussed. One of the potential mitigation actions is switching fuel in transportation sector. The results the most promising mitigation action in the transportation is switching oil fuel with biofuel. The Government of Indonesia (GoI) focuses on using biodiesel and bioethanol to run internal combustion engine in transportation sector and biogas is aimed to fuel power plant unit. However, there is very limited of success stories on using biogas in the power plant. The barriers and challenges will be discussed here. It is suggested to run internal combustion engine with biogas.

  16. Integration deficiencies associated with continuous limb movement sequences in Parkinson's disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Jin-Hoon; Stelmach, George E

    2009-11-01

    The present study examined the extent to which Parkinson's disease (PD) influences integration of continuous limb movement sequences. Eight patients with idiopathic PD and 8 age-matched normal subjects were instructed to perform repetitive sequential aiming movements to specified targets under three-accuracy constraints: 1) low accuracy (W = 7 cm) - minimal accuracy constraint, 2) high accuracy (W = 0.64 cm) - maximum accuracy constraint, and 3) mixed accuracy constraint - one target of high accuracy and another target of low accuracy. The characteristic of sequential movements in the low accuracy condition was mostly cyclical, whereas in the high accuracy condition it was discrete in both groups. When the accuracy constraint was mixed, the sequential movements were executed by assembling discrete and cyclical movements in both groups, suggesting that for PD patients the capability to combine discrete and cyclical movements to meet a task requirement appears to be intact. However, such functional linkage was not as pronounced as was in normal subjects. Close examination of movement from the mixed accuracy condition revealed marked movement hesitations in the vicinity of the large target in PD patients, resulting in a bias toward discrete movement. These results suggest that PD patients may have deficits in ongoing planning and organizing processes during movement execution when the tasks require to assemble various accuracy requirements into more complex movement sequences.

  17. Planning "discrete" movements using a continuous system: insights from a dynamic field theory of movement preparation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schutte, Anne R; Spencer, John P

    2007-04-01

    The timed-initiation paradigm developed by Ghez and colleagues (1997) has revealed two modes of motor planning: continuous and discrete. Continuous responding occurs when targets are separated by less than 60 degrees of spatial angle, and discrete responding occurs when targets are separated by greater than 60 degrees . Although these two modes are thought to reflect the operation of separable strategic planning systems, a new theory of movement preparation, the Dynamic Field Theory, suggests that two modes emerge flexibly from the same system. Experiment 1 replicated continuous and discrete performance using a task modified to allow for a critical test of the single system view. In Experiment 2, participants were allowed to correct their movements following movement initiation (the standard task does not allow corrections). Results showed continuous planning performance at large and small target separations. These results are consistent with the proposal that the two modes reflect the time-dependent "preshaping" of a single planning system.

  18. Internal high linear energy transfer (LET) targeted radiotherapy for cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Allen, Barry J

    2006-01-01

    High linear energy transfer (LET) radiation for internal targeted therapy has been a long time coming on to the medical therapy scene. While fundamental principles were established many decades ago, the clinical implementation has been slow. Localized neutron capture therapy, and more recently systemic targeted alpha therapy, are at the clinical trial stage. What are the attributes of these therapies that have led a band of scientists and clinicians to dedicate so much of their careers? High LET means high energy density, causing double strand breaks in DNA, and short-range radiation, sparing adjacent normal tissues. This targeted approach complements conventional radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Such therapies fail on several fronts. Foremost is the complete lack of progress for the control of primary GBM, the holy grail for cancer therapies. Next is the inability to regress metastatic cancer on a systemic basis. This has been the task of chemotherapy, but palliation is the major application. Finally, there is the inability to inhibit the development of lethal metastatic cancer after successful treatment of the primary cancer. This review charts, from an Australian perspective, the developing role of local and systemic high LET, internal radiation therapy. (review)

  19. New social movements and political process: The politics of hydroelectric power in Switzerland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lehmann, Luzia M.

    This dissertation analyzes the mobilization and impact of the ecology movement mobilizing against and challenging hydroelectric power plants in the Alps. It argues that the political process model is the most fruitful framework for such a study, linking a political system's structural constraints and opportunities to movement action via organizational resources. The mobilization process resulting in movement impact is conceived as an interactive process among social movements, authorities, other opponents, and potential counter movements. The case study method is then used to analyze three action campaigns launched against hydro power plants in Graubunden since the 1970s: Ilanz I and II, Greina, and Curciusa. In terms of the movement's narrow goal of preventing a plant, Ilanz I and II is a failure, Greina a success, and Curciusa ambiguous. Yet the author defines movement impact more broadly, including procedural, reactive and proactive substantive impact, and structural impact, changes in the alliance/conflict system, and social learning. Based on the evidence from the case studies, these factors affect movement outcome positively: visibility in the media and framing the debate, adjusting the target level and movement repertoire to the opportunity structure and the spatial concentration of the issue, proactivity, and organizational resources with a well developed division of labor, internal communication, and a non-partisan alliance system at all levels. There are two main conceptual contributions. First, the author analyzes the political opportunity structure at all levels of the federal polity--the national, cantonal, and communal--as well as the interplay among the levels. The fact that the cantonal and communal levels exhibit more elements of closure than the national level helps explain differences in movements' organizational resources, movement repertoire, targeting of movement action, and thus movement impact. Second, the author develops the spatial

  20. SmoothMoves : Smooth pursuits head movements for augmented reality

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Esteves, Augusto; Verweij, David; Suraiya, Liza; Islam, Rasel; Lee, Youryang; Oakley, Ian

    2017-01-01

    SmoothMoves is an interaction technique for augmented reality (AR) based on smooth pursuits head movements. It works by computing correlations between the movements of on-screen targets and the user's head while tracking those targets. The paper presents three studies. The first suggests that head

  1. The processing of visual and auditory information for reaching movements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glazebrook, Cheryl M; Welsh, Timothy N; Tremblay, Luc

    2016-09-01

    Presenting target and non-target information in different modalities influences target localization if the non-target is within the spatiotemporal limits of perceptual integration. When using auditory and visual stimuli, the influence of a visual non-target on auditory target localization is greater than the reverse. It is not known, however, whether or how such perceptual effects extend to goal-directed behaviours. To gain insight into how audio-visual stimuli are integrated for motor tasks, the kinematics of reaching movements towards visual or auditory targets with or without a non-target in the other modality were examined. When present, the simultaneously presented non-target could be spatially coincident, to the left, or to the right of the target. Results revealed that auditory non-targets did not influence reaching trajectories towards a visual target, whereas visual non-targets influenced trajectories towards an auditory target. Interestingly, the biases induced by visual non-targets were present early in the trajectory and persisted until movement end. Subsequent experimentation indicated that the magnitude of the biases was equivalent whether participants performed a perceptual or motor task, whereas variability was greater for the motor versus the perceptual tasks. We propose that visually induced trajectory biases were driven by the perceived mislocation of the auditory target, which in turn affected both the movement plan and subsequent control of the movement. Such findings provide further evidence of the dominant role visual information processing plays in encoding spatial locations as well as planning and executing reaching action, even when reaching towards auditory targets.

  2. Modernization of internal target assembly for AIC-144 cyclotron - proposal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petelenz, B.; Szalkowski, M.

    2007-01-01

    The report describes a prototype of the remotely controlled internal target assembly, designed and built in the Institute of Nuclear Physics. After a series of technical tests, the machine was used in 2006 to produce 73 As from proton bombarded germanium targets. Before this, distribution of the proton beam on the target was checked by autoradiography of irradiated copper foils exposed on large area thermoluminescence detectors. Since the experiments exhibited some severe drawbacks of the machine, the report gives hints how to get rid of them, which is the answer to the question asked by the Deputy Director of the Institute on the topic. The construction parts of the assembly are listed in the Chapter 10. (author)

  3. Upper Limb Kinematics in Stroke and Healthy Controls Using Target-to-Target Task in Virtual Reality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hussain, Netha; Alt Murphy, Margit; Sunnerhagen, Katharina S

    2018-01-01

    Kinematic analysis using virtual reality (VR) environment provides quantitative assessment of upper limb movements. This technique has rarely been used in evaluating motor function in stroke despite its availability in stroke rehabilitation. To determine the discriminative validity of VR-based kinematics during target-to-target pointing task in individuals with mild or moderate arm impairment following stroke and in healthy controls. Sixty-seven participants with moderate (32-57 points) or mild (58-65 points) stroke impairment as assessed with Fugl-Meyer Assessment for Upper Extremity were included from the Stroke Arm Longitudinal study at the University of Gothenburg-SALGOT cohort of non-selected individuals within the first year of stroke. The stroke groups and 43 healthy controls performed the target-to-target pointing task, where 32 circular targets appear one after the other and disappear when pointed at by the haptic handheld stylus in a three-dimensional VR environment. The kinematic parameters captured by the stylus included movement time, velocities, and smoothness of movement. The movement time, mean velocity, and peak velocity were discriminative between groups with moderate and mild stroke impairment and healthy controls. The movement time was longer and mean and peak velocity were lower for individuals with stroke. The number of velocity peaks, representing smoothness, was also discriminative and significantly higher in both stroke groups (mild, moderate) compared to controls. Movement trajectories in stroke more frequently showed clustering (spider's web) close to the target indicating deficits in movement precision. The target-to-target pointing task can provide valuable and specific information about sensorimotor impairment of the upper limb following stroke that might not be captured using traditional clinical scale. The trial was registered with register number NCT01115348 at clinicaltrials.gov, on May 4, 2010. URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2

  4. Upper Limb Kinematics in Stroke and Healthy Controls Using Target-to-Target Task in Virtual Reality

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Netha Hussain

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available BackgroundKinematic analysis using virtual reality (VR environment provides quantitative assessment of upper limb movements. This technique has rarely been used in evaluating motor function in stroke despite its availability in stroke rehabilitation.ObjectiveTo determine the discriminative validity of VR-based kinematics during target-to-target pointing task in individuals with mild or moderate arm impairment following stroke and in healthy controls.MethodsSixty-seven participants with moderate (32–57 points or mild (58–65 points stroke impairment as assessed with Fugl-Meyer Assessment for Upper Extremity were included from the Stroke Arm Longitudinal study at the University of Gothenburg—SALGOT cohort of non-selected individuals within the first year of stroke. The stroke groups and 43 healthy controls performed the target-to-target pointing task, where 32 circular targets appear one after the other and disappear when pointed at by the haptic handheld stylus in a three-dimensional VR environment. The kinematic parameters captured by the stylus included movement time, velocities, and smoothness of movement.ResultsThe movement time, mean velocity, and peak velocity were discriminative between groups with moderate and mild stroke impairment and healthy controls. The movement time was longer and mean and peak velocity were lower for individuals with stroke. The number of velocity peaks, representing smoothness, was also discriminative and significantly higher in both stroke groups (mild, moderate compared to controls. Movement trajectories in stroke more frequently showed clustering (spider’s web close to the target indicating deficits in movement precision.ConclusionThe target-to-target pointing task can provide valuable and specific information about sensorimotor impairment of the upper limb following stroke that might not be captured using traditional clinical scale.Trial registration detailsThe trial was registered with register number

  5. Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schenck, C H; Montplaisir, J Y; Frauscher, B

    2013-01-01

    We aimed to provide a consensus statement by the International Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder Study Group (IRBD-SG) on devising controlled active treatment studies in rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) and devising studies of neuroprotection against Parkinson disease (PD...

  6. New software of the control and data acquisition system for the Nuclotron internal target station

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Isupov, A.Yu.

    2012-01-01

    The control and data acquisition system for the Internal Target Station (ITS) of the Nuclotron (LHEP, JINR) is implemented. The new software is based on the ngdp framework under the Unix-like operating system FreeBSD to allow easy network distribution of the on-line data collected from ITS, as well as the internal target remote control

  7. Eye movement perimetry in glaucoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trope, G E; Eizenman, M; Coyle, E

    1989-08-01

    Present-day computerized perimetry is often inaccurate and unreliable owing to the need to maintain central fixation over long periods while repressing the normal response to presentation of peripheral stimuli. We tested a new method of perimetry that does not require prolonged central fixation. During this test eye movements were encouraged on presentation of a peripheral target. Twenty-three eyes were studied with an Octopus perimeter, with a technician monitoring eye movements. The sensitivity was 100% and the specificity 23%. The low specificity was due to the technician's inability to accurately monitor small eye movements in the central 6 degrees field. If small eye movements are monitored accurately with an eye tracker, eye movement perimetry could become an alternative method to standard perimetry.

  8. Social Media Rhetoric of the Transnational Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jennifer Hitchcock

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available This article uses rhetorical analysis to determine the effectiveness and characteristics of social media usage by the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS movement targeting Israel. Hundreds of local student, community, and religious groups in the United States use social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook to promote BDS discourse and organize local BDS-related events. Even though social media platforms are important for an international movement composed of a very dispersed population, with millions of Palestinians also living under military occupation, the history of traditional media use during the First Intifada also suggests that social media are not necessary for mobilizing Palestinians at the local level. A preliminary rhetorical analysis of several BDS-related Facebook pages and Twitter accounts reveals that the BDS movement’s social media usage functions similarly in some ways to other contemporary mass movements by facilitating on-the-ground actions and delivering useful information to supporters. BDS movement social media discourse, however, does not establish the same level of emotional connection or interactivity with audiences as some other recent movements have, but these limitations can be partly explained by the unique political, material, and rhetorical constraints of the situation.

  9. 16th International Workshop on Polarized Sources, Targets, and Polarimetry (PSTP 2015)

    CERN Document Server

    2015-01-01

    The Workshop on Polarized Sources, Targets and Polarimetry has been a tradition for more than 20 years, moving between Europe, USA and Japan. The XVIth International Workshop on Polarized Sources, Targets and Polarimetry (PSTP 2015) will take place at the Ruhr-University of Bochum, Germany. The workshop addresses the physics and technological challenges related to polarized gas/solid targets, polarized electron/positron/ion/neutron sources, polarimetry and their applications. will be published in Proceedings of Science

  10. Evaluation of the condylar movement on MRI during maximal mouth opening in patients with internal derangement of TMJ; comparison with transcranial view

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cho, Bong Hae

    2001-01-01

    To evaluate the condylar movement at maximal mouth opening on MRI in patients with internal derangement. MR images and transcranial views for 102 TMJs in 51 patients were taken in closed and maximal opening positions, and the amount of condylar movement was analyzed annotatively and qualitatively. For MR images, the mean condylar movements were 9.4 mm horizontally, 4.6 mm vertically and 10.9 mm totally, while those for transcranial views were 12.5 mm, 4.6 mm, and 13.7 mm respectively. The condyle moved forward beyond the summit of the articular eminence in 41 TMJs (40.2%) for MR images than in transcranial views

  11. Social movements as emotional contexts: the emotional drive in the Basque linguistic movement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ane Larrinaga Renteria

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available This article is a reflection on some of the functions that the emotions perform in constructing and maintaining the collective action of social movements in the long term. Based on a case study, we applied the conceptual instrument known as “Frame Analysis” to the successive discursive frames produced by the linguistic movement of the Basque Country between the 1980s and the first decade of 2000. With the aid of qualitative techniques, consisting in in-depth interviews conducted with qualified activists of the movement and an analysis of documents it produced, we identified the emotional contexts associated with the discourses and meanings generated by the movement at different times. Activation of the emotional components aided both the movement’s internal solidarity and external adhesion and, in short, favored the long-term sustainability of an increasingly institutionalized and professionalized movement.

  12. A dual visual-local feedback model of the vergence eye movement system

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Erkelens, C.J.

    2011-01-01

    Pure vergence movements are the eye movements that we make when we change our binocular fixation between targets differing in distance but not in direction relative to the head. Pure vergence is slow and controlled by visual feedback. Saccades are the rapid eye movements that we make between targets

  13. Laser-driven polarized hydrogen and deuterium internal targets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jones, C.E.; Fedchak, J.A.; Kowalczyk, R.S.

    1995-01-01

    After completing comprehensive tests of the performance of the source with both hydrogen and deuterium gas, we began tests of a realistic polarized deuterium internal target. These tests involve characterizing the atomic polarization and dissociation fraction of atoms in a storage cell as a function of flow and magnetic field, and making direct measurements of the average nuclear tensor polarization of deuterium atoms in the storage cell. Transfer of polarization from the atomic electron to the nucleus as a result of D-D spin-exchange collisions was observed in deuterium, verifying calculations suggesting that high vector polarization in both hydrogen and deuterium can be obtained in a gas in spin temperature equilibrium without inducing RF transitions between the magnetic substates. In order to improve the durability of the system, the source glassware was redesigned to simplify construction and installation and eliminate stress points that led to frequent breakage. Improvements made to the nuclear polarimeter, which used the low energy 3 H(d,n) 4 He reaction to analyze the tensor polarization of the deuterium, included installing acceleration lenses constructed of wire mesh to improve pumping conductance, construction of a new holding field coil, and elimination of the Wien filter from the setup. These changes substantially simplified operation of the polarimeter and should have reduced depolarization in collisions with the wall. However, when a number of tests failed to show an improvement of the nuclear polarization, it was discovered that extended operation of the system with a section of teflon as a getter for potassium caused the dissociation fraction to decline with time under realistic operating conditions, suggesting that teflon may not be a suitable material to eliminate potassium from the target. We are replacing the teflon surfaces with drifilm-coated ones and plan to continue tests of the polarized internal target in this configuration

  14. Does consolidation of visuospatial sequence knowledge depend on eye movements?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daphné Coomans

    Full Text Available In the current study, we assessed whether visuospatial sequence knowledge is retained over 24 hours and whether this retention is dependent on the occurrence of eye movements. Participants performed two sessions of a serial reaction time (SRT task in which they had to manually react to the identity of a target letter pair presented in one of four locations around a fixation cross. When the letter pair 'XO' was presented, a left response had to be given, when the letter pair 'OX' was presented, a right response was required. In the Eye Movements (EM condition, eye movements were necessary to perform the task since the fixation cross and the target were separated by at least 9° visual angle. In the No Eye Movements (NEM condition, on the other hand, eye movements were minimized by keeping the distance from the fixation cross to the target below 1° visual angle and by limiting the stimulus presentation to 100 ms. Since the target identity changed randomly in both conditions, no manual response sequence was present in the task. However, target location was structured according to a deterministic sequence in both the EM and NEM condition. Learning of the target location sequence was determined at the end of the first session and 24 hours after initial learning. Results indicated that the sequence learning effect in the SRT task diminished, yet remained significant, over the 24 hour interval in both conditions. Importantly, the difference in eye movements had no impact on the transfer of sequence knowledge. These results suggest that the retention of visuospatial sequence knowledge occurs alike, irrespective of whether this knowledge is supported by eye movements or not.

  15. Trends and missing parts in the study of movement ecology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holyoak, Marcel; Casagrandi, Renato; Nathan, Ran; Revilla, Eloy; Spiegel, Orr

    2008-12-09

    Movement is important to all organisms, and accordingly it is addressed in a huge number of papers in the literature. Of nearly 26,000 papers referring to movement, an estimated 34% focused on movement by measuring it or testing hypotheses about it. This enormous amount of information is difficult to review and highlights the need to assess the collective completeness of movement studies and identify gaps. We surveyed 1,000 randomly selected papers from 496 journals and compared the facets of movement studied with a suggested framework for movement ecology, consisting of internal state (motivation, physiology), motion and navigation capacities, and external factors (both the physical environment and living organisms), and links among these components. Most studies simply measured and described the movement of organisms without reference to ecological or internal factors, and the most frequently studied part of the framework was the link between external factors and motion capacity. Few studies looked at the effects on movement of navigation capacity, or internal state, and those were mainly from vertebrates. For invertebrates and plants most studies were at the population level, whereas more vertebrate studies were conducted at the individual level. Consideration of only population-level averages promulgates neglect of between-individual variation in movement, potentially hindering the study of factors controlling movement. Terminology was found to be inconsistent among taxa and subdisciplines. The gaps identified in coverage of movement studies highlight research areas that should be addressed to fully understand the ecology of movement.

  16. Internal and External Triggering Mechanism of "Smart" Nanoparticle-Based DDSs in Targeted Tumor Therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qiana, Xian-Ling; Li, Jun; Wei, Ran; Lin, Hui; Xiong, Li-Xia

    2018-05-09

    Anticancer chemotherapeutics have a lot of problems via conventional drug delivery systems (DDSs), including non-specificity, burst release, severe side-effects, and damage to normal cells. Owing to its potential to circumventing these problems, nanotechnology has gained increasing attention in targeted tumor therapy. Chemotherapeutic drugs or genes encapsulated in nanoparticles could be used to target therapies to the tumor site in three ways: "passive", "active", and "smart" targeting. To summarize the mechanisms of various internal and external "smart" stimulating factors on the basis of findings from in vivo and in vitro studies. A thorough search of PubMed was conducted in order to identify the majority of trials, studies and novel articles related to the subject. Activated by internal triggering factors (pH, redox, enzyme, hypoxia, etc.) or external triggering factors (temperature, light of different wavelengths, ultrasound, magnetic fields, etc.), "smart" DDSs exhibit targeted delivery to the tumor site, and controlled release of chemotherapeutic drugs or genes. In this review article, we summarize and classify the internal and external triggering mechanism of "smart" nanoparticle-based DDSs in targeted tumor therapy, and the most recent research advances are illustrated for better understanding. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  17. From Social Movement Learning to Sociomaterial Movement Learning? Addressing the Possibilities and Limits of New Materialism

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGregor, Callum

    2014-01-01

    In recent years academic interest in social movement learning (SML) has flourished. "Studies in the Education of Adults" has arguably emerged as the premier international forum for exploring the links between adult learning and movements for progressive change. In parallel to this subfield, yet largely in isolation from it,…

  18. Post-Movement Beta Activity in Sensorimotor Cortex Indexes Confidence in the Estimations from Internal Models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Huiling; Wade, Cian; Brown, Peter

    2016-02-03

    Beta oscillations are a dominant feature of the sensorimotor system. A transient and prominent increase in beta oscillations is consistently observed across the sensorimotor cortical-basal ganglia network after cessation of voluntary movement: the post-movement beta synchronization (PMBS). Current theories about the function of the PMBS have been focused on either the closure of motor response or the processing of sensory afferance. Computational models of sensorimotor control have emphasized the importance of the integration between feedforward estimation and sensory feedback, and therefore the putative motor and sensory functions of beta oscillations may reciprocally interact with each other and in fact be indissociable. Here we show that the amplitude of sensorimotor PMBS is modulated by the history of visual feedback of task-relevant errors, and negatively correlated with the trial-to-trial exploratory adjustment in a sensorimotor adaptation task in young healthy human subjects. The PMBS also negatively correlated with the uncertainty associated with the feedforward estimation, which was recursively updated in light of new sensory feedback, as identified by a Bayesian learning model. These results reconcile the two opposing motor and sensory views of the function of PMBS, and suggest a unifying theory in which PMBS indexes the confidence in internal feedforward estimation in Bayesian sensorimotor integration. Its amplitude simultaneously reflects cortical sensory processing and signals the need for maintenance or adaptation of the motor output, and if necessary, exploration to identify an altered sensorimotor transformation. For optimal sensorimotor control, sensory feedback and feedforward estimation of a movement's sensory consequences should be weighted by the inverse of their corresponding uncertainties, which require recursive updating in a dynamic environment. We show that post-movement beta activity (13-30 Hz) over sensorimotor cortex in young healthy

  19. Movement as utopia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Couton, Philippe; López, José Julián

    2009-10-01

    Opposition to utopianism on ontological and political grounds has seemingly relegated it to a potentially dangerous form of antiquated idealism. This conclusion is based on a restrictive view of utopia as excessively ordered panoptic discursive constructions. This overlooks the fact that, from its inception, movement has been central to the utopian tradition. The power of utopianism indeed resides in its ability to instantiate the tension between movement and place that has marked social transformations in the modern era. This tension continues in contemporary discussions of movement-based social processes, particularly international migration and related identity formations, such as open borders transnationalism and cosmopolitanism. Understood as such, utopia remains an ongoing and powerful, albeit problematic instrument of social and political imagination.

  20. PST 2009: XIII International Workshop on Polarized Sources Targets and Polarimetry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lenisa, Paolo

    2011-05-01

    The workshops on polarized sources, targets, and polarimetry are held every two years. In 2009 the meeting took place in Ferrara, Italy, and was organized by the University of Ferrara and INFN. Sessions on Polarized Proton and Deuterium Sources, Polarized Electron Sources, Polarimetry, Polarized Solid Targets, and Polarized Internal Targets, highlighted topics, recent developments, and progress in the field. A session dedicated to Future Facilities provided an overview of a number of new activities in the spin-physics sector at facilities that are currently in the planning stage. Besides presenting a broad overview of polarized ion sources, electron sources, solid and gaseous targets, and their neighbouring fields, the workshop also addressed the application of polarized atoms in applied sciences and medicine that is becoming increasingly important.

  1. Internal model of gravity for hand interception: parametric adaptation to zero-gravity visual targets on Earth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zago, Myrka; Lacquaniti, Francesco

    2005-08-01

    Internal model is a neural mechanism that mimics the dynamics of an object for sensory motor or cognitive functions. Recent research focuses on the issue of whether multiple internal models are learned and switched to cope with a variety of conditions, or single general models are adapted by tuning the parameters. Here we addressed this issue by investigating how the manual interception of a moving target changes with changes of the visual environment. In our paradigm, a virtual target moves vertically downward on a screen with different laws of motion. Subjects are asked to punch a hidden ball that arrives in synchrony with the visual target. By using several different protocols, we systematically found that subjects do not develop a new internal model appropriate for constant speed targets, but they use the default gravity model and reduce the central processing time. The results imply that adaptation to zero-gravity targets involves a compression of temporal processing through the cortical and subcortical regions interconnected with the vestibular cortex, which has previously been shown to be the site of storage of the internal model of gravity.

  2. Advances in surgery for movement disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rowland, Nathan C; Sammartino, Francesco; Lozano, Andres M

    2017-01-01

    Movement disorder surgery has evolved throughout history as our knowledge of motor circuits and ways in which to manipulate them have expanded. Today, the positive impact on patient quality of life for a growing number of movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease is now well accepted and confirmed through several decades of randomized, controlled trials. Nevertheless, residual motor symptoms after movement disorder surgery such as deep brain stimulation and lack of a definitive cure for these conditions demand that advances continue to push the boundaries of the field and maximize its therapeutic potential. Similarly, advances in related fields - wireless technology, artificial intelligence, stem cell and gene therapy, neuroimaging, nanoscience, and minimally invasive surgery - mean that movement disorder surgery stands at a crossroads to benefit from unique combinations of all these developments. In this minireview, we outline some of these developments as well as evidence supporting topics of recent discussion and controversy in our field. Moving forward, expectations remain high that these improvements will come to encompass an even broader range of patients who might benefit from this therapy and decrease the burden of disease associated with these conditions. © 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. © 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

  3. Feature Interactions Enable Decoding of Sensorimotor Transformations for Goal-Directed Movement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barany, Deborah A.; Della-Maggiore, Valeria; Viswanathan, Shivakumar; Cieslak, Matthew

    2014-01-01

    Neurophysiology and neuroimaging evidence shows that the brain represents multiple environmental and body-related features to compute transformations from sensory input to motor output. However, it is unclear how these features interact during goal-directed movement. To investigate this issue, we examined the representations of sensory and motor features of human hand movements within the left-hemisphere motor network. In a rapid event-related fMRI design, we measured cortical activity as participants performed right-handed movements at the wrist, with either of two postures and two amplitudes, to move a cursor to targets at different locations. Using a multivoxel analysis technique with rigorous generalization tests, we reliably distinguished representations of task-related features (primarily target location, movement direction, and posture) in multiple regions. In particular, we identified an interaction between target location and movement direction in the superior parietal lobule, which may underlie a transformation from the location of the target in space to a movement vector. In addition, we found an influence of posture on primary motor, premotor, and parietal regions. Together, these results reveal the complex interactions between different sensory and motor features that drive the computation of sensorimotor transformations. PMID:24828640

  4. Forms of international movement of capital with special emphasis on the PPP and concessions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Šovran Sanja

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The state has always cooperated with the private sector in order to implement various activities in the best interest of public. The first models of public-private partnerships (PPP appeared at the time of the Roman Empire in the context of public works in construction of public baths, markets and ports. Contemporary international movement of capital is a phenomenon that has existed for over a century. When discussing the PPP in modern day terms, the expansion of private involvement in the public sector starts in the 1970s and the 1980s of the previous century, in public infrastructure projects and in most developed economies. The primary purpose of these arrangements is to reduce expenditures in state budgets, but also to achieve faster and better execution of work, reduce risk and efficiently manage the projects. This paper will briefly present the evolution of PPPs and concessions, with an emphasis on understanding money and capital throughout the evolution of PPP, contemporary forms of movement of capital, as well as equity in terms of globalization. The subject of this paper are also examples of the important PPPs and concessions from the construction of the Suez Canal until today.

  5. There and back again: putting the vectorial movement planning hypothesis to a critical test.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kobak, Eva-Maria; Cardoso de Oliveira, Simone

    2014-01-01

    Based on psychophysical evidence about how learning of visuomotor transformation generalizes, it has been suggested that movements are planned on the basis of movement direction and magnitude, i.e., the vector connecting movement origin and targets. This notion is also known under the term "vectorial planning hypothesis". Previous psychophysical studies, however, have included separate areas of the workspace for training movements and testing the learning. This study eliminates this confounding factor by investigating the transfer of learning from forward to backward movements in a center-out-and-back task, in which the workspace for both movements is completely identical. Visual feedback allowed for learning only during movements towards the target (forward movements) and not while moving back to the origin (backward movements). When subjects learned the visuomotor rotation in forward movements, initial directional errors in backward movements also decreased to some degree. This learning effect in backward movements occurred predominantly when backward movements featured the same movement directions as the ones trained in forward movements (i.e., when opposite targets were presented). This suggests that learning was transferred in a direction specific way, supporting the notion that movement direction is the most prominent parameter used for motor planning.

  6. Scaling up towards international targets for AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria: contribution of global fund-supported programs in 2011-2015.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Itamar Katz

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: The paper projects the contribution to 2011-2015 international targets of three major pandemics by programs in 140 countries funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the largest external financier of tuberculosis and malaria programs and a major external funder of HIV programs in low and middle income countries. DESIGN: Estimates, using past trends, for the period 2011-2015 of the number of persons receiving antiretroviral (ARV treatment, tuberculosis case detection using the internationally approved DOTS strategy, and insecticide-treated nets (ITNs to be delivered by programs in low and middle income countries supported by the Global Fund compared to international targets established by UNAIDS, Stop TB Partnership, Roll Back Malaria Partnership and the World Health Organisation. RESULTS: Global Fund-supported programs are projected to provide ARV treatment to 5.5-5.8 million people, providing 30%-31% of the 2015 international target. Investments in tuberculosis and malaria control will enable reaching in 2015 60%-63% of the international target for tuberculosis case detection and 30%-35% of the ITN distribution target in sub-Saharan Africa. CONCLUSION: Global Fund investments will substantially contribute to the achievement by 2015 of international targets for HIV, TB and malaria. However, additional large scale international and domestic financing is needed if these targets are to be reached by 2015.

  7. Temporal coupling due to illusory movements in bimanual actions: evidence from anosognosia for hemiplegia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pia, Lorenzo; Spinazzola, Lucia; Rabuffetti, Marco; Ferrarin, Maurizio; Garbarini, Francesca; Piedimonte, Alessandro; Driver, Jon; Berti, Anna

    2013-06-01

    In anosognosia for hemiplegia, patients may claim having performed willed actions with the paralyzed limb despite unambiguous evidence to the contrary. Does this false belief of having moved reflect the functioning of the same mechanisms that govern normal motor performance? Here, we examined whether anosognosics show the same temporal constraints known to exist during bimanual movements in healthy subjects. In these paradigms, when participants simultaneously reach for two targets of different difficulties, the motor programs of one hand affect the execution of the other. In detail, the movement time of the hand going to an easy target (i.e., near and large), while the other is going to a difficult target (i.e., far and small), is slowed with respect to unimanual movements (temporal coupling effect). One right-brain-damaged patient with left hemiplegia and anosognosia, six right-brain-damaged patients with left hemiplegia without anosognosia, and twenty healthy subjects were administered such a bimanual task. We recorded the movement times for easy and difficult targets, both in unimanual (one target) and bimanual (two targets) conditions. We found that, as healthy subjects, the anosognosic patient showed coupling effect. In bimanual asymmetric conditions (when one hand went to the easy target and the other went to the difficult target), the movement time of the non-paralyzed hand going to the easy target was slowed by the 'pretended' movement of the paralyzed hand going to the difficult target. This effect was not present in patients without anosognosia. We concluded that in anosognosic patients, the illusory movements of the paralyzed hand impose to the non-paralyzed hand the same motor constraints that emerge during the actual movements. Our data also support the view that coupling relies on central operations (i.e., activation of intention/programming system), rather than on online information from the periphery. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights

  8. The Evidence Movement

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Hanne Foss; Rieper, Olaf

    2009-01-01

    The evidence movement and the idea of systematic reviews, defined as summaries of the results of already existing evaluation and research projects, have gained considerable support in recent years as many international as well as national evidence-producing organizations have been established...

  9. Two-phase strategy of neural control for planar reaching movements: II--relation to spatiotemporal characteristics of movement trajectory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rand, Miya K; Shimansky, Yury P

    2013-09-01

    In the companion paper utilizing a quantitative model of optimal motor coordination (Part I, Rand and Shimansky, in Exp Brain Res 225:55-73, 2013), we examined coordination between X and Y movement directions (XYC) during reaching movements performed under three prescribed speeds, two movement amplitudes, and two target sizes. The obtained results indicated that the central nervous system (CNS) utilizes a two-phase strategy, where the initial and the final phases correspond to lower and higher precision of information processing, respectively, for controlling goal-directed reach-type movements to optimize the total cost of task performance including the cost of neural computations. The present study investigates how two different well-known concepts used for describing movement performance relate to the concepts of optimal XYC and two-phase control strategy. First, it is examined to what extent XYC is equivalent to movement trajectory straightness. The data analysis results show that the variability, the movement trajectory's deviation from the straight line, increases with an increase in prescribed movement speed. In contrast, the dependence of XYC strength on movement speed is opposite (in total agreement with an assumption of task performance optimality), suggesting that XYC is a feature of much higher level of generality than trajectory straightness. Second, it is tested how well the ballistic and the corrective components described in the traditional concept of two-component model of movement performance match with the initial and the final phase of the two-phase control strategy, respectively. In fast reaching movements, the percentage of trials with secondary corrective submovement was smaller under larger-target shorter-distance conditions. In slower reaching movements, meaningful parsing was impossible due to massive fluctuations in the kinematic profile throughout the movement. Thus, the parsing points determined by the conventional submovement analysis

  10. Unified nature of bimanual movements revealed by separating the preparation of each arm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blinch, Jarrod; Franks, Ian M; Carpenter, Mark G; Chua, Romeo

    2015-06-01

    Movement preparation of bimanual asymmetric movements is longer than bimanual symmetric movements in choice reaction time conditions, even when movements are cued directly by illuminating the targets (Blinch et al. in Exp Brain Res 232(3):947-955, 2014). This bimanual asymmetric cost may be caused by increased processing demands on response programming, but this requires further investigation. The present experiment tested the demands on response programming for bimanual movements by temporally separating the preparation of each arm. This was achieved by precuing the target of one arm before the imperative stimulus. We asked: What was prepared in advance when one arm was precued? The answer to this question would suggest which process causes the bimanual asymmetric cost. Advance movement preparation was examined by comparing reaction times with and without a precue for the left target and by occasionally replacing the imperative stimulus with a loud, startling tone (120 dB). A startle tone releases whatever movement is prepared in advance with a much shorter reaction time than control trials (Carlsen et al. in Clin Neurophysiol 123(1):21-33, 2012). Participants made bimanual symmetric and asymmetric reaching movements in simple and 2-choice reaction time conditions and a condition with a precue for the left target. We found a bimanual asymmetric cost in 2-choice conditions, and the asymmetric cost was significantly smaller when the left target was precued. These results, and the results from startle trials, suggest (1) that the precued movement was not fully programmed but partially programmed before the imperative stimulus and (2) that the asymmetric cost was caused by increased processing demands on response programming. Overall, the results support the notion that bimanual movements are not the sum of two unimanual movements; instead, the two arms of a bimanual movement are unified into a functional unit. When one target is precued, this critical unification

  11. Pre-movement planning processes in people with congenital mirror movements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Franz, E A; Fu, Y

    2017-10-01

    Pre-movement processes were investigated in people with Congenital mirrormovement (CMM), a rare disorder in which bilateral movement (mirroring) occurs in the upper distal extremities (primarily the hands and fingers) during intended unilateral movements. Abnormal density of ipsilateral corticospinal projections is an established hallmark of CMM. This study tested whether the Lateralised Readiness Potential (LRP), which reflects movement planning and readiness, is also abnormal in people with CMM. Twenty-eight neurologically-normal controls and 8 people with CMM were tested on a unimanual Go/No-go task while electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded to assess the LRP. No significant group differences were found in reaction time (RT). However, significantly smaller LRP amplitudes were found, on average, in the CMM group compared to Controls at central-motor (C3,C4) sites in stimulus-locked and response-locked epochs; similar group differences were also found at further frontal sites (F3,F4) during response-locked epochs. Abnormal brain activity in pre-movement processes associated with response planning and preparation is present in people with CMM. Aberrant bilateral activity during pre-movement processes is clearly implicated; whether part of the etiology of CMM, or as a mechanism of neuro-compensation, is not yet known. Copyright © 2017 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Coupling movement and landscape ecology for animal conservation in production landscapes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doherty, Tim S; Driscoll, Don A

    2018-01-10

    Habitat conversion in production landscapes is among the greatest threats to biodiversity, not least because it can disrupt animal movement. Using the movement ecology framework, we review animal movement in production landscapes, including areas managed for agriculture and forestry. We consider internal and external drivers of altered animal movement and how this affects navigation and motion capacities and population dynamics. Conventional management approaches in fragmented landscapes focus on promoting connectivity using structural changes in the landscape. However, a movement ecology perspective emphasizes that manipulating the internal motivations or navigation capacity of animals represents untapped opportunities to improve movement and the effectiveness of structural connectivity investments. Integrating movement and landscape ecology opens new opportunities for conservation management in production landscapes. © 2018 The Authors.

  13. A highly polarized hydrogen/deuterium internal gas target embedded in a toroidal magnetic spectrometer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cheever, D.; Ihloff, E.; Kelsey, J.; Kolster, H.; Meitanis, N.; Milner, R.; Shinozaki, A.; Tsentalovich, E.; Zwart, T.; Ziskin, V.; Xiao, Y.; Zhang, C.

    2006-01-01

    A polarized hydrogen/deuterium internal gas target has been constructed and operated at the internal target region of the South Hall Ring (SHR) of the MIT-Bates Linear Accelerator Center to carry out measurements of spin-dependent electron scattering at 850MeV. The target used an Atomic Beam Source (ABS) to inject a flux of highly polarized atoms into a thin-walled, coated storage cell. The polarization of the electron beam was determined using a Compton laser backscattering polarimeter. The target polarization was determined using well-known nuclear reactions. The ABS and storage cell were embedded in the Bates Large Acceptance Toroidal Spectrometer (BLAST), which was used to detect scattered particles from the electron-target interactions. The target has been designed to rapidly (∼8h) switch operation from hydrogen to deuterium. Further, this target was the first to be operated inside a magnetic spectrometer in the presence of a magnetic field exceeding 2kG. An ABS intensity 2.5x10 16 at/s and a high polarization (∼70%) inside the storage cell have been achieved. The details of the target design and construction are described here and the performance over an 18 month period is reported

  14. International Sport Movement in the Context of the Global Problems of Mankind

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stafeev Dmitriy Valeryevich

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available As a result of globalization process the world becomes more and more integrated, the role of “hard” power becomes lower, while the role of “soft” power, vice versa, increases. Sport as one of the most important spheres of human activities, faces both positive and negative effects of globalization. Sport has an important function in the concept of “soft” security, and this importance is evidenced by serious attention, paid by the United Nations and other international organizations. The UN established the International Day of port, and it organizes regular meetings and conferences devoted to sport. Plenty of the UN Organizations officially use sport to achieve their aims. Sports diplomacy is believed to have reconciling, uniting role; sport must contribute to resolution of the most part of contemporary global problems. Abilities of the Information age allow using positive effect caused by sport events with maximal benefits. There is understanding in the UN, that sport alone cannot solve all global problems, but it can relieve their consequences. Therefore sport is used to struggle over such problems, as poverty; peace and security problems; disarmament necessity; human rights and democracy problems; demography, ecology and energy problems, difficulties with medical care and provision. On the other hand, sport suffers from globalization; it loses its initial function of competition due to politicization and commercialization. Even new issues of confrontation appear because of sports. Only global governance over sport, establishment of general rules and clear goals and their joint accomplishment can allow the international sports movement become a real force in fight against global problems.

  15. International Parkinson and movement disorder society evidence-based medicine review: Update on treatments for the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fox, Susan H; Katzenschlager, Regina; Lim, Shen-Yang; Barton, Brandon; de Bie, Rob M A; Seppi, Klaus; Coelho, Miguel; Sampaio, Cristina

    2018-03-23

    The objective of this review was to update evidence-based medicine recommendations for treating motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). The Movement Disorder Society Evidence-Based Medicine Committee recommendations for treatments of PD were first published in 2002 and updated in 2011, and we continued the review to December 31, 2016. Level I studies of interventions for motor symptoms were reviewed. Criteria for inclusion and quality scoring were as previously reported. Five clinical indications were considered, and conclusions regarding the implications for clinical practice are reported. A total of 143 new studies qualified. There are no clinically useful interventions to prevent/delay disease progression. For monotherapy of early PD, nonergot dopamine agonists, oral levodopa preparations, selegiline, and rasagiline are clinically useful. For adjunct therapy in early/stable PD, nonergot dopamine agonists, rasagiline, and zonisamide are clinically useful. For adjunct therapy in optimized PD for general or specific motor symptoms including gait, rivastigmine is possibly useful and physiotherapy is clinically useful; exercise-based movement strategy training and formalized patterned exercises are possibly useful. There are no new studies and no changes in the conclusions for the prevention/delay of motor complications. For treating motor fluctuations, most nonergot dopamine agonists, pergolide, levodopa ER, levodopa intestinal infusion, entacapone, opicapone, rasagiline, zonisamide, safinamide, and bilateral STN and GPi DBS are clinically useful. For dyskinesia, amantadine, clozapine, and bilateral STN DBS and GPi DBS are clinically useful. The options for treating PD symptoms continues to expand. These recommendations allow the treating physician to determine which intervention to recommend to an individual patient. © 2018 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. © 2018 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

  16. Individual Movement Variability Magnitudes Are Explained by Cortical Neural Variability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haar, Shlomi; Donchin, Opher; Dinstein, Ilan

    2017-09-13

    Humans exhibit considerable motor variability even across trivial reaching movements. This variability can be separated into specific kinematic components such as extent and direction that are thought to be governed by distinct neural processes. Here, we report that individual subjects (males and females) exhibit different magnitudes of kinematic variability, which are consistent (within individual) across movements to different targets and regardless of which arm (right or left) was used to perform the movements. Simultaneous fMRI recordings revealed that the same subjects also exhibited different magnitudes of fMRI variability across movements in a variety of motor system areas. These fMRI variability magnitudes were also consistent across movements to different targets when performed with either arm. Cortical fMRI variability in the posterior-parietal cortex of individual subjects explained their movement-extent variability. This relationship was apparent only in posterior-parietal cortex and not in other motor system areas, thereby suggesting that individuals with more variable movement preparation exhibit larger kinematic variability. We therefore propose that neural and kinematic variability are reliable and interrelated individual characteristics that may predispose individual subjects to exhibit distinct motor capabilities. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Neural activity and movement kinematics are remarkably variable. Although intertrial variability is rarely studied, here, we demonstrate that individual human subjects exhibit distinct magnitudes of neural and kinematic variability that are reproducible across movements to different targets and when performing these movements with either arm. Furthermore, when examining the relationship between cortical variability and movement variability, we find that cortical fMRI variability in parietal cortex of individual subjects explained their movement extent variability. This enabled us to explain why some subjects

  17. Pengaruh Pengendalian Intern Terhadap Efektivitas Target Produksi PT. Lucas Djaja Pharmaceutical Industry Bandung Jawa Barat

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bulan Tati Fitria

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available The achievement of operational targets is expected by each organization / company. Due to the achievement of the target, it can be judged that the performance of the company very well. Therefore, if it is not achieved it is necessary to study the factors that influence it. For then do repairs on these factors. In the achievement of the target company, it takes a process associated with the target to be achieved. In order to achieve maximum results and effective it is necessary to an adequate internal control structure, which aims to regulate the operational steps the company to run an organized and effective.The study was conducted at PT. Lucas Djaja Pharmaceutical Industry, located in Bandung, is to know how the implementation of internal controls and how they affect the effectiveness of the production targets, in particular the production of injection of 1 (one milliliter. This research used descriptive analysis with research techniques such as interviews, observations, questionnaires and literature study. Based on the results of this study concluded that the implementation of internal control at PT. Lucas Djaja is sufficient, this can be seen from the data obtained from the questionnaire filled out by the respondents, which is related to the control environment, risk assessment, information and communication, control activities, and monitoring. Meanwhile that of the effectiveness of the production target is still this can be seen from the data obtained from the questionnaire filled out by the respondents, ranging from productivity, quality, efficiency, flexibility, excellence, development, and satisfaction. And the obtained results of the research stating that the internal control effect on effectiveness production targets with determination coefficient of 56.01% and the remaining 43.99% influenced by other factors.

  18. Interacting noise sources shape patterns of arm movement variability in three-dimensional space.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Apker, Gregory A; Darling, Timothy K; Buneo, Christopher A

    2010-11-01

    Reaching movements are subject to noise in both the planning and execution phases of movement production. The interaction of these noise sources during natural movements is not well understood, despite its importance for understanding movement variability in neurologically intact and impaired individuals. Here we examined the interaction of planning and execution related noise during the production of unconstrained reaching movements. Subjects performed sequences of two movements to targets arranged in three vertical planes separated in depth. The starting position for each sequence was also varied in depth with the target plane; thus required movement sequences were largely contained within the vertical plane of the targets. Each final target in a sequence was approached from two different directions, and these movements were made with or without visual feedback of the moving hand. These combined aspects of the design allowed us to probe the interaction of execution and planning related noise with respect to reach endpoint variability. In agreement with previous studies, we found that reach endpoint distributions were highly anisotropic. The principal axes of movement variability were largely aligned with the depth axis, i.e., the axis along which visual planning related noise would be expected to dominate, and were not generally well aligned with the direction of the movement vector. Our results suggest that visual planning-related noise plays a dominant role in determining anisotropic patterns of endpoint variability in three-dimensional space, with execution noise adding to this variability in a movement direction-dependent manner.

  19. The dynamics of sensorimotor cortical oscillations during the observation of hand movements: an EEG study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pietro Avanzini

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The observation of action done by others determines a desynchronization of the rhythms recorded from cortical central regions. Here, we examined whether the observation of different types of hand movements (target directed, non-target directed, cyclic and non-cyclic elicits different EEG cortical temporal patterns. METHODOLOGY: Video-clips of four types of hand movements were shown to right-handed healthy participants. Two were target directed (grasping and pointing motor acts; two were non-target directed (supinating and clenching movements. Grasping and supinating were performed once, while pointing and clenching twice (cyclic movements. High-density EEG was recorded and analyzed by means of wavelet transform, subdividing the time course in time bins of 200 ms. The observation of all presented movements produced a desynchronization of alpha and beta rhythms in central and parietal regions. The rhythms desynchronized as soon as the hand movement started, the nadir being reached around 700 ms after movement onset. At the end of the movement, a large power rebound occurred for all bands. Target and non-target directed movements produced an alpha band desynchronization in the central electrodes at the same time, but with a stronger desynchronization and a prolonged rebound for target directed motor acts. Most interestingly, there was a clear correlation between the velocity profile of the observed movements and beta band modulation. SIGNIFICANCE: Our data show that the observation of motor acts determines a modulation of cortical rhythm analogous to that occurring during motor act execution. In particular, the cortical motor system closely follows the velocity of the observed movements. This finding provides strong evidence for the presence in humans of a mechanism (mirror mechanism mapping action observation on action execution motor programs.

  20. Analysis of EEG Related Saccadic Eye Movement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Funase, Arao; Kuno, Yoshiaki; Okuma, Shigeru; Yagi, Tohru

    Our final goal is to establish the model for saccadic eye movement that connects the saccade and the electroencephalogram(EEG). As the first step toward this goal, we recorded and analyzed the saccade-related EEG. In the study recorded in this paper, we tried detecting a certain EEG that is peculiar to the eye movement. In these experiments, each subject was instructed to point their eyes toward visual targets (LEDs) or the direction of the sound sources (buzzers). In the control cases, the EEG was recorded in the case of no eye movemens. As results, in the visual experiments, we found that the potential of EEG changed sharply on the occipital lobe just before eye movement. Furthermore, in the case of the auditory experiments, similar results were observed. In the case of the visual experiments and auditory experiments without eye movement, we could not observed the EEG changed sharply. Moreover, when the subject moved his/her eyes toward a right-side target, a change in EEG potential was found on the right occipital lobe. On the contrary, when the subject moved his/her eyes toward a left-side target, a sharp change in EEG potential was found on the left occipital lobe.

  1. Three-dimensional intrafractional internal target motions in accelerated partial breast irradiation using three-dimensional conformal external beam radiotherapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hirata, Kimiko; Yoshimura, Michio; Mukumoto, Nobutaka; Nakamura, Mitsuhiro; Inoue, Minoru; Sasaki, Makoto; Fujimoto, Takahiro; Yano, Shinsuke; Nakata, Manabu; Mizowaki, Takashi; Hiraoka, Masahiro

    2017-07-01

    We evaluated three-dimensional intrafractional target motion, divided into respiratory-induced motion and baseline drift, in accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI). Paired fluoroscopic images were acquired simultaneously using orthogonal kV X-ray imaging systems at pre- and post-treatment for 23 patients who underwent APBI with external beam radiotherapy. The internal target motion was calculated from the surgical clips placed around the tumour cavity. The peak-to-peak respiratory-induced motions ranged from 0.6 to 1.5mm in all directions. A systematic baseline drift of 1.5mm towards the posterior direction and a random baseline drift of 0.3mm in the lateral-medial and cranial-caudal directions were observed. The baseline for an outer tumour cavity drifted towards the lateral and posterior directions, and that for an upper tumour cavity drifted towards the cranial direction. Moderate correlations were observed between the posterior baseline drift and the patients' physical characteristics. The posterior margin for intrafractional uncertainties was larger than 5mm in patients with greater fat thickness due to the baseline drift. The magnitude of the intrafractional motion was not uniform according to the direction, patients' physical characteristics, or tumour cavity location due to the baseline drift. Therefore, the intrafractional systematic movement should be properly managed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Research on Eye Movement Tracking in ESL Reading

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wenlian ZHAN

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Eye movement behavior in reading can reflect on-line cognitive process. Through the on-line measure of eye movement, under relatively natural reading condition, data of the reader’ s eye movement in the text can be obtained in processing information, and thus help to reveal the internal cognitive mechanisms in reading. With the development of intelligentization, serialization and portable direction in eye tracker, there exist great number of studies on eye movement tracking, but studies on eye movement features in ESL reading are rare. In such circumstances, this paper mainly illustrates eye movement patterns, the relationship between eye movement and perceptual processing, and eye movement control in ESL reading.

  3. Antisense Oligonucleotides Internally Labeled with Peptides Show Improved Target Recognition and Stability to Enzymatic Degradation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Taskova, Maria; Madsen, Charlotte S.; Jensen, Knud J.

    2017-01-01

    Specific target binding and stability in diverse biological media is of crucial importance for applications of synthetic oligonucleotides as diagnostic and therapeutic tools. So far, these issues have been addressed by chemical modification of oligonucleotides and by conjugation with a peptide, m...... and makes internally labeled POCs an exciting object of study, i.e., showing high target specificity and simultaneous stability in biological media.......Specific target binding and stability in diverse biological media is of crucial importance for applications of synthetic oligonucleotides as diagnostic and therapeutic tools. So far, these issues have been addressed by chemical modification of oligonucleotides and by conjugation with a peptide......, most often at the terminal position of the oligonucleotide. Herein, we for the first time systematically investigate the influence of internally attached short peptides on the properties of antisense oligonucleotides. We report the synthesis and internal double labeling of 21-mer oligonucleotides...

  4. Dissociable contribution of the parietal and frontal cortex to coding movement direction and amplitude

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marco eDavare

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available To reach for an object, we must convert its spatial location into an appropriate motor command, merging movement direction and amplitude. In humans, it has been suggested that this visuo-motor transformation occurs in a dorsomedial parieto-frontal pathway, although the causal contribution of the areas constituting the reaching circuit remains unknown. Here we used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS in healthy volunteers to disrupt the function of either the medial intraparietal area (mIPS or dorsal premotor cortex (PMd, in each hemisphere. The task consisted in performing step-tracking movements with the right wrist towards targets located in different directions and eccentricities; the targets were either visible for the whole trial (Target-ON or flashed for 200 ms (Target-OFF. Left and right mIPS disruption led to errors in the initial direction of movements performed towards contralateral targets. These errors were corrected online in the Target-ON condition but when the target was flashed for 200 ms, mIPS TMS manifested as a larger endpoint spreading. In contrast, left PMd virtual lesions led to higher acceleration and velocity peaks - two parameters typically used to probe the planned movement amplitude - irrespective of the target position, hemifield and presentation condition; in the Target-OFF condition, left PMd TMS induced overshooting and increased the endpoint dispersion along the axis of the target direction. These results indicate that left PMd intervenes in coding amplitude during movement preparation. The critical TMS timings leading to errors in direction and amplitude were different, namely 160-100 ms before movement onset for mIPS and 100-40 ms for left PMd. TMS applied over right PMd had no significant effect. These results indicate that, during motor preparation, direction and amplitude of goal-directed movements are processed by different cortical areas, at distinct timings, and according to a specific hemispheric

  5. Context-dependent neural activation: internally and externally guided rhythmic lower limb movement in individuals with and without neurodegenerative disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Madeleine Eve Hackney

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Parkinson’s Disease (PD is a neurodegenerative disorder that has received considerable attention in allopathic medicine over the past decades. However, it is clear that, to date, pharmacological and surgical interventions do not fully address symptoms of PD and patients’ quality of life. As both an alternative therapy and as an adjuvant to conventional approaches, several types of rhythmic movement (e.g., movement strategies, dance, tandem biking, tai chi have shown improvements to motor symptoms, lower limb control and postural stability in people with PD (Amano, Nocera, Vallabhajosula, Juncos, Gregor, Waddell et al., 2013; Earhart, 2009; M. E. Hackney & Earhart, 2008; Kadivar, Corcos, Foto, & Hondzinski, 2011; Morris, Iansek, & Kirkwood, 2009; Ridgel, Vitek, & Alberts, 2009. However, while these programs are increasing in number, still little is known about the neural mechanisms underlying motor improvements attained with such interventions. Studying limb motor control under task specific contexts can help determine the mechanisms of rehabilitation effectiveness. Both internally guided (IG and externally guided (EG movement strategies have evidence to support their use in rehabilitative programs. However, there appears to be a degree of differentiation in the neural substrates involved in IG versus EG designs. Because of the potential task specific benefits of rhythmic training within a rehabilitative context, this report will consider the use of IG and EG movement strategies, and observations produced by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI and other imaging techniques. This review will present findings from lower limb imaging studies, under IG and EG conditions for populations with and without movement disorders. We will discuss how these studies might inform movement disorders rehabilitation (in the form of rhythmic, music-based movement training and highlight research gaps. We believe better understanding of lower limb neural

  6. Magnitude of Interfractional Vaginal Cuff Movement: Implications for External Irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ma, Daniel J.; Michaletz-Lorenz, Martha; Goddu, S. Murty; Grigsby, Perry W.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: To quantify the extent of interfractional vaginal cuff movement in patients receiving postoperative irradiation for cervical or endometrial cancer in the absence of bowel/bladder instruction. Methods and Materials: Eleven consecutive patients with cervical or endometrial cancer underwent placement of three gold seed fiducial markers in the vaginal cuff apex as part of standard of care before simulation. Patients subsequently underwent external irradiation and brachytherapy treatment based on institutional guidelines. Daily megavoltage CT imaging was performed during each external radiation treatment fraction. The daily positions of the vaginal apex fiducial markers were subsequently compared with the original position of the fiducial markers on the simulation CT. Composite dose–volume histograms were also created by summing daily target positions. Results: The average (± standard deviation) vaginal cuff movement throughout daily pelvic external radiotherapy when referenced to the simulation position was 16.2 ± 8.3 mm. The maximum vaginal cuff movement for any patient during treatment was 34.5 mm. In the axial plane the mean vaginal cuff movement was 12.9 ± 6.7 mm. The maximum vaginal cuff axial movement was 30.7 mm. In the craniocaudal axis the mean movement was 10.3 ± 7.6 mm, with a maximum movement of 27.0 mm. Probability of cuff excursion outside of the clinical target volume steadily dropped as margin size increased (53%, 26%, 4.2%, and 1.4% for 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 cm, respectively.) However, rectal and bladder doses steadily increased with larger margin sizes. Conclusions: The magnitude of vaginal cuff movement is highly patient specific and can impact target coverage in patients without bowel/bladder instructions at simulation. The use of vaginal cuff fiducials can help identify patients at risk for target volume excursion.

  7. Design of a control system for HIRFL-CSRe internal target facility in Lanzhou

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Yanyu; Liu Wufeng; Shao Caojie; Lin Feiyu; Zhang Jianchuan; Xiao Wenjun

    2010-01-01

    It is described in this paper the design of the control system for HIRFL-CSRe internal target facility, in which there are many different kinds of units need to be monitored and controlled. The control system is composed of several subsystems which are designed to control the gas-jet temperature, chamber vacuum, valves and molecular pumps. A human-computer interaction interface is also realized to do the data acquisition, data processing and display. The whole system has been working stably and safely, it fully meets the requirements of physical experiments in the internal target facility. In January of 2010, the first physics experiment of the radioactive electron capture was finished successfully with the aids of this control system. (authors)

  8. Distractor Interference during Smooth Pursuit Eye Movements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spering, Miriam; Gegenfurtner, Karl R.; Kerzel, Dirk

    2006-01-01

    When 2 targets for pursuit eye movements move in different directions, the eye velocity follows the vector average (S. G. Lisberger & V. P. Ferrera, 1997). The present study investigates the mechanisms of target selection when observers are instructed to follow a predefined horizontal target and to ignore a moving distractor stimulus. Results show…

  9. Code of Practice on the International Transboundary Movement of Radioactive Waste; Code De Bonne Pratique Sur Le Mouvement Transfrontiere International De Dechets Radioactifs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1990-11-03

    On 21 September 1990, the General Conference, by resolution GC(XXXIV)/RES/530, adopted a Code of Practice on the International Transboundary Movement of Radioactive Waste and requested the Director General - inter alia - to take all necessary steps to ensure wide dissemination of the Code of Practice at both the national and the international level. The Code of Practice was elaborated by a Group of Experts established pursuant to resolution GC(XXXII)/RES/490 adopted by the General Conference in 1988. The text of the Code of Practice is reproduced herewith for the information of all Member States [French] Le 21 septembre 1990, la Conference generale, par la resolution GC(XXXIV)/RES/530, a adopte le Code de bonne pratique sur le mouvement transfrontiere international de dechets radioactifs et a prie le Directeur general-notamment-de prendre toutes les mesures necessaires pour assurer une large diffusion du Code de bonne pratique aux niveaux tant national qu'international. Le Code de bonne pratique a ete elabore par un groupe d'experts cree en application de la resolution GC(XXXII)/RES/490 adoptee par la Conference generale en 1988. Le texte du Code de bonne pratique est reproduit ci-apres pour l'information de tous les Etats Membres.

  10. Movement of the diaphragm during radiation treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nishioka, Masayuki; Fujioka, Tomio; Sakurai, Makoto; Nakajima, Toshifumi; Onoyama, Yasuto.

    1991-01-01

    Movement of the target volume during the exposure to radiation results in decreased accuracy in radiotherapy. We carried out the quantitative evaluation of the movement of the diaphragm during the radiation therapy. Seventy seven patients, who received radiation therapy for lung cancer from December 1988 to February 1990 at the Osaka-prefectural Habikino Hospital, were studied. The movement was recorded with a sonoprinter at the time of treatment planning for radiotherapy, and the length of movement was evaluated at 6 points on the diaphragm. In a study of 402 points in 77 patients, the average movement was 12 mm, and the maximum movement was 40 mm. At the 17% of the points, the movement exceeded 20 mm. The largest movement was observed at the outer point of the right lung. Movement was greater in men than in women. Performance status was not related to the degree of movement. We concluded that in chest and abdominal irradiation, movement caused by respiration is not negligible, and synchronized radiotherapy should be developed in the future. (author)

  11. Summary of the XIII International Workshop on Polarized Sources, Targets and Polarimetry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rathmann, F.

    2011-01-01

    The workshops on polarized sources, targets, and polarimetry are held every two years. The present meeting took place in Ferrara, Italy, and was organized by the University of Ferrara. Sessions on Polarized Proton and Deuterium Sources, Polarized Electron Sources, Polarimetry, Polarized Solid Targets, and Polarized Internal Targets, highlighted topics, recent developments, and progress in the field. A session decicated to Future Facilities provided an overview of a number of new activities in the spin-physics sector at facilities that are currently in the planning stage. Besides presenting a broad overview of polarized ion sources, electron sources, solid and gaseous targets, and their neighboring fields, the workshop also addressed the application of polarized atoms in applied sciences and medicine that is becoming increasingly important.

  12. Preparation of 199Tl using the electroplating gold targets on the internal target installation of cyclotron

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou Dehai; Xie Degao; Chao Yangshu; Liao Fuquan; Zhang Youfa; Wang Zefu

    1992-01-01

    The separative conditions of 199 Tl from Cu, Au and Ga by reaction 197 Au(α, 2n) 199 Tl on the internal target installation of cyclotron is studied. The α-particle energy is selected in the range of 24-15 MeV. The cumulative current intensities of such α-particle beams bombarding the gold target at 150-200 μA are 1200 μA · h and 1500 μA · h respectively. The radiochemical separation of 199 Tl is carried out with isopropyl ether extraction and anions exchange from the irradiated gold targets. The radioactivities of 199 Tl and 200 Tl are 2.3 x 10 5 Bq and 7.1 x 10 2 Bq, and 200 Tl makes up 0.29% of the total radioactivity. The impurity elements contained 1 ml of 199 TlCl injection solution are Au 199 TlCl has been used in clinical experiments in vivo and relatively good results have been obtained

  13. Robot-assisted adaptive training: custom force fields for teaching movement patterns.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patton, James L; Mussa-Ivaldi, Ferdinando A

    2004-04-01

    Based on recent studies of neuro-adaptive control, we tested a new iterative algorithm to generate custom training forces to "trick" subjects into altering their target-directed reaching movements to a prechosen movement as an after-effect of adaptation. The prechosen movement goal, a sinusoidal-shaped path from start to end point, was never explicitly conveyed to the subject. We hypothesized that the adaptation would cause an alteration in the feedforward command that would result in the prechosen movement. Our results showed that when forces were suddenly removed after a training period of 330 movements, trajectories were significantly shifted toward the prechosen movement. However, de-adaptation occurred (i.e., the after-effect "washed out") in the 50-75 movements that followed the removal of the training forces. A second experiment suppressed vision of hand location and found a detectable reduction in the washout of after-effects, suggesting that visual feedback of error critically influences learning. A final experiment demonstrated that after-effects were also present in the neighborhood of training--44% of original directional shift was seen in adjacent, unpracticed movement directions to targets that were 60 degrees different from the targets used for training. These results demonstrate the potential for these methods for teaching motor skills and for neuro-rehabilitation of brain-injured patients. This is a form of "implicit learning," because unlike explicit training methods, subjects learn movements with minimal instructions, no knowledge of, and little attention to the trajectory.

  14. Performance of a Polarized Deuterium Internal Target in a Medium-Energy Electron Storage Ring.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zhou, Z.L.; Ferro Luzzi, M.M.E.; van den Brand, J.F.J.; Bulten, H.J.; Alarcon, R.; van Bommel, R.; Botto, T.; Bouwhuis, M.; Buchholz, M.; Choi, S.; Comfort, J.; Doets, M.; Dolfini, S.; Ent, R.; Gaulard, C.; de Jager, C.W.; Lang, J.; de Lange, D.J.; Miller, M.A.; Passchier, E.; Passchier, I.; Poolman, H.R.; Six, E.; Steijger, J.J.M.; Unal, O.; de Vries, H.

    1996-01-01

    A polarized deuterium target internal to a medium-energy electron storage ring is described in the context of spindependent (e, e′d) and (e ,e′p) experiments. Tensor polarized deuterium was produced in an atomic beam source and injected into a storage cell target. A Breit-Rabi polarimeter was used

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fini, C; Brass, M; Committeri, G

    2015-01-01

    Space perception depends on our motion potentialities and our intended actions are affected by space perception. Research on peripersonal space (the space in reaching distance) shows that we perceive an object as being closer when we (Witt, Proffitt, & Epstein, 2005; Witt & Proffitt, 2008) or another actor (Costantini, Ambrosini, Sinigaglia, & Gallese, 2011; Bloesch, Davoli, Roth, Brockmole, & Abrams, 2012) can interact with it. Similarly, an object only triggers specific movements when it is placed in our peripersonal space (Costantini, Ambrosini, Tieri, Sinigaglia, & Committeri, 2010) or in the other's peripersonal space (Costantini, Committeri, & Sinigaglia, 2011; Cardellicchio, Sinigaglia, & Costantini, 2013). Moreover, also the extrapersonal space (the space outside reaching distance) seems to be perceived in relation to our movement capabilities: the more effort it takes to cover a distance, the greater we perceive the distance to be (Proffitt, Stefanucci, Banton, & Epstein, 2003; Sugovic & Witt, 2013). However, not much is known about the influence of the other's movement potentialities on our extrapersonal space perception. Three experiments were carried out investigating the categorization of distance in extrapersonal space using human or non-human allocentric reference frames (RF). Subjects were asked to judge the distance ("Near" or "Far") of a target object (a beach umbrella) placed at progressively increasing or decreasing distances until a change from near to far or vice versa was reported. In the first experiment we found a significant "Near space extension" when the allocentric RF was a human virtual agent instead of a static, inanimate object. In the second experiment we tested whether the "Near space extension" depended on the anatomical structure of the RF or its movement potentialities by adding a wooden dummy. The "Near space extension" was only observed for the human agent but not for the dummy. Finally, to rule out the possibility that the

  16. International Experience with Key Program Elements of IndustrialEnergy Efficiency or Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Target-SettingPrograms

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Price, Lynn; Galitsky, Christina; Kramer, Klaas Jan

    2008-02-02

    Target-setting agreements, also known as voluntary ornegotiated agreements, have been used by a number of governments as amechanism for promoting energy efficiency within the industrial sector. Arecent survey of such target-setting agreement programs identified 23energy efficiency or GHG emissions reduction voluntary agreement programsin 18 countries. International best practice related to target-settingagreement programs calls for establishment of a coordinated set ofpolicies that provide strong economic incentives as well as technical andfinancial support to participating industries. The key program elementsof a target-setting program are the target-setting process,identification of energy-saving technologies and measures usingenergy-energy efficiency guidebooks and benchmarking as well as byconducting energy-efficiency audits, development of an energy-savingsaction plan, development and implementation of energy managementprotocols, development of incentives and supporting policies, monitoringprogress toward targets, and program evaluation. This report firstprovides a description of three key target-setting agreement programs andthen describes international experience with the key program elementsthat comprise such programs using information from the three keytarget-setting programs as well as from other international programsrelated to industrial energy efficiency or GHG emissionsreductions.

  17. Eye tracking a self-moved target with complex hand-target dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Landelle, Caroline; Montagnini, Anna; Madelain, Laurent

    2016-01-01

    Previous work has shown that the ability to track with the eye a moving target is substantially improved when the target is self-moved by the subject's hand compared with when being externally moved. Here, we explored a situation in which the mapping between hand movement and target motion was perturbed by simulating an elastic relationship between the hand and target. Our objective was to determine whether the predictive mechanisms driving eye-hand coordination could be updated to accommodate this complex hand-target dynamics. To fully appreciate the behavioral effects of this perturbation, we compared eye tracking performance when self-moving a target with a rigid mapping (simple) and a spring mapping as well as when the subject tracked target trajectories that he/she had previously generated when using the rigid or spring mapping. Concerning the rigid mapping, our results confirmed that smooth pursuit was more accurate when the target was self-moved than externally moved. In contrast, with the spring mapping, eye tracking had initially similar low spatial accuracy (though shorter temporal lag) in the self versus externally moved conditions. However, within ∼5 min of practice, smooth pursuit improved in the self-moved spring condition, up to a level similar to the self-moved rigid condition. Subsequently, when the mapping unexpectedly switched from spring to rigid, the eye initially followed the expected target trajectory and not the real one, thereby suggesting that subjects used an internal representation of the new hand-target dynamics. Overall, these results emphasize the stunning adaptability of smooth pursuit when self-maneuvering objects with complex dynamics. PMID:27466129

  18. The 13th International Workshop on Targetry and Target Chemistry Proceedings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Haroun, Samar; Givskov, Alex David; Jensen, Mikael

    in situ target chemistry and the engineering required to optimize production yields. In the workshop, experience, ideas and information are freely and openly shared; learning and collaborations are fostered, with active participation by all attendees. This participation includes both formal and informal......This report contains the complete proceedings of the 13th International Workshop on Targetry and Target Chemistry. The Workshop was held at Risø National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy on July 26-28 2010. The workshop deals with the development of methods and systems for efficient production...... of the WTTC is to advance the science associated with radioisotope production targetry. The Workshops are designed to bring experienced targetry scientists together with newcomers to the field, both from industry and academia, to discuss issues of targetry and target chemistry and approaches to exploring...

  19. Surgical management of movement disorders

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    together as movement disorders (e.g. Parkinson's disease, dystonia, essential tremor) is with medication and, in some, with ... Stereotactic lesioning of basal ganglia and/or thalamic targets ... and there is some concern related to suicide.

  20. Optimal sensorimotor control in eye movement sequences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Munuera, Jérôme; Morel, Pierre; Duhamel, Jean-René; Deneve, Sophie

    2009-03-11

    Fast and accurate motor behavior requires combining noisy and delayed sensory information with knowledge of self-generated body motion; much evidence indicates that humans do this in a near-optimal manner during arm movements. However, it is unclear whether this principle applies to eye movements. We measured the relative contributions of visual sensory feedback and the motor efference copy (and/or proprioceptive feedback) when humans perform two saccades in rapid succession, the first saccade to a visual target and the second to a memorized target. Unbeknownst to the subject, we introduced an artificial motor error by randomly "jumping" the visual target during the first saccade. The correction of the memory-guided saccade allowed us to measure the relative contributions of visual feedback and efferent copy (and/or proprioceptive feedback) to motor-plan updating. In a control experiment, we extinguished the target during the saccade rather than changing its location to measure the relative contribution of motor noise and target localization error to saccade variability without any visual feedback. The motor noise contribution increased with saccade amplitude, but remained <30% of the total variability. Subjects adjusted the gain of their visual feedback for different saccade amplitudes as a function of its reliability. Even during trials where subjects performed a corrective saccade to compensate for the target-jump, the correction by the visual feedback, while stronger, remained far below 100%. In all conditions, an optimal controller predicted the visual feedback gain well, suggesting that humans combine optimally their efferent copy and sensory feedback when performing eye movements.

  1. Using NEG-pumping near a high density internal target

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gruber, Alexander; Marton, Johann; Widmann, Eberhard; Zmeskal, Johann [Stefan Meyer Institut fuer Subatomare Physik, OeAW (Germany); Orth, Herbert [GSI, Helmholtzzentrum fuer Schwerionenforschung, Darmstadt (Germany)

    2009-07-01

    The universal detector PANDA will be constructed at the future high-energy antiproton storage ring HESR at FAIR (Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research, GSI/Darmstadt). It will use antiproton beams (1.5 to 15 GeV/c) for hadron physics in the charmonium region. The Stefan Meyer Institut (SMI) contributes to major parts of the PANDA detector like the hydrogen cluster-jet target and the vacuum system of the antiproton - target interaction zone. To ensure low background, the residual gas load in the interaction zone and in the antiproton beam-pipe has to be minimised. Most of the gas load will come from the high density internal hydrogen target. As the detector will cover almost the full solid angle, the installation of pumps near the interaction zone is impossible. Therefore the use of NEG (non-evaporative-getter) coated beam pipes has been considered as an alternative. Two setups with NEG coated tubes have been installed at SMI as prototypes of the PANDA interaction zone. General parameters of the NEG-film, its outgassing behaviour, the pumping speed and the pumping capacity for hydrogen have been tested. The results of the studies on the PANDA-interaction region are presented.

  2. Functional neurosurgery for movement disorders: a historical perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benabid, Alim Louis; Chabardes, Stephan; Torres, Napoleon; Piallat, Brigitte; Krack, Paul; Fraix, Valerie; Pollak, Pierre

    2009-01-01

    Since the 1960s, deep brain stimulation and spinal cord stimulation at low frequency (30 Hz) have been used to treat intractable pain of various origins. For this purpose, specific hardware have been designed, including deep brain electrodes, extensions, and implantable programmable generators (IPGs). In the meantime, movement disorders, and particularly parkinsonian and essential tremors, were treated by electrolytic or mechanic lesions in various targets of the basal ganglia, particularly in the thalamus and in the internal pallidum. The advent in the 1960s of levodopa, as well as the side effects and complications of ablative surgery (e.g., thalamotomy and pallidotomy), has sent functional neurosurgery of movement disorders to oblivion. In 1987, the serendipitous discovery of the effect of high-frequency stimulation (HFS), mimicking lesions, allowed the revival of the surgery of movement disorders by stimulation of the thalamus, which treated tremors with limited morbidity, and adaptable and reversible results. The stability along time of these effects allowed extending it to new targets suggested by basic research in monkeys. The HFS of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) has profoundly challenged the practice of functional surgery as the effect on the triad of dopaminergic symptoms was very significant, allowing to decrease the drug dosage and therefore a decrease of their complications, the levodopa-induced dyskinesias. In the meantime, based on the results of previous basic research in various fields, HFS has been progressively extended to potentially treat epilepsy and, more recently, psychiatric disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive disorders, Gilles de la Tourette tics, and severe depression. Similarly, suggested by the observation of changes in PET scan, applications have been extended to cluster headaches by stimulation of the posterior hypothalamus and even more recently, to obesity and drug addiction. In the field of movement disorders, it has become

  3. Applicability of International and DOE Target Values to ALD Destructive Measurement Applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holland, M.K.

    2002-01-01

    International Target values and target value applicability are a function of the nuclear material processing campaign or application for which the accountability measurement method is being applied. Safeguarding significant quantities of nuclear-grade materials requires that accountability measurements be as accurate, precise, and representative as practically possible. In general, the ITV provides a benchmark for determining generic acceptability of the performance of the various accountability measurement methods, since it represents a performance level that is accepted as highly reliable. There are cases where it is acceptable to select alternative accountability methods not specifically referenced by the ITV, or to use the recognized measurement method, even though the uncertainties are greater than the target values

  4. Cooling equilibrium and beam loss with internal targets in high energy storage rings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boine-Frankenheim, O.; Hasse, R.; Hinterberger, F.; Lehrach, A.; Zenkevich, P.

    2006-01-01

    The beam cooling equilibrium with internal target interaction is analyzed for parameters relevant to the proposed High Energy Storage Ring (HESR). For the proposed experiments with anti-protons high luminosities together with low momentum spreads are required. Rate equations are used to predict the rms equilibrium beam parameters. The cooling and IBS rate coefficients are obtained from simplified models. Energy loss straggling in the target and the associated beam loss are analyzed analytically assuming a thin target. A longitudinal kinetic simulation code is used to study the evolution of the momentum distribution in coasting and bunched beams. Analytic expressions for the target induced momentum tail are found in good agreement with the simulation results

  5. Does the cerebellum initiate movement?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thach, W T

    2014-02-01

    Opinion is divided on what the exact function of the cerebellum is. Experiments are summarized that support the following views: (1) the cerebellum is a combiner of multiple movement factors; (2) it contains anatomically fixed permanent focal representation of individual body parts (muscles and segments) and movement modes (e.g., vestibular driven vs. cognitive driven); (3) it contains flexible changing representations/memory of physical properties of the body parts including muscle strength, segment inertia, joint viscosity, and segmental interaction torques (dynamics); (4) it contains mechanisms for learning and storage of the properties in item no. 3 through trial-and-error practice; (5) it provides for linkage of body parts, motor modes, and motordynamics via the parallel fiber system; (6) it combines and integrates the many factors so as to initiate coordinated movements of the many body parts; (7) it is thus enabled to play the unique role of initiating coordinated movements; and (8) this unique causative role is evidenced by the fact that: (a) electrical stimulation of the cerebellum can initiate compound coordinated movements; (b) in naturally initiated compound movements, cerebellar discharge precedes that in downstream target structures such as motor cerebral cortex; and (c) cerebellar ablation abolishes the natural production of compound movements in the awake alert individuals.

  6. Humanitarian aid in peacetime: conflicting narratives in the international Red Cross movement, 1867-1884

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arrizabalaga, Jon

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available When, scarcely five years after its advent, the movement of aid societies for the relief of soldiers wounded in battle in international wars, set out to examine what should their activities be in peacetime, many debates were opened up as to the feasibility of broadening their field of action to other warlike settings and disasters. The following is an examination of how these debates developed, providing evidence that (a the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC defended its position not to incorporate civil aims into the humanitarian purposes of the Red Cross international movement until after the First World War; and (b different national societies and committees of the Red Cross, disagreeing with this position, defended, within the framework of emergent paradigms in hygiene and public health, the care of the sick poor, and were involved as early as the 1870s and 1880s in first-aid to the sick and wounded in everyday life as well as in relief of disasters both natural and caused by famine.Cuando, apenas cinco años después de su puesta en marcha, el movimiento de sociedades de socorro a los soldados heridos en campaña en caso de guerras internacionales se propuso examinar en qué deberían consistir sus actividades en tiempo de paz, se abrieron los debates sobre la posibilidad de ampliar su campo de actuación a otros escenarios y calamidades. Se analiza cómo fueron esos debates, ofreciendo muestras de cómo (a el Comité Internacional de la Cruz Roja (CICR defendió no añadir objetivos civiles entre los propósitos humanitarios del movimiento internacional hasta después de la Primera Guerra Mundial; y (b diferentes sociedades nacionales y comités de la Cruz Roja, discrepando de esa posición, defendieron, en el marco de los paradigmas emergentes en la higiene y la salud pública, la asistencia a pobres enfermos y se implicaron, tan pronto como en las décadas de 1870 y 1880, tanto en la intervención rutinaria en socorro de

  7. Functionalized iron oxide nanoparticles for controlling the movement of immune cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, Ethan E.; Pai, Alex; Weng, Yiming; Suresh, Anil K.; van Haute, Desiree; Pailevanian, Torkom; Alizadeh, Darya; Hajimiri, Ali; Badie, Behnam; Berlin, Jacob M.

    2015-04-01

    Immunotherapy is currently being investigated for the treatment of many diseases, including cancer. The ability to control the location of immune cells during or following activation would represent a powerful new technique for this field. Targeted magnetic delivery is emerging as a technique for controlling cell movement and localization. Here we show that this technique can be extended to microglia, the primary phagocytic immune cells in the central nervous system. The magnetized microglia were generated by loading the cells with iron oxide nanoparticles functionalized with CpG oligonucleotides, serving as a proof of principle that nanoparticles can be used to both deliver an immunostimulatory cargo to cells and to control the movement of the cells. The nanoparticle-oligonucleotide conjugates are efficiently internalized, non-toxic, and immunostimulatory. We demonstrate that the in vitro migration of the adherent, loaded microglia can be controlled by an external magnetic field and that magnetically-induced migration is non-cytotoxic. In order to capture video of this magnetically-induced migration of loaded cells, a novel 3D-printed ``cell box'' was designed to facilitate our imaging application. Analysis of cell movement velocities clearly demonstrate increased cell velocities toward the magnet. These studies represent the initial step towards our final goal of using nanoparticles to both activate immune cells and to control their trafficking within the diseased brain.Immunotherapy is currently being investigated for the treatment of many diseases, including cancer. The ability to control the location of immune cells during or following activation would represent a powerful new technique for this field. Targeted magnetic delivery is emerging as a technique for controlling cell movement and localization. Here we show that this technique can be extended to microglia, the primary phagocytic immune cells in the central nervous system. The magnetized microglia were

  8. Five Encounters with "El Sistema" International: A Venezuelan Marvel Becomes a Global Movement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Booth, Eric; Tunstall, Tricia

    2014-01-01

    Genuine worldwide movements for social change are rare in human history. Even more rare is the phenomenon of a worldwide movement for social change through art, with teaching artists at the forefront. This article presents the evolution of such a movement now, in the global blossoming of "El Sistema," a program that seeks to change the…

  9. Optimization of the internal target system of the C V-28 cyclotron at IPEN-CNEN/SP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Araujo, Sumair Gouveia de

    1996-01-01

    The C V-28 cyclotron at IPEN-CNEN/S P is used mainly for radioisotope production to be utilized in nuclear medicine for diagnostic purposes. Among these radioisotopes we can cite 67 Ga and 111 In, which are obtained by irradiation of Zn and Cd solid targets. Up to now, the irradiations were performed in the external beam line, which has limitations in beam current due to the extraction system, that can at best extract between 50 and 70% of the produced beam. This is a critical point for an efficient radioisotope production. A possible solution to achieve high beam currents is a system that allows the irradiation of these solid targets with the internal beam. In this case, the total produced beam can be used. For this, the objective of this work was to modify and improve the internal target system of the C V-28 Cyclotron, which had three critical points in the original project, that made the system useless. First, the transport of the target to the irradiation position was modified: the pneumatic tube was changed to a motor drive service. Secondly, the target cooling system was improved. Third and the most critical, the modification on the locking system of the target holder that could bring the cyclotron tank to atmosphere. These modifications implied on a change in all logical sequence of the target control. With these modifications the system became more versatile and showed more reproducibility and reliability than the original internal target system. The loss of mass in natural Zn targets irradiated with currents up to 80 μA was negligible. The production yield of 67 Ga obtained, at EOB, was 21.2 MBq/μAh (0.57 mCi/μAh), that is in good agreement with those obtained in the irradiation with external beams. (author)

  10. Control of aperture closure initiation during reach-to-grasp movements under manipulations of visual feedback and trunk involvement in Parkinson's disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rand, Miya Kato; Lemay, Martin; Squire, Linda M; Shimansky, Yury P; Stelmach, George E

    2010-03-01

    value under full visibility, implying an increase in the hand-target distance-related safety margin for grasping. The increase in the safety margin due to the absence of target object vision or the absence of hand vision was accentuated in the subjects with PD compared to that in the controls. The pronounced increase in the safety margin due to absence of target object vision for the subjects with PD was further accentuated when the trunk was involved compared to when it was not involved. The results imply that individuals with PD have significant limitations regarding neural computations required for efficient utilization of internal representations of target object location and hand motion as well as proprioceptive information about the hand to compensate for the lack of visual information during the performance of complex multisegment movements.

  11. Using the Dual-Target Cost to Explore the Nature of Search Target Representations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stroud, Michael J.; Menneer, Tamaryn; Cave, Kyle R.; Donnelly, Nick

    2012-01-01

    Eye movements were monitored to examine search efficiency and infer how color is mentally represented to guide search for multiple targets. Observers located a single color target very efficiently by fixating colors similar to the target. However, simultaneous search for 2 colors produced a dual-target cost. In addition, as the similarity between…

  12. Targeting mammalian organelles with internalizing phage (iPhage) libraries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rangel, Roberto; Dobroff, Andrey S.; Guzman-Rojas, Liliana; Salmeron, Carolina C.; Gelovani, Juri G.; Sidman, Richard L.; Pasqualini, Renata; Arap, Wadih

    2015-01-01

    Techniques largely used for protein interaction studies and discovery of intracellular receptors, such as affinity capture complex purification and yeast two-hybrid, may produce inaccurate datasets due to protein insolubility, transient or weak protein interactions, or irrelevant intracellular context. A versatile tool to overcome these limitations as well as to potentially create vaccines and engineer peptides and antibodies as targeted diagnostic and therapeutic agents, is the phage display technique. We have recently developed a new technology for screening internalizing phage (iPhage) vectors and libraries utilizing a ligand/receptor-independent mechanism to penetrate eukaryotic cells. iPhage particles provide a unique discovery platform for combinatorial intracellular targeting of organelle ligands along with their corresponding receptors and to fingerprint functional protein domains in living cells. Here we explain the design, cloning, construction, and production of iPhage-based vectors and libraries, along with basic ligand-receptor identification and validation methodologies for organelle receptors. An iPhage library screening can be performed in ~8 weeks. PMID:24030441

  13. Subthalamic nucleus detects unnatural android movement.

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2017-12-19

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

  14. International target values 2010 for achievable measurement uncertainties in nuclear material accountancy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dias, Fabio C., E-mail: fabio@ird.gov.b [Comissao Nacional de Energia Nuclear (CNEN), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Almeida, Silvio G. de; Renha Junior, Geraldo, E-mail: silvio@abacc.org.b, E-mail: grenha@abacc.org.b [Agencia Brasileiro-Argentina de Contabilidade e Controle de Materiais Nucleares (ABACC), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

    2011-07-01

    The International Target Values (ITVs) are reasonable uncertainty estimates that can be used in judging the reliability of measurement techniques applied to industrial nuclear and fissile materials subject to accountancy and/or safeguards verification. In the absence of relevant experimental estimates, ITVs can also be used to select measurement techniques and calculate sample population during the planning phase of verification activities. It is important to note that ITVs represent estimates of the 'state-of-the-practice', which should be achievable under routine measurement conditions affecting both facility operators and safeguards inspectors, not only in the field, but also in laboratory. Tabulated values cover measurement methods used for the determination of volume or mass of the nuclear material, for its elemental and isotopic assays, and for its sampling. The 2010 edition represents the sixth revision of the International Target Values (ITVs), issued by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as a Safeguards Technical Report (STR-368). The first version was released as 'Target Values' in 1979 by the Working Group on Techniques and Standards for Destructive Analysis (WGDA) of the European Safeguards Research and Development Association (ESARDA) and focused on destructive analytical methods. In the latest 2010 revision, international standards in estimating and expressing uncertainties have been considered while maintaining a format that allows comparison with the previous editions of the ITVs. Those standards have been usually applied in QC/QA programmes, as well as qualification of methods, techniques and instruments. Representatives of the Brazilian Nuclear Energy Commission (CNEN) and the Brazilian-Argentine Agency for Accounting and Control of Nuclear Materials (ABACC) participated in previous Consultants Group Meetings since the one convened to establish the first list of ITVs released in 1993 and in subsequent revisions

  15. International target values 2010 for achievable measurement uncertainties in nuclear material accountancy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dias, Fabio C.; Almeida, Silvio G. de; Renha Junior, Geraldo

    2011-01-01

    The International Target Values (ITVs) are reasonable uncertainty estimates that can be used in judging the reliability of measurement techniques applied to industrial nuclear and fissile materials subject to accountancy and/or safeguards verification. In the absence of relevant experimental estimates, ITVs can also be used to select measurement techniques and calculate sample population during the planning phase of verification activities. It is important to note that ITVs represent estimates of the 'state-of-the-practice', which should be achievable under routine measurement conditions affecting both facility operators and safeguards inspectors, not only in the field, but also in laboratory. Tabulated values cover measurement methods used for the determination of volume or mass of the nuclear material, for its elemental and isotopic assays, and for its sampling. The 2010 edition represents the sixth revision of the International Target Values (ITVs), issued by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as a Safeguards Technical Report (STR-368). The first version was released as 'Target Values' in 1979 by the Working Group on Techniques and Standards for Destructive Analysis (WGDA) of the European Safeguards Research and Development Association (ESARDA) and focused on destructive analytical methods. In the latest 2010 revision, international standards in estimating and expressing uncertainties have been considered while maintaining a format that allows comparison with the previous editions of the ITVs. Those standards have been usually applied in QC/QA programmes, as well as qualification of methods, techniques and instruments. Representatives of the Brazilian Nuclear Energy Commission (CNEN) and the Brazilian-Argentine Agency for Accounting and Control of Nuclear Materials (ABACC) participated in previous Consultants Group Meetings since the one convened to establish the first list of ITVs released in 1993 and in subsequent revisions, including the latest one

  16. Margin estimation and disturbances of irradiation field in layer-stacking carbon-ion beams for respiratory moving targets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tajiri, Shinya; Tashiro, Mutsumi; Mizukami, Tomohiro; Tsukishima, Chihiro; Torikoshi, Masami; Kanai, Tatsuaki

    2017-11-01

    Carbon-ion therapy by layer-stacking irradiation for static targets has been practised in clinical treatments. In order to apply this technique to a moving target, disturbances of carbon-ion dose distributions due to respiratory motion have been studied based on the measurement using a respiratory motion phantom, and the margin estimation given by the square root of the summation Internal margin2+Setup margin2 has been assessed. We assessed the volume in which the variation in the ratio of the dose for a target moving due to respiration relative to the dose for a static target was within 5%. The margins were insufficient for use with layer-stacking irradiation of a moving target, and an additional margin was required. The lateral movement of a target converts to the range variation, as the thickness of the range compensator changes with the movement of the target. Although the additional margin changes according to the shape of the ridge filter, dose uniformity of 5% can be achieved for a spherical target 93 mm in diameter when the upward range variation is limited to 5 mm and the additional margin of 2.5 mm is applied in case of our ridge filter. Dose uniformity in a clinical target largely depends on the shape of the mini-peak as well as on the bolus shape. We have shown the relationship between range variation and dose uniformity. In actual therapy, the upper limit of target movement should be considered by assessing the bolus shape. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Japan Radiation Research Society and Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology.

  17. Movement of the external ear in human embryo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kagurasho, Miho; Yamada, Shigehito; Uwabe, Chigako; Kose, Katsumi; Takakuwa, Tetsuya

    2012-02-01

    External ears, one of the major face components, show an interesting movement during craniofacial morphogenesis in human embryo. The present study was performed to see if movement of the external ears in a human embryo could be explained by differential growth. In all, 171 samples between Carnegie stage (CS) 17 and CS 23 were selected from MR image datasets of human embryos obtained from the Kyoto Collection of Human Embryos. The three-dimensional absolute position of 13 representative anatomical landmarks, including external and internal ears, from MRI data was traced to evaluate the movement between the different stages with identical magnification. Two different sets of reference axes were selected for evaluation and comparison of the movements. When the pituitary gland and the first cervical vertebra were selected as a reference axis, the 13 anatomical landmarks of the face spread out within the same region as the embryo enlarged and changed shape. The external ear did move mainly laterally, but not cranially. The distance between the external and internal ear stayed approximately constant. Three-dimensionally, the external ear located in the caudal ventral parts of the internal ear in CS 17, moved mainly laterally until CS 23. When surface landmarks eyes and mouth were selected as a reference axis, external ears moved from the caudal lateral ventral region to the position between eyes and mouth during development. The results indicate that movement of all anatomical landmarks, including external and internal ears, can be explained by differential growth. Also, when the external ear is recognized as one of the facial landmarks and having a relative position to other landmarks such as the eyes and mouth, the external ears seem to move cranially. © 2012 Kagurasho et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

  18. Target cells in internal dosimetry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goessner, W

    2003-07-01

    Data related to radium induced bone sarcomas in humans are used as a model for defining target cells on bone surfaces and in the bone marrow. The differential distribution of radiation induced bone sarcoma types with a high ratio of non-bone producing, mainly fibroblastic tumours, challenges the ICRP concept that the bone lining cells are target cells. Multipotential mesenchymal stem cells are located within the range of alpha particles, and are the most likely target cells for the fibroblastic type of bone sarcoma. The histogenesis of bone sarcomas after irradiation with alpha emitters shows that their final histopathology is not dependent on a single target cell. Each target cell has a microenvironment, which has to be regarded as a synergistic morpho-functional tissue unit. For this the concept of 'histion', a term used in general pathology, is proposed. Interactions between target cells that have been hit by alpha-particles, leading to lethal, mutational or transformation events with all components of a 'histion', will prove critical to understanding the pathogenesis of both deterministic and stochastic late effects. (author)

  19. Target cells in internal dosimetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goessner, W.

    2003-01-01

    Data related to radium induced bone sarcomas in humans are used as a model for defining target cells on bone surfaces and in the bone marrow. The differential distribution of radiation induced bone sarcoma types with a high ratio of non-bone producing, mainly fibroblastic tumours, challenges the ICRP concept that the bone lining cells are target cells. Multipotential mesenchymal stem cells are located within the range of alpha particles, and are the most likely target cells for the fibroblastic type of bone sarcoma. The histogenesis of bone sarcomas after irradiation with alpha emitters shows that their final histopathology is not dependent on a single target cell. Each target cell has a microenvironment, which has to be regarded as a synergistic morpho-functional tissue unit. For this the concept of 'histion', a term used in general pathology, is proposed. Interactions between target cells that have been hit by alpha-particles, leading to lethal, mutational or transformation events with all components of a 'histion', will prove critical to understanding the pathogenesis of both deterministic and stochastic late effects. (author)

  20. Charomers-Interleukin-6 Receptor Specific Aptamers for Cellular Internalization and Targeted Drug Delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hahn, Ulrich

    2017-12-06

    Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a key player in inflammation and the main factor for the induction of acute phase protein biosynthesis. Further to its central role in many aspects of the immune system, IL-6 regulates a variety of homeostatic processes. To interfere with IL-6 dependent diseases, such as various autoimmune diseases or certain cancers like multiple myeloma or hepatocellular carcinoma associated with chronic inflammation, it might be a sensible strategy to target human IL-6 receptor (hIL-6R) presenting cells with aptamers. We therefore have selected and characterized different DNA and RNA aptamers specifically binding IL-6R. These IL-6R aptamers, however, do not interfere with the IL-6 signaling pathway but are internalized with the receptor and thus can serve as vehicles for the delivery of different cargo molecules like therapeutics. We succeeded in the construction of a chlorin e6 derivatized aptamer to be delivered for targeted photodynamic therapy (PDT). Furthermore, we were able to synthesize an aptamer intrinsically comprising the cytostatic 5-Fluoro-2'-deoxy-uridine for targeted chemotherapy. The α6β4 integrin specific DNA aptamer IDA, also selected in our laboratory is internalized, too. All these aptamers can serve as vehicles for targeted drug delivery into cells. We call them charomers-in memory of Charon, the ferryman in Greek mythology, who ferried the deceased into the underworld.

  1. Political dimensions of 'the psychosocial': The 1948 International Congress on Mental Health and the Mental Hygiene Movement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toms, Jonathan

    2012-12-01

    The Foucauldian sociologist Nikolas Rose has influentially argued that psychosocial technologies have offered means through which the ideals of democracy can be made congruent with the management of social life and the government of citizens in modern Western liberal democracies. This interpretation is contested here through an examination of the 1948 International Congress on Mental Health held in London and the mental hygiene movement that organised it. It is argued that, in Britain, this movement's theory and practice represents an uneasy and ambiguous attempt to reconcile visions of 'the modern' with 'the traditional'. The mental hygienist emphasis on the family is central. Here it appears as a forcing-house of the modern self-sustaining individual. Mental hygienists cast the social organisation of 'traditional' communities as static, with rigid authority frustrating both social progress and the full emergence of individual personality. Yet mental hygienists were also concerned about threats to social cohesion and secure personhood under modernity. If the social organisation of 'traditional' communities was patterned by the archetype of the family, with its personal relations of authority, mental hygienists compressed these relations into the 'private' family. Situated here they became part of a developmental process of mental adjustment through which 'mature', responsible citizens emerged. This reformulation of the family's centrality for the social order informed mental hygienist critiques of the growth of state power under existing forms of democracy, as well as suspicion of popular political participation or protest, and of movements towards greater egalitarianism.

  2. First Nuclear Reaction Experiment with Stored Radioactive 56Ni Beam and Internal Hydrogen and Helium Targets

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Egelhof, P.; Bagchi, Soumya; Csatlós, M.; Dillmann, I.; Dimopoulou, C.; Furuno, T; Geissel, H.; Gernhauser, R.; Kalantar-Nayestanaki, Nasser; Kuilman, M.; Mahjour-Shafiei, M.; Najafi, M.A.; Rigollet, C.; Streicher, B.

    2014-01-01

    The investigation of light-ion induced direct reactions using stored and cooled radioactive beams, interacting with internal targets of storage rings, can lead to substantial advantages over external target experiments, in particular for direct reaction experiments in inverse kinematics at very low

  3. From social movement to food industry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kristensen, Niels Heine; Nielsen, Thorkild

    1998-01-01

    The paper report the organic movements impact on international institutions (EU, USDA, WTO and Codex Alimentarius). It focuses on the Danish experiences with 10 years of regulation on the organic sector...

  4. From social movement to food industry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kristensen, Niels Heine; Nielsen, Thorkild

    1998-01-01

    The paper report the organic movements impact on international institutions (EU, USDA, WTO and Codex Alimentarius). It focuses on the Danish experiences with 10 years of regulation on the organic sector....

  5. Organization of octopus arm movements: a model system for studying the control of flexible arms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gutfreund, Y; Flash, T; Yarom, Y; Fiorito, G; Segev, I; Hochner, B

    1996-11-15

    Octopus arm movements provide an extreme example of controlled movements of a flexible arm with virtually unlimited degrees of freedom. This study aims to identify general principles in the organization of these movements. Video records of the movements of Octopus vulgaris performing the task of reaching toward a target were studied. The octopus extends its arm toward the target by a wave-like propagation of a bend that travels from the base of the arm toward the tip. Similar bend propagation is seen in other octopus arm movements, such as locomotion and searching. The kinematics (position and velocity) of the midpoint of the bend in three-dimensional space were extracted using the direct linear transformation algorithm. This showed that the bend tends to move within a single linear plane in a simple, slightly curved path connecting the center of the animal's body with the target location. Approximately 70% of the reaching movements demonstrated a stereotyped tangential velocity profile. An invariant profile was observed when movements were normalized for velocity and distance. Two arms, extended together in the same behavioral context, demonstrated identical velocity profiles. The stereotyped features of the movements were also observed in spontaneous arm extensions (not toward an external target). The simple and stereotypic appearance of the bend trajectory suggests that the position of the bend in space and time is the controlled variable. We propose that this strategy reduces the immense redundancy of the octopus arm movements and hence simplifies motor control.

  6. Testing for Volatility Co-movement in Bivariate Stochastic Volatility Models

    OpenAIRE

    Chen, Jinghui; Kobayashi, Masahito; McAleer, Michael

    2017-01-01

    markdownabstractThe paper considers the problem of volatility co-movement, namely as to whether two financial returns have perfectly correlated common volatility process, in the framework of multivariate stochastic volatility models and proposes a test which checks the volatility co-movement. The proposed test is a stochastic volatility version of the co-movement test proposed by Engle and Susmel (1993), who investigated whether international equity markets have volatility co-movement using t...

  7. [Transposition errors during learning to reproduce a sequence by the right- and the left-hand movements: simulation of positional and movement coding].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liakhovetskiĭ, V A; Bobrova, E V; Skopin, G N

    2012-01-01

    Transposition errors during the reproduction of a hand movement sequence make it possible to receive important information on the internal representation of this sequence in the motor working memory. Analysis of such errors showed that learning to reproduce sequences of the left-hand movements improves the system of positional coding (coding ofpositions), while learning of the right-hand movements improves the system of vector coding (coding of movements). Learning of the right-hand movements after the left-hand performance involved the system of positional coding "imposed" by the left hand. Learning of the left-hand movements after the right-hand performance activated the system of vector coding. Transposition errors during learning to reproduce movement sequences can be explained by neural network using either vector coding or both vector and positional coding.

  8. Contextual effects on smooth-pursuit eye movements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spering, Miriam; Gegenfurtner, Karl R

    2007-02-01

    Segregating a moving object from its visual context is particularly relevant for the control of smooth-pursuit eye movements. We examined the interaction between a moving object and a stationary or moving visual context to determine the role of the context motion signal in driving pursuit. Eye movements were recorded from human observers to a medium-contrast Gaussian dot that moved horizontally at constant velocity. A peripheral context consisted of two vertically oriented sinusoidal gratings, one above and one below the stimulus trajectory, that were either stationary or drifted into the same or opposite direction as that of the target at different velocities. We found that a stationary context impaired pursuit acceleration and velocity and prolonged pursuit latency. A drifting context enhanced pursuit performance, irrespective of its motion direction. This effect was modulated by context contrast and orientation. When a context was briefly perturbed to move faster or slower eye velocity changed accordingly, but only when the context was drifting along with the target. Perturbing a context into the direction orthogonal to target motion evoked a deviation of the eye opposite to the perturbation direction. We therefore provide evidence for the use of absolute and relative motion cues, or motion assimilation and motion contrast, for the control of smooth-pursuit eye movements.

  9. Stepping movement analysis of control rod drive mechanism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu Yantao; Zu Hongbiao

    2013-01-01

    Background: Control rod drive mechanism (CRDM) is one of the important safety-related equipment for nuclear power plants. Purpose: The operating parameters of stepping movement, including lifting loads, step distance and step velocity, are all critical design targets. Methods: FEA and numerical simulation are used to analyze stepping movement separately. Results: The motion equations of the movable magnet in stepping movement are established by load analysis. Gravitation, magnetic force, fluid resistance and spring force are all in consideration in the load analysis. The operating parameters of stepping movement are given. Conclusions: The results, including time history curves of force, speed and etc, can positively used in the design of CRDM. (authors)

  10. Convergent transmission of RNAi guide-target mismatch information across Argonaute internal allosteric network.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joseph, Thomas T; Osman, Roman

    2012-01-01

    In RNA interference, a guide strand derived from a short dsRNA such as a microRNA (miRNA) is loaded into Argonaute, the central protein in the RNA Induced Silencing Complex (RISC) that silences messenger RNAs on a sequence-specific basis. The positions of any mismatched base pairs in an miRNA determine which Argonaute subtype is used. Subsequently, the Argonaute-guide complex binds and silences complementary target mRNAs; certain Argonautes cleave the target. Mismatches between guide strand and the target mRNA decrease cleavage efficiency. Thus, loading and silencing both require that signals about the presence of a mismatched base pair are communicated from the mismatch site to effector sites. These effector sites include the active site, to prevent target cleavage; the binding groove, to modify nucleic acid binding affinity; and surface allosteric sites, to control recruitment of additional proteins to form the RISC. To examine how such signals may be propagated, we analyzed the network of internal allosteric pathways in Argonaute exhibited through correlations of residue-residue interactions. The emerging network can be described as a set of pathways emanating from the core of the protein near the active site, distributed into the bulk of the protein, and converging upon a distributed cluster of surface residues. Nucleotides in the guide strand "seed region" have a stronger relationship with the protein than other nucleotides, concordant with their importance in sequence selectivity. Finally, any of several seed region guide-target mismatches cause certain Argonaute residues to have modified correlations with the rest of the protein. This arises from the aggregation of relatively small interaction correlation changes distributed across a large subset of residues. These residues are in effector sites: the active site, binding groove, and surface, implying that direct functional consequences of guide-target mismatches are mediated through the cumulative effects of

  11. Structural features facilitating tumor cell targeting and internalization by bleomycin and its disaccharide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Zhiqiang; Paul, Rakesh; Bhattacharya, Chandrabali; Bozeman, Trevor C; Rishel, Michael J; Hecht, Sidney M

    2015-05-19

    We have shown previously that the bleomycin (BLM) carbohydrate moiety can recapitulate the tumor cell targeting effects of the entire BLM molecule, that BLM itself is modular in nature consisting of a DNA-cleaving aglycone which is delivered selectively to the interior of tumor cells by its carbohydrate moiety, and that there are disaccharides structurally related to the BLM disaccharide which are more efficient than the natural disaccharide at tumor cell targeting/uptake. Because BLM sugars can deliver molecular cargoes selectively to tumor cells, and thus potentially form the basis for a novel antitumor strategy, it seemed important to consider additional structural features capable of affecting the efficiency of tumor cell recognition and delivery. These included the effects of sugar polyvalency and net charge (at physiological pH) on tumor cell recognition, internalization, and trafficking. Since these parameters have been shown to affect cell surface recognition, internalization, and distribution in other contexts, this study has sought to define the effects of these structural features on tumor cell recognition by bleomycin and its disaccharide. We demonstrate that both can have a significant effect on tumor cell binding/internalization, and present data which suggests that the metal ions normally bound by bleomycin following clinical administration may significantly contribute to the efficiency of tumor cell uptake, in addition to their characterized function in DNA cleavage. A BLM disaccharide-Cy5** conjugate incorporating the positively charged dipeptide d-Lys-d-Lys was found to associate with both the mitochondria and the nuclear envelope of DU145 cells, suggesting possible cellular targets for BLM disaccharide-cytotoxin conjugates.

  12. How many sets of 4DCT images are sufficient to determine internal target volume for liver radiotherapy?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xi Mian; Liu Mengzhong; Zhang Li; Li Qiaoqiao; Huang Xiaoyan; Liu Hui; Hu Yonghong

    2009-01-01

    Background and purpose: To determine the feasibility of using limited four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) images for treatment planning. Materials and methods: The 4DCT scans of 16 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were analyzed. Gross tumor volumes (GTVs) were manually contoured on all 10 respiratory phases, and different internal clinical target volumes (ICTVs) were derived by encompassing volumes of the respective CTVs. Volume, position, and shape of ICTVs were calculated and compared. Results: The ICTV 2phases , ICTV 3phases , ICTV 4phases , and ICTV 6phases all showed excellent agreement with ICTV 10phases , and the ICTV 2phases encompassed ICTV 10phases by 94.1 ± 1.8% on average. The 3D shift between the centers of mass of the ICTVs was only 0.6 mm. The surface distance between ICTV 10phases and ICTV 2phases was 1.7 ± 0.8 mm in the left-right (LR) and anteroposterior (AP) directions. Conclusions: Contouring two extreme phases at end-inhalation and end-exhalation is a reasonably safe and labor-saving method of deriving ITV for liver radiotherapy with low and medium tumor motion amplitude (≤1.6 cm). Whether the larger tumor movement affects the results is the subject of ongoing research.

  13. Ecological aspects of 'Nevada-Semipalatinsk' movement activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abishev, M.A.

    2001-01-01

    After the Semipalatinsk test site shutdown a certain work on nuclear explosions consequences study by the 'Nevada-Semipalatinsk' International Antinuclear movement was was fulfilled. Today the Movement mission is concluding in assistance to the suffered lands rehabilitation and a people health recovery. The Movement's Problem Committee 'Radiation, Ecology and Health' was created and is actively operating for these problems solution. The scientific experts are engaging in ecological situation assessment problem. In the first time the radioecological examination was conducted and a map set for STS radiation contamination areas was prepared. A number of areas with the radionuclide permissible limits exceeding is revealed

  14. Effects of reward on the accuracy and dynamics of smooth pursuit eye movements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brielmann, Aenne A; Spering, Miriam

    2015-08-01

    Reward modulates behavioral choices and biases goal-oriented behavior, such as eye or hand movements, toward locations or stimuli associated with higher rewards. We investigated reward effects on the accuracy and timing of smooth pursuit eye movements in 4 experiments. Eye movements were recorded in participants tracking a moving visual target on a computer monitor. Before target motion onset, a monetary reward cue indicated whether participants could earn money by tracking accurately, or whether the trial was unrewarded (Experiments 1 and 2, n = 11 each). Reward significantly improved eye-movement accuracy across different levels of task difficulty. Improvements were seen even in the earliest phase of the eye movement, within 70 ms of tracking onset, indicating that reward impacts visual-motor processing at an early level. We obtained similar findings when reward was not precued but explicitly associated with the pursuit target (Experiment 3, n = 16); critically, these results were not driven by stimulus prevalence or other factors such as preparation or motivation. Numerical cues (Experiment 4, n = 9) were not effective. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

  15. Ambulatory movements, team dynamics and interactions during robot-assisted surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmad, Nabeeha; Hussein, Ahmed A; Cavuoto, Lora; Sharif, Mohamed; Allers, Jenna C; Hinata, Nobuyuki; Ahmad, Basel; Kozlowski, Justen D; Hashmi, Zishan; Bisantz, Ann; Guru, Khurshid A

    2016-07-01

    To analyse ambulatory movements and team dynamics during robot-assisted surgery (RAS), and to investigate whether congestion of the physical space associated with robotic technology led to workflow challenges or predisposed to errors and adverse events. With institutional review board approval, we retrospectively reviewed 10 recorded robot-assisted radical prostatectomies in a single operating room (OR). The OR was divided into eight zones, and all movements were tracked and described in terms of start and end zones, duration, personnel and purpose. Movements were further classified into avoidable (can be eliminated/improved) and unavoidable (necessary for completion of the procedure). The mean operating time was 166 min, of which ambulation constituted 27 min (16%). A total of 2 896 ambulatory movements were identified (mean: 290 ambulatory movements/procedure). Most of the movements were procedure-related (31%), and were performed by the circulating nurse. We identified 11 main pathways in the OR; the heaviest traffic was between the circulating nurse zone, transit zone and supply-1 zone. A total of 50% of ambulatory movements were found to be avoidable. More than half of the movements during RAS can be eliminated with an improved OR setting. More studies are needed to design an evidence-based OR layout that enhances access, workflow and patient safety. © 2016 The Authors BJU International © 2016 BJU International Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  16. MOVEMENT SKILL ASSESSMENT OF TYPICALLY DEVELOPING PRESCHOOL CHILDREN: A REVIEW OF SEVEN MOVEMENT SKILL ASSESSMENT TOOLS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wouter Cools

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available The importance of movement is often overlooked because it is such a natural part of human life. It is, however, crucial for a child's physical, cognitive and social development. In addition, experiences support learning and development of fundamental movement skills. The foundations of those skills are laid in early childhood and essential to encourage a physically active lifestyle. Fundamental movement skill performance can be examined with several assessment tools. The choice of a test will depend on the context in which the assessment is planned. This article compares seven assessment tools which are often referred to in European or international context. It discusses the tools' usefulness for the assessment of movement skill development in general population samples. After a brief description of each assessment tool the article focuses on contents, reliability, validity and normative data. A conclusion outline of strengths and weaknesses of all reviewed assessment tools focusing on their use in educational research settings is provided and stresses the importance of regular data collection of fundamental movement skill development among preschool children.

  17. Charomers—Interleukin-6 Receptor Specific Aptamers for Cellular Internalization and Targeted Drug Delivery

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-01-01

    Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a key player in inflammation and the main factor for the induction of acute phase protein biosynthesis. Further to its central role in many aspects of the immune system, IL-6 regulates a variety of homeostatic processes. To interfere with IL-6 dependent diseases, such as various autoimmune diseases or certain cancers like multiple myeloma or hepatocellular carcinoma associated with chronic inflammation, it might be a sensible strategy to target human IL-6 receptor (hIL-6R) presenting cells with aptamers. We therefore have selected and characterized different DNA and RNA aptamers specifically binding IL-6R. These IL-6R aptamers, however, do not interfere with the IL-6 signaling pathway but are internalized with the receptor and thus can serve as vehicles for the delivery of different cargo molecules like therapeutics. We succeeded in the construction of a chlorin e6 derivatized aptamer to be delivered for targeted photodynamic therapy (PDT). Furthermore, we were able to synthesize an aptamer intrinsically comprising the cytostatic 5-Fluoro-2′-deoxy-uridine for targeted chemotherapy. The α6β4 integrin specific DNA aptamer IDA, also selected in our laboratory is internalized, too. All these aptamers can serve as vehicles for targeted drug delivery into cells. We call them charomers—in memory of Charon, the ferryman in Greek mythology, who ferried the deceased into the underworld. PMID:29211023

  18. Charomers—Interleukin-6 Receptor Specific Aptamers for Cellular Internalization and Targeted Drug Delivery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ulrich Hahn

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Interleukin-6 (IL-6 is a key player in inflammation and the main factor for the induction of acute phase protein biosynthesis. Further to its central role in many aspects of the immune system, IL-6 regulates a variety of homeostatic processes. To interfere with IL-6 dependent diseases, such as various autoimmune diseases or certain cancers like multiple myeloma or hepatocellular carcinoma associated with chronic inflammation, it might be a sensible strategy to target human IL-6 receptor (hIL-6R presenting cells with aptamers. We therefore have selected and characterized different DNA and RNA aptamers specifically binding IL-6R. These IL-6R aptamers, however, do not interfere with the IL-6 signaling pathway but are internalized with the receptor and thus can serve as vehicles for the delivery of different cargo molecules like therapeutics. We succeeded in the construction of a chlorin e6 derivatized aptamer to be delivered for targeted photodynamic therapy (PDT. Furthermore, we were able to synthesize an aptamer intrinsically comprising the cytostatic 5-Fluoro-2′-deoxy-uridine for targeted chemotherapy. The α6β4 integrin specific DNA aptamer IDA, also selected in our laboratory is internalized, too. All these aptamers can serve as vehicles for targeted drug delivery into cells. We call them charomers—in memory of Charon, the ferryman in Greek mythology, who ferried the deceased into the underworld.

  19. Hypersonic sliding target tracking in near space

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiang-yu Zhang

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available To improve the tracking accuracy of hypersonic sliding target in near space, the influence of target hypersonic movement on radar detection and tracking is analyzed, and an IMM tracking algorithm is proposed based on radial velocity compensating and cancellation processing of high dynamic biases under the earth centered earth fixed (ECEF coordinate. Based on the analysis of effect of target hypersonic movement, a measurement model is constructed to reduce the filter divergence which is caused by the model mismatch. The high dynamic biases due to the target hypersonic movement are approximately compensated through radial velocity estimation to achieve the hypersonic target tracking at low systematic biases in near space. The high dynamic biases are further eliminated by the cancellation processing of different radars, in which the track association problem can be solved when the dynamic biases are low. An IMM algorithm based on constant acceleration (CA, constant turning (CT and Singer models is used to achieve the hypersonic sliding target tracking in near space. Simulation results show that the target tracking in near space can be achieved more effectively by using the proposed algorithm.

  20. International Test Comparisons: Reviewing Translation Error in Different Source Language-Target Language Combinations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Xueyu; Solano-Flores, Guillermo; Qian, Ming

    2018-01-01

    This article addresses test translation review in international test comparisons. We investigated the applicability of the theory of test translation error--a theory of the multidimensionality and inevitability of test translation error--across source language-target language combinations in the translation of PISA (Programme of International…

  1. The study of target delineation and target movement of whole breast assisted by active breathing control in intensity modulated radiotherapy after breast conservative surgery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Jianbing; Yu Jinming; Ma Zhifang; Lu Jie; Sun Tao; Guo Shoufang; Wang Jingguo

    2009-01-01

    Objective: To explore the influence of different delineators and different delineating time on target determination of the whole breast and to explore intrafraction and interfraction target displacements of the breast on moderate deep inspiration breathing hold (mDIBH) assisted by active breathing control (ABC) alter breast conservative surgery. Methods: Twenty patients received primary CT-simulation assisted by ABC to get five sets of CT image on the three breathing condition which included one set from free breath (FB), two sets from mDIBH and two sets from deep expiration breathing control (DEBH). After radiotherapy with ten to fifteen fractions, the repeat CT-simulation was carried out to get the same five sets of CT image as the primary CT- simulation. The whole breast target were delineated at different time by the same delineator and delineated respectively by five delineators on the first set of CT images got with mDIBH from the primary CT-simulation, and to compare the influence of delineator and delineating time on the whole breast target. The total silver clips in the cavity were marked respectively on the two sets of CT images got with mDIBH from the primary CT-simulation, and to compare the intrafraction displacement of geometric body structured by the total of silver clips. The two ribs near the isocentric plane of the breast target were delineated respectively on two sets of the mDIBH CT image from the primary CT-simulation and on one set of the mDIBH CT image from the repeat CT-simulation, and comparing the movement of the point of interest (POI) of the ribs delineated to get the value of intrafraction and interfraction thoracic expansion. Results: There was not statistically significant between the four volumes of whole breast targets delineated by the same delineator at different time, but with statistics significant between the volumes of whole breast target delineated by the different delineators ( F=19.681, P=0.000). There was not statistically

  2. Contrast and assimilation in motion perception and smooth pursuit eye movements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spering, Miriam; Gegenfurtner, Karl R

    2007-09-01

    The analysis of visual motion serves many different functions ranging from object motion perception to the control of self-motion. The perception of visual motion and the oculomotor tracking of a moving object are known to be closely related and are assumed to be controlled by shared brain areas. We compared perceived velocity and the velocity of smooth pursuit eye movements in human observers in a paradigm that required the segmentation of target object motion from context motion. In each trial, a pursuit target and a visual context were independently perturbed simultaneously to briefly increase or decrease in speed. Observers had to accurately track the target and estimate target speed during the perturbation interval. Here we show that the same motion signals are processed in fundamentally different ways for perception and steady-state smooth pursuit eye movements. For the computation of perceived velocity, motion of the context was subtracted from target motion (motion contrast), whereas pursuit velocity was determined by the motion average (motion assimilation). We conclude that the human motion system uses these computations to optimally accomplish different functions: image segmentation for object motion perception and velocity estimation for the control of smooth pursuit eye movements.

  3. From France to the World: The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John Paull

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available The formation of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM at Versailles, France, in 1972 set organic food and farming on a strong future trajectory. It was an initiative of France’s Nature et Progrès, and driven by its then President, Roland Chevriot. IFOAM was founded with the support of a small cluster of kindred organisations: Rodale Press of the USA; the Soil Association of the UK; the Soil Association of South Africa; and the Swedish Biodynamic Association. None of these five organisations bore the term ‘organic’ in their title, nevertheless, the choice of name acknowledged ‘organic’ as the term to signify their common cause. It secured ‘organic’ as the core narrative element and as the international descriptor of what is now a clearly identifiable and differentiated segment of the global food and farming sector. From the outset ‘biodynamic’ was accepted as a special case of ‘organic’. The formation of IFOAM created an entity which united the aspirations, the philosophies and the hopes of disparate groups each with roles primarily restricted to national advocacy. IFOAM has grown to a federation of 804 organisations from 111 counties. Organic production statistics are now reported by IFOAM from 154 countries and organic sector retail sales are reported to be US$51b annually. IFOAM is based in Bonn, Germany, and as the global umbrella advocacy group for the organic sector it is without peer.

  4. Factors that influence ground reaction force profiles during counter movement jumping.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eagles, Alexander N; Sayers, Mark G; Lovell, Dale I

    2017-05-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine how hip, knee and ankle kinetics and kinematics influence effective impulse production during countermovement jumps. Eighteen semi-professional soccer players (22.8±2.2 years) volunteered to participate in the study. Participants completed three maximal countermovement jumps on two force platforms (1000 Hz) that were linked to a nine camera infrared motion capture system (500 Hz). Kinetic and kinematic data revealed jumpers who fail to achieve uniform ground reaction force curves that result in optimal impulse production during their jump always display hip adduction and or hip internal rotation during the concentric phase of the countermovement jump. The variation of hip adduction and or internal rotation likely represents failed joint transition during the concentric phase of the countermovement jump and appears to account for a non-uniform force trace seen in these jumpers. The findings suggest rehabilitation and conditioning exercises for injury prevention and performance may benefit from targeting frontal and transverse plane movement.

  5. Co-Movement Analysis of Italian and Greek Electricity Market Wholesale Prices by Using a Wavelet Approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    George P. Papaioannou

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available We study the co-evolution of the dynamics or co-movement of two electricity markets, the Italian and Greek, by studying the dynamics of their wholesale day-ahead prices, simultaneously in the time-frequency domain. Co-movement is alternatively referred as market integration in financial economics and markets are internationally integrated if the reward for risk is identical regardless the market one trades in. The innovation of this work is the application of wavelet analysis and more specifically the wavelet coherence to estimate the dynamic interaction between these two prices. Our method is compared to other generic econometric tools used in Economics and Finance namely the dynamic correlation and coherence analysis, to study the co-movement of variables of the type related to these two fields. Our study reveals valuable information that we believe will be extremely useful to the authorities as well as other agents participating in these markets to better prepare the national markets towards the European target model, a framework in which the two markets will be coupled.

  6. The Mobilization of Memory and Tradition: Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement and Beijing’s 1989 Tiananmen Movement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Johan Lagerkvist

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available The 2014 Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong has been the most important pro-democracy protest on Chinese soil since the rise and fall of the Tiananmen Movement of 1989. Moreover, the 1989 Beijing Massacre has politicized a generation of pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong that has shaped Hong Kong’s vibrant civil society. However, while this “Tiananmen generation” has been crucial for the preparation and initial stage of the Umbrella Movement, the actual occupation was dominated by a new generation that is almost exclusively concerned with local Hong Kong politics. In light of this background, this paper compares the two democracy movements. The external environment and the goals of the two movements are markedly different. However, our comparison demonstrates striking similarities between the two movements, e.g. their internal structure and framing. Moreover, what we see as the “mobilization of memory” reflects both the continued importance of civil society structures that have been shaped by the “Tiananmen veterans” as well as the on-going renegotiation of the SAR’s relationship with the Mainland. Finally, these findings entail that the Chinese party-state will need to utilize different means to pacify the Umbrella Movement than what was done to placate democracy activists after the 1989 crackdown.

  7. Structural Features Facilitating Tumor Cell Targeting and Internalization by Bleomycin and Its Disaccharide

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-01-01

    We have shown previously that the bleomycin (BLM) carbohydrate moiety can recapitulate the tumor cell targeting effects of the entire BLM molecule, that BLM itself is modular in nature consisting of a DNA-cleaving aglycone which is delivered selectively to the interior of tumor cells by its carbohydrate moiety, and that there are disaccharides structurally related to the BLM disaccharide which are more efficient than the natural disaccharide at tumor cell targeting/uptake. Because BLM sugars can deliver molecular cargoes selectively to tumor cells, and thus potentially form the basis for a novel antitumor strategy, it seemed important to consider additional structural features capable of affecting the efficiency of tumor cell recognition and delivery. These included the effects of sugar polyvalency and net charge (at physiological pH) on tumor cell recognition, internalization, and trafficking. Since these parameters have been shown to affect cell surface recognition, internalization, and distribution in other contexts, this study has sought to define the effects of these structural features on tumor cell recognition by bleomycin and its disaccharide. We demonstrate that both can have a significant effect on tumor cell binding/internalization, and present data which suggests that the metal ions normally bound by bleomycin following clinical administration may significantly contribute to the efficiency of tumor cell uptake, in addition to their characterized function in DNA cleavage. A BLM disaccharide-Cy5** conjugate incorporating the positively charged dipeptide d-Lys-d-Lys was found to associate with both the mitochondria and the nuclear envelope of DU145 cells, suggesting possible cellular targets for BLM disaccharide–cytotoxin conjugates. PMID:25905565

  8. Evaluation of ocular movements in patients with dyslexia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vagge, Aldo; Cavanna, Margherita; Traverso, Carlo Enrico; Iester, Michele

    2015-04-01

    The aims of this study were to analyze the relationship between dyslexia and eye movements and to assess whether this method can be added to the workup of dyslexic patients. The sample was comprised of 11 children with a diagnosis of dyslexia and 11 normal between 8 and 13 years of age. All subjects underwent orthoptic evaluation, ophthalmological examinations, and eye movement analysis, specifically, stability analysis on fixating a still target, tracking saccades, analysis of fixation pauses, speed reading, saccades, and regressions through the reading of a text. Stability analysis on fixating a still target showed a significant (p dyslexia in young children at a younger age, and an earlier intervention could be initiated.

  9. 135La as an auger-electron emitter for targeted internal radiotherapy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fonslet, Jesper; Lee, Boon Quan; Tran, Thuy A.

    2018-01-01

    Introduction: 135La has favorable nuclear and chemical properties for Auger-based targeted internal radiotherapy. Here we present detailed investigations of the production, emissions, imaging characteristics, and dosimetry related to 135La therapy. Methods and Results: 135La was produced by 16.5 Me....... The generated Auger spectrum was used to recalculate cellular S-factors. Conclusion: 135La was produced with high specific activity, reactivity, radionuclidic purity, and yield. The emission spectrum and the dosimetry are favorable for internal radionuclide therapy. ....... recovered > 98 % of the 135La with an effective molar activity of 70 ±20 GBq/µmol. To better assess cellular and organ dosimetry of this nuclide, we have recalculated the X-ray and Auger emission spectra using a Monte Carlo model accounting for effects of multiple vacancies during the Auger cascade...

  10. Organizing of public movement for radiation safety of the population

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mustafaev, I.

    2003-01-01

    Full text: The possibilities of organizing of public anti nuclear movement in the Caspian region are discussed. The potential of public organizations in the regional countries and international programs and projects supporting this movement is considered. The activity of the following organizations is mentioned: Public movement Semipalatinsk-Nevada (Kazakhstan); Antinuclear movement 'Narin'(Kazakhstan); 'Social - ecological union'(Russia); Association 'Fovgal', scientific-ecological society 'Ekoil'; 'Radioecological society (Azerbaijan); 'Anti-Radiation Movement'(Georgia); 'Radioecology-21'(Georgia). International organizations - Caspian Program ISAR, Scientific Program NATO, IAEA and others play an important role in maintenance of radiation safety of the region. Especially it is necessary to mention the project on Export control of the nuclear materials of double destination (USA). The necessity of support of this movement from public of region is mentioned and an important role in this plays public organizations. The contribution of 'Ruzgar'in organizing of public anti-nuclear movement during the implementation of joint projects 'Along the Caspian', creation of the movement 'For clean Caspian', 'The impact of Gabala radiolocation station on the environment'and others. The following issues are stressed: 1.Lobbying the adoption of legislative and normative acts and their harmonization in a scale of the Caspian region; 2.Creating the cooperation between regional countries for joint solution of regional problems of radiation safety; 3.Increasing of a level of public awareness about this issue and providing public participation in decision-making; 4.Organizing a struggle against 'radiophobia'

  11. The Non-Native English Speaker Teachers in TESOL Movement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamhi-Stein, Lía D.

    2016-01-01

    It has been almost 20 years since what is known as the non-native English-speaking (NNES) professionals' movement--designed to increase the status of NNES professionals--started within the US-based TESOL International Association. However, still missing from the literature is an understanding of what a movement is, and why non-native English…

  12. Identification of a research protocol to study orthodontic tooth movement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Annalisa Dichicco

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Aim: The orthodontic movement is associated with a process of tissue remodeling together with the release of several chemical mediators in periodontal tissues. Each mediator is a potential marker of tooth movement and expresses biological processes as: tissue inflammation and bone remodeling. Different amounts of every mediator are present in several tissues and fluids of the oral cavity. Therefore, there are different methods that allow sampling with several degrees of invasiveness. Chemical mediators are also substances of different molecular nature, and multiple kind of analysis methods allow detection. The purpose of this study was to draft the best research protocol for an optimal study on orthodontic movement efficiency. Methods: An analysis of the international literature have been made, to identify the gold standard of each aspect of the protocol: type of mediator, source and method of sampling and analysis method. Results: From the analysis of the international literature was created an original research protocol for the study and the assessment of the orthodontic movement, by using the biomarkers of the tooth movement. Conclusions: The protocol created is based on the choice of the gold standard of every aspect already analyzed in the literature and in existing protocols for the monitoring of orthodontic tooth movement through the markers of tooth movement. Clinical trials re required for the evaluation and validation of the protocol created.

  13. Updating visual memory across eye movements for ocular and arm motor control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, Aidan A; Henriques, Denise Y P

    2008-11-01

    Remembered object locations are stored in an eye-fixed reference frame, so that every time the eyes move, spatial representations must be updated for the arm-motor system to reflect the target's new relative position. To date, studies have not investigated how the brain updates these spatial representations during other types of eye movements, such as smooth-pursuit. Further, it is unclear what information is used in spatial updating. To address these questions we investigated whether remembered locations of pointing targets are updated following smooth-pursuit eye movements, as they are following saccades, and also investigated the role of visual information in estimating eye-movement amplitude for updating spatial memory. Misestimates of eye-movement amplitude were induced when participants visually tracked stimuli presented with a background that moved in either the same or opposite direction of the eye before pointing or looking back to the remembered target location. We found that gaze-dependent pointing errors were similar following saccades and smooth-pursuit and that incongruent background motion did result in a misestimate of eye-movement amplitude. However, the background motion had no effect on spatial updating for pointing, but did when subjects made a return saccade, suggesting that the oculomotor and arm-motor systems may rely on different sources of information for spatial updating.

  14. Convergent transmission of RNAi guide-target mismatch information across Argonaute internal allosteric network.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas T Joseph

    Full Text Available In RNA interference, a guide strand derived from a short dsRNA such as a microRNA (miRNA is loaded into Argonaute, the central protein in the RNA Induced Silencing Complex (RISC that silences messenger RNAs on a sequence-specific basis. The positions of any mismatched base pairs in an miRNA determine which Argonaute subtype is used. Subsequently, the Argonaute-guide complex binds and silences complementary target mRNAs; certain Argonautes cleave the target. Mismatches between guide strand and the target mRNA decrease cleavage efficiency. Thus, loading and silencing both require that signals about the presence of a mismatched base pair are communicated from the mismatch site to effector sites. These effector sites include the active site, to prevent target cleavage; the binding groove, to modify nucleic acid binding affinity; and surface allosteric sites, to control recruitment of additional proteins to form the RISC. To examine how such signals may be propagated, we analyzed the network of internal allosteric pathways in Argonaute exhibited through correlations of residue-residue interactions. The emerging network can be described as a set of pathways emanating from the core of the protein near the active site, distributed into the bulk of the protein, and converging upon a distributed cluster of surface residues. Nucleotides in the guide strand "seed region" have a stronger relationship with the protein than other nucleotides, concordant with their importance in sequence selectivity. Finally, any of several seed region guide-target mismatches cause certain Argonaute residues to have modified correlations with the rest of the protein. This arises from the aggregation of relatively small interaction correlation changes distributed across a large subset of residues. These residues are in effector sites: the active site, binding groove, and surface, implying that direct functional consequences of guide-target mismatches are mediated through the

  15. Anti-vascular internal high LET targeted radiotherapy for cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Allen, Barry J.

    2006-01-01

    Targeted alpha therapy (TAT) is an emerging therapeutic modality, thought to be best suited to cancers such as leukaemia and cancer micrometastases, but not solid tumours. However, several subjects in our phase 1 clinical trial of systemic TAT for melanoma experienced marked regression of subcutaneous and internal tumours. The MCSP receptor is expressed on both tumour capillary pericytes and melanoma cells, and is targeted by the 9.2.27 monoclonal antibody. When this is labelled with the alpha-emitting radioisotope Bi-213, the resulting alpha-immunoconjugate can extravasate through capillary fenestrations and selectively kill these cells, as well as the contiguous endothelial cells in the capillaries, causing capillary closure and subsequent tumour regression. These results suggest that tumours can be regressed by a process called tumour anti-vascular alpha therapy (TAVAT). By analogy, tumour regression in boron neutron capture therapy could be achieved by similar means, where in the alpha and Li-7 ions emitted by boron-10 neutron capture events in cancer cells contiguous to the endothelial cells could shut down tumour capillaries by a process of tumour anti-vascular neutron capture therapy (TAVNCT). (author)

  16. Historical Development of the Olympic Movement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Violeta Šiljak

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available The Olympic Movement is a term that covers all areas related to the phenomenon of Olympism. From its creation, the Olympic Movement has had to follow and to respond to numerous challenges and changes of the 20th and 21st century. The successful work of the International Olympic Committee (IOC on the implementation of their projects related to world peace, the education of youth, equal inclusion of women in every aspect of the Movement, the establishment of the Women’s Commission, the Sport for All Commission, and the Sports and the Environment Commission are facts indicating that the IOC has a significant impact on the values of the Olympic Movement. In addition to equal participation of all athletes, today, the Olympic Movement provides Olympic solidarity, education and other programs. The basic method that was used in this study was the historical method, which includes heuristic, empirical and theoretical study of the origin and development of the IOC and its operation as part of the Olympic Movement. Research results indicate that the management of the IOCas a sporting organization that manages this Movement is directed at achieving the goal to contribute to building a more peaceful and better world by educating young people through sports, and in accordance with the Olympic values. With proper management, the IOChas improved sports and has grown into an organization that is at the head of the Olympic Movement.

  17. De Gaulle, the “Empty Chair Crisis” and the European Movement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Caraffini Paolo

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available European Movement International (EM was founded in October 1948 after the Hague Congress held in May to coordinate the initiatives of the major European movements and political forces in favour of the unification of the Old Continent.

  18. The scoring of movements in sleep.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walters, Arthur S; Lavigne, Gilles; Hening, Wayne; Picchietti, Daniel L; Allen, Richard P; Chokroverty, Sudhansu; Kushida, Clete A; Bliwise, Donald L; Mahowald, Mark W; Schenck, Carlos H; Ancoli-Israel, Sonia

    2007-03-15

    The International Classification of Sleep Disorders (ICSD-2) has separated sleep-related movement disorders into simple, repetitive movement disorders (such as periodic limb movements in sleep [PLMS], sleep bruxism, and rhythmic movement disorder) and parasomnias (such as REM sleep behavior disorder and disorders of partial arousal, e.g., sleep walking, confusional arousals, night terrors). Many of the parasomnias are characterized by complex behaviors in sleep that appear purposeful, goal directed and voluntary but are outside the conscious awareness of the individual and therefore inappropriate. All of the sleep-related movement disorders described here have specific polysomnographic findings. For the purposes of developing and/or revising specifications and polysomnographic scoring rules, the AASM Scoring Manual Task Force on Movements in Sleep reviewed background literature and executed evidence grading of 81 relevant articles obtained by a literature search of published articles between 1966 and 2004. Subsequent evidence grading identified limited evidence for reliability and/or validity for polysomnographic scoring criteria for periodic limb movements in sleep, REM sleep behavior disorder, and sleep bruxism. Published scoring criteria for rhythmic movement disorder, excessive fragmentary myoclonus, and hypnagogic foot tremor/alternating leg muscle activation were empirical and based on descriptive studies. The literature review disclosed no published evidence defining clinical consequences of excessive fragmentary myoclonus or hypnagogic foot tremor/alternating leg muscle activation. Because of limited or absent evidence for reliability and/or validity, a standardized RAND/UCLA consensus process was employed for recommendation of specific rules for the scoring of sleep-associated movements.

  19. A comparison of ventilatory prostate movement in four treatment positions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dawson, Laura A.; Litzenberg, Dale W.; Brock, Kristy K.; Sanda, Martin; Sullivan, Molly; Sandler, Howard M.; Balter, James M.

    2000-01-01

    Purpose: To ensure target coverage during radiotherapy, all sources of geometric uncertainty in target position must be considered. Movement of the prostate due to breathing has not traditionally been considered in prostate radiotherapy. The purpose of this study is to report the influence of patient orientation and immobilization on prostate movement due to breathing. Methods and Materials: Four patients had radiopaque markers implanted in the prostate. Fluoroscopy was performed in four different positions: prone in alpha cradle, prone with an aquaplast mold, supine on a flat table, and supine with a false table under the buttocks. Fluoroscopic movies were videotaped and digitized. Frames were analyzed using 2D-alignment software to determine the extent of movement of the prostate markers and the skeleton for each position during normal and deep breathing. Results: During normal breathing, maximal movement of the prostate markers was seen in the prone position (cranial-caudal [CC] range: 0.9-5.1 mm; anterior-posterior [AP] range: up to 3.5 mm). In the supine position, prostate movement during normal breathing was less than 1 mm in all directions. Deep breathing resulted in CC movements of 3.8-10.5 mm in the prone position (with and without an aquaplast mold). This range was reduced to 2.0-7.3 mm in the supine position and 0.5-2.1 mm with the use of the false table top. Deep breathing resulted in AP skeletal movements of 2.7-13.1 mm in the prone position, whereas AP skeletal movements in the supine position were negligible. Conclusion: Ventilatory movement of the prostate is substantial in the prone position and is reduced in the supine position. The potential for breathing to influence prostate movement, and thus the dose delivered to the prostate and normal tissues, should be considered when positioning and planning patients for conformal irradiation

  20. Domesticating Social Justice Activism in the Global Era? The Process of Reconfiguring the Czech Social Justice Movement in Times of Crisis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiri Navratil

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available The contemporary economic crisis is sometimes labeled as the greatest crisis of capitalism since the Great Depression. Therefore one might expect it to become a perfect mobilizing grievance for the transnational social justice movement, which used to target the ideology of neoliberal governance and social consequences of unrestricted global financial markets. However, the current responses to the crisis and consequent austerity policies have remained mostly embedded at the national or even local level. The symbols of this struggle—Los Indignados and the Occupy movement—have focused on targeting national political issues rather than on organizing transnational coalitions and international protest events, while paying little attention to the role of global institutions and corporations. This article focuses on the case of Czech Republic and traces two broad processes—scale shift and identity shift— that led to a broader change in the meta-logic of social justice mobilization. These processes and their constituent mechanisms have transformed the globally-focused and weakly-integrated movement into dense and nationally embedded coalitions that have started to target the national consequences of neoliberal governance instead of its global political foundations.

  1. Deep brain stimulation for movement disorders. Considerations on 276 consecutive patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Franzini, Angelo; Cordella, Roberto; Messina, Giuseppe; Marras, Carlo Efisio; Romito, Luigi Michele; Carella, Francesco; Albanese, Alberto; Rizzi, Michele; Nardocci, Nardo; Zorzi, Giovanna; Zekay, Edvin; Broggi, Giovanni

    2011-10-01

    The links between Stn DBS and advanced Parkinson disease, and between GPi DBS and dystonia are nearly universally accepted by the neurologists and neurosurgeons. Nevertheless, in some conditions, targets such as the ventral thalamus and the Zona Incerta may be considered to optimize the results and avoid the side effects. Positive and negative aspects of current DBS treatments justify the research of new targets, new stimulation programs and new hardware. Since 1993, at the Istituto Nazionale Neurologico "Carlo Besta" in Milan, 580 deep brain electrodes were implanted in 332 patients. 276 patients were affected by movement disorders. The DBS targets included Stn, GPi, Voa, Vop, Vim, CM-pf, cZi, IC. The long-term follow-up is reported and related to the chosen target. DBS gave a new therapeutic option to patients affected by severe movement disorders, and in some cases resolved life-threatening pathological conditions that would otherwise result in the death of the patient, such as in status dystonicus, and post-stroke hemiballismus. Nevertheless, the potential occurrence of severe complications still limit a wider use of DBS. At today, the use of DBS in severe movement disorders is strongly positive even if further investigations and studies are needed to unveil potential new applications, and to refine the selection criteria for the actual indications and targets. The experience of different targets may be useful to guide and tailor the target choice to the individual clinical condition.

  2. Technological advances in the surgical treatment of movement disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gross, Robert E; McDougal, Margaret E

    2013-08-01

    Technological innovations have driven the advancement of the surgical treatment of movement disorders, from the invention of the stereotactic frame to the adaptation of deep brain stimulation (DBS). Along these lines, this review will describe recent advances in inserting neuromodulation modalities, including DBS, to the target, and in the delivery of therapy at the target. Recent radiological advances are altering the way that DBS leads are targeted and inserted, by refining the ability to visualize the subcortical targets using high-field strength magnetic resonance imaging and other innovations, such as diffusion tensor imaging, and the development of novel targeting devices enabling purely anatomical implantations without the need for neurophysiological monitoring. New portable computed tomography scanners also are facilitating lead implantation without monitoring, as well as improving radiological verification of DBS lead location. Advances in neurophysiological mapping include efforts to develop automatic target verification algorithms, and probabilistic maps to guide target selection. The delivery of therapy at the target is being improved by the development of the next generation of internal pulse generators (IPGs). These include constant current devices that mitigate the variability introduced by impedance changes of the stimulated tissue and, in the near future, devices that deliver novel stimulation patterns with improved efficiency. Closed-loop adaptive IPGs are being tested, which may tailor stimulation to ongoing changes in the nervous system, reflected in biomarkers continuously recorded by the devices. Finer-grained DBS leads, in conjunction with new IPGs and advanced programming tools, may offer improved outcomes via current steering algorithms. Finally, even thermocoagulation-essentially replaced by DBS-is being advanced by new minimally-invasive approaches that may improve this therapy for selected patients in whom it may be preferred. Functional

  3. Perceptual Specificity Effects in Rereading: Evidence from Eye Movements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheridan, Heather; Reingold, Eyal M.

    2012-01-01

    The present experiments examined perceptual specificity effects using a rereading paradigm. Eye movements were monitored while participants read the same target word twice, in two different low-constraint sentence frames. The congruency of perceptual processing was manipulated by either presenting the target word in the same distortion typography…

  4. Importance of the temporal structure of movement sequences on the ability of monkeys to use serial order information.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deffains, Marc; Legallet, Eric; Apicella, Paul

    2011-10-01

    The capacity to acquire motor skills through repeated practice of a sequence of movements underlies many everyday activities. Extensive research in humans has dealt with the importance of spatial and temporal factors on motor sequence learning, standing in contrast to the few studies available in animals, particularly in nonhuman primates. In the present experiments, we studied the effect of the serial order of stimuli and associated movements in macaque monkeys overtrained to make arm-reaching movements in response to spatially distinct visual targets. Under different conditions, the temporal structure of the motor sequence was varied by changing the duration of the interval between successive target stimuli or by adding a cue that reliably signaled the onset time of the forthcoming target stimulus. In each condition, the extent to which the monkeys are sensitive to the spatial regularities was assessed by comparing performance when stimulus locations follow a repeating sequence, as opposed to a random sequence. We observed no improvement in task performance on repeated sequence blocks, compared to random sequence blocks, when target stimuli are relatively distant from each other in time. On the other hand, the shortening of the time interval between successive target stimuli or, more efficiently, the addition of a temporal cue before the target stimulus yielded a performance advantage under repeated sequence, reflected in a decrease in the latency of arm and saccadic eye movements accompanied by an increased tendency for eye movements to occur in an anticipatory manner. Contrary to the effects on movement initiation, the serial order of stimuli and movements did not markedly affect the execution of movement. Moreover, the location of a given target in the random sequence influenced task performance based on the location of the preceding target, monkeys being faster in responding as a result of familiarity caused by extensive practice with some target transitions

  5. Hand movement deviations in a visual search task with cross modal cuing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hürol Aslan

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the cross-modal effects of an auditory organization on a visual search task and to investigate the influence of the level of detail in instructions describing or hinting at the associations between auditory stimuli and the possible locations of a visual target. In addition to measuring the participants’ reaction times, we paid special attention to tracking the hand movements toward the target. According to the results, the auditory stimuli unassociated with the target locations slightly –but significantly- increased the deviation of the hand movement from the path leading to the target location. The increase in the deviation depended on the degree of association between auditory stimuli and target locations, albeit not on the level of detail in the instructions about the task.

  6. Environmental problems on Kazakhstan and the Nevada-Semipalatinsk antinuclear movement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nesipbaeva, K.; Chang, C.

    1997-01-01

    In this coherent and consistently - argued article, the authors explore ecological problems in Kazakhstan, a process of Kazakhstan's integration into international antinuclear movement. They look at what a moratorium on nuclear weapons testing Semipalatinsk meant to peoples in Kazakhstan. The authors research a history of the Nevada-Semipalatinsk antinuclear movement. (author)

  7. Magnifying visual target information and the role of eye movements in motor sequence learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Massing, Matthias; Blandin, Yannick; Panzer, Stefan

    2016-01-01

    An experiment investigated the influence of eye movements on learning a simple motor sequence task when the visual display was magnified. The task was to reproduce a 1300 ms spatial-temporal pattern of elbow flexions and extensions. The spatial-temporal pattern was displayed in front of the participants. Participants were randomly assigned to four groups differing on eye movements (free to use their eyes/instructed to fixate) and the visual display (small/magnified). All participants had to perform a pre-test, an acquisition phase, a delayed retention test, and a transfer test. The results indicated that participants in each practice condition increased their performance during acquisition. The participants who were permitted to use their eyes in the magnified visual display outperformed those who were instructed to fixate on the magnified visual display. When a small visual display was used, the instruction to fixate induced no performance decrements compared to participants who were permitted to use their eyes during acquisition. The findings demonstrated that a spatial-temporal pattern can be learned without eye movements, but being permitting to use eye movements facilitates the response production when the visual angle is increased. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Fast-ball sports experts depend on an inhibitory strategy to reprogram their movement timing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakamoto, Hiroki; Ikudome, Sachi; Yotani, Kengo; Maruyama, Atsuo; Mori, Shiro

    2013-07-01

    The purpose of our study was to clarify whether an inhibitory strategy is used for reprogramming of movement timing by experts in fast-ball sports when they correct their movement timing due to unexpected environmental changes. We evaluated the influence of disruption of inhibitory function of the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) on reprogramming of movement timing of experts and non-experts in fast-ball sports. The task was to manually press a button to coincide with the arrival of a moving target. The target moved at a constant velocity, and its velocity was suddenly either increased or decreased in some trials. The task was performed either with or without transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), which was delivered to the region of the rIFG. Under velocity change conditions without TMS, the experts showed significantly smaller timing errors and a higher rate of reprogramming of movement timing than the non-experts. Moreover, TMS application during the task significantly diminished the expert group's performance, but not the control group, particularly in the condition where the target velocity decreases. These results suggest that experts use an inhibitory strategy for reprogramming of movement timing. In addition, the rIFG inhibitory function contributes to the superior movement correction of experts in fast-ball sports.

  9. The 270 MeV deuteron beam polarimeter at the Nuclotron Internal Target Station

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kurilkin, P.K. [Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna (Russian Federation); Moscow State Institute of Radio-engineering Electronics and Automation (Technical University), Moscow (Russian Federation); Ladygin, V.P., E-mail: vladygin@jinr.ru [Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna (Russian Federation); Moscow State Institute of Radio-engineering Electronics and Automation (Technical University), Moscow (Russian Federation); Uesaka, T. [Center for Nuclear Study, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Suda, K. [RIKEN Nishina Center, Saitama (Japan); Gurchin, Yu.V.; Isupov, A.Yu. [Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna (Russian Federation); Itoh, K. [Department of Physics, Saitama University, Saitama (Japan); Janek, M. [Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna (Russian Federation); Physics Department, University of Zilina, 010 26 Zilina (Slovakia); Karachuk, J.-T. [Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna (Russian Federation); Advanced Research Institute for Electrical Engineering, Bucharest (Romania); Kawabata, T. [Center for Nuclear Study, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Khrenov, A.N.; Kiselev, A.S.; Kizka, V.A. [Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna (Russian Federation); Kliman, J. [Institute of Physics of Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava (Slovakia); Krasnov, V.A.; Livanov, A.N. [Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna (Russian Federation); Institute for Nuclear Research, Moscow (Russian Federation); Maeda, Y. [Kyushi University, Hakozaki (Japan); Malakhov, A.I. [Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna (Russian Federation); Matousek, V.; Morhach, M. [Institute of Physics of Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava (Slovakia)

    2011-06-21

    A deuteron beam polarimeter has been constructed at the Internal Target Station at the Nuclotron of JINR. The polarimeter is based on spin-asymmetry measurements in the d-p elastic scattering at large angles and the deuteron kinetic energy of 270 MeV. It allows to measure vector and tensor components of the deuteron beam polarization simultaneously.

  10. Semantic guidance of eye movements in real-world scenes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hwang, Alex D; Wang, Hsueh-Cheng; Pomplun, Marc

    2011-05-25

    The perception of objects in our visual world is influenced by not only their low-level visual features such as shape and color, but also their high-level features such as meaning and semantic relations among them. While it has been shown that low-level features in real-world scenes guide eye movements during scene inspection and search, the influence of semantic similarity among scene objects on eye movements in such situations has not been investigated. Here we study guidance of eye movements by semantic similarity among objects during real-world scene inspection and search. By selecting scenes from the LabelMe object-annotated image database and applying latent semantic analysis (LSA) to the object labels, we generated semantic saliency maps of real-world scenes based on the semantic similarity of scene objects to the currently fixated object or the search target. An ROC analysis of these maps as predictors of subjects' gaze transitions between objects during scene inspection revealed a preference for transitions to objects that were semantically similar to the currently inspected one. Furthermore, during the course of a scene search, subjects' eye movements were progressively guided toward objects that were semantically similar to the search target. These findings demonstrate substantial semantic guidance of eye movements in real-world scenes and show its importance for understanding real-world attentional control. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Effects of Direction and Index of Difficulty on Aiming Movements after Stroke

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paola Ribeiro Coqueiro

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Brain hemispheres play different roles in the control of aiming movements that are impaired after unilateral stroke. It is not clear whether those roles are influenced by the direction and the difficulty of the task. Objective. To evaluate the influence of direction and index of difficulty (ID of the task on performance of ipsilesional aiming movements after unilateral stroke. Methods. Ten individuals with right hemisphere stroke, ten with left hemisphere stroke, and ten age- and gender-matched controls performed the aiming movements on a digitizing tablet as fast as possible. Stroke individuals used their ipsilesional arm. The direction (ipsilateral or contralateral, size (0.8 or 1.6 cm, and distance (9 or 18 cm of the targets, presented on a monitor, were manipulated and determined to be of different ID (3.5, 4.5, and 5.5. Results. Individuals with right hemisphere lesion were more sensitive to ID of the task, affecting planning and final position accuracy. Left hemisphere lesion generated slower and less smooth movements and was more influenced by target distance. Contralateral movements and higher ID increased planning demands and hindered movement execution. Conclusion. Right and left hemisphere damages are differentially influenced by task constraints which suggest their complementary roles in the control of aiming movements.

  12. Neural control of finger movement via intracortical brain-machine interface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Irwin, Z. T.; Schroeder, K. E.; Vu, P. P.; Bullard, A. J.; Tat, D. M.; Nu, C. S.; Vaskov, A.; Nason, S. R.; Thompson, D. E.; Bentley, J. N.; Patil, P. G.; Chestek, C. A.

    2017-12-01

    Objective. Intracortical brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) are a promising source of prosthesis control signals for individuals with severe motor disabilities. Previous BMI studies have primarily focused on predicting and controlling whole-arm movements; precise control of hand kinematics, however, has not been fully demonstrated. Here, we investigate the continuous decoding of precise finger movements in rhesus macaques. Approach. In order to elicit precise and repeatable finger movements, we have developed a novel behavioral task paradigm which requires the subject to acquire virtual fingertip position targets. In the physical control condition, four rhesus macaques performed this task by moving all four fingers together in order to acquire a single target. This movement was equivalent to controlling the aperture of a power grasp. During this task performance, we recorded neural spikes from intracortical electrode arrays in primary motor cortex. Main results. Using a standard Kalman filter, we could reconstruct continuous finger movement offline with an average correlation of ρ  =  0.78 between actual and predicted position across four rhesus macaques. For two of the monkeys, this movement prediction was performed in real-time to enable direct brain control of the virtual hand. Compared to physical control, neural control performance was slightly degraded; however, the monkeys were still able to successfully perform the task with an average target acquisition rate of 83.1%. The monkeys’ ability to arbitrarily specify fingertip position was also quantified using an information throughput metric. During brain control task performance, the monkeys achieved an average 1.01 bits s-1 throughput, similar to that achieved in previous studies which decoded upper-arm movements to control computer cursors using a standard Kalman filter. Significance. This is, to our knowledge, the first demonstration of brain control of finger-level fine motor skills. We believe

  13. Tracking Target and Spiral Waves

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Flemming G.; Sporring, Jon; Nielsen, Mads

    2002-01-01

    A new algorithm for analyzing the evolution of patterns of spiral and target waves in large aspect ratio chemical systems is introduced. The algorithm does not depend on finding the spiral tip but locates the center of the pattern by a new concept, called the spiral focus, which is defined...... by the evolutes of the actual spiral or target wave. With the use of Gaussian smoothing, a robust method is developed that permits the identification of targets and spirals foci independently of the wave profile. Examples of an analysis of long image sequences from experiments with the Belousov......–Zhabotinsky reaction catalyzed by ruthenium-tris-bipyridyl are presented. Moving target and spiral foci are found, and the speed and direction of movement of single as well as double spiral foci are investigated. For the experiments analyzed in this paper it is found that the movement of a focus correlates with foci...

  14. Can representational trajectory reveal the nature of an internal model of gravity?

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Sá Teixeira, Nuno; Hecht, Heiko

    2014-05-01

    The memory for the vanishing location of a horizontally moving target is usually displaced forward in the direction of motion (representational momentum) and downward in the direction of gravity (representational gravity). Moreover, this downward displacement has been shown to increase with time (representational trajectory). However, the degree to which different kinematic events change the temporal profile of these displacements remains to be determined. The present article attempts to fill this gap. In the first experiment, we replicate the finding that representational momentum for downward-moving targets is bigger than for upward motions, showing, moreover, that it increases rapidly during the first 300 ms, stabilizing afterward. This temporal profile, but not the increased error for descending targets, is shown to be disrupted when eye movements are not allowed. In the second experiment, we show that the downward drift with time emerges even for static targets. Finally, in the third experiment, we report an increased error for upward-moving targets, as compared with downward movements, when the display is compatible with a downward ego-motion by including vection cues. Thus, the errors in the direction of gravity are compatible with the perceived event and do not merely reflect a retinotopic bias. Overall, these results provide further evidence for an internal model of gravity in the visual representational system.

  15. On the measurement of movement difficulty in the standard approach to Fitts' law.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yves Guiard

    Full Text Available Fitts' law is an empirical rule of thumb which predicts the time it takes people, under time pressure, to reach with some pointer a target of width W located at a distance D. It has been traditionally assumed that the predictor of movement time must be some mathematical transform of the quotient of D/W, called the index of difficulty (ID of the movement task. We ask about the scale of measurement involved in this independent variable. We show that because there is no such thing as a zero-difficulty movement, the IDs of the literature run on non-ratio scales of measurement. One notable consequence is that, contrary to a widespread belief, the value of the y-intercept of Fitts' law is uninterpretable. To improve the traditional Fitts paradigm, we suggest grounding difficulty on relative target tolerance W/D, which has a physical zero, unlike relative target distance D/W. If no one can explain what is meant by a zero-difficulty movement task, everyone can understand what is meant by a target layout whose relative tolerance W/D is zero, and hence whose relative intolerance 1-W/D is 1 or 100%. We use the data of Fitts' famous tapping experiment to illustrate these points. Beyond the scale of measurement issue, there is reason to doubt that task difficulty is the right object to try to measure in basic research on Fitts' law, target layout manipulations having never provided users of the traditional Fitts paradigm with satisfactory control over the variations of the speed and accuracy of movements. We advocate the trade-off paradigm, a recently proposed alternative, which is immune to this criticism.

  16. Combined visual illusion effects on the perceived index of difficulty and movement outcomes in discrete and continuous fitts' tapping.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alphonsa, Sushma; Dai, Boyi; Benham-Deal, Tami; Zhu, Qin

    2016-01-01

    The speed-accuracy trade-off is a fundamental movement problem that has been extensively investigated. It has been established that the speed at which one can move to tap targets depends on how large the targets are and how far they are apart. These spatial properties of the targets can be quantified by the index of difficulty (ID). Two visual illusions are known to affect the perception of target size and movement amplitude: the Ebbinghaus illusion and Muller-Lyer illusion. We created visual images that combined these two visual illusions to manipulate the perceived ID, and then examined people's visual perception of the targets in illusory context as well as their performance in tapping those targets in both discrete and continuous manners. The findings revealed that the combined visual illusions affected the perceived ID similarly in both discrete and continuous judgment conditions. However, the movement outcomes were affected by the combined visual illusions according to the tapping mode. In discrete tapping, the combined visual illusions affected both movement accuracy and movement amplitude such that the effective ID resembled the perceived ID. In continuous tapping, none of the movement outcomes were affected by the combined visual illusions. Participants tapped the targets with higher speed and accuracy in all visual conditions. Based on these findings, we concluded that distinct visual-motor control mechanisms were responsible for execution of discrete and continuous Fitts' tapping. Although discrete tapping relies on allocentric information (object-centered) to plan for action, continuous tapping relies on egocentric information (self-centered) to control for action. The planning-control model for rapid aiming movements is supported.

  17. From Target to Implementation: Perspectives for the International Governance of Forest Landscape Restoration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Till Pistorius

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Continuing depletion of forest resources, particularly in tropical developing countries, has turned vast areas of intact ecosystems into urbanized and agricultural lands. The degree of degradation varies, but in most cases, the ecosystem functions and the ability to provide a variety of ecosystem services are severely impaired. In addition to many other challenges, successful forest restoration of these lands requires considerable resources and funding, but the ecological, economic and social benefits have the potential to outweigh the investment. As a consequence, at the international policy level, restoration is seen as a field of land use activities that provides significant contributions to simultaneously achieving different environmental and social policy objectives. Accordingly, different policy processes at the international policy level have made ecological landscape restoration a global priority, in particular the Convention on Biological Diversity with the Aichi Target 15 agreed upon in 2010, which aims at restoring 15% of all degraded land areas by 2020. While such ambitious policy targets are important for recognizing and agreeing upon solutions for environmental problems, they are unlikely to be further substantiated or governed. The objective of this paper is thus to develop a complementary governance approach to the top-down implementation of the Aichi target. Drawing on collaborative and network governance theories, we discuss the potential of a collaborative networked governance approach and perspectives for overcoming the inherent challenges facing a rapid large-scale restoration of degraded lands.

  18. 26 CFR 1.338-1 - General principles; status of old target and new target.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 4 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false General principles; status of old target and new target. 1.338-1 Section 1.338-1 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY... of old target and new target. (a) In general—(1) Deemed transaction. Elections are available under...

  19. 26 CFR 1.430(d)-1 - Determination of target normal cost and funding target.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 5 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Determination of target normal cost and funding target. 1.430(d)-1 Section 1.430(d)-1 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE... of target normal cost and funding target. (a) In general—(1) Overview. This section sets forth rules...

  20. Dissecting patterns of preparatory activity in the frontal eye fields during pursuit target selection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raghavan, Ramanujan T; Joshua, Mati

    2017-10-01

    We investigated the composition of preparatory activity of frontal eye field (FEF) neurons in monkeys performing a pursuit target selection task. In response to the orthogonal motion of a large and a small reward target, monkeys initiated pursuit biased toward the direction of large reward target motion. FEF neurons exhibited robust preparatory activity preceding movement initiation in this task. Preparatory activity consisted of two components, ramping activity that was constant across target selection conditions, and a flat offset in firing rates that signaled the target selection condition. Ramping activity accounted for 50% of the variance in the preparatory activity and was linked most strongly, on a trial-by-trial basis, to pursuit eye movement latency rather than to its direction or gain. The offset in firing rates that discriminated target selection conditions accounted for 25% of the variance in the preparatory activity and was commensurate with a winner-take-all representation, signaling the direction of large reward target motion rather than a representation that matched the parameters of the upcoming movement. These offer new insights into the role that the frontal eye fields play in target selection and pursuit control. They show that preparatory activity in the FEF signals more strongly when to move rather than where or how to move and suggest that structures outside the FEF augment its contributions to the target selection process. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We used the smooth eye movement pursuit system to link between patterns of preparatory activity in the frontal eye fields and movement during a target selection task. The dominant pattern was a ramping signal that did not discriminate between selection conditions and was linked, on trial-by-trial basis, to movement latency. A weaker pattern was composed of a constant signal that discriminated between selection conditions but was only weakly linked to the movement parameters. Copyright © 2017 the American

  1. Treating juvenile idiopathic arthritis to target: recommendations of an international task force.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ravelli, Angelo; Consolaro, Alessandro; Horneff, Gerd; Laxer, Ronald M; Lovell, Daniel J; Wulffraat, Nico M; Akikusa, Jonathan D; Al-Mayouf, Sulaiman M; Antón, Jordi; Avcin, Tadej; Berard, Roberta A; Beresford, Michael W; Burgos-Vargas, Ruben; Cimaz, Rolando; De Benedetti, Fabrizio; Demirkaya, Erkan; Foell, Dirk; Itoh, Yasuhiko; Lahdenne, Pekka; Morgan, Esi M; Quartier, Pierre; Ruperto, Nicolino; Russo, Ricardo; Saad-Magalhães, Claudia; Sawhney, Sujata; Scott, Christiaan; Shenoi, Susan; Swart, Joost F; Uziel, Yosef; Vastert, Sebastiaan J; Smolen, Josef S

    2018-06-01

    Recent therapeutic advances in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) have made remission an achievable goal for most patients. Reaching this target leads to improved outcomes. The objective was to develop recommendations for treating JIA to target. A Steering Committee formulated a set of recommendations based on evidence derived from a systematic literature review. These were subsequently discussed, amended and voted on by an international Task Force of 30 paediatric rheumatologists in a consensus-based, Delphi-like procedure. Although the literature review did not reveal trials that compared a treat-to-target approach with another or no strategy, it provided indirect evidence regarding an optimised approach to therapy that facilitated development of recommendations. The group agreed on six overarching principles and eight recommendations. The main treatment target, which should be based on a shared decision with parents/patients, was defined as remission, with the alternative target of low disease activity. The frequency and timeline of follow-up evaluations to ensure achievement and maintenance of the target depend on JIA category and level of disease activity. Additional recommendations emphasise the importance of ensuring adequate growth and development and avoiding long-term systemic glucocorticoid administration to maintain the target. All items were agreed on by more than 80% of the members of the Task Force. A research agenda was formulated. The Task Force developed recommendations for treating JIA to target, being aware that the evidence is not strong and needs to be expanded by future research. These recommendations can inform various stakeholders about strategies to reach optimal outcomes for JIA. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  2. Enhanced targeting of triple-negative breast carcinoma and malignant melanoma by photochemical internalization of CSPG4-targeting immunotoxins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eng, M S; Kaur, J; Prasmickaite, L; Engesæter, B Ø; Weyergang, A; Skarpen, E; Berg, K; Rosenblum, M G; Mælandsmo, G M; Høgset, A; Ferrone, S; Selbo, P K

    2018-05-16

    Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and malignant melanoma are highly aggressive cancers that widely express the cell surface chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 4 (CSPG4/NG2). CSPG4 plays an important role in tumor cell growth and survival and promotes chemo- and radiotherapy resistance, suggesting that CSPG4 is an attractive target in cancer therapy. In the present work, we applied the drug delivery technology photochemical internalization (PCI) in combination with the novel CSPG4-targeting immunotoxin 225.28-saporin as an efficient and specific strategy to kill aggressive TNBC and amelanotic melanoma cells. Light-activation of the clinically relevant photosensitizer TPCS2a (fimaporfin) and 225.28-saporin was found to act in a synergistic manner, and was superior to both PCI of saporin and PCI-no-drug (TPCS2a + light only) in three TNBC cell lines (MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-435 and SUM149) and two BRAFV600E mutated malignant melanoma cell lines (Melmet 1 and Melmet 5). The cytotoxic effect was highly dependent on the light dose and expression of CSPG4 since no enhanced cytotoxicity of PCI of 225.28-saporin compared to PCI of saporin was observed in the CSPG4-negative MCF-7 cells. The PCI of a smaller, and clinically relevant CSPG4-targeting toxin (scFvMEL-rGel) validated the CSPG4-targeting concept in vitro and induced a strong inhibition of tumor growth in the amelanotic melanoma xenograft A-375 model. In conclusion, the combination of the drug delivery technology PCI and CSPG4-targeting immunotoxins is an efficient, specific and light-controlled strategy for the elimination of aggressive cells of TNBC and malignant melanoma origin. This study lays the foundation for further preclinical evaluation of PCI in combination with CSPG4-targeting.

  3. Moeller polarimeter for VEPP-3 storage ring based on internal polarized gas jet target

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dyug, M.V.; Grigoriev, A.V.; Kiselev, V.A.; Lazarenko, B.A.; Levichev, E.B.; Mikaiylov, A.I.; Mishnev, S.I.; Nikitin, S.A.; Nikolenko, D.M.; Rachek, I.A.; Shestakov, Yu.V.; Toporkov, D.K.; Zevakov, S.A.; Zhilich, V.N.

    2005-01-01

    A new method to determine the polarization of an electron beam circulating in a storage ring by a non-destructive way, based on measuring the asymmetry in scattering of beam electrons on electrons of the internal polarized gas jet target, has been developed and tested at the VEPP-3 storage ring

  4. The Spiritual and Educational Dimensions of The New Science Movement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walz-Michaels, Gerda

    With the emergence in physics of relativity and quantum theories in the first decade of this century a paradigm shift took place from a predominantly mechanistic to a dynamic world view. This shift formed the basis of the New Science Movement, including the new physics, in the 1970s. The movement is international, interdisciplinary, dynamic, and…

  5. Deep Brain Stimulation for Movement Disorders of Basal Ganglia Origin: Restoring Function or Functionality?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wichmann, Thomas; DeLong, Mahlon R

    2016-04-01

    Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is highly effective for both hypo- and hyperkinetic movement disorders of basal ganglia origin. The clinical use of DBS is, in part, empiric, based on the experience with prior surgical ablative therapies for these disorders, and, in part, driven by scientific discoveries made decades ago. In this review, we consider anatomical and functional concepts of the basal ganglia relevant to our understanding of DBS mechanisms, as well as our current understanding of the pathophysiology of two of the most commonly DBS-treated conditions, Parkinson's disease and dystonia. Finally, we discuss the proposed mechanism(s) of action of DBS in restoring function in patients with movement disorders. The signs and symptoms of the various disorders appear to result from signature disordered activity in the basal ganglia output, which disrupts the activity in thalamocortical and brainstem networks. The available evidence suggests that the effects of DBS are strongly dependent on targeting sensorimotor portions of specific nodes of the basal ganglia-thalamocortical motor circuit, that is, the subthalamic nucleus and the internal segment of the globus pallidus. There is little evidence to suggest that DBS in patients with movement disorders restores normal basal ganglia functions (e.g., their role in movement or reinforcement learning). Instead, it appears that high-frequency DBS replaces the abnormal basal ganglia output with a more tolerable pattern, which helps to restore the functionality of downstream networks.

  6. Geo-Located Tweets. Enhancing Mobility Maps and Capturing Cross-Border Movement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blanford, Justine I; Huang, Zhuojie; Savelyev, Alexander; MacEachren, Alan M

    2015-01-01

    Capturing human movement patterns across political borders is difficult and this difficulty highlights the need to investigate alternative data streams. With the advent of smart phones and the ability to attach accurate coordinates to Twitter messages, users leave a geographic digital footprint of their movement when posting tweets. In this study we analyzed 10 months of geo-located tweets for Kenya and were able to capture movement of people at different temporal (daily to periodic) and spatial (local, national to international) scales. We were also able to capture both long and short distances travelled, highlighting regional connections and cross-border movement between Kenya and the surrounding countries. The findings from this study has broad implications for studying movement patterns and mapping inter/intra-region movement dynamics.

  7. Analysis and visualisation of movement: an interdisciplinary review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Demšar, Urška; Buchin, Kevin; Cagnacci, Francesca; Safi, Kamran; Speckmann, Bettina; Van de Weghe, Nico; Weiskopf, Daniel; Weibel, Robert

    2015-01-01

    The processes that cause and influence movement are one of the main points of enquiry in movement ecology. However, ecology is not the only discipline interested in movement: a number of information sciences are specialising in analysis and visualisation of movement data. The recent explosion in availability and complexity of movement data has resulted in a call in ecology for new appropriate methods that would be able to take full advantage of the increasingly complex and growing data volume. One way in which this could be done is to form interdisciplinary collaborations between ecologists and experts from information sciences that analyse movement. In this paper we present an overview of new movement analysis and visualisation methodologies resulting from such an interdisciplinary research network: the European COST Action "MOVE - Knowledge Discovery from Moving Objects" (http://www.move-cost.info). This international network evolved over four years and brought together some 140 researchers from different disciplines: those that collect movement data (out of which the movement ecology was the largest represented group) and those that specialise in developing methods for analysis and visualisation of such data (represented in MOVE by computational geometry, geographic information science, visualisation and visual analytics). We present MOVE achievements and at the same time put them in ecological context by exploring relevant ecological themes to which MOVE studies do or potentially could contribute.

  8. The War on War League: A South African pacifist movement, 1914 ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ... of the Communist Party. This article however contends that it needs to be understood in its own terms, as a pacifist movement, reflecting a political moment of resistance to the plunge into global war. Keywords: War on War League, South Africa, Pacifism, Anti-War Movement, First World War, Syndicalism, Internationalism, ...

  9. Programming and execution of movement in Parkinson's disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheridan, M R; Flowers, K A; Hurrell, J

    1987-10-01

    Programming and execution of arm movements in Parkinson's disease were investigated in choice and simple reaction time (RT) situations in which subjects made aimed movements at a target. A no-aiming condition was also studied. Reaction time was fractionated using surface EMG recording into premotor (central) and motor (peripheral) components. Premotor RT was found to be greater for parkinsonian patients than normal age-matched controls in the simple RT condition, but not in the choice condition. This effect did not depend on the parameters of the impending movement. Thus, paradoxically, parkinsonian patients were not inherently slower at initiating aiming movements from the starting position, but seemed unable to use advance information concerning motor task demands to speed up movement initiation. For both groups, low velocity movements took longer to initiate than high velocity ones. In the no-aiming condition parkinsonian RTs were markedly shorter than when aiming, but were still significantly longer than control RTs. Motor RT was constant across all conditions and was not different for patient and control subjects. In all conditions, parkinsonian movements were around 37% slower than control movements, and their movement times were more variable, the differences showing up early on in the movement, that is, during the initial ballistic phase. The within-subject variability of movement endpoints was also greater in patients. The motor dysfunction displayed in Parkinson's disease involves a number of components: (1) a basic central problem with simply initiating movements, even when minimal programming is required (no-aiming condition); (2) difficulty in maintaining computed forces for motor programs over time (simple RT condition); (3) a basic slowness of movement (bradykinesia) in all conditions; and (4) increased variability of movement in both time and space, presumably caused by inherent variability in force production.

  10. Uncertainty in aiming movements and its association to hand function

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Flávia Priscila de Paiva Silva

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available AbstractThe purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of the uncertainty of target location on the planning and execution of aiming movements performed towards the ipsilateral and contralateral directions by the right and left upper limbs. In addition, the association between the performance of aiming movements and the performance of functional manual tasks was investigated. Two tasks were proposed: with prior knowledge of the movement direction (simple reaction time or not (choice reaction time. The grip strength and manual dexterity were measured. The choice option in response (i.e. uncertainty influenced planning of the aiming movements, but not its execution, while movements performed towards the contralateral direction were worse in execution as compared to the ipsilateral direction. Manual dexterity was significantly correlated with reaction times, while the performance during movement execution was significantly correlated with handgrip/pinch strength.

  11. The 13th international workshop on targetry and target chemistry proceedings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Haroun, S. (SFU, TRIUMF (Canada)); Givskov, A.; Jensen, Mikael (Technical Univ. of Denmark. Risoe National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy, Radiation Research Division, Roskilde (Denmark))

    2011-06-15

    This report contains the complete proceedings of the 13th International Workshop on Targetry and Target Chemistry. The Workshop was held at Risoe National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy on July 26-28 2010. The workshop deals with the development of methods and systems for efficient production of radioactive isotopes with accelerators. The WTTC series of workshops was initiated for the purpose of exchanging information about the problems and solutions associated with the production of radioisotopes for biomedical research and their applications to the diagnosis and treatment of disease. The goal of the WTTC is to advance the science associated with radioisotope production targetry. The Workshops are designed to bring experienced targetry scientists together with newcomers to the field, both from industry and academia, to discuss issues of targetry and target chemistry and approaches to exploring in situ target chemistry and the engineering required to optimize production yields. In the workshop, experience, ideas and information are freely and openly shared; learning and collaborations are fostered, with active participation by all attendees. This participation includes both formal and informal sessions. The present proceedings captures both submitted abstracts and the actual presentations showed during the very successful workshop meeting number 13 in the row, the WTTC13. (Author)

  12. The 13th international workshop on targetry and target chemistry proceedings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haroun, S.; Givskov, A.; Jensen, Mikael

    2011-06-01

    This report contains the complete proceedings of the 13th International Workshop on Targetry and Target Chemistry. The Workshop was held at Risoe National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy on July 26-28 2010. The workshop deals with the development of methods and systems for efficient production of radioactive isotopes with accelerators. The WTTC series of workshops was initiated for the purpose of exchanging information about the problems and solutions associated with the production of radioisotopes for biomedical research and their applications to the diagnosis and treatment of disease. The goal of the WTTC is to advance the science associated with radioisotope production targetry. The Workshops are designed to bring experienced targetry scientists together with newcomers to the field, both from industry and academia, to discuss issues of targetry and target chemistry and approaches to exploring in situ target chemistry and the engineering required to optimize production yields. In the workshop, experience, ideas and information are freely and openly shared; learning and collaborations are fostered, with active participation by all attendees. This participation includes both formal and informal sessions. The present proceedings captures both submitted abstracts and the actual presentations showed during the very successful workshop meeting number 13 in the row, the WTTC13. (Author)

  13. Islamic Puritanism Movements in Indonesia as Transnational Movements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Benny Baskara

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Islamic puritanism movements are the movements compelling to return to the teachings of Quran and Sunnah, as the pure teachings of Islam and abandon even abolish other teachings outside the teachings of Quran and Sunnah. The movements of Islamic puritanism can be considered as transnational movements because they spread their teachings and ideologies, create organizations, networks, and provide financial supports across nations. This paper describes Islamic puritanism movements in Indonesia and their transnational connections. Some Islamic puritanism movements in Indonesia can be considered as part of Islamic transnational movements, in which most of the movements are centered in the Middle East. In Indonesia, Islamic puritanism movements firstly appeared in the beginning of the nineteenth century, called Padri movement in West Sumatra. It was then continued to the emergence of Islamic organizations in the twentieth century. Recently, Islamic puritanism movements in Indonesia mostly take form as Salafism-Wahabism movements.

  14. Key Questions in Marine Megafauna Movement Ecology

    KAUST Repository

    Hays, Graeme C.; Ferreira, Luciana C.; Sequeira, Ana M.M.; Meekan, Mark G.; Duarte, Carlos M.; Bailey, Helen; Bailleul, Fred; Bowen, W. Don; Caley, M. Julian; Costa, Daniel P.; Eguí luz, Victor M.; Fossette, Sabrina; Friedlaender, Ari S.; Gales, Nick; Gleiss, Adrian C.; Gunn, John; Harcourt, Rob; Hazen, Elliott L.; Heithaus, Michael R.; Heupel, Michelle; Holland, Kim; Horning, Markus; Jonsen, Ian; Kooyman, Gerald L.; Lowe, Christopher G.; Madsen, Peter T.; Marsh, Helene; Phillips, Richard A.; Righton, David; Ropert-Coudert, Yan; Sato, Katsufumi; Shaffer, Scott A.; Simpfendorfer, Colin A.; Sims, David W.; Skomal, Gregory; Takahashi, Akinori; Trathan, Philip N.; Wikelski, Martin; Womble, Jamie N.; Thums, Michele

    2016-01-01

    It is a golden age for animal movement studies and so an opportune time to assess priorities for future work. We assembled 40 experts to identify key questions in this field, focussing on marine megafauna, which include a broad range of birds, mammals, reptiles, and fish. Research on these taxa has both underpinned many of the recent technical developments and led to fundamental discoveries in the field. We show that the questions have broad applicability to other taxa, including terrestrial animals, flying insects, and swimming invertebrates, and, as such, this exercise provides a useful roadmap for targeted deployments and data syntheses that should advance the field of movement ecology. Technical advances make this an exciting time for animal movement studies, with a range of small, reliable data-loggers and transmitters that can record horizontal and vertical movements as well as aspects of physiology and reproductive biology.Forty experts identified key questions in the field of movement ecology.Questions have broad applicability across species, habitats, and spatial scales, and apply to animals in both marine and terrestrial habitats as well as both vertebrates and invertebrates, including birds, mammals, reptiles, fish, insects, and plankton. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd.

  15. Key Questions in Marine Megafauna Movement Ecology

    KAUST Repository

    Hays, Graeme C.

    2016-03-12

    It is a golden age for animal movement studies and so an opportune time to assess priorities for future work. We assembled 40 experts to identify key questions in this field, focussing on marine megafauna, which include a broad range of birds, mammals, reptiles, and fish. Research on these taxa has both underpinned many of the recent technical developments and led to fundamental discoveries in the field. We show that the questions have broad applicability to other taxa, including terrestrial animals, flying insects, and swimming invertebrates, and, as such, this exercise provides a useful roadmap for targeted deployments and data syntheses that should advance the field of movement ecology. Technical advances make this an exciting time for animal movement studies, with a range of small, reliable data-loggers and transmitters that can record horizontal and vertical movements as well as aspects of physiology and reproductive biology.Forty experts identified key questions in the field of movement ecology.Questions have broad applicability across species, habitats, and spatial scales, and apply to animals in both marine and terrestrial habitats as well as both vertebrates and invertebrates, including birds, mammals, reptiles, fish, insects, and plankton. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd.

  16. What's your number? The effects of trial order on the one-target advantage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bested, Stephen R; Khan, Michael A; Lawrence, Gavin P; Tremblay, Luc

    2018-05-01

    When moving our upper-limb towards a single target, movement times are typically shorter than when movement to a second target is required. This is known as the one-target advantage. Most studies that have demonstrated the one-target advantage have employed separate trial blocks for the one- and two-segment movements. To test if the presence of the one-target advantage depends on advance knowledge of the number of segments, the present study investigated whether the one-target advantage would emerge under different trial orders/sequences. One- and two-segment responses were organized in blocked (i.e., 1-1-1, 2-2-2), alternating (i.e., 1-2-1-2-1-2), and random (i.e., 1-1-2-1-2-2) trial sequences. Similar to previous studies, where only blocked schedules have typically been utilized, the one-target advantage emerged during the blocked and alternate conditions, but not in the random condition. This finding indicates that the one-target advantage is contingent on participants knowing the number of movement segments prior to stimulus onset. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder: devising controlled active treatment studies for symptomatic and neuroprotective therapy--a consensus statement from the International Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder Study Group.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schenck, C H; Montplaisir, J Y; Frauscher, B; Hogl, B; Gagnon, J-F; Postuma, R; Sonka, K; Jennum, P; Partinen, M; Arnulf, I; Cochen de Cock, V; Dauvilliers, Y; Luppi, P-H; Heidbreder, A; Mayer, G; Sixel-Döring, F; Trenkwalder, C; Unger, M; Young, P; Wing, Y K; Ferini-Strambi, L; Ferri, R; Plazzi, G; Zucconi, M; Inoue, Y; Iranzo, A; Santamaria, J; Bassetti, C; Möller, J C; Boeve, B F; Lai, Y Y; Pavlova, M; Saper, C; Schmidt, P; Siegel, J M; Singer, C; St Louis, E; Videnovic, A; Oertel, W

    2013-08-01

    We aimed to provide a consensus statement by the International Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder Study Group (IRBD-SG) on devising controlled active treatment studies in rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) and devising studies of neuroprotection against Parkinson disease (PD) and related neurodegeneration in RBD. The consensus statement was generated during the fourth IRBD-SG symposium in Marburg, Germany in 2011. The IRBD-SG identified essential methodologic components for a randomized trial in RBD, including potential screening and diagnostic criteria, inclusion and exclusion criteria, primary and secondary outcomes for symptomatic therapy trials (particularly for melatonin and clonazepam), and potential primary and secondary outcomes for eventual trials with disease-modifying and neuroprotective agents. The latter trials are considered urgent, given the high conversion rate from idiopathic RBD (iRBD) to Parkinsonian disorders (i.e., PD, dementia with Lewy bodies [DLB], multiple system atrophy [MSA]). Six inclusion criteria were identified for symptomatic therapy and neuroprotective trials: (1) diagnosis of RBD needs to satisfy the International Classification of Sleep Disorders, second edition, (ICSD-2) criteria; (2) minimum frequency of RBD episodes should preferably be ⩾2 times weekly to allow for assessment of change; (3) if the PD-RBD target population is included, it should be in the early stages of PD defined as Hoehn and Yahr stages 1-3 in Off (untreated); (4) iRBD patients with soft neurologic dysfunction and with operational criteria established by the consensus of study investigators; (5) patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI); and (6) optimally treated comorbid OSA. Twenty-four exclusion criteria were identified. The primary outcome measure for RBD treatment trials was determined to be the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) efficacy index, consisting of a four-point scale with a four-point side-effect scale. Assessment of

  18. Zero-gravity movement studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badler, N. I.; Fishwick, P.; Taft, N.; Agrawala, M.

    1985-01-01

    The use of computer graphics to simulate the movement of articulated animals and mechanisms has a number of uses ranging over many fields. Human motion simulation systems can be useful in education, medicine, anatomy, physiology, and dance. In biomechanics, computer displays help to understand and analyze performance. Simulations can be used to help understand the effect of external or internal forces. Similarly, zero-gravity simulation systems should provide a means of designing and exploring the capabilities of hypothetical zero-gravity situations before actually carrying out such actions. The advantage of using a simulation of the motion is that one can experiment with variations of a maneuver before attempting to teach it to an individual. The zero-gravity motion simulation problem can be divided into two broad areas: human movement and behavior in zero-gravity, and simulation of articulated mechanisms.

  19. A novel model of motor learning capable of developing an optimal movement control law online from scratch.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shimansky, Yury P; Kang, Tao; He, Jiping

    2004-02-01

    A computational model of a learning system (LS) is described that acquires knowledge and skill necessary for optimal control of a multisegmental limb dynamics (controlled object or CO), starting from "knowing" only the dimensionality of the object's state space. It is based on an optimal control problem setup different from that of reinforcement learning. The LS solves the optimal control problem online while practicing the manipulation of CO. The system's functional architecture comprises several adaptive components, each of which incorporates a number of mapping functions approximated based on artificial neural nets. Besides the internal model of the CO's dynamics and adaptive controller that computes the control law, the LS includes a new type of internal model, the minimal cost (IM(mc)) of moving the controlled object between a pair of states. That internal model appears critical for the LS's capacity to develop an optimal movement trajectory. The IM(mc) interacts with the adaptive controller in a cooperative manner. The controller provides an initial approximation of an optimal control action, which is further optimized in real time based on the IM(mc). The IM(mc) in turn provides information for updating the controller. The LS's performance was tested on the task of center-out reaching to eight randomly selected targets with a 2DOF limb model. The LS reached an optimal level of performance in a few tens of trials. It also quickly adapted to movement perturbations produced by two different types of external force field. The results suggest that the proposed design of a self-optimized control system can serve as a basis for the modeling of motor learning that includes the formation and adaptive modification of the plan of a goal-directed movement.

  20. Role of vision in aperture closure control during reach-to-grasp movements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rand, Miya K; Lemay, Martin; Squire, Linda M; Shimansky, Yury P; Stelmach, George E

    2007-08-01

    We have previously shown that the distance from the hand to the target at which finger closure is initiated during the reach (aperture closure distance) depends on the amplitude of peak aperture, as well as hand velocity and acceleration. This dependence suggests the existence of a control law according to which a decision to initiate finger closure during the reach is made when the hand distance to target crosses a threshold that is a function of the above movement-related parameters. The present study examined whether the control law is affected by manipulating the visibility of the hand and the target. Young adults made reach-to-grasp movements to a dowel under conditions in which the target or the hand or both were either visible or not visible. Reaching for and grasping a target when the hand and/or target were not visible significantly increased transport time and widened peak aperture. Aperture closure distance was significantly lengthened and wrist peak velocity was decreased only when the target was not visible. Further analysis showed that the control law was significantly different between the visibility-related conditions. When either the hand or target was not visible, the aperture closure distance systematically increased compared to its value for the same amplitude of peak aperture, hand velocity, and acceleration under full visibility. This implies an increase in the distance-related safety margin for grasping when the hand or target is not visible. It has been also found that the same control law can be applied to all conditions, if variables describing hand and target visibility were included in the control law model, as the parameters of the task-related environmental context, in addition to the above movement-related parameters. This suggests that that the CNS utilizes those variables for controlling grasp initiation based on a general control law.

  1. Compensation for loads during arm movements using equilibrium-point control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gribble, P L; Ostry, D J

    2000-12-01

    A significant problem in motor control is how information about movement error is used to modify control signals to achieve desired performance. A potential source of movement error and one that is readily controllable experimentally relates to limb dynamics and associated movement-dependent loads. In this paper, we have used a position control model to examine changes to control signals for arm movements in the context of movement-dependent loads. In the model, based on the equilibrium-point hypothesis, equilibrium shifts are adjusted directly in proportion to the positional error between desired and actual movements. The model is used to simulate multi-joint movements in the presence of both "internal" loads due to joint interaction torques, and externally applied loads resulting from velocity-dependent force fields. In both cases it is shown that the model can achieve close correspondence to empirical data using a simple linear adaptation procedure. An important feature of the model is that it achieves compensation for loads during movement without the need for either coordinate transformations between positional error and associated corrective forces, or inverse dynamics calculations.

  2. Geo-Located Tweets. Enhancing Mobility Maps and Capturing Cross-Border Movement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blanford, Justine I.; Huang, Zhuojie; Savelyev, Alexander; MacEachren, Alan M.

    2015-01-01

    Capturing human movement patterns across political borders is difficult and this difficulty highlights the need to investigate alternative data streams. With the advent of smart phones and the ability to attach accurate coordinates to Twitter messages, users leave a geographic digital footprint of their movement when posting tweets. In this study we analyzed 10 months of geo-located tweets for Kenya and were able to capture movement of people at different temporal (daily to periodic) and spatial (local, national to international) scales. We were also able to capture both long and short distances travelled, highlighting regional connections and cross-border movement between Kenya and the surrounding countries. The findings from this study has broad implications for studying movement patterns and mapping inter/intra-region movement dynamics. PMID:26086772

  3. Geo-Located Tweets. Enhancing Mobility Maps and Capturing Cross-Border Movement.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Justine I Blanford

    Full Text Available Capturing human movement patterns across political borders is difficult and this difficulty highlights the need to investigate alternative data streams. With the advent of smart phones and the ability to attach accurate coordinates to Twitter messages, users leave a geographic digital footprint of their movement when posting tweets. In this study we analyzed 10 months of geo-located tweets for Kenya and were able to capture movement of people at different temporal (daily to periodic and spatial (local, national to international scales. We were also able to capture both long and short distances travelled, highlighting regional connections and cross-border movement between Kenya and the surrounding countries. The findings from this study has broad implications for studying movement patterns and mapping inter/intra-region movement dynamics.

  4. Eye movements and manual interception of ballistic trajectories: effects of law of motion perturbations and occlusions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delle Monache, Sergio; Lacquaniti, Francesco; Bosco, Gianfranco

    2015-02-01

    Manual interceptions are known to depend critically on integration of visual feedback information and experience-based predictions of the interceptive event. Within this framework, coupling between gaze and limb movements might also contribute to the interceptive outcome, since eye movements afford acquisition of high-resolution visual information. We investigated this issue by analyzing subjects' head-fixed oculomotor behavior during manual interceptions. Subjects moved a mouse cursor to intercept computer-generated ballistic trajectories either congruent with Earth's gravity or perturbed with weightlessness (0 g) or hypergravity (2 g) effects. In separate sessions, trajectories were either fully visible or occluded before interception to enforce visual prediction. Subjects' oculomotor behavior was classified in terms of amounts of time they gazed at different visual targets and of overall number of saccades. Then, by way of multivariate analyses, we assessed the following: (1) whether eye movement patterns depended on targets' laws of motion and occlusions; and (2) whether interceptive performance was related to the oculomotor behavior. First, we found that eye movement patterns depended significantly on targets' laws of motion and occlusion, suggesting predictive mechanisms. Second, subjects coupled differently oculomotor and interceptive behavior depending on whether targets were visible or occluded. With visible targets, subjects made smaller interceptive errors if they gazed longer at the mouse cursor. Instead, with occluded targets, they achieved better performance by increasing the target's tracking accuracy and by avoiding gaze shifts near interception, suggesting that precise ocular tracking provided better trajectory predictions for the interceptive response.

  5. Fundamental Movement Skills: An Important Focus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnett, Lisa M.; Stodden, David; Cohen, Kristen E.; Smith, Jordan J.; Lubans, David Revalds; Lenoir, Matthieu; Iivonen, Susanna; Miller, Andrew D.; Laukkanen, Arto; Dudley, Dean; Lander, Natalie J.; Brown, Helen; Morgan, Philip J.

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: Recent international conference presentations have critiqued the promotion of fundamental movement skills (FMS) as a primary pedagogical focus. Presenters have called for a debate about the importance of, and rationale for teaching FMS, and this letter is a response to that call. The authors of this letter are academics who actively…

  6. Modeling internal deformation of salt structures targeted for radioactive waste disposal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chemia, Zurab

    2008-01-01

    This thesis uses results of systematic numerical models to argue that externally inactive salt structures, which are potential targets for radioactive waste disposal, might be internally active due to the presence of dense layers or blocks within a salt layer. The three papers that support this thesis use the Gorleben salt diapir (NW Germany), which was targeted as a future final repository for high-grade radioactive waste, as a general guideline. The first two papers present systematic studies of the parameters that control the development of a salt diapir and how it entrains a dense anhydrite layer. Results from these numerical models show that the entrainment of a dense anhydrite layer within a salt diapir depends on four parameters: sedimentation rate, viscosity of salt, perturbation width and the stratigraphic location of the dense layer. The combined effect of these four parameters, which has a direct impact on the rate of salt supply (volume/area of the salt that is supplied to the diapir with time), shape a diapir and the mode of entrainment. Salt diapirs down-built with sedimentary units of high viscosity can potentially grow with an embedded anhydrite layer and deplete their source layer (salt supply ceases). However, when salt supply decreases dramatically or ceases entirely, the entrained anhydrite layer/segments start to sink within the diapir. In inactive diapirs, sinking of the entrained anhydrite layer is inevitable and strongly depends on the rheology of the salt, which is in direct contact with the anhydrite layer. During the post-depositional stage, if the effective viscosity of salt falls below the threshold value of around 10 18 -10 19 Pa s, the mobility of anhydrite blocks might influence any repository within the diapir. However, the internal deformation of the salt diapir by the descending blocks decreases with increase in effective viscosity of salt. The results presented in this thesis suggest that it is highly likely that salt structures

  7. Kinesthetic information facilitates saccades towards proprioceptive-tactile targets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Voudouris, Dimitris; Goettker, Alexander; Mueller, Stefanie; Fiehler, Katja

    2016-05-01

    Saccades to somatosensory targets have longer latencies and are less accurate and precise than saccades to visual targets. Here we examined how different somatosensory information influences the planning and control of saccadic eye movements. Participants fixated a central cross and initiated a saccade as fast as possible in response to a tactile stimulus that was presented to either the index or the middle fingertip of their unseen left hand. In a static condition, the hand remained at a target location for the entire block of trials and the stimulus was presented at a fixed time after an auditory tone. Therefore, the target location was derived only from proprioceptive and tactile information. In a moving condition, the hand was first actively moved to the same target location and the stimulus was then presented immediately. Thus, in the moving condition additional kinesthetic information about the target location was available. We found shorter saccade latencies in the moving compared to the static condition, but no differences in accuracy or precision of saccadic endpoints. In a second experiment, we introduced variable delays after the auditory tone (static condition) or after the end of the hand movement (moving condition) in order to reduce the predictability of the moment of the stimulation and to allow more time to process the kinesthetic information. Again, we found shorter latencies in the moving compared to the static condition but no improvement in saccade accuracy or precision. In a third experiment, we showed that the shorter saccade latencies in the moving condition cannot be explained by the temporal proximity between the relevant event (auditory tone or end of hand movement) and the moment of the stimulation. Our findings suggest that kinesthetic information facilitates planning, but not control, of saccadic eye movements to proprioceptive-tactile targets. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Justice foundations for the Comprehensive Law Movement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dewhurst, Dale

    2010-01-01

    Authors examining the developing dispute resolution alternatives to the adversarial system have identified nine converging "vectors" or alternatives in what has been termed the Comprehensive Law Movement. These authors have sought to understand how the developing vectors can remain separate and vibrant movements while sharing common ground. Some analyze these developments as being within law and legal practice, others see them as alternative approaches to law, and still others take a combined approach. It will be impossible to understand how these vectors have meaningful differences from law and legal practice if the search is limited to looking within law and legal practice. It will be impossible to understand how these vectors have meaningful commonalities with law and legal practice if the search is limited to looking external to law and legal practice. Instead of comparing the vectors with the adversarial system, higher order criteria are required. What is needed is a comprehensive and internally consistent super-system of norms; one that can be used to evaluate the adversarial system and the evolving vectors on an equal footing. An Aristotelian natural law virtue theory of justice can: (a) provide a functional guiding definition of justice; (b) serve as a comprehensive and internally consistent super-system of norms; and (c) provide the theoretical and evaluative foundation required to clarify the relationships among the adversarial system and the developing vectors. Finally, it will become clear why the Comprehensive Law Movement might be more appropriately conceptualized as the Comprehensive Justice Movement. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Eye Movements and Visual Search: A Bibliography,

    Science.gov (United States)

    1983-01-01

    duration and velocity. Neurology, 1975, 25, 1065-1070. EYM, SAC 40 Bard, C.; Fleury, M.; Carriere, L.; Halle, M. Analysis of Gymnastics Judges’ Visual...Nodine, C.F.; Carmody, D.P.; Herman, E. Eye Movements During Search for Artistically Embedded Targets. Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society, 1979, 13

  10. Voluntary inhibitory motor control over involuntary tic movements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ganos, Christos; Rothwell, John; Haggard, Patrick

    2018-03-06

    Inhibitory control is crucial for normal adaptive motor behavior. In hyperkinesias, such as tics, disinhibition within the cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical loops is thought to underlie the presence of involuntary movements. Paradoxically, tics are also subject to voluntary inhibitory control. This puzzling clinical observation questions the traditional definition of tics as purely involuntary motor behaviors. Importantly, it suggests novel insights into tic pathophysiology. In this review, we first define voluntary inhibitory tic control and compare it with other notions of tic control from the literature. We then examine the association between voluntary inhibitory tic control with premonitory urges and review evidence linking voluntary tic inhibition to other forms of executive control of action. We discuss the somatotopic selectivity and the neural correlates of voluntary inhibitory tic control. Finally, we provide a scientific framework with regard to the clinical relevance of the study of voluntary inhibitory tic control within the context of the neurodevelopmental disorder of Tourette syndrome. We identify current knowledge gaps that deserve attention in future research. © 2018 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. © 2018 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

  11. Determining internal movement costs at a warehouse using activity-based costing: offshore petroleum production application; Determinacao dos custos de movimentacao interna de um deposito utilizando a metodologia de custeio baseado em atividades: aplicacao a producao de petroleo offshore

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Azevedo, Italo Ricardo Moreira de [Brasil Supply S.A., Vitoria, ES (Brazil); Leal, Jose Eugenio [Pontificia Univ. Catolica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), RJ (Brazil)

    2004-07-01

    As from the flexibilization of the petroleum monopoly, which took place in the second half of the 1990's, the petroleum and gas sector in Brazil has undergone a series of changes that have directly impacted the commercial relations among the companies in the sector. The increases in operational efficiency and reduction of costs have become basic factors for the companies wishing to compete in this market. This paper presents a study whose objective is to map, model, and determine the costs involved in the process for internal movement in a warehouse used as logistics support to offshore petroleum production. Based on the description of the internal movement process for product storage, the main resources are identified. Then, a mathematical model based on Activity-Based Costing is draw up, in which the results generated comprise the values for internal movement costs for each type of product moved in the warehouse. (author)

  12. A compact representation of drawing movements with sequences of parabolic primitives.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Felix Polyakov

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available Some studies suggest that complex arm movements in humans and monkeys may optimize several objective functions, while others claim that arm movements satisfy geometric constraints and are composed of elementary components. However, the ability to unify different constraints has remained an open question. The criterion for a maximally smooth (minimizing jerk motion is satisfied for parabolic trajectories having constant equi-affine speed, which thus comply with the geometric constraint known as the two-thirds power law. Here we empirically test the hypothesis that parabolic segments provide a compact representation of spontaneous drawing movements. Monkey scribblings performed during a period of practice were recorded. Practiced hand paths could be approximated well by relatively long parabolic segments. Following practice, the orientations and spatial locations of the fitted parabolic segments could be drawn from only 2-4 clusters, and there was less discrepancy between the fitted parabolic segments and the executed paths. This enabled us to show that well-practiced spontaneous scribbling movements can be represented as sequences ("words" of a small number of elementary parabolic primitives ("letters". A movement primitive can be defined as a movement entity that cannot be intentionally stopped before its completion. We found that in a well-trained monkey a movement was usually decelerated after receiving a reward, but it stopped only after the completion of a sequence composed of several parabolic segments. Piece-wise parabolic segments can be generated by applying affine geometric transformations to a single parabolic template. Thus, complex movements might be constructed by applying sequences of suitable geometric transformations to a few templates. Our findings therefore suggest that the motor system aims at achieving more parsimonious internal representations through practice, that parabolas serve as geometric primitives and that non

  13. International medical migration: a critical conceptual review of the global movements of doctors and nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bradby, Hannah

    2014-11-01

    This paper critically appraises the discourse around international medical migration at the turn of the 21st century. A critical narrative review of a range of English-language sources, including grey literature, books and research reports, traces the development and spread of specific causative models. The attribution of causative relations between the movement of skilled medical workers, the provision of health care and population health outcomes illustrates how the global reach of biomedicine has to be understood in the context of local conditions. The need to understand migration as an aspect of uneven global development, rather than a delimited issue of manpower services management, is illustrated with reference to debates about 'brain drain' of Africa's health-care professionals, task-shifting and the crisis in health-care human resources. The widespread presumed cause of shortages of skilled health-care staff in sub-Saharan Africa was overdetermined by a compelling narrative of rich countries stealing poor countries' trained health-care professionals. This narrative promotes medical professional interests and ignores historical patterns of underinvestment in health-care systems and structures. Sociological theories of medicalization suggest that the international marketization of medical recruitment is a key site where the uneven global development of capital is at work. A radical reconfiguration of medical staffing along the lines of 'task-shifting' in rich and poor countries' health-care systems alike offers one means of thinking about global equity in access to quality care. © The Author(s) 2014.

  14. E pluribus unum, ex uno plures: Competition, violence, and fragmentation in ethnopolitical movements

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Seymour, L.J.M.; Bakke, K.M.; Gallagher Cunningham, K.

    2016-01-01

    Why are some ethnopolitical movements divided while others are relatively unified? A growing literature examines the consequences of internal divisions in ethnopolitical movements - and shows that it matters for a range of conflict outcomes - yet the mechanisms causing such divisions remain poorly

  15. Dance movement therapy for dementia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karkou, Vicky; Meekums, Bonnie

    2017-02-03

    Dementia is a collective name for different degenerative brain syndromes which, according to Alzheimer's Disease International, affects approximately 35.6 million people worldwide. The latest NICE guideline for dementia highlights the value of diverse treatment options for the different stages and symptoms of dementia including non-pharmacological treatments. Relevant literature also argues for the value of interventions that acknowledge the complexity of the condition and address the person as a whole, including their physical, emotional, social and cognitive processes. At the same time, there is growing literature that highlights the capacity of the arts and embodied practices to address this complexity. Dance movement therapy is an embodied psychological intervention that can address complexity and thus, may be useful for people with dementia, but its effectiveness remains unclear. To assess the effects of dance movement therapy on behavioural, social, cognitive and emotional symptoms of people with dementia in comparison to no treatment, standard care or any other treatment. Also, to compare different forms of dance movement therapy (e.g. Laban-based dance movement therapy, Chacian dance movement therapy or Authentic Movement). Searches took place up to March 2016 through ALOIS, Cochrane Dementia and Cognitive Improvement's Specialized Register, which covers CENTRAL, a number of major healthcare databases and trial registers, and grey literature sources. We checked bibliographies of relevant studies and reviews, and contacted professional associations, educational programmes and experts from around the world. We considered randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in any language, including cross-over design and cluster-RCTs for inclusion. Studies considered had to include people with dementia, in any age group and in any setting, with interventions delivered by a dance movement therapy practitioner who (i) had received formal training (ii) was a dance movement

  16. Influence of intra-fractional breathing movement in step-and-shoot IMRT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schaefer, M; Muenter, M W; Thilmann, C; Sterzing, F; Haering, P; Combs, S E; Debus, J

    2004-01-01

    Efforts have been made to extend the application of intensity-modulated radiotherapy to a variety of organs. One of the unanswered questions is whether breathing-induced organ motion may lead to a relevant over- or underdosage, e.g., in treatment plans for the irradiation of lung cancer. Theoretical considerations have been made concerning the different kinds of IMRT but there is still a lack of experimental data. We examined 18 points in a fraction of a clinical treatment plan of a NSCLC delivered in static IMRT with a new phantom and nine ionization chambers. Measurements were performed at a speed of 12 and 16 breathing cycles per minute. The dose differences between static points and moving target points ranged between -2.4% and +5.5% (mean: +0.2%, median: -0.1%) when moving with 12 cycles min -1 and between -3.6% and +5.0% (mean: -0.4%, median: -0.6%) when moving with 16 cycles min -1 . All differences of measurements with and without movements were below 5%, with one exception. In conclusion, our results underline that at least in static IMRT breathing effects (concerning target dose coverage) due to interplay effects between collimator leaf movement and target movement are of secondary importance and will not reduce the clinical value of IMRT in the step-and-shoot technique for irradiation of thoracic targets. (note)

  17. θ-burst stimulation of the cerebellum interferes with internal representations of sensory-motor information related to eye movements in humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colnaghi, Silvia; Ramat, Stefano; D'Angelo, Egidio; Cortese, Andrea; Beltrami, Giorgio; Moglia, Arrigo; Versino, Maurizio

    2011-12-01

    Continuous theta-burst stimulation (cTBS) applied over the cerebellum exerts long-lasting effects by modulating long-term synaptic plasticity, which is thought to be the basis of learning and behavioral adaptation. To investigate the impact of cTBS over the cerebellum on short-term sensory-motor memory, we recorded in two groups of eight healthy subject each the visually guided saccades (VGSs), the memory-guided saccades (MGSs), and the multiple memory-guided saccades (MMGSs), before and after cTBS (cTBS group) or simulated cTBS (control group). In the cTBS group, cTBS determined hypometria of contralateral centrifugal VGSs and worsened the accuracy of MMGS bilaterally. In the control group, no significant differences were found between the two recording sessions. These results indicate that cTBS over the cerebellum causes eye movement effects that last longer than the stimulus duration. The VGS contralateral hypometria suggested that we eventually inhibited the fastigial nucleus on the stimulated side. MMGSs in normal subjects have a better final accuracy with respect to MGSs. Such improvement is due to the availability in MMGSs of the efference copy of the initial reflexive saccade directed toward the same peripheral target, which provides a sensory-motor information that is memorized and then used to improve the accuracy of the subsequent volitional memory-guided saccade. Thus, we hypothesize that cTBS disrupted the capability of the cerebellum to make an internal representation of the memorized sensory-motor information to be used after a short interval for forward control of saccades.

  18. International Target Values 2010 for Measurement Uncertainties in Safeguarding Nuclear Materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhao, M.; Penkin, M.; Norman, C.; Balsley, S. [IAEA, Vienna (Australia); others, and

    2012-12-15

    This issue of the International Target Values (ITVs) represents the sixth revision, following the first release of such tables issued in 1979 by the ESARDA/WGDA. The ITVs are uncertainties to be considered in judging the reliability of analytical techniques applied to industrial nuclear and fissile material, which are subject to safeguards verification. The tabulated values represent estimates of the 'state of the practice' which should be achievable under routine measurement conditions. The most recent standard conventions in representing uncertainty have been considered, while maintaining a format that allows comparison with the previous releases of the ITVs. The present report explains why target values are needed, how the concept evolved and how they relate to the operator's and inspector's measurement systems. The ITVs-2010 are intended to be used by plant operators and safeguards organizations, as a reference of the quality of measurements achievable in nuclear material accountancy, and for planning purposes. The report suggests that the use of ITVs can be beneficial for statistical inferences regarding the significance of operator-inspector differences whenever valid performance values are not available.

  19. Locations of serial reach targets are coded in multiple reference frames.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, Aidan A; Henriques, Denise Y P

    2010-12-01

    Previous work from our lab, and elsewhere, has demonstrated that remembered target locations are stored and updated in an eye-fixed reference frame. That is, reach errors systematically vary as a function of gaze direction relative to a remembered target location, not only when the target is viewed in the periphery (Bock, 1986, known as the retinal magnification effect), but also when the target has been foveated, and the eyes subsequently move after the target has disappeared but prior to reaching (e.g., Henriques, Klier, Smith, Lowy, & Crawford, 1998; Sorrento & Henriques, 2008; Thompson & Henriques, 2008). These gaze-dependent errors, following intervening eye movements, cannot be explained by representations whose frame is fixed to the head, body or even the world. However, it is unknown whether targets presented sequentially would all be coded relative to gaze (i.e., egocentrically/absolutely), or if they would be coded relative to the previous target (i.e., allocentrically/relatively). It might be expected that the reaching movements to two targets separated by 5° would differ by that distance. But, if gaze were to shift between the first and second reaches, would the movement amplitude between the targets differ? If the target locations are coded allocentrically (i.e., the location of the second target coded relative to the first) then the movement amplitude should be about 5°. But, if the second target is coded egocentrically (i.e., relative to current gaze direction), then the reaches to this target and the distances between the subsequent movements should vary systematically with gaze as described above. We found that requiring an intervening saccade to the opposite side of 2 briefly presented targets between reaches to them resulted in a pattern of reaching error that systematically varied as a function of the distance between current gaze and target, and led to a systematic change in the distance between the sequential reach endpoints as predicted by

  20. Smooth pursuit eye movements and schizophrenia: literature review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Franco, J G; de Pablo, J; Gaviria, A M; Sepúlveda, E; Vilella, E

    2014-09-01

    To review the scientific literature about the relationship between impairment on smooth pursuit eye movements and schizophrenia. Narrative review that includes historical articles, reports about basic and clinical investigation, systematic reviews, and meta-analysis on the topic. Up to 80% of schizophrenic patients have impairment of smooth pursuit eye movements. Despite the diversity of test protocols, 65% of patients and controls are correctly classified by their overall performance during this pursuit. The smooth pursuit eye movements depend on the ability to anticipate the target's velocity and the visual feedback, as well as on learning and attention. The neuroanatomy implicated in smooth pursuit overlaps to some extent with certain frontal cortex zones associated with some clinical and neuropsychological characteristics of the schizophrenia, therefore some specific components of smooth pursuit anomalies could serve as biomarkers of the disease. Due to their sedative effect, antipsychotics have a deleterious effect on smooth pursuit eye movements, thus these movements cannot be used to evaluate the efficacy of the currently available treatments. Standardized evaluation of smooth pursuit eye movements on schizophrenia will allow to use specific aspects of that pursuit as biomarkers for the study of its genetics, psychopathology, or neuropsychology. Copyright © 2013 Sociedad Española de Oftalmología. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  1. Estimating the implicit component of visuomotor rotation learning by constraining movement preparation time.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leow, Li-Ann; Gunn, Reece; Marinovic, Welber; Carroll, Timothy J

    2017-08-01

    When sensory feedback is perturbed, accurate movement is restored by a combination of implicit processes and deliberate reaiming to strategically compensate for errors. Here, we directly compare two methods used previously to dissociate implicit from explicit learning on a trial-by-trial basis: 1 ) asking participants to report the direction that they aim their movements, and contrasting this with the directions of the target and the movement that they actually produce, and 2 ) manipulating movement preparation time. By instructing participants to reaim without a sensory perturbation, we show that reaiming is possible even with the shortest possible preparation times, particularly when targets are narrowly distributed. Nonetheless, reaiming is effortful and comes at the cost of increased variability, so we tested whether constraining preparation time is sufficient to suppress strategic reaiming during adaptation to visuomotor rotation with a broad target distribution. The rate and extent of error reduction under preparation time constraints were similar to estimates of implicit learning obtained from self-report without time pressure, suggesting that participants chose not to apply a reaiming strategy to correct visual errors under time pressure. Surprisingly, participants who reported aiming directions showed less implicit learning according to an alternative measure, obtained during trials performed without visual feedback. This suggests that the process of reporting can affect the extent or persistence of implicit learning. The data extend existing evidence that restricting preparation time can suppress explicit reaiming and provide an estimate of implicit visuomotor rotation learning that does not require participants to report their aiming directions. NEW & NOTEWORTHY During sensorimotor adaptation, implicit error-driven learning can be isolated from explicit strategy-driven reaiming by subtracting self-reported aiming directions from movement directions, or

  2. Design and Preliminary Testing of the International Docking Adapter's Peripheral Docking Target

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foster, Christopher W.; Blaschak, Johnathan; Eldridge, Erin A.; Brazzel, Jack P.; Spehar, Peter T.

    2015-01-01

    The International Docking Adapter's Peripheral Docking Target (PDT) was designed to allow a docking spacecraft to judge its alignment relative to the docking system. The PDT was designed to be compatible with relative sensors using visible cameras, thermal imagers, or Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) technologies. The conceptual design team tested prototype designs and materials to determine the contrast requirements for the features. This paper will discuss the design of the PDT, the methodology and results of the tests, and the conclusions pertaining to PDT design that were drawn from testing.

  3. Stereotypical reaching movements of the octopus involve both bend propagation and arm elongation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanassy, S; Botvinnik, A; Flash, T; Hochner, B

    2015-05-13

    The bend propagation involved in the stereotypical reaching movement of the octopus arm has been extensively studied. While these studies have analyzed the kinematics of bend propagation along the arm during its extension, possible length changes have been ignored. Here, the elongation profiles of the reaching movements of Octopus vulgaris were assessed using three-dimensional reconstructions. The analysis revealed that, in addition to bend propagation, arm extension movements involve elongation of the proximal part of the arm, i.e., the section from the base of the arm to the propagating bend. The elongations are quite substantial and highly variable, ranging from an average strain along the arm of -0.12 (i.e. shortening) up to 1.8 at the end of the movement (0.57 ± 0.41, n = 64 movements, four animals). Less variability was discovered in an additional set of experiments on reaching movements (0.64 ± 0.28, n = 30 movements, two animals), where target and octopus positions were kept more stationary. Visual observation and subsequent kinematic analysis suggest that the reaching movements can be broadly segregated into two groups. The first group involves bend propagation beginning at the base of the arm and propagating towards the arm tip. In the second, the bend is formed or present more distally and reaching is achieved mainly by elongation and straightening of the segment proximal to the bend. Only in the second type of movements is elongation significantly positively correlated with the distance of the bend from the target. We suggest that reaching towards a target is generated by a combination of both propagation of a bend along the arm and arm elongation. These two motor primitives may be combined to create a broad spectrum of reaching movements. The dynamical model, which recapitulates the biomechanics of the octopus muscular hydrostatic arm, suggests that achieving the observed elongation requires an extremely low ratio of longitudinal to transverse muscle

  4. Conceptualizing movement by expert Bobath instructors in neurological rehabilitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaughan-Graham, Julie; Patterson, Kara; Zabjek, Karl; Cott, Cheryl A

    2017-12-01

    Movement, a core aspect of physiotherapy practice, and integral to the clinical reasoning process has undergone limited theoretical development. Instead, research has focused on intervention effectiveness embedded within the positivist paradigm. The purpose of this study was to explore how expert neurorehabilitation therapists conceptualize movement as part of their clinical reasoning. A qualitative interpretive descriptive approach consisting of stimulated recall using video-recorded treatment sessions and in-depth interviews was used. Theoretical sampling was used to recruit members of the International Bobath Instructors Training Association (IBITA) who are recognized experts in neurorehabilitation. Interview transcripts were transcribed verbatim. Data analysis was progressive, iterative, and inductive. Twenty-two IBITA instructors from 7 different countries volunteered to participate. They ranged in clinical experience from 12 to 40 years and instructor experience from 1 to 35 years. The conceptualization of movement by the IBITA instructors involves the following elements: (1) movement comprises the whole person and the whole body, not just individual body segments; (2) active alignment of body segments is integral to movement performance; and (3) efficient movement requires the relative integration of postural control/stability and selective movement/mobility. The IBITA instructors conceptualize movement from a person-centred perspective. The integration of postural control and selective movement, with alignment and variability as key components, forms the foundation of their understanding of movement. Further investigation into the role of postural control in movement recovery post central nervous system lesion is required. Likewise, the dimensions of movement critical to the conceptualization of movement are not well understood from the perspective of the physiotherapist or persons with neurological impairments. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  5. Medicine against Cold War. Physicians in the anti-nuclear peace movement of the 1980ies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kemper, Claudia

    2016-01-01

    The book on physicians in the anti-nuclear peace movement of the 19080ies covers the following issues: (I) Frame of the subject: methodology, research fields and actors; (II) The social dimension of the physician's movement; (III) IPPNW (International physicians for the prevention of nuclear war) - a political idea is medicalized and organized, 1980 - 1984; (IV) Borderlines of the international peace idea during the Cold War - IPPNW 1980 - 1986.

  6. Utilization of optical tracking to validate a software-driven isocentric approach to robotic couch movements for proton radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hsi, Wen C.; Zeidan, Omar A.; Law, Aaron; Schreuder, Andreas N.

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: An optical tracking and positioning system (OTPS) was developed to validate the software-driven isocentric (SDI) approach to control the six-degrees-of-freedom movement of a robotic couch. Methods: The SDI approach to movements rotating around a predefined isocenter, referred to as a GeoIso, instead of a mechanical pivot point was developed by the robot automation industry. With robotic couch-sag corrections for weight load in a traditional SDI approach, movements could be accurately executed for a GeoIso located within a 500 mm cubic volume on the couch for treatments. The accuracy of SDI movement was investigated using the OTPS. The GeoIso was assumed to align with the proton beam isocenter (RadIso) for gantry at the reference angle. However, the misalignment between GeoIso and RadIso was quantitatively investigated by measuring the displacements at various couch angles for a target placed at the RadIso at an initial couch angle. When circular target displacements occur on a plane, a relative isocenter shift (RIS) correction could be applied in the SDI movement to minimize target displacements. Target displacements at a fixed gantry angle without and with RIS correction were measured for 12 robotic couches. Target displacements for various gantry angles were performed on three couches in gantry rooms to study the gantry-induced RadIso shift. The RIS correction can also be applied for the RadIso shift. A new SDI approach incorporating the RIS correction with the couch sag is described in this study. In parallel, the accuracy of SDI translation movements for various weight loads of patients on the couch was investigated during positioning of patients for proton prostate treatments. Results: For a fixed gantry angle, measured target displacements without RIS correction for couch rotations in the horizontal plane varied from 4 to 20 mm. However, measured displacements perpendicular to couch rotation plane were about 2 mm for all couches. Extracted

  7. Utilization of optical tracking to validate a software-driven isocentric approach to robotic couch movements for proton radiotherapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hsi, Wen C., E-mail: Wen.Hsi@Mclaren.org, E-mail: Wenchien.hsi@sphic.org.cn; Zeidan, Omar A., E-mail: omar.zeidan@orlandohealth.com [ProCure Proton Therapy Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73142 (United States); Law, Aaron; Schreuder, Andreas N., E-mail: niek.schreuder@provisionhp.com [ProCure Training and Development Center, Bloomington, Indiana 47404 (United States)

    2014-08-15

    Purpose: An optical tracking and positioning system (OTPS) was developed to validate the software-driven isocentric (SDI) approach to control the six-degrees-of-freedom movement of a robotic couch. Methods: The SDI approach to movements rotating around a predefined isocenter, referred to as a GeoIso, instead of a mechanical pivot point was developed by the robot automation industry. With robotic couch-sag corrections for weight load in a traditional SDI approach, movements could be accurately executed for a GeoIso located within a 500 mm cubic volume on the couch for treatments. The accuracy of SDI movement was investigated using the OTPS. The GeoIso was assumed to align with the proton beam isocenter (RadIso) for gantry at the reference angle. However, the misalignment between GeoIso and RadIso was quantitatively investigated by measuring the displacements at various couch angles for a target placed at the RadIso at an initial couch angle. When circular target displacements occur on a plane, a relative isocenter shift (RIS) correction could be applied in the SDI movement to minimize target displacements. Target displacements at a fixed gantry angle without and with RIS correction were measured for 12 robotic couches. Target displacements for various gantry angles were performed on three couches in gantry rooms to study the gantry-induced RadIso shift. The RIS correction can also be applied for the RadIso shift. A new SDI approach incorporating the RIS correction with the couch sag is described in this study. In parallel, the accuracy of SDI translation movements for various weight loads of patients on the couch was investigated during positioning of patients for proton prostate treatments. Results: For a fixed gantry angle, measured target displacements without RIS correction for couch rotations in the horizontal plane varied from 4 to 20 mm. However, measured displacements perpendicular to couch rotation plane were about 2 mm for all couches. Extracted

  8. Utilization of optical tracking to validate a software-driven isocentric approach to robotic couch movements for proton radiotherapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsi, Wen C; Law, Aaron; Schreuder, Andreas N; Zeidan, Omar A

    2014-08-01

    An optical tracking and positioning system (OTPS) was developed to validate the software-driven isocentric (SDI) approach to control the six-degrees-of-freedom movement of a robotic couch. The SDI approach to movements rotating around a predefined isocenter, referred to as a GeoIso, instead of a mechanical pivot point was developed by the robot automation industry. With robotic couch-sag corrections for weight load in a traditional SDI approach, movements could be accurately executed for a GeoIso located within a 500 mm cubic volume on the couch for treatments. The accuracy of SDI movement was investigated using the OTPS. The GeoIso was assumed to align with the proton beam isocenter (RadIso) for gantry at the reference angle. However, the misalignment between GeoIso and RadIso was quantitatively investigated by measuring the displacements at various couch angles for a target placed at the RadIso at an initial couch angle. When circular target displacements occur on a plane, a relative isocenter shift (RIS) correction could be applied in the SDI movement to minimize target displacements. Target displacements at a fixed gantry angle without and with RIS correction were measured for 12 robotic couches. Target displacements for various gantry angles were performed on three couches in gantry rooms to study the gantry-induced RadIso shift. The RIS correction can also be applied for the RadIso shift. A new SDI approach incorporating the RIS correction with the couch sag is described in this study. In parallel, the accuracy of SDI translation movements for various weight loads of patients on the couch was investigated during positioning of patients for proton prostate treatments. For a fixed gantry angle, measured target displacements without RIS correction for couch rotations in the horizontal plane varied from 4 to 20 mm. However, measured displacements perpendicular to couch rotation plane were about 2 mm for all couches. Extracted misalignments of GeoIso and RadIso in

  9. Minefield overwatch using moving target indicator radar

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donadio, Anthony; Ewing, Robert; Kenneally, William J.; Santapietro, John J.

    1999-07-01

    Traditional antipersonnel land mines are an effective military tool, but they are unable to distinguish friend from foe, or civilian from military personnel. The concept described here uses an advanced moving target indicator (MTI) radar to scan the minefield in order to detect movement towards or within the minefield, coupled with visual identification by a human operator and a communication link for command and control. Selected mines in the minefield can then be activated by means of the command link. In order to demonstrate this concept, a 3D, interactive simulation has been developed. This simulation builds on previous work by integrating a detailed analytical model of an MTI radar. This model has been tailored to the specific application of detection of slowly moving dismounted entities immersed in ground clutter. The model incorporates the effects of internal scatterer motion and antenna scanning modulation in order to provide a realistic representation of the detection problem in this environment. The angle information on the MTI target detection is then passed to a virtual 3D sight which cues a human operator to the target location. In addition, radar propagation effects and an experimental design in which the radar itself is used as a command link are explored.

  10. Co-movement of Africa's equity markets: Regional and global analysis in the frequency-time domains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boako, Gideon; Alagidede, Paul

    2017-02-01

    This paper examines regional and global co-movement of Africa's stock markets using the three-dimensional continuous Morlet wavelet transform methodology. The analyses which are done in segments investigate co-movements with global markets; bilateral exchange rates expressed in US dollars and euro; and four regional markets in Africa. First, we find evidence of stronger co-movements broadly narrowed to short-run fluctuations. The co-movements are time-varying and commonly non-homogeneous - with phase difference arrow vectors implying lead-lag relationships. The presence of lead-lag effects and stronger co-movements at short-run fluctuations may induce arbitrage and diversification opportunities to both local and international investors with long-term investment horizons. The findings also reveal that some African equity markets are, to a degree, segmented from volatilities of the dollar and euro exchange rates. Thus, inferring that, ceteris paribus, international investors may diversify their portfolio investments across those markets without worrying about the effects of currency price volatility.

  11. Preliminary study on the adjonction of a cooling system and internal target ring to the GEPL project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Potaux, D.

    1983-01-01

    Various heavy particle storage rings (LEAR, Indiana, Uppsala) are planned for operation with combined electron cooling system and internal ultra-thin targets. The advantage of adding a similar device to the IPN cyclotron project is discussed [fr

  12. Do Irish adolescents have adequate functional movement skill and confidence?

    OpenAIRE

    O'Brien, Wesley; Duncan, Michael J.; Farmer, Orlagh; Lester, Diarmuid

    2017-01-01

    Recent research has shown that post-primary Irish youth are insufficiently active and fail to reach a level of proficiency across basic fundamental movement skills. The purpose of the current research was to gather cross-sectional data on adolescent youth, differentiated by gender, specifically to inform the development of a targeted movement-oriented intervention. Data were collected on adolescents (N=219; mean age: 14.45 ± 0.96 years), within two, mixed gender schools. Data collection inclu...

  13. Fibers as solid, internal targets for storage rings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Przewoski, B.v.

    1994-01-01

    It has been demonstrated that fibers or micro ribbons provide the possibility to expose solid targets to a stored ion beam. Compared to gas targets or micro particle targets fiber targets require a relatively small technical effort, since differential pumping systems are not necessary to maintain the ring vacuum. Since stationary fibers are often too thick to allow for long enough lifetimes of the stored beam to be useful for experiments, a methods has been developed to move the fiber periodically through the beam. That way, the time averaged target thickness is small compared to the thickness the same fiber would have, if it were stationary in the path of the beam. In addition, the time averaged thickness can be adjusted if the amplitude of the fiber motion is increased or decreased to obtain a thinner or thicker target respectively. Measurements that compare the lifetime of the stored beam in the presence of a fiber target with the lifetime of a stored beam in the presence of a gas target show that a fiber target of a certain time averaged target thickness is equivalent to a homogeneous target of the same thickness. The data are in good agreement with Monte Carlo calculations

  14. A binary motor imagery tasks based brain-computer interface for two-dimensional movement control

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Bin; Cao, Lei; Maysam, Oladazimi; Li, Jie; Xie, Hong; Su, Caixia; Birbaumer, Niels

    2017-12-01

    Objective. Two-dimensional movement control is a popular issue in brain-computer interface (BCI) research and has many applications in the real world. In this paper, we introduce a combined control strategy to a binary class-based BCI system that allows the user to move a cursor in a two-dimensional (2D) plane. Users focus on a single moving vector to control 2D movement instead of controlling vertical and horizontal movement separately. Approach. Five participants took part in a fixed-target experiment and random-target experiment to verify the effectiveness of the combination control strategy under the fixed and random routine conditions. Both experiments were performed in a virtual 2D dimensional environment and visual feedback was provided on the screen. Main results. The five participants achieved an average hit rate of 98.9% and 99.4% for the fixed-target experiment and the random-target experiment, respectively. Significance. The results demonstrate that participants could move the cursor in the 2D plane effectively. The proposed control strategy is based only on a basic two-motor imagery BCI, which enables more people to use it in real-life applications.

  15. Signature movements lead to efficient search for threatening actions.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeroen J A van Boxtel

    Full Text Available The ability to find and evade fighting persons in a crowd is potentially life-saving. To investigate how the visual system processes threatening actions, we employed a visual search paradigm with threatening boxer targets among emotionally-neutral walker distractors, and vice versa. We found that a boxer popped out for both intact and scrambled actions, whereas walkers did not. A reverse correlation analysis revealed that observers' responses clustered around the time of the "punch", a signature movement of boxing actions, but not around specific movements of the walker. These findings support the existence of a detector for signature movements in action perception. This detector helps in rapidly detecting aggressive behavior in a crowd, potentially through an expedited (subcortical threat-detection mechanism.

  16. Are we real when we fake? Attunement to object weight in natural and pantomimed grasping movements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Caterina Ansuini

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Behavioural and neuropsychological studies suggest that real actions and pantomimed actions tap, at least in part, different neural systems. Inspired by studies showing weight-attunement in real grasps, here we asked whether (and to what extent kinematics of pantomimed reach-to-grasp movement can reveal the weight of the pretended target. To address this question, we instructed participants (n =15 either to grasp or pretend to grasp towards two differently weighted objects, i.e., a light object and heavy object. Using linear discriminant analysis, we then proceeded to classify the weight of the target – either real or pretended – on the basis of the recorded movement patterns. Classification analysis revealed that pantomimed reach-to-grasp movements retained information about object weight, although to a lesser extent than real grasp movements. These results are discussed in relation to the mechanisms underlying the control of real and pantomimed grasping movements.

  17. Vision system for measuring wagon buffers’ lateral movements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Barjaktarović Marko

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a vision system designed for measuring horizontal and vertical displacements of a railway wagon body. The model comprises a commercial webcam and a cooperative target of an appropriate shape. The lateral buffer movement is determined by calculating target displacement in real time by processing the camera image in a LabVIEW platform using free OpenCV library. Laboratory experiments demonstrate an accuracy which is better than ±0.5 mm within a 50 mm measuring range.

  18. Motor response programming and movement time in children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simmons, Roger W; Thomas, Jennifer D; Levy, Susan S; Riley, Edward P

    2010-06-01

    The present experiment assessed motor response programming and movement time in children with histories of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure (PEA). Alcohol-exposed children between the ages of 7 and 17 years were classified into two groups: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS: n=9) and children with PEA (PEA: n=19) but who did not have the defining characteristics of FAS. The FAS and PEA children were compared with non-alcohol-exposed children (NC: n=23) when completing two tasks: a simple reaction time task (RT alone condition) and a reaction plus movement task (RT+Move condition). The movement involved responding to an imperative stimulus signal and depressing three target buttons in a set sequence. Participants completed 24 trials each for the RT alone and RT+Move response conditions. Results indicated no significant differences in performance among FAS, PEA, and NC groups during the RT alone condition. However, during the RT+Move condition, the FAS group produced significantly longer and more variable RTs than the PEA and NC groups, which produced comparable RTs. The FAS group also produced significantly slower movement times when moving to all three targets, whereas movement time variability did not significantly differ as a function of group. The observed results indicate children with FAS experience deficits in response programming and movement time production. 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Estimating feedforward vs. feedback control of speech production through kinematic analyses of unperturbed articulatory movements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Kwang S; Max, Ludo

    2014-01-01

    To estimate the contributions of feedforward vs. feedback control systems in speech articulation, we analyzed the correspondence between initial and final kinematics in unperturbed tongue and jaw movements for consonant-vowel (CV) and vowel-consonant (VC) syllables. If movement extents and endpoints are highly predictable from early kinematic information, then the movements were most likely completed without substantial online corrections (feedforward control); if the correspondence between early kinematics and final amplitude or position is low, online adjustments may have altered the planned trajectory (feedback control) (Messier and Kalaska, 1999). Five adult speakers produced CV and VC syllables with high, mid, or low vowels while movements of the tongue and jaw were tracked electromagnetically. The correspondence between the kinematic parameters peak acceleration or peak velocity and movement extent as well as between the articulators' spatial coordinates at those kinematic landmarks and movement endpoint was examined both for movements across different target distances (i.e., across vowel height) and within target distances (i.e., within vowel height). Taken together, results suggest that jaw and tongue movements for these CV and VC syllables are mostly under feedforward control but with feedback-based contributions. One type of feedback-driven compensatory adjustment appears to regulate movement duration based on variation in peak acceleration. Results from a statistical model based on multiple regression are presented to illustrate how the relative strength of these feedback contributions can be estimated.

  20. Effect of drugs on orthodontic tooth movement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Siti Sarah Aulia Amrullah

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Orthodontic tooth movement is basically a biological response to mechanical forces given to the teeth in orthodontic treatment, which involving the periodontal tissue and alveolar bone, resulting in the release of numerous substances from the dental tissues and surrounding structure. Remodeling changes in periodontal tissues are considered to be essential in effecting orthodontic tooth movement which is the base of orthodontic correction. Molecules produced in various diseased tissues or drugs and nutrients consumed regularly by patients, can influence mechanically stressed periodontal tissue through the circulation and interact with target cell combination of which may be inhibitory, additive or synergize. Medications might have an important influence on the rate of tooth movement, and information on their consumption is essential to adequately discuss treatment planning with patients. Therefore it is imperative to the practitioners being in medical profession, must pay close attention to the drug consumption history of every patient before and during the course of treatment.

  1. Prevention of the inadvertent movement and illicit trafficking of radioactive materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2004-05-01

    By international agreements, the movement of all radioactive materials within and between States should be subject to high standards of regulatory, administrative, safety and engineering controls to ensure that such movements are conducted in a safe and secure manner. In the case of nuclear materials, there are additional requirements for physical protection and accountability to ensure against threats of nuclear proliferation and to safeguard against any attempts at diversion. The results of the terrorist attacks of September 2001 emphasized the requirement for enhanced control and security of nuclear and radioactive materials. In this regard, measures are being taken to increase the global levels of physical protection and security for nuclear materials. Experience in many parts of the world continues to prove that movements of radioactive materials outside of the regulatory and legal frameworks continue to occur. Such movements may be either deliberate or inadvertent. Deliberate, illegal movements of radioactive materials, including nuclear material, for terrorist, political or illegal profit is generally understood to be illicit trafficking. The more common movements outside of regulatory control are inadvertent in nature. An example of an inadvertent movement might be the transport of steel contaminated by a melted radioactive source that was lost from proper controls. Such a shipment may present health and safety threats to the personnel involved as well as to the general public. States have the responsibility for combating illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements of radioactive materials. The IAEA co-operates with Member States and other international organizations in joint efforts to prevent incidents of illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements and to harmonize policies and measures by the provision of relevant advice through technical assistance and documents. As an example, the IAEA and the World Customs Organization (WCO) maintain a Memorandum

  2. Prevention of the inadvertent movement and illicit trafficking of radioactive materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2004-12-01

    By international agreements, the movement of all radioactive materials within and between States should be subject to high standards of regulatory, administrative, safety and engineering controls to ensure that such movements are conducted in a safe and secure manner. In the case of nuclear materials, there are additional requirements for physical protection and accountability to ensure against threats of nuclear proliferation and to safeguard against any attempts at diversion. The results of the terrorist attacks of September 2001 emphasized the requirement for enhanced control and security of nuclear and radioactive materials. In this regard, measures are being taken to increase the global levels of physical protection and security for nuclear materials. Experience in many parts of the world continues to prove that movements of radioactive materials outside of the regulatory and legal frameworks continue to occur. Such movements may be either deliberate or inadvertent. Deliberate, illegal movements of radioactive materials, including nuclear material, for terrorist, political or illegal profit is generally understood to be illicit trafficking. The more common movements outside of regulatory control are inadvertent in nature. An example of an inadvertent movement might be the transport of steel contaminated by a melted radioactive source that was lost from proper controls. Such a shipment may present health and safety threats to the personnel involved as well as to the general public. States have the responsibility for combating illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements of radioactive materials. The IAEA co-operates with Member States and other international organizations in joint efforts to prevent incidents of illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements and to harmonize policies and measures by the provision of relevant advice through technical assistance and documents. As an example, the IAEA and the World Customs Organization (WCO) maintain a Memorandum

  3. Prevention of the inadvertent movement and illicit trafficking of radioactive materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2003-08-01

    By international agreements, the movement of all radioactive materials within and between States should be subject to high standards of regulatory, administrative, safety and engineering controls to ensure that such movements are conducted in a safe and secure manner. In the case of nuclear materials, there are additional requirements for physical protection and accountability to ensure against threats of nuclear proliferation and to safeguard against any attempts at diversion. The results of the terrorist attacks of September 2001 emphasized the requirement for enhanced control and security of nuclear and radioactive materials. In this regard, measures are being taken to increase the global levels of physical protection and security for nuclear materials. Experience in many parts of the world continues to prove that movements of radioactive materials outside of the regulatory and legal frameworks continue to occur. Such movements may be either deliberate or inadvertent. Deliberate, illegal movements of radioactive materials, including nuclear material, for terrorist, political or illegal profit is generally understood to be illicit trafficking. The more common movements outside of regulatory control are inadvertent in nature. An example of an inadvertent movement might be the transport of steel contaminated by a melted radioactive source that was lost from proper controls. Such a shipment may present health and safety threats to the personnel involved as well as to the general public. States have the responsibility for combating illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements of radioactive materials. The IAEA co-operates with Member States and other international organizations in joint efforts to prevent incidents of illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements and to harmonize policies and measures by the provision of relevant advice through technical assistance and documents. As an example, the IAEA and the World Customs Organization (WCO) maintain a Memorandum

  4. Prevention of the inadvertent movement and illicit trafficking of radioactive materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2003-05-01

    By international agreements, the movement of all radioactive materials within and between States should be subject to high standards of regulatory, administrative, safety and engineering controls to ensure that such movements are conducted in a safe and secure manner. In the case of nuclear materials, there are additional requirements for physical protection and accountability to ensure against threats of nuclear proliferation and to safeguard against any attempts at diversion. The results of the terrorist attacks of September 2001 emphasized the requirement for enhanced control and security of nuclear and radioactive materials. In this regard, measures are being taken to increase the global levels of physical protection and security for nuclear materials. Experience in many parts of the world continues to prove that movements of radioactive materials outside of the regulatory and legal frameworks continue to occur. Such movements may be either deliberate or inadvertent. Deliberate, illegal movements of radioactive materials, including nuclear material, for terrorist, political or illegal profit is generally understood to be illicit trafficking. The more common movements outside of regulatory control are inadvertent in nature. An example of an inadvertent movement might be the transport of steel contaminated by a melted radioactive source that was lost from proper controls. Such a shipment may present health and safety threats to the personnel involved as well as to the general public. States have the responsibility for combating illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements of radioactive materials. The IAEA co-operates with Member States and other international organizations in joint efforts to prevent incidents of illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements and to harmonize policies and measures by the provision of relevant advice through technical assistance and documents. As an example, the IAEA and the World Customs Organization (WCO) maintain a Memorandum

  5. Prevention of the inadvertent movement and illicit trafficking of radioactive materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2002-09-01

    By international agreements, the movement of all radioactive materials within and between States should be subject to high standards of regulatory, administrative, safety and engineering controls to ensure that such movements are conducted in a safe and secure manner. In the case of nuclear materials, there are additional requirements for physical protection and accountability to ensure against threats of nuclear proliferation and to safeguard against any attempts at diversion. The results of the terrorist attacks of September 2001 emphasized the requirement for enhanced control and security of nuclear and radioactive materials. In this regard, measures are being taken to increase the global levels of physical protection and security for nuclear materials. Experience in many parts of the world continues to prove that movements of radioactive materials outside of the regulatory and legal frameworks continue to occur. Such movements may be either deliberate or inadvertent. Deliberate, illegal movements of radioactive materials, including nuclear material, for terrorist, political or illegal profit is generally understood to be illicit trafficking. The more common movements outside of regulatory control are inadvertent in nature. An example of an inadvertent movement might be the transport of steel contaminated by a melted radioactive source that was lost from proper controls. Such a shipment may present health and safety threats to the personnel involved as well as to the general public. States have the responsibility for combating illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements of radioactive materials. The IAEA co-operates with Member States and other international organizations in joint efforts to prevent incidents of illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements and to harmonize policies and measures by the provision of relevant advice through technical assistance and documents. As an example, the IAEA and the World Customs Organization (WCO) maintain a Memorandum

  6. [Risk factors for tardive movement disorders in schizophrenia].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tenback, D E; Bakker, P R; van Harten, P N

    2015-01-01

    Tardive movement disorders are common among patients with schizophrenia. Risk factors for movement disorders are of the utmost importance in the context of preventive strategies. To achieve clearer classification of movement disorders in schizophrenia, to identify the risk factors involved and thereby develop strategies to prevent movement disorders. We searched PubMed for prospective studies which had been performed in homogeneous target populations with schizophrenia and which contained well-defined definitions of the movement disorders. From these we selected studies in which risk factors were repeatedly identified. Tardive dyskinesia is well documented. Risk factors for developing tardive dyskinesia are use of antipsychotics, particularly those belonging to the first generation, 'not belonging to the Caucasian race', early extrapyramidal symptoms and older age. So far, there is very little conclusive evidence regarding the genetics of tardive movement disorders. With regard to tardive dyskinesia, not belonging to the Caucasian race and old age are two risk factors that can be quickly determined for the purpose of prevention. In this case it leads to the choice of medication with a low D2 affinity. Furthermore, it is advisable, after commencing treatment with an antipsychotic drug, to evaluate on a regular basis if the patient is showing (early) signs of TD. If TD does occur, there is a choice between medication with a low D-2 affinity or clozapine.

  7. Key Questions in Marine Megafauna Movement Ecology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hays, Graeme C; Ferreira, Luciana C; Sequeira, Ana M M; Meekan, Mark G; Duarte, Carlos M; Bailey, Helen; Bailleul, Fred; Bowen, W Don; Caley, M Julian; Costa, Daniel P; Eguíluz, Victor M; Fossette, Sabrina; Friedlaender, Ari S; Gales, Nick; Gleiss, Adrian C; Gunn, John; Harcourt, Rob; Hazen, Elliott L; Heithaus, Michael R; Heupel, Michelle; Holland, Kim; Horning, Markus; Jonsen, Ian; Kooyman, Gerald L; Lowe, Christopher G; Madsen, Peter T; Marsh, Helene; Phillips, Richard A; Righton, David; Ropert-Coudert, Yan; Sato, Katsufumi; Shaffer, Scott A; Simpfendorfer, Colin A; Sims, David W; Skomal, Gregory; Takahashi, Akinori; Trathan, Philip N; Wikelski, Martin; Womble, Jamie N; Thums, Michele

    2016-06-01

    It is a golden age for animal movement studies and so an opportune time to assess priorities for future work. We assembled 40 experts to identify key questions in this field, focussing on marine megafauna, which include a broad range of birds, mammals, reptiles, and fish. Research on these taxa has both underpinned many of the recent technical developments and led to fundamental discoveries in the field. We show that the questions have broad applicability to other taxa, including terrestrial animals, flying insects, and swimming invertebrates, and, as such, this exercise provides a useful roadmap for targeted deployments and data syntheses that should advance the field of movement ecology. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Peripheral Contour Grouping and Saccade Targeting: The Role of Mirror Symmetry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michaël Sassi

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Integrating shape contours in the visual periphery is vital to our ability to locate objects and thus make targeted saccadic eye movements to efficiently explore our surroundings. We tested whether global shape symmetry facilitates peripheral contour integration and saccade targeting in three experiments, in which observers responded to a successful peripheral contour detection by making a saccade towards the target shape. The target contours were horizontally (Experiment 1 or vertically (Experiments 2 and 3 mirror symmetric. Observers responded by making a horizontal (Experiments 1 and 2 or vertical (Experiment 3 eye movement. Based on an analysis of the saccadic latency and accuracy, we conclude that the figure-ground cue of global mirror symmetry in the periphery has little effect on contour integration or on the speed and precision with which saccades are targeted towards objects. The role of mirror symmetry may be more apparent under natural viewing conditions with multiple objects competing for attention, where symmetric regions in the visual field can pre-attentively signal the presence of objects, and thus attract eye movements.

  9. Premotor neurons encode torsional eye velocity during smooth-pursuit eye movements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Angelaki, Dora E.; Dickman, J. David

    2003-01-01

    Responses to horizontal and vertical ocular pursuit and head and body rotation in multiple planes were recorded in eye movement-sensitive neurons in the rostral vestibular nuclei (VN) of two rhesus monkeys. When tested during pursuit through primary eye position, the majority of the cells preferred either horizontal or vertical target motion. During pursuit of targets that moved horizontally at different vertical eccentricities or vertically at different horizontal eccentricities, eye angular velocity has been shown to include a torsional component the amplitude of which is proportional to half the gaze angle ("half-angle rule" of Listing's law). Approximately half of the neurons, the majority of which were characterized as "vertical" during pursuit through primary position, exhibited significant changes in their response gain and/or phase as a function of gaze eccentricity during pursuit, as if they were also sensitive to torsional eye velocity. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed a significant contribution of torsional eye movement sensitivity to the responsiveness of the cells. These findings suggest that many VN neurons encode three-dimensional angular velocity, rather than the two-dimensional derivative of eye position, during smooth-pursuit eye movements. Although no clear clustering of pursuit preferred-direction vectors along the semicircular canal axes was observed, the sensitivity of VN neurons to torsional eye movements might reflect a preservation of similar premotor coding of visual and vestibular-driven slow eye movements for both lateral-eyed and foveate species.

  10. Can augmented force feedback facilitate virtual target acquisition tasks?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Houtsma, A.J.M.; Keuning - van Oirschot, H.; Westwood, J.D.; Haluck, R.S.

    2006-01-01

    This study investigates facilitation of a manual target acquisition task by the application of appropriate force feedback through the control device (e.g., mouse, joystick, trackball). Typical manual movements with these devices were measured, and models of such movements were used to predict an

  11. A real-time brain-machine interface combining motor target and trajectory intent using an optimal feedback control design.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maryam M Shanechi

    Full Text Available Real-time brain-machine interfaces (BMI have focused on either estimating the continuous movement trajectory or target intent. However, natural movement often incorporates both. Additionally, BMIs can be modeled as a feedback control system in which the subject modulates the neural activity to move the prosthetic device towards a desired target while receiving real-time sensory feedback of the state of the movement. We develop a novel real-time BMI using an optimal feedback control design that jointly estimates the movement target and trajectory of monkeys in two stages. First, the target is decoded from neural spiking activity before movement initiation. Second, the trajectory is decoded by combining the decoded target with the peri-movement spiking activity using an optimal feedback control design. This design exploits a recursive Bayesian decoder that uses an optimal feedback control model of the sensorimotor system to take into account the intended target location and the sensory feedback in its trajectory estimation from spiking activity. The real-time BMI processes the spiking activity directly using point process modeling. We implement the BMI in experiments consisting of an instructed-delay center-out task in which monkeys are presented with a target location on the screen during a delay period and then have to move a cursor to it without touching the incorrect targets. We show that the two-stage BMI performs more accurately than either stage alone. Correct target prediction can compensate for inaccurate trajectory estimation and vice versa. The optimal feedback control design also results in trajectories that are smoother and have lower estimation error. The two-stage decoder also performs better than linear regression approaches in offline cross-validation analyses. Our results demonstrate the advantage of a BMI design that jointly estimates the target and trajectory of movement and more closely mimics the sensorimotor control system.

  12. [Cortical Areas for Controlling Voluntary Movements].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakayama, Yoshihisa; Hoshi, Eiji

    2017-04-01

    The primary motor cortex is located in Brodmann area 4 at the most posterior part of the frontal lobe. The primary motor cortex corresponds to an output stage of motor signals, sending motor commands to the brain stem and spinal cord. Brodmann area 6 is rostral to Brodmann area 4, where multiple higher-order motor areas are located. The premotor area, which is located in the lateral part, is involved in planning and executing action based on sensory signals. The premotor area contributes to the reaching for and grasping of an object to achieve a behavioral goal. The supplementary motor area, which occupies the mesial aspect, is involved in planning and executing actions based on internalized or memorized signals. The supplementary motor area plays a central role in bimanual movements, organizing multiple movements, and switching from a routine to a controlled behavior. Thus, Brodmann areas 4 and 6 are considered as central motor areas in the cerebral cortex, in which the idea of an action is transformed to an actual movement in a variety of contexts.

  13. Early, but not late visual distractors affect movement synchronization to a temporal-spatial visual cue

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ashley J Booth

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available The ease of synchronising movements to a rhythmic cue is dependent on the modality of the cue presentation: timing accuracy is much higher when synchronising with discrete auditory rhythms than an equivalent visual stimulus presented through flashes. However, timing accuracy is improved if the visual cue presents spatial as well as temporal information (e.g. a dot following an oscillatory trajectory. Similarly, when synchronising with an auditory target metronome in the presence of a second visual distracting metronome, the distraction is stronger when the visual cue contains spatial-temporal information rather than temporal only. The present study investigates individuals’ ability to synchronise movements to a temporal-spatial visual cue in the presence of same-modality temporal-spatial distractors. Moreover, we investigated how increasing the number of distractor stimuli impacted on maintaining synchrony with the target cue. Participants made oscillatory vertical arm movements in time with a vertically oscillating white target dot centred on a large projection screen. The target dot was surrounded by 2, 8 or 14 distractor dots, which had an identical trajectory to the target but at a phase lead or lag of 0, 100 or 200ms. We found participants’ timing performance was only affected in the phase-lead conditions and when there were large numbers of distractors present (8 and 14. This asymmetry suggests participants still rely on salient events in the stimulus trajectory to synchronise movements. Subsequently, distractions occurring in the window of attention surrounding those events have the maximum impact on timing performance.

  14. Defining internal target volume (ITV) for hepatocellular carcinoma using four-dimensional CT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    X, Mian; Liu Mengzhong; Deng Xiaowu; Zhang Li; Huang Xiaoyan; Liu Hui; Li Qiaoqiao; Hu Yonghong; Cai Ling; Cui Nianji

    2007-01-01

    Background and purpose: To define individualized internal target volume (ITV) for hepatocellular carcinoma using four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT). Materials and methods: Gross tumor volumes (GTVs) and clinical target volumes (CTVs) were contoured on all 10 respiratory phases of 4DCT scans in 10 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. The 3D and 4D treatment plans were performed for each patient using two different planning target volumes (PTVs): (1) PTV 3D was derived from a single CTV plus conventional margins; (2) PTV 4D was derived from ITV 4D , which encompassed all 10 CTVs plus setup margins (SMs). The volumes of PTVs and dose distribution were compared between the two plans. Results: The average PTV volume of the 4D plans (328.4 ± 152.2 cm 3 ) was less than 3D plans (407.0 ± 165.6 cm 3 ). The 4D plans spared more surrounding normal tissues than 3D plans, especially normal liver. Compared with 3D plans, the mean dose to normal liver (MDTNL) decreased from 22.7 to 20.3 Gy. Without increasing the normal tissue complication probability (NTCP), the 4D plans allowed for increasing the calculated dose from 50.4 ± 1.3 to 54.2 ± 2.6 Gy, an average increase of 7.5% (range 4.0-16.0%). Conclusions: The conventional 3D plans can result in geometric miss and include excess normal tissues. The 4DCT-based plans can reduce the target volumes to spare more normal tissues and allow dose escalation compared with 3D plans

  15. 135La as an Auger-electron emitter for targeted internal radiotherapy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fonslet, J.; Lee, B. Q.; Tran, T. A.; Siragusa, M.; Jensen, M.; Kibédi, T.; E Stuchbery, A.; Severin, G. W.

    2018-01-01

    135La has favorable nuclear and chemical properties for Auger-based targeted internal radiotherapy. Here we present detailed investigations of the production, emissions, and dosimetry related to 135La therapy. 135La was produced by 16.5 MeV proton irradiation of metallic natBa on a medical cyclotron, and was isolated and purified by trap-and-release on weak cation-exchange resin. The average production rate was 407  ±  19 MBq µA-1 (saturation activity), and the radionuclidic purity was 98% at 20 h post irradiation. Chemical separation recovered  >  98 % of the 135La with an effective molar activity of 70  ±  20 GBq µmol-1. To better assess cellular and organ dosimetry of this nuclide, we have calculated the x-ray and Auger emission spectra using a Monte Carlo model accounting for effects of multiple vacancies during the Auger cascade. The generated Auger spectrum was used to calculate cellular S-factors. 135La was produced with high specific activity, reactivity, radionuclidic purity, and yield. The emission spectrum and the dosimetry are favorable for internal radionuclide therapy.

  16. Gunslinger Effect and Müller-Lyer Illusion: Examining Early Visual Information Processing for Late Limb-Target Control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roberts, James W; Lyons, James; Garcia, Daniel B L; Burgess, Raquel; Elliott, Digby

    2017-07-01

    The multiple process model contends that there are two forms of online control for manual aiming: impulse regulation and limb-target control. This study examined the impact of visual information processing for limb-target control. We amalgamated the Gunslinger protocol (i.e., faster movements following a reaction to an external trigger compared with the spontaneous initiation of movement) and Müller-Lyer target configurations into the same aiming protocol. The results showed the Gunslinger effect was isolated at the early portions of the movement (peak acceleration and peak velocity). Reacted aims reached a longer displacement at peak deceleration, but no differences for movement termination. The target configurations manifested terminal biases consistent with the illusion. We suggest the visual information processing demands imposed by reacted aims can be adapted by integrating early feedforward information for limb-target control.

  17. The demographics of human and malaria movement and migration patterns in East Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pindolia, Deepa K; Garcia, Andres J; Huang, Zhuojie; Smith, David L; Alegana, Victor A; Noor, Abdisalan M; Snow, Robert W; Tatem, Andrew J

    2013-11-05

    The quantification of parasite movements can provide valuable information for control strategy planning across all transmission intensities. Mobile parasite carrying individuals can instigate transmission in receptive areas, spread drug resistant strains and reduce the effectiveness of control strategies. The identification of mobile demographic groups, their routes of travel and how these movements connect differing transmission zones, potentially enables limited resources for interventions to be efficiently targeted over space, time and populations. National population censuses and household surveys provide individual-level migration, travel, and other data relevant for understanding malaria movement patterns. Together with existing spatially referenced malaria data and mathematical models, network analysis techniques were used to quantify the demographics of human and malaria movement patterns in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Movement networks were developed based on connectivity and magnitudes of flow within each country and compared to assess relative differences between regions and demographic groups. Additional malaria-relevant characteristics, such as short-term travel and bed net use, were also examined. Patterns of human and malaria movements varied between demographic groups, within country regions and between countries. Migration rates were highest in 20-30 year olds in all three countries, but when accounting for malaria prevalence, movements in the 10-20 year age group became more important. Different age and sex groups also exhibited substantial variations in terms of the most likely sources, sinks and routes of migration and malaria movement, as well as risk factors for infection, such as short-term travel and bed net use. Census and survey data, together with spatially referenced malaria data, GIS and network analysis tools, can be valuable for identifying, mapping and quantifying regional connectivities and the mobility of different demographic

  18. Control of the beam-internal target interaction at the nuclotron by means of light radiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Artiomov, A.S. [Laboratory of High Energies, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna 141980 (Russian Federation)]. E-mail: artiomov@moonhe.jinr.ru; Anisimov, Yu.S. [Laboratory of High Energies, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna 141980 (Russian Federation); Afanasiev, S.V. [Laboratory of High Energies, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna 141980 (Russian Federation); Bazilev, S.N. [Laboratory of High Energies, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna 141980 (Russian Federation); Zolin, L.S. [Laboratory of High Energies, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna 141980 (Russian Federation); Issinsky, I.B. [Laboratory of High Energies, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna 141980 (Russian Federation); Kliman, J. [Laboratory of High Energies, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna 141980 (Russian Federation); Institute of Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava (Slovakia); Malakhov, A.I. [Laboratory of High Energies, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna 141980 (Russian Federation); Matousek, V. [Institute of Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava (Slovakia); Morhac, M. [Laboratory of High Energies, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna 141980 (Russian Federation); Institute of Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava (Slovakia); Nikitin, V.A. [Laboratory of High Energies, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna 141980 (Russian Federation); Nikiforov, A.S. [Laboratory of High Energies, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna 141980 (Russian Federation); Nomokonov, P.V. [Laboratory of High Energies, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna 141980 (Russian Federation); Pilyar, A.V. [Laboratory of High Energies, Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna 141980 (Russian Federation); Turzo, I. [Institute of Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava (Slovakia)

    2005-02-11

    The light radiation from various internal targets at the nuclotron can be utilized for the operative control and time optimization of the interaction intensity of the beam. The examples presented in the paper illustrate information about the space characteristics of the circulating beam during one cycle of the accelerator run at the stages of injection, acceleration and during the physical experiments, respectively.

  19. The Climate Change Crisis as an International Civil Rights Issue: Forging an Alliance Between Science, Activism, and Progressive Social Movements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lynch, B. J.; Driver, S.

    2011-12-01

    If our scientific community wants to make real progress on the climate change and environmental crisis we must be willing to side with and fight for the oppressed. The national and international communities most ready to act - those hit hardest by the real impact of climate change in their day-to-day lives - need the political leadership of and a living, organic connection with scientists who are prepared to tell the truth and act on the truth of our science. A new generation of scientist-activist leaders and this strategic and mutually beneficial alliance with the oppressed will be necessary to wage an international, intransigent fight to enact and implement the social, political, and economic policies needed to mitigate the damage already done and prevent future environmental and human catastrophe. In the statement BAMN distributed to last year's Fall AGU conference we said, "there will be no shortage of mass struggle in the next period of history." This spring we saw the absolutely awe-inspiring social upheavals in North Africa and the Middle East in the form of waves of mass demonstrations in country after country. Many of those struggles, with demands for real democracy, for jobs and economic opportunities, for improved living conditions, continue to this day. In virtually every instance, these popular and progressive social movements have been led by youth: middle school, high school and college students. In the US and Europe we have seen the spread of student-led struggle around the defense of K-12 public education and on college campuses in defense of various programs, opportunities, and the character of the educational experience. The most dynamic force in these struggles has been the Latina/o, black, other underrepresented minority and immigrant youth who refuse to accept permanent second-class citizenship and a future devoid of hope and opportunity. We will discuss our experience as a youth-led civil rights organization presenting the issues of climate

  20. Reward action in the initiation of smooth pursuit eye movements

    OpenAIRE

    Joshua, Mati; Lisberger, Stephen G.

    2012-01-01

    Reward has a powerful influence on motor behavior. To probe how and where reward systems alter motor behavior, we studied smooth pursuit eye movements in monkeys trained to associate the color of a visual cue with the size of the reward to be issued at the end of the target motion. When the tracking task presented two different colored targets that moved orthogonally, monkeys biased the initiation of pursuit towards the direction of motion of the target that led to larger reward. The bias was...

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    1996-12-20

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

  2. Movement: How the Brain Communicates with the World.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwartz, Andrew B

    2016-03-10

    Voluntary movement is a result of signals transmitted through a communication channel that links the internal world in our minds to the physical world around us. Intention can be considered the desire to effect change on our environment, and this is contained in the signals from the brain, passed through the nervous system to converge on muscles that generate displacements and forces on our surroundings. The resulting changes in the world act to generate sensations that feed back to the nervous system, closing the control loop. This Perspective discusses the experimental and theoretical underpinnings of current models of movement generation and the way they are modulated by external information. Movement systems embody intentionality and prediction, two factors that are propelling a revolution in engineering. Development of movement models that include the complexities of the external world may allow a better understanding of the neuronal populations regulating these processes, as well as the development of solutions for autonomous vehicles and robots, and neural prostheses for those who are motor impaired. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Contextual action recognition and target localization with an active allocation of attention on a humanoid robot

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ognibene, Dimitri; Chinellato, Eris; Sarabia, Miguel; Demiris, Yiannis

    2013-01-01

    Exploratory gaze movements are fundamental for gathering the most relevant information regarding the partner during social interactions. Inspired by the cognitive mechanisms underlying human social behaviour, we have designed and implemented a system for a dynamic attention allocation which is able to actively control gaze movements during a visual action recognition task exploiting its own action execution predictions. Our humanoid robot is able, during the observation of a partner's reaching movement, to contextually estimate the goal position of the partner's hand and the location in space of the candidate targets. This is done while actively gazing around the environment, with the purpose of optimizing the gathering of information relevant for the task. Experimental results on a simulated environment show that active gaze control, based on the internal simulation of actions, provides a relevant advantage with respect to other action perception approaches, both in terms of estimation precision and of time required to recognize an action. Moreover, our model reproduces and extends some experimental results on human attention during an action perception. (paper)

  4. Model-Based Synthesis of Visual Speech Movements from 3D Video

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Edge JamesD

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available We describe a method for the synthesis of visual speech movements using a hybrid unit selection/model-based approach. Speech lip movements are captured using a 3D stereo face capture system and split up into phonetic units. A dynamic parameterisation of this data is constructed which maintains the relationship between lip shapes and velocities; within this parameterisation a model of how lips move is built and is used in the animation of visual speech movements from speech audio input. The mapping from audio parameters to lip movements is disambiguated by selecting only the most similar stored phonetic units to the target utterance during synthesis. By combining properties of model-based synthesis (e.g., HMMs, neural nets with unit selection we improve the quality of our speech synthesis.

  5. Quantification of Mediastinal and Hilar Lymph Node Movement Using Four-Dimensional Computed Tomography Scan: Implications for Radiation Treatment Planning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sher, David J.; Wolfgang, John A.; Niemierko, Andrzej; Choi, Noah C.

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: To quantitatively describe mediastinal and hilar lymph node movement in patients with lymph node-positive lung cancer. Methods and Materials: Twenty-four patients with lung cancer who underwent four-dimensional computed tomography scanning at Massachusetts General Hospital were included in the study. The maximum extent of superior motion of the superior border was measured, as well as the maximum inferior movement of the inferior border. The average of these two values is defined as the peak-to-peak movement. This process was repeated for mediolateral (ML) and anterior-posterior (AP) movement. Linear regression was used to determine lymph node characteristics associated with peak-to-peak movement. Various uniform expansions were investigated to determine the expansion margins necessary to ensure complete internal target volume (ITV) coverage. Results: The mean peak-to-peak displacements of paratracheal lymph nodes were 4 mm (craniocaudal [CC]), 2 mm (ML), and 2 mm (AP). For subcarinal lymph nodes, the mean peak-to-peak movements were 6 mm (CC), 4 mm (ML), and 2 mm (AP). The mean peak-to-peak displacements of hilar lymph nodes were 7 mm (CC), 1 mm (ML), and 4 mm (AP). On multivariate analysis, lymph node station and lymph node size were significantly related to peak-to-peak movement. Expansions of 8 mm for paratracheal nodes and 13 mm for subcarinal and hilar nodes would have been necessary to cover the ITV of 95% of these nodal masses. Conclusions: Subcarinal and hilar lymph nodes may move substantially throughout the respiratory cycle. In the absence of patient-specific information on nodal motion, expansions of at least 8 mm, 13 mm, and 13 mm should be considered to cover the ITV of paratracheal, subcarinal, and hilar lymph nodes, respectively

  6. Computational movement analysis

    CERN Document Server

    Laube, Patrick

    2014-01-01

    This SpringerBrief discusses the characteristics of spatiotemporal movement data, including uncertainty and scale. It investigates three core aspects of Computational Movement Analysis: Conceptual modeling of movement and movement spaces, spatiotemporal analysis methods aiming at a better understanding of movement processes (with a focus on data mining for movement patterns), and using decentralized spatial computing methods in movement analysis. The author presents Computational Movement Analysis as an interdisciplinary umbrella for analyzing movement processes with methods from a range of fi

  7. Stay Focused! The Effects of Internal and External Focus of Attention on Movement Automaticity in Patients with Stroke

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kal, E. C.; van der Kamp, J.; Houdijk, H.; Groet, E.; van Bennekom, C. A. M.; Scherder, E. J. A.

    2015-01-01

    Dual-task performance is often impaired after stroke. This may be resolved by enhancing patients' automaticity of movement. This study sets out to test the constrained action hypothesis, which holds that automaticity of movement is enhanced by triggering an external focus (on movement effects),

  8. A review of the report ''IAEA safety targets and probabilistic risk assessment'' prepared for Greenpeace International

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-01-01

    At the request of the Director General, INSAG reviewed the report ''IAEA Safety Targets and Probabilistic Risk Assessment'' prepared for Greenpeace International by the Gesellschaft fuer Oekologische Forschung und Beratung mbH, Hannover, Germany. The conclusions of the report as well as the review results of INSAG experts are reproduced in this document

  9. Discovering frequently recurring movement sequences in team-sport athlete spatiotemporal data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sweeting, Alice J; Aughey, Robert J; Cormack, Stuart J; Morgan, Stuart

    2017-12-01

    Athlete external load is typically analysed from predetermined movement thresholds. The combination of movement sequences and differences in these movements between playing positions is also currently unknown. This study developed a method to discover the frequently recurring movement sequences across playing position during matches. The external load of 12 international female netball athletes was collected by a local positioning system during four national-level matches. Velocity, acceleration and angular velocity were calculated from positional (X, Y) data, clustered via one-dimensional k-means and assigned a unique alphabetic label. Combinations of velocity, acceleration and angular velocity movement were compared using the Levenshtein distance and similarities computed by the longest common substring problem. The contribution of each movement sequence, according to playing position and relative to the wider data set, was then calculated via the Minkowski distance. A total of 10 frequently recurring combinations of movement were discovered, regardless of playing position. Only the wing attack, goal attack and goal defence playing positions are closely related. We developed a technique to discover the movement sequences, according to playing position, performed by elite netballers. This methodology can be extended to discover the frequently recurring movements within other team sports and across levels of competition.

  10. Feed-forward motor control of ultrafast, ballistic movements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kagaya, K; Patek, S N

    2016-02-01

    To circumvent the limits of muscle, ultrafast movements achieve high power through the use of springs and latches. The time scale of these movements is too short for control through typical neuromuscular mechanisms, thus ultrafast movements are either invariant or controlled prior to movement. We tested whether mantis shrimp (Stomatopoda: Neogonodactylus bredini) vary their ultrafast smashing strikes and, if so, how this control is achieved prior to movement. We collected high-speed images of strike mechanics and electromyograms of the extensor and flexor muscles that control spring compression and latch release. During spring compression, lateral extensor and flexor units were co-activated. The strike initiated several milliseconds after the flexor units ceased, suggesting that flexor activity prevents spring release and determines the timing of strike initiation. We used linear mixed models and Akaike's information criterion to serially evaluate multiple hypotheses for control mechanisms. We found that variation in spring compression and strike angular velocity were statistically explained by spike activity of the extensor muscle. The results show that mantis shrimp can generate kinematically variable strikes and that their kinematics can be changed through adjustments to motor activity prior to the movement, thus supporting an upstream, central-nervous-system-based control of ultrafast movement. Based on these and other findings, we present a shishiodoshi model that illustrates alternative models of control in biological ballistic systems. The discovery of feed-forward control in mantis shrimp sets the stage for the assessment of targets, strategic variation in kinematics and the role of learning in ultrafast animals. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  11. Fundamental movement skills in preschoolers: a randomized controlled trial targeting object control proficiency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donath, L; Faude, O; Hagmann, S; Roth, R; Zahner, L

    2015-11-01

    Adequately developed fundamental movement skills, particularly object control dimensions, are considered essential to learn more complex movement patterns and to increase the likelihood to successfully participate in organized and non-organized sports during later years. Thus, the present randomized controlled trial aimed at improving object control dimensions at an early state in a kindergarten setting. Catching, throwing, kicking, rolling and stationary dribbling were assessed via gross motor development 2 (TGMD-2) testing in 41 normally developed preschoolers. On a cluster-randomized basis [strata: age, sex and body mass index (BMI)], three kindergartens were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 22, INT, age: 4.6 ± 1.0 years; BMI: 16.2 ± 1.1 kg/m(2) ) and three to a control group (n = 19, CON: age: 4.5 ± 1.2 years; BMI: 16.8 ± 1.2 kg/m(2) ). Twelve structured training sessions were given within 6 weeks (12 sessions). The total training volume was 330 min. Moderate time × group interaction were observed for the total sum score (Δ+22%, P = 0.05) and dribbling (Δ+41%, P = 0.002). Adjusting for baseline differences analyses of covariance did not affect these results. Interestingly, likely to most likely practically worthwhile effects were detected for the total sum score, catching and dribbling. Object control dimensions such as dribbling and catching that apparently rely on rhythmical movement patterns and anticipatory eye-hand coordination seem to benefit from short-term object control training. These skills are considered important for successful team-sport participation and appropriate sportive motor development. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  12. The control system of the polarized internal target of ANKE at COSY

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kleines, H. [Zentralinstitut fuer Elektronik, Forschungszentrum Juelich, 52425 Juelich (Germany); Sarkadi, J. [Zentralinstitut fuer Elektronik, Forschungszentrum Juelich, 52425 Juelich (Germany); Zwoll, K. [Zentralinstitut fuer Elektronik, Forschungszentrum Juelich, 52425 Juelich (Germany); Engels, R. [Institut fuer Kernphysik, Forschungszentrum Juelich, 52425 Juelich (Germany); Grigoryev, K. [Institut fuer Kernphysik, Forschungszentrum Juelich, 52425 Juelich (Germany); Mikirtychyants, M. [Institut fuer Kernphysik, Forschungszentrum Juelich, 52425 Juelich (Germany); Nekipelov, M. [Institut fuer Kernphysik, Forschungszentrum Juelich, 52425 Juelich (Germany); Rathmann, F. [Institut fuer Kernphysik, Forschungszentrum Juelich, 52425 Juelich (Germany); Seyfarth, H. [Institut fuer Kernphysik, Forschungszentrum Juelich, 52425 Juelich (Germany)]. E-mail: h.seyfarth@fz-juelich.de; Kravtsov, P. [St. Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute, 188350 Gatchina (Russian Federation); Vasilyev, A. [St. Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute, 188350 Gatchina (Russian Federation)

    2006-05-10

    The polarized internal target for the ANKE experiment at the Cooler Synchrotron COSY of the Forschungszentrum Juelich utilizes a polarized atomic beam source to feed a storage cell with polarized hydrogen or deuterium atoms. The nuclear polarization is measured with a Lamb-shift polarimeter. For common control of the two systems, industrial equipment was selected providing reliable, long-term support and remote control of the target as well as measurement and optimization of its operating parameters. The interlock system has been implemented on the basis of SIEMENS SIMATIC S7-300 family of programmable logic controllers. In order to unify the interfacing to the control computer, all front-end equipment is connected via the PROFIBUS DP fieldbus. The process control software was implemented using the Windows-based WinCC toolkit from SIEMENS. The variety of components, to be controlled, and the logical structure of the control and interlock system are described. Finally, a number of applications derived from the present development to other, new installations are briefly mentioned.

  13. The control system of the polarized internal target of ANKE at COSY

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kleines, H.; Sarkadi, J.; Zwoll, K.; Engels, R.; Grigoryev, K.; Mikirtychyants, M.; Nekipelov, M.; Rathmann, F.; Seyfarth, H.; Kravtsov, P.; Vasilyev, A.

    2006-05-01

    The polarized internal target for the ANKE experiment at the Cooler Synchrotron COSY of the Forschungszentrum Jülich utilizes a polarized atomic beam source to feed a storage cell with polarized hydrogen or deuterium atoms. The nuclear polarization is measured with a Lamb-shift polarimeter. For common control of the two systems, industrial equipment was selected providing reliable, long-term support and remote control of the target as well as measurement and optimization of its operating parameters. The interlock system has been implemented on the basis of SIEMENS SIMATIC S7-300 family of programmable logic controllers. In order to unify the interfacing to the control computer, all front-end equipment is connected via the PROFIBUS DP fieldbus. The process control software was implemented using the Windows-based WinCC toolkit from SIEMENS. The variety of components, to be controlled, and the logical structure of the control and interlock system are described. Finally, a number of applications derived from the present development to other, new installations are briefly mentioned.

  14. Drugs influencing orthodontic tooth movement: An overall review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kamatchi Diravidamani

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Orthodontic treatment is based on the premise that when force is delivered to a tooth and thereby transmitted to the adjacent investing tissues, certain mechanical, chemical, and cellular events take place within these tissues, which allow for structural alterations and contribute to the movement of that tooth. Molecules present in drugs and nutrients consumed regularly by patients can reach the mechanically stressed paradental tissues through the circulation and interact with local target cells. The combined effect of mechanical forces and one or more of these agents may be inhibitory, additive, or synergistic. Current orthodontic research aims to develop methods of increasing the tissue concentration of molecules promoting tooth movement, while simultaneously decreasing the concentration of unwanted elements which can produce harmful side effects. This article discusses in detail the various possible drugs that can bring about alterations in the desired orthodontic tooth movement.

  15. A wavelet analysis of co-movements in Asian gold markets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Das, Debojyoti; Kannadhasan, M.; Al-Yahyaee, Khamis Hamed; Yoon, Seong-Min

    2018-02-01

    This study assesses the cross-country co-movements of gold spot returns among the major gold consuming countries in Asia using wavelet-based analysis for a dataset spanning over 26 years. Wavelet-based analysis is used since it allows measuring co-movements in a time-frequency space. The results suggest intense and positive co-movements in Asia after the Asian financial crisis of 1997 at all frequencies. In addition, the Asian gold spot markets depict a state of impending perfect market integration. Finally, Thailand emerges as the potential market leader in all wavelet scales except one, which is led by India. The study has important implications for international diversification of a single-asset (gold) portfolio.

  16. Cone-Beam CT Localization of Internal Target Volumes for Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy of Lung Lesions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Zhiheng; Wu, Q. Jackie; Marks, Lawrence B.; Larrier, Nicole; Yin Fangfang

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: In this study, we investigate a technique of matching internal target volumes (ITVs) in four-dimensional (4D) simulation computed tomography (CT) to the composite target volume in free-breathing on-board cone-beam (CB) CT. The technique is illustrated by using both phantom and patient cases. Methods and Materials: A dynamic phantom with a target ball simulating respiratory motion with various amplitude and cycle times was used to verify localization accuracy. The dynamic phantom was scanned using simulation CT with a phase-based retrospective sorting technique. The ITV was then determined based on 10 sets of sorted images. The size and epicenter of the ITV identified from 4D simulation CT images and the composite target volume identified from on-board CBCT images were compared to assess localization accuracy. Similarly, for two clinical cases of patients with lung cancer, ITVs defined from 4D simulation CT images and CBCT images were compared. Results: For the phantom, localization accuracy between the ITV in 4D simulation CT and the composite target volume in CBCT was within 1 mm, and ITV was within 8.7%. For patient cases, ITVs on simulation CT and CBCT were within 8.0%. Conclusion: This study shows that CBCT is a useful tool to localize ITV for targets affected by respiratory motion. Verification of the ITV from 4D simulation CT using on-board free-breathing CBCT is feasible for the target localization of lung tumors

  17. Patterns of arm muscle activation involved in octopus reaching movements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gutfreund, Y; Flash, T; Fiorito, G; Hochner, B

    1998-08-01

    The extreme flexibility of the octopus arm allows it to perform many different movements, yet octopuses reach toward a target in a stereotyped manner using a basic invariant motor structure: a bend traveling from the base of the arm toward the tip (Gutfreund et al., 1996a). To study the neuronal control of these movements, arm muscle activation [electromyogram (EMG)] was measured together with the kinematics of reaching movements. The traveling bend is associated with a propagating wave of muscle activation, with maximal muscle activation slightly preceding the traveling bend. Tonic activation was occasionally maintained afterward. Correlation of the EMG signals with the kinematic variables (velocities and accelerations) reveals that a significant part of the kinematic variability can be explained by the level of muscle activation. Furthermore, the EMG level measured during the initial stages of movement predicts the peak velocity attained toward the end of the reaching movement. These results suggest that feed-forward motor commands play an important role in the control of movement velocity and that simple adjustment of the excitation levels at the initial stages of the movement can set the velocity profile of the whole movement. A simple model of octopus arm extension is proposed in which the driving force is set initially and is then decreased in proportion to arm diameter at the bend. The model qualitatively reproduces the typical velocity profiles of octopus reaching movements, suggesting a simple control mechanism for bend propagation in the octopus arm.

  18. Learning course adjustments during arm movements with reversed sensitivity derivatives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tweed Douglas B

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background To learn, a motor system needs to know its sensitivity derivatives, which quantify how its neural commands affect motor error. But are these derivatives themselves learned, or are they known solely innately? Here we test a recent theory that the brain's estimates of sensitivity derivatives are revisable based on sensory feedback. In its simplest form, the theory says that each control system has a single, adjustable estimate of its sensitivity derivatives which affects all aspects of its task, e.g. if you learn to reach to mirror-reversed targets then your revised estimate should reverse not only your initial aiming but also your online course adjustments when the target jumps in mid-movement. Methods Human subjects bent a joystick to move a cursor to a target on a computer screen, but the cursor's motion was reversed relative to the joystick's. The target jumped once during each movement. Subjects had up to 4000 trials to practice aiming and responding to target jumps. Results All subjects learned to reverse both initial aiming and course adjustments. Conclusions Our study confirms that sensitivity derivatives can be relearned. It is consistent with the idea of a single, all-purpose estimate of those derivatives; and it suggests that the estimate is a function of context, as one would expect given that the true sensitivity derivatives may vary with the state of the controlled system, the target, and the motor commands.

  19. Electron cooling application for luminosity preservation in an experiment with internal targets at COSY

    CERN Document Server

    Meshkov, I N; Maier, R; Prasuhn, D; Sidorin, A O; Smirnov, A V; Stein, H J; Stockhorst, H; Trubnikov, G V

    2003-01-01

    This report is an investigation of the beam parameter evolution in the experiments with internal target. In calculations of the proton and deuteron beams we concentrated on cluster, atomic beam, storage cell and pellet targets at ANKE experiment mainly. In these calculations electron and stochastic cooling, intrabeam scattering, scattering on the target and residual gas atoms are taken into account. Beam parameter evolution is investigated in the long-term time scale, up to one hour, at different beam energies in the range from 1.0 to 2.7 GeV for proton beam and from 1 to 2.11 GeV for deuteron beam. The results of numerical simulations of the proton and deuteron beam parameters at different energies obtained using new version of BETACOOL program (elaborated at the first stage of this work [1]) are presented. Optimum parameters of the electron cooling system are estimated. The COSY experiment requirements can be satisfied even when electron cooling time is rather long. That allows to apply an electron cooling ...

  20. Movement Skill Assessment of Typically Developing Preschool Children: A Review of Seven Movement Skill Assessment Tools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cools, Wouter; Martelaer, Kristine De; Samaey, Christiane; Andries, Caroline

    2009-01-01

    The importance of movement is often overlooked because it is such a natural part of human life. It is, however, crucial for a child’s physical, cognitive and social development. In addition, experiences support learning and development of fundamental movement skills. The foundations of those skills are laid in early childhood and essential to encourage a physically active lifestyle. Fundamental movement skill performance can be examined with several assessment tools. The choice of a test will depend on the context in which the assessment is planned. This article compares seven assessment tools which are often referred to in European or international context. It discusses the tools’ usefulness for the assessment of movement skill development in general population samples. After a brief description of each assessment tool the article focuses on contents, reliability, validity and normative data. A conclusion outline of strengths and weaknesses of all reviewed assessment tools focusing on their use in educational research settings is provided and stresses the importance of regular data collection of fundamental movement skill development among preschool children. Key pointsThis review discusses seven movement skill assessment tool’s test content, reliability, validity and normative samples.The seven assessment tools all showed to be of great value. Strengths and weaknesses indicate that test choice will depend on specific purpose of test use.Further data collection should also include larger data samples of able bodied preschool children.Admitting PE specialists in assessment of fundamental movement skill performance among preschool children is recommended.The assessment tool’s normative data samples would benefit from frequent movement skill performance follow-up of today’s children. Abbreviations MOT 4-6: Motoriktest fur vier- bis sechsjährige Kinder, M-ABC: Movement Assessment Battery for Children, PDMS: Peabody Development Scales, KTK: K

  1. CONTROL OF APERTURE CLOSURE INITIATION DURING TRUNK-ASSISTED REACH-TO-GRASP MOVEMENTS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rand, Miya K.; Van Gemmert, Arend W. A.; Hossain, Abul B.M.I.; Shimansky, Yury P.; Stelmach, George E.

    2012-01-01

    The present study investigated how the involvement and direction of trunk movement during reach-to-grasp movements affect the coordination between the transport and grasping components. Seated young adults made prehensile movements in which the involvement of the trunk was varied; the trunk was not involved, moved forward (flexion), or moved backward (extension) in the sagittal plane during the reach to the object. Each of the trunk movements was combined with an extension or flexion motion of the arm during the reach. Regarding the relation between the trunk and arm motion for arm transport, the onset of wrist motion relative to that of the trunk was delayed to a greater extent for the trunk extension than for the trunk flexion. The variability of the time period from the peak of wrist velocity to the peak of trunk velocity was also significantly greater for trunk extension compared to trunk flexion. These findings indicate that trunk flexion was better integrated into the control of wrist transport than trunk extension. In terms of the temporal relationship between wrist transport and grip aperture, the relation between the time of peak wrist velocity and the time of peak grip aperture did not change or became less steady across conditions. Therefore, the stability of temporal coordination between wrist transport and grip aperture was maintained despite the variation of the pattern of intersegmental coordination between the arm and the trunk during arm transport. The transport-aperture coordination was further assessed in terms of the control law according to which the initiation of aperture closure during the reach occurs when the hand crosses a hand-to-target distance threshold for grasp initiation that is a function of peak aperture, wrist velocity and acceleration, trunk velocity and acceleration, and trunk-to-target distance at the time of aperture closure initiation. The participants increased the hand-to-target distance threshold for grasp initiation in

  2. Control of aperture closure initiation during trunk-assisted reach-to-grasp movements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rand, Miya K; Van Gemmert, Arend W A; Hossain, Abul B M I; Shimansky, Yury P; Stelmach, George E

    2012-06-01

    The present study investigated how the involvement and direction of trunk movement during reach-to-grasp movements affect the coordination between the transport and grasping components. Seated young adults made prehensile movements in which the involvement of the trunk was varied; the trunk was not involved, moved forward (flexion), or moved backward (extension) in the sagittal plane during the reach to the object. Each of the trunk movements was combined with an extension or flexion motion of the arm during the reach. Regarding the relationship between the trunk and arm motion for arm transport, the onset of wrist motion relative to that of the trunk was delayed to a greater extent for the trunk extension than for the trunk flexion. The variability of the time period from the peak of wrist velocity to the peak of trunk velocity was also significantly greater for trunk extension compared to trunk flexion. These findings indicate that trunk flexion was better integrated into the control of wrist transport than trunk extension. In terms of the temporal relationship between wrist transport and grip aperture, the relationship between the time of peak wrist velocity and the time of peak grip aperture did not change or become less steady across conditions. Therefore, the stability of temporal coordination between wrist transport and grip aperture was maintained despite the variation of the pattern of intersegmental coordination between the arm and the trunk during arm transport. The transport-aperture coordination was further assessed in terms of the control law according to which the initiation of aperture closure during the reach occurs when the hand crosses a hand-to-target distance threshold for grasp initiation, which is a function of peak aperture, wrist velocity and acceleration, trunk velocity and acceleration, and trunk-to-target distance at the time of aperture closure initiation. The participants increased the hand-to-target distance threshold for grasp

  3. Movement Suppression Time-Out for Undesirable Behavior in Psychotic and Severely Developmentally Delayed Children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rolider, Ahmos; Van Houten, Ron

    1985-01-01

    Effects of a movement suppression time-out, which involved punishing any movements or verbalization while a client is in the time-out area, were evaluated in four experiments. The procedure produced a larger reduction in the target behavior in all three children and effectiveness was explained in terms of suppression of self-stimulation during…

  4. Impedance modulation and feedback corrections in tracking targets of variable size and frequency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Selen, Luc P J; van Dieën, Jaap H; Beek, Peter J

    2006-11-01

    Humans are able to adjust the accuracy of their movements to the demands posed by the task at hand. The variability in task execution caused by the inherent noisiness of the neuromuscular system can be tuned to task demands by both feedforward (e.g., impedance modulation) and feedback mechanisms. In this experiment, we studied both mechanisms, using mechanical perturbations to estimate stiffness and damping as indices of impedance modulation and submovement scaling as an index of feedback driven corrections. Eight subjects tracked three differently sized targets (0.0135, 0.0270, and 0.0405 rad) moving at three different frequencies (0.20, 0.25, and 0.33 Hz). Movement variability decreased with both decreasing target size and movement frequency, whereas stiffness and damping increased with decreasing target size, independent of movement frequency. These results are consistent with the theory that mechanical impedance acts as a filter of noisy neuromuscular signals but challenge stochastic theories of motor control that do not account for impedance modulation and only partially for feedback control. Submovements during unperturbed cycles were quantified in terms of their gain, i.e., the slope between their duration and amplitude in the speed profile. Submovement gain decreased with decreasing movement frequency and increasing target size. The results were interpreted to imply that submovement gain is related to observed tracking errors and that those tracking errors are expressed in units of target size. We conclude that impedance and submovement gain modulation contribute additively to tracking accuracy.

  5. Effect of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS on parietal and premotor cortex during planning of reaching movements.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pierpaolo Busan

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Cerebral activation during planning of reaching movements occurs both in the superior parietal lobule (SPL and premotor cortex (PM, and their activation seems to take place in parallel. METHODOLOGY: The activation of the SPL and PM has been investigated using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS during planning of reaching movements under visual guidance. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A facilitory effect was found when TMS was delivered on the parietal cortex at about half of the time from sight of the target to hand movement, independently of target location in space. Furthermore, at the same stimulation time, a similar facilitory effect was found in PM, which is probably related to movement preparation. CONCLUSIONS: This data contributes to the understanding of cortical dynamics in the parieto-frontal network, and suggests that it is possible to interfere with the planning of reaching movements at different cortical points within a particular time window. Since similar effects may be produced at similar times on both the SPL and PM, parallel processing of visuomotor information is likely to take place in these regions.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bellomo, A; Inbar, G

    1997-01-01

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

  7. Humans use visual and remembered information about object location to plan pointing movements

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Brouwer, A.-M.; Knill, D.C.

    2009-01-01

    We investigated whether humans use a target's remembered location to plan reaching movements to targets according to the relative reliabilities of visual and remembered information. Using their index finger, subjects moved a virtual object from one side of a table to the other, and then went back to

  8. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR as a Neurorehabilitation Method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Afsaneh Zarghi

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available   A variety of nervous system components such as medulla, pons, midbrain, cerebellum, basal ganglia, parietal, frontal and occipital lobes have role in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR processes. The eye movement is done simultaneously for attracting client's attention to an external stimulus while concentrating on a certain internal subject. Eye movement guided by therapist is the most common attention stimulus. The role of eye movement has been documented previously in relation with cognitive processing mechanisms. A series of systemic experiments have shown that the eyes’ spontaneous movement is associated with emotional and cognitive changes and results in decreased excitement, flexibility in attention, memory processing, and enhanced semantic recalling. Eye movement also decreases the memory's image clarity and the accompanying excitement. By using EMDR, we can reach some parts of memory which were inaccessible before and also emotionally intolerable. Various researches emphasize on the effectiveness of EMDR in treating and curing phobias, pains, and dependent personality disorders. Consequently, due to the involvement of multiple neural system components, this palliative method of treatment can also help to rehabilitate the neuro-cognitive system.

  9. Advantages of melodic over rhythmic movement sonification in bimanual motor skill learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dyer, J F; Stapleton, P; Rodger, M W M

    2017-10-01

    An important question for skill acquisition is whether and how augmented feedback can be designed to improve the learning of complex skills. Auditory information triggered by learners' actions, movement sonification, can enhance learning of a complex bimanual coordination skill, specifically polyrhythmic bimanual shape tracing. However, it is not clear whether the coordination of polyrhythmic sequenced movements is enhanced by auditory-specified timing information alone or whether more complex sound mappings, such as melodic sonification, are necessary. Furthermore, while short-term retention of bimanual coordination performance has been shown with movement sonification training, longer term retention has yet to be demonstrated. In the present experiment, participants learned to trace a diamond shape with one hand while simultaneously tracing a triangle with the other to produce a sequenced 4:3 polyrhythmic timing pattern. Two groups of participants received real-time auditory feedback during training: melodic sonification (individual movements triggered a separate note of a melody) and rhythmic sonification (each movement triggered a percussive sound), while a third control group received no augmented feedback. Task acquisition and performance in immediate retention were superior in the melodic sonification group as compared to the rhythmic sonification and control group. In a 24-h retention phase, a decline in performance in the melodic sonification group was reversed by brief playback of the target pattern melody. These results show that melodic sonification of movement can provide advantages over augmented feedback which only provides timing information by better structuring the sequencing of timed actions, and also allow recovery of complex target patterns of movement after training. These findings have important implications for understanding the role of augmented perceptual information in skill learning, as well as its application to real-world training or

  10. Dyspraxia in ASD: Impaired coordination of movement elements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McAuliffe, Danielle; Pillai, Ajay S; Tiedemann, Alyssa; Mostofsky, Stewart H; Ewen, Joshua B

    2017-04-01

    Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have long been known to have deficits in the performance of praxis gestures; these motor deficits also correlate with social and communicative deficits. To date, the precise nature of the errors involved in praxis has not been clearly mapped out. Based on observations of individuals with ASD performing gestures, we hypothesized that the simultaneous execution of multiple movement elements is especially impaired in affected children. We examined 25 school-aged participants with ASD and 25 age-matched controls performing seven simultaneous gestures that required the concurrent performance of movement elements and nine serial gestures, in which all elements were performed serially. There was indeed a group × gesture-type interaction (P decrement with simultaneous (vs. serial) gestures than controls. These results point to a potential deficit in the simultaneous processing of multiple inputs and outputs in ASD. Such deficits could relate to models of social interaction that highlight the parallel-processing nature of social communication. Autism Res 2016,. © 2016 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Autism Res 2017, 10: 648-652. © 2016 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  11. Continuous Auditory Feedback of Eye Movements: An Exploratory Study toward Improving Oculomotor Control

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eric O. Boyer

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available As eye movements are mostly automatic and overtly generated to attain visual goals, individuals have a poor metacognitive knowledge of their own eye movements. We present an exploratory study on the effects of real-time continuous auditory feedback generated by eye movements. We considered both a tracking task and a production task where smooth pursuit eye movements (SPEM can be endogenously generated. In particular, we used a visual paradigm which enables to generate and control SPEM in the absence of a moving visual target. We investigated whether real-time auditory feedback of eye movement dynamics might improve learning in both tasks, through a training protocol over 8 days. The results indicate that real-time sonification of eye movements can actually modify the oculomotor behavior, and reinforce intrinsic oculomotor perception. Nevertheless, large inter-individual differences were observed preventing us from reaching a strong conclusion on sensorimotor learning improvements.

  12. Smoke Movement in an Atrium with a Fire with Low Rate of Heat Release

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Peter V.; Brohus, Henrik; Petersen, A. J.

    2008-01-01

    Results from small-scale experiments on smoke movement in an atrium are given, both with and without a vertical temperature gradient, and expressions for the smoke movement are developed on the basis of these experiments. Comparisons with a general analytical expression used for calculating...... the height to the location of the smoke layer are given. Furthermore, the paper discusses the air movement in a typical atrium exposed to different internal and external heat loads to elaborate on the use of the "flow element" expressions developed for smoke movement from a fire with a low rate of heat...

  13. Rights and Justice and the Social Web Movement (Latin America ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    Rights and Justice and the Social Web Movement (Latin America) ... mounted to raise public awareness of the importance of privacy as a human right on the Internet. ... conference of McGill's Institute for the Study of International Development.

  14. Preliminary study of the internal margin of the gross tumor volume in thoracic esophageal cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Jiancheng; Pan, Jianji; Wang, Linhua; Zhao, Yunhui; Liu, Di; Chen, Cheng; Zhang, He Ping; Wang, Xiaoliang

    2012-01-01

    Purpose. - To measure the displacement of the tumor of the gross tumor volume (GTV) of thoracic esophageal cancer in the calm states of end-inspiration and end-expiration for determining the internal margin of the GTV (IGTV). Methods. - Twenty-two patients with thoracic esophageal cancer who were unable to undergo surgery were identified in our hospital. The patients received radiotherapy. By using 16-slice spiral computed tomography (CT), we acquired the calm states of end-inspiration and end-expiration. The displacement and volume changes in tumor target volume were measured, and the changes were analyzed to determine if these were associated with the tidal volume and the location and length of the target volume V. In the end, we analyzed the displacement of tumor target volume and calculated the internal margin of the GTV by empirical formula. Results. - The average tidal volume was 463.6 ml. The average GTV at end-inspiration was 33.3 ml and at end-expiration was 33.35 ml. Three was not any significant between two groups (T -0.034, P > 0.05). The IGTV (X-axis direction) was 3.09 mm for the right sector and 4.08 mm for the left border; the IGTV (Z-axis direction) was 3.96 mm for the anterior border and 2.83 mm for the posterior border; and the IGTV (Y-axis direction) was 7.31 mm for the upper boundary (head direction) and 10.16 mm for the lower boundary (feet direction). The motion of the GTV showed no significant correlation with the tidal volume of patients and the length of the tumor, but in relation to the tumor location, the displacement of the lower thoracic and the middle thoracic target volumes occurred in the direction of the anterior and right, which were not significantly different (T = 0.859, 0.229, P > 0.05) The significant differences were observed for the other directions (P < 0.05). Conclusions. - Because of respiratory and organ movements, the displacement of the tumor target volume was different in all directions. Therefore, we recommend that

  15. Investigating the Constrained Action Hypothesis: A Movement Coordination and Coordination Variability Approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vidal, Anthony; Wu, Will; Nakajima, Mimi; Becker, James

    2017-09-19

    The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of focus of attention cues on movement coordination and coordination variability in the lower extremity. Twenty participants performed the standing long jump under both internal and external focus of attention conditions. A modified vector coding technique was used to evaluate the influence of attentional focus cues on lower extremity coordination patterns and coordination variability during the jumps. Participants jumped significantly further under an external focus of attention condition compared with an internal focus of attention condition (p = .035, effect size = .29). Focus of attention also influenced coordination between the ankle and knee, F(6, 19) = 2.87, p = .012, effect size = .388, with participants primarily using their knees under the internal focus of attention, and using both their ankles and knees under the external focus of attention. Attentional focus cues did not influence ankle-knee, F(1, 19) = 0.02, p = .98, effect size = .02, or hip-knee, F(1, 19) = 5.00, p = .49, effect size = .16, coordination variability. Results suggest that while attentional focus may not directly influence movement coordination condition, there is still a change in movement strategy resulting in greater jump distances following an external focus of attention.

  16. Targeted p120-catenin ablation disrupts dental enamel development

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bartlett, John D; Dobeck, Justine M; Tye, Coralee E

    2010-01-01

    Dental enamel development occurs in stages. The ameloblast cell layer is adjacent to, and is responsible for, enamel formation. When rodent pre-ameloblasts become tall columnar secretory-stage ameloblasts, they secrete enamel matrix proteins, and the ameloblasts start moving in rows that slide...... by one another. This movement is necessary to form the characteristic decussating enamel prism pattern. Thus, a dynamic system of intercellular interactions is required for proper enamel development. Cadherins are components of the adherens junction (AJ), and they span the cell membrane to mediate...... attachment to adjacent cells. p120 stabilizes cadherins by preventing their internalization and degradation. So, we asked if p120-mediated cadherin stability is important for dental enamel formation. Targeted p120 ablation in the mouse enamel organ had a striking effect. Secretory stage ameloblasts detached...

  17. Political dimensions of ‘the psychosocial’: The 1948 International Congress on Mental Health and the Mental Hygiene Movement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toms, Jonathan

    2015-01-01

    The Foucauldian sociologist Nikolas Rose has influentially argued that psychosocial technologies have offered means through which the ideals of democracy can be made congruent with the management of social life and the government of citizens in modern Western liberal democracies. This interpretation is contested here through an examination of the 1948 International Congress on Mental Health held in London and the mental hygiene movement that organised it. It is argued that, in Britain, this movement’s theory and practice represents an uneasy and ambiguous attempt to reconcile visions of ‘the modern’ with ‘the traditional’. The mental hygienist emphasis on the family is central. Here it appears as a forcing-house of the modern self-sustaining individual. Mental hygienists cast the social organisation of ‘traditional’ communities as static, with rigid authority frustrating both social progress and the full emergence of individual personality. Yet mental hygienists were also concerned about threats to social cohesion and secure personhood under modernity. If the social organisation of ‘traditional’ communities was patterned by the archetype of the family, with its personal relations of authority, mental hygienists compressed these relations into the ‘private’ family. Situated here they became part of a developmental process of mental adjustment through which ‘mature’, responsible citizens emerged. This reformulation of the family’s centrality for the social order informed mental hygienist critiques of the growth of state power under existing forms of democracy, as well as suspicion of popular political participation or protest, and of movements towards greater egalitarianism. PMID:26379371

  18. Feedback and feedforward adaptation to visuomotor delay during reaching and slicing movements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Botzer, Lior; Karniel, Amir

    2013-07-01

    It has been suggested that the brain and in particular the cerebellum and motor cortex adapt to represent the environment during reaching movements under various visuomotor perturbations. It is well known that significant delay is present in neural conductance and processing; however, the possible representation of delay and adaptation to delayed visual feedback has been largely overlooked. Here we investigated the control of reaching movements in human subjects during an imposed visuomotor delay in a virtual reality environment. In the first experiment, when visual feedback was unexpectedly delayed, the hand movement overshot the end-point target, indicating a vision-based feedback control. Over the ensuing trials, movements gradually adapted and became accurate. When the delay was removed unexpectedly, movements systematically undershot the target, demonstrating that adaptation occurred within the vision-based feedback control mechanism. In a second experiment designed to broaden our understanding of the underlying mechanisms, we revealed similar after-effects for rhythmic reversal (out-and-back) movements. We present a computational model accounting for these results based on two adapted forward models, each tuned for a specific modality delay (proprioception or vision), and a third feedforward controller. The computational model, along with the experimental results, refutes delay representation in a pure forward vision-based predictor and suggests that adaptation occurred in the forward vision-based predictor, and concurrently in the state-based feedforward controller. Understanding how the brain compensates for conductance and processing delays is essential for understanding certain impairments concerning these neural delays as well as for the development of brain-machine interfaces. © 2013 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. Code of Practice on the International Transboundary Movement of Radioactive Waste; Kodeks Praktiki V Oblasti Meikduiarodnog0 Transgranichnogo Peremeshhenija Radioaktivnyh Othodov

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1990-11-15

    On 21 September 1990, the General Conference, by resolution GC(XXXIV)/RES/530, adopted a Code of Practice on the International Transboundary Movement of Radioactive Waste and requested the Director General - inter alia - to take all necessary steps to ensure wide dissemination of the Code of Practice at both the national and the international level. The Code of Practice was elaborated by a Group of Experts established pursuant to resolution GC(XXXII)/RES/490 adopted by the General Conference in 1988. The text of the Code of Practice is reproduced herewith for the information of all Member States [Russian] 21 sentjabrja 1990 goda General'naja konferencija prinjala rezoljuciju GC(XXXIV)/RES/530 o Kodekse praktiki v oblasti mezhdunarodnogo transgranichnogo peremeshhenija radioaktivnyh othodov i predlozhila General'nomu direktoru , v chastnosti, prinjat' vse neobhodimye mery dlja obespechenija shirokogo rasprostranenija Kodeksa praktiki kak na nacional'nom, tak i na mezhdunarodnom urovnjah. Kodeks praktiki byl podgotovlen gruppoj jekspertov , uchrezhdennoj vo ispolnenie rezoljucii GC(XXXII)/RES/490, prinjatoj General'noj konferenciej v 1988 godu. Tekst Kodeksa praktiki vosproizvoditsja nizhe dlja informacii vseh gosudarstv-chlenov.

  20. Why movement is captured by music, but less by speech: role of temporal regularity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dalla Bella, Simone; Białuńska, Anita; Sowiński, Jakub

    2013-01-01

    Music has a pervasive tendency to rhythmically engage our body. In contrast, synchronization with speech is rare. Music's superiority over speech in driving movement probably results from isochrony of musical beats, as opposed to irregular speech stresses. Moreover, the presence of regular patterns of embedded periodicities (i.e., meter) may be critical in making music particularly conducive to movement. We investigated these possibilities by asking participants to synchronize with isochronous auditory stimuli (target), while music and speech distractors were presented at one of various phase relationships with respect to the target. In Exp. 1, familiar musical excerpts and fragments of children poetry were used as distractors. The stimuli were manipulated in terms of beat/stress isochrony and average pitch to achieve maximum comparability. In Exp. 2, the distractors were well-known songs performed with lyrics, on a reiterated syllable, and spoken lyrics, all having the same meter. Music perturbed synchronization with the target stimuli more than speech fragments. However, music superiority over speech disappeared when distractors shared isochrony and the same meter. Music's peculiar and regular temporal structure is likely to be the main factor fostering tight coupling between sound and movement.

  1. Social-movement analysis of the American antinuclear movement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ladd, A.E.

    1981-01-01

    Utilizing data from a survey of participants at the May 6, 1979 antinuclear rally in Washington, DC (N = 420), this dissertation explored some of the major structural and ideological characteristics of the American Antinuclear Movement. By organizing the data around three of the key analytical concepts in the study of social movements - mobilization, recruitment, and ideology - the author was able to derive from the demonstration sample a descriptive and illustrative analysis of those individuals, organizations, and processes involved in the national antinuclear crusade. Given that few researchers have actively studied the antinuclear movement beyond the scope of local or regional protests, this work constitutes the only empirical study to date examining a cross section of the movement's participants from a sociological perspective. It is also one of the few attempts to use a national demonstration as a social laboratory for the study of a social movement in general. In terms of the mobilization variables examined in the study, it was found that organizational networks, past movement activism, and individual resources were important factors in the May 6 mobilization effort. While less than one-half of the demonstrators were part of the antinuclear organizational network per se, most of them had been active in the major protest movements of the 1960's and 1970's. The demonstrators were relatively high in socio-economic resources and had occupational or educational schedules conducive to creating the necessary discretionary time for movement participation

  2. Anti-Globalization or Alter-Globalization? Mapping the Political Ideology of the Global Justice Movement

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    B. Steger, Manfred; Wilson, E.K.

    Steger, Manfred B. and Erin K. Wilson. (2012) Anti-Globalization or Alter-Globalization? Mapping the Political Ideology of the Global Justice Movement. International Studies Quarterly, doi: 10.1111/j.1468-2478.2012.00740.x?(c) 2012 International Studies Association Globalization has unsettled

  3. Rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder in patients with narcolepsy is associated with hypocretin-1 deficiency

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Knudsen, Stine; Gammeltoft, Steen; Jennum, Poul J

    2010-01-01

    Rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder is characterized by dream-enacting behaviour and impaired motor inhibition during rapid eye movement sleep. Rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder is commonly associated with neurodegenerative disorders, but also reported in narcolepsy with cataplexy....... Most narcolepsy with cataplexy patients lack the sleep-wake, and rapid eye movement sleep, motor-regulating hypocretin neurons in the lateral hypothalamus. In contrast, rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder and hypocretin deficiency are rare in narcolepsy without cataplexy. We hypothesized...... that rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder coexists with cataplexy in narcolepsy due to hypocretin deficiency. In our study, rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder was diagnosed by the International Classification of Sleep Disorders (2nd edition) criteria in 63 narcolepsy patients with or without...

  4. Use of microparticles as internal targets for nuclear physics with storage rings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Berdoz, A; Heinz, A; Meyer, H O; Pancella, P; Rinckel, T; Ross, A; Sperisen, F; Young, D

    1989-04-01

    We report on the development of ultrathin (10/sup 14/ to 10/sup 16/ at/cm/sup 2/) internal targets for storage rings using microparticles. A ''dust beam'' is created by a gas-particle mixture flowing through a capillary into vacuum. In a laminar flow, the viscous drag accelerates the particles in the direction of the gas flow, while the Bernoulli force concentrates them near the axis of the tube. At the exist of the tube the gas diffuses, but the particles, due to their inertia, continue with small divergence. This property will allow us to differentially pump the carrier gas along the dust beam axis before the microparticles enter the high vacuum of the storage ring. (orig.).

  5. Use of microparticles as internal targets for nuclear physics with storage rings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berdoz, A.; Heinz, A.; Meyer, H.O.; Pancella, P.; Rinckel, T.; Ross, A.; Sperisen, F.; Young, D.

    1989-01-01

    We report on the development of ultrathin (10 14 to 10 16 at/cm 2 ) internal targets for storage rings using microparticles. A ''dust beam'' is created by a gas-particle mixture flowing through a capillary into vacuum. In a laminar flow, the viscous drag accelerates the particles in the direction of the gas flow, while the Bernoulli force concentrates them near the axis of the tube. At the exist of the tube the gas diffuses, but the particles, due to their inertia, continue with small divergence. This property will allow us to differentially pump the carrier gas along the dust beam axis before the microparticles enter the high vacuum of the storage ring. (orig.)

  6. Effect of micro lesions of the basal ganglia on ballistic movements in patients with deep brain stimulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Arun; Mehrkens, Jan H; Bötzel, Kai

    2012-03-15

    Bradykinesia and hypokinesia are the prominent symptoms of substantia nigra degeneration in Parkinson's disease (PD). In segmental dystonia, movements of not affected limbs are not impaired. Here we studied the impact of the mere implantation of stimulation electrodes on the performance of fast movements in these two groups. We investigated 9 PD patients with subthalamic electrodes and 9 patients with segmental dystonia with electrodes in the globus pallidus internum. Patients were studied on the first postoperative day without electrical stimulation of the electrodes. Subjects had to perform boxing movements with either touching the target or stopping the fist in front of the target. PD subjects performed significantly faster movements in the touch-task only as compared to dystonic patients. No difference was seen in the stopping task. In conclusion, our findings suggest that a small subthalamic lesion in individuals with PD specifically reverses bradykinesia during simple ballistic movements (touch) but not during complex ones requiring more pre-programming (no-touch paradigm). Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Associations between skill perceptions and young children's actual fundamental movement skills.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liong, Grace H E; Ridgers, Nicola D; Barnett, Lisa M

    2015-04-01

    Given that children with low movement skill competence engage in less physical activity, it is important to understand how children's perceptions relate to actual movement competence. This study examined relationships between (i) children's self-perception and objective assessments of their movement skills (object control and locomotor) and (ii) parents' perceptions of the children's movement skills and objective assessment. Children's skill perceptions were assessed using the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Movement Skill Competence for Young Children. Parent perceptions of their child's skills were assessed using a modified version of this instrument. The Test of Gross Motor Development-2nd edition assessed children's skills objectively. Participants were 136 Australian children (51% boys; M=6.5 yr., SD=1.1) and 133 parents. Regression analyses (by sex) examined the relationship between perceptions and children's scores for actual skilled performance. Boys' perceptions were associated with their actual object control ability. Parents accurately perceived boys' object control ability and girls' locomotor ability, but not the reverse. This suggests interventions aiming to improve children's movement skills could target parents and be designed to teach parents how to recognize good and poor skill performance in their children.

  8. Bowel Movement

    Science.gov (United States)

    A bowel movement is the last stop in the movement of food through your digestive tract. Your stool passes out of ... what you eat and drink. Sometimes a bowel movement isn't normal. Diarrhea happens when stool passes ...

  9. Using strategic movement to calibrate a neural compass: a spiking network for tracking head direction in rats and robots.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peter Stratton

    Full Text Available The head direction (HD system in mammals contains neurons that fire to represent the direction the animal is facing in its environment. The ability of these cells to reliably track head direction even after the removal of external sensory cues implies that the HD system is calibrated to function effectively using just internal (proprioceptive and vestibular inputs. Rat pups and other infant mammals display stereotypical warm-up movements prior to locomotion in novel environments, and similar warm-up movements are seen in adult mammals with certain brain lesion-induced motor impairments. In this study we propose that synaptic learning mechanisms, in conjunction with appropriate movement strategies based on warm-up movements, can calibrate the HD system so that it functions effectively even in darkness. To examine the link between physical embodiment and neural control, and to determine that the system is robust to real-world phenomena, we implemented the synaptic mechanisms in a spiking neural network and tested it on a mobile robot platform. Results show that the combination of the synaptic learning mechanisms and warm-up movements are able to reliably calibrate the HD system so that it accurately tracks real-world head direction, and that calibration breaks down in systematic ways if certain movements are omitted. This work confirms that targeted, embodied behaviour can be used to calibrate neural systems, demonstrates that 'grounding' of modelled biological processes in the real world can reveal underlying functional principles (supporting the importance of robotics to biology, and proposes a functional role for stereotypical behaviours seen in infant mammals and those animals with certain motor deficits. We conjecture that these calibration principles may extend to the calibration of other neural systems involved in motion tracking and the representation of space, such as grid cells in entorhinal cortex.

  10. Using strategic movement to calibrate a neural compass: a spiking network for tracking head direction in rats and robots.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stratton, Peter; Milford, Michael; Wyeth, Gordon; Wiles, Janet

    2011-01-01

    The head direction (HD) system in mammals contains neurons that fire to represent the direction the animal is facing in its environment. The ability of these cells to reliably track head direction even after the removal of external sensory cues implies that the HD system is calibrated to function effectively using just internal (proprioceptive and vestibular) inputs. Rat pups and other infant mammals display stereotypical warm-up movements prior to locomotion in novel environments, and similar warm-up movements are seen in adult mammals with certain brain lesion-induced motor impairments. In this study we propose that synaptic learning mechanisms, in conjunction with appropriate movement strategies based on warm-up movements, can calibrate the HD system so that it functions effectively even in darkness. To examine the link between physical embodiment and neural control, and to determine that the system is robust to real-world phenomena, we implemented the synaptic mechanisms in a spiking neural network and tested it on a mobile robot platform. Results show that the combination of the synaptic learning mechanisms and warm-up movements are able to reliably calibrate the HD system so that it accurately tracks real-world head direction, and that calibration breaks down in systematic ways if certain movements are omitted. This work confirms that targeted, embodied behaviour can be used to calibrate neural systems, demonstrates that 'grounding' of modelled biological processes in the real world can reveal underlying functional principles (supporting the importance of robotics to biology), and proposes a functional role for stereotypical behaviours seen in infant mammals and those animals with certain motor deficits. We conjecture that these calibration principles may extend to the calibration of other neural systems involved in motion tracking and the representation of space, such as grid cells in entorhinal cortex.

  11. Analysis of the movement of calcified lymph nodes during breathing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jenkins, Peter; Salmon, Clare; Mannion, Cathy

    2005-01-01

    Purpose: To identify and measure the respiratory-induced movement of calcified mediastinal lymph nodes. Methods and materials: Twenty-one patients receiving radiation therapy for primary lung or pleural tumors were noted to have calcification within one or more mediastinal lymph nodes. The breathing motion of 27 such nodes was measured with orthogonal fluoroscopic imaging during quiet respiration. Results: All 27 nodes showed some motion synchronous with breathing. The mean respiratory movement was 6.6 mm, 2.6 mm, and 1.4 mm in the craniocaudal, dorsoventral, and mediolateral planes, respectively. There was a significant difference in the amplitude of motion in the craniocaudal plane compared with movement in the other two directions (p < 0.001). No differences were seen in the movement of lymph nodes dependent on position within the mediastinum (supracarinal vs. infracarinal or hilar vs. mediastinal). Neither size of the primary tumor nor spirometric parameters were correlated with the amplitude of lymph node movement. Conclusions: Mediastinal lymph nodes move during breathing, and this needs to be accounted for when the internal margin component of the PTV is defined. The amplitude of this movement is anisotropic and seems to be less than that reported for primary lung tumors. This should permit a modest reduction in the margin allowed for breathing movement around involved mediastinal nodes, particularly in the mediolateral and dorsoventral planes

  12. The Determinants of International Capital Movements and an Analysis in the Context of Foreign Direct Investments: A Case of Turkey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oğuzhan AYDEMİR

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Foreign direct investments being an important part of the international capital movements are evaluated as the investments making in the form of reestablishing a factory in a foreign country, becoming a partner with an existing company or purchasing an established company. Foreign direct investments make a major contribution to economic development in connection with employment, technology, business information, integration with international markets and generating a sound competition environment. In view of the results which foreign direct investments give to national economy; determining the economic factors as to which national economy foreign direct investments would prefer is of great importance in terms of providing foreign capital inflows with continuity. In this regard; the factors determining foreign direct investments are estimated and the relationship between these factors and direct foreign capital inflows is analyzed in this study. As a result of the study; it is seen that gross domestic product (GDP, trade openness, unit labor cost and inflation are the economic determinants of foreign direct investments. Separately it is concluded that GDP, trade openness and unit labor cost have a positive effect on foreign direct investments and that there is negative relationship between inflation and foreign direct investments.

  13. Human circulating monocytes internalize 125I-insulin in a similar fashion to rat hepatocytes: relevance to receptor regulation in target and nontarget tissues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grunberger, G.; Robert, A.; Carpentier, J.L.; Dayer, J.M.; Roth, A.; Stevenson, H.C.; Orci, L.; Gorden, P.

    1985-01-01

    Circulating monocytes bind 125 I-insulin in a specific fashion and have been used to analyze the ambient receptor status in humans. When freshly isolated circulating monocytes are incubated with 125 I-insulin and examined by electron microscopic autoradiography, approximately 18% of the labeled material is internalized after 15 minutes at 37 degrees C. By 2 hours at 37 degrees C, approximately one half of the 125 I-insulin is internalized. Internalization occurs also at 15 degrees C but at a slower rate. Furthermore, the monocytes bind and internalize 125 I-insulin in a manner that mirrors that of major target tissues, such as rat hepatocytes. These data suggest that the insulin receptor of the circulating monocyte might be regulated by adsorptive endocytosis in a manner analogous to that of target tissue, such as the liver

  14. Influence of quantum dot labels on single molecule movement in the plasma membrane

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Clausen, Mathias P.; Lagerholm, B. Christoffer

    2011-01-01

    Single particle tracking results are very dependent on the probe that is used. In this study we have investigated the influence that functionalized quantum dots (QDs) have on the recorded movement in single molecule tracking experiments of plasma membrane species in live cells. Potential issues...... for simultaneous investigations of different plasma membrane species in order to discriminate the effect of the label from differences in movement of the target molecules....

  15. Revolt of Grannies: The Bursylysyas Komi Folk Orthodox Movement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Piret Koosa

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available We study the role of women in the Bursylysyas Komi folk orthodox movement. Throughout the history of the movement, women have gradually gained more authority in this religious community. The initial stage of communist rule and the final phase of the Soviet Union were periods in which women’s domination in local religious life was most obvious. We argue that men lost their leadership in the movement because their way of execution of religious power was public and thus they became targets for Soviet repression. Komi women continued to keep the Bursylysyas faith alive, although they did so in a more domestic, hidden way. This enabled women to lead local religious practise throughout the Soviet period. In addition, the peculiar ecstatic practices of Bursylysyas, most fully developed during the initial period of Soviet rule, were more suitable for women in the framework of Komi traditional folk religiosity.

  16. FUNDAMENTAL MOVEMENT SKILLS OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN IN NORTHWEST ENGLAND.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foulkes, J D; Knowles, Z; Fairclough, S J; Stratton, G; O'Dwyer, M; Ridgers, N D; Foweather, L

    2015-08-01

    This cross-sectional study examined fundamental movement skill competency among deprived preschool children in Northwest England and explored sex differences. A total of 168 preschool children (ages 3-5 yr.) were included in the study. Twelve skills were assessed using the Children's Activity and Movement in Preschool Motor Skills Protocol and video analysis. Sex differences were explored at the subtest, skill, and component levels. Overall competence was found to be low among both sexes, although it was higher for locomotor skills than for object-control skills. Similar patterns were observed at the component level. Boys had significantly better object-control skills than girls, with greater competence observed for the kick and overarm throw, while girls were more competent at the run, hop, and gallop. The findings of low competency suggest that developmentally appropriate interventions should be implemented in preschool settings to promote movement skills, with targeted activities for boys and girls.

  17. Revolt of Grannies: The Bursylysyas Komi Folk Orthodox Movement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Piret Koosa

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available We study the role of women in the Bursylysyas Komi folk orthodox movement. Throughout the history of the movement, women have gradually gained more authority in this religious community. The initial stage of communist rule and the final phase of the Soviet Union were periods in which women’s domination in local religious life was most obvious. We argue that men lost their leadership in the movement because their way of execution of religious power was public and thus they became targets for Soviet repression. Komi women continued to keep the Bursylysyas faith alive, although they did so in a more domestic, hidden way. This enabled women to lead local religious practise throughout the Soviet period. In addition, the peculiar ecstatic practices of Bursylysyas, most fully developed during the initial period of Soviet rule, were more suitable for women in the framework of Komi traditional folk religiosity.

  18. Eye and hand movements during reconstruction of spatial memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burke, Melanie R; Allen, Richard J; Gonzalez, Claudia

    2012-01-01

    Recent behavioural and biological evidence indicates common mechanisms serving working memory and attention (e.g., Awh et al, 2006 Neuroscience 139 201-208). This study explored the role of spatial attention and visual search in an adapted Corsi spatial memory task. Eye movements and touch responses were recorded from participants who recalled locations (signalled by colour or shape change) from an array presented either simultaneously or sequentially. The time delay between target presentation and recall (0, 5, or 10 s) and the number of locations to be remembered (2-5) were also manipulated. Analysis of the response phase revealed subjects were less accurate (touch data) and fixated longer (eye data) when responding to sequentially presented targets suggesting higher cognitive effort. Fixation duration on target at recall was also influenced by whether spatial location was initially signalled by colour or shape change. Finally, we found that the sequence tasks encouraged longer fixations on the signalled targets than simultaneous viewing during encoding, but no difference was observed during recall. We conclude that the attentional manipulations (colour/shape) mainly affected the eye movement parameters, whereas the memory manipulation (sequential versus simultaneous, number of items) mainly affected the performance of the hand during recall, and thus the latter is more important for ascertaining if an item is remembered or forgotten. In summary, the nature of the stimuli that is used and how it is presented play key roles in determining subject performance and behaviour during spatial memory tasks.

  19. Influence of Internal and External Noise on Spontaneous Visuomotor Synchronization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varlet, Manuel; Schmidt, R C; Richardson, Michael J

    2016-01-01

    Historically, movement noise or variability is considered to be an undesirable property of biological motor systems. In particular, noise is typically assumed to degrade the emergence and stability of rhythmic motor synchronization. Recently, however, it has been suggested that small levels of noise might actually improve the functioning of motor systems and facilitate their adaptation to environmental events. Here, the authors investigated whether noise can facilitate spontaneous rhythmic visuomotor synchronization. They examined the influence of internal noise in the rhythmic limb movements of participants and external noise in the movement of an oscillating visual stimulus on the occurrence of spontaneous synchronization. By indexing the natural frequency variability of participants and manipulating the frequency variability of the visual stimulus, the authors demonstrated that both internal and external noise degrade synchronization when the participants' and stimulus movement frequencies are similar, but can actually facilitate synchronization when the frequencies are different. Furthermore, the two kinds of noise interact with each other. Internal noise facilitates synchronization only when external noise is minimal and vice versa. Too much internal and external noise together degrades synchronization. These findings open new perspectives for better understanding the role of noise in human rhythmic coordination.

  20. Movements, Markets and Fields: The Effects of Anti-Sweatshop Campaigns on U.S. Firms, 1993-2000

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bartley, Tim; Child, Curtis

    2011-01-01

    How do social movements influence corporations? Recent work suggests that movements can inflict material damage on their targets and shape categories of evaluation in organizational fields. Extending these ideas, we examine the effects of anti-sweatshop campaigns on sales, stock performance, reputation and specialized ratings of U.S. firms, using…

  1. An international integration history of the Zagreb Stock Exchange

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luka Sikic

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available We investigate stock market co-movements among the Croatian and several other markets (in the US, UK, Germany, Austria, Poland, Czech Republic and Hungary in the period from 3 September 1997 to 19 August 2016 with dynamic correlation coefficient models. This allows us to analyse long-term trends of the international financial integration of the Zagreb Stock Exchange in the last two decades as well as the separate impacts of major events that influenced financial markets during that period. Our results imply a relatively low level of international financial integration of the Croatian stock market, but some convergence in co-movement with the analysed markets over time is present. The strongest market co-movement is related to the subprime mortgage crisis, and EU accession seems to have made Croatian international integration less segmented.

  2. Spinal circuits can accommodate interaction torques during multijoint limb movements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buhrmann, Thomas; Di Paolo, Ezequiel A

    2014-01-01

    The dynamic interaction of limb segments during movements that involve multiple joints creates torques in one joint due to motion about another. Evidence shows that such interaction torques are taken into account during the planning or control of movement in humans. Two alternative hypotheses could explain the compensation of these dynamic torques. One involves the use of internal models to centrally compute predicted interaction torques and their explicit compensation through anticipatory adjustment of descending motor commands. The alternative, based on the equilibrium-point hypothesis, claims that descending signals can be simple and related to the desired movement kinematics only, while spinal feedback mechanisms are responsible for the appropriate creation and coordination of dynamic muscle forces. Partial supporting evidence exists in each case. However, until now no model has explicitly shown, in the case of the second hypothesis, whether peripheral feedback is really sufficient on its own for coordinating the motion of several joints while at the same time accommodating intersegmental interaction torques. Here we propose a minimal computational model to examine this question. Using a biomechanics simulation of a two-joint arm controlled by spinal neural circuitry, we show for the first time that it is indeed possible for the neuromusculoskeletal system to transform simple descending control signals into muscle activation patterns that accommodate interaction forces depending on their direction and magnitude. This is achieved without the aid of any central predictive signal. Even though the model makes various simplifications and abstractions compared to the complexities involved in the control of human arm movements, the finding lends plausibility to the hypothesis that some multijoint movements can in principle be controlled even in the absence of internal models of intersegmental dynamics or learned compensatory motor signals.

  3. Spinal circuits can accommodate interaction torques during multijoint limb movements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas eBuhrmann

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available The dynamic interaction of limb segments during movements that involve multiple joints creates torques in one joint due to motion about another. Evidence shows that such interaction torques are taken into account during the planning or control of movement in humans. Two alternative hypotheses could explain the compensation of these dynamic torques. One involves the use of internal models to centrally compute predicted interaction torques and their explicit compensation through anticipatory adjustment of descending motor commands. The alternative, based on the equilibrium-point hypothesis, claims that descending signals can be simple and related to the desired movement kinematics only, while spinal feedback mechanisms are responsible for the appropriate creation and coordination of dynamic muscle forces. Partial supporting evidence exists in each case. However, until now no model has explicitly shown, in the case of the second hypothesis, whether peripheral feedback is really sufficient on its own for coordinating the motion of several joints while at the same time accommodating intersegmental interaction torques. Here we propose a minimal computational model to examine this question. Using a biomechanics simulation of a two-joint arm controlled by spinal neural circuitry, we show for the first time that it is indeed possible for the neuromusculoskeletal system to transform simple descending control signals into muscle activation patterns that accommodate interaction forces depending on their direction and magnitude. This is achieved without the aid of any central predictive signal. Even though the model makes various simplifications and abstractions compared to the complexities involved in the control of human arm movements, the finding lends plausibility to the hypothesis that some multijoint movements can in principle be controlled even in the absence of internal models of intersegmental dynamics or learned compensatory motor signals.

  4. Ocean Tracking Network (OTN): Development of Oceanographic Data Integration with Animal Movement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bajona, L.

    2016-02-01

    OTN is a $168-million ocean research and technology development platform headquartered at Dalhousie University, Canada. Using acoustic and satellite telemetry to globally document the movements and survival of aquatic animals, and their environmental correlates. The OTN Mission: to foster conservation and sustainability of valued species by generating knowledge on the movement patterns of aquatic species in their changing environment. OTN's ever-expanding global network of acoustic receivers listening for over 90 different key animal species is providing for the data needed in working in collaboration with researchers for the development of oceanographic data integration with animal movement. Presented here is Data Management's work to date, status and challenges in OTN's move towards a community standard to enable sharing between projects nationally and internationally; permitting inter-operability with other large national (e.g. CHONe, ArcticNET) and international (IOOS, IMOS) networks. This work includes co-development of Animal Acoustic Telemetry (AAT) metadata standard and implementation using an ERDDAP data server (NOAA, Environmental Research Division's Data Access Program) facilitating ingestion for modelers (eg. netcdf).

  5. Legal issues in the transboundary movement of radioactive waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pelzer, N.

    2000-01-01

    The transboundary movement of radioactive waste is a politically sensitive issue, which implies the raising of complex legal questions. Transborder transportation may be governed by various national jurisdictions on its way from the State of origin via the transit States to the State of destination. The overall goal to be achieved is safe management during all the necessary steps of transport, handling, storage and disposal. Far-reaching approximation or harmonization of national law applicable is to be aimed at in order to facilitate transboundary movement. Article 27 of the 1997 Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management (Joint Convention) provides for a regime which, in principle, is appropriate. However, there are still open questions and, perhaps, lacunae remaining. Low risk materials exempt or released from regulatory control create specific problems owing to the fact that there are no agreed exemption or clearance levels which could be the base for unified legal provisions. The carrier may face different levels from State to State. The movement of radioactive waste by sea or air outside national jurisdictions is governed by the rules of Public International Law, especially by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which in major parts is a codification of existing International Customary Law. During transport on the high seas, the ship is under the jurisdiction of the State under which flag she is sailing. If the nuclear cargo is loaded onto a ship sailing under the flag of a non-contracting party to the Joint Convention, there may be legal problems with regard to whether and to what extent the Joint Convention is applicable, even if the State of origin or the State of destination is a contracting party to the Joint Convention. If a nuclear incident occurs during the movement of the waste, complicated questions of nuclear liability law will have to be solved. As far as the

  6. An experiment to study CP violation in the B system using an internal target at the HERA proton ring

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hofmann, W.

    1993-01-01

    Using the HERA proton beam striking an internal wire target, sufficient numbers of B mesons are produced to allow the search for CP violation in B decays with a sensitivity Δsin(2β)∼0.05, provided that the detector can accept and separate multiple interactions per bunch crossing. This report summarizes our present views concerning the layout of the target, of the spectrometer, and of the trigger system, which selects events containing J/ψ candidates. (orig.)

  7. Toxicity assessment of molecularly targeted drugs incorporated into multiagent chemotherapy regimens for pediatric Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL): Review from an International Consensus Conference

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    T.M. Horton (Terzah); R. Sposto (Richard); P. Brown (Patrick); C.P. Reynolds (Patrick); S.P. Hunger (Stephen); N.J. Winick (Naomi); E.A. Raetz (Elizabeth); W.L. Carroll (William); R.J. Arceci (Robert); M.J. Borowitz (Michael); P.S. Gaynon (Paul); L. Gore (Lia); S. Jeha (Sima); B.J. Maurer (Barry); S.E. Siegel (Stuart); A. Biondi (Andrea); P. Kearns (Pamela); A. Narendran (Aru); L.B. Silverman (Lewis); M.A. Smith (Malcolm); C.M. Zwaan (Christian Michel); J.A. Whitlock (James)

    2010-01-01

    textabstractOne of the challenges of incorporating molecularly targeted drugs into multi-agent chemotherapy (backbone) regimens is defining dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) of the targeted agent against the background of toxicities of the backbone regimen. An international panel of 22 pediatric acute

  8. Slope movements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wagner, P.

    2009-01-01

    On this poster some reasons of slope movements on the territory of the Slovak Republic are presented. Slope movements induced deterioration of land and forests, endangering of towns villages, and communications as well as hydro-engineering structures. Methods of preventing and stabilisation of slope movements are presented.

  9. Protest movements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rucht, D.

    1989-01-01

    The author describes the development of protest movements in postwar Germay and outlines two essential overlapping 'flow cycles'. The first of these was characterised by the restaurative postwar years. It culminated and ended in the students' revolt. This revolt is at the same time the start of a second cycle of protest which encompasses all subsequent individual movement and is initated by an economic, political and sociocultural procrastination of modernisation. This cycle culminates in the late 70s and early 80s and clearly lost momentum over the last few years. The follwoing phases and themes are described profoundly: against restauration and armament in the 1950; the revolutionary impatience of the students' movement, politisation of everyday life by the womens' movement and citizens' action groups, antinuclear- and ecological movement, differentiation and stabilisation of the movement in the 70s and 80s; break-up and continuity in the German protest behaviour. The paper contains a detailed chronicle of protest activities since 1945. (orig.) [de

  10. Movement Actors in the Education Bureaucracy: The Figured World of Activity Based Learning in Tamil Nadu

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niesz, Tricia; Krishnamurthy, Ramchandar

    2014-01-01

    Tamil Nadu has gained international recognition for reforming its government school classrooms into active, child-centered learning environments. Our exploration of the history of the Activity Based Learning movement suggests that this reform was achieved by social movement actors serving in and through the state's administration. Participants in…

  11. Randomized controlled trial of internal and external targeted temperature management methods in post- cardiac arrest patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Look, Xinqi; Li, Huihua; Ng, Mingwei; Lim, Eric Tien Siang; Pothiawala, Sohil; Tan, Kenneth Boon Kiat; Sewa, Duu Wen; Shahidah, Nur; Pek, Pin Pin; Ong, Marcus Eng Hock

    2018-01-01

    Targeted temperature management post-cardiac arrest is currently implemented using various methods, broadly categorized as internal and external. This study aimed to evaluate survival-to-hospital discharge and neurological outcomes (Glasgow-Pittsburgh Score) of post-cardiac arrest patients undergoing internal cooling verses external cooling. A randomized controlled trial of post-resuscitation cardiac arrest patients was conducted from October 2008-September 2014. Patients were randomized to either internal or external cooling methods. Historical controls were selected matched by age and gender. Analysis using SPSS version 21.0 presented descriptive statistics and frequencies while univariate logistic regression was done using R 3.1.3. 23 patients were randomized to internal cooling and 22 patients to external cooling and 42 matched controls were selected. No significant difference was seen between internal and external cooling in terms of survival, neurological outcomes and complications. However in the internal cooling arm, there was lower risk of developing overcooling (p=0.01) and rebound hyperthermia (p=0.02). Compared to normothermia, internal cooling had higher survival (OR=3.36, 95% CI=(1.130, 10.412), and lower risk of developing cardiac arrhythmias (OR=0.18, 95% CI=(0.04, 0.63)). Subgroup analysis showed those with cardiac cause of arrest (OR=4.29, 95% CI=(1.26, 15.80)) and sustained ROSC (OR=5.50, 95% CI=(1.64, 20.39)) had better survival with internal cooling compared to normothermia. Cooling curves showed tighter temperature control for internal compared to external cooling. Internal cooling showed tighter temperature control compared to external cooling. Internal cooling can potentially provide better survival-to-hospital discharge outcomes and reduce cardiac arrhythmia complications in carefully selected patients as compared to normothermia. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  12. Location versus task relevance: The impact of differing internal focus of attention instructions on motor performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pelleck, Valerie; Passmore, Steven R

    2017-05-01

    Impaired performance while executing a motor task is attributed to a disruption of normal automatic processes when an internal focus of attention is used. What remains unclear is whether the specificity of internally focused task instructions may impact task performance. The present study assessed the implications of changing the attentional focus of novice and skilled golfers by measuring behavioural, neurophysiological and kinematic changes during a golf putting task. Over six blocks of ten putting trials each, attention was directed either externally (towards the target) or internally in one of two ways: 1) proximal (keeping the elbows extended and the hands gripping the putter); or 2) distal (keeping the weight evenly distributed between both legs) to the critical elements of the task. Results provided evidence that when novice participants use an internal focus of attention more closely associated with task performance that their: 1) execution; 2) accuracy; 3) variability of surface electromyography (sEMG) activity; and 4) kinematics of the putter movement are all adversely affected. Skilled golfers are much more resilient to changes in attentional focus, while all participants interpret a distal internal focus of attention similar to an external focus. All participants produced decreased activity in the muscle (tibialis anterior) associated with the distal (less task relevant) focus of attention even when the "internal" focus was on the lower extremity. Our results provide evidence that the skill level of the participant and the distance of the internal focus of attention from the key elements of a motor skill directly impact the execution, muscle activity, and movement kinematics associated with skilled motor task performance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Comparison of the internalization of targeted dendrimers and dendrimer-entrapped gold nanoparticles into cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Xiangyang; Wang, Su He; Lee, Inhan; Shen, Mingwu; Baker, James R

    2009-11-01

    Dendrimer-based nanotechnology significantly advances the area of targeted cancer imaging and therapy. Herein, we compared the difference of surface acetylated fluorescein isocyanate (FI) and folic acid (FA) modified generation 5 (G5) poly(amidoamine) dendrimers (G5.NHAc-FI-FA), and dendrimer-entrapped gold nanoparticles with similar modifications ([(Au(0))(51.2)-G5.NHAc-FI-FA]) in terms of their specific internalization to FA receptor (FAR)-overexpressing cancer cells. Confocal microscopic studies show that both G5.NHAc-FI-FA and [(Au(0))(51.2-)G5.NHAc-FI-FA] exhibit similar internalization kinetics regardless of the existence of Au nanoparticles (NPs). Molecular dynamics simulation of the two different nanostructures reveals that the surface area and the FA moiety distribution from the center of the geometry are slightly different. This slight difference may not be recognized by the FARs on the cell membrane, consequently leading to similar internalization kinetics. This study underlines the fact that metal or inorganic NPs entrapped within dendrimers interact with cells in a similar way to that of dendrimers lacking host NPs. 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  14. Deriving Animal Movement Behaviors Using Movement Parameters Extracted from Location Data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maryam Teimouri

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available We present a methodology for distinguishing between three types of animal movement behavior (foraging, resting, and walking based on high-frequency tracking data. For each animal we quantify an individual movement path. A movement path is a temporal sequence consisting of the steps through space taken by an animal. By selecting a set of appropriate movement parameters, we develop a method to assess movement behavioral states, reflected by changes in the movement parameters. The two fundamental tasks of our study are segmentation and clustering. By segmentation, we mean the partitioning of the trajectory into segments, which are homogeneous in terms of their movement parameters. By clustering, we mean grouping similar segments together according to their estimated movement parameters. The proposed method is evaluated using field observations (done by humans of movement behavior. We found that on average, our method agreed with the observational data (ground truth at a level of 80.75% ± 5.9% (SE.

  15. Quantification of prostate movements during radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Artignana, X.; Rastkhah, M.; Balosso, J.; Bolla, M.; Fourneret, P.; Gilliot, O.

    2006-01-01

    Decrease treatment uncertainties is one of the most important challenge in radiation oncology. Numerous techniques are available to quantify prostate motion and visualize prostate location day after day before each irradiation: CT-scan, cone-beam-CT-Scan, ultrasound, prostatic markers... The knowledge of prostate motion is necessary to define the minimal margin around the target volume needed to avoid mis-positioning during treatment session. Different kind of prostate movement have been studied and are reported in the present work: namely, those having a large amplitude extending through out the whole treatment period on one hand; and those with a shorter amplitude happening during treatment session one the other hand. The long lasting movement are mostly anterior posterior (3 mm standard deviation), secondary in cranial-caudal (1-2 mm standard deviation) and lateral directions (0.5-1 mm standard deviation). They are mostly due to the rectal state of filling and mildly due to bladder filling or inferior limbs position. On the other hand the shorter movement that occurs during the treatment session is mostly variation of position around a steady point represented by the apex. Ones again, the rectal filling state is the principle cause. This way, during the 20 minutes of a treatment session, including the positioning of the patient, a movement of less than 3 mm could be expected when the rectum is empty. Ideally, real time imaging tools should allow an accurate localisation of the prostate and the adaptation of the dosimetry before each treatment session in a time envelope not exceeding 20 minutes. (author)

  16. Movement Features Which Describe the Flat Bench Press

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Król Henryk

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. In sport technique studies, motion features can be useful as they have a certain defined measure [1]. In this work, we examined the following three features: the structure of the movement (all the characteristics of the movement, the fluency of the movement, and the rhythm of the movement. The aim of the study was to determine the usefulness of the selected movement features in the evaluation of the flat bench press. The protocol of the study included a flat bench press with free weights and a “touch-and-go” technique. Material and methods. The study involved twenty healthy men; however, only two were selected for analysis. The first subject was a 25-year-old powerlifter (body mass = 95 kg; body height = 182 cm; 1-RM in flat bench press = 145 kg. The second one was a 25-year-old bodybuilder (body mass = 77 kg; body height = 175 cm; 1-RM in flat bench press = 100 kg. The subjects performed consecutive sets of a single repetition of flat bench pressing with an increasing load (70, 80, 90, and 100% 1-RM, with the anticipated maximum weight, until the completion of one repetition maximum. Multidimensional movement analysis was made with the measuring system Smart-E (BTS, Italy, which consisted of six infrared cameras (120 Hz and a wireless module to measure muscle bioelectric activity (Pocket EMG. Results. It was demonstrated that the internal structure of the bench press performed by the bodybuilder and the powerlifter was different. As the time-history of barbell kinematics (the acceleration-time curve showed, with increased loading of the barbell, the rhythm of the flat bench press changed, and the fluidity of the movement worsened.

  17. Oil price movements and production agreements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mazraati, M.

    2004-01-01

    The purpose of this technical exercise is to apply econometric modelling to study the relationship between movements in the oil price and compliance by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) with its self-assigned production agreements, whose purpose is to bring order and stability to the international oil market. After introducing various methods of measurement of compliance, the study applies these methods to monthly data for 1995-2002 for OPEC. It then identifies the method ''over-production as a percentage of ceiling'' as the best-fitting and most accurate criterion for measuring OPEC compliance. The paper then elaborates on intervention analysis, explains the various types of intervention in detail and introduces a number of econometric models to monitor oil price movements resulting from OPEC's intervention in the oil market, along with the extent of its compliance with its agreements. On applying the models to a set of historical monthly data, the study finds that higher oil prices have been achieved when the effective level of compliance lies in the range of 94-99 per cent, and that lower oil prices have been experienced when there is less compliance and more volatility. The paper notes that the achievement of order and stability is the responsibility of all parties in an international market that is inherently volatile. (author)

  18. Geo-hazard by sediment mass movements in submarine canyons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghaith, Afif; Fakhri, Milad; Ivaldi, Roberta; Ciavola, Paolo

    2017-04-01

    Submarine mass movements and their consequences are of major concern for coastal communities and infrastructures but also for the exploitation and the development of seafloor resources. Elevated awareness of the need for better understanding of the underwater mass movement is coupled with great advances in underwater mapping technologies over the past two decades. The seafloor in the Nahr Ibrahim and Saida regions (Lebanon) is characterized by deep canyons, reaching one thousand meters depths in proximity of the coast. Signs of submarine mass movement instability related to these canyons create a connection between shallow and deep water. The presence of these canyons in a tectonically active area generates a particular drained mechanism to the sediment in form of mass movement and slumping. Identification of potential areas where slope movements could be triggered requires data with high spatial resolution. Since this area is poorly explored, in the framework of an international project between Lebanese Navy, Lebanese National Center for Marine Sciences, University of Ferrara and Italian Hydrographic Institute, we analyse the morpho-bathymetric and sedimentological characters of the coastal and shelf sectors. Multibeam echosounder and sub-bottom profiler acoustic systems calibrated with ground truths (sediment grab and core samples) allow us to characterize the nature of seafloor and sub-seafloor with particular detail to the geotechnical properties of sediments and high resolution seismic stratigraphy of the shallow layers. The detection of particular undersea features provides detail maps which are in support to littoral morpho-dynamics, coastal transport and sediment budget. Multilayer hydro-oceanographic map, referring to the seafloor dynamics in connection with deep water environment and drainage system, in accordance to the International Hydrographic Standards and nautical supports, are produced. This high resolution multibeam bathymetry dataset, integrated

  19. Integrating respiratory-gated PET-based target volume delineation in liver SBRT planning, a pilot study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Riou, Olivier; Thariat, Juliette; Serrano, Benjamin; Azria, David; Paulmier, Benoit; Villeneuve, Remy; Fenoglietto, Pascal; Artenie, Antonella; Ortholan, Cécile; Faraggi, Marc

    2014-01-01

    To assess the feasibility and benefit of integrating four-dimensional (4D) Positron Emission Tomography (PET) – computed tomography (CT) for liver stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) planning. 8 patients with 14 metastases were accrued in the study. They all underwent a non-gated PET and a 4D PET centered on the liver. The same CT scan was used for attenuation correction, registration, and considered the planning CT for SBRT planning. Six PET phases were reconstructed for each 4D PET. By applying an individualized threshold to the 4D PET, a Biological Internal Target Volume (BITV) was generated for each lesion. A gated Planning Target Volume (PTVg) was created by adding 3 mm to account for set-up margins. This volume was compared to a manual Planning Target Volume (PTV) delineated with the help of a semi-automatic Biological Target Volume (BTV) obtained from the non-gated exam. A 5 mm radial and a 10 mm craniocaudal margins were applied to account for tumor motion and set-up margins to create the PTV. One undiagnosed liver metastasis was discovered thanks to the 4D PET. The semi-automatic BTV were significantly smaller than the BITV (p = 0.0031). However, after applying adapted margins, 4D PET allowed a statistically significant decrease in the PTVg as compared to the PTV (p = 0.0052). In comparison to non-gated PET, 4D PET may better define the respiratory movements of liver targets and improve SBRT planning for liver metastases. Furthermore, non respiratory-gated PET exams can both misdiagnose liver metastases and underestimate the real internal target volumes

  20. Response to events involving the inadvertent movement or illicit trafficking of radioactive materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2002-09-01

    By international agreements, the movement of all radioactive materials within and between States should be subject to high standards of regulatory, administrative, safety and engineering controls to ensure that such movements are conducted in a safe and secure manner. In the case of nuclear materials, there are additional requirements for physical protection and accountability to ensure against threats of nuclear proliferation and to safeguard against any attempts at diversion. The results of the terrorist attacks of September 2001 emphasized the requirement for enhanced control and security of nuclear and radioactive materials. In this regard, measures are being taken to increase the global levels of physical protection and security for nuclear materials. Experience in many parts of the world continues to prove that movements of radioactive materials outside of the regulatory and legal frameworks continue to occur. Such movements may be either deliberate or inadvertent. Deliberate, illegal movements of radioactive materials, including nuclear material, for terrorist, political or illegal profit is generally understood to be illicit trafficking. The more common movements outside of regulatory control are inadvertent in nature. An example of an inadvertent movement might be the transport of steel contaminated by a melted radioactive source that was lost from proper controls. Such a shipment may present health and safety threats to the personnel involved as well as to the general public. States have the responsibility for combating illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements of radioactive materials. The IAEA co-operates with Member States and other international organizations in joint efforts to prevent incidents of illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements and to harmonize policies and measures by the provision of relevant advice through technical assistance and documents. As an example, the IAEA and the World Customs Organization (WCO) maintain a Memorandum

  1. Response to events involving the inadvertent movement or illicit trafficking of radioactive materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2004-08-01

    By international agreements, the movement of all radioactive materials within and between States should be subject to high standards of regulatory, administrative, safety and engineering controls to ensure that such movements are conducted in a safe and secure manner. In the case of nuclear materials, there are additional requirements for physical protection and accountability to ensure against threats of nuclear proliferation and to safeguard against any attempts at diversion. The results of the terrorist attacks of September 2001 emphasized the requirement for enhanced control and security of nuclear and radioactive materials. In this regard, measures are being taken to increase the global levels of physical protection and security for nuclear materials. Experience in many parts of the world continues to prove that movements of radioactive materials outside of the regulatory and legal frameworks continue to occur. Such movements may be either deliberate or inadvertent. Deliberate, illegal movements of radioactive materials, including nuclear material, for terrorist, political or illegal profit is generally understood to be illicit trafficking. The more common movements outside of regulatory control are inadvertent in nature. An example of an inadvertent movement might be the transport of steel contaminated by a melted radioactive source that was lost from proper controls. Such a shipment may present health and safety threats to the personnel involved as well as to the general public. States have the responsibility for combating illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements of radioactive materials. The IAEA co-operates with Member States and other international organizations in joint efforts to prevent incidents of illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements and to harmonize policies and measures by the provision of relevant advice through technical assistance and documents. As an example, the IAEA and the World Customs Organization (WCO) maintain a Memorandum

  2. Response to events involving the inadvertent movement or illicit trafficking of radioactive materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2002-08-01

    By international agreements, the movement of all radioactive materials within and between States should be subject to high standards of regulatory, administrative, safety and engineering controls to ensure that such movements are conducted in a safe and secure manner. In the case of nuclear materials, there are additional requirements for physical protection and accountability to ensure against threats of nuclear proliferation and to safeguard against any attempts at diversion. The results of the terrorist attacks of September 2001 emphasized the requirement for enhanced control and security of nuclear and radioactive materials. In this regard, measures are being taken to increase the global levels of physical protection and security for nuclear materials. Experience in many parts of the world continues to prove that movements of radioactive materials outside of the regulatory and legal frameworks continue to occur. Such movements may be either deliberate or inadvertent. Deliberate, illegal movements of radioactive materials, including nuclear material, for terrorist, political or illegal profit is generally understood to be illicit trafficking. The more common movements outside of regulatory control are inadvertent in nature. An example of an inadvertent movement might be the transport of steel contaminated by a melted radioactive source that was lost from proper controls. Such a shipment may present health and safety threats to the personnel involved as well as to the general public. States have the responsibility for combating illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements of radioactive materials. The IAEA co-operates with Member States and other international organizations in joint efforts to prevent incidents of illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements and to harmonize policies and measures by the provision of relevant advice through technical assistance and documents. As an example, the IAEA and the World Customs Organization (WCO) maintain a Memorandum

  3. Response to events involving the inadvertent movement or illicit trafficking of radioactive materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2003-08-01

    By international agreements, the movement of all radioactive materials within and between States should be subject to high standards of regulatory, administrative, safety and engineering controls to ensure that such movements are conducted in a safe and secure manner. In the case of nuclear materials, there are additional requirements for physical protection and accountability to ensure against threats of nuclear proliferation and to safeguard against any attempts at diversion. The results of the terrorist attacks of September 2001 emphasized the requirement for enhanced control and security of nuclear and radioactive materials. In this regard, measures are being taken to increase the global levels of physical protection and security for nuclear materials. Experience in many parts of the world continues to prove that movements of radioactive materials outside of the regulatory and legal frameworks continue to occur. Such movements may be either deliberate or inadvertent. Deliberate, illegal movements of radioactive materials, including nuclear material, for terrorist, political or illegal profit is generally understood to be illicit trafficking. The more common movements outside of regulatory control are inadvertent in nature. An example of an inadvertent movement might be the transport of steel contaminated by a melted radioactive source that was lost from proper controls. Such a shipment may present health and safety threats to the personnel involved as well as to the general public. States have the responsibility for combating illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements of radioactive materials. The IAEA co-operates with Member States and other international organizations in joint efforts to prevent incidents of illicit trafficking and inadvertent movements and to harmonize policies and measures by the provision of relevant advice through technical assistance and documents. As an example, the IAEA and the World Customs Organization (WCO) maintain a Memorandum

  4. The effect of a robot-assisted surgical system on the kinematics of user movements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nisky, Ilana; Hsieh, Michael H; Okamura, Allison M

    2013-01-01

    Teleoperated robot-assisted surgery (RAS) offers many advantages over traditional minimally invasive surgery. However, RAS has not yet realized its full potential, and it is not clear how to optimally train surgeons to use these systems. We hypothesize that the dynamics of the master manipulator impact the ability of users to make desired movements with the robot. We compared freehand and teleoperated movements of novices and experienced surgeons. To isolate the effects of dynamics from procedural knowledge, we chose simple movements rather than surgical tasks. We found statistically significant effects of teleoperation and user expertise in several aspects of motion, including target acquisition error, movement speed, and movement smoothness. Such quantitative assessment of human motor performance in RAS can impact the design of surgical robots, their control, and surgeon training methods, and eventually, improve patient outcomes.

  5. Language-driven anticipatory eye movements in virtual reality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eichert, Nicole; Peeters, David; Hagoort, Peter

    2018-06-01

    Predictive language processing is often studied by measuring eye movements as participants look at objects on a computer screen while they listen to spoken sentences. This variant of the visual-world paradigm has revealed that information encountered by a listener at a spoken verb can give rise to anticipatory eye movements to a target object, which is taken to indicate that people predict upcoming words. The ecological validity of such findings remains questionable, however, because these computer experiments used two-dimensional stimuli that were mere abstractions of real-world objects. Here we present a visual-world paradigm study in a three-dimensional (3-D) immersive virtual reality environment. Despite significant changes in the stimulus materials and the different mode of stimulus presentation, language-mediated anticipatory eye movements were still observed. These findings thus indicate that people do predict upcoming words during language comprehension in a more naturalistic setting where natural depth cues are preserved. Moreover, the results confirm the feasibility of using eyetracking in rich and multimodal 3-D virtual environments.

  6. The debate on globalization and international revitalization of labour

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Søborg, Henrik

    2014-01-01

    The Article discusses some alternative or critical theoretical contributions regarding globalization and labour. The main question is if there are changes in direction of a possible revitalization of labour movements and if international solidarity can increase due to globalization.......The Article discusses some alternative or critical theoretical contributions regarding globalization and labour. The main question is if there are changes in direction of a possible revitalization of labour movements and if international solidarity can increase due to globalization....

  7. Definition of internal target volume and domestric study for hepatocellular carcinoma using four-dimensional CT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xi Mian; Liu Mengzhong; Deng Xiaowu; Zhang Li; Huang Xiaoyan; Cai Ling

    2009-01-01

    Objective: To define individualized internal target volume (ITV) for hepatocellular carcinoma using four-dimensional (4D) CT, and to compare the differences in target volume definition and dose distribution among 3D, 4D and respiratory-gated plans. Methods: 4DCT scanning was obtained for 12 patients with hepatocellular. Gross tumor volume (GTV), clinical target volume (CTV) and normal tissues were contoured on all 10 respiratory phases of 4DCT images. The 3D, 4D and gated treatment plans were prepared for each patient using three different planning target volumes (PTVs): 1) PTV 3D was derived from a single CTV plus conventional margins; 2) PTV 4D was derived from ITV 4D , which encompassed all 10 CTVs plus setup margins (SMs); 3) PT Gating was derived from ITV Gating , which encompassed 3 CTVs within gating-window at end-expiration plus SMs. The PTV volume and dose distribution were compared among different plans. Results: The PTV3D was the largest in all 12 patients, but still missed partial target volume in 5 patients when comparing with PTV4D. Both the 4D plans and the gated plans spared more normal tissues than the 3D plans, especially the liver. Without increasing normal tissue dose, the 4D plans allowed for increasing the calculated dose from (50.8 ± 2.0) Gy (3D plans) to (54.7 ± 3.3) Gy, and the gated plans could further increase the dose to (58.0 ± 3.9) Gy. Conclusions: The 4DCT-based plans can ensure optimal target coverage with less irradiation of normal tissues and allow dose escalation when compared with 3D plans. Respiratory gated radiotherapy can further reduce the target volumes to spare more surrounding tissues, especially for patients with large extent of respiratory mobility. (authors)

  8. Comfortable synchronization of cyclic drawing movements with a metronome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Repp, Bruno H

    2011-02-01

    Continuous circle drawing is considered a paragon of emergent timing, whereas the timing of finger tapping is said to be event-based. Synchronization with a metronome, however, must to some extent be event-based for both types of movement. Because the target events in the movement trajectory are more poorly defined in circle drawing than in tapping, circle drawing shows more variable asynchronies with a metronome than does tapping. One factor that may have contributed to high variability in past studies is that circle size, drawing direction, and target point were prescribed and perhaps outside the comfort range. In the present study, participants were free to choose most comfortable settings of these parameters for two continuously drawn shapes, circles and infinity signs, while synchronizing with a regular or intermittently perturbed metronome at four different tempi. Results showed that preferred circle sizes were generally smaller than in previous studies but tended to increase as tempo decreased. Synchronization results were similar for circles and infinity signs, and similar to earlier results for circles drawn within a fixed template (Repp & Steinman, 2010). Comparison with tapping data still showed drawing to exhibit much greater variability and persistence of asynchronies as well as slower phase correction in response to phase shifts in the metronome. With comfort level ruled out as a factor, these differences can now be attributed more confidently to differences in event definition and/or movement dynamics. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Quiet Eye Duration Is Responsive to Variability of Practice and to the Axis of Target Changes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horn, Robert R.; Okumura, Michelle S.; Alexander, Melissa G. F.; Gardin, Fredrick A.; Sylvester, Curtis T.

    2012-01-01

    We tested the hypothesis that quiet eye, the final fixation before the initiation of a movement in aiming tasks, is used to scale the movement's parameters. Two groups of 12 participants (N = 24) threw darts to targets in the horizontal and vertical axes under conditions of higher (random) or lower (blocked) target variability. Supporting our…

  10. CUE: counterfeit-resistant usable eye movement-based authentication via oculomotor plant characteristics and complex eye movement patterns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Komogortsev, Oleg V.; Karpov, Alexey; Holland, Corey D.

    2012-06-01

    The widespread use of computers throughout modern society introduces the necessity for usable and counterfeit-resistant authentication methods to ensure secure access to personal resources such as bank accounts, e-mail, and social media. Current authentication methods require tedious memorization of lengthy pass phrases, are often prone to shouldersurfing, and may be easily replicated (either by counterfeiting parts of the human body or by guessing an authentication token based on readily available information). This paper describes preliminary work toward a counterfeit-resistant usable eye movement-based (CUE) authentication method. CUE does not require any passwords (improving the memorability aspect of the authentication system), and aims to provide high resistance to spoofing and shoulder-surfing by employing the combined biometric capabilities of two behavioral biometric traits: 1) oculomotor plant characteristics (OPC) which represent the internal, non-visible, anatomical structure of the eye; 2) complex eye movement patterns (CEM) which represent the strategies employed by the brain to guide visual attention. Both OPC and CEM are extracted from the eye movement signal provided by an eye tracking system. Preliminary results indicate that the fusion of OPC and CEM traits is capable of providing a 30% reduction in authentication error when compared to the authentication accuracy of individual traits.

  11. Movement - uncontrolled or slow

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dystonia; Involuntary slow and twisting movements; Choreoathetosis; Leg and arm movements - uncontrollable; Arm and leg movements - uncontrollable; Slow involuntary movements of large muscle groups; Athetoid movements

  12. Reduced cost design of liquid lithium target for international fusion material irradiation facility (IFMIF)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakamura, Hiroo; Ida, Mizuho; Sugimoto, Masayoshi; Takeuchi, Hiroshi; Yutani, Toshiaki

    2001-01-01

    The International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF) is being jointly planned to provide an accelerator-based D-Li neutron source to produce intense high energy neutrons (2 MW/m 2 ) up to 200 dpa and a sufficient irradiation volume (500 cm 3 ) for testing the candidate materials and components up to about a full lifetime of their anticipated use in ITER and DEMO. To realize such a condition, 40 MeV deuteron beam with a current of 250 mA is injected into high speed liquid lithium flow with a speed of 20 m/s. Following Conceptual Design Activity (1995-1998), a design study with focus on cost reduction without changing its original mission has been done in 1999. The following major changes to the CAD target design have been considered in the study and included in the new design: i) number of the Li target has been changed from 2 to 1, ii) spare of impurity traps of the Li loop was removed although the spare will be stored in a laboratory for quick exchange, iii) building volume was reduced via design changes in lithium loop length. This paper describes the reduced cost design of the lithium target system and recent status of Key Element Technology activities. (author)

  13. Internal damping due to dislocation movements induced by thermal expansion mismatch between matrix and particles in metal matrix composites. [Al/SiC

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Girand, C.; Lormand, G.; Fougeres, R.; Vincent, A. (GEMPPM, Villeurbanne (France))

    1993-05-01

    In metal matrix composites (MMCs), the mechanical 1 of the reinforcement-matrix interface is an important parameter because it governs the load transfer from matrix to particles, from which the mechanical properties of these materials are derived. Therefore, it would be useful to set out an experimental method able to characterize the interface and the adjacent matrix behaviors. Thus, a study has been undertaken by means of internal damping (I.D.) measurements, which are well known to be very sensitive for studying irreversible displacements at the atomic scale. More especially, this investigation is based on the fact that, during cooling of MMC's, stress concentrations originating from differences in coefficients of thermal expansion (C.T.E.) of matrix and particles should induce dislocation movements in the matrix surrounding the reinforcement; that is, local microplastic strains occur. Therefore, during I.D. measurements vs temperature these movements should contribute to MMCs I.D. in a process similar to those involved around first order phase transitions in solids. The aim of this paper is to present, in the case of Al/SiC particulate composites, new developments of this approach that has previously led to promising results in the case of Al-Si alloys.

  14. Auditory and Visual Memories in PTSD Patients Targeted with Eye Movements and Counting: The Effect of Modality-Specific Loading of Working Memory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suzy J. M. A. Matthijssen

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR therapy is an evidence-based treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD. A key element of this therapy is simultaneously recalling an emotionally disturbing memory and performing a dual task that loads working memory. Memories targeted with this therapy are mainly visual, though there is some evidence that auditory memories can also be targeted.Objective: The present study tested whether auditory memories can be targeted with EMDR in PTSD patients. A second objective was to test whether taxing the patient (performing a dual task while recalling a memory in a modality specific way (auditory demanding for auditory memories and visually demanding for visual memories was more effective in reducing the emotionality experienced than taxing in cross-modality.Methods: Thirty-six patients diagnosed with PTSD were asked to recall two disturbing memories, one mainly visual, the other one mainly auditory. They rated the emotionality of the memories before being exposed to any condition. Both memories were then recalled under three alternating conditions [visual taxation, auditory taxation, and a control condition (CC, which comprised staring a non-moving dot] – counterbalanced in order – and patients rerated emotionality after each condition.Results: All three conditions were equally effective in reducing the emotionality of the auditory memory. Auditory loading was more effective in reducing the emotionality in the visual intrusion than the CC, but did not differ from the visual load.Conclusion: Auditory and visual aversive memories were less emotional after working memory taxation (WMT. This has some clinical implications for EMDR therapy, where mainly visual intrusions are targeted. In this study, there was no benefit of modality specificity. Further fundamental research should be conducted to specify the best protocol for WMT.

  15. Auditory and Visual Memories in PTSD Patients Targeted with Eye Movements and Counting: The Effect of Modality-Specific Loading of Working Memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matthijssen, Suzy J M A; Verhoeven, Liselotte C M; van den Hout, Marcel A; Heitland, Ivo

    2017-01-01

    Introduction: Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an evidence-based treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A key element of this therapy is simultaneously recalling an emotionally disturbing memory and performing a dual task that loads working memory. Memories targeted with this therapy are mainly visual, though there is some evidence that auditory memories can also be targeted. Objective: The present study tested whether auditory memories can be targeted with EMDR in PTSD patients. A second objective was to test whether taxing the patient (performing a dual task while recalling a memory) in a modality specific way (auditory demanding for auditory memories and visually demanding for visual memories) was more effective in reducing the emotionality experienced than taxing in cross-modality. Methods: Thirty-six patients diagnosed with PTSD were asked to recall two disturbing memories, one mainly visual, the other one mainly auditory. They rated the emotionality of the memories before being exposed to any condition. Both memories were then recalled under three alternating conditions [visual taxation, auditory taxation, and a control condition (CC), which comprised staring a non-moving dot] - counterbalanced in order - and patients rerated emotionality after each condition. Results: All three conditions were equally effective in reducing the emotionality of the auditory memory. Auditory loading was more effective in reducing the emotionality in the visual intrusion than the CC, but did not differ from the visual load. Conclusion: Auditory and visual aversive memories were less emotional after working memory taxation (WMT). This has some clinical implications for EMDR therapy, where mainly visual intrusions are targeted. In this study, there was no benefit of modality specificity. Further fundamental research should be conducted to specify the best protocol for WMT.

  16. Combined Influence of Visual Scene and Body Tilt on Arm Pointing Movements: Gravity Matters!

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scotto Di Cesare, Cécile; Sarlegna, Fabrice R.; Bourdin, Christophe; Mestre, Daniel R.; Bringoux, Lionel

    2014-01-01

    Performing accurate actions such as goal-directed arm movements requires taking into account visual and body orientation cues to localize the target in space and produce appropriate reaching motor commands. We experimentally tilted the body and/or the visual scene to investigate how visual and body orientation cues are combined for the control of unseen arm movements. Subjects were asked to point toward a visual target using an upward movement during slow body and/or visual scene tilts. When the scene was tilted, final pointing errors varied as a function of the direction of the scene tilt (forward or backward). Actual forward body tilt resulted in systematic target undershoots, suggesting that the brain may have overcompensated for the biomechanical movement facilitation arising from body tilt. Combined body and visual scene tilts also affected final pointing errors according to the orientation of the visual scene. The data were further analysed using either a body-centered or a gravity-centered reference frame to encode visual scene orientation with simple additive models (i.e., ‘combined’ tilts equal to the sum of ‘single’ tilts). We found that the body-centered model could account only for some of the data regarding kinematic parameters and final errors. In contrast, the gravity-centered modeling in which the body and visual scene orientations were referred to vertical could explain all of these data. Therefore, our findings suggest that the brain uses gravity, thanks to its invariant properties, as a reference for the combination of visual and non-visual cues. PMID:24925371

  17. The line copy task for kinesthesia and internal movement representation: application in children.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Smits-Engelsman, B.C.M.; Duysens, J.E.J.

    2008-01-01

    In the present study a new test is proposed and tested, which requires ability to use information both from kinesthesia and from mental rotation of previously produced cyclic movements over a distinct trajectory. This Line Copy Test (LICT) was performed by 58 children aged 7-11 years. For the

  18. Targeted therapies for bone sarcomas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mudry, P.

    2011-01-01

    Therapy success in bone sarcoma is significantly better compared to history cohorts with 60 - 70 % overall survival to date. Unfortunately, there is yet no shift and movement in better survival of patients with relapsed and refractory bone sarcomas during last twenty years. This article reviews targeted therapeutics for bone sarcomas which are under investigation and which could give chance to patients suffering from relapsed and chemo resistant bone sarcomas. Majority of the targeted drugs are given as part of phase 1 or 2 studies. (author)

  19. Participation, Democracy and Freedom Centered on Solidarity Economy . The Effectiveness of Labor Standard in Ibero-America , from the Social Movements and Social Movements Theories

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Everaldo Gaspar Lopes de Andrade

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The theme effectiveness of labor standard in space even though it appears from those that make up the foundations of the Labour Law or his General Theory, classical scholars do not give them due attention. Still, when he refers, but included in that dimension of importance, they do to portray which standard to apply to the hired worker to provide services outside the country; or those who were transferred provisionally or permanently, and ultimately to resolve conflicts involving specific professional categories. This study aims to give an analytical and categorical treatment to the effectiveness of labor standards in space, to the extent that out as a theme linked to the philosophical discourse of modernity, the universal / legitimation of free / paid employment and receipt of this in advance by calling organizations and international cooperation, as well as the regulations dictated by the European Union and Mercosur. The study aims to establish a different narrative: put face to face the normative regulation / enforcement and universal absolute arising from modern legal-labor system and social movements of libertarian roots that will be triggered by the new labor internationalism. Aims to unravel the apparent harmony between capital and labor and demonstrate the intrinsic and inherent class antagonism. Social movements and theories of social movements form the basis of this theoretical-dogmatic reconfiguration, in order to privilege the Solidarity Economy in Iberoamerica.

  20. Proprioceptive rehabilitation of upper limb dysfunction in movement disorders: a clinical perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giovanni eAbbruzzese

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Movement disorders are frequently associated with sensory abnormalities. In particular, proprioceptive deficits have been largely documented in both hypokinetic (Parkinson’s disease and hyperkinetic conditions (dystonia suggesting a possible role in their pathophysiology. Proprioceptive feedback is a fundamental component of sensorimotor integration allowing effective planning and execution of voluntary movements. Rehabilitation has become an essential element in the management of patients with movement disorders and there is a strong rationale to include proprioceptive training in rehabilitation protocols focused on mobility problems of the upper limbs. Proprioceptive training is aimed at improving the integration of proprioceptive signals using task intrinsic or augmented feedback. This perspective article reviews the available evidences on the effects of proprioceptive stimulation in improving upper limb mobility in patients with movement disorders and highlights the emerging innovative approaches targeted to maximizing the benefits of exercise by means of enhanced proprioception.

  1. Object-based processes in the planning of goal-directed hand movements

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bekkering, H.; Pratt, J.

    2004-01-01

    Theories in motor control suggest that the parameters specified during the planning of goal-directed hand movements to a visual target are defined in spatial parameters like direction and amplitude. Recent findings in the visual attention literature, however, argue widely for early object-based

  2. Basal ganglia neuronal activity during scanning eye movements in Parkinson's disease.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tomáš Sieger

    Full Text Available The oculomotor role of the basal ganglia has been supported by extensive evidence, although their role in scanning eye movements is poorly understood. Nineteen Parkinsońs disease patients, which underwent implantation of deep brain stimulation electrodes, were investigated with simultaneous intraoperative microelectrode recordings and single channel electrooculography in a scanning eye movement task by viewing a series of colored pictures selected from the International Affective Picture System. Four patients additionally underwent a visually guided saccade task. Microelectrode recordings were analyzed selectively from the subthalamic nucleus, substantia nigra pars reticulata and from the globus pallidus by the WaveClus program which allowed for detection and sorting of individual neurons. The relationship between neuronal firing rate and eye movements was studied by crosscorrelation analysis. Out of 183 neurons that were detected, 130 were found in the subthalamic nucleus, 30 in the substantia nigra and 23 in the globus pallidus. Twenty percent of the neurons in each of these structures showed eye movement-related activity. Neurons related to scanning eye movements were mostly unrelated to the visually guided saccades. We conclude that a relatively large number of basal ganglia neurons are involved in eye motion control. Surprisingly, neurons related to scanning eye movements differed from neurons activated during saccades suggesting functional specialization and segregation of both systems for eye movement control.

  3. Basal ganglia neuronal activity during scanning eye movements in Parkinson's disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sieger, Tomáš; Bonnet, Cecilia; Serranová, Tereza; Wild, Jiří; Novák, Daniel; Růžička, Filip; Urgošík, Dušan; Růžička, Evžen; Gaymard, Bertrand; Jech, Robert

    2013-01-01

    The oculomotor role of the basal ganglia has been supported by extensive evidence, although their role in scanning eye movements is poorly understood. Nineteen Parkinsońs disease patients, which underwent implantation of deep brain stimulation electrodes, were investigated with simultaneous intraoperative microelectrode recordings and single channel electrooculography in a scanning eye movement task by viewing a series of colored pictures selected from the International Affective Picture System. Four patients additionally underwent a visually guided saccade task. Microelectrode recordings were analyzed selectively from the subthalamic nucleus, substantia nigra pars reticulata and from the globus pallidus by the WaveClus program which allowed for detection and sorting of individual neurons. The relationship between neuronal firing rate and eye movements was studied by crosscorrelation analysis. Out of 183 neurons that were detected, 130 were found in the subthalamic nucleus, 30 in the substantia nigra and 23 in the globus pallidus. Twenty percent of the neurons in each of these structures showed eye movement-related activity. Neurons related to scanning eye movements were mostly unrelated to the visually guided saccades. We conclude that a relatively large number of basal ganglia neurons are involved in eye motion control. Surprisingly, neurons related to scanning eye movements differed from neurons activated during saccades suggesting functional specialization and segregation of both systems for eye movement control.

  4. The Phonetics of Head and Body Movement in the Realization of American Sign Language Signs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tyrone, Martha E; Mauk, Claude E

    2016-01-01

    Because the primary articulators for sign languages are the hands, sign phonology and phonetics have focused mainly on them and treated other articulators as passive targets. However, there is abundant research on the role of nonmanual articulators in sign language grammar and prosody. The current study examines how hand and head/body movements are coordinated to realize phonetic targets. Kinematic data were collected from 5 deaf American Sign Language (ASL) signers to allow the analysis of movements of the hands, head and body during signing. In particular, we examine how the chin, forehead and torso move during the production of ASL signs at those three phonological locations. Our findings suggest that for signs with a lexical movement toward the head, the forehead and chin move to facilitate convergence with the hand. By comparison, the torso does not move to facilitate convergence with the hand for signs located at the torso. These results imply that the nonmanual articulators serve a phonetic as well as a grammatical or prosodic role in sign languages. Future models of sign phonetics and phonology should take into consideration the movements of the nonmanual articulators in the realization of signs. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  5. Rating Scales for Movement Disorders With Sleep Disturbances: A Narrative Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodríguez-Blázquez, Carmen; Forjaz, Maria João; Kurtis, Monica M.; Balestrino, Roberta; Martinez-Martin, Pablo

    2018-01-01

    Introduction: In recent years, a wide variety of rating scales and questionnaires for movement disorders have been developed and published, making reviews on their contents, and attributes convenient for the potential users. Sleep disorders are frequently present in movement disorders, and some movement disorders are accompanied by specific sleep difficulties. Aim: The aim of this study is to perform a narrative review of the most frequently used rating scales for movement disorders with sleep problems, with special attention to those recommended by the International Parkinson and Movement Disorders Society. Methods: Online databases (PubMed, SCOPUS, Web of Science, Google Scholar), related references from papers and websites and personal files were searched for information on comprehensive or global rating scales which assessed sleep disturbances in the following movement disorders: akathisia, chorea, dystonia, essential tremor, myoclonus, multiple system atrophy, Parkinson's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, and tics and Tourette syndrome. For each rating scale, its objective and characteristics, as well as a summary of its psychometric properties and recommendations of use are described. Results: From 22 rating scales identified for the selected movement disorders, only 5 included specific questions on sleep problems. Movement Disorders Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating scale (MDS-UPDRS), Non-Motor Symptoms Scale and Questionnaire (NMSS and NMSQuest), Scales for Outcomes in Parkinson's Disease (SCOPA)-Autonomic and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Rating Scale (PSPRS) were the only rating scales that included items for assessing sleep disturbances. Conclusions: Despite sleep problems are frequent in movement disorders, very few of the rating scales addresses these specific symptoms. This may contribute to an infra diagnosis and mistreatment of the sleep problems in patients with movement disorders.

  6. White Matter Injury and General Movements in High-Risk Preterm Infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peyton, C; Yang, E; Msall, M E; Adde, L; Støen, R; Fjørtoft, T; Bos, A F; Einspieler, C; Zhou, Y; Schreiber, M D; Marks, J D; Drobyshevsky, A

    2017-01-01

    Very preterm infants (birth weight, cognitive and motor impairment, including cerebral palsy. These adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes are associated with white matter abnormalities on MR imaging at term-equivalent age. Cerebral palsy has been predicted by analysis of spontaneous movements in the infant termed "General Movement Assessment." The goal of this study was to determine the utility of General Movement Assessment in predicting adverse cognitive, language, and motor outcomes in very preterm infants and to identify brain imaging markers associated with both adverse outcomes and aberrant general movements. In this prospective study of 47 preterm infants of 24-30 weeks' gestation, brain MR imaging was performed at term-equivalent age. Infants underwent T1- and T2-weighted imaging for volumetric analysis and DTI. General movements were assessed at 10-15 weeks' postterm age, and neurodevelopmental outcomes were evaluated at 2 years by using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development III. Nine infants had aberrant general movements and were more likely to have adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes, compared with infants with normal movements. In infants with aberrant movements, Tract-Based Spatial Statistics analysis identified significantly lower fractional anisotropy in widespread white matter tracts, including the corpus callosum, inferior longitudinal and fronto-occipital fasciculi, internal capsule, and optic radiation. The subset of infants having both aberrant movements and abnormal neurodevelopmental outcomes in cognitive, language, and motor skills had significantly lower fractional anisotropy in specific brain regions. Aberrant general movements at 10-15 weeks' postterm are associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes and specific white matter microstructure abnormalities for cognitive, language, and motor delays. © 2017 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.

  7. Delineation of Internal Mammary Nodal Target Volumes in Breast Cancer Radiation Therapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jethwa, Krishan R.; Kahila, Mohamed M. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota (United States); Hunt, Katie N. [Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota (United States); Brown, Lindsay C.; Corbin, Kimberly S.; Park, Sean S.; Yan, Elizabeth S. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota (United States); Boughey, Judy C. [Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota (United States); Mutter, Robert W., E-mail: mutter.robert@mayo.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota (United States)

    2017-03-15

    Purpose: The optimal clinical target volume for internal mammary (IM) node irradiation is uncertain in an era of increasingly conformal volume-based treatment planning for breast cancer. We mapped the location of gross internal mammary lymph node (IMN) metastases to identify areas at highest risk of harboring occult disease. Methods and Materials: Patients with axial imaging of IMN disease were identified from a breast cancer registry. The IMN location was transferred onto the corresponding anatomic position on representative axial computed tomography images of a patient in the treatment position and compared with consensus group guidelines of IMN target delineation. Results: The IMN location in 67 patients with 130 IMN metastases was mapped. The location was in the first 3 intercostal spaces in 102 of 130 nodal metastases (78%), whereas 18 of 130 IMNs (14%) were located caudal to the third intercostal space and 10 of 130 IMNs (8%) were located cranial to the first intercostal space. Of the 102 nodal metastases within the first 3 intercostal spaces, 54 (53%) were located within the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group consensus volume. Relative to the IM vessels, 19 nodal metastases (19%) were located medially with a mean distance of 2.2 mm (SD, 2.9 mm) whereas 29 (28%) were located laterally with a mean distance of 3.6 mm (SD, 2.5 mm). Ninety percent of lymph nodes within the first 3 intercostal spaces would have been encompassed within a 4-mm medial and lateral expansion on the IM vessels. Conclusions: In women with indications for elective IMN irradiation, a 4-mm medial and lateral expansion on the IM vessels may be appropriate. In women with known IMN involvement, cranial extension to the confluence of the IM vein with the brachiocephalic vein with or without caudal extension to the fourth or fifth interspace may be considered provided that normal tissue constraints are met.

  8. International Nuclear Target Development Society workshop 1983: proceedings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thomas, G.

    1983-01-01

    Separate abstracts were prepared for 11 of the 19 papers presented. Eight papers were previously included in the data base. Discussion group session papers on carbon stripper foils, problems in producing heavy-ion targets, and problems in producing general type targets are included

  9. Athletic groin pain (part 2): a prospective cohort study on the biomechanical evaluation of change of direction identifies three clusters of movement patterns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Franklyn-Miller, A; Richter, C; King, E; Gore, S; Moran, K; Strike, S; Falvey, E C

    2017-01-01

    Background Athletic groin pain (AGP) is prevalent in sports involving repeated accelerations, decelerations, kicking and change-of-direction movements. Clinical and radiological examinations lack the ability to assess pathomechanics of AGP, but three-dimensional biomechanical movement analysis may be an important innovation. Aim The primary aim was to describe and analyse movements used by patients with AGP during a maximum effort change-of-direction task. The secondary aim was to determine if specific anatomical diagnoses were related to a distinct movement strategy. Methods 322 athletes with a current symptom of chronic AGP participated. Structured and standardised clinical assessments and radiological examinations were performed on all participants. Additionally, each participant performed multiple repetitions of a planned maximum effort change-of-direction task during which whole body kinematics were recorded. Kinematic and kinetic data were examined using continuous waveform analysis techniques in combination with a subgroup design that used gap statistic and hierarchical clustering. Results Three subgroups (clusters) were identified. Kinematic and kinetic measures of the clusters differed strongly in patterns observed in thorax, pelvis, hip, knee and ankle. Cluster 1 (40%) was characterised by increased ankle eversion, external rotation and knee internal rotation and greater knee work. Cluster 2 (15%) was characterised by increased hip flexion, pelvis contralateral drop, thorax tilt and increased hip work. Cluster 3 (45%) was characterised by high ankle dorsiflexion, thorax contralateral drop, ankle work and prolonged ground contact time. No correlation was observed between movement clusters and clinically palpated location of the participant's pain. Conclusions We identified three distinct movement strategies among athletes with long-standing groin pain during a maximum effort change-of-direction task These movement strategies were not related to clinical

  10. Human arm stiffness and equilibrium-point trajectory during multi-joint movement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomi, H; Kawato, M

    1997-03-01

    By using a newly designed high-performance manipulandum and a new estimation algorithm, we measured human multi-joint arm stiffness parameters during multi-joint point-to-point movements on a horizontal plane. This manipulandum allows us to apply a sufficient perturbation to subject's arm within a brief period during movement. Arm stiffness parameters were reliably estimated using a new algorithm, in which all unknown structural parameters could be estimated independent of arm posture (i.e., constant values under any arm posture). Arm stiffness during transverse movement was considerably greater than that during corresponding posture, but not during a longitudinal movement. Although the ratios of elbow, shoulder, and double-joint stiffness were varied in time, the orientation of stiffness ellipses during the movement did not change much. Equilibrium-point trajectories that were predicted from measured stiffness parameters and actual trajectories were slightly sinusoidally curved in Cartesian space and their velocity profiles were quite different from the velocity profiles of actual hand trajectories. This result contradicts the hypothesis that the brain does not take the dynamics into account in movement control depending on the neuromuscular servo mechanism; rather, it implies that the brain needs to acquire some internal models of controlled objects.

  11. Measurement of prostate movement over the course of routine radiotherapy using implanted markers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balter, James M.; Sandler, Howard M.; Lam, Kwok; Bree, Robert L.; Lichter, Allen S.; Haken, Randall K. ten

    1995-01-01

    Purpose: To measure the range and frequency of occurrence of intertreatment movement of the prostate gland over the course of radiotherapy, and to demonstrate that the prostate may move independently of the surrounding bones of the pelvis. Methods and Materials: Ten patients underwent implantation of radiopaque markers around the prostate. Orthogonal portal films were taken at multiple stages during the course of treatment and digitized. An image registration tool was used to solve for film detector placement and, subsequently, to determine positional changes between structures on a reference portal image pair and all subsequent pairs for each patient. Transformations describing prostate movement were measured independently of those describing setup variations of the pelvic girdle. Results: Translation and/or rotation of the prostate was detected in 70% of the treatments for which films were taken. The maximum measured displacement was 7.5 mm along a major axis. Typical translations of the prostate were between 0-4 mm. The translation and rotation had a predominant direction, suggesting a natural axis for prostate movement. Conclusion: Although significant prostate displacement can occur between treatments, the typical range of movement seen along a major axis was less than 5 mm. Proper treatment planning should consider the movement of the target independent of surrounding bony anatomy. Advances in online portal imaging, image registration, and dynamic field shaping may permit shaped fields that encompass the prostate gland in its position at the time of treatment, allowing for the use of smaller fields while ensuring proper target coverage

  12. Training of goal directed arm movements with motion interactive video games in children with cerebral palsy - a kinematic evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sandlund, Marlene; Domellöf, Erik; Grip, Helena; Rönnqvist, Louise; Häger, Charlotte K

    2014-10-01

    The main aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of goal-directed arm movements in 15 children with cerebral palsy (CP) following four weeks of home-based training with motion interactive video games. A further aim was to investigate the applicability and characteristics of kinematic parameters in a virtual context in comparison to a physical context. Kinematics and kinetics were captured while the children performed arm movements directed towards both virtual and physical targets. The children's movement precision improved, their centre of pressure paths decreased, as did the variability in maximal shoulder angles when reaching for virtual objects. Transfer to a situation with physical targets was mainly indicated by increased movement smoothness. Training with motion interactive games seems to improve arm motor control in children with CP. The results highlight the importance of considering both the context and the task itself when investigating kinematic parameters.

  13. International Nuclear Target Development Society workshop 1983: proceedings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thomas, G. (ed.)

    1983-01-01

    Separate abstracts were prepared for 11 of the 19 papers presented. Eight papers were previously included in the data base. Discussion group session papers on carbon stripper foils, problems in producing heavy-ion targets, and problems in producing general type targets are included. (WHK)

  14. Methodological Aspects of Cognitive Rehabilitation with Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Afsaneh Zarghi

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available A variety of nervous system components such as medulla, pons, midbrain, cerebellum, basal ganglia, parietal, frontal and occipital lobes have role in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR processes. The eye movement is done simultaneously for attracting client's attention to an external stimulus while concentrating on a certain internal subject. Eye movement guided by therapist is the most common attention stimulus. The role of eye movement has been documented previously in relation with cognitive processing mechanisms. A series of systemic experiments have shown that the eyes’ spontaneous movement is associated with emotional and cognitive changes and results in decreased excitement, .exibility in attention, memory processing, and enhanced semantic recalling. Eye movement also decreases the memory's image clarity and the accompanying excitement. By using EMDR, we can reach some parts of memory which were inaccessible before and also emotionally intolerable. Various researches emphasize on the effectiveness of EMDR in treating and curing phobias, pains, and dependent personality disorders. Consequently, due to the involvement of multiple neural system components, this palliative method of treatment can also help to rehabilitate the neuro-cognitive system.

  15. Key properties of expert movement systems in sport : an ecological dynamics perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seifert, Ludovic; Button, Chris; Davids, Keith

    2013-03-01

    This paper identifies key properties of expertise in sport predicated on the performer-environment relationship. Weaknesses of traditional approaches to expert performance, which uniquely focus on the performer and the environment separately, are highlighted by an ecological dynamics perspective. Key properties of expert movement systems include 'multi- and meta-stability', 'adaptive variability', 'redundancy', 'degeneracy' and the 'attunement to affordances'. Empirical research on these expert system properties indicates that skill acquisition does not emerge from the internal representation of declarative and procedural knowledge, or the imitation of expert behaviours to linearly reduce a perceived 'gap' separating movements of beginners and a putative expert model. Rather, expert performance corresponds with the ongoing co-adaptation of an individual's behaviours to dynamically changing, interacting constraints, individually perceived and encountered. The functional role of adaptive movement variability is essential to expert performance in many different sports (involving individuals and teams; ball games and outdoor activities; land and aquatic environments). These key properties signify that, in sport performance, although basic movement patterns need to be acquired by developing athletes, there exists no ideal movement template towards which all learners should aspire, since relatively unique functional movement solutions emerge from the interaction of key constraints.

  16. Movement of the lacrimal canalicular wall under intracanalicular pressure changes observed with dacryoendoscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kakizaki, Hirohiko; Takahashi, Yasuhiro; Mito, Hidenori; Nakamura, Yasuhisa

    2015-01-01

    Movement of the lacrimal canalicular wall has been speculated to occur during blinking. Movement of the common internal ostium has been observed under nasal endoscopy, and pressure changes in the lacrimal canalicular cavity have been observed with a pressure sensor; however, lacrimal canalicular wall movement under pressure changes has not been observed. To examine movement of the lacrimal canalicular wall under intracanalicular pressure changes using dacryoendoscopy. The authors examined 20 obstruction-free lacrimal canaliculi in 10 patients. A dacryoendoscope was inserted, and water was poured into the intracanalicular cavity via the dacryoendoscope's water channel. The water was then poured or suctioned to cause positive or negative pressure changes in the intracanalicular cavity, and movement of the lacrimal canalicular wall was examined. The lacrimal canalicular wall moved flexibly with pressure changes. Under positive pressure, the intracanalicular cavity was dilated; however, it narrowed under negative pressure. The extent of movement was more dramatic in the common canalicular portion than the proximal canalicular portion. Intracanalicular pressure changes cause movement of the lacrimal canalicular wall. There was a consistent relationship between intracanalicular cavity changes and pressure changes, possibly contributing to lacrimal drainage of the canaliculus.

  17. Vestibular feedback maintains reaching accuracy during body movement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reynolds, Raymond F.

    2016-01-01

    Key points Reaching movements can be perturbed by vestibular input, but the function of this response is unclear.Here, we applied galvanic vestibular stimulation concurrently with real body movement while subjects maintained arm position either fixed in space or fixed with respect to their body.During the fixed‐in‐space conditions, galvanic vestibular stimulation caused large changes in arm trajectory consistent with a compensatory response to maintain upper‐limb accuracy in the face of body movement.Galvanic vestibular stimulation responses were absent during the body‐fixed task, demonstrating task dependency in vestibular control of the upper limb.The results suggest that the function of vestibular‐evoked arm movements is to maintain the accuracy of the upper limb during unpredictable body movement, but only when reaching in an earth‐fixed reference frame. Abstract When using our arms to interact with the world, unintended body motion can introduce movement error. A mechanism that could detect and compensate for such motion would be beneficial. Observations of arm movements evoked by vestibular stimulation provide some support for this mechanism. However, the physiological function underlying these artificially evoked movements is unclear from previous research. For such a mechanism to be functional, it should operate only when the arm is being controlled in an earth‐fixed rather than a body‐fixed reference frame. In the latter case, compensation would be unnecessary and even deleterious. To test this hypothesis, subjects were gently rotated in a chair while being asked to maintain their outstretched arm pointing towards either earth‐fixed or body‐fixed memorized targets. Galvanic vestibular stimulation was applied concurrently during rotation to isolate the influence of vestibular input, uncontaminated by inertial factors. During the earth‐fixed task, galvanic vestibular stimulation produced large polarity‐dependent corrections in arm

  18. Do All Lives Have the Same Value? Support for International Military Interventions as a Function of Political System and Public Opinion of Target States

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Falomir-Pichastor, J.M.; Pereira, A.; Staerklé, C.; Butera, F.

    2012-01-01

    This research examined the support for international military interventions as a function of the political system and the public opinion of the target country. In two experiments, we informed participants about a possible military intervention by the international community towards a sovereign

  19. Detecting rapid mass movements using electrical self-potential measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heinze, Thomas; Limbrock, Jonas; Pudasaini, Shiva P.; Kemna, Andreas

    2017-04-01

    Rapid mass movements are a latent danger for lives and infrastructure in almost any part of the world. Often such mass movements are caused by increasing pore pressure, for example, landslides after heavy rainfall or dam breaking after intrusion of water in the dam. Among several other geophysical methods used to observe water movement, the electrical self-potential method has been applied to a broad range of monitoring studies, especially focusing on volcanism and dam leakage but also during hydraulic fracturing and for earthquake prediction. Electrical self-potential signals may be caused by various mechanisms. Though, the most relevant source of the self-potential field in the given context is the streaming potential, caused by a flowing electrolyte through porous media with electrically charged internal surfaces. So far, existing models focus on monitoring water flow in non-deformable porous media. However, as the self-potential is sensitive to hydraulic parameters of the soil, any change in these parameters will cause an alteration of the electric signal. Mass movement will significantly influence the hydraulic parameters of the solid as well as the pressure field, assuming that fluid movement is faster than the pressure diffusion. We will present results of laboratory experiments under drained and undrained conditions with fluid triggered as well as manually triggered mass movements, monitored with self-potential measurements. For the undrained scenarios, we observe a clear correlation between the mass movements and signals in the electric potential, which clearly differ from the underlying potential variations due to increased saturation and fluid flow. In the drained experiments, we do not observe any measurable change in the electric potential. We therefore assume that change in fluid properties and release of the load causes disturbances in flow and streaming potential. We will discuss results of numerical simulations reproducing the observed effect. Our

  20. Identification and risk estimation of movement strategies during cutting maneuvers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    David, Sina; Komnik, Igor; Peters, Markus; Funken, Johannes; Potthast, Wolfgang

    2017-12-01

    Approximately 70% of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries occur in non-contact situations during cutting and landing maneuvers. Parameters such as footstrike patterns and trunk orientation were found to influence ACL relevant knee loading, however, the relationship between the whole body movement and injury risk is debated. This study identifies whole body movement strategies that increase injury risk, and provides training recommendations to reduce this risk or enable a save return to sports after injury. Experimental cross-sectional study design. Three dimensional movement analysis was carried out to investigate 50 participants performing anticipated 90° cutting maneuvers. To identify and characterize movement strategies, footstrike pattern, knee valgus moment, knee internal rotation moment, angle of attack, shoulder and pelvis axis were analyzed using statistical parametric mapping. Three different movement strategies were identified. One strategy included rearfoot striking in combination with a relatively upright body position which generated higher knee joint loads than the second strategy, forefoot striking in combination with more backwards leaning and pre-rotation of the trunk towards the new movement direction. A third strategy combined forefoot striking with less preorientation which increased the ACL relevant knee joint load compared to the second strategy. The identified movement strategies clearly pre-determine the injury risk during non-contact situations with the third strategy as the most unfavorable one. Compared to the study of isolated parameters, the analysis of the whole body movement allowed for detailed separation of more risky from less risky cutting strategies. These results give practical recommendations for the prevention of ACL injury. Copyright © 2017 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. THE FREE MOVEMENT OF JUDGMENTS AND JUDICIAL DECISIONS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gheorghe BOCSAN

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available EU substantive law is based on a system of circulation freedoms which encompasses the idea that the Union, its internal market or other areas of legal rule, such as the area of freedom, security and justice are, above all, spaces of liberty, which rejects the limits represented before by internal borders. So, the essential EU integrative concepts could be formulated as free circulation principles or instruments aiming to such freedoms. The free movement of judgments and judicial decisions represents concomitantly the consequence and the expression formulated through freedom of circulation, which is specific to EU law, of the principle of mutual recognition of judgments and judicial decisions between member states in both civil and criminal matters. This principle is based upon the mutual trust that member states owes to each other. Finally, the study analyses the principle of mutual recognition in EU law as a transplant from the internal market in the judicial cooperation in criminal matters, which produces numerous application instruments, among them the first and most productive is the European Arrest Warrant. This paper studies also the common standard and paradigm that all instruments based upon the free movement of judgments and judicial decision have, amongst others: the warrant/order typology, direct communication between the competent authorities of Member States, elimination of the recognition procedure, the express mentioning of the mandatory and optional grounds of refusal, the partial removal of double criminality requirement etc.

  2. Analysis of kinematically redundant reaching movements using the equilibrium-point hypothesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cesari, P; Shiratori, T; Olivato, P; Duarte, M

    2001-03-01

    Six subjects performed a planar reaching arm movement to a target while unpredictable perturbations were applied to the endpoint; the perturbations consisted of pulling springs having different stiffness. Two conditions were applied; in the first, subjects had to reach for the target despite the perturbation, in the second condition, the subjects were asked to not correct the motion as a perturbation was applied. We analyzed the kinematics profiles of the three arm segments and, by means of inverse dynamics, calculated the joint torques. The framework of the equilibrium-point (EP) hypothesis, the lambda model, allowed the reconstruction of the control variables, the "equilibrium trajectories", in the "do not correct" condition for the wrist and the elbow joints as well as for the end point final position, while for the other condition, the reconstruction was less reliable. The findings support and extend to a multiple-joint planar movement, the paradigm of the EP hypothesis along with the "do not correct" instruction.

  3. Individual differences in impulsivity predict anticipatory eye movements.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laetitia Cirilli

    Full Text Available Impulsivity is the tendency to act without forethought. It is a personality trait commonly used in the diagnosis of many psychiatric diseases. In clinical practice, impulsivity is estimated using written questionnaires. However, answers to questions might be subject to personal biases and misinterpretations. In order to alleviate this problem, eye movements could be used to study differences in decision processes related to impulsivity. Therefore, we investigated correlations between impulsivity scores obtained with a questionnaire in healthy subjects and characteristics of their anticipatory eye movements in a simple smooth pursuit task. Healthy subjects were asked to answer the UPPS questionnaire (Urgency Premeditation Perseverance and Sensation seeking Impulsive Behavior scale, which distinguishes four independent dimensions of impulsivity: Urgency, lack of Premeditation, lack of Perseverance, and Sensation seeking. The same subjects took part in an oculomotor task that consisted of pursuing a target that moved in a predictable direction. This task reliably evoked anticipatory saccades and smooth eye movements. We found that eye movement characteristics such as latency and velocity were significantly correlated with UPPS scores. The specific correlations between distinct UPPS factors and oculomotor anticipation parameters support the validity of the UPPS construct and corroborate neurobiological explanations for impulsivity. We suggest that the oculomotor approach of impulsivity put forth in the present study could help bridge the gap between psychiatry and physiology.

  4. An experiment to study CP violation in the B system using an internal target at the HERA proton ring

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hofmann, W.

    1993-03-01

    A group of physicists centered around the ARGUS collaboration got interested in hadron accelerators as a prolific source of B hadrons. The group is presently studying the option of a major-B-physics experiment to be performed at the HERA proton storage ring in fixed target mode using an internal target. Basic goal of the experiment is the detection of CP violation in the 'gold plated' B 0 → J/Ψ K s decay mode, using a dedicated detector triggered on lepton pairs from J/Ψ decay. (orig./HSI)

  5. A Somatic Movement Approach to Fostering Emotional Resiliency through Laban Movement Analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rachelle P. Tsachor

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Although movement has long been recognized as expressing emotion and as an agent of change for emotional state, there was a dearth of scientific evidence specifying which aspects of movement influence specific emotions. The recent identification of clusters of Laban movement components which elicit and enhance the basic emotions of anger, fear, sadness and happiness indicates which types of movements can affect these emotions (Shafir et al., 2016, but not how best to apply this knowledge. This perspective paper lays out a conceptual groundwork for how to effectively use these new findings to support emotional resiliency through voluntary choice of one's posture and movements. We suggest that three theoretical principles from Laban Movement Analysis (LMA can guide the gradual change in movement components in one's daily movements to somatically support shift in affective state: (A Introduce new movement components in developmental order; (B Use LMA affinities-among-components to guide the expansion of expressive movement range and (C Sequence change among components based on Laban's Space Harmony theory to support the gradual integration of that new range. The methods postulated in this article have potential to foster resiliency and provide resources for self-efficacy by expanding our capacity to adapt emotionally to challenges through modulating our movement responses.

  6. Trade, Exchange Rate Regimes and Output Co-Movement: Evidence from the Great Depression

    OpenAIRE

    Gabriel P. Mathy; Christopher M. Meissner

    2011-01-01

    A large body of cross-country empirical evidence identifies monetary policy and trade integration as key determinants of business cycle co-movement. Partially consistent with this, many argue that the re-emergence of the gold standard allowed for the global transmission of a deflationary shock in 1929 that culminated in the Great Depression. It is puzzling then to see decreased co-movement between 1920 and 1927 when international integration increased and nations returned to the gold standard...

  7. A biologically inspired neural network controller for ballistic arm movements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Schmid Maurizio

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In humans, the implementation of multijoint tasks of the arm implies a highly complex integration of sensory information, sensorimotor transformations and motor planning. Computational models can be profitably used to better understand the mechanisms sub-serving motor control, thus providing useful perspectives and investigating different control hypotheses. To this purpose, the use of Artificial Neural Networks has been proposed to represent and interpret the movement of upper limb. In this paper, a neural network approach to the modelling of the motor control of a human arm during planar ballistic movements is presented. Methods The developed system is composed of three main computational blocks: 1 a parallel distributed learning scheme that aims at simulating the internal inverse model in the trajectory formation process; 2 a pulse generator, which is responsible for the creation of muscular synergies; and 3 a limb model based on two joints (two degrees of freedom and six muscle-like actuators, that can accommodate for the biomechanical parameters of the arm. The learning paradigm of the neural controller is based on a pure exploration of the working space with no feedback signal. Kinematics provided by the system have been compared with those obtained in literature from experimental data of humans. Results The model reproduces kinematics of arm movements, with bell-shaped wrist velocity profiles and approximately straight trajectories, and gives rise to the generation of synergies for the execution of movements. The model allows achieving amplitude and direction errors of respectively 0.52 cm and 0.2 radians. Curvature values are similar to those encountered in experimental measures with humans. The neural controller also manages environmental modifications such as the insertion of different force fields acting on the end-effector. Conclusion The proposed system has been shown to properly simulate the development of

  8. Movement monitoring device

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ichikawa, Takashi; Yoneda, Yasuaki; Hanatsumi, Masaharu.

    1997-01-01

    The present invention provides a device suitable to accurate recognition for the moving state of reactor core fuels as an object to be monitored in a nuclear power plant. Namely, the device of the present invention prepares each of scheduled paths for the movement of the object to be monitored and executed moving paths along with the movement based on the information of the movement obtained from scheduled information for the movement of the reactor core fuels as a object to be monitored and the actual movement of the object to be monitored. The results of the preparation are outputted. As an output mode, (1) the results of preparation for each of the paths for movement and the results of the monitoring obtained by monitoring the state of the object to be monitored are jointed and outputted, (2) images showing each of the paths for the movement are formed, and the formed images are displayed on a screen, and (3) each of the moving paths is prepared as an image, and the image is displayed together with the image of the regions before and after the movement of the object to be monitored. In addition, obtained images of each of the paths for the movement and the monitored images obtained by monitoring the state of the object to be monitored are joined and displayed. (I.S.)

  9. A Comparison of Independent Event-Related Desynchronization Responses in Motor-Related Brain Areas to Movement Execution, Movement Imagery, and Movement Observation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duann, Jeng-Ren; Chiou, Jin-Chern

    2016-01-01

    Electroencephalographic (EEG) event-related desynchronization (ERD) induced by movement imagery or by observing biological movements performed by someone else has recently been used extensively for brain-computer interface-based applications, such as applications used in stroke rehabilitation training and motor skill learning. However, the ERD responses induced by the movement imagery and observation might not be as reliable as the ERD responses induced by movement execution. Given that studies on the reliability of the EEG ERD responses induced by these activities are still lacking, here we conducted an EEG experiment with movement imagery, movement observation, and movement execution, performed multiple times each in a pseudorandomized order in the same experimental runs. Then, independent component analysis (ICA) was applied to the EEG data to find the common motor-related EEG source activity shared by the three motor tasks. Finally, conditional EEG ERD responses associated with the three movement conditions were computed and compared. Among the three motor conditions, the EEG ERD responses induced by motor execution revealed the alpha power suppression with highest strengths and longest durations. The ERD responses of the movement imagery and movement observation only partially resembled the ERD pattern of the movement execution condition, with slightly better detectability for the ERD responses associated with the movement imagery and faster ERD responses for movement observation. This may indicate different levels of involvement in the same motor-related brain circuits during different movement conditions. In addition, because the resulting conditional EEG ERD responses from the ICA preprocessing came with minimal contamination from the non-related and/or artifactual noisy components, this result can play a role of the reference for devising a brain-computer interface using the EEG ERD features of movement imagery or observation.

  10. The Global Movement for Human Rights Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nancy Flowers

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available An overview of the global movement for human rights education (HRE, its impetus, challenges, and contrasting developments in different regions of the world, focusing especially on Latin America, the Philippines, South Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. Seeks to put HRE in the USA into an international perspective, as well as to show the variety of goals that inspire HRE and how methodologies have evolved to meet specific regional and political cultures and needs.

  11. Postural sway and gaze can track the complex motion of a visual target.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vassilia Hatzitaki

    Full Text Available Variability is an inherent and important feature of human movement. This variability has form exhibiting a chaotic structure. Visual feedback training using regular predictive visual target motions does not take into account this essential characteristic of the human movement, and may result in task specific learning and loss of visuo-motor adaptability. In this study, we asked how well healthy young adults can track visual target cues of varying degree of complexity during whole-body swaying in the Anterior-Posterior (AP and Medio-Lateral (ML direction. Participants were asked to track three visual target motions: a complex (Lorenz attractor, a noise (brown and a periodic (sine moving target while receiving online visual feedback about their performance. Postural sway, gaze and target motion were synchronously recorded and the degree of force-target and gaze-target coupling was quantified using spectral coherence and Cross-Approximate entropy. Analysis revealed that both force-target and gaze-target coupling was sensitive to the complexity of the visual stimuli motions. Postural sway showed a higher degree of coherence with the Lorenz attractor than the brown noise or sinusoidal stimulus motion. Similarly, gaze was more synchronous with the Lorenz attractor than the brown noise and sinusoidal stimulus motion. These results were similar regardless of whether tracking was performed in the AP or ML direction. Based on the theoretical model of optimal movement variability tracking of a complex signal may provide a better stimulus to improve visuo-motor adaptation and learning in postural control.

  12. Collective movement in ecology: from emerging technologies to conservation and management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Westley, Peter A H; Berdahl, Andrew M; Torney, Colin J; Biro, Dora

    2018-05-19

    Recent advances in technology and quantitative methods have led to the emergence of a new field of study that stands to link insights of researchers from two closely related, but often disconnected disciplines: movement ecology and collective animal behaviour. To date, the field of movement ecology has focused on elucidating the internal and external drivers of animal movement and the influence of movement on broader ecological processes. Typically, tracking and/or remote sensing technology is employed to study individual animals in natural conditions. By contrast, the field of collective behaviour has quantified the significant role social interactions play in the decision-making of animals within groups and, to date, has predominantly relied on controlled laboratory-based studies and theoretical models owing to the constraints of studying interacting animals in the field. This themed issue is intended to formalize the burgeoning field of collective movement ecology which integrates research from both movement ecology and collective behaviour. In this introductory paper, we set the stage for the issue by briefly examining the approaches and current status of research in these areas. Next, we outline the structure of the theme issue and describe the obstacles collective movement researchers face, from data acquisition in the field to analysis and problems of scale, and highlight the key contributions of the assembled papers. We finish by presenting research that links individual and broad-scale ecological and evolutionary processes to collective movement, and finally relate these concepts to emerging challenges for the management and conservation of animals on the move in a world that is increasingly impacted by human activity.This article is part of the theme issue 'Collective movement ecology'. © 2018 The Author(s).

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2012-10-01

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

  14. Contribution of execution noise to arm movement variability in three-dimensional space.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Apker, Gregory A; Buneo, Christopher A

    2012-01-01

    Reaching movements are subject to noise associated with planning and execution, but precisely how these noise sources interact to determine patterns of endpoint variability in three-dimensional space is not well understood. For frontal plane movements, variability is largest along the depth axis (the axis along which visual planning noise is greatest), with execution noise contributing to this variability along the movement direction. Here we tested whether these noise sources interact in a similar way for movements directed in depth. Subjects performed sequences of two movements from a single starting position to targets that were either both contained within a frontal plane ("frontal sequences") or where the first was within the frontal plane and the second was directed in depth ("depth sequences"). For both sequence types, movements were performed with or without visual feedback of the hand. When visual feedback was available, endpoint distributions for frontal and depth sequences were generally anisotropic, with the principal axes of variability being strongly aligned with the depth axis. Without visual feedback, endpoint distributions for frontal sequences were relatively isotropic and movement direction dependent, while those for depth sequences were similar to those with visual feedback. Overall, the results suggest that in the presence of visual feedback, endpoint variability is dominated by uncertainty associated with planning and updating visually guided movements. In addition, the results suggest that without visual feedback, increased uncertainty in hand position estimation effectively unmasks the effect of execution-related noise, resulting in patterns of endpoint variability that are highly movement direction dependent.

  15. 75 Years of the International Labour Review: A Retrospective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Albert; And Others

    1996-01-01

    Contains 18 articles published in International Labour Review from 1921-1975 that discuss the International Labour Organisation, international labor movement and law, economics and the labor market, family security, full employment, population growth, industrial welfare, trade policy and employment growth, and income expectations and rural-urban…

  16. Brain-Machine Interface Enables Bimanual Arm Movements in Monkeys

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ifft, Peter J.; Shokur, Solaiman; Li, Zheng; Lebedev, Mikhail A.; Nicolelis, Miguel A. L.

    2014-01-01

    Brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) are artificial systems that aim to restore sensation and movement to severely paralyzed patients. However, previous BMIs enabled only single arm functionality, and control of bimanual movements was a major challenge. Here, we developed and tested a bimanual BMI that enabled rhesus monkeys to control two avatar arms simultaneously. The bimanual BMI was based on the extracellular activity of 374–497 neurons recorded from several frontal and parietal cortical areas of both cerebral hemispheres. Cortical activity was transformed into movements of the two arms with a decoding algorithm called a 5th order unscented Kalman filter (UKF). The UKF is well-suited for BMI decoding because it accounts for both characteristics of reaching movements and their representation by cortical neurons. The UKF was trained either during a manual task performed with two joysticks or by having the monkeys passively observe the movements of avatar arms. Most cortical neurons changed their modulation patterns when both arms were engaged simultaneously. Representing the two arms jointly in a single UKF decoder resulted in improved decoding performance compared with using separate decoders for each arm. As the animals’ performance in bimanual BMI control improved over time, we observed widespread plasticity in frontal and parietal cortical areas. Neuronal representation of the avatar and reach targets was enhanced with learning, whereas pairwise correlations between neurons initially increased and then decreased. These results suggest that cortical networks may assimilate the two avatar arms through BMI control. PMID:24197735

  17. Evaluation of a modified Fitts law brain-computer interface target acquisition task in able and motor disabled individuals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Felton, E. A.; Radwin, R. G.; Wilson, J. A.; Williams, J. C.

    2009-10-01

    A brain-computer interface (BCI) is a communication system that takes recorded brain signals and translates them into real-time actions, in this case movement of a cursor on a computer screen. This work applied Fitts' law to the evaluation of performance on a target acquisition task during sensorimotor rhythm-based BCI training. Fitts' law, which has been used as a predictor of movement time in studies of human movement, was used here to determine the information transfer rate, which was based on target acquisition time and target difficulty. The information transfer rate was used to make comparisons between control modalities and subject groups on the same task. Data were analyzed from eight able-bodied and five motor disabled participants who wore an electrode cap that recorded and translated their electroencephalogram (EEG) signals into computer cursor movements. Direct comparisons were made between able-bodied and disabled subjects, and between EEG and joystick cursor control in able-bodied subjects. Fitts' law aptly described the relationship between movement time and index of difficulty for each task movement direction when evaluated separately and averaged together. This study showed that Fitts' law can be successfully applied to computer cursor movement controlled by neural signals.

  18. Deciding Where to Attend: Priming of Pop-Out Drives Target Selection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brascamp, Jan W.; Blake, Randolph; Kristjansson, Arni

    2011-01-01

    With attention and eye-movements humans orient to targets of interest. This orienting occurs faster when the same target repeats: priming of pop-out (PoP). While reaction times (RTs) can be important, PoP's real function could be to steer "where" to orient, a possibility underexposed in many current paradigms, as these predesignate a target to…

  19. Movement and Space

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Riisgaard Hansen, Thomas; Eriksson, Eva; Lykke-Olesen, Andreas

    2005-01-01

    In this paper we explore the space in which movement based interaction takes place. We have in several projects explored how fixed and mobile cameras can be used in movement based interaction and will shortly describe these projects. Based on our experience with working with movement......-based interaction we will briefly introduce and discuss how learning, mapping and multi-user interaction are important when designing movement based interaction....

  20. Fear of Movement and Low Self-Efficacy Are Important Barriers in Physical Activity after Renal Transplantation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dorien M Zelle

    Full Text Available Physical activity (PA and exercise are commonly used as preventive measures for cardiovascular disease in the general population, and could be effective in the management of post-transplantation cardiovascular risk. PA levels are low after renal transplantation and very few renal transplant recipients (RTR meet the PA guidelines. Identification of barriers to regular PA is important to identify targets for intervention to improve PA levels after renal transplantation. We investigated fear of movement and physical self-efficacy as barriers to PA in RTR.RTR were investigated between 2001-2003. The Tampa Score of Kinesiophobia-Dutch Version (TSK-11 was used to assess fear of movement. Physical self-efficacy was measured with the LIVAS-scale. PA was assessed using validated questionnaires (Tecumseh Occupational Activity Questionnaire and the Minnesota Leisure Time Physical Activity Questionnaire.A total of 487 RTR (age 51±12 years, 55% men were studied. Median score [interquartile range] on TSK-11 was 22 [17-26]. Low physical self-efficacy (Exp B:0.41[0.31-0.54], p<0.001 and history of myocardial infarction, transient ischemic attack and cerebrovascular accident (Exp B:1.30[1.03-1.63],p = 0.03 were independent determinants for fear of movement. Fear of movement was associated with lower daily PA, occupational, sports and leisure time PA. Mediation-analysis showed that a large part (73% of the effect of fear of movement on PA was explained by low physical self-efficacy.This study was the first to examine fear of movement and self-efficacy in relation to PA in RTR. Fear of movement was associated with a low PA level, and the larger part of this relation was mediated by low physical self-efficacy. Both fear of movement and physical self-efficacy level are important targets for intervention during rehabilitation after renal transplantation.

  1. Estimation of error in maximal intensity projection-based internal target volume of lung tumors: a simulation and comparison study using dynamic magnetic resonance imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Jing; Read, Paul W; Baisden, Joseph M; Larner, James M; Benedict, Stanley H; Sheng, Ke

    2007-11-01

    To evaluate the error in four-dimensional computed tomography (4D-CT) maximal intensity projection (MIP)-based lung tumor internal target volume determination using a simulation method based on dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI). Eight healthy volunteers and six lung tumor patients underwent a 5-min MRI scan in the sagittal plane to acquire dynamic images of lung motion. A MATLAB program was written to generate re-sorted dMRI using 4D-CT acquisition methods (RedCAM) by segmenting and rebinning the MRI scans. The maximal intensity projection images were generated from RedCAM and dMRI, and the errors in the MIP-based internal target area (ITA) from RedCAM (epsilon), compared with those from dMRI, were determined and correlated with the subjects' respiratory variability (nu). Maximal intensity projection-based ITAs from RedCAM were comparatively smaller than those from dMRI in both phantom studies (epsilon = -21.64% +/- 8.23%) and lung tumor patient studies (epsilon = -20.31% +/- 11.36%). The errors in MIP-based ITA from RedCAM correlated linearly (epsilon = -5.13nu - 6.71, r(2) = 0.76) with the subjects' respiratory variability. Because of the low temporal resolution and retrospective re-sorting, 4D-CT might not accurately depict the excursion of a moving tumor. Using a 4D-CT MIP image to define the internal target volume might therefore cause underdosing and an increased risk of subsequent treatment failure. Patient-specific respiratory variability might also be a useful predictor of the 4D-CT-induced error in MIP-based internal target volume determination.

  2. Development of lithium target system in engineering validation and engineering design activity of the international fusion materials irradiation facility (IFMIF/EVEDA)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wakai, Eiichi; Kondo, Hiroo; Sugimoto, Masayoshi; Ida, Mizuho; Kanemura, Takuji; Watanabe, Kazuyoshi; Fujishiro, Kouji; Edao, Yuuki; Niitsuma, Shigeto; Kimura, Haruyuki; Fukada, Satoshi; Hiromoto, Tetsushi; Shigeharu, Satoshi; Yagi, Jyuro; Furukawa, Tomohiro; Hirakawa, Yasushi; Suzuki, Akihiro; Terai, Takayuki; Horiike, Hiroshi; Hoashi, Eiji; Suzuki, Sachiko; Yamaoka, Nobuo; Serizawa, Hisashi; Kawahito, Yosuke; Tsuji, Yoshiyuki; Furuya, Kazuyuki; Takeo, Fumio

    2012-01-01

    Engineering validation and engineering design activity (EVEDA) for the international fusion materials irradiation facility (IFMIF) has been conducted since 2007. Research and development of the Lithium target facility is an important part of this activity. We constructed a world largest liquid Lithium test loop with a capacity of 5000 L in 2010 and successfully completed the first stage validation tests (functional tests of components and Lithium flow test (flow velocity 15 m/s at the target). In the present article, recent results of the EVEDA activity for the Lithium target facility and related technologies on liquid Lithium are reviewed. (author)

  3. Detection of lung tumor movement in real-time tumor-tracking radiotherapy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shimizu, Shinichi; Shirato, Hiroki; Ogura, Shigeaki; Akita-Dosaka, Hirotoshi; Kitamura, Kei; Nishioka, Takeshi; Kagei, Kenji; Nishimura, Masaji; Miyasaka, Kazuo

    2001-01-01

    Purpose: External radiotherapy for lung tumors requires reducing the uncertainty due to setup error and organ motion. We investigated the three-dimensional movement of lung tumors through an inserted internal marker using a real-time tumor-tracking system and evaluated the efficacy of this system at reducing the internal margin. Methods and Materials: Four patients with lung cancer were analyzed. A 2.0-mm gold marker was inserted into the tumor. The real-time tumor-tracking system calculates and stores three-dimensional coordinates of the marker 30 times/s. The system can trigger the linear accelerator to irradiate the tumor only when the marker is located within the predetermined 'permitted dislocation'. The value was set at ±1 to ±3 mm according to the patient's characteristics. We analyzed 10,413-14,893 data sets for each of the 4 patients. The range of marker movement during normal breathing (beam-off period) was compared with that during gated irradiation (beam-on period) by Student's t test. Results: The range of marker movement during the beam-off period was 5.5-10.0 mm in the lateral direction (x), 6.8-15.9 mm in the craniocaudal direction (y) and 8.1-14.6 mm in the ventrodorsal direction (z). The range during the beam-on period was reduced to within 5.3 mm in all directions in all 4 patients. A significant difference was found between the mean of the range during the beam-off period and the mean of the range during the beam-on period in the x (p=0.007), y (p=0.025), and z (p=0.002) coordinates, respectively. Conclusion: The real-time tumor-tracking radiotherapy system was useful to analyze the movement of an internal marker. Treatment with megavoltage X-rays was properly given when the tumor marker moved into the 'permitted dislocation' zone from the planned position

  4. Movement - uncoordinated

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Loss of coordination; Coordination impairment; Ataxia; Clumsiness; Uncoordinated movement ... Smooth graceful movement requires a balance between different muscle groups. A part of the brain called the cerebellum manages this balance.

  5. Using visuo-kinetic virtual reality to induce illusory spinal movement: the MoOVi Illusion

    OpenAIRE

    Harvie, Daniel S.; Smith, Ross T.; Hunter, Estin V.; Davis, Miles G.; Sterling, Michele; Moseley, G. Lorimer

    2017-01-01

    Background Illusions that alter perception of the body provide novel opportunities to target brain-based contributions to problems such as persistent pain. One example of this, mirror therapy, uses vision to augment perceived movement of a painful limb to treat pain. Since mirrors can’t be used to induce augmented neck or other spinal movement, we aimed to test whether such an illusion could be achieved using virtual reality, in advance of testing its potential therapeutic benefit. We hypothe...

  6. Brain regions involved in voluntary movements as revealed by radioisotopic mapping of CBF or CMR-glucose changes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lassen, N A; Ingvar, D H

    1990-01-01

    Mapping of cortical and subcortical grey matter active during voluntary movements by means of measurements of local increases of CBF or CMR-Glucose is reviewed. Most of the studies concern observations in man during hand movements using the intracarotid Xenon-133 injection technique, an approach...... that only allows to image the cortex of the hemisphere on one side (the injected side) of the brain. The results show that simple static or repetitive movements mainly activate the contralateral primary hand area (MI and SI); complex preprogrammed or spontaneous purposeful movements the supplementary motor...... area SMA on both sides increase in CBF/CMR-glucose and even internally ("mentally") going through the trained movements, causes such changes; complex purposeful movements also activate the premotor cortex, a response that is bilateral with greatest response contralaterally. Studies in patients...

  7. Current-supported domain wall movement to the target spot with a magnetic field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nam, Chunghee; Jang, Y.M.; Lee, K.S.; Lee, S.K.; Kim, T.W.; Cho, B.K.

    2007-01-01

    Current-driven domain wall (DW) motion in a submicron-size magnetic strip, which consists of Cu/IrMn/NiFe/Cu/NiFe/Cu pseudo-spin-valve with natural defects, was investigated by measuring the giant-magnetoresistance signal. The magnetic DW movement was induced by the injection of a high current density of 4x10 7 A/cm 2 . It was also found that a DW can be manipulated in more convenient way by the application of both current and magnetic field at the same time

  8. Distractor dwelling, skipping, and revisiting determine target absent performance in difficult visual search

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gernot Horstmann

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Some targets in visual search are more difficult to find than others. In particular, a target that is similar to the distractors is more difficult to find than a target that is dissimilar to the distractors. Efficiency differences between easy and difficult searches are manifest not only in target-present trials but also in target-absent trials. In fact, even physically identical displays are searched through with different efficiency depending on the searched-for target. Here, we monitored eye movements in search for a target similar to the distractors (difficult search versus a target dissimilar to the distractors (easy search. We aimed to examine three hypotheses concerning the causes of differential search efficiencies in target-absent trials: (a distractor dwelling (b distractor skipping, and (c distractor revisiting. Reaction times increased with target similarity which is consistent with existing theories and replicates earlier results. Eye movement data indicated guidance in target trials, even though search was very slow. Dwelling, skipping, and revisiting contributed to low search efficiency in difficult search, with dwelling being the strongest factor. It is argued that differences in dwell time account for a large amount of total search time differences.

  9. Distractor Dwelling, Skipping, and Revisiting Determine Target Absent Performance in Difficult Visual Search

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horstmann, Gernot; Herwig, Arvid; Becker, Stefanie I.

    2016-01-01

    Some targets in visual search are more difficult to find than others. In particular, a target that is similar to the distractors is more difficult to find than a target that is dissimilar to the distractors. Efficiency differences between easy and difficult searches are manifest not only in target-present trials but also in target-absent trials. In fact, even physically identical displays are searched through with different efficiency depending on the searched-for target. Here, we monitored eye movements in search for a target similar to the distractors (difficult search) versus a target dissimilar to the distractors (easy search). We aimed to examine three hypotheses concerning the causes of differential search efficiencies in target-absent trials: (a) distractor dwelling (b) distractor skipping, and (c) distractor revisiting. Reaction times increased with target similarity which is consistent with existing theories and replicates earlier results. Eye movement data indicated guidance in target trials, even though search was very slow. Dwelling, skipping, and revisiting contributed to low search efficiency in difficult search, with dwelling being the strongest factor. It is argued that differences in dwell time account for a large amount of total search time differences. PMID:27574510

  10. A common control signal and a ballistic stage can explain the control of coordinated eye-hand movements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gopal, Atul; Murthy, Aditya

    2016-06-01

    Voluntary control has been extensively studied in the context of eye and hand movements made in isolation, yet little is known about the nature of control during eye-hand coordination. We probed this with a redirect task. Here subjects had to make reaching/pointing movements accompanied by coordinated eye movements but had to change their plans when the target occasionally changed its position during some trials. Using a race model framework, we found that separate effector-specific mechanisms may be recruited to control eye and hand movements when executed in isolation but when the same effectors are coordinated a unitary mechanism to control coordinated eye-hand movements is employed. Specifically, we found that performance curves were distinct for the eye and hand when these movements were executed in isolation but were comparable when they were executed together. Second, the time to switch motor plans, called the target step reaction time, was different in the eye-alone and hand-alone conditions but was similar in the coordinated condition under assumption of a ballistic stage of ∼40 ms, on average. Interestingly, the existence of this ballistic stage could predict the extent of eye-hand dissociations seen in individual subjects. Finally, when subjects were explicitly instructed to control specifically a single effector (eye or hand), redirecting one effector had a strong effect on the performance of the other effector. Taken together, these results suggest that a common control signal and a ballistic stage are recruited when coordinated eye-hand movement plans require alteration. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

  11. Movement-related and steady-state electromyographic activity of human elbow flexors in slow transition movements between two equilibrium states.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tal'nov, A N; Cherkassky, V L; Kostyukov, A I

    1997-08-01

    The electromyograms were recorded in healthy human subjects by surface electrodes from the mm. biceps brachii (caput longum et. brevis), brachioradialis, and triceps brachii (caput longum) during slow transition movements in elbow joint against a weak extending torque. The test movements (flexion transitions between two steady-states) were fulfilled under visual control through combining on a monitor screen a signal from a joint angle sensor with a corresponding command generated by a computer. Movement velocities ranged between 5 and 80 degrees/s, subjects were asked to move forearm without activation of elbow extensors. Surface electromyograms were full-wave rectified, filtered and averaged within sets of 10 identical tests. Amplitudes of dynamic and steady-state components of the electromyograms were determined in dependence on a final value of joint angle, slow and fast movements were compared. An exponential-like increase of dynamic component was observed in electromyograms recorded from m. biceps brachii, the component had been increased with movement velocity and with load increment. In many experiments a statistically significant decrease of static component could be noticed within middle range of joint angles (40-60 degrees) followed by a well expressed increment for larger movements. This pattern of the static component in electromyograms could vary in different experiments even in the same subjects. A steady discharge in m. brachioradialis at ramp phase has usually been recorded only under a notable load. Variable and quite often unpredictable character of the static components of the electromyograms recorded from elbow flexors in the transition movements makes it difficult to use the equilibrium point hypothesis to describe the central processes of movement. It has been assumed that during active muscle shortening the dynamic components in arriving efferent activity should play a predominant role. A simple scheme could be proposed for transition to a

  12. Revisiting the Internationalism of European Fascist Movements

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marios A. Karampaglidis

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available This work examines the issue of partnership between ultra-right parties during the 1930s and at present. The author analyzes certain characteristics of institutional and ideological rapprochement between the radical right in Europe in the 1930s. The paper reveals the reason behind the frailty of the ultra-right partnership in the 1930s and in modern day. The primary reasons behind this frailty lay in the rule of the gun in the milieu of ultra-right politicians, and, as a consequence, contempt for the statutes of international law. Currently, this frailty is associated with the speculativeness, rather than realness, of “all-white” solidarity, and, rather, the existence of contentious issues in mutual relations between states and ethnoses.

  13. What is the role of genetic testing in movement disorders practice?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schneider, Susanne A; Klein, Christine

    2011-08-01

    Genetic testing holds many promises in movement disorders, but also pitfalls that require careful consideration for meaningful results. These include the primary indication for testing in the first place, concerns regarding the implications of symptomatic, presymptomatic, and susceptibility testing, the mutation frequency in the gene of interest, the general lack of neuroprotective treatment options for neurodegenerative movement disorders, the prognosis of the condition diagnosed, and patient confidentiality concerns. Furthermore, new technical achievements and the available technical expertise, feasibility of specific gene testing, and its coverage through a health insurance carrier should be considered. Guidelines for testing have been established by some disease societies to advise clinicians and in parallel legal regulations are being adjusted at a national and international level. We review these and other critical points and recent developments regarding genetic testing in the field of movement disorders.

  14. Observing human movements helps decoding environmental forces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zago, Myrka; La Scaleia, Barbara; Miller, William L; Lacquaniti, Francesco

    2011-11-01

    Vision of human actions can affect several features of visual motion processing, as well as the motor responses of the observer. Here, we tested the hypothesis that action observation helps decoding environmental forces during the interception of a decelerating target within a brief time window, a task intrinsically very difficult. We employed a factorial design to evaluate the effects of scene orientation (normal or inverted) and target gravity (normal or inverted). Button-press triggered the motion of a bullet, a piston, or a human arm. We found that the timing errors were smaller for upright scenes irrespective of gravity direction in the Bullet group, while the errors were smaller for the standard condition of normal scene and gravity in the Piston group. In the Arm group, instead, performance was better when the directions of scene and target gravity were concordant, irrespective of whether both were upright or inverted. These results suggest that the default viewer-centered reference frame is used with inanimate scenes, such as those of the Bullet and Piston protocols. Instead, the presence of biological movements in animate scenes (as in the Arm protocol) may help processing target kinematics under the ecological conditions of coherence between scene and target gravity directions.

  15. Interactive map of refugee movement in Europe

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Calka Beata

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Considering the recent mass movement of people fleeing war and oppression, an analysis of changes in migration, in particular an analysis of the final destination refugees choose, seems to be of utmost importance. Many international organisations like UNHCR (the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees or EuroStat gather and provide information on the number of refugees and the routes they follow. What is also needed to study the state of affairs closely is a visual form presenting the rapidly changing situation. An analysis of the problem together with up-to-date statistical data presented in the visual form of a map is essential. This article describes methods of preparing such interactive maps displaying movement of refugees in European Union countries. Those maps would show changes taking place throughout recent years but also the dynamics of the development of the refugee crisis in Europe. The ArcGIS software was applied to make the map accessible on the Internet. Additionally, online sources and newspaper articles were used to present the movement of migrants. The interactive map makes it possible to watch spatial data with an opportunity to navigate within the map window. Because of that it is a clear and convenient tool to visualise such processes as refugee migration in Europe.

  16. Interactive map of refugee movement in Europe

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calka, Beata; Cahan, Bruce

    2016-12-01

    Considering the recent mass movement of people fleeing war and oppression, an analysis of changes in migration, in particular an analysis of the final destination refugees choose, seems to be of utmost importance. Many international organisations like UNHCR (the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) or EuroStat gather and provide information on the number of refugees and the routes they follow. What is also needed to study the state of affairs closely is a visual form presenting the rapidly changing situation. An analysis of the problem together with up-to-date statistical data presented in the visual form of a map is essential. This article describes methods of preparing such interactive maps displaying movement of refugees in European Union countries. Those maps would show changes taking place throughout recent years but also the dynamics of the development of the refugee crisis in Europe. The ArcGIS software was applied to make the map accessible on the Internet. Additionally, online sources and newspaper articles were used to present the movement of migrants. The interactive map makes it possible to watch spatial data with an opportunity to navigate within the map window. Because of that it is a clear and convenient tool to visualise such processes as refugee migration in Europe.

  17. Al-Qaida threats and strategies : the religious justification for targeting the international energy economy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Williams, J.F.

    2008-03-15

    Methods of analyzing threats generated by terrorists against the energy industry were discussed. Threat was defined as the product of an adversary's capability, intent, and authority to engage a target using a specific attack mode. The paper argued that robust models for threat must demonstrate a cultural awareness of the adversary in question. The study used an al-Qaida attack to develop and critique the religious justification offered by Salafi-Jihadi religious scholars for attacking the energy industry. The importance of the fatawa's religious authority was evaluated, and cultural drivers for al-Qaida were explored in relation to the threat model. An assessment of past terrorist acts against energy industry infrastructure was conducted. Various relevant fatawa issued by religious scholars were discussed. Socio-political and religious attributes of the al-Qaida movement were outlined using the Combating Terrorism Center's militant ideology atlas. The threat equation was expanded to include authority and cultural influences. The threat model was developed by assigning information to bins of capability, intent, and authority in order to assess and evaluate data. The Kalman filter technique was used to determine threat drivers. 98 refs., 20 figs.

  18. Recent crustal movements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maelzer, H.

    Calculation of temporal height changes for the determination of recent vertical crustal movements in northern, western, and southern Germany is described. Precise geodetic measurements and their analysis for the determination of recent crustal movements in north-eastern Iceland, western Venezuela, and central Peru are described. Determination of recent vertical crustal movements by leveling and gravity data; geodetic modeling of deformations and recent crustal movements; geodetic modeling of plate motions; and instrumental developments in geodetic measuring are discussed.

  19. Eye-Head Coordination in 31 Space Shuttle Astronauts during Visual Target Acquisition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reschke, Millard F; Kolev, Ognyan I; Clément, Gilles

    2017-10-27

    Between 1989 and 1995, NASA evaluated how increases in flight duration of up to 17 days affected the health and performance of Space Shuttle astronauts. Thirty-one Space Shuttle pilots participating in 17 space missions were tested at 3 different times before flight and 3 different times after flight, starting within a few hours of return to Earth. The astronauts moved their head and eyes as quickly as possible from the central fixation point to a specified target located 20°, 30°, or 60° off center. Eye movements were measured with electro-oculography (EOG). Head movements were measured with a triaxial rate sensor system mounted on a headband. The mean time to visually acquire the targets immediately after landing was 7-10% (30-34 ms) slower than mean preflight values, but results returned to baseline after 48 hours. This increase in gaze latency was due to a decrease in velocity and amplitude of both the eye saccade and head movement toward the target. Results were similar after all space missions, regardless of length.

  20. Development of the movement domain in the global body examination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kvåle, Alice; Bunkan, Berit Heir; Opjordsmoen, Stein; Friis, Svein

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to develop a new Movement domain, based on 16 items from the Global Physiotherapy Examination-52 (GPE-52) and 18 items from the Comprehensive Body Examination (CBE). Furthermore, we examined how well the new domain and its scales would discriminate between healthy individuals and different groups of patients, compared to the original methods. Two physiotherapists, each using one method, independently examined 132 individuals (34 healthy, 32 with localized pain, 32 with generalized pain, and 34 with psychoses). The number of items was reduced by means of correlational and exploratory factor analysis. Internal consistency was examined with Cronbach's alpha. For examination of discriminative validity, Mann-Whitney U-test and Area under the Curve (AUC) were used. The initial 34 items were reduced to two subscales with 13 items: one for range of movement and balance and one for flexibility. Cronbach's alpha was 0.84 and 0.87 for the two subscales. The new subscales showed very good to excellent discriminating ability between healthy persons and the different patient groups (p movement aberrations than the other patient groups. The new Movement domain had fewer items than the GPE-52 and CBE, without losing discriminative validity.