Although the relationship between meiotic recombination frequency and synaptonemal complex (SC) length has been of interest for a long time, how recombination frequency is related to SC length has not been carefully explored. To address this question, we have measured the meiotic recombination frequency as represented by MLH1 foci in ...

Burst locomotion is thought to be closely linked to an organism's ability to survive and reproduce. During the burst, animals start from a standstill and then rapidly accelerate to near-maximum running speeds. Many previous studies have described the functional predictors of maximum running speed; however, only recently has work emerged ...

This article reviews the literature on sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) in light of growing evidence from evolutionary biology that many personality differences in nonhuman species involve being more or less responsive, reactive, flexible, or sensitive to the environment. After briefly defining SPS, it first discusses how biologists studying animal personality ...

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to investigate the properties of neonatal transiently evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs) recorded with three most popular stimulation protocols. Differences between the recorded TEOAEs with and without spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (SOAEs), were also assessed. In addition two more issues were addressed: (i) the effect ...

Several recent studies have found that throwing athletes typically have lower humeral torsion (retroversion) and a greater range of external rotation at the shoulder than non-athletes. How these two parameters are related is debated. This study uses data from a sample of both throwers and non-throwers to test a new ...

Patterns of lumbar posture and motion are associated with low back pain (LBP). Research suggests LBP subgroups demonstrate different patterns during common tasks. This study assessed differences in end-range lumbar flexion during two tasks between two LBP subgroups classified according to the Movement System Impairment model. Additionally, the impact of ...

BACKGROUND: In early stages, ankle osteoarthritis is often asymmetric with only partially degenerated joint surfaces. There is only limited knowledge on the effect of asymmetric ankle osteoarthritis on the patients' gait patterns. Therefore, the aim of this study was to characterize kinematic and kinetic changes compared to healthy adults. METHODS: ...

Purpose.To compare local functional measures, the multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG) and visual field sensitivity, to a local structural measure, spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), of receptor damage in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP).Methods.MfERGs, visual fields and SD-OCT scans were obtained from 10 patients with RP, ranging in age from 23 ...

BACKGROUND: Binocular infrared pupillometry allows an estimate of the relative afferent pupillary defect (RAPD), designated the pupillometric RAPD (pRAPD). We calibrated the pRAPD of a commercially available pupillometer against neutral density filters (NDFs) of known attenuation. The performance of the pupillometer using its own proprietary algorithm is assessed and compared ...

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate a unique abnormality of the pupillary light reflex in patients with autoimmune autonomic ganglionopathy (AAG). DESIGN: Case series. SETTING: Autonomic clinics at 2 university hospitals (University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center). PARTICIPANTS: Seven patients with antibody-positive AAG. INTERVENTIONS: All patients with ...

All life forms on earth, including humans, are constantly subjected to the universal force of gravitation, and thus to forces from within and surrounding the body. Through the study of the interaction of these forces and their effects, the form, function and motion of our bodies can be examined and ...

Purpose.To investigate the relationship between long-term glycemic control and PhNR changes in the blue flash ERG in adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) without Diabetic Retinopathy (DR).Methods.After light adaptation, electroretinogram responses to 1.60 cd.s/m(2) blue (420 nm) flashes (blue flash ERG) and 3.0 cd.s/m(2) white flashes (LA 3.0 ERG) were ...

We explore the relative utility of shape from shading and binocular disparity for depth perception. Ray-traced images either featured a smooth surface illuminated from above (shading-only) or were defined by small dots (disparity-only). Observers judged which of a pair of smoothly curved convex objects had most depth. The shading cue ...

We examined whether a negative motion aftereffect occurs in the depth direction following adaptation to motion in depth based on changing disparity and/or interocular velocity differences. To dissociate these cues, we used three types of adapters: random-element stereograms that were correlated (1) temporally and binocularly, (2) temporally but not binocularly, ...

Tuberculosis transmission in healthcare facilities contributes significantly to the TB epidemic, particularly in high HIV settings. Although improving ventilation may reduce transmission, there is a lack of evidence to support low-cost practical interventions. We assessed the efficacy of wind-driven roof turbines to achieve recommended ventilation rates, compared to current recommended ...

Quantifying the abundance of host-seeking fleas is critical for assessing risk of human exposure to flea-borne disease agents, including Yersinia pestis, the etiological agent of plague. Yet, reliable measures of the efficacy of existing host-seeking flea collection methods are lacking. In this study, we compare the efficacy of passive and ...

Human workers and industrial robots both have specific strengths within industrial production. Advantageously they complement each other perfectly, which leads to the development of human-robot interaction (HRI) applications. Bringing humans and robots together in the same workspace may lead to potential collisions. The avoidance of such is a central safety ...

PURPOSE: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) has a broad worldwide prevalence between 0.01% and 18.3%. While differences in RLS definitions and data ascertainment methods account for some variability, other factors likely contribute. The circadian nature of RLS and the fact that RLS symptoms track with endogenous melatonin levels suggest that light ...

Standing postural stability relies on input from visual, vestibular, proprioceptive and mechanoreceptive sensors. When the information from any of these sensors is unavailable or disrupted, the central nervous system maintains postural stability by relying more on the contribution from the reliable sensors, termed sensory re-weighting. Alcohol intoxication is known to ...

PURPOSE: Given the unique physical activity (PA) patterns of preschoolers, wearable electronic devices for quantitative assessment of physical activity require validation in this population. Study objective was to validate uniaxial and triaxial accelerometers in preschoolers. METHODS: Room calorimetry was performed over 3 hours in 64 preschoolers, wearing Actical, Actiheart and ...

We investigated the choice of contact points during multidigit grasping of different objects. In Experiment 1, cylinders were grasped and lifted. Participants were either instructed as to the number of fingers they should use, ranging from a two-finger grasp to a five-finger grasp, or could grasp with their preferred number ...

To refine methods of electroretinographical (ERG) recording for the analysis of low retinal potentials under scotopic conditions in advanced retinal degenerative diseases. Standard Ganzfeld ERG equipment (Diagnosys LLC, Cambridge, UK) was used in 27 healthy volunteers (mean age 28 ± SD 8.5 years) to define the stimulation protocol. The protocol was then applied ...

Purpose:  Limited information is available regarding the normal range of mesopic sine wave contrast sensitivity (CS). The aim of this study was therefore to define a reference range and in addition to identify factors related to mesopic CS in a young population. Methods:  Individuals with normal visual acuity (VA) were ...

With the two-choice go/no-go paradigm, we investigated whether timbre attribute can be transmitted as partial information from the stimulus identification stage to the response preparation stage in auditory tone processing. We manipulated two attributes of the stimulus: timbre (piano vs. violin) and acoustic intensity (soft vs. loud) to ensure an ...

BACKGROUND: Clinically evaluating the scapulothoracic joint is challenging. To identify scapular dyskinesis, clinicians typically observe scapular motion and congruence during self-directed upper extremity movements. However, it is unclear whether this method is reliable. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: We therefore determined the interrater reliability of a scapular classification system in the examination of professional ...

We examined the effect of large, controlled whisker movements, delivered at a high speed, on the amplitude and spread of depolarization in the anesthetized mouse barrel cortex. The stimulus speed was varied between 1500 and 6000°/s and the extent of movement was varied between 4° and 16°. The rate of ...

Purpose:To investigate how background complexity influences visual sensitivity and binocular summation.Methods:Using two noise backgrounds (noise-sparse and noise-dense) and two corresponding noise-free backgrounds with same luminance of each noise background, monocular and binocular thresholds were measured in six visually normal subjects (average age, 27.3 ± 1.1 years). The noise-sparse and noise-dense ...

Falls are a common and devastating problem among elderly people. In a previous study, vibratory insoles were developed to improve postural stability for elderly fallers. To verify the effects of vibratory insoles, a two-stage experiment was conducted to collect center of pressure (COP) signals from 26 elderly fallers and 16 ...

The use of accurate quartic force fields together with vibrational configuration interaction recently predicted gas phase fundamental vibrational frequencies of the trans-HOCO radical to within 4 cm(-1) of experimental results for the two highest frequency modes. Utilizing the same approach, we are providing a full list of fundamental vibrational frequencies ...

Two methods of fine tuning the initial settings of hearing aids were compared: An audiologist-driven approach-using real ear measurements and a patient-driven fine-tuning approach-using feedback from real-life situations. The patient-driven fine tuning was conducted by employing the Amplifit(®) II system using audiovideo clips. The audiologist-driven fine tuning was based on ...

OBJECTIVE: This meta-analysis investigates the clinical retention of pit and fissure sealants in relation to observation time and material type. DATA, SOURCES AND STUDY SELECTION: A search in the MEDLINE, EMBASE and CENTRAL databases identified 2944 abstracts (published prior to 9/30/2011), of which 485 clinical publications were analyzed in detail. ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The measurement of cough frequency is problematic and most often based on subjective assessment. The aim of the study was to assess the accuracy of the automatic identification of cough episodes by LR102, a cough frequency meter based on electromyography and audio sensors. METHOD: Ten adult patients complaining ...

Pattern recognition of myoelectric signals for prosthesis control has been extensively studied in research settings and is close to clinical implementation. These systems are capable of intuitively controlling the next generation of dexterous prosthetic hands. However, pattern recognition systems perform poorly in the presence of electrode shift, defined as movement ...

Debate exists as to whether humans use prospective or predictive control to intercept an object falling under gravity (Baurès et al. in Vis Res 47:2982-2991, 2007; Zago et al. in Vis Res 48:1532-1538, 2008). Prospective control involves using continuous information to regulate action. τ, the ratio of the size of ...

Mutual information is a principled non-linear measure of dependence between stochastic variables, which is widely used to study the selectivity of neural responses to external stimuli. Here we define and develop a set of novel statistical independence tests based on mutual information, which quantify the significance of neural selectivity to ...

OBJECTIVE: Action monitoring has been studied in terms of EEG correlates of accuracy/inaccuracy. EEG signals related to the confidence level (uncertainty) of the subject about given responses remain to be clarified. METHODS: Two discrimination tasks that create difficulty in stimulus processing and response selection stages of decision making were used. ...

Abstract Vertical jump height is thought to provide a valuable index of muscular power, which is an important factor in sports performance and for assessing the mobility and functional capacity of injured or aged individuals. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the criterion validity of four popular ...

PURPOSE: To examine the effect of inpatient rehabilitation therapy on range of motion, hand function and balance in the burn population. METHODS: This study utilizes a prospective longitudinal design. Inclusion criteria are adults admitted to a regional inpatient rehabilitation hospital with a primary diagnosis of burn injury. Demographic and medical ...

The retinal image of an object does not contain information about its actual size. Size must instead be inferred from extraretinal cues for which distance information makes an essential contribution. Asynchronies in the arrival time across visual and auditory sensory components of an audiovisual event can reliably cue its distance, ...

Purpose:To examine the extent to which visual acuity (VA) for broadband optotypes is scale invariant by determining if the same object frequencies mediate VA for individuals with different VA values.Methods:Log MAR (minimum angle of resolution) VA for briefly presented tumbling Es was measured in 10 visually normal individuals and in ...

Childhood acute leukaemia (AL) accounts for a third of childhood cancers. Analysing the spatial distribution of the incidence of AL and its lymphoblastic and myeloblastic subtypes may contribute to the identification of risk factors. This national registry-based study aimed to evaluate global spatial heterogeneity in the incidence rates of AL ...

The present work is focused on the aerodynamic study of different parameters including both the posture of cyclist's upper limbs and the saddle position in Time Trial (TT) stages. The aerodynamic influence of a TT helmet large visor is also quantified as a function of the helmet inclination. Experiments conducted ...

This study investigated whether people with low back pain (LBP) reduce variability of movement between the pelvis and thorax (trunk) in the transverse plane during gait at different speeds compared to healthy controls. Thirteen people with chronic LBP and twelve healthy controls walked on a treadmill at speeds from 0.5 ...

Purpose:To assess the drainage angle width in dark and dark-light change (Δ) between Caucasians and Chinese aged 40 years and over.Methods:Study groups were comprised of four age- and gender-matched cohorts: American Caucasians, American Chinese, southern mainland Chinese and northern mainland Chinese. Anterior segment optical coherence tomography (ASOCT) images of the ...

The purpose of this study was to assess the Record Power Profile (RPP) of cyclists, i. e., the relationship between different record Power Output (PO) and the corresponding durations through a whole race season. We hypothesized that PO of different effort durations could differ according to the cyclist's category and race ...

In the temperate Azores carbonate factory, a substantial fraction of the calcareous skeletal components is recycled by a remarkable biodiversity of biota producing bioerosion traces (incipient trace fossils). To study this biodiversity, experimental carbonate substrates were exposed to colonisation by epilithic and endolithic organisms along a bathymetrical gradient from 0 ...

Grooming claws are present on the second pedal digits of strepsirhines and on the second and third pedal digits of tarsiers. However, their presence in New World monkeys is often overlooked. As such, the absence of a grooming claw is generally considered an anthropoid synapomorphy. This study utilizes a quantitative ...

Accurate parameter estimates relevant to the vocal behavior of marine mammals are needed to assess potential effects of anthropogenic sound exposure including how masking noise reduces the active space of sounds used for communication. Information about how these animals modify their vocal behavior in response to noise exposure is also ...

ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to measure the supporting strength of septal extension grafts according to the linking methods.Swine scapular cartilages were harvested, and these were cut into pieces measuring 10 × 20 × 2 mm. For the overlapping type, a 4-mm length of each cartilage was overlapped ...

The clinical multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG) is an electrophysiological test of local retinal function. With this technique, many local ERG responses are recorded quasi-simultaneously from the cone-driven retina under light-adapted conditions. This document, from the International Society for Clinical Electrophysiology of Vision (ISCEV: www.iscev.org ), replaces the ISCEV guidelines for the ...