Linking Individual Movements to a Skilled Repertoire: Fast Modulation of Motor Synergies by Repetition of Stereotyped Movements

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 1185-1198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Fricke ◽  
Reinhard Gentner ◽  
Jalal Alizadeh ◽  
Joseph Classen
Keyword(s):  
Motor Skills ◽  
Motor System ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Small Subset ◽  
Coding Efficiency ◽  
Motor Synergies ◽  
Thumb Movement ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Neural Efficiency

Abstract Motor skills emerge when practicing individual movements enables the motor system to extract building instructions that facilitate the generation of future diverse movements. Here we asked how practicing stereotyped movements for minutes affects motor synergies that encode human motor skills acquired over years of training. Participants trained a kinematically highly constrained combined index-finger and thumb movement. Before and after training, finger movements were evoked at rest by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Post-training, the angle between posture vectors describing TMS-evoked movements and the training movements temporarily decreased, suggesting the presence of a short-term memory for the trained movement. Principal component analysis was used to identify joint covariance patterns in TMS-evoked movements. The quality of reconstruction of training or grasping movements from linear combinations of a small subset of these TMS-derived synergies was used as an index of neural efficiency of movement generation. The reconstruction quality increased for the trained movement but remained constant for grasping movements. These findings suggest that the motor system rapidly reorganizes to enhance the coding efficiency of a difficult movement without compromising the coding efficiency of overlearned movements. Practice of individual movements may drive an unsupervised bottom-up process that ultimately shapes synergistic neuronal organization by constant competition of action memories.

scholarly journals POS1121 DEMOGRAPHICS, COMORBIDITIES, AND RENAL FUNCTION OF UNCONTROLLED GOUT PATIENTS WHO RECEIVED PEGLOTICASE: FINDING FROM A LARGE US CLAIMS DATABASE

2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 839.2-840
Author(s):  
C. Vesel ◽  
A. Morton ◽  
M. Francis-Sedlak ◽  
B. Lamoreaux
Keyword(s):  
Kidney Function ◽  
Real World ◽  
Randomized Clinical Trials ◽  
Small Subset ◽  
Phase 3 ◽  
Claims Database ◽  
Medical Diagnoses ◽  
Ckd Stage ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact

Background:NHANES data indicate that approximately 9.2 million Americans have gout,1 with a small subset having uncontrolled disease.2 Pegloticase is a PEGylated recombinant uricase enzyme indicated for treating uncontrolled gout that markedly reduces serum uric acid levels (sUA)3 and resolves tophi in treatment responders.4 Despite pegloticase availability in the US for many years, real world demographics of pegloticase users in the treatment of uncontrolled gout have not been previously reported in a population-based cohort.Objectives:This study utilized a large US claims database to examine demographics and co-morbidities of uncontrolled gout patients treated with pegloticase. Kidney function before and after pegloticase treatment and concomitant therapy with immunomodulators were also examined.Methods:The TriNetX Diamond database includes de-identified data from 4.3 million US patients with gout (as of September 2019), including demographics, medical diagnoses, laboratory values, procedures (e.g. infusions, surgeries), and pharmacy data. Patients who had received ≥1 pegloticase infusion were included in these analyses. The number of infusions was evaluated for a subgroup of patients who were in the database ≥3 months before and ≥2 years after the first pegloticase infusion (i.e. first infusion prior to September 2017) to ensure only complete courses of therapy were captured. In this subpopulation, kidney function before and after pegloticase therapy was examined, along with the presence of immunomodulation prescriptions (methotrexate, mycophenolate mofetil, azathioprine, leflunomide) within 60 days prior to and 14 days after the first pegloticase infusion.Results:1494 patients treated with pegloticase were identified. Patients were 63.1 ± 14.0 years of age (range: 23–91), mostly male (82%), and white (76%). Mean sUA prior to pegloticase was 8.7 ± 2.4 mg/dL (n=50), indicating uncontrolled gout in the identified population. The most commonly reported comorbidities were chronic kidney disease (CKD, 48%), essential hypertension (71%), type 2 diabetes (39%), and cardiovascular disease (38%), similar to pegloticase pivotal Phase 3 trial populations. In patients with pre-therapy kidney function measures (n=134), pre-treatment eGFR averaged 61.2 ± 25.7 ml/min/1.73 m2, with 44% having Stage 3-5 CKD. In patients with complete therapy course capture and pre- and post-therapy eGFR measures (n=48), kidney function remained stable (change in eGFR: -2.9 ± 18.2 ml/min/1.73 m2) and CKD stage remained the same or improved in 81% of patients. In 791 patients with complete treatment course capture, patients had received 8.7 ± 13.8 infusions (median: 3, IQR: 2-10). Of these, 189 (24%) patients received only 1 pegloticase infusion and 173 (22%) received ≥12 infusions. As the data cut-off for this analysis pre-dated emerging data on the use of immunomodulation as co-therapy, only 19 of 791 (2%) patients received immunomodulation co-therapy with pegloticase.Conclusion:This relatively large group of patients with uncontrolled gout treated with pegloticase had similar patient characteristics of those studied in the phase 3 randomized clinical trials. Patients with uncontrolled gout are significantly burdened with systemic co-morbid diseases. The majority of patients had stable or improved kidney function following pegloticase treatment. As these results reflect patients initiating treatment prior to 2018, before co-treatment with immunomodulation was introduced, this cohort only included a small percentage of patients who were co-treated with an immunomodulator. Future studies using more current datasets are needed to evaluate real world outcomes in patients treated with pegloticase/immunomodulator co-therapy and to evaluate the impact of systemic co-morbid diseases.References:[1]Chen-Xu M, et al. Arthritis Rheumatol 2019 71:991-999.[2]Fels E, Sundy JS. Curr Opin Rheumatol 2008;20:198-202.[3]Sundy J, et al. JAMA 2011;306:711-720.[4]Mandell BF, et al. Arthritis Res Ther 2018;20:286.Disclosure of Interests:Claudia Vesel Shareholder of: Horizon Therapeutics plc, Employee of: Horizon Therapeutics plc, Allan Morton Speakers bureau: Sanofi, Amgen, and Horizon, Megan Francis-Sedlak Shareholder of: Horizon Therapeutics plc, Employee of: Horizon Therapeutics plc, Brian LaMoreaux Shareholder of: Horizon Therapeutics plc, Employee of: Horizon Therapeutics plc.

scholarly journals Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy as a Rapid Tool to Qualitatively Predict the Effects of Species, Regions and Roasting on the Nutritional Composition of Australian Acacia Seed Species

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (7) ◽  
pp. 1879
Author(s):  
Oladipupo Q. Adiamo ◽  
Yasmina Sultanbawa ◽  
Daniel Cozzolino
Keyword(s):  
Principal Component ◽  
Nutritional Composition ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
Mid Infrared ◽  
Mir Spectroscopy ◽  
As Species ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Mir Spectra ◽  
Main Components ◽  
Rapid Tool

In recent times, the popularity of adding value to under-utilized legumes have increased to enhance their use for human consumption. Acacia seed (AS) is an underutilized legume with over 40 edible species found in Australia. The study aimed to qualitatively characterize the chemical composition of 14 common edible AS species from 27 regions in Australia using mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy as a rapid tool. Raw and roasted (180 °C, 5, 7, and 9 min) AS flour were analysed using MIR spectroscopy. The wavenumbers (1045 cm−1, 1641 cm−1, and 2852–2926 cm−1) in the MIR spectra show the main components in the AS samples. Principal component analysis (PCA) of the MIR data displayed the clustering of samples according to species and roasting treatment. However, regional differences within the same AS species have less of an effect on the components, as shown in the PCA plot. Statistical analysis of absorbance at specific wavenumbers showed that roasting significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the compositions of some of the AS species. The results provided a foundation for hypothesizing the compositional similarity and/or differences among AS species before and after roasting.

scholarly journals Influence of Stratospheric Sudden Warming on AIRS Midtropospheric CO2

2013 ◽  
Vol 70 (8) ◽  
pp. 2566-2573 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xun Jiang ◽  
Jingqian Wang ◽  
Edward T. Olsen ◽  
Thomas Pagano ◽  
Luke L. Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Department Of Energy ◽  
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder ◽  
Stratospheric Sudden Warming ◽  
Chemical Tracers ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Temporal And Spatial ◽  
Global Reanalysis ◽  
Height Data

Abstract Midtropospheric CO2 retrievals from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) were used to explore the influence of stratospheric sudden warming (SSW) on CO2 in the middle to upper troposphere. To choose the SSW events that had strong coupling between the stratosphere and troposphere, the authors applied a principal component analysis to the NCEP/Department of Energy Global Reanalysis 2 (NCEP-2) geopotential height data at 17 pressure levels. Two events (April 2003 and March 2005) that have strong couplings between the stratosphere and troposphere were chosen to investigate the influence of SSW on AIRS midtropospheric CO2. The authors investigated the temporal and spatial variations of AIRS midtropospheric CO2 before and after the SSW events and found that the midtropospheric CO2 concentrations increased by 2–3 ppm within a few days after the SSW events. These results can be used to better understand how the chemical tracers respond to the large-scale dynamics in the high latitudes.

scholarly journals PROMOTING PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY AMONG PRE-SERVICE ENGLISH TEACHERS THROUGH TEACHER CAMPS

2021 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 214
Author(s):  
Anderson Hidarto ◽  
Chindy Christine
Keyword(s):  
Professional Identity ◽  
Identity Formation ◽  
English Language ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Resource Exploitation ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Pre Service Teacher ◽  
Teaching Ideas

With a mission to enhance the quality of EFL teachers, the Regional English Language Office (RELO) of the U.S. Embassy in Indonesia has conducted a pre-service teacher camp where practical teaching innovations are taught alongside reflective practices and the development of social and intercultural competences. This paper aims to examine how the participants, who are pre-service language teachers, perceived their professional identity as potential EFL educators after attending Camp EPIC and to what extent the program contributed to this process of professional identity formation. The study employed a mixed-methods survey where a total of 45 participants of Camp EPIC 2018 were purposively selected. They were asked to provide descriptions of themselves as teachers before and after the teacher camp, which were then analysed qualitatively using thematic analysis. As for the quantitative data, a set of thirty-three Likert-scale items were examined using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The triangulated data indicated that the participants’ perception was positively altered after the camp. While some mentioned that they were more resourceful and creative with teaching ideas, others showed a higher level of self-efficacy concerning their competence. These changes could be attributed to four major features of the camp: reflection, feedback, resource exploitation, and collaboration.

scholarly journals The Effects of Calcium Supplementation on Blood Lead Levels and Short-term Memory of Chronically Exposed Children: A Clinical Trial Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (B) ◽  
pp. 1144-1151
Author(s):  
Sri Sofyani Syofyan ◽  
Arlinda Sari Wahyuni ◽  
Kusnandi Rusmil ◽  
Aznan Lelo
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Calcium Supplementation ◽  
Blood Lead ◽  
Blood Lead Levels ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
Oral Calcium ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Lead Levels

AIM: The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of calcium supplementation to decrease blood lead levels (BLLs) of children at high risk for chronic lead poisoning and to determine its effects on short-term memory. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Children aged 8–12 years lived in the highest traffic density in Medan randomly included in this quasi-experimental study, divided into two groups (control and supplementation group received tablet contain four hundred milligrams oral calcium twice daily for 3 months). Samples for BLLs were collected before and after 3 months of supplementation, and short-term memory measurements are carried out by picture and forward digital span test. Descriptive statistics were calculated at baseline and 3 months; comparison between before and after treatment was assessed with t-tests, p < 0.05 considered statistically significant. RESULTS: BLLs samples, who are exposed to lead for >6 months were ranging between 0.4–12 μg/dL. Median BLLs in supplementation group before treatment was 2.1 μg/dL and after treatment was 0.01 μg/dL (p < 0.01); difference between median in BLLs after treatment in supplementation group was 2.090 μg/dL (p = 0.004). Score memory picture in the supplementation group before treatment was 61.4 ± 24.83 and after treatment was 76.21 ± 15.97 (p<0.01). Score memory digital span in the supplementation group before treatment was 5 (3–7) and after treatment was 7 (5–7) (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Three months of oral calcium supplementation 400 mg twice daily for high-risk chronic lead poisoning children reduced BLLs significantly and improved their short-term memory.

scholarly journals The Effect of 12 Weeks of Ski Training on Some Biometric Features of Girls

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 47
Author(s):  
Murat Taş ◽  
Elif Kiyici ◽  
Fatih Kiyici
Keyword(s):  
Motor Skills ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Fine Motor ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Fine Motor Skills ◽  
Testing Methods ◽  
Limb Coordination ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Package Program ◽  
Experimental Group

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of skiing on the biomotoric characteristics of children with evaluating tests of girls between the ages of eight and 14 before and after the season. The experimental group of this study was 15 girls who had just started skiing and the control group of 30 girls. In total, 45 volunteers joined the study. To follow the development of the children in the study, the Bruininks biomotoric-Oseretsky proficiency testing of engines, Second Edition Short Form (BOT 2 brief) test: Fine Motor Precision, Fine Motor Integration, Manual Dexterity, Bilateral Coordination, Balance, Running Speed and Agility, Upper-Limb Coordination, and Strength was used and total scores were measured. All measurements observed changes in the first test by applying the latest testing methods. The Windows SPSS 17.0 statistical package program was used to analyze the data with Independent-Sample t-test to find the differences between the groups. Statistically meaningful levels resulted as p< 0.05 and p< 0.001. No meaningful differences were found in the comparison of the motoric features of the girls who ski and those who do not in their pre-test. A meaningful difference was found in fine motor skills, fine motor accord and total score after ski training. Ski training contributed to the fine motor skills, fine motor accord and total score of the girls.

Contribution of the basal ganglia to spoken language: Is speech production like the other motor skills?

2014 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 576-576 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre Zenon ◽  
Etienne Olivier
Keyword(s):  
Basal Ganglia ◽  
Speech Production ◽  
Motor Skills ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Motor System ◽  
Spoken Language ◽  
The Other ◽  
Motor Behaviour ◽  
Hypokinetic Dysarthria ◽  
High Level

AbstractTwo of the roles assigned to the basal ganglia in spoken language parallel very well their contribution to motor behaviour: (1) their role in sequence processing, resulting in syntax deficits, and (2) their role in movement “vigor,” leading to “hypokinetic dysarthria” or “hypophonia.” This is an additional example of how the motor system has served the emergence of high-level cognitive functions, such as language.

scholarly journals Steganalysis of Quantization Index Modulation Steganography in G.723.1 Codec

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
Zhijun Wu ◽  
Rong Li ◽  
Panpan Yin ◽  
Changliang Li
Keyword(s):  
Transition Probability ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Transition Probability Matrix ◽  
Support Vector ◽  
Quantization Index Modulation ◽  
Distribution Probability ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Security Of Network ◽  
Index Value ◽  
Index Modulation

Steganalysis is used for preventing the illegal use of steganography to ensure the security of network communication through detecting whether or not secret information is hidden in the carrier. This paper presents an approach to detect the quantization index modulation (QIM) of steganography in G.723.1 based on the analysis of the probability of occurrence of index values before and after steganography and studying the influence of adjacent index values in voice over internet protocol (VoIP). According to the change of index value distribution characteristics, this approach extracts the distribution probability matrix and the transition probability matrix as feature vectors, and uses principal component analysis (PCA) to reduce the dimensionality. Through a large amount of sample training, the support vector machine (SVM) is designed as a classifier to detect the QIM steganography. The speech samples with different embedding rates and different durations were tested to verify their impact on the accuracy of the steganalysis. The experimental results show that the proposed approach improves the accuracy and reliability of the steganalysis.

scholarly journals The impact of herbs and spices on the appreciation of low-salt legume-based dishes

2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (OCE2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marine Vannereux ◽  
Agnes Giboreau ◽  
Anestis Dougkas
Keyword(s):  
Energy Intake ◽  
Salt Content ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Preference Ranking ◽  
Low Salt ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Interesting Approach ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Herbs And Spices

AbstractIntroductionDespite the well-documented health benefits of a dietary pattern higher in plant-based food such as legumes, their consumption remains low. Knowing that taste is the first factor in consumers’ food choice, flavoring of legumes using blends of herbs and spices (H&S) is an interesting approach to increase their consumption. This study examines the effect of H&S on the appreciation and energy intake of low salt legume-based dishes in a real context ecological environment.Materials and MethodsA 2-step pilot testing was designed to determine the most favorable recipe between 4 different blends of H&S. Firstly, 4 recipes were evaluated in a balanced order of presentation using different blends of legumes (chickpeas and lentils) and H&S by 115 participants (age 18–35) in an experimental restaurant. Overall liking was measured, followed by a preference-ranking test. Secondly, a perception assessment test was performed (n = 54) with the preferred recipe being divided into 4 variants higher (S) or lower in salt (LS) and H&S (S, LS, LSHS, SHS), according to a 2×2 factorial design (2-AFC test). In a randomized cross-over trial, 94 participants (age 18–35) attended 4 sessions 1 week apart and received the 4 variants as a mezze-type starter. Overall liking, food intake and appetite ratings (VAS) were assessed before and after the starter, main dish and dessert during lunch.ResultsParticipants significantly preferred the Spinach recipe compared with the Ginger, Paprika and Curcuma recipes and they could easily determine the different levels for salt and spices (t-test 5%). There were no significant differences in overall liking and taste between the different levels of salt and spiciness, although Principal Component Analysis showed 55% of the participants rating higher scores for the H&S recipes. Similarly, there were no differences in energy intake between S, LS, LSHS, SHS or total energy intake of the complete lunch. There was no difference in the ratings of hunger, desire to eat and prospective consumption although fullness was significantly higher followed by the S compared with LSHS (P < 0.005).DiscussionOverall appreciation was similar after the addition of H&S in low-salt starter to the high-salt starters, implying that reducing salt content without compromising acceptance is a feasible strategy at an ecological setting. However, there was no difference in energy intake of the four variants and overall appetite ratings. Further analysis, on interindividual differences in terms of eating behavior and acceptance, seems prudent.

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