Novel Television-Based Cognitive Training Improves Working Memory and Executive Function

The main study objective was to investigate the effect of interactive television-based cognitive training on cognitive performance of 119 healthy older adults, aged 60–87 years. Participants were randomly allocated to a cognitive training group or to an active control group in a single-blind controlled two-group design. Before and after training interactive television cognitive performance was assessed on well validated tests of fluid, higher-order ability, and system usability was evaluated. The participants in the cognitive training group completed a television-based cognitive training programme, while the participants in the active control group completed a TV-based programme of personally benefiting activities. Significant improvements were observed in well validated working memory and executive function tasks in the cognitive training but not in the control group. None of the groups showed statistically significant improvement in life satisfaction score. Participants'' reports of “adequate” to “high” system usability testify to the successful development and implementation of the interactive television-based system and compliant cognitive training contents. The study demonstrates that cognitive training delivered by means of an interactive television system can generate genuine cognitive benefits in users and these are measurable using well-validated cognitive tests. Thus, older adults who cannot use or afford a computer can easily use digital interactive television to benefit from advanced software applications designed to train cognition.     

Head mounted displays for capturing head kinematics in postural tasks

Tracking head motion in a simple, portable and accurate manner during performance of postural tasks in a virtual reality environment could have important implications for investigating normal and pathological head kinematics. We investigated concurrent validity of head tracking of two Head Mounted Displays (HMDs), Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, vs. a gold-standard motion capture system (Qualisys). Head kinematics of N = 20 healthy young adults was quantified during static and dynamic postural tasks. While wearing the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive, participants observed moving stars (static tasks) or a flying ball (dynamic task). Head kinematics were recorded simultaneously by the Rift or Vive and Qualisys camera system. We calculated head directional path, acceleration in 6 directions and volume of translation movement. Intra-Class Correlations (ICC) and 95% Limits of agreement were calculated. Most ICC values were around 0.9 with several at 0.99 indicating excellent agreement between the HMDs and Qualisys. Weaker agreement was observed for vertical displacement during a static task and moderate agreement was observed pitch and yaw displacement during a dynamic task. A negative bias of a small magnitude (indicating more movement in VR) was observed for most variables in static tasks, while a positive bias was observed for most variables in the dynamic task (indicating less movement in VR). Our results generally support the concurrent validity of Oculus Rift and HTC Vive head tracking during static and dynamic standing tasks in healthy young adults. Specific task- and direction-dependent differences should be considered when planning measurement studies using these novel tools.     

高粱抗丝黑穗病SSR-PCR反应体系的优化

目的:找到一种可用于高粱抗丝黑穗病SSR-PCR扩增最适宜的反应体系。方法:利用单因素体系优化的方法,对SSR-PCR反应体系中Taq酶、dNTPs、MgCl2、模板DNA以及引物用量进行了优化,并且用不同引物、不同模板DNA对该优化结果进行验证。结果:实验表明,Taq酶、dNTPs、MgCl2、模板DNA以及引物的不同用量均对PCR反应结果有显著的影响。最适宜高粱抗丝黑穗病20μl SSR-PCR的反应体系为1U/μl Taq酶2.5μl,10mmol/L dNTPs 1.0μl,25mmol/L MgCl21.5μl,模版DNA2.0μl(50ng),10μmol/L引物1.5μl,10×Buffer 2.0μl。验证结果表明,该体系扩增出的条带清晰且稳定。结论:该结果为今后利用SSR-PCR标记技术研究分析高粱抗丝黑穗病奠定了基础。     

A COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING AND MEASURING GUSTATORY REACTION TIMES

Reaction Time (RT) procedures are widely used in cognitive and behavioral experiments. In the sensory realm RT has been traditionally applied to measure visual, auditory or motor responses. The application of the RT method to gustatory stimuli has proved to be difficult. Attempts to develop automatic control techniques have been restrained by difficulties related to the control of variables, e.g. physiochemical characteristics of chemical solutions and the procedure for stimulus presentation. In this report we describe a computer based system that was designed to measure the reaction time to taste solutions dropped on the tongue. The equipment consists of a pumping system, an interface between the computer and the pumping system, the software required to control the interface and to measure reaction time, and a push button to detect the subject's response. The system can be used as a tool for both research and evaluation tests.     

A new technique for feeding dogs with a congenital cleft palate for surgical research

In humans, cleft palate (CP) is one of the most common malformations. Although surgeons use palatoplasty to close CP defects in children, its consequences for subsequent facial growth have prompted investigations into other novel surgical alternatives. The animal models of CP used to evaluate new surgical treatments are frequently obtained by creating surgically induced clefts in adult dogs. This procedure has been ethically criticized due to its severity and questionable value as an animal model for human CP. Dogs born with a congenital CP would be much better for this purpose, provided they developed CP at a sufficient rate and could be fed. Up until now, feeding these pups carried the risk of aspiration pneumonia, while impeding normal suckling and chewing, and thus compromising orofacial growth. We developed a technique for feeding dog pups with CP from birth to the time of surgery using two old Spanish pointer dog pups bearing a complete CP. This dog strain develops CP in 15-20% of the offspring spontaneously. Custom-made feeding teats and palatal prostheses adapted to the pups' palates were made from thermoplastic plates. This feeding technique allowed lactation, eating and drinking in the pups with CP, with only sporadic rhinitis. To determine whether the use of this palatal prosthesis interferes with palatal growth, the palates of three littermate German shorthaired pointer pups without CP, either wearing or not wearing (controls) the prosthesis, were measured. The results showed that the permanent use of this prosthesis does not impede palatal growth in the pups.     

神经工程与脑-机接口

神经工程是近年来在生物医学工程领域备受关注的学科发展新方向。它运用神经科学和工程学的方法来分析神经功能并为神经功能缺失与紊乱的修复提供新的解决问题的方案;而脑-机接口则是当前神经工程领域中最活跃的研究方向之一。脑-机接口是在脑与计算机或其他外部设备之间建立的直接的通信和交流通道。在脑-机接口系统中,具有特定模式的脑信号携带着受试者希望表达的意愿,计算机将接收到的脑信号转换成相应的控制命令,于是那些有运动障碍的残疾人就可以利用脑-机接口系统来实现与外界的交流与对外部设备的控制。在基于脑电信号的脑-机接口系统中,受试者产生的脑信号大致可以分为内源性（endogenous）和外源性（exogenous）两类。其中外源性的成分主要取决于外部物理刺激（视觉、听觉或触觉）的参数而与认知行为无关;而内源性成分则主要由认知行为产生而与外部的物理刺激无关。在许多情况下,脑－机接口中的瞬态诱发电位通常都同时包含着内源性和外源性两种成分。寻找新的脑－机接口模式使之能显著提升记录脑电信号中的内源性与外源性成分在脑－机接口研究中具有重要意义。本文中将介绍一种基于运动起始时刻（motion—onset）的新的脑-机接口实验范式。本文的最后还探讨了脑－机接口未来发展的趋势与展望。     

Deficits in long-term recognition memory reveal dissociated subtypes in congenital prosopagnosia

The study investigates long-term recognition memory in congenital prosopagnosia (CP), a lifelong impairment in face identification that is present from birth. Previous investigations of processing deficits in CP have mostly relied on short-term recognition tests to estimate the scope and severity of individual deficits. We firstly report on a controlled test of long-term (one year) recognition memory for faces and objects conducted with a large group of participants with CP. Long-term recognition memory is significantly impaired in eight CP participants (CPs). In all but one case, this deficit was selective to faces and didn't extend to intra-class recognition of object stimuli. In a test of famous face recognition, long-term recognition deficits were less pronounced, even after accounting for differences in media consumption between controls and CPs. Secondly, we combined test results on long-term and short-term recognition of faces and objects, and found a large heterogeneity in severity and scope of individual deficits. Analysis of the observed heterogeneity revealed a dissociation of CP into subtypes with a homogeneous phenotypical profile. Thirdly, we found that among CPs self-assessment of real-life difficulties, based on a standardized questionnaire, and experimentally assessed face recognition deficits are strongly correlated. Our results demonstrate that controlled tests of long-term recognition memory are needed to fully assess face recognition deficits in CP. Based on controlled and comprehensive experimental testing, CP can be dissociated into subtypes with a homogeneous phenotypical profile. The CP subtypes identified align with those found in prosopagnosia caused by cortical lesions; they can be interpreted with respect to a hierarchical neural system for face perception.     

Tripping Elicits Earlier and Larger Deviations in Linear Head Acceleration Compared to Slipping

Slipping and tripping contribute to a large number of falls and fall-related injuries. While the vestibular system is known to contribute to balance and fall prevention, it is unclear whether it contributes to detecting slip or trip onset. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of slipping and tripping on head acceleration during walking. This information would help determine whether individuals with vestibular dysfunction are likely to be at a greater risk of falls due to slipping or tripping, and would inform the potential development of assistive devices providing augmented sensory feedback for vestibular dysfunction. Twelve young men were exposed to an unexpected slip or trip. Head acceleration was measured and transformed to an approximate location of the vestibular system. Peak linear acceleration in anterior, posterior, rightward, leftward, superior, and inferior directions were compared between slipping, tripping, and walking. Compared to walking, peak accelerations were up to 4.68 m/s² higher after slipping, and up to 10.64 m/s² higher after tripping. Head acceleration first deviated from walking 100-150ms after slip onset and 0-50ms after trip onset. The temporal characteristics of head acceleration support a possible contribution of the vestibular system to detecting trip onset, but not slip onset. Head acceleration after slipping and tripping also appeared to be sufficiently large to contribute to the balance recovery response.     

Developing a Hybrid Programmable Logic Controller Platform for a Flexible Manufacturing System

In this article, we present the design and implementation of a flexible manufacturing system (FMS) control platform based on a programmable logic controller (PLC) and a personal computer (PC)-based visual man-machine interface (MMI) and data acquisition (DAS) unit. The key aspect of an FMS is its flexibility to adapt to changes in a demanding process operation. The PLC provides feasible solutions to FMS applications, using PC-based MMI/DAS, whereby PLCs are optimized for executing rapid sequential control strategies. PCs running MMI/DAS front-ends make intuitive operation interfaces, full of powerful graphics and reporting tools. Information from the PC can be distributed through a company's local area network or web using client-server technologies. Currently, with the convergence of underlying microprocessor technology and software programming techniques, many users find that PLCs provide a cost-effective solution to real-time control in small- to medium-sized process plants, especially when combined with supervisory PCs using hybrid systems. The major work of this article demonstrates that PLCs are responsive to rapid and repetitious control tasks, using PCs that present the flow of information automation and accept operator instructions, thereby providing the user a tool to modify and monitor the process as the requirements change.     

Relationships between Head Circumference,Brain Volume and Cognition in Children with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure

Head circumference is used together with other measures as a proxy for central nervous system damage in the diagnosis of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, yet the relationship between head circumference and brain volume has not been investigated in this population. The objective of this study is to characterize the relationship between head circumference, brain volume and cognitive performance in a large sample of children with prenatal alcohol exposure (n = 144) and healthy controls (n = 145), aged 5–19 years. All participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging to yield brain volumes and head circumference, normalized to control for age and sex. Mean head circumference, brain volume, and cognitive scores were significantly reduced in the prenatal alcohol exposure group relative to controls, albeit with considerable overlap between groups. Males with prenatal alcohol exposure had reductions in all three measures, whereas females with prenatal alcohol exposure had reduced brain volumes and cognitive scores, but no difference in head circumference relative to controls. Microcephaly (defined here as head circumference ≤ 3rd percentile) occurred more often in prenatal alcohol exposed participants than controls, but 90% of the exposed sample had head circumferences above this clinical cutoff indicating that head circumference is not a sensitive marker of prenatal alcohol exposure. Normalized head circumference and brain volume were positively correlated in both groups, and subjects with very low head circumference typically had below-average brain volumes. Conversely, over half of the subjects with very low brain volumes had normal head circumferences, which may stem from differential effects of alcohol on the skeletal and nervous systems. There were no significant correlations between head circumference and any cognitive score. These findings confirm group-level reductions in head circumference and increased rates of microcephaly in children with prenatal alcohol exposure, but raise concerns about the predictive value of this metric at an individual-subject level.     

Principles of magnetic resonance imaging

This article aims to provide an educational document of magnetic resonance imaging principles for applied biomedical users of the technology. Basic principles are illustrated using simple experimental models on a preclinical imaging system.     

Tangible interfaces for structural molecular biology

The evolving technology of computer autofabrication makes it possible to produce physical models for complex biological molecules and assemblies. Augmented reality has recently developed as a computer interface technology that enables the mixing of real-world objects and computer-generated graphics. We report an application that demonstrates the use of autofabricated tangible models and augmented reality for research and communication in molecular biology. We have extended our molecular modeling environment, PMV, to support the fabrication of a wide variety of physical molecular models, and have adapted an augmented reality system to allow virtual 3D representations to be overlaid onto the tangible molecular models. Users can easily change the overlaid information, switching between different representations of the molecule, displays of molecular properties, or dynamic information. The physical models provide a powerful, intuitive interface for manipulating the computer models, streamlining the interface between human intent, the physical model, and the computational activity.     

Research on heterogeneous data integration model of group enterprise based on cluster computing

Cluster, consisting of a group of computers, is to act as a whole system to provide users with computer resources. Each computer is a node of this cluster. Cluster computer refers to a system consisting of a complete set of computers connected to each other. With the rapid development of computer technology, cluster computing technique with high performance–cost ratio has been widely applied in distributed parallel computing. For the large-scale close data in group enterprise, a heterogeneous data integration model was built under cluster environment based on cluster computing, XML technology and ontology theory. Such model could provide users unified and transparent access interfaces. Based on cluster computing, the work has solved the heterogeneous data integration problems by means of Ontology and XML technology. Furthermore, good application effect has been achieved compared with traditional data integration model. Furthermore, it was proved that this model improved the computing capacity of system, with high performance–cost ratio. Thus, it is hoped to provide support for decision-making of enterprise managers.     

Evaluation of the health status outcome among inpatients treated for Amphetamine Addiction

Amphetamine is one of the most abuser drugs in Saudi Arabia. The aim of this study was to evaluate health status outcome at baseline and after detoxification in amphetamine users through the evaluation of the body mass index, renal function tests, cardiac biomarkers, gonadal hormonal levels, and oxidative stress markers. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 90 participants. Sixty participants were hospitalized patients for treatment of addiction and 30 participants were healthy volunteers. This study was performed at a psychiatric and rehabilitation center, in Qassim region, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Participants were divided into: group I = control; group II = amphetamine users and group III = amphetamine plus cannabis users. Socio-demographic data was collected. The urinary amphetamine level, Severity Dependence Scale (SDS), body mass index (BMI), vital signs; serum levels of troponin T (TnT), immunoglobulin M (IgM), immunoglobulin G (IgG), luteinizing Hormone (LH), testosterone Hormone (TSTS), urea, creatinine, malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and catalase (CAT) were measured on admission and after detoxification. The results showed that the BMI was significantly decreased while, vital signs such as heart rate, blood pressure and respiratory rate were significantly increased in all abusers and returned to normal values after the detoxification period. The cardiac biomarker troponin T was significantly increased and reversed after detoxification. The immune system was evaluated through assessing serum levels of immunoglobulin (Ig) M and IgG. The immune system remained immunocompromised in drug users, and IgM and IgG levels did not reach the level of control group after treatment. Luteinizing and testosterone hormones were evaluated. Both hormones were increased on admission and improved after the detoxification period. Renal function showed no significant differences between drug users and the control group. In the evaluation of the antioxidant system, there was a significant increase in serum MDA, SOD, GPx, and CAT levels compared to healthy controls. After the detoxification phase, these oxidative stress biomarkers still remained elevated. The current results have shown the addiction of amphetamine and cannabis exert detrimental effects on different body organs and the exert major consequences on the health status of drug users. The present study showed that, there was no improvement in the levels of oxidative stress biomarkers, although an improvement was observed in the other parameters after the detoxification phase.     

Head activator and head inhibitor are signals for nerve cell differentiation in hydra

Head activator and head inhibitor control nerve cell differentiation in hydra. Head activator acts as a stimulatory signal on nerve cell differentiation by forcing nerve cell precursors, which are arrested before final differentiation, to develop into mature nerve cells. Head inhibitor acts antagonistically by keeping the cells in their arrested state, before mitosis and terminal differentiation. This and other evidence suggest that the arrest of the nerve cell precursors occurs in the G₂-phase of their cell cycle. Nerve cell differentiation can also be induced by wounding the animal. This is a consequence of an initial disinhibition caused by diffusion of head inhibitor out of the tissue and the subsequent release of head activator which then stimulates nerve cell differentiation.     

An Electrocorticographic Brain Interface in an Individual with Tetraplegia

Brain-computer interface (BCI) technology aims to help individuals with disability to control assistive devices and reanimate paralyzed limbs. Our study investigated the feasibility of an electrocorticography (ECoG)-based BCI system in an individual with tetraplegia caused by C4 level spinal cord injury. ECoG signals were recorded with a high-density 32-electrode grid over the hand and arm area of the left sensorimotor cortex. The participant was able to voluntarily activate his sensorimotor cortex using attempted movements, with distinct cortical activity patterns for different segments of the upper limb. Using only brain activity, the participant achieved robust control of 3D cursor movement. The ECoG grid was explanted 28 days post-implantation with no adverse effect. This study demonstrates that ECoG signals recorded from the sensorimotor cortex can be used for real-time device control in paralyzed individuals.     

An asynchronous wheelchair control by hybrid EEG–EOG brain–computer interface

Wheelchair control requires multiple degrees of freedom and fast intention detection, which makes electroencephalography (EEG)-based wheelchair control a big challenge. In our previous study, we have achieved direction (turning left and right) and speed (acceleration and deceleration) control of a wheelchair using a hybrid brain–computer interface (BCI) combining motor imagery and P300 potentials. In this paper, we proposed hybrid EEG-EOG BCI, which combines motor imagery, P300 potentials, and eye blinking to implement forward, backward, and stop control of a wheelchair. By performing relevant activities, users (e.g., those with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and locked-in syndrome) can navigate the wheelchair with seven steering behaviors. Experimental results on four healthy subjects not only demonstrate the efficiency and robustness of our brain-controlled wheelchair system but also indicate that all the four subjects could control the wheelchair spontaneously and efficiently without any other assistance (e.g., an automatic navigation system).     

Detection rates of periodontal bacteria and herpesviruses in different forms of periodontal disease

The aim was to investigate the detection rates of periodontal bacteria (Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Prevotella intermedia, and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans) and herpesviruses (herpes simplex virus-1 [HSV-1], cytomegalovirus [CMV], and Epstein-Barr virus [EBV]) in different forms and severity of periodontal disease, and to compare them with those in periodontally healthy subjects. One hundred and twenty-nine patients participated in the study: 39 diagnosed with periodontal abscess (PA), 33 with necrotizing ulcerative periodontitis (NUP), 27 with chronic periodontitis (CP), and 30 participants with healthy periodontal tissue represented a healthy control group. All patients with periodontal disease (PA, NUP, and CP) were also divided into two groups according to the severity of their disease: moderate and severe periodontitis. The subgingival samples were collected from the periodontitis active sites and the detection of microorganisms was performed by end-point polymerase chain reaction analyses. The results revealed significantly higher detection rates of P. gingivalis, T. forsythia, and P. intermedia in all three groups of patients with periodontitis than in healthy participants. The highest detection rate of A. actinomycetemcomitans was noticed in CP, which was significantly higher than that in PA, NUP, and healthy control. The occurrence of EBV was significantly higher in NUP than in CP and healthy participants. CMV was detected significantly more frequently in PA and NUP than in CP and healthy participants. Comparisons among healthy participants and patients with moderate and severe periodontitis showed significantly higher detection rates of EBV and CMV in patients with severe forms of periodontitis than in healthy participants and those with moderate periodontitis.     

Encoder-Decoder Optimization for Brain-Computer Interfaces

Neuroprosthetic brain-computer interfaces are systems that decode neural activity into useful control signals for effectors, such as a cursor on a computer screen. It has long been recognized that both the user and decoding system can adapt to increase the accuracy of the end effector. Co-adaptation is the process whereby a user learns to control the system in conjunction with the decoder adapting to learn the user''s neural patterns. We provide a mathematical framework for co-adaptation and relate co-adaptation to the joint optimization of the user''s control scheme ("encoding model") and the decoding algorithm''s parameters. When the assumptions of that framework are respected, co-adaptation cannot yield better performance than that obtainable by an optimal initial choice of fixed decoder, coupled with optimal user learning. For a specific case, we provide numerical methods to obtain such an optimized decoder. We demonstrate our approach in a model brain-computer interface system using an online prosthesis simulator, a simple human-in-the-loop pyschophysics setup which provides a non-invasive simulation of the BCI setting. These experiments support two claims: that users can learn encoders matched to fixed, optimal decoders and that, once learned, our approach yields expected performance advantages.     

A Web Interface for Easy Flexible Protein-Protein Docking with ATTRACT

Protein-protein docking programs can give valuable insights into the structure of protein complexes in the absence of an experimental complex structure. Web interfaces can facilitate the use of docking programs by structural biologists. Here, we present an easy web interface for protein-protein docking with the ATTRACT program. While aimed at nonexpert users, the web interface still covers a considerable range of docking applications. The web interface supports systematic rigid-body protein docking with the ATTRACT coarse-grained force field, as well as various kinds of protein flexibility. The execution of a docking protocol takes up to a few hours on a standard desktop computer.