Optimizing EEG ICA decomposition with data cleaning in stationary and mobile experiments.

Electroencephalography (EEG) studies increasingly utilize more mobile experimental protocols, leading to more and stronger artifacts in the recorded data. Independent Component Analysis (ICA) is commonly used to remove these artifacts. It is standard practice to remove artifactual samples before ICA to improve the decomposition, for example using automatic tools such as the sample rejection option of the AMICA algorithm. However, the effects of movement intensity and the strength of automatic sample rejection on ICA decomposition have not been systematically evaluated. We conducted AMICA decompositions on eight open-access datasets with varying degrees of motion intensity using varying sample rejection criteria. We evaluated decomposition quality using mutual information of the components, the proportion of brain, muscle, and 'other' components, residual variance, and an exemplary signal-to-noise ratio. Within individual studies, increased movement significantly decreased decomposition quality, though this effect was not found across different studies. Cleaning strength significantly improved the decomposition, but the effect was smaller than expected. Our results suggest that the AMICA algorithm is robust even with limited data cleaning. Moderate cleaning, such as 5 to 10 iterations of the AMICA sample rejection, is likely to improve the decomposition of most datasets, regardless of motion intensity.

A deep-learning method for the denoising of ultra-low dose chest CT in coronary artery calcium score evaluation.

AIM: To evaluate a novel deep-learning denoising method for ultra-low dose CT (ULDCT) in the assessment of coronary artery calcium score (CACS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty adult patients who underwent two unenhanced chest CT examinations, a normal dose CT (NDCT) and an ULDCT, were enrolled prospectively between September 2017 to December 201. A special training set was created to learn the characteristics of the real noise affecting the ULDCT implementing a fully convolutional neural network with batch normalisation. Subsequently, the 60 ULDCTs of the evaluation set were denoised. Two blinded radiologists assessed the NDCT, ULDCT, and denoised-ULDCT (DULDCT), assigning a CACS and categorised each scan as having a score above or below 100 and presence of calcifications (score 0 versus >0). Statistical analysis was used to evaluate the agreement between the readers and differences in CACSs between each imaging method. RESULTS: After excluding one patient, the cohort included 59 patients (median age 67 years, 58% men). The ULDCT median effective radiation dose (ERD) was 0.172 mSv, which was 2.8% of the NDCT median ERD. Denoising improved the signal-to-noise ratio by 27.7% (p<0.001). Interobserver agreement was almost perfect between readers (intraclass correlation coefficient >0.993). CACSs were lower for ULDCT and DULDCT as compared to the NDCT (p ≤ 0.001). In differentiating between the presence and absence of coronary artery calcifications, DULDCT showed greater accuracy (98-100%) and positive likelihood ratio (14.29->99) compared to ULDCT (92% and 2.78, respectively). CONCLUSION: DULCT significantly reduced the image noise and better identified patients with no coronary artery calcifications than native ULDCT.

Emergent Continuous Symmetry in Anisotropic Flexible Two-Dimensional Materials.

We develop the theory of anomalous elasticity in two-dimensional flexible materials with orthorhombic crystal symmetry. Remarkably, in the universal region, where characteristic length scales are larger than the rather small Ginzburg scale ∼10 nm, these materials possess an infinite set of flat phases. These phases corresponds to a stable line of fixed points and are connected by an emergent continuous symmetry. This symmetry enforces power law scaling with momentum of the anisotropic bending rigidity and Young's modulus, controlled by a single universal exponent-the very same along the whole line of fixed points. These anisotropic flat phases are uniquely labeled by the ratio of absolute Poisson's ratios. We apply our theory to phosphorene.

Converse Magnetoelectric Composite Resonator for Sensing Small Magnetic Fields.

Magnetoelectric (ME) thin film composites consisting of sputtered piezoelectric (PE) and magnetostrictive (MS) layers enable for measurements of magnetic fields passively, i.e. an AC magnetic field directly generates an ME voltage by mechanical coupling of the MS deformation to the PE phase. In order to achieve high field sensitivities a magnetic bias field is necessary to operate at the maximum piezomagnetic coefficient of the MS phase, harnessing mechanical resonances further enhances this direct ME effect size. Despite being able to detect very small AC field amplitudes, exploiting mechanical resonances directly, implies a limitation to available signal bandwidth along with the inherent inability to detect DC or very low frequency magnetic fields. The presented work demonstrates converse ME modulation of thin film Si cantilever composites of mesoscopic dimensions (25 mm × 2.45 mm × 0.35 mm), employing piezoelectric AlN and magnetostrictive FeCoSiB films of 2 µm thickness each. A high frequency mechanical resonance at about 515 kHz leads to strong induced voltages in a surrounding pickup coil with matched self-resonance, leading to field sensitivities up to 64 kV/T. A DC limit of detection of 210 pT/Hz1/2 as well as about 70 pT/Hz1/2 at 10 Hz, without the need for a magnetic bias field, pave the way towards biomagnetic applications.

Bacterial and fungal biomass responses to feeding by larval Aedes triseriatus (Diptera: Culicidae).

We investigated the effect of different densities (0, 20, or 40) of developing larval Aedes triseriatus (Say) on bacterial abundance, bacterial productivity, and leaf fungal biomass in a microcosm experiment. Larvae in the low-density treatment developed normally, but larvae at the high density were significantly slower to develop. Both bacterial abundance (direct microscopic counts) and bacterial productivity (3H-leucine incorporation rates) on leaf material were significantly lower in the presence of larvae. Bacterial abundance in the water column did not change significantly with treatment, but bacterial productivity varied with time and declined significantly at both larval densities. Bacteria on the walls and bottom of the containers also were less abundant and significantly less productive in the presence of larvae. Aside from presence/absence effects, there was no clear evidence that larval impacts were density-dependent. Leaf-associated fungal biomass, as measured by ergosterol levels, varied with time but was not significantly affected by any treatment, suggesting most fungal tissue was incorporated in the leaf matrix and unavailable to larvae. Based upon estimated biomass accrual and respiration of larvae, it appears that bacterial biomass and production were insufficient to account for carbon demands of growing larvae. Because fungal biomass and leaf mass likely contributed little to gross larval demands, other carbon sources (e.g., protozoa and extracellular microbial components) were probably used by larvae. Although apparently insufficient for all larval carbon demands, bacterial and leaf fungal biomass may be adequate for other larval nutritional needs (i.e., nitrogen and essential lipids).

Neuropsychiatric genetics: misclassification in linkage studies of phenotype-genotype research.

Research on neuropsychiatric disorders has produced a number of very important findings in the last few decades. However, several problems continue to hinder research in this area. One problem area has been the appropriate classification of disease status for probands and extended family members in linkage studies. In this article, we examine rates of misclassification in a 12-year follow-up study of children previously diagnosed with Tourette syndrome. At the 12-year follow-up, we found a 5 to 12% rate of misclassification of previously diagnosed cases. We present a model of a linkage study with three classification steps. The model demonstrates that an error rate of 5% would result in misclassification of 20% of true cases by step three. Adding additional steps to improve diagnostic accuracy may increase rather than decrease classification error.

Long-term follow-up of an epidemiologically defined cohort of patients with Tourette syndrome.

The goal of this study was to collect prospective longitudinal information on the development of an epidemiologically defined cohort of patients with Tourette syndrome. These data may improve prognostic understanding of the condition. This information will also be important for specification of an adult phenotype for genetic marker studies. A prospective longitudinal cohort study was conducted. Fifty-four of 73 patients from our 1986 prevalence study of Tourette syndrome in North Dakota school-aged children were eligible for inclusion. The subjects were diagnosed in 1984 and 1985. We were able to interview 39 of 54 eligible patients for 507 person-years of follow-up. For the cohort, tic severity declined by 59%, global assessment of functioning improved by 50%, and the average number of comorbidities decreased by 42%. Forty-four percent of patients were essentially symptom free at follow-up. Only 22% were on medication as adults. Tourette syndrome is a developmental neuropsychiatric disorder with a long-term course that is favorable for most patients. Males demonstrated substantially more variability in improvement but overall demonstrated more improvement than females.

The need to revise assumptions about the end of life: implications for social work practice.

During the 20th century the experience of dying changed dramatically. At the beginning of the 1900s, dying and death were integral parts of the life experience of most people at any age. Many deaths occurred at home following a short course of illness largely unaffected by the limited medical care available. At the beginning of the 21st century, in many cases, the process of dying has become invisible. Today, most deaths occur in old age. Social workers have a key role as "context interpreters" in helping people at the end of life and their families understand the natural course of the illness, the process of dying, and the advantages and drawbacks of medical interventions. An expanded role for social workers in helping people comprehend the medical and social contexts within which they face end-of-life decisions is discussed.

Involvement of caspase 3- and 8-like proteases in ceramide-induced apoptosis of cardiomyocytes.

Ceramides are the metabolic products of sphingolipids of the eukaryotic cell membranes and are believed to function as signaling molecules in a variety of biological processes. Ceramide induces apoptosis in cultured cardiomyocytes. However, the molecular pathway underlying ceramide-induced apoptosis is not clear. In this study, we investigated the role of the cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteases (caspases) in cardiomyocyte apoptosis induced by ceramide. Treatment of in vitro cultured rat neonatal cardiomyocytes with ceramide results in robust cell death, of which the majority is apoptotic, as shown by positive staining for terminal deoxyribonuclease transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end-labeling and the appearance of pyknotic nuclei with Hoechst staining. Caspase 3- and 8-like protease activities are induced in cardiomyocytes by ceramide treatment. Addition of the tetrapeptide inhibitors for caspases attenuated ceramide-induced apoptosis. The nonselective caspase inhibitor (B-D-FMK) and the caspase 3 (Z-DEVD-FMK) and caspase 8 (Z-IETD-FMK) inhibitors reduced ceramide-induced cardiomyocyte death and significantly inhibited the activation of caspase 3. However, the inhibitors specific for caspases 1, 2, 4, 6, and 9 have no significant effects on cardiomyocyte survival under the same conditions. These data suggest that caspases 3- and 8-related proteases are involved in ceramide-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis.

Prevalence of SIDS risk factors: before and after the "Back to Sleep" campaign in North Dakota Caucasian and American Indian infants.

The objective of this study was to compare rates of infant sleeping position and other risk factors for sudden infant death syndrome from 1991 before the "Back to Sleep" campaign to rates in 1998 after the campaign. We used a cross-sectional risk factor prevalence study of risk factors for the years 1991 and 1998. In North Dakota the prevalence rates of prone sleeping declined 72% for American Indian infants and 62% for Caucasian infants. We were unable to identify a corresponding decline in SIDS in North Dakota for this time period. The relationship between sleeping position and SIDS may be more complex in rural and frontier settings and in American Indian populations than in urban and majority populations. The generalizability of this study is limited by the rural setting and small sample size. Longer term surveillance and additional reports from sites with pre "Back to Sleep" data as a baseline for both SIDS rates and sleeping position will be important to clarify the rate of prone sleeping position and SIDS.

A prevalence methodology for mental illness and developmental disorders in rural and frontier settings.

A prevalence study methodology developed for use in rural and frontier settings is described. The general method was developed over a 15 year period and has been successfully adapted and used in studies of 14 different childhood onset developmental disorders. Subjects were the 168,000 school aged children from North Dakota who were first surveyed for cases of autism--pervasive developmental disorders in 1985 and 1986. The results of the prevalence study were compared with the results of a 12-year ongoing surveillance of the cohort. The 12-year ongoing surveillance identified one case missed by the original prevalence study. Thus the original prevalence study methodology identified 98% of the cases of autism-pervasive developmental disorder in the population. This methodology may also be useful for studies of other developmental disorders in rural and frontier settings.

End-of-life decision making for nursing home residents with dementia.

PURPOSE: To describe families' decision-making processes, both cognitive and affective, regarding end-of-life treatments for nursing home residents with moderately severe to very severe dementia. DESIGN: Naturalistic inquiry provided the framework for this descriptive, qualitative study. METHODS: Four focus groups were conducted in selected nursing homes, in the central part of the United States for a qualitative study. Twenty-eight family members of residents with moderately severe to severe dementia shared their decision-making experiences. Open-ended questions were asked in each focus group. Data were analyzed using content analysis. FINDINGS: Five themes were identified that describe the context of decision making: emotional effect, insult-to-life story, two faces of death, values and goals regarding end-of-life treatments, and the unrecognized trajectory of dying. Family members made decisions in an emotional climate of overwhelming burden and guilt, because their loved one's life had been robbed of personhood, the changes associated with decline from a dementia-related illness were unrecognized as part of a trajectory of dying, death was both a tragedy and a blessing. CONCLUSIONS: Family members had poignant, unresolved emotional needs stemming from their loved one's illness and nursing home placement. Participants were unprepared to make end-of-life treatment decisions and lacked the informational and emotional support of a consistent provider to help with decisions. Family members need assistance in processing difficult and painful emotions, understanding the trajectory of disease, what decisions might impede a natural death, and comfort or palliative care options.

Planning end-of-life care for patients with dementia: roles of families and health professionals.

We examined families' end-of-life decision making and their interactions with health professionals. Twenty-eight family members of institutionalized dementia patients participated in four focus groups. We found that participating family members were not well prepared for their decision-making roles, and that they: 1) experienced substantial burdens and loss in caring for institutionalized elders; 2) had limited understanding of the natural progression of dementing conditions; 3) were uncomfortable in setting goals for their relatives' end-of-life care; 4) had little experience with death, and were ambivalent about the anticipated death of their relative; and (5) reported that they had little substantive communication with health professionals regarding end-of-life care planning. We concluded that many of the needs of such families could be addressed through improved application of the principles of advance care planning, including regular structured discussions, involvement of surrogate decision-makers, and anticipation of clinical decisions. Health professionals should take the lead in 'normalizing' the discussion of death.

Prenatal and perinatal risk factors for Tourette disorder.

AIMS: To identify pre- and perinatal risk factors for Tourette disorder. METHODS: Case control study. We matched names of patients who met DSM criteria for Tourette disorder with their birth certificates. For each case five controls were selected. The controls were matched by sex, year and month of birth. RESULTS: Univariate analysis of the 92 cases and the 460 matched controls identified 4 risk factors; one categorical variable--trimester prenatal care begun and 3 continuous variables--apgar score at 5 minutes, month prenatal began and number of prenatal visits. Logistic modeling to control for confounding produced a three variable model (apgar score at 5 minutes (OR = 1.31), number of prenatal visits (OR = .904) and fathers age (OR = .909). The model parameters were: chi 2 = 19.76; df = 3; p < .001. CONCLUSIONS: This is an inexpensive methodology to identify potential risk factors of patients with Tourette disorder and other mental illness.

Microspheres of chitosan/poly(vinylalcohol) incorporating tetrasulphonated copper (II) phthalocyanine: preparation and characterization.

Tetrasulphonated copper (II) phthalocyanine (TCP), in the salt form, was incorporated into a blend of chitosan (CTS)/poly(vinylalcohol) (PVA) and microspheres were produced using the method of salt coacervation with (approximately 20% w/v) sodium sulphate. Spectroscopic analysis, DSC and TGA were carried out to characterize the form in which the macro-complex was immobilized in the blend. Alkaline treatment of the coagulating medium produces species which are more stable, but with a different morphology observed by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). Microspheres coagulated in sodium sulphate and also in an alkaline salt medium (0.5 and 2.0 M NaOH) were exposed to a solution of the dye, methylene blue, at an initial concentration of 7 mg/l and maintained in contact for 14 h at 26 +/- 1 degrees C. The kinetic data revealed a decrease in the capacity of sorption of the microspheres that had received the alkaline treatment. It is proposed that the new morphology attributed to these species blocks some sites for complex formation, making them inaccessible to the dye.

Effects of larval mosquitoes (Aedes triseriatus) and stemflow on microbial community dynamics in container habitats.

The dynamics of the microbial food sources for Aedes triseriatus larvae in microcosms were found to be strongly influenced by larval presence. The total abundance of bacteria in water samples generally increased in response to larvae, including populations of cultivable, facultatively anaerobic bacteria. Additionally, a portion of the community shifted from Pseudomonaceae to Enterobacteriaceae. Bacterial abundance on leaf material was significantly reduced in the presence of actively feeding larvae. Principle-component analysis of whole community fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profiles showed that larvae changed the microbial community structure in both the water column and the leaf material. Cyclopropyl FAMEs, typically associated with bacteria, were reduced in microcosms containing larvae; however, other bacterial fatty acids showed no consistent response. Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids characteristic of microeukaryotes (protozoans and meiofauna) declined in abundance when larvae were present, indicating that larval feeding reduced the densities of these microorganisms. However, presumed fungal lipid markers either increased or were unchanged in response to larvae. Larval presence also affected microbial nitrogen metabolism through modification of the physiochemical conditions or by grazing on populations of bacteria involved in nitrification-denitrification. Stemflow primarily influenced inorganic ion and organic compound concentrations in the microcosms and had less-pronounced effects on microbial community parameters than did larval presence. Stemflow treatments diluted concentrations of all inorganic ions (chloride, sulfate, and ammonium) and organic compounds (total dissolved organic carbon, soluble carbohydrates, and total protein) measured, with the exceptions of nitrite and nitrate. Stemflow addition did not measurably affect larval biomass in the microcosms but did enhance development rates and early emergence patterns of adults.

What families know about funeral-related costs: implications for social work practice.

Social workers provide essential services in the area of end-of-life care to individuals who are dying and their families. Results reported here suggest that social work's role be expanded to provide basic information about local final arrangement (funeral and burial) options and costs. This study was undertaken to determine the knowledge and experience level of people responsible for funeral and cemetery arrangements and to investigate factors affecting familiarity with final costs. Survey responses from 163 survivors of older adults in Kansas City showed that adult children play an important role in the final arrangements of a parent and that half the survivors responsible for final arrangements had no idea what to expect in terms of costs.

Income characteristics of rural older women and implications for health status.

This review examines the relationship between rural residence, income, and health status for older women in the U.S. little published research has focused on the interaction between financial status and the specific health-related needs of these rural women. Both descriptive data from the 1990 U.S. Census and empirical data from the health care literature are analyzed. Gender, rural residence, and poverty are identified as risk factors for reduced access to health care services, lower rates of health care service utilization, and poorer health outcomes.

Effects of pituitary hormones on the prostate.

BACKGROUND: Although essential, androgens alone are not sufficient to induce normal growth and functionality of the prostate. Nonandrogenic hormones must also be involved in the proliferation of the prostate cancer cells which do not respond to antiandrogenic therapy and which thus become androgen-independent. Prolactin, but also growth hormone and luteinizing hormone, are potentially able to act on both normal and abnormal prostatic cells. METHODS: In this review we summarize data from the literature concerning the physiological and pathological implications of prolactin, growth hormone, and luteinizing hormone on the prostate. RESULTS: In rodent prostates, prolactin and growth hormone can induce a variety of effects independently of androgens (e.g., transactivation of certain genes, or synthesis of the major secretion products). Moreover, hyperprolactinemia is responsible for inflammation and dysplasia of the gland, while growth hormone promotes the development of prostate tumors in vivo in the mouse and rat. Growth hormone acts on the gland directly, through prostatic growth hormone receptors, and/or indirectly via the stimulation of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) synthesis in the liver. Luteinizing hormone receptor is expressed in rat and human prostates. Luteinizing hormone increases the amount of various transcripts in the rat prostate through an androgen-independent pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Prolactin, growth hormone, and luteinizing hormone, alone or synergistically with androgens, play physiologically significant roles in the normal prostate. The involvement of these hormones in the development of benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostatic carcinoma is an issue that needs to be addressed.