Functional Imaging of Stroke Recovery: An Ecological Review from a Neural Network Perspective with an Emphasis on Motor Systems

Functional imaging is beginning to outline the brain's functional architecture and mechanisms of recovery from injury. I will review primarily the motor‐function literature from normal populations, learning trials, stroke recovery, and rehabilitation with a neural network approach that may prove fruitful in further advancing our understanding of brain plasticity in response to focal lesions. A key consideration in this review will be how the development of distributed motor networks might constrain recovery as a function of the altered connectivity between damaged and nondamaged areas. It will be argued that this connectivity is central to both recovery from injury and response to treatment.     

Impact of various ecological parameters on the life-history characteristics of Bufotes viridis sitibundus from Turkey

In this study, we used the skeletochronology method to estimate various growth parameters, such as age structure, minimum and maximum life span, age of sexual maturity, and the relationship between body size and weight of eight different populations of the variable toad, Bufotes viridis sitibundus, in Turkey. Further, we determined the relationship between these parameters and ecologic factors using the partial Mantel test. A significant difference was found among the populations with respect to age, body size, and body weight in both males and females. On average, the maximum life span was recorded as 10 years for males and 11 years for females. In the studied populations, the average age of sexual maturity ranged between 2 and 4 years for both sexes. Sexual dimorphism in terms of snout-vent length (SVL) was not observed between males and females in all the populations. Toads from the higher altitudes tended to be significantly larger, older, and heavier than those from lower altitudes. We concluded that altitude and temperature have an impact on the growth rate, body size, and body mass.     

Use of multiple dispersal pathways facilitates amphibian persistence in stream networks

Although populations of amphibians are declining worldwide, there is no evidence that salamanders occupying small streams are experiencing enigmatic declines, and populations of these species seem stable. Theory predicts that dispersal through multiple pathways can stabilize populations, preventing extinction in habitat networks. However, empirical data to support this prediction are absent for most species, especially those at risk of decline. Our mark-recapture study of stream salamanders reveals both a strong upstream bias in dispersal and a surprisingly high rate of overland dispersal to adjacent headwater streams. This evidence of route-dependent variation in dispersal rates suggests a spatial mechanism for population stability in headwater-stream salamanders. Our results link the movement behavior of stream salamanders to network topology, and they underscore the importance of identifying and protecting critical dispersal pathways when addressing region-wide population declines.     

登革病毒感染对白纹伊蚊生理生态特性的影响

目的了解登革病毒感染对白纹伊蚊生理、生态以及对杀虫剂敏感性的影响。方法观察比较通过胸腔接种方式人工感染登革病毒的白纹伊蚊和胸腔注射生理盐水的对照组蚊虫的死亡率、产卵量、孵化率、子代发育情况,以及对拟除虫菊酯类杀虫剂的敏感性。结果两组蚊虫在死亡率、存活时间、产卵量等方面的差异有统计学意义,其它方面的差异不显著。结论登革病毒感染能够增加白纹伊蚊的死亡率并降低蚊虫的产卵能力。     

Computerized ambulatory monitoring in psychiatry: a multi‐site collaborative study of acceptability,compliance, and reactivity

Computerized ambulatory monitoring overcomes a number of methodological and conceptual challenges to studying mental disorders, however concerns persist regarding the feasibility of this approach with severe psychiatric samples and the potential of intensive monitoring to influence data quality. This multi‐site investigation evaluates these issues in four independent samples. Patients with schizophrenia (n = 56), substance dependence (n = 85), anxiety disorders (n = 45), and a non‐clinical sample (n = 280) were contacted to participate in investigations using computerized ambulatory monitoring. Micro‐computers were used to administer electronic interviews several times per day for a one‐week period. Ninety‐five percent of contacted individuals agreed to participate in the study, and minimum compliance was achieved by 96% of these participants. Seventy‐eight percent of all programmed assessments were completed overall, and only 1% of micro‐computers were not returned to investigators. There was no evidence that missing data or response time increased over the duration of the study, suggesting that fatigue effects were negligible. The majority of variables investigated did not change in frequency as a function of study duration, however some evidence was found that socially sensitive behaviors changed in a manner consistent with reactivity. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

生态文明建设视域下的高等中医药院校生态伦理教育的新思考

党的十八大报告对生态文明建设提出了新目标,也对新时期我国高校生态文明教育提出了新要求。本文通过分析整理中国传统医学中的生态伦理思想,指出加强中医学专业大学生生态伦理观教育对于我国高等中医药院校开展人文素质教育,巩固专业思想,塑造新时代"大医精诚,止于至善"中医人具有重要意义,同时思考并提出运用方剂"君臣佐使"原则,对症下药,在高等中医药院校开展生态伦理教育的合理路径。     

Electrochemical and X-ray Examinations of Erosion Products during Dressing of Superhard Grinding Wheels Using Alternating Current and Ecological Electrolytes of Low Concentration of Chemical Compounds

This article introduces significant cognitive and usable values in the field of abrasive technology especially in the development of new methods of the electrochemical dressing of superhard grinding wheels with metal bonds. Cognitive values mainly concern the elaboration of the theoretical backgrounds of the electrochemical digestion of compounds of grinding wheel metal bond and gumming up products of the cutting surface of grinding wheel (CSGW). Cognitive values also deal with determining the mathematical relationships describing the influence of technological conditions of dressing on shaping of cutting abilities of superhard grinding wheels. On the other hand, the useful values refer to the industry implementation of the elaborated method and equipment for the electrochemical dressing of suparhard grinding wheels using alternating current (ECDGW-AC). The cost of the device for the realization of this process is low and can be applied in the production conditions. The novel achievements presented in the article are: the elaboration of a new method and equipment for electrochemical dressing of superhard grinding wheels (ECDGW-AC), the selection of electrolytes of low concentration of chemical compounds, tests concerning the digestion of grinding wheel metal bond compounds and gumming up products of CSGW using X-ray analysis, as well as the determination of chemical reactions taking place during elaborated new dressing process, the elaboration of mathematical relationships describing influence of technological conditions of this process on dressing speed and shaping of cutting abilities of superhard grinding wheels, and the performance of technological tests of dressing of superhard grinding wheels using ECDGW-AC method. The elaborated method can be used in ambient temperature and does not cause thermal damages of abrasive grains of cutting surface of grinding wheel and is useful not only for dressing super hard grinding wheels but also for correcting their geometrical deviations.     

Monitoring Dietary Intake and Physical Activity Electronically: Feasibility,Usability, and Ecological Validity of a Mobile-Based Ecological Momentary Assessment Tool

Background

Despite the growing body of research on complex lifestyle behaviors (eg, Dietary Intake [DI] and Physical Activity [PA]), monitoring of these behaviors has been hampered by a lack of suitable methods. A possible solution to this deficiency is mobile-based Ecological Momentary Assessment (mEMA), which enables researchers to collect data on participants’ states in real-time by means of a smartphone application. However, feasibility, usability, and ecological validity need to be anticipated and managed in order to enhance the validity of mEMA.

Objective

To examine the feasibility, usability, and ecological validity of a mEMA application (app) with regard to DI and PA among Dutch vocational education students.

Methods

The students (n=30) participated in the mEMA study for seven consecutive days. They downloaded the mEMA app on their smartphone. Feasibility and usability of the mEMA app were evaluated by completing an online evaluation after seven days of participation. Ecological validity was measured by assessing the degree to which the content of the mEMA app approximated the real-world setting that was being examined, through several multiple-choice questions.

Results

Compliance rates, as registered by the mEMA app, declined 46% over a seven-day period, while self-reported compliance, as measured with an online evaluation questionnaire afterwards, indicated a smaller decrease in compliance (29%). The students evaluated the mEMA app as feasible and usable. Ecological validity analyses showed that all DI and almost all PA multiple-choice options were covered with the compound response categories.

Conclusions

The mEMA app offers the opportunity to assess complex health behaviors (eg, DI and PA) in real-time settings, in which specifically routinized behaviors are involved. However, the mEMA app faced several challenges that needed to be overcome in order to improve its validity. Overall, the present study showed that the mEMA app is a usable and ecologically valid tool to measure DI and PA behaviors among vocational education students, but compliance is still limited.