Motor control-based assessment of therapy effects in individuals post-stroke: implications for prediction of response and subject-specific modifications

Producing a coordinated motion such as walking is, at its root, the result of healthy communication pathways between the central nervous system and the musculoskeletal system. The central nervous system produces an electrical signal responsible for the excitation of a muscle, and the musculoskeletal system contains the necessary equipment for producing a movement-driving force to achieve a desired motion. Motor control refers to the ability an individual has to produce a desired motion, and the complexity of motor control is a mathematical concept stemming from how the electrical signals from the central nervous system translate to muscle activations. Exercising a high-level complexity of motor control is critical to producing a smooth motion. However, the occurrence of a sudden, detrimental neurological event like a stroke damages these connecting pathways between these two systems, and the result is a motion that is uncoordinated and energy-inefficient due to diminished motor control complexity. Stroke is a leading cause of disability with nearly 800,000 stroke victims each year in the U.S. alone, amounting to an estimated cost of $45.5B. Impaired mobility following a stroke is a widespread effect, with more than half of survivors over the age of 65 affected in this way, and up to 80% of survivors at some point experiencing hemiparesis during post-stroke recovery. As such, given the importance of independent mobility for quality of life, improving gait mechanics and mobility of stroke survivors has been the goal of rehabilitation efforts for decades. In this work, we mold together the forefronts of statistics and computational physics-based modeling to obtain insight and information about post-stroke hemiparetic gait mechanics and what drives them that would otherwise be unavailable. We expand upon previous work to quantify motor control complexity as it relates to the health of the neuromuscular system and analyze the effect of a specific therapy on motor control of individuals post-stroke. Secondly, we aim to develop a predictive model to conclude whether an individual will respond to the therapy based on kinematic and dynamic features from pre-therapy recordings. Lastly, we will determine how to individually tailor this therapy in order to achieve maximum improvement in motor control complexity in order to improve gait mechanics in individuals post-stroke

Investigation of Iron Oxide Nanocolloidal Suspension Diffusion Using a Direct Imaging Method

We performed a set of experiments using a direct imaging method to investigate the diffusion process of iron oxide, Fe2O3, nanoparticles. We studied concentration fluctuations that move against the concentration gradient and induce disturbances in the interface between the iron oxide suspension and water in the sample cell. Using this imaging method in combination with the differential dynamic algorithm for image processing, we are able to extract information about the power, size, and lifetime of the fluctuations. We performed this experiment both in the presence and in the absence of a 4.2 mT magnetic field. We find that the power and size of the fluctuations diminish in the presence of a magnetic field, as indicated by the change in slope of the structure factor from approximately -4 to -3, for q \u3c qc. Furthermore, we find that after the removal of the magnetic field, their power and size are still damped beneath those we observed during free diffusion, indicating that the nanoparticles are at least still slightly magnetized. From the lifetime of the fluctuations, we determined the diffusion coefficients of the nanosuspension in each environment

Teaching visual literacies: The case of The Great American Dust Bowl

Teachers and students require a range of tools to engage with visual texts. Using The Great American Dust Bowlby Don Brown (2013) as an exemplar text, we outline four conceptions of visual literacy: rhetorical, instructional, industrial and visuo-spatial and discuss their use in our literacy education practice. In addition, we provide a brief model of a second text, The Arrival (Tan, 2013) and a list of suggested texts for students at different levels (elementary, middle, and high school). We argue that these tools have the potential to deepen conceptions of visual literacies and empower teachers and students to understand the many ways in which visual texts operate to send message and evoke response and engagement

Bad apples? Bad barrels? Or bad cellars? Antecedents and processes of professional misconduct in UK Health and Social Care:Insights into sexual misconduct and dishonesty

No abstract available

Properties of PAN Fibers Solution Spun into a Chilled Coagulation Bath at High Solvent Compositions

In this work, multifilament, continuous polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber tow was solution spun mimicking industrial processing at the small pilot scale (0.5 k tow), while carefully altering the composition of the coagulation bath, in order to determine the effect on the resulting fiber shape, density, orientation, and tensile properties at varying points in the spinning process. Novel here are the abnormally high coagulation bath solvent compositions investigated, which surpass those often reported in the literature. In addition, the coagulation bath was maintained at a slightly chilled temperature, contrary to reported methods to produce round fibers. Further, by altering the composition of the bath in a step-wise fashion during a single spinning run, variations in all other process parameters were minimized. We found that with increasing solvent composition in the coagulation bath, the fibers not only became round in cross section, but also became smaller in diameter, which persisted down the spin line. With this decrease in diameter, all else equal, came an accompanying increase in apparent fiber density via a reduction in microvoid content. In addition, molecular orientation and tensile properties also increased. Therefore, it was found that inadequate understanding of the coagulation bath effects, and spinning at low coagulation bath solvent compositions, can hinder the ability of the fiber to reach optimum properties

Examining the Entrepreneurial Leadership Propensities of Extension Educators

Innovation and entrepreneurship are integral to the development and vitality of contemporary communities and economies. Accordingly, entrepreneurial leadership is directly relevant to the Extension education mission. Yet research examining the entrepreneurial leadership propensities of Extension educators is scant. We applied a survey design to analyze the entrepreneurial leadership propensities of Extension educators throughout Arizona using two constructs: innovation and entrepreneurial strategy. The data revealed modest levels of entrepreneurial leadership propensities across the sample. Recommendations aimed at enhancing the entrepreneurial leadership propensities of Extension educators are provided

Elite interviewing in professional organizations

Interviewing elites presents distinctive methodological challenges, which are exacerbated when interviewing elite professionals. These individuals (i.e. senior professionals and professionals in elite professional organizations) are typically relatively powerful, highly educated, and self-assured, and work in organizations which guard their external image very carefully. Over the past 25 years I have interviewed many hundreds of senior professionals in elite professional organizations. For this article, I have reflected on my experiences and have asked senior professionals to reflect on their own experience of research interviews. Bringing together insights of both interviewees and interviewers, this article provides an opportunity for researchers to reflect upon and improve their professional practice when conducting elite interviews

Mapping spatial dimensions of Wilderness recreation outcomes: a study of overnight users

Grand Teton National Park (GRTE) is a popular mountain recreation destination which, like many National Park Service (NPS) units, has experienced a significant increase in visitation in recent years, with total visits increasing by 27% between 2014 and 2017 (NPS 2020). Particularly popular within GRTE is the String and Leigh Lakes (SLL) area, which is a favoured alpine destination for numerous day-use recreation activities and also an important starting point for backcountry and overnight recreational users within GRTE’s Recommended Wilderness. To better understand the visitor experience of overnight backcountry recreationists in the SLL area, data were collected using novel public participatory geographic information systems (PPGIS) during the summer of 2018. PPGIS data were used to identify the locations in which overnight recreationists experienced positive and negative recreation outcomes. Results indicate that they experience more positive outcomes within the Recommended Wilderness, away from high-density, trailhead-proximate areas outside the Recommended Wilderness. Findings also indicate that overnight users experience crowding and conflict more outside of the Recommended Wilderness than elsewhere on their backcountry trip. While this may seem intuitive, these are some of the first empirical results spatially contextualizing backcountry visitor outcomes in a popular national park. The findings thus provide managers with a visitor experience baseline that can be monitored and adaptively managed in the future

Randomized phase II trial of bevacizumab plus everolimus versus bevacizumab alone for recurrent or persistent ovarian, fallopian tube or peritoneal carcinoma: An NRG oncology/gynecologic oncology group study

PURPOSE: Bevacizumab (BV) monotherapy leads to compensatory upregulation of multiple signaling pathways, resulting in mTOR activation. We evaluated combining BV and everolimus (EV), an mTOR kinase inhibitor, to circumvent BV-resistance in women with recurrent or persistent ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer (OC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eligible OC patients had measurable (RECIST1.1) or detectable disease, 1-3 prior regimens, performance status (PS) 0-2, and no prior m-TOR inhibitor. All patients received BV 10 mg/kg IV every 2wks. Patients were randomized (1:1) to oral EV (10 mg daily) or placebo stratified by platinum-free interval (PFI), measurable disease and prior BV. Primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS); secondary endpoints included safety and response. RESULTS: 150 patients were randomized to BV with (n = 75) and without (n = 75) EV. Arms were well-balanced for age (median 63: range 28-92), PS (0: 73%, 1-2: 27%), prior regimens (1: 37%, 2: 47%, 3: 16%), prior BV (11%), PFI (<6mos: 65%) and measurable disease (81%). The BV + EV vs BV median PFS was 5.9 vs 4.5 months (hazard ratio [HR] 0.95 (95% CI, 0.66-1.37, p = 0.39)). Median OS was 16.6 vs 17.3 months (HR 1.16 (95% CI, 0.72-1.87, p = 0.55). Objective measurable responses were higher with BV + EV (22% vs 12%). Study removal due to toxicity was higher with BV + EV (29% vs 12%). Toxicity (≥grade 3) from BV + EV were "other GI (mucositis)" (23 vs 1%) and "metabolic/nutrition" (19 vs. 7%); common ≥ grade 2 toxicities with BV + EV were cytopenia, nausea, fatigue and rash. CONCLUSION: The combination regimen (BV + EV) did not significantly reduce the hazard of progression or death relative to BV and was associated with higher rates of adverse events and study discontinuation when compared to BV alone