Validation of an iPAD based therapy for language and cognitive rehabilitation in individuals with brain damage

About 795,000 Americans each year suffer a new or recurrent stroke (NIDCD.gov). Also, about 1.7 million individuals suffer from traumatic brain injury each year (CDC.gov). Individuals with language and cognitive deficits following brain damage likely require long-term rehabilitation. Consequently, it is a huge practical problem to provide the continued communication therapy that these individuals require. The present project examines the validity of an iPAD based continuous rehabilitation language and cognitive program. Patients were evaluated and initiated with a treatment plan in the clinic and then required to practice the therapy tasks at home on a daily basis but at individualized times/durations. The treatment plan in the clinic and at home was delivered to the patient via the Constant Therapy Software (www.constanttherapy.com) platform. The level of patient compliance (did they practice the therapy tasks), patient engagement (how long did they practice the therapy tasks) and amount of improvement on each task (percent change over time) was measured. Results from the patients using iPAD Constant Therapy are compared to patients who practice therapy on the iPAD with the clinician but do not take the iPAD home. These data are further compared to patients who receive traditional flashcard based therapy

An insect trypsin-like serine protease as a target of miRNA: utilization of miRNA mimics and inhibitors by oral feeding

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding small RNAs (18-25 nt) that play crucial roles in various biological processes, including development, as gene regulators. In this study, we identified a miRNA, har-miR-2002b, that is specifically expressed during larval stages of Helicoverpa armigera (cotton bollworm). For the first time, we explored the possibility of utilizing synthetic inhibitor and mimic of a miRNA by oral feeding and confirmed that the inhibitor and mimic can successfully inhibit/oversupply har-miR-2002b in H. armigera larvae. Bioassays by oral feeding indicated 70% reduction in fecundity and 40% larval mortality in the presence of har-miR-2002b mimic. In addition, a large proportion of those larvae that made it to the pupal stage were deformed and only few moths emerged from them. This implied an important role of har-miR-2002b in larval development and adult fecundity. A trypsin-like serine protease (Ha-UP) was identified as a target of har-miR-2002b. In vivo and in vitro studies revealed that in the presence of the miRNA mimic Ha-UP transcript/protein levels and enzyme activity were significantly reduced. In contrast, inhibition of har-miR-2002b led to significant up-regulation of Ha-TLP transcript levels. This is the first study which shows the potential of utilization of miRNA mimics and inhibitors in pest control by targeting specific insect genes. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

An expert mill cutter and cutting parameters selection system incorporating a control strategy

In this paper, remove material processes are taking into account for developing an expert mill cutter and cutting parameters selection system based on numerical methods of performance evaluation. The knowledge base is given by limitations in process variables, which let us to define the allowable cutting parameter space. The mentioned limitations lead to instabilities limitations due to tool-work-piece interaction, known as chatter vibrations. The power available in the spindle motor and milling force control restrictions are also considered as process limitations. Besides, an additional term is taken into consideration in order to be sure of avoiding chatter vibrations when the programmed spindle speed varies due to spindle deflections or perturbations. Then, a novel tool cost model is contrived. It is used to choose a suitable tool, among a known set of candidate available cutters, and to obtain the appropriate cutting parameters in an optimal way. Once the tool and the cutting parameters are obtained, the developed system is able to redefine the cutting parameters automatically if new considerations about machinery data are required through expert rules. Such optimal cutting parameters can be obtained by manipulating the cost function weighting factors. An example is presented in order to illustrate the method