Motor Recovery After Subcortical Stroke Depends on Modulation of Extant Motor Networks

Introduction: Stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability. Functional imaging studies report widespread changes in movement-related cortical networks after stroke. Whether these are a result of stroke-specific cognitive processes or reflect modulation of existing movement-related networks is unknown. Understanding this distinction is critical in establishing more effective restorative therapies after stroke. Using multivariate analysis (tensor-independent component analysis – TICA), we map the neural networks involved during motor imagery (MI) and executed movement (EM) in subcortical stroke patients and age-matched controls. Methods: Twenty subcortical stroke patients and 17 age-matched controls were recruited. They were screened for their ability to carry out MI (Chaotic MI Assessment). The fMRI task was a right-hand finger-thumb opposition sequence (auditory-paced 1 Hz; 2, 3, 4, 5, 2…). Two separate runs were acquired (MI and rest and EM and rest; block design). There was no distinction between groups or tasks until the last stage of analysis, which allowed TICA to identify independent components (ICs) that were common or distinct to each group or task with no prior assumptions. Results: TICA defined 28 ICs. ICs representing artifacts were excluded. ICs were only included if the subject scores were significant (for either EM or MI). Seven ICs remained that involved the primary and secondary motor networks. All ICs were shared between the stroke and age-matched controls. Five ICs were common to both tasks and three were exclusive to EM. Two ICs were related to motor recovery and one with time since stroke onset, but all were shared with age-matched controls. No IC was exclusive to stroke patients. Conclusion: We report that the cortical networks in stroke patients that relate to recovery of motor function represent modulation of existing cortical networks present in age-matched controls. The absence of cortical networks specific to stroke patients suggests that motor adaptation and other potential confounders (e.g., effort and additional muscle use) are not responsible for the changes in the cortical networks reported after stroke. This highlights that recovery of motor function after subcortical stroke involves preexisting cortical networks that could help identify more effective restorative therapies

Beyond Worst-Case Analysis for Joins with Minesweeper

We describe a new algorithm, Minesweeper, that is able to satisfy stronger runtime guarantees than previous join algorithms (colloquially, `beyond worst-case guarantees') for data in indexed search trees. Our first contribution is developing a framework to measure this stronger notion of complexity, which we call {\it certificate complexity}, that extends notions of Barbay et al. and Demaine et al.; a certificate is a set of propositional formulae that certifies that the output is correct. This notion captures a natural class of join algorithms. In addition, the certificate allows us to define a strictly stronger notion of runtime complexity than traditional worst-case guarantees. Our second contribution is to develop a dichotomy theorem for the certificate-based notion of complexity. Roughly, we show that Minesweeper evaluates $\beta$-acyclic queries in time linear in the certificate plus the output size, while for any $\beta$-cyclic query there is some instance that takes superlinear time in the certificate (and for which the output is no larger than the certificate size). We also extend our certificate-complexity analysis to queries with bounded treewidth and the triangle query.Comment: [This is the full version of our PODS'2014 paper.

High frequency dynamics in a monatomic glass

The high frequency dynamics of glassy Selenium has been studied by Inelastic X-ray Scattering at beamline BL35XU (SPring-8). The high quality of the data allows one to pinpoint the existence of a dispersing acoustic mode for wavevectors ($Q$) of $1.5<Q<12.5$ nm$^{-1}$, helping to clarify a previous contradiction between experimental and numerical results. The sound velocity shows a positive dispersion, exceeding the hydrodynamic value by $\approx$ 10% at $Q<3.5$ nm$^{-1}$. The $Q^2$ dependence of the sound attenuation $\Gamma(Q)$, reported for other glasses, is found to be the low-$Q$ limit of a more general $\Gamma(Q) \propto \Omega(Q)^2$ law which applies also to the higher $Q$ region, where $\Omega(Q)\propto Q$ no longer holds.Comment: Phys. Rev. Lett. (Accepted

Stellar Population Models and Individual Element Abundances I: Sensitivity of Stellar Evolution Models

Integrated light from distant galaxies is often compared to stellar population models via the equivalent widths of spectral features--spectral indices--whose strengths rely on the abundances of one or more elements. Such comparisons hinge not only on the overall metal abundance but also on relative abundances. Studies have examined the influence of individual elements on synthetic spectra but little has been done to address similar issues in the stellar evolution models that underlie most stellar population models. Stellar evolution models will primarily be influenced by changes in opacities. In order to explore this issue in detail, twelve sets of stellar evolution tracks and isochrones have been created at constant heavy element mass fraction Z that self-consistently account for varying heavy element mixtures. These sets include scaled-solar, alpha-enhanced, and individual cases where the elements C, N, O, Ne, Mg, Si, S, Ca, Ti, and Fe have been enhanced above their scaled-solar values. The variations that arise between scaled-solar and the other cases are examined with respect to the H-R diagram and main sequence lifetimes.Comment: 33 pages, 13 figures, accepted to Ap

The degrees of development of the seed-coat and the endosperm as separate subtraits of stenospermocarpic seedlessness in grapes

The degree of development of the seed components, viz. seed coat and endosperm, were evaluated in seeds and seed traces of stenospermocarpic grapes of Vitis vinifera. The seeds in seedless and in seeded berries were classified visually into four categories of size: normal seeds, large traces, medium traces and small traces. Seeds with fully developed and sclerified seed coats were observed to bear endosperm at various developmental stages, and in seeds with soft and less developed seed coats also fully developed endosperms were observed. We found that the hardness of the seed coat and the degree of development of the endosperm were transmitted as separate traits to the progenies. Two seeded cultivars (Oz, Early Muscat) were chosen as female parents because they differed in seed hardness and in degree of development of their endosperm. The normal seeds of Oz are comparatively harder and contain less developed endosperm than those of Early Muscat. Each cultivar was crossed with the same pollen donor parent (Flame Seedless). 23.7 % of the Oz progeny were normally seeded offsprings bearing undeveloped or partially developed endosperm, while only 1.2 % of the Early Muscat progeny had such a composition of seed components. This suggests that seedlessness in grapes could be more precisely analysed using the hardness of the seed coat and the degree of development of the endosperm as subtraits of seedlessness.Die Entwicklungsgrade von Kernhülle und Endosperm als separate Untereigenschaften von stenospermokarper Kernlosigkeit bei RebenDie Entwicklungsgrade von Kernhüllen und Endosperm stenospermokarper Vitis vinifera-Sorten wurden untersucht. Die Kerne kernloser und kernhaltiger Beeren wurden visuell in 4 Größenkategorien eingeteilt: normal entwickelte Kerne, große, mittlere und kleine Kernspuren. Es wurde festgestellt, daß Kerne mit erhärteten, sklerifizierten und vollentwikkelten Kernhüllen mit Endosperm unterschiedlicher Entwicklungsgrade auftreten. In Kernen mit weichen oder wenig entwickelten Hüllen wurde auch vollentwickeltes Endosperm gefunden. Wir fanden, daß die Härte der Kernhülle und der Entwicklungsgrad des Endosperms den Nachkommen getrennt vererbt werden. Zwei kernhaltige Rebsorten (Oz und Early Muscat) wurden als weibliche Eltern gewählt, weil sie sich klar unterscheiden: die normalen Kerne von Oz sind härter und enthalten weniger entwickeltes Endosperm als die von Early Muscat. Jede Rehsorte wurde mit demselben Pollenspender (Flame Seedless) gekreuzt. 23,7% der Oz, aber nur 1,2% der Early Muscat hatten normale Kerne mit teilweise unentwickeltem Endosperm. Unsere Resultate deuten darauf hin, daß Kernlosigkeit in Weintrauben besser analysiert werden kann, wenn man Untereigenschaften (Härtegrad der Kernhülle und Entwicklungsgrad des Endosperms) benutzt