Cognitive manipulation of brain electric microstates

EEG studies of wakeful rest have shown that there are brief periods in which global electrical brain activity on the scalp remains semi-stable (so-called microstates). Topographical analyses of this activity have revealed that much of the variance is explained by four distinct microstates that occur in a repetitive sequence. A recent fMRI study showed that these four microstates correlated with four known functional systems, each of which is activated by specific cognitive functions and sensory inputs. The present study used high density EEG to examine the degree to which spatial and temporal properties of microstates may be altered by manipulating cognitive task (a serial subtraction task vs. wakeful rest) and the availability of visual information (eyes open vs. eyes closed conditions). The hypothesis was that parameters of microstate D would be altered during the serial subtraction task because it is correlated with regions that are part of the dorsal attention functional system. It was also expected that the sequence of microstates would preferentially transition from all other microstates to microstate D during the task as compared to rest. Finally, it was hypothesized that the eyes open condition would significantly increase one or more microstate parameters associated with microstate B, which is associated with the visual system. Topographical analyses indicated that the duration, coverage, and occurrence of microstate D were significantly higher during the cognitive task compared to wakeful rest; in addition, microstate C, which is associated with regions that are part of the default mode and cognitive control systems, was very sensitive to the task manipulation, showing significantly decreased duration, coverage, and occurrence during the task condition compared to rest. Moreover, microstate B was altered by manipulations of visual input, with increased occurrence and coverage in the eyes open condition. In addition, during the eyes open condition microstates A and D had significantly shorter durations, while C had increased occurrence. Microstate D had decreased coverage in the eyes open condition. Finally, at least 15 microstates (identified via k-means clustering) were required to explain a similar amount of variance of EEG activity as previously published values. These results support important aspects of our hypotheses and demonstrate that cognitive manipulation of microstates is possible, but the relationships between microstates and their corresponding functional systems are complex. Moreover, there may be more than four primary microstates

A Statistical Comparison of Hebrews to Accepted Pauline and Lukan Corpora

Undergraduate Applie

Master of Science in Geological Engineering

thesisDynamic testing of expanded polystyrene (EPS) results in behavior alterations when certain testing criteria are modified. Triaxial testing affirms the behavior of EPS geofoam under axial compression tests related to a seismic compressible inclusion application. An evaluation of initial static deviator stress, load frequency of deviator stress amplitudes, and the effect of static confining stress of EPS geofoam dynamic response are performed. The behavior of viscoelastic and visco-elasto-plastic are compared through the use of cyclic compression tests. Comparative measurements used in supporting behavior change were: Young's modulus, damping ratio, cyclic deviator stress, and plastic axial strains. The resulting data is interpreted through data charts and data trends. Comparative conclusions show significant behavior changes to EPS geofoam when frequency and confining stress influential effects are observed

Who Wrote the Epistle, God Only Knows : A Statistical Authorial Analysis of Hebrews in Comparison with Pauline and Lukan Literature

The authorship of Hebrews has been a point of contention for scholars for the past two millennia. While the epistle is traditionally attributed to Paul, many scholars assert that it carries thematic, structural, and stylistic differences from the remainder of his extant epistles; therefore, many other possible authors have been proposed. Of these, only Luke has other New Testament writings. Therefore, this project conducts a statistical comparison of Hebrews to the Pauline and Lukan corpora using stylometric authorial analysis methods. This analysis demonstrates that Hebrews is stylistically closer to Lukan literature than Pauline (but not to a significant degree), and thus concludes that Luke is a possible but not definite author (or possibly a co-author)

Correlation functions quantify super-resolution images and estimate apparent clustering due to over-counting

We present an analytical method to quantify clustering in super-resolution localization images of static surfaces in two dimensions. The method also describes how over-counting of labeled molecules contributes to apparent self-clustering and how the effective lateral resolution of an image can be determined. This treatment applies to clustering of proteins and lipids in membranes, where there is significant interest in using super-resolution localization techniques to probe membrane heterogeneity. When images are quantified using pair correlation functions, the magnitude of apparent clustering due to over-counting will vary inversely with the surface density of labeled molecules and does not depend on the number of times an average molecule is counted. Over-counting does not yield apparent co-clustering in double label experiments when pair cross-correlation functions are measured. We apply our analytical method to quantify the distribution of the IgE receptor (Fc{\epsilon}RI) on the plasma membranes of chemically fixed RBL-2H3 mast cells from images acquired using stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). We find that apparent clustering of labeled IgE bound to Fc{\epsilon}RI detected with both methods arises from over-counting of individual complexes. Thus our results indicate that these receptors are randomly distributed within the resolution and sensitivity limits of these experiments.Comment: 22 pages, 5 figure

Patient-specific instrumentation in total knee arthroplasty provides no improvement in component alignment

pre-printImproved component alignment in TKA remains a commonly cited benefit of MRI based patient-specific instrumentation (PSI). We hypothesized that PSI would lead to improved alignment versus traditional instrumentation (TI) during primary TKA. Fifty-eight knees (54 patients) that underwent TKA with PSI were compared to 62 knees that had previously undergone TKA with TI. Radiographs were evaluated for mechanical axis and alignment of the femoral and tibial components. Alignment was similar between the groups. However, the PSI group showed fewer knees in the target range for posterior tibial slope (PSI 38% vs. TI 61%, p=0.01) in addition to a trend for fewer knees in target for femoral flexion (PSI 40% vs. TI 56%, p=0.07). This study demonstrated no improvement in overall alignment and perhaps a worsening of the tibial slope

The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma renal injury grading scale: Implications of the 2018 revisions for injury reclassification and predicting bleeding interventions.

BackgroundIn 2018, the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) published revisions to the renal injury grading system to reflect the increased reliance on computed tomography scans and non-operative management of high-grade renal trauma (HGRT). We aimed to evaluate how these revisions will change the grading of HGRT and if it outperforms the original 1989 grading in predicting bleeding control interventions.MethodsData on HGRT were collected from 14 Level-1 trauma centers from 2014 to 2017. Patients with initial computed tomography scans were included. Two radiologists reviewed the scans to regrade the injuries according to the 1989 and 2018 AAST grading systems. Descriptive statistics were used to assess grade reclassifications. Mixed-effect multivariable logistic regression was used to measure the predictive ability of each grading system. The areas under the curves were compared.ResultsOf the 322 injuries included, 27.0% were upgraded, 3.4% were downgraded, and 69.5% remained unchanged. Of the injuries graded as III or lower using the 1989 AAST, 33.5% were upgraded to grade IV using the 2018 AAST. Of the grade V injuries, 58.8% were downgraded using the 2018 AAST. There was no statistically significant difference in the overall areas under the curves between the 2018 and 1989 AAST grading system for predicting bleeding interventions (0.72 vs. 0.68, p = 0.34).ConclusionAbout one third of the injuries previously classified as grade III will be upgraded to grade IV using the 2018 AAST, which adds to the heterogeneity of grade IV injuries. Although the 2018 AAST grading provides more anatomic details on injury patterns and includes important radiologic findings, it did not outperform the 1989 AAST grading in predicting bleeding interventions.Level of evidencePrognostic and Epidemiological Study, level III

Habituation and Brief-Stimulus Presentations in Near-Equivalent Simulated Slot Machine Arrangements as a Means to Study Persistence and Preference

Preference and persistence in slot machine play are not yet fully understood. Two areas of research that might help discover variables related to preference and persistence are habituation and delay-reduction. Habituation research might account for persistence in considering how repetitive, differential, and novel stimulus presentations influence responding to slot machines. Delay reduction theory asserts that preference should be given to any machine that, in some form, signals a delay to a win. We investigated preference and persistence via habituation and delayreduction with near-equivalent slot machine arrangements across two experiments. Results showed that repetitive stimulus presentations led to shorter persistence compared to a slot machine that produced differential stimulus presentations and that preference was given to a machine with fewer schedule-correlated brief stimulus presentations, both conforming to predictions from their respective literatures. This paper demonstrates how one machine preparation can test for multiple hypotheses and sets the stage for habituation and delay-reduction gambling research

Irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease and the microbiome

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The review aims to update the reader on current developments in our understanding of how the gut microbiota impact on inflammatory bowel disease and the irritable bowel syndrome. It will also consider current efforts to modulate the microbiota for therapeutic effect. RECENT FINDINGS: Gene polymorphisms associated with inflammatory bowel disease increasingly suggest that interaction with the microbiota drives pathogenesis. This may be through modulation of the immune response, mucosal permeability or the products of microbial metabolism. Similar findings in irritable bowel syndrome have reinforced the role of gut-specific factors in this ‘functional’ disorder. Metagenomic analysis has identified alterations in pathways and interactions with the ecosystem of the microbiome that may not be recognized by taxonomic description alone, particularly in carbohydrate metabolism. Treatments targeted at the microbial stimulus with antibiotics, probiotics or prebiotics have all progressed in the past year. Studies on the long-term effects of treatment on the microbiome suggest that dietary intervention may be needed for prolonged efficacy. SUMMARY: The microbiome represents ‘the other genome’, and to appreciate its role in health and disease will be as challenging as with our own genome. Intestinal diseases occur at the front line of our interaction with the microbiome and their future treatment will be shaped as we unravel our relationship with it