Evaluation of Long-term Effects of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury on Visual Motor Control of NCAA Division I Football Athletes

Context: Current concussion evaluation assessments rely largely on static measures that may not detect subtle changes in behavior. Dynamic evaluation, such as visual-motor tracking tasks, may reveal subtle and meaningful changes in motor behavior post-concussion. Objective: This study compared measurements of performance regularity over a time series (approximate entropy; ApEn), which was derived from a visual-motor tracking task performed before concussion, post concussion, and at one month, three months, and six months post concussion. ApEn values were compared for number of previous concussions and playing position groups. Design: ApEn values were collected from the visual-motor tracking task, and history of concussion and playing position were obtained from an intake questionnaire. Post-test ApEn values were collected from participants who sustained a concussion during the study along with control subjects (matched by age and date of pre-test). Setting: Testing occurred in an office in the athletic training room, which matches the typical setting for pre and post-concussion testing. Participants: Ninety-nine Division I football athletes were baseline tested. Six concussed subjects were pre and post-tested along with 11 control subjects. One of those six was post-tested at one, three, and six months, while two were post-tested at injury, one month, and three months along with one control subject. Task and Procedure: The subject was seated at arm’s length from a laptop, pressed the distal joint of his index finger against a force plate and traced a line presented on the computer screen. Visual feedback was not displayed on the screen for the no-vision condition. An algorithm calculated ApEn from the output. Results: Post-test ApEn values were not significantly lower when compared to pre-test values and values of control participants. There was a significant effect of position group on ApEn scores, but not RMSE. There was not a significant main effect of previous number of concussions on ApEn, but ApEn was significantly lower in those with two or more previous concussions compared to those with one

Performance of lactating dairy cattle fed diets containing wet or dry corn gluten feed

Effect of adding wet or dry corn gluten feed to the ration of lactating dairy cattle was investigated in two separate experiments. In experiment one, 133 Holstein cows in a commercial dairy herd were randomly assigned to two groups based on parity and production and fed one of two diets during a 26 wk continuous study. The control diet consisted of 74.2% corn silage, 25.7% concentrate (20% Protein), .1% minerals and vitamins on a DM basis. Wet corn gluten feed replaced 25% of the control diet DM in the second diet. In experiment two, 48 lactating Holstein cows from the University of Tennessee\u27s dairy herd at Knoxville were blocked by parity and production into groups of three. Cows within blocks were assigned to one of three dietary treatments and housed in a tie stall barn for a 2 wk preliminary period followed by a 20 wk experimental period. The basal diet for experiment two consisted of (DM basis) 35.8% corn silage, 8.4% alfalfa hay, 20.3% corn grain, and 35.6% concentrate. Wet or dry corn gluten feed replaced 25% of the control diet DM in the two experimental diets. Alfalfa hay was held constant for all treatments at 2.3 kg per cow per day. In experiment one, there were no differences in milk yield or composition due to treatment for multiparous cows. However, primiparous heifers consuming the wet corn gluten feed diet produced more milk (P\u3c.005) and 4% FCM (P\u3c.002) although percentage fat or protein was not different. In experiment two, there were no differences in actual or 4% FCM milk production. Percentage milk fat was lowest (P\u3c.03) for cows consuming the diet containing dry corn gluten feed. Intake of DM, CP, NDF, and ADF was higher (P\u3c.01) for cows consuming the dried corn gluten feed diet compared to that of cows consuming the control diet. Apparent digestibility of DM was higher (P\u3c.01) when cows consumed the diet containing dried corn gluten feed compared to the control diet. All cows gained weight regardless of treatment. The calculated efficiency of production (kg 4% FCM/kg DM intake) was lowest for cows consuming the dry corn gluten feed diet (1.33), highest for the wet corn gluten feed treatment (1.50), and intermediate for cows fed the control diet (1.40)

Quality Laboratory Services – Is it Related to Personal Credentials?

Performance on proficiency test (PT) surveys provides an objective and consistent evaluation of laboratory quality. The goal of the study, a retrospective review of existing PT results (2003) from six clinical laboratories in northeastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania was to determine the relationship of PT performance to the personnel credentials of the laboratory testing personnel. Predictor variables included the practitioner\u27s major area of study, degree, certification and years of laboratory experience. The study group consisted of 174 testing personnel and 11,689 proficiency-testing results, of which 11,233 were valid and included in the study. Of the 11,233 results, there were 11,120 results graded acceptable (99.0%) and 113 results were unacceptable (1.0%). The most common type of error was a technical problem (35, 31.0%) Logistic regression analysis of the full model (n=11,233, χ2 = 20.416, p=0.002) with all predictors included, showed statistical significance for the predictor, clinical laboratory major (p=0.018). Those individuals without a clinical laboratory major (EXP β = 1.820) were almost twice as likely to produce an unacceptable result when compared to those individuals with a clinical laboratory major. The study supports the hiring of laboratory personnel who have completed a formal clinical laboratory education program. As the laboratory workforce shortage intensifies, the performance of laboratory personnel with limited years of clinical experience or those lacking a clinical laboratory major or educational degree may be important. An opportunity exists for health care facilities to investigate the benefits of clinical laboratory education programs to replenish qualified and experienced laboratory personnel

First-arrival Travel-Time Tomography using Second Generation Wavelets

International audienceWavelet decomposition of the slowness model has been proposed as a multiscale strategy for seismic first-arrival time tomography. We propose the introduction of so-called second generation wavelets which could be used for any mesh structure and does not need a number of samples as the power of two in each direction. Moreover, one can handle easily boundary effects. A linearized procedure for inverting delayed travel-times considering either slowness coefficients or wavelet coefficients. The ray tracing is solved at each iteration through an eikonal solver while the linear system to be solved at each iteration goes through an iterative solver as LSQR algorithm. We develop wavelet decomposition over constant patches (Haar wavelet) or over linear patches (Battle-Lemarie wavelet) of coefficients at different scales. This decomposition is introduced in the linear system to be solved and wavelet coefficients are considered as unknowns to be inverted. Synthetic examples show that the inversion behaves in a better way as wavelet decomposition seems to act as a preconditioner of the linear system. Local discretisation is possible but requires additional implementation as artefacs once built inside the model description never disappear because of the linearized approach. A binary mask operator is designed for each scale grid and could be applied locally leading to quite different spatial resolution depending on the analysis we could perform of the expected resolution at a given position of the medium. We show that indeed it is possible to design this binary operator and we apply it to synthetic examples as a crosswell experiment inside the Marmousi model. An application to a surface-surface experiment has been performed and the waveled decomposition shows that indeed we may recover detailed features nearby the free surface while preventing imprints of ray coverage at greater depths giving us smooth features at that depths. In spite of the increase demand of computer resources, the wavelet decomposition seems to be a rather promising alternative for controlling the resolution variation of seismic first-arrival tomography

Prilagođavanje šumskog prostora za osobe s invaliditetom na primjeru značajnog krajobraza Kamačnik

U neposrednoj blizini Grada Vrbovsko nalazi se potok Kamačnik, koji svojom ljepotom, očuvanom florom i faunom te geomorfološkim oblikom privlači mnoge planinare, ribolovce i druge ljubitelje prirode. Zbog navedene ekološke, znanstvene i turističko rekreacijske vrijednosti iziskuje i zaslužuje osobitu pažnju i zaštitu pa je stoga 2002. godine Kamačnik proglašen zaštićenim krajolikom. Cilj ovog rada je, ne samo opisati ljepotu samog područja, već analizirati razloge zbog kojih je Kamačnik proglašen zaštićenim krajolikom: opisati i istražiti ekološke faktore (klimatske, pedološke i geomorfološke) koji utječu na biljne zajednice navedenog područja, životinjske vrste koje ovdje obitavaju, utjecaj ljudi na floru i faunu (pozitivne i negativne) te predložiti izmjene koje bi za cilj imale učinkovitiju zaštitu prirode i veći turističko rekreacijski učinak odnosno, na temelju primjera zelenih površina i šumskih prostora prilagođenih za osobe s invaliditetom u Hrvatskoj analizirati što je sve potrebno kako bi ovaj zaštićeni krajolik postao dostupan osobama s invaliditetom i smanjenom pokretljivosti.In the immediate vicinity of the City of Vrbovsko there is a stream Kamačnik, with its beauty, preserved flora and fauna and geomorphological shape attracts many hikers, anglers and other nature lovers. Due to these environmental, scientific and tourist and recreational values requires and deserves special attention and protection and is therefore 2002 Kamačnik declared a protected area. The purpose of this work is not only to describe the beauty of the area, but to explain the reasons for Kamačnik declared a protected area: describe and explore environmental factors (climate, soil and geomorphological) that affect plant communities mentioned areas, species that reside here, the impact people on the flora and fauna of (positive and negative), and propose changes that would be aimed at more effective protection of nature and the greater tourist and recreational effect ie , on the basis of examples of green areas and forest areas adapted for people with disabilities in Croatia to analyze what is needed to make this protected landscape became available to people with disabilities and reduced mobility

Evidentiary Standards in Criminal Procedure

Rad razmatra razgraničenje dokaznih standarda i probleme koji se s tim u svezi pojavljuju u praksi. Nakon kratkog teorijskog i poredbeno-pravnog prikaza dokaznih standarda s posebnim osvrtom na ključne razlike između common law i kontinentalnih sustava, razmotreno je njihovo aktualno uređenje u hrvatskome kaznenom postupku. U radu se analizira stupnjevanje dokaznih standarda u hrvatskom kaznenom postupovnom pravu, razmatra potreba njihova definiranja i drukčijeg označavanja te raščlanjuje sudska praksa Vrhovnog suda Republike Hrvatske radi plastičnijeg prikaza te problematike. Za policiju je to osobito važno s obzirom na različitost postupanja policije prema građaninu i osumnjičeniku, kao posebnoj procesno pravnoj ulozi uz koju se vežu odgovarajuće postupovne posljedice.This paper deals with evidentiary standards. After a brief theoretical and comparative-law analysis of evidentiary standards, it highlights the key differences between common law and continental legal systems, while shifting the focus to the current regulation under the Croatian criminal law. In addition to the levels of evidentiary standards under the Croatian criminal procedural law, it examines the need for their definition and different labelling, relying on the relevant case-law of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Croatia. Especially from the perspective of the police, precise and unequivocal definitions are required in light of the different treatment of the citizen and the suspect by the police due to the unique procedural and legal role of the suspect and, respectively, appropriate procedural consequences. With this in mind, the paper assesses the legal doctrine, as well as the current legislative solutions and the existing judicial practice, to provide solutions that would eliminate doubts about the interpretation of evidentiary standards

Evidentiary Standards in Criminal Procedure

Rad razmatra razgraničenje dokaznih standarda i probleme koji se s tim u svezi pojavljuju u praksi. Nakon kratkog teorijskog i poredbeno-pravnog prikaza dokaznih standarda s posebnim osvrtom na ključne razlike između common law i kontinentalnih sustava, razmotreno je njihovo aktualno uređenje u hrvatskome kaznenom postupku. U radu se analizira stupnjevanje dokaznih standarda u hrvatskom kaznenom postupovnom pravu, razmatra potreba njihova definiranja i drukčijeg označavanja te raščlanjuje sudska praksa Vrhovnog suda Republike Hrvatske radi plastičnijeg prikaza te problematike. Za policiju je to osobito važno s obzirom na različitost postupanja policije prema građaninu i osumnjičeniku, kao posebnoj procesno pravnoj ulozi uz koju se vežu odgovarajuće postupovne posljedice.This paper deals with evidentiary standards. After a brief theoretical and comparative-law analysis of evidentiary standards, it highlights the key differences between common law and continental legal systems, while shifting the focus to the current regulation under the Croatian criminal law. In addition to the levels of evidentiary standards under the Croatian criminal procedural law, it examines the need for their definition and different labelling, relying on the relevant case-law of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Croatia. Especially from the perspective of the police, precise and unequivocal definitions are required in light of the different treatment of the citizen and the suspect by the police due to the unique procedural and legal role of the suspect and, respectively, appropriate procedural consequences. With this in mind, the paper assesses the legal doctrine, as well as the current legislative solutions and the existing judicial practice, to provide solutions that would eliminate doubts about the interpretation of evidentiary standards

Virtual screening for inhibitors of the human TSLP:TSLPR interaction

The pro-inflammatory cytokine thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) plays a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of various allergy disorders that are mediated by type 2 helper T cell (Th2) responses, such as asthma and atopic dermatitis. TSLP forms a ternary complex with the TSLP receptor (TSLPR) and the interleukin-7-receptor subunit alpha (IL-7Ra), thereby activating a signaling cascade that culminates in the release of pro-inflammatory mediators. In this study, we conducted an in silico characterization of the TSLP: TSLPR complex to investigate the drugability of this complex. Two commercially available fragment libraries were screened computationally for possible inhibitors and a selection of fragments was subsequently tested in vitro. The screening setup consisted of two orthogonal assays measuring TSLP binding to TSLPR: a BLI-based assay and a biochemical assay based on a TSLP: alkaline phosphatase fusion protein. Four fragments pertaining to diverse chemical classes were identified to reduce TSLP: TSLPR complex formation to less than 75% in millimolar concentrations. We have used unbiased molecular dynamics simulations to develop a Markov state model that characterized the binding pathway of the most interesting compound. This work provides a proof-ofprinciple for use of fragments in the inhibition of TSLP: TSLPR complexation