Assessing plantar sensation in the foot using the FOot Roughness Discrimination Test (FoRDT™): a reliability and validity study in stroke

BACKGROUND: The foot sole represents a sensory dynamometric map and is essential for balance and gait control. Sensory impairments are common, yet often difficult to quantify in neurological conditions, particularly stroke. A functionally oriented and quantifiable assessment, the Foot Roughness Discrimination Test (FoRDT™), was developed to address these shortcomings. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate inter- and intra-rater reliability, convergent and discriminant validity of the Foot Roughness Discrimination Test (FoRDT™). DESIGN: Test-retest design. SETTING: Hospital Outpatient. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-two people with stroke (mean age 70) at least 3 months after stroke, and 32 healthy, age-matched controls (mean age 70). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Roughness discrimination thresholds were quantified utilising acrylic foot plates, laser-cut to produce graded spatial gratings. Stroke participants were tested on three occasions, and by two different raters. Inter- and intra-rater reliability and agreement were evaluated with Intraclass Correlation Coefficients and Bland-Altman plots. Convergent validity was evaluated through Spearman rank correlation coefficients (rho) between the FoRDT™ and the Erasmus modified Nottingham Sensory Assessment (EmNSA). RESULTS: Intra- and inter rater reliability and agreement were excellent (ICC =.86 (95% CI .72-.92) and .90 (95% CI .76 -.96)). Discriminant validity was demonstrated through significant differences in FoRDT™ between stroke and control participants (p.05). CONCLUSIONS: This simple and functionally oriented test of plantar sensation is reliable, valid and clinically feasible for use in an ambulatory, chronic stroke and elderly population. It offers clinicians and researchers a sensitive and robust sensory measure and may further support the evaluation of rehabilitation targeting foot sensation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Quick-look guide to the crustal dynamics project's data information system

Described are the contents of the Crustal Dynamics Project Data Information System (DIS) and instructions on the use of this facility. The main purpose of the DIS is to store all geodetic data products acquired by the Project in a central data bank and to maintain information about the archive of all Project-related data. Access and use of the DIS menu-driven system is described as well as procedures for contacting DIS staff and submitting data requests

Inclusion of [H3PW12O40] and [H4SiW12O40] into a silica gel matrix via "sol-gel" methodology

Indexación: Web of Science; Scopus.Here we report the inclusion of two Keggin Polyoxometalates (POMs), [H3PW12O40] and [H4SiW12O40], into silica gels by integrating them during the preparation of the SiO2 matrix via "sol-gel" methods. Aerogels were produced by supercritical drying of the wet gels impregnated with the POMs, and lyogels were obtained by means of a lyophilization process. These materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transformed infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and thermoanalytical techniques (TGA-DSC). We found that a large fraction of POMs are lost during the aging time, and solvent exchange for lyophilization. However the thermal stability of the bare matrix is modified by the inclusion of POMs. Some aggregates with a high content of POMs were found via SEM-EDX.http://ref.scielo.org/3fg9t

The spectral shift function and spectral flow

This paper extends Krein's spectral shift function theory to the setting of semifinite spectral triples. We define the spectral shift function under these hypotheses via Birman-Solomyak spectral averaging formula and show that it computes spectral flow.Comment: 47 page

Anomalies and Schwinger terms in NCG field theory models

We study the quantization of chiral fermions coupled to generalized Dirac operators arising in NCG Yang-Mills theory. The cocycles describing chiral symmetry breaking are calculated. In particular, we introduce a generalized locality principle for the cocycles. Local cocycles are by definition expressions which can be written as generalized traces of operator commutators. In the case of pseudodifferential operators, these traces lead in fact to integrals of ordinary local de Rham forms. As an application of the general ideas we discuss the case of noncommutative tori. We also develop a gerbe theoretic approach to the chiral anomaly in hamiltonian quantization of NCG field theory.Comment: 30 page

Paper Session I-A - Space Shuttle to Reusable Launch Vehicle

The National Space Transportation Policy establishes national policy, guidelines, and implementing actions for the conduct of National space transportation programs that will sustain and revitalize U.S. space transportation capabilities... . The direction to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is to provide for the improvement of the Space Shuttle system focusing on reliability, safety, and cost effectiveness. as well as be the lead agency for technology development and demonstration for next generation reusable space transportation systems, such as the single-stage-to-orbit concept. With this vision, NASA has initiated Cooperative Agreement Notices between NASA and the private sector for X-33 (Reusable Launch Vehicle-Advanced Technology Demonstrator) and X-34 (Reusable Launch Vehicle-Small Reusable Booster) which would provide insight to a decision by December 1996 to proceed with sub-scale flight demonstration to prove the single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) concept. This paper deals with operational issues which must be dealt with in order to achieve SSTO goals of reliable low cost space transportation and order of magnitude reductions in operating costs

Visible And Near-Infrared Responsivity Of Femtosecond Laser-Structured Photodiodes

We investigated the current-voltage characteristics and responsivity of photodiodes fabricated with silicon that was microstructured by use of femtosecond-laser pulses in a sulfur-containing atmosphere. The photodiodes that we fabricated have a broad spectral response ranging from the visible to the near infrared (400-1600 nm). The responsivity depends on substrate doping, microstructuring fluence, and annealing temperature. We obtained room-temperature responsivities as high as 100 A/W at 1064 nm, 2 orders of magnitude higher than for standard silicon photodiodes. For wavelengths below the bandgap we obtained responsivities as high as 50 mA/W at 1330 nm and 35 mA/W at 1550 nm

Femtosecond Laser-Induced Formation Of Submicrometer Spikes On Silicon In Water

We fabricate submicrometer silicon spikes by irradiating a siliconsurface that is submerged in water with 400 nm, 100 fs laser pulses. These spikes are less than a micrometer tall and about 200 nm wide—one to two orders of magnitude smaller than the microspikes formed by laser irradiation of silicon in gases or vacuum. Scanning electron micrographs of the surface show that the formation of the spikes involves a combination of capillary waves on the molten siliconsurface and laser-induced etching of silicon. Chemical analysis and scanning electron microscopy of the spikes show that they are composed of silicon with a 20-nm-thick surface oxide layer