Enriching footsteps sounds in gait rehabilitation in chronic stroke patients: a pilot study

In the context of neurorehabilitation, sound is being increasingly applied for facilitating sensorimotor learning. In this study, we aimed to test the potential value of auditory stimulation for improving gait in chronic stroke patients by inducing alterations of the frequency spectra of walking sounds via a sound system that selectively amplifies and equalizes the signal in order to produce distorted auditory feedback. Twenty‐two patients with lower extremity paresis were exposed to real‐time alterations of their footstep sounds while walking. Changes in body perception, emotion, and gait were quantified. Our results suggest that by altering footsteps sounds, several gait parameters can be modified in terms of left–right foot asymmetry. We observed that augmenting low‐frequency bands or amplifying the natural walking sounds led to a reduction in the asymmetry index of stance and stride times, whereas it inverted the asymmetry pattern in heel–ground exerted force. By contrast, augmenting high‐frequency bands led to opposite results. These gait changes might be related to updating of internal forward models, signaling the need for adjustment of the motor system to reduce the perceived discrepancies between predicted–actual sensory feedbacks. Our findings may have the potential to enhance gait awareness in stroke patients and other clinical conditions, supporting gait rehabilitation

Linear phase adaptive line enhancer for improving the performance of phase synchronizers

Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

L'Energia en context

Presentem el material didàctic L'energia en context, un projecte elaborat i experimentat pel grup de treball Scientia Omnibus, un equip de professors/es de secundària de diverses especialitats de ciències. Consta de 3 unitats didàctiques amb un enfoc CTS (ciència - tecnologia - societat) adreçades a alumnat del segon cicle d'ESO que tracten els continguts curriculars relacionats amb l'energia. L'elecció d'aquest tema com a eix vertebrador de tot el projecte s'ha realitzat per la rellevància social i personal que té a la nostra societat. Les estratègies didàctiques clau del projecte són la contextualització de la ciència escolar i el treball cooperatiu. També fomenta la interacció social i l'autonomia d'aprenentatge de l'alumnat, utilitzant diversos tipus d'activitats (estudis de casos, recerques, problemes, etc.)

Androgen receptor gene polymorphism influence fat accumulation: a longitudinal study from adolescence to adult age.

To determine the influence of androgen receptor CAG and GGN repeat polymorphisms on fat mass and maximal fat oxidation (MFO), CAG and GGN repeat lengths were measured in 128 young boys, from which longitudinal data were obtained in 45 of them [mean?±?SD: 12.8?±?3.6 years old at recruitment, and 27.0?±?4.8 years old at adult age]. Subjects were grouped as CAG short (CAGS ) if harboring repeat lengths ?21, the rest as CAG long (CAGL ); and GGN short (GGNS ) if GGN repeat lengths ?23, or long if >?23 (GGNL ). CAGS and GGNS were associated with lower adiposity than CAGL or GGNL (P?<?0.05). There was an association between the logarithm of CAG repeats polymorphism and the changes of body mass (r?=?0.34, P?=?0.03). At adult age, CAGS men showed lower accumulation of total body and trunk fat mass, and lower resting metabolic rate (RMR) and MFO per kg of total lean mass compared with CAGL (P?<?0.05). GGNS men also showed lower percentage of body fat (P?<?0.05). In summary, androgen receptor CAG and GGN repeat polymorphisms are associated with RMR, MFO, fat mass, and its regional distribution in healthy male adolescents, influencing fat accumulation from adolescence to adult age

A family of iterative methods that uses divided differences of first and second orders

The family of fourth-order Steffensen-type methods proposed by Zheng et al. (Appl. Math. Comput. 217, 9592-9597 (2011)) is extended to solve systems of nonlinear equations. This extension uses multidimensional divided differences of first and second orders. For a certain computational efficiency index, two optimal methods are identified in the family. Semilocal convergence is shown for one of these optimal methods under mild conditions. Moreover, a numerical example is given to illustrate the theoretical results.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Review of sciaenid culture around the world, with a special focus on the meagre Argyrosomus regius (Asso, 1801)

Interest in culture of sciaenid fishes has grown rapidly in recent years. The present paper reviews the literature on several species belonging to Sciaenidae, cultured around the world: red drum Sciaenops ocellatus (L., 1766), Japanese meagre or mulloway Argyrosomus japonicus (Temminck y Schlegel, 1843), shi drum Umbrina cirrosa (L., 1758), and meagre Argyrosomus regius (Asso, 1801). The meagre is a commercially important fish species whose distribution extends along the Eastern Atlantic coast and the Mediterranean Sea. Experiments carried out in sea cages and indoor tanks have shown similar results in growth rate, but the food conversion rate was higher in cages (2,73) than in tanks (13,88).El interés por el cultivo de peces esciénidos se ha visto incrementado en los últimos años. Se realiza aquí una revisión bibliográfica de cultivos de varias especies de la familia Sciaenidae en el mundo: corvinón ocelado Sciaenops ocellatus (L., 1766), corvina japonesa Argyrosomus japonicus (Temminck y Schlegel, 1843), verrugato Umbrina cirrosa (L., 1758) y corvina Argyrosomus regius (Asso, 1801). La corvina ha adquirido una importancia comercial notable, y se distribuye a lo largo de las costas del Atlántico y el Mediterráneo. Experiencias de cultivo en jaulas y tanques demostraron similares índices de crecimiento, obteniéndose, sin embargo, un mejor factor de conversión del alimento en jaulas (2,73) que en tanques (13,88).Instituto Español de Oceanografí

Correlations between Different Heavy Metals in Diverse Body Fluids: Studies of Human Semen Quality

It has been hypothesized that exposure to heavy metals may impair male reproduction. To measure the effect produced by low doses of heavy metals on semen parameters, it is necessary to clarify in which body fluids those measurements must be performed. Sixty-one men attending infertility clinics participated in our study. Concentrations of lead, cadmium, and mercury were measured in whole blood, blood plasma, and seminal plasma using spectroanalytical and electrochemical methods. Semen analyses were performed according to World Health Organization criteria. For statistical analysis, Spearman's rank correlations, mean comparison tests, and discriminant analysis were calculated. Significant correlations between the measured concentrations of the three heavy metals in the same biological fluids were observed. However, no similar relationship was seen when comparing the concentrations in different body fluids of the same metal. According to our results and previous publications, seminal plasma might be the best body fluid for assessing impairment of human semen parameters

A comparison of genomic profiles of complex diseases under different models

Background: Various approaches are being used to predict individual risk to polygenic diseases from data provided by genome-wide association studies. As there are substantial differences between the diseases investigated, the data sets used and the way they are tested, it is difficult to assess which models are more suitable for this task. Results: We compared different approaches for seven complex diseases provided by the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium (WTCCC) under a within-study validation approach. Risk models were inferred using a variety of learning machines and assumptions about the underlying genetic model, including a haplotype-based approach with different haplotype lengths and different thresholds in association levels to choose loci as part of the predictive model. In accordance with previous work, our results generally showed low accuracy considering disease heritability and population prevalence. However, the boosting algorithm returned a predictive area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.8805 for Type 1 diabetes (T1D) and 0.8087 for rheumatoid arthritis, both clearly over the AUC obtained by other approaches and over 0.75, which is the minimum required for a disease to be successfully tested on a sample at risk, which means that boosting is a promising approach. Its good performance seems to be related to its robustness to redundant data, as in the case of genome-wide data sets due to linkage disequilibrium. Conclusions: In view of our results, the boosting approach may be suitable for modeling individual predisposition to Type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis based on genome-wide data and should be considered for more in-depth research.This work was supported by the Spanish Secretary of Research, Development and Innovation [TIN2010-20900-C04-1]; the Spanish Health Institute Carlos III [PI13/02714]and [PI13/01527] and the Andalusian Research Program under project P08-TIC-03717 with the help of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The authors are very grateful to the reviewers, as they believe that their comments have helped to substantially improve the quality of the paper

Mutations in the mitochondrial complex I assembly factor NDUFAF6 cause isolated bilateral striatal necrosis and progressive dystonia in childhood

Aim: To perform a deep phenotype characterisation in a pedigree of 3 siblings with Leigh syndrome and compound heterozygous NDUFAF6 mutations. Method: A multi-gene panel of childhood-onset basal ganglia neurodegeneration inherited conditions was analysed followed by functional studies in fibroblasts. Results: Three siblings developed gait dystonia in infancy followed by rapid progression to generalised dystonia and psychomotor regression. Brain magnetic resonance showed symmetric and bilateral cytotoxic lesions in the putamen and proliferation of the lenticular-striate arteries, latter spreading to the caudate and progressing to cavitation and volume loss. We identified a frameshift novel change (c.554_558delTTCTT; p.Tyr187AsnfsTer65) and a pathogenic missense change (c.371T>C; p.Ile124Thr) in the NDUFAF6 gene, which segregated with an autosomal recessive inheritance within the family. Patient mutations were associated with the absence of the NDUFAF6 protein and reduced activity and assembly of mature complex I in fibroblasts. By functional complementation assay, the mutant phenotype was rescued by the canonical version of the NDUFAF6. A literature review of 14 NDUFAF6 patients showed a consistent phenotype of an early childhood insidious onset neurological regression with prominent dystonia associated with basal ganglia degeneration and long survival. Interpretation: NDUFAF6-related Leigh syndrome is a relevant cause of childhood onset dystonia and isolated bilateral striatal necrosis. By genetic complementation, we could demonstrate the pathogenicity of novel genetic variants in NDUFAF6

Determination of neuronal antibodies in suspected and definite Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

IMPORTANCE Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and autoimmune encephalitis with antibodies against neuronal surface antigens (NSA-abs) may present with similar clinical features. Establishing the correct diagnosis has practical implications in the management of care for these patients. OBJECTIVE To determine the frequency of NSA-abs in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with suspected CJD and in patients with pathologically confirmed (ie, definite) CJD. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A mixed prospective (suspected) and retrospective (definite) CJD cohort study was conducted in a reference center for detection of NSA-abs. The population included 346 patients with suspected CJD and 49 patients with definite CJD. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Analysis of NSA-abs in cerebrospinal fluid with brain immunohistochemistry optimized for cell-surface antigens was performed. Positive cases in the suspected CJD group were further studied for antigen specificity using cell-based assays. All definite CJD cases were comprehensively tested for NSA-abs, with cell-based assays used for leucine-rich glioma-inactivated 1 (LGI1), contactin-associated protein-like 2 (CASPR2), N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), and glycine (GlY) receptors. RESULTS Neuronal surface antigens were detected in 6 of 346 patients (1.7%) with rapid neurologic deterioration suggestive of CJD. None of these 6 patients fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for probable or possible CJD. The target antigens included CASPR2, LGI1, NMDAR, aquaporin 4, Tr (DNER [δ/notch-like epidermal growth factor-related receptor]), and an unknown protein. Four of the patients developed rapidly progressive dementia, and the other 2 patients had cerebellar ataxia or seizures that were initially considered to be myoclonus without cognitive decline. The patient with Tr-abs had a positive 14-3-3 test result. Small cell lung carcinoma was diagnosed in the patient with antibodies against an unknown antigen. All patients improved or stabilized after appropriate treatment. None of the 49 patients with definite CJD had NSA-abs. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE A low, but clinically relevant, number of patients with suspected CJD had potentially treatable disorders associated with NSA-abs. In contrast, none of 49 patients with definite CJD had NSA-abs, including NMDAR-abs, GlyR-abs, LGI1-abs, or CASPR2-abs. These findings suggest that cerebrospinal fluid NSA-abs analysis should be included in the diagnostic workup of patients with rapidly progressive central nervous system syndromes, particularly when they do not fulfill the diagnostic criteria of probable or possible CJD