Pattern-based model-to-model transformation: Handling attribute conditions

The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-02408-5_7Proceedings of Second International Conference, ICMT 2009, Zurich, Switzerland, June 29-30, 2009Pattern-based model-to-model transformation is a new approach for specifying transformations in a declarative, relational and formal style. The language relies on patterns describing allowed or forbidden relations between two models, which are compiled into operational mechanisms to perform forward and backward transformations. In this paper, we extend the approach for handling attribute conditions expressed in some suitable logic, adapt the operational mechanisms based on graph transformation to relax attribute handling by constraint solving, and discuss heuristics for the compilation of patterns into rules.Work supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, projects METEORIC (TIN2008-02081),MODUWEB (TIN2006-09678) and FORMALISM (TIN2007-66523).Moreover, part of this work was done during a sabbatical leave of the third author at TU Berlin, with financial support from the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovaci´on (grant ref. PR2008-0185). We thank the referees for their useful comment

The Effects of Aerobic Versus Cognitively Demanding Exercise Interventions on Executive Functioning in School-Aged Children:A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial

The authors performed a clustered randomized controlled trial to investigate the effects of an aerobic and a cognitively demanding exercise intervention on executive functions in primary-school-age children compared with the regular physical education program (N = 856). They hypothesized that both exercise interventions would facilitate executive functioning, with stronger effects for the cognitively demanding exercise group. The interventions were provided four times per week for 14 weeks. Linear mixed models were conducted on posttest neurocognitive function measures with baseline level as covariate. No differences were found between the exercise interventions and the control group for any of the measures. Independently of group, dose of moderate to vigorous physical activity was positively related to verbal working memory and attention abilities. This study showed that physical exercise interventions did not enhance executive functioning in children. Exposure to moderate to vigorous physical activity is a crucial aspect of the relationship between physical activity and executive functioning

Observation of T-2 Toxin and HT-2 Toxin Glucosides from Fusarium sporotrichioides by Liquid Chromatography Coupled to Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)

The trichothecenes produced by solid and liquid cultures of Fusarium sporotrichioides were evaluated with high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Along with the expected T-2 toxin HT-2 toxin and neosolaniol, two additional compounds were detected, which had ions 162 m/z higher than those in the mass spectra of T-2 toxin or HT-2 toxin. Fragmentation behavior of these two compounds was similar to that of T-2 toxin and HT-2 toxin. Based on LC-MS/MS behavior, it is proposed that the two compounds are T-2 toxin 3-O-glucoside and HT-2 toxin 3-O-glucoside. Production of the two glucosides was measured in kernels from wheat and oat inoculated with F. sporotrichiodes, as well as in cultures grown in liquid media and on cracked corn or rice. Production of glucosides in wheat and oats suggest that they may also be present in naturally contaminated cereals

Relations between gross motor skills and executive functions, controlling for the role of information processing and lapses of attention in 8-10 year old children

This study aimed to systematically investigate the relation between gross motor skills and aspects of executive functioning (i.e. verbal working memory, visuospatial working memory, response inhibition and interference control) in 8-10 year old children. Additionally, the role of information processing (speed and variability) and lapses of attention in the relation between gross motor skills and executive functions was investigated. Data of 732 Dutch children from grade 3 and 4 were analyzed (50.0% boys, 50.4% grade 3, age = 9.16 ± 0.64 years). Gross motor skills were assessed using three items of the Körper Koordinationstest fü r Kinder and one item of the Bruininks-Oseretsky test of Motor Proficiency, Second Edition. Executive functions were assessed using the Wechsler Digit Span task (verbal working memory), the Visuospatial Memory task (visuospatial working memory), the Stop Signal task (response inhibition) and a modified version of the Flanker task (interference control). Information processing and lapses of attention were obtained by applying an ex-Gaussian analysis on go trials of the Stop Signal task. Multilevel regression analysis showed that gross motor skills were significantly related to verbal working memory, visuospatial working memory and response inhibition, but not to interference control. Lapses of attention was a significant predictor for all executive functions, whereas processing speed was not. Variability in processing speed was only predictive for visuospatial working memory. After controlling for information processing and lapses of attention, gross motor skills were only significantly related to visuospatial working memory and response inhibition. The results suggest that after controlling for information processing and lapses of attention, gross motor skills are related to aspects of executive functions that are most directly involved in, and share common underlying processes with, gross motor skills

Correctness, completeness and termination of pattern-based model-to-model transformation

The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-03741-2_26Proceedings of Third International Conference, CALCO 2009, Udine, Italy, September 7-10, 2009.Model-to-model (M2M) transformation consists in trans- forming models from a source to a target language. Many transformation languages exist, but few of them combine a declarative and relational style with a formal underpinning able to show properties of the transformation. Pattern-based transformation is an algebraic, bidirectional, and relational approach to M2M transformation. Specifications are made of patterns stating the allowed or forbidden relations between source and target models, and then compiled into low level operational mechanisms to perform source-to-target or target-to-source transformations. In this paper, we study the compilation into operational triple graph grammar rules and show: (i) correctness of the compilation of a specification without negative patterns; (ii) termination of the rules, and (iii) completeness, in the sense that every model considered relevant can be built by the rules.Work supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, projects METEORIC (TIN2008-02081), MODUWEB (TIN2006-09678) and FORMALISM (TIN2007-66523). Moreover, part of this work was done during a sabbatical leave of the first author at TU Berlin, with financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (grant ref. PR2008-0185). We thank the referees for their useful comment

Effects of bumetanide on neurocognitive functioning in children with autism spectrum disorder: secondary analysis of a randomized placebo-controlled trial

Education and Child Studie

Differential effects of long-term aerobic versus cognitively-engaging physical activity on children's visuospatial working memory related brain activation:A cluster RCT

Different types of physical activity are thought to differentially affect children's brain activation, via physiological mechanisms, or by activating similar brain areas during physical and cognitive tasks. Despite many behavioral studies relying on these mechanisms, they have been rarely studied. This study looks at both mechanisms simultaneously, by examining effects of two physical activity interventions (aerobic vs. cognitively-engaging) on children's brain activation. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) data of 62 children (48.4% boys, mean age 9.2 years) was analyzed. Children's visuospatial working memory related brain activity patterns were tested using a Spatial Span Task before and after the 14-week interventions consisting of four physical education lessons per week. The control group followed their regular program of two lessons per week. Analyses of activation patterns in SPM 12.0 revealed no activation changes between pretest and posttest (p > .05), and no differences between the three conditions in pretest-posttest changes in brain activation (p > .05). Large inter-individual differences were found, suggesting that not every child benefited from the interventions in the same way. To get more insight into the assumed mechanisms, further research is needed to understand whether, when, for whom, and how physical activity results in changed brain activation patterns

Correctly Defined Concrete Syntax for Visual Modeling Languages

The syntax of modeling languages is usually defined in two steps. The abstract syntax identifies modeling concepts whereas the concrete syntax clarifies how these modeling concepts are rendered by visual and/or textual elements. While the abstract syntax is often defined in form of a metamodel there is no such standard format yet for concrete syntax definitions; at least as long as the concrete syntax is not purely text-based and classical grammar-based approaches are not applicable. In a previous paper, we proposed to extend the metamodeling approach also to concrete syntax definitions. In this paper, we present an analysis technique for our concrete syntax definitions that detects inconsistencies between the abstract and the concrete syntax of a modeling language. We have implemented our approach on top of the automatic decision procedure SIMPLIFY

Effect of a multinutrient intervention after ischemic stroke in female C57Bl/6 mice.

Stroke can affect females very differently from males, and therefore preclinical research on underlying mechanisms and the effects of interventions should not be restricted to male subjects, and treatment strategies for stroke should be tailored to benefit both sexes. Previously, we demonstrated that a multinutrient intervention (Fortasyn) improved impairments after ischemic stroke induction in male C57Bl/6 mice, but the therapeutic potential of this dietary treatment remained to be investigated in females. We now induced a transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAo) in C57Bl/6 female mice and immediately after surgery switched to either Fortasyn or an isocaloric Control diet. The stroke females performed several behavioral and motor tasks before and after tMCAo and were scanned in an 11.7 Tesla MRI scanner to assess brain perfusion, integrity and functional connectivity. To assess brain plasticity, inflammation and vascular integrity, immunohistochemistry was performed after sacrifice of the mice. We found that the multinutrient intervention had diverse effects on the stroke-induced impairments in females. Similar to previous observations in male stroke mice, brain integrity, sensorimotor integration and neurogenesis benefitted from Fortasyn, but impairments in activity and motor skills were not improved in female stroke mice. Overall, Fortasyn effects in the stroked females seem more modest in comparison to previously investigated stroked male mice. We suggest that with further optimization of treatment protocols more information on the efficacy of specific interventions in stroked females can be gathered. This in turn will help with the development of (gender-specific) treatment regimens for cerebrovascular diseases such as stroke

Relevance of neuroimaging for neurocognitive and behavioral outcome after pediatric traumatic brain injury

This study aims to (1) investigate the neuropathology of mild to severe pediatric TBI and (2) elucidate the predictive value of conventional and innovative neuroimaging for functional outcome. Children aged 8–14 years with trauma control (TC) injury (n = 27) were compared to children with mild TBI and risk factors for complicated TBI (mildRF+, n = 20) or moderate/severe TBI (n = 17) at 2.8 years post-injury. Neuroimaging measures included: acute computed tomography (CT), volumetric analysis on post-acute conventional T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and post-acute diffusion tensor imaging (DTI, analyzed using tract-based spatial statistics and voxel-wise regression). Functional outcome was measured using Common Data Elements for neurocognitive and behavioral functioning. The results show that intracranial pathology on acute CT-scans was more prevalent after moderate/severe TBI (65%) than after mildRF+ TBI (35%; p = .035), while both groups had decreased white matter volume on conventional MRI (ps ≤ .029, ds ≥ −0.74). The moderate/severe TBI group further showed decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) in a widespread cluster affecting all white matter tracts, in which regional associations with neurocognitive functioning were observed (FSIQ, Digit Span and RAVLT Encoding) that consistently involved the corpus callosum. FA had superior predictive value for functional outcome (i.e. intelligence, attention and working memory, encoding in verbal memory and internalizing problems) relative to acute CT-scanning (i.e. internalizing problems) and conventional MRI (no predictive value). We conclude that children with mildRF+ TBI and moderate/severe TBI are at risk of persistent white matter abnormality. Furthermore, DTI has superior predictive value for neurocognitive out-come relative to conventional neuroimaging