Memorizing and reproducing the sequence of movements by younger schoolchildren and adolescents: age-specific mistakes

Background. The paper describes the results of the experimental study of working memory in early schoolchildren and adolescents. The capacity of working memory develops through preadolescence to adolescence, while the developmental changes of representations of serial order are not clear enough so far. Objective. The accuracy of delayed reproduction of movements (the open polygonal chains, trajectories) reveals. The sample included 32 early schoolchildren (mean age 10.4±0.75 years old) and 25 adolescents (mean age 14.6±0.3 years old). The subjects reproduced trajectories of different length (from 4 to 6 elements) using the graphical tablet. Another factor in the experiment carried out was a mode of stimulus presentation: the trajectories in were presented either as a static line-drawing (static mode) or a small moving pointer (dynamic mode). Design. The errors of reproduction in two age groups and in different conditions were analyzed. We distinguished three types of errors: (1) severe distortions which are caused by inability to keep the sequence in working memory; (2) insertions or omissions of elements of the trajectory which are related to the problems of encoding the visual spatial information in the motor representation; (3) distortions of proportions of the trajectories, which are related with visual-motor coordination during motor reproduction of the sequences. Research results showed that in adolescence the accuracy of delayed reproduction is better than in early ages. The most obvious difference in accuracy between the groups of early schoolchildren and adolescents were observed in dynamic mode. The analysis of different types of errors revealed that adolescents less often make insertions and omissions of elements. It may be caused by development of executive functions in adolescents. Conclusion. The study showed that the capacity of working memory increases in adolescents. In addition, the precision of the representation of serial information are higher in adolescents in the more complicated dynamic mode

Decision support system for the expert assessment of social risks

The study is devoted to the development of decision support systems in the expert assessment of social risk

Multi-critera selection of a corporate system by using paired comparison analysis

The paper presents the results of comparing foreign corporate information systems (CISs) obtained by using the classical analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The eight most common corporate information systems of international standards were analyzed, there were determined some classes of criteria which are vital when selecting a system, and for each criterion 3-4 most suitable systems were identifie

Formal methods of analysis and synthesis for decisions options during corporate information system development

The article presents a generalized approach to decision making in the process of application development based on cyclically repeating actions, including the synthesis of solution options and their analysis. They considered the basic methods of analysis and synthesis used in decision-making process on the design of corporate information systems (CIS). The description of the proposed generalized semantic model is given on the example of component interaction of the Integrated complex of high-level development tools and the functioning environment of corporate-level information systems (Platform). They analyzed the process of CIS IT infrastructure on the basis of the Platform and the specific steps of making a management decision for this exampl

Plasticity of an extra-strong nanocrystalline stainless steel controlled by the "dislocation-segregation'' interaction

We study three structurally different states of nanocrystalline 316 steel and show that the state, where boundaries containing excess concentration of alloying elements are combined with mobile dislocations in grain interiors, allows maintaining extraordinarily high strength and remarkably enhanced plasticity. Underlying mechanisms featuring interaction between the segregations and mobile dislocations are discussed

Myelin-Reactive Monoclonal Antibodies from Multiple Sclerosis Patients Cross-React with Nucleoproteins in HEp-2 Lysate

© 2016, Springer Science+Business Media New York.Autoimmune disorders are characterized by appearance of self-reactive species of immune system such as T cells, B cells and antibodies. For the majority of autoimmune pathologies the list of specific autoantigens is known. Myelin basic protein (MBP) is one of the most important autoantigens in multiple sclerosis (MS), which destruction is a hallmark of disease progression. Antibodies toward MBP are found in serum and cerebrospinal fluid of MS patients. Here we investigated whether monoclonal human MBP-specific antibodies selected from MS patients repertoire cross-react with other autoimmune markers. For this purpose we performed Western blot analysis of recombinant anti-MBP antibodies with HEp-2 cell lysate. Our data suggest existence of enhanced level of cross-reactivity of anti-MBP antibodies with ribonucleoprotein A (RNP A), a marker of Sharp’s syndrome and systemic lupus erythematosus, ribosomal P protein (Rib. P-Prot), a marker for systemic lupus erythematosus, and centromere protein A/B (CENP A/B), markers for progressive systemic sclerosis

Administration of Myelin Basic Protein Peptides Encapsulated in Mannosylated Liposomes Normalizes Level of Serum TNF- α and IL-2 and Chemoattractants CCL2 and CCL4 in Multiple Sclerosis Patients

© 2016 Yakov Lomakin et al.We have previously shown that immunodominant MBP peptides encapsulated in mannosylated liposomes (Xemys) effectively suppressed experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE). Within the frames of the successfully completed phase I clinical trial, we investigated changes in the serum cytokine profile after Xemys administration in MS patients. We observed a statistically significant decrease of MCP-1/CCL2, MIP-1β/CCL4, IL-7, and IL-2 at the time of study completion. In contrast, the serum levels of TNF-α were remarkably elevated. Our data suggest that the administration of Xemys leads to a normalization of cytokine status in MS patients to values commonly reported for healthy subjects. These data are an important contribution for the upcoming Xemys clinical trials

Fluids of spherical molecules with dipolar-like nonuniform adhesion. An analytically solvable anisotropic model

We consider an anisotropic version of Baxter's model of `sticky hard spheres', where a nonuniform adhesion is implemented by adding, to an isotropic surface attraction, an appropriate `dipolar sticky' correction (positive or negative, depending on the mutual orientation of the molecules). The resulting nonuniform adhesion varies continuously, in such a way that in each molecule one hemisphere is `stickier' than the other. We derive a complete analytic solution by extending a formalism [M.S. Wertheim, J. Chem. Phys. \textbf{55}, 4281 (1971) ] devised for dipolar hard spheres. Unlike Wertheim's solution which refers to the `mean spherical approximation', we employ a \textit{Percus-Yevick closure with orientational linearization}, which is expected to be more reliable. We obtain analytic expressions for the orientation-dependent pair correlation function $g(1,2)$. Only one equation for a parameter $K$ has to be solved numerically. We also provide very accurate expressions which reproduce $K$ as well as some parameters, $\Lambda_{1}$ and $\Lambda_{2}$, of the required Baxter factor correlation functions with a relative error smaller than 1%. We give a physical interpretation of the effects of the anisotropic adhesion on the $g(1,2)$. The model could be useful for understanding structural ordering in complex fluids within a unified picture.Comment: 30 pages, 6 Figures, Physical Review E in pres

COVID-19: What Iodine Maps From Perfusion CT can reveal—A Prospective Cohort Study.

Indexación:Scopus.Background: Subtraction CT angiography (sCTA) is a technique used to evaluate pulmonary perfusion based on iodine distribution maps. The aim of this study is to assess lung perfusion changes with sCTA seen in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia and correlate them with clinical outcomes. Material and methods: A prospective cohort study was carried out with 45 RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19 patients that required hospitalization at three different hospitals, between April and May 2020. In all cases, a basic clinical and demographic profile was obtained. Lung perfusion was assessed using sCTA. Evaluated imaging features included: Pattern predominance of injured lung parenchyma in both lungs (ground-glass opacities, consolidation and mixed pattern) and anatomical extension; predominant type of perfusion abnormality (increased perfusion or hypoperfusion), perfusion abnormality distribution (focal or diffuse), extension of perfusion abnormalities (mild, moderate and severe involvement); presence of vascular dilatation and vascular tortuosity. All participants were followed-up until hospital discharge searching for the development of any of the study endpoints. These endpoints included intensive-care unit (ICU) admission, initiation of invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) and death. Results: Forty-one patients (55.2 ± 16.5 years, 22 men) with RT-PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and an interpretable iodine map were included. Patients with perfusion anomalies on sCTA in morphologically normal lung parenchyma showed lower Pa/Fi values (294 ± 111.3 vs. 397 ± 37.7, p = 0.035), and higher D-dimer levels (1156 ± 1018 vs. 378 ± 60.2, p < 0.01). The main common patterns seen in lung CT scans were ground-glass opacities, mixed pattern with predominant ground-glass opacities and mixed pattern with predominant consolidation in 56.1%, 24.4% and 19.5% respectively. Perfusion abnormalities were common (36 patients, 87.8%), mainly hypoperfusion in areas of apparently healthy lung. Patients with severe hypoperfusion in areas of apparently healthy lung parenchyma had an increased probability of being admitted to ICU and to initiate IMV (HR of 11.9 (95% CI 1.55–91.9) and HR 7.8 (95% CI 1.05–61.1), respectively). Conclusion: Perfusion abnormalities evidenced in iodine maps obtained by sCTA are associated with increased admission to ICU and initiation of IMV in COVID-19 patients. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] © 2020, The Author(s).https://ccforum.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13054-020-03333-