Changes in EMG activity during clenching in chronic pain patients with unilateral temporomandibular disorders

[Abstract] The study assessed the differences in electromyographic (EMG) activity recorded during clenching in women with chronic unilateral temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) as compared to control subjects. Seventy-five full dentate, normo-occlusion, right-handed, similarly aged female subjects were recruited. Twenty five subjects presented with right side TMD, 25 presented with left side TMD and 25 pain-free control subjects participated. Using integrated surface EMG over a 1 s contraction, the anterior temporalis and masseter muscles were evaluated bilaterally while subjects performed maximum voluntary clenching. Lower EMG activation was observed in patients with TMD as compared to control subjects (temporalis: 195.74 ± 18.57 vs. 275.74 ± 22.11, P = 0.011; masseters: 151.09 ± 17.37 vs. 283.29 ± 31.87, P < 0.001). An asymmetry index (SAI) was calculated to determine ratios of right to left sided activation. Patients with right-sided TMD demonstrated preferential use of their left-sided muscles (SAI −5.35 ± 4.02) whereas patients with left-sided TMD demonstrated preferential use of their right-sided muscles (SAI 6.95 ± 2.82), (P = 0.016). This unilateral reduction in temporalis and masseter activity could be considered as a specific protective functional adaptation of the neuromuscular system due to nociceptive input. The asymmetry index (SAI) may be a useful measure in discriminating patients with right vs. left-sided TMD.Galicia. Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Ordenación Universitaria; Grant 9/7/1996/DOG/22/7/199

Jaw biodynamic data for 24 patients with chronic unilateral temporomandibular disorder

This study assessed 24 adult patients, suffering from severe chronic unilateral pain diagnosed as temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder (TMD). The full dentate patients had normal occlusion and had never received an occlusal therapy, i.e., were with natural dental evolution/maturation. The following functional and dynamic factors were assessed: (1) chewing function; (2) TMJ remodeling or the condylar path (CP); and (3) lateral jaw motion or lateral guidance (LG). CPs were assessed using conventional axiography, and LG was assessed by K7 jaw tracking. Seventeen (71%) of the 24 (100%) patients consistently showed a habitual chewing side. The mean (standard deviation [SD]) of the CP angles was 47.90 (9.24) degrees. The mean (SD) of the LG angles was 42.95 (11.78) degrees. Data collection emerged from the conception of a new TMD paradigm where the affected side could be the habitual chewing side, the side with flatter lateral jaw motion or the side with an increased CP angle. These data may lead to improved diagnosis, therapy plans and evolution in TMD patients

Morfología de las ciudades silentes de Cartagena. Reflejos del urbanismo de la ciudad viva

La aspiración humana de ir más allá de la vida ha ocasionado diversas manifestaciones de grandeza que en ocasiones se han visto reflejadas en los lugares elegidos para alojar sus restos tras el momento final. Desde que en el s.XIX Cartagena acatara las disposiciones de la Real Cédula de Carlos III por la que se imponía emplazar los recintos funerarios extramuros de las ciudades, se establecieron en la misma dos cementerios que aún hoy siguen funcionando; el cementerio de San Antonio Abad (1806) y el de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios (1868). Esta comunicación pretende analizar las distintas morfologías urbanas ensayadas en estos camposantos para mostrar la diferente concepción de los dos espacios y el reflejo en la ciudad viva de los modelos urbanos con que fueron concebidas ambas ciudades silentes. El primero, imitó modelos racionales como el que Ferdinando Fuga había practicado en Italia, donde bajo ideales ilustrados; vivos y muertos serían igualados en el momento final, y el segundo fue proyectado como un cementerio romántico en el que los hombres ilustres de la Cartagena decimonónica construyeron sus panteones a imagen de las mansiones emplazadas en la otra ciudad

Measuring Black Hole Spin in OJ287

We model the binary black hole system OJ287 as a spinning primary and a non-spinning secondary. It is assumed that the primary has an accretion disk which is impacted by the secondary at specific times. These times are identified as major outbursts in the light curve of OJ287. This identification allows an exact solution of the orbit, with very tight error limits. Nine outbursts from both the historical photographic records as well as from recent photometric measurements have been used as fixed points of the solution: 1913, 1947, 1957, 1973, 1983, 1984, 1995, 2005 and 2007 outbursts. This allows the determination of eight parameters of the orbit. Most interesting of these are the primary mass of $1.84\cdot 10^{10} M_\odot$, the secondary mass $1.46\cdot 10^{8} M_\odot$, major axis precession rate $39^\circ.1$ per period, and the eccentricity of the orbit 0.70. The dimensionless spin parameter is $0.28\:\pm\:0.01$ (1 sigma). The last parameter will be more tightly constrained in 2015 when the next outburst is due. The outburst should begin on 15 December 2015 if the spin value is in the middle of this range, on 3 January 2016 if the spin is 0.25, and on 26 November 2015 if the spin is 0.31. We have also tested the possibility that the quadrupole term in the Post Newtonian equations of motion does not exactly follow Einstein's theory: a parameter $q$ is introduced as one of the 8 parameters. Its value is within 30% (1 sigma) of the Einstein's value $q = 1$. This supports the $no-hair theorem$ of black holes within the achievable precision. We have also measured the loss of orbital energy due to gravitational waves. The loss rate is found to agree with Einstein's value with the accuracy of 2% (1 sigma).Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, IAU26

A global map to aid the identification and screening of critical habitat for marine industries

Marine industries face a number of risks that necessitate careful analysis prior to making decisions on the siting of operations and facilities. An important emerging regulatory framework on environmental sustainability for business operations is the International Finance Corporation’s Performance Standard 6 (IFC PS6). Within PS6, identification of biodiversity significance is articulated through the concept of “Critical Habitat”, a definition developed by the IFC and detailed through criteria aligned with those that support internationally accepted biodiversity designations. No publicly available tools have been developed in either the marine or terrestrial realm to assess the likelihood of sites or operations being located within PS6-defined Critical Habitat. This paper presents a starting point towards filling this gap in the form of a preliminary global map that classifies more than 13 million km2 of marine and coastal areas of importance for biodiversity (protected areas, Key Biodiversity Areas [KBA], sea turtle nesting sites, cold- and warm-water corals, seamounts, seagrass beds, mangroves, saltmarshes, hydrothermal vents and cold seeps) based on their overlap with Critical Habitat criteria, as defined by IFC. In total, 5798×103 km2 (1.6%) of the analysis area (global ocean plus coastal land strip) were classed as Likely Critical Habitat, and 7526×103 km2 (2.1%) as Potential Critical Habitat; the remainder (96.3%) were Unclassified. The latter was primarily due to the paucity of biodiversity data in marine areas beyond national jurisdiction and/or in deep waters, and the comparatively fewer protected areas and KBAs in these regions. Globally, protected areas constituted 65.9% of the combined Likely and Potential Critical Habitat extent, and KBAs 29.3%, not accounting for the overlap between these two features. Relative Critical Habitat extent in Exclusive Economic Zones varied dramatically between countries. This work is likely to be of particular use for industries operating in the marine and coastal realms as an early screening aid prior to in situ Critical Habitat assessment; to financial institutions making investment decisions; and to those wishing to implement good practice policies relevant to biodiversity management. Supplementary material (available online) includes other global datasets considered, documentation and justification of biodiversity feature classification, detail of IFC PS6 criteria/scenarios, and coverage calculations

The role of input in second language oral ability development in foreign language classrooms: a longitudinal study

The current project longitudinally investigated the extent to which first-year Japanese university students developed their second language (L2) oral ability in relation to increased input in foreign language classrooms. Their spontaneous speech was elicited at the beginning, middle and end of one academic year, and then judged by linguistically trained coders for pronunciation, fluency, vocabulary and grammar qualities. According to the statistical analyses, the total amount of input (operationalized as number of English classes taken and L2 use outside of classrooms) was significantly related to the participants’ quick and immediate development of fluency and lexicogrammar during the first semester. Their pronunciation development was mixed, either subject to continuous change over two academic semesters (for prosody) or limited within the timeframe of the study (for segmentals). Similar to naturalistic L2 speech learning, the findings support the multifaceted role of input in different areas of oral proficiency development in foreign language classrooms

Counterterms and dual holographic anomalies in CS gravity

The holographic Weyl anomaly associated to Chern-Simons gravity in 2n+1 dimensions is proportional to the Euler term in 2n dimensions, with no contributions from the Weyl tensor. We compute the holographic energy-momentum tensor associated to Chern-Simons gravity directly from the action, in an arbitrary odd-dimensional spacetime. We show, in particular, that the counterterms rendering the action finite contain only terms of the Lovelock type.Comment: 10 pages, no figure

Marco general de la transferencia de tecnología en el ICA.

Se presenta el marco general de la transferencia de tecnología del ICA, sus antecedentes, las etapas del desarrollo de las economias campesinas frente a la tranferencia de tecnologia. Igualmente se destaca el papel de la tranferencia de tecnología del ICA, frente a la economía empresarial, a través de la asistencia técnica, el credito y la investigación agropecuaria. Se destacan las políticas de la Subregión de Transferencia de Tecnología del ICA dentro de las políticas actuales del gobierno, sus objetivos generales y específicos. Se señala la estructura y funciones de la Subgerencia de transferencia del ICA y las premisas básicas para la transferencia de tecnología institucional. Se define la transferencia de tecnología y el proceso metodológico para su planificación y las estrategias para la misma. Se indica la participación de los CRECED y la formulación de los proyectos de transferencia. Se precisa el tipo de usuarios de la transferencia de tecnología y la forma de ejecución de ésta a nivel intra y extra institucional. Finalmente se anexan las funciones de las diferentes unidades participantes en el proceso de transferencia instituciona

On BPS preons, generalized holonomies and D=11 supergravities

We develop the BPS preon conjecture to analyze the supersymmetric solutions of D=11 supergravity. By relating the notions of Killing spinors and BPS preons, we develop a moving G-frame method (G=GL(32,R), SL(32,R) or Sp(32,R)) to analyze their associated generalized holonomies. As a first application we derive here the equations determining the generalized holonomies of k/32 supersymmetric solutions and, in particular, those solving the necessary conditions for the existence of BPS preonic (31/32) solutions of the standard D=11 supergravity. We also show that there exist elementary preonic solutions, i.e. solutions preserving 31 out of 32 supersymmetries in a Chern--Simons type supergravity. We present as well a family of worldvolume actions describing the motion of pointlike and extended BPS preons in the background of a D'Auria-Fre type OSp(1|32)-related supergravity model. We discuss the possible implications for M-theory.Comment: 11 pages, RevTeX Typos corrected, a short note and references adde