Motor Imagery and Action Observation as Effective Tools for Physical Therapy

Motor imagery and action observation facilitate motor recovery of patients because both the motor imagery and the action observation share the activation of cortical neural networks implicated in movement execution. Specifically, imagery, observation, and execution activate the medial parietal area of the brain located between the parieto‐occipital sulcus and the posterior end of the cingulate sulcus. This chapter reviews the neural mechanisms and clinical studies of motor imagery and action observation and discusses the applications in physical therapy

Interpretation of the mechanical behavior of embankments having various compaction properties based on the soil skeleton structure

AbstractAfter the Hanshin Awaji Earthquake disaster, the seismic resistance of embankments was evaluated, and design principles were changed from specification-based to performance-based. However, compaction properties and the mechanical behavior of compacted soil were not sufficiently considered in the Manual of Highway Earthworks on Embankments.The first objective of the present study is to reproduce the mechanical behavior of three embankment materials having different compaction properties. A series of triaxial compression tests and oedometer tests is carried out. The mechanical behavior is reproduced by the SYS Cam-clay model and the influence of compaction on the mechanical behavior is interpreted based on the soil skeleton structure. The second objective is to evaluate the seismic stability of the embankment, which depends on the compaction properties of the embankment material, using GEOASIA, a soil–water coupled finite deformation analysis code.The primary conclusions are as follows. (1) Through the triaxial tests, the maximum deviator stress increases as the degree of compaction, Dc, increases. However, the trends in the increase differ depending on the material. (2) Based on one-dimensional consolidation tests, the compression curve is approximately a straight line with a large vertical effective stress. In the present study, a greater maximum dry density corresponds to less compressibility and a lower compression curve. (3) The mechanical behavior of each material is reproduced by the SYS Cam-clay model using one set of material constants for each material and representing the differences in Dc by different initial conditions for the structure and overconsolidation. An increase in Dc causes the decay of the structure, as well as the accumulation of overconsolidation. In the case of material A, the decay of the structure and the loss of overconsolidation occur quickly, whereas in the case of material C, the decay of the structure is slight and the loss of overconsolidation is moderate. (4) The seismic response analysis reveals different deformations of the embankment for different materials, even for the same Dc. The seismic stability of the embankments was increased by increasing Dc. Materials, such as material A, that have fast decay of the structure and fast loss of overconsolidation produce embankments with high seismic stability

Neuroscience-Based Rehabilitation for Stroke Patients

Hitherto, physical therapy for rehabilitating patients with cerebral dysfunction has focused on acquiring and improving compensatory strategies by using the remaining functions; it has been presumed that once neural functions have been lost, they cannot be restored. However, neuroscience-based animal research and neuroimaging research since the 1980s have demonstrated that recovery arises from plastic changes in the central nervous system and reconstruction of neural networks; this research is ushering in a new age of neuroscience-based rehabilitation as a treatment for cerebral dysfunction (such as stroke). In this paper, in regard to mental practices using motor imagery and kinaesthetic illusion, we summarize basic discoveries and theories relating to motor function therapy based on neuroscientific theory; in particular, we outline a novel rehabilitation method using kinaesthetic illusion induced by vibrational stimulus, which the authors are currently attempting in stroke patients

Understanding Neural Mechanisms of Action Observation for Improving Human Motor Skill Acquisition

Action observation is a useful approach for improving human motor skill acquisition. This process involves the mirror neuron system that consists of the ventral premotor area, inferior parietal lobule, and superior temporal sulcus. The interaction between these areas produces the effect of action observation. This chapter presents neurophysiological and brain imaging studies of action observation, and their application to human motor learning. For action observation, the mirror system appears to map the intention in the ventral premotor area and the goal in the inferior parietal lobule. These features of action representation may be useful for refining conditions of practice, based on the mirror system, for acquiring new motor skills

Traders' strategy with price feedbacks in financial market

We introduce an autoregressive-type model of prices in financial market taking into account the self-modulation effect. We find that traders are mainly using strategies with weighted feedbacks of past prices. These feedbacks are responsible for the slow diffusion in short times, apparent trends and power law distribution of price changes.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Physica

Using HAADF-STEM for atomic-scale evaluation of incorporation of antibacterial Ag atoms in a ß-tricalcium phosphate structure

Structural evaluation of ionic additions in calcium phosphates that enhance their performance is a long-lasting area of research in the field of biomedical materials. Ionic incorporation in ß-tricalcium phosphate (ß-TCP) structures is indispensable for obtaining desirable properties for specific functions and applications. Owing to its complex structure and beam-sensitive nature, determining the extent of ion incorporation and its corresponding location in the ß-TCP structure is challenging. Further, very few experimental studies have been able to estimate the location of Ag atoms incorporated in a ß-TCP structure while considering the associated changes in lattice parameters. Although the incorporation alters the lattice parameters, the alteration is not significant enough for estimating the location of the incorporated Ag atoms. Here, Ag incorporation in a ß-TCP structure was evaluated on atomic scale using scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to unambiguously determine the location of the incorporated Ag atoms in the ß-TCP structure by comparing z-contrast profiles of the Ag and Ca atoms by combining the state-of-art STEM observations and STEM image simulations. The Ag incorporation in the Ca(4) sites of ß-TCP, as estimated by the Rietveld refinement, was in good agreement with the high-angle annular dark-field STEM observations and the simulations of the location of Ag atoms for [001] and [010] zone axes.Gokcekaya O., Ueda K., Narushima T., et al. Using HAADF-STEM for atomic-scale evaluation of incorporation of antibacterial Ag atoms in a ß-tricalcium phosphate structure. Nanoscale, 12, 31, 16596. https://doi.org/10.1039/d0nr04208k

Proximity proteomics identifies cancer cell membrane cis‐molecular complex as a potential cancer target

Cancer-specific antigens expressed in the cell membrane have been used as targets for several molecular targeted strategies in the last 20 years with remarkable success. To develop more effective cancer treatments, novel targets and strategies for targeted therapies are needed. Here, we examined the cancer cell membrane-resident "cis-bimolecular complex" as a possible cancer target (cis-bimolecular cancer target: BiCAT) using proximity proteomics, a technique that has attracted attention in the last 10 years. BiCAT were detected using a previously developed method termed the enzyme-mediated activation of radical source (EMARS), to label the components proximal to a given cell membrane molecule. EMARS analysis identified some BiCAT, such as close homolog of L1 (CHL1), fibroblast growth factor 3 (FGFR3) and alpha2 integrin, which are commonly expressed in mouse primary lung cancer cells and human lung squamous cell carcinoma cells. Analysis of cancer specimens from 55 lung cancer patients revealed that CHL1 and alpha2 integrin were highly co-expressed in almost all cancer tissues compared with normal lung tissues. As an example of BiCAT application, in vitro simulation of effective drug combinations used for multiple drug treatment strategies was performed using reagents targeted to BiCAT molecules. The combination treatment based on BiCAT information moderately suppressed cancer cell proliferation compared with single administration, suggesting that the information about BiCAT in cancer cells is useful for the appropriate selection of the combination among molecular targeted reagents. Thus, BiCAT has the potential to contribute to several molecular targeted strategies in future

Simultaneous hot and cold thyroid nodules: Which is malignant?

Physicians should be aware of the risk of malignancy in patients with toxic multinodular goiter. Radionuclide scan cannot be used to predict the malignant potential of thyroid nodules. A comprehensive evaluation of imaging studies is needed

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