Prisoners like Us

A fictional work about a wilderness writer and a man who transports prisoners of war set in the Moosehead Lake region of northern Maine

Study of active vibration isolation systems for severe ground transportation environments

Active vibration isolation systems for severe ground transportation loading environment

Virtual Data in CMS Analysis

The use of virtual data for enhancing the collaboration between large groups of scientists is explored in several ways: - by defining ``virtual'' parameter spaces which can be searched and shared in an organized way by a collaboration of scientists in the course of their analysis; - by providing a mechanism to log the provenance of results and the ability to trace them back to the various stages in the analysis of real or simulated data; - by creating ``check points'' in the course of an analysis to permit collaborators to explore their own analysis branches by refining selections, improving the signal to background ratio, varying the estimation of parameters, etc.; - by facilitating the audit of an analysis and the reproduction of its results by a different group, or in a peer review context. We describe a prototype for the analysis of data from the CMS experiment based on the virtual data system Chimera and the object-oriented data analysis framework ROOT. The Chimera system is used to chain together several steps in the analysis process including the Monte Carlo generation of data, the simulation of detector response, the reconstruction of physics objects and their subsequent analysis, histogramming and visualization using the ROOT framework.Comment: Talk from the 2003 Computing in High Energy and Nuclear Physics (CHEP03), La Jolla, Ca, USA, March 2003, 9 pages, LaTeX, 7 eps figures. PSN TUAT010. V2 - references adde

Toward understanding ambulatory activity decline in Parkinson disease

BACKGROUND: Declining ambulatory activity represents an important facet of disablement in Parkinson disease (PD). OBJECTIVE: The primary study aim was to compare the 2-year trajectory of ambulatory activity decline with concurrently evolving facets of disability in a small cohort of people with PD. The secondary aim was to identify baseline variables associated with ambulatory activity at 1- and 2-year follow-up assessments. DESIGN: This was a prospective, longitudinal cohort study. METHODS: Seventeen people with PD (Hoehn and Yahr stages 1-3) were recruited from 2 outpatient settings. Ambulatory activity data were collected at baseline and at 1- and 2-year annual assessments. Motor, mood, balance, gait, upper extremity function, quality of life, self-efficacy, and levodopa equivalent daily dose data and data on activities of daily living also were collected. RESULTS: Participants displayed significant 1- and 2-year declines in the amount and intensity of ambulatory activity concurrently with increasing levodopa equivalent daily dose. Worsening motor symptoms and slowing of gait were apparent only after 2 years. Concurrent changes in the remaining clinical variables were not observed. Baseline ambulatory activity and physical performance variables had the strongest relationships with 1- and 2-year mean daily steps. LIMITATIONS: The sample was small and homogeneous. CONCLUSIONS: Future research that combines ambulatory activity monitoring with a broader and more balanced array of measures would further illuminate the dynamic interactions among evolving facets of disablement and help determine the extent to which sustained patterns of recommended daily physical activity might slow the rate of disablement in PD.This study was funded primarily by the Davis Phinney Foundation and the Parkinson Disease Foundation. Additional funding was provided by Boston University Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health (K12 HD043444), the National Institutes of Health (R01NS077959), the Utah Chapter of the American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA), the Greater St Louis Chapter of the APDA, and the APDA Center for Advanced PD Research at Washington University. (Davis Phinney Foundation; Parkinson Disease Foundation; K12 HD043444 - Boston University Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health; R01NS077959 - National Institutes of Health; Utah Chapter of the American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA); Greater St Louis Chapter of the APDA; APDA Center for Advanced PD Research at Washington University

Fossil Equidae: A Monobaraminic, Stratomorphic Series

We performed a baraminological analysis on nineteen fossil equid species using a morphological dataset obtained from the published literature. From a baraminic distance correlation analysis, we found evidence that all nineteen species belong to a single monobaramin. The 3D ANOPA distribution revealed a linear trajectory of equid species with sixteen species in the main axis and three species in a side-branch. The order of species in the ANOPA trajectory closely corresponds to the order of stratigraphic appearance, indicating that the fossil equids form a true stratomorphic series. We interpret the strata as post-Flood, concluding that the equid fossil record evidences a rapid, post-Flood, intrabaraminic diversification

Balance differences in people with Parkinson disease with and without freezing of gait

Published in final edited form as: Gait Posture. 2015 September ; 42(3): 306–309. doi:10.1016/j.gaitpost.2015.06.007.BACKGROUND: Freezing of gait (FOG) is a relatively common and remarkably disabling impairment associated with Parkinson disease (PD). Laboratory-based measures indicate that individuals with FOG (PD+FOG) have greater balance deficits than those without FOG (PD-FOG). Whether such differences also can be detected using clinical balance tests has not been investigated. We sought to determine if balance and specific aspects of balance, measured using Balance Evaluation Systems Test (BESTest), differs between PD+FOG and PD-FOG. Furthermore, we aimed to determine if time-efficient clinical balance measures (i.e. Mini-BESTest, Berg Balance Scale (BBS)) could detect balance differences between PD+FOG and PD-FOG. METHODS: Balance of 78 individuals with PD, grouped as either PD+FOG (n=32) or PD-FOG (n=46), was measured using the BESTest, Mini-BESTest, and BBS. Between-groups comparisons were conducted for these measures and for the six sections of the BESTest using analysis of covariance. A PD composite score was used as a covariate. RESULTS: Controlling for motor sign severity, PD duration, and age, PD+FOG had worse balance than PD-FOG when measured using the BESTest (p=0.008, F=7.35) and Mini-BESTest (p=0.002, F=10.37), but not the BBS (p=0.27, F=1.26). BESTest section differences were noted between PD+FOG and PD-FOG for reactive postural responses (p<0.001, F=14.42) and stability in gait (p=0.003, F=9.18). CONCLUSIONS: The BESTest and Mini-BESTest, which specifically assessed reactive postural responses and stability in gait, were more likely than the BBS to detect differences in balance between PD+FOG and PD-FOG. Because it is more time efficient to administer, the Mini-BESTest may be the preferred tool for assessing balance deficits associated with FOG.This study was conducted with funding from the Davis Phinney Foundation, Parkinson's Disease Foundation, NIH R01 NS077959, NIH UL1 TR000448, Greater St. Louis American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA), APDA Center for Advanced PD Research at Washington University in St. Louis. The funding sources had no role in the study design, in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. (Davis Phinney Foundation; Parkinson's Disease Foundation; R01 NS077959 - NIH; UL1 TR000448 - NIH; Greater St. Louis American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA); APDA Center for Advanced PD Research at Washington University in St. Louis

Two-year trajectory of fall risk in people with Parkinson disease: a latent class analysis

Published in final edited form as: Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2016 March ; 97(3): 372–379.e1. doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2015.10.105.OBJECTIVE: To examine fall risk trajectories occurring naturally in a sample of individuals with early to middle stage Parkinson disease (PD). DESIGN: Latent class analysis, specifically growth mixture modeling (GMM), of longitudinal fall risk trajectories. SETTING: Assessments were conducted at 1 of 4 universities. PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling participants with PD of a longitudinal cohort study who attended at least 2 of 5 assessments over a 2-year follow-up period (N=230). INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Fall risk trajectory (low, medium, or high risk) and stability of fall risk trajectory (stable or fluctuating). Fall risk was determined at 6 monthly intervals using a simple clinical tool based on fall history, freezing of gait, and gait speed. RESULTS: The GMM optimally grouped participants into 3 fall risk trajectories that closely mirrored baseline fall risk status (P=.001). The high fall risk trajectory was most common (42.6%) and included participants with longer and more severe disease and with higher postural instability and gait disability (PIGD) scores than the low and medium fall risk trajectories (P<.001). Fluctuating fall risk (posterior probability <0.8 of belonging to any trajectory) was found in only 22.6% of the sample, most commonly among individuals who were transitioning to PIGD predominance. CONCLUSIONS: Regardless of their baseline characteristics, most participants had clear and stable fall risk trajectories over 2 years. Further investigation is required to determine whether interventions to improve gait and balance may improve fall risk trajectories in people with PD.Supported by the Davis Phinney Foundation, the Parkinson's Disease Foundation, National Institutes of Health (NIH) (grant nos. NIH R01 NS077959 and NIH UL1 TR000448), the Massachusetts and Utah Chapters of the American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA), the Greater St Louis Chapter of the APDA, and the APDA Center for Advanced Research at Washington University. (Davis Phinney Foundation; Parkinson's Disease Foundation; NIH R01 NS077959 - National Institutes of Health (NIH); NIH UL1 TR000448 - National Institutes of Health (NIH); Utah Chapter of the American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA); Greater St Louis Chapter of the APDA; APDA Center for Advanced Research at Washington University; Massachusetts Chapter of the American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA)

External validation of a simple clinical tool used to predict falls in people with Parkinson disease

Published in final edited form as: Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2015 August ; 21(8): 960–963. doi:10.1016/j.parkreldis.2015.05.008.BACKGROUND: Assessment of fall risk in an individual with Parkinson disease (PD) is a critical yet often time consuming component of patient care. Recently a simple clinical prediction tool based only on fall history in the previous year, freezing of gait in the past month, and gait velocity <1.1 m/s was developed and accurately predicted future falls in a sample of individuals with PD. METHODS: We sought to externally validate the utility of the tool by administering it to a different cohort of 171 individuals with PD. Falls were monitored prospectively for 6 months following predictor assessment. RESULTS: The tool accurately discriminated future fallers from non-fallers (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.83; 95% CI 0.76–0.89), comparable to the developmental study. CONCLUSION: The results validated the utility of the tool for allowing clinicians to quickly and accurately identify an individual's risk of an impending fall.Davis Phinney Foundation, Parkinson Disease Foundation, NIH, APDA. (Davis Phinney Foundation; Parkinson Disease Foundation; NIH; APDA

Are the average gait speeds during the 10 meter and 6 minute walk tests redundant in Parkinson disease?

Published in final edited form as: Gait Posture. 2017 February ; 52: 178–182. doi:10.1016/j.gaitpost.2016.11.033.We investigated the relationships between average gait speed collected with the 10Meter Walk Test (Comfortable and Fast) and 6Minute Walk Test (6MWT) in 346 people with Parkinson disease (PD) and how the relationships change with increasing disease severity. Pearson correlation and linear regression analyses determined relationships between 10Meter Walk Test and 6MWT gait speed values for the entire sample and for sub-samples stratified by Hoehn & Yahr (H&Y) stage I (n=53), II (n=141), III (n=135) and IV (n=17). We hypothesized that redundant tests would be highly and significantly correlated (i.e. r>0.70, p<0.05) and would have a linear regression model slope of 1 and intercept of 0. For the entire sample, 6MWT gait speed was significantly (p<0.001) related to the Comfortable 10 Meter Walk Test (r=0.75) and Fast 10Meter Walk Test (r=0.79) gait speed, with 56% and 62% of the variance in 6MWT gait speed explained, respectively. The regression model of 6MWT gait speed predicted by Comfortable 10 Meter Walk gait speed produced slope and intercept values near 1 and 0, respectively, especially for participants in H&Y stages II-IV. In contrast, slope and intercept values were further from 1 and 0, respectively, for the Fast 10Meter Walk Test. Comfortable 10 Meter Walk Test and 6MWT gait speeds appeared to be redundant in people with moderate to severe PD, suggesting the Comfortable 10 Meter Walk Test can be used to estimate 6MWT distance in this population.This study was funded by the Davis Phinney Foundation, the Parkinson's Disease Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health (R01 NS077959, K12 HD055931, UL1 TR000448). The funding sources had no input related to study design, data collection, or decision to submit for publication. (Davis Phinney Foundation; Parkinson's Disease Foundation; R01 NS077959 - National Institutes of Health; K12 HD055931 - National Institutes of Health; UL1 TR000448 - National Institutes of Health