Comments on Intracellular Studies of Presynaptic Inhibition

The use of intracellular electrodes, e.g., (micropipettes), in electrophysiological studies of the central nervous system, has enhanced our understanding of the basic function of the nervous system. The purpose of this paper is to review a study in which this microtechnique was successfully employed in the spinal cord

Efficiency of MEMS Inertial Sensors Used in Low-dynamics Application

The analysis presents the performance of navigation application driven with MEMS and FOG inertial sensors. The inertial sensors were working under conditions simulating a potential robotic mission, which reduce accuracy of some of the navigation applications. Empirical results of the test confirm degradation of the navigation system performance in the presented demanding mission. Influence of the testing conditions and of the inertial sensor technology is presented and discussed in the paper

Attitudes of students toward people with disabilities, moral identity and inclusive education : a two-level analysis

Background : attitudes toward people with disabilities are a frequent subject of studies. However, there are few complex studies with personal explanatory variables. Thus, in our study we have conducted an analysis at both the individual and classroom level, as well as we have examined between-levels interactions. Methods: 1525 students without disabilities participated in the cross-sectional study, in which we analyzed attitudes toward people with disabilities, and moral identity in traditional and in inclusive classroom settings. Results: the results show that individual and classroom moral identity, as well as learning in an inclusive classroom, predict a reduction of negative attitudes toward people with disabilities. Moreover, we have reported some interesting interactions between these two levels. Conclusions: the results obtained are important for educational practice

Examining the effectiveness of naturalistic social skills training in developing social skills and theory of mind in preschoolers with ASD

We compared the effectiveness of two programs for developing social skills, ‘Play Time/Social Time’ (PT/ST) and ‘I Can Problem Solve’ (ICPS), in improving the social skills and theory of mind (ToM) of preschoolers with ASD. The experiment took place in a classroom setting. Fifty-two children attended and data were analyzed with latent growth curve models. Comparison with a control group indicated that both programs were effective in developing social skills. The PT/ST program was more effective than ICPS in developing interaction skills; both programs improved children’s ability to cope with difficult social situations. The ICPS program was marginally effective in developing ToM when compared with PT/ST and control condition. These results are relevant to children with ASD and their teachers

Efficiency of MEMS Inertial Sensors Used in Low-dynamics Application

The analysis presents the performance of navigation application driven with MEMS and FOG inertial sensors. The inertial sensors were working under conditions simulating a potential robotic mission, which reduce accuracy of some of the navigation applications. Empirical results of the test confirm degradation of the navigation system performance in the presented demanding mission. Influence of the testing conditions and of the inertial sensor technology is presented and discussed in the paper

Patients achieving sustained deep remission, deep remission or sustained remission of rheumatoid arthritis are more likely than other responders to maintain remission or low disease activity after dose reduction or withdrawal of etanercept

Background Biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) are important options for managing rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Once patients achieve disease control, clinicians may consider dose reduction or withdrawal of the bDMARD. Results from published studies indicate that some patients will maintain remission; however, others will flare. We analyzed data from three etanercept down-titration studies in patients with RA to determine what extent of remission provides the greatest predictability of maintaining remission following dose reduction or discontinuation. Methods Patients with moderate to severe RA from the PRESERVE, PRIZE, and Treat-to-Target (T2T) randomized controlled trials were included. We determined the proportion of patients achieving remission with etanercept at the last time point in the induction period, and sustained remission (last two time points), according to the Disease Activity Score 28-joints (DAS28), the American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) Boolean criteria, and the clinical disease activity index (CDAI). We also calculated the proportion achieving DAS28 deep remission (DAS28 ≤ 1.98), sustained deep remission (last two time points), and low disease activity (LDA), and LDA according to the CDAI. Then, we evaluated whether they maintained remission or LDA following etanercept dose reduction or withdrawal. Results Patients achieving sustained and/or deep remission were more likely than patients achieving remission or LDA to maintain remission/LDA after etanercept dose reduction or withdrawal. In PRESERVE, the proportions of patients with DAS28 sustained deep remission, deep remission, sustained remission, remission, and LDA who maintained remission following etanercept dose reduction were 81%, 67%, 58%, 56%, and 36%, respectively, P < 0.001 for trend. In PRESERVE, this trend was significant when etanercept was discontinued and when ACR/EULAR Boolean and CDAI remission criteria were used. Although some sample sizes were small, the PRIZE and T2T studies also demonstrated response trends according to ACR/EULAR Boolean and CDAI remission criteria, and T2T demonstrated response trends according to DAS28. Conclusions These results suggest that patients achieving disease control according to a stringent definition, such as sustained ACR/EULAR Boolean or CDAI remission, or a new definition of sustained deep remission by DAS28, have a higher probability of remaining in remission or LDA following etanercept dose reduction or withdrawal