1,081 research outputs found
Self-Reported Diurnal Preference and Sleep Disturbance in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Background. Previous sleep studies
suggest that type 2 diabetes mellitus is
associated with poor quality of sleep and
sleep disorders.
Aim. To evaluate sleep parameters
and diurnal preference in type 2 diabetic
patients, using a questionnaire.
Methods. Ninety seven patients (aged
55.8±8.3, sex ratio 1:1), previously diagnosed
with type 2 diabetes mellitus, together with
102 controls (aged 47.1±10.5, sex ratio 1:1),
without diabetes, completed a questionnaire
containing the Romanian translation of the
Composite Scale of Morningness, the Sleep
Disorders Questionnaire, the Pittsburgh Sleep
Quality Index, the Pittsburgh Insomnia Rating
Scale, the Multidimensional Fatigue
Inventory, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, the
Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test and
the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI). The
study was cross-sectional, as we included
subjects from outpatient and inpatient
facilities. The recruitment process was based
on handing invitation letters to patients
consulting their physician, as well as to their
acquaintances, using the snowball sampling.
Participation was voluntary and anonymous
Trapping of 27 bp - 8 kbp DNA and immobilization of thiol-modified DNA using dielectrophoresis
Dielectrophoretic trapping of six different DNA fragments, sizes varying from
the 27 to 8416 bp, has been studied using confocal microscopy. The effect of
the DNA length and the size of the constriction between nanoscale fingertip
electrodes on the trapping efficiency have been investigated. Using finite
element method simulations in conjunction with the analysis of the experimental
data, the polarizabilities of the different size DNA fragments have been
calculated for different frequencies. Also the immobilization of trapped
hexanethiol- and DTPA-modified 140 nm long DNA to the end of gold
nanoelectrodes was experimentally quantified and the observations were
supported by density functional theory calculations.Comment: 17 pages (1 column version), 8 figure
A new proof for the decidability of D0L ultimate periodicity
We give a new proof for the decidability of the D0L ultimate periodicity
problem based on the decidability of p-periodicity of morphic words adapted to
the approach of Harju and Linna.Comment: In Proceedings WORDS 2011, arXiv:1108.341
Using Coherence to Measure Regional Homogeneity of Resting-State fMRI Signal
In this study, we applied coherence to voxel-wise measurement of regional homogeneity of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI) signal. We compared the current method, regional homogeneity based on coherence (Cohe-ReHo), with previously proposed method, ReHo based on Kendall's coefficient of concordance (KCC-ReHo), in terms of correlation and paired t-test in a large sample of healthy participants. We found the two measurements differed mainly in some brain regions where physiological noise is dominant. We also compared the sensitivity of these methods in detecting difference between resting-state conditions [eyes open (EO) vs. eyes closed (EC)] and in detecting abnormal local synchronization between two groups [attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) patients vs. normal controls]. Our results indicated that Cohe-ReHo is more sensitive than KCC-ReHo to the difference between two conditions (EO vs. EC) as well as that between ADHD and normal controls. These preliminary results suggest that Cohe-ReHo is superior to KCC-ReHo. A possible reason is that coherence is not susceptible to random noise induced by phase delay among the time courses to be measured. However, further investigation is still needed to elucidate the sensitivity and specificity of these methods
A global reanalysis of nuclear parton distribution functions
We determine the nuclear modifications of parton distribution functions of
bound protons at scales GeV and momentum fractions
in a global analysis which utilizes nuclear hard process
data, sum rules and leading-order DGLAP scale evolution. The main improvements
over our earlier work {\em EKS98} are the automated minimization,
simplified and better controllable fit functions, and most importantly, the
possibility for error estimates. The resulting 16-parameter fit to the N=514
datapoints is good, . Within the error estimates
obtained, the old {\em EKS98} parametrization is found to be fully consistent
with the present analysis, with no essential difference in terms of
either. We also determine separate uncertainty bands for the nuclear gluon and
sea quark modifications in the large- region where they are not stringently
constrained by the available data. Comparison with other global analyses is
shown and uncertainties demonstrated. Finally, we show that RHIC-BRAHMS data
for inclusive hadron production in d+Au collisions lend support for a stronger
gluon shadowing at and also that fairly large changes in the gluon
modifications do not rapidly deteriorate the goodness of the overall fits, as
long as the initial gluon modifications in the region remain
small.Comment: 33 pages, 14 figure
Radiative lifetime measurements of rubidium Rydberg states
We have measured the radiative lifetimes of ns, np and nd Rydberg states of
rubidium in the range 28 < n < 45. To enable long-lived states to be measured,
our experiment uses slow-moving Rb atoms in a magneto-optical trap (MOT). Two
experimental techniques have been adopted to reduce random and systematic
errors. First, a narrow-bandwidth pulsed laser is used to excite the target
Rydberg state, resulting in minimal shot-to-shot variation in the initial state
population. Second, we monitor the target state population as a function of
time delay from the laser pulse using a short-duration, millimetre-wave pulse
that is resonant with a one- or two-photon transition. We then selectively
field ionize the monitor state, and detect the resulting electrons with a
micro-channel plate. This signal is an accurate mirror of the target state
population, and is uncontaminated by contributions from other states which are
populated by black body radiation. Our results are generally consistent with
other recent experimental results obtained using a less sensitive method, and
are also in excellent agreement with theory.Comment: 27 pages,6 figure
Effects of bright light treatment on psychomotor speed in athletes
Purpose: A recent study suggests that transcranial brain targeted light treatment via ear canals may have physiological effects on brain function studied by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) techniques in humans. We tested the hypothesis that bright light treatment could improve psychomotor speed in professional ice hockey players. Methods: Psychomotor speed tests with audio and visual warning signals were administered to a Finnish National Ice Hockey League team before and after 24 days of transcranial bright light or sham treatment. The treatments were given during seasonal darkness in the Oulu region (latitude 65 degrees north) when the strain on the players was also very high (10 matches during 24 days). A daily 12-min dose of bright light or sham (n = 11 for both) treatment was given every morning between 8–12 am at home with a transcranial bright light device. Mean reaction time and motor time were analyzed separately for both psychomotor tests. Analysis of variance for repeated measures adjusted for age was performed. Results: Time x group interaction for motor time with a visual warning signal was p = 0.024 after adjustment for age. In Bonferroni post-hoc analysis, motor time with a visual warning signal decreased in the bright light treatment group from 127 ± 43 to 94 ± 26 ms (p = 0.024) but did not change significantly in the sham group 121 ± 23 vs. 110 ± 32 ms (p = 0.308). Reaction time with a visual signal did not change in either group. Reaction or motor time with an audio warning signal did not change in either the treatment or sham group. Conclusion: Psychomotor speed, particularly motor time with a visual warning signal, improves after transcranial bright light treatment in professional ice-hockey players during the competition season in the dark time of the year
Mapping Transient Hyperventilation Induced Alterations with Estimates of the Multi-Scale Dynamics of BOLD Signal
Temporal blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) contrast signals in functional MRI during rest may be characterized by power spectral distribution (PSD) trends of the form 1/fα. Trends with 1/f characteristics comprise fractal properties with repeating oscillation patterns in multiple time scales. Estimates of the fractal properties enable the quantification of phenomena that may otherwise be difficult to measure, such as transient, non-linear changes. In this study it was hypothesized that the fractal metrics of 1/f BOLD signal trends can map changes related to dynamic, multi-scale alterations in cerebral blood flow (CBF) after a transient hyperventilation challenge. Twenty-three normal adults were imaged in a resting-state before and after hyperventilation. Different variables (1/f trend constant α, fractal dimension Df, and, Hurst exponent H) characterizing the trends were measured from BOLD signals. The results show that fractal metrics of the BOLD signal follow the fractional Gaussian noise model, even during the dynamic CBF change that follows hyperventilation. The most dominant effect on the fractal metrics was detected in grey matter, in line with previous hyperventilation vaso-reactivity studies. The α was able to differentiate also blood vessels from grey matter changes. Df was most sensitive to grey matter. H correlated with default mode network areas before hyperventilation but this pattern vanished after hyperventilation due to a global increase in H. In the future, resting-state fMRI combined with fractal metrics of the BOLD signal may be used for analyzing multi-scale alterations of cerebral blood flow
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