What are the determinants of quality of life in people with cervical dystonia?

Background: Little is known about the quality of life in patients with cervical dystonia, although pain and depression are relatively common. Objective: To test the hypothesis that an individual’s ability to cope with the disease will modify the association of intrinsic, extrinsic, and disease related factors with quality of life. Methods: Patients with cervical dystonia diagnosed by a movement disorder specialist were recruited from seven European countries. Data on quality of life (SF-36), measures of coping, and intrinsic, extrinsic, and disease related factors were collected by a self completed postal questionnaire. Results: 289 patients (101 men and 188 women), mean age 55 years, completed the questionnaire. Both physical and mental quality of life scores were predicted by self esteem and self deprecation, educational level, employment status, social support, response to botulinum toxin, disease severity, social participation, stigma, acceptance of illness, anxiety, and depression. In multivariable analyses, the strongest predictors were anxiety and depression. Severe depression was associated with a 19.1 point decrement in the physical summary score (95% confidence interval, -31.7 to -6.6; p = 0.003); however, disease duration and severity remained predictors. Conclusions: Care for patients with cervical dystonia must not only focus on reducing the severity of the dystonia but also on the psychological wellbeing of the patient. Interventions aimed at treating depression or anxiety, especially of a cognitive nature, may have a large impact on improving quality of life

Effect of trail bifurcation asymmetry and pheromone presence or absence on trail choice by Lasius niger ants

During foraging, ant workers are known to make use of multiple information sources, such as private information (personal memory) and social information (trail pheromones). Environmental effects on foraging, and how these interact with other information sources, have, however, been little studied. One environmental effect is trail bifurcation asymmetry. Ants forage on branching trail networks and must often decide which branch to take at a junction (bifurcation). This is an important decision, as finding food sources relies on making the correct choices at bifurcations. Bifurcation angle may provide important information when making this choice. We used a Y-maze with a pivoting 90° bifurcation to study trail choice of Lasius niger foragers at varying branch asymmetries (0°, [both branches 45° from straight ahead], 30° [branches at 30° and 60° from straight ahead], 45°, 60° and 90° [one branch straight ahead, the other at 90°]). The experiment was carried out either with equal amounts of trail pheromone on both branches of the bifurcation or with pheromone present on only one branch. Our results show that with equal pheromone, trail asymmetry has a significant effect on trail choice. Ants preferentially follow the branch deviating least from straight, and this effect increases as asymmetry increases (47% at 0°, 54% at 30°, 57% at 45°, 66% at 60° and 73% at 90°). However, when pheromone is only present on one branch, the graded effect of asymmetry disappears. Overall, however, there is an effect of asymmetry as the preference of ants for the pheromone-marked branch over the unmarked branch is reduced from 65%, when it is the less deviating branch, to 53%, when it is the more deviating branch. These results demonstrate that trail asymmetry influences ant decision-making at bifurcations and that this information interacts with trail pheromone presence in a non-hierarchical manner

Design data for the 3D printer modification to print gels and pastes and the corresponding firmware

In order to deposit gel and paste-like materials, a commercially available HICTOP Prusa i3 plastic 3D printer was modified. The modification included replacing the existing plastic microextruder with a customised 3D printed syringe pump which could hold a syringe containing the printing material. The arrangement also allowed the temperature in the syringe to be controlled. Since the hardware of the printer was changed significantly, a new firmware was loaded on the 3D printer which was customised to enable it to perform its new function.The present data consists of the 3D image files of the syringe pump assembly and instructions on how to assemble the components. It also provides a copy of the modified firmware with a list of the changes made to it.This data will allow the readers to modify a similar type of 3D printer to print pastes and gels. This can be achieved by recreating the entire syringe pump assembly by 3D printing the given 3D image file data. With some changes, these designs can also be adapted to a variety of different printers. Similarly, the given firmware can also be loaded onto a similar type of printer. The list and explanation of the changes made to the firmware also allow such changes to be made to the respective firmwares of a variety of different printers

Coupling of Mouse Olfactory Bulb Projection Neurons to Fluctuating Odor Pulses

Odours are transported by turbulent air currents, creating complex temporal fluctuations in odour concentration that provide a potentially informative stimulus dimension. Recently, we have shown that mice are able to discriminate odour stimuli based on their temporal structure, indicating that information contained in the temporal structure of odour plumes can be extracted by the mouse olfactory system. Here, using in vivo extra- and intracellular electrophysiological recordings, we show that mitral and tufted cells (M/TCs) of the male C57BL/6 mouse olfactory bulb can encode the dominant temporal frequencies present in odour stimuli up to at least 20 Hz. A substantial population of cell-odour pairs showed significant coupling of their subthreshold membrane potential with the odour stimulus at both 2Hz (29/70) and the supra-sniff frequency 20Hz (24/70). Furthermore, M/TCs show differential coupling of their membrane potential to odour concentration fluctuations with tufted cells coupling more strongly for the 20Hz stimulation. Frequency coupling was always observed to be invariant to odour identity and M/TCs that coupled well to a mixture also coupled to at least one of the components of the mixture. Interestingly, pharmacological blocking of the inhibitory circuitry strongly modulated frequency coupling of cell-odour pairs at both 2Hz (10/15) and 20Hz (9/15). These results provide insight into how both cellular and circuit properties contribute to the encoding of temporal odour features in the mouse olfactory bulb.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTOdours in the natural environment have a strong temporal structure which can be extracted and used by mice in their behaviour. Here, using in vivo extra- and intracellular electrophysiological techniques, we show that the projection neurons in the olfactory bulb can encode and couple to the dominant frequency present in an odour stimulus. Furthermore, frequency coupling was observed to be differential between mitral and tufted cells, was odour-invariant but strongly modulated by local inhibitory circuits. In summary, this study provides insight into how both cellular and circuit properties modulate encoding of odour temporal features in the mouse olfactory bulb

Validation of mesoscale models

The topics discussed include the following: verification of cloud prediction from the PSU/NCAR mesoscale model; results form MAPS/NGM verification comparisons and MAPS observation sensitivity tests to ACARS and profiler data; systematic errors and mesoscale verification for a mesoscale model; and the COMPARE Project and the CME

Next generation initiation techniques

Four-dimensional data assimilation strategies can generally be classified as either current or next generation, depending upon whether they are used operationally or not. Current-generation data-assimilation techniques are those that are presently used routinely in operational-forecasting or research applications. They can be classified into the following categories: intermittent assimilation, Newtonian relaxation, and physical initialization. It should be noted that these techniques are the subject of continued research, and their improvement will parallel the development of next generation techniques described by the other speakers. Next generation assimilation techniques are those that are under development but are not yet used operationally. Most of these procedures are derived from control theory or variational methods and primarily represent continuous assimilation approaches, in which the data and model dynamics are 'fitted' to each other in an optimal way. Another 'next generation' category is the initialization of convective-scale models. Intermittent assimilation systems use an objective analysis to combine all observations within a time window that is centered on the analysis time. Continuous first-generation assimilation systems are usually based on the Newtonian-relaxation or 'nudging' techniques. Physical initialization procedures generally involve the use of standard or nonstandard data to force some physical process in the model during an assimilation period. Under the topic of next-generation assimilation techniques, variational approaches are currently being actively developed. Variational approaches seek to minimize a cost or penalty function which measures a model's fit to observations, background fields and other imposed constraints. Alternatively, the Kalman filter technique, which is also under investigation as a data assimilation procedure for numerical weather prediction, can yield acceptable initial conditions for mesoscale models. The third kind of next-generation technique involves strategies to initialize convective scale (non-hydrostatic) models

Potassium secretion by the descending limb or pars recta of the juxtamedullary nephron in vivo

Potassium secretion by the descending limb or pars recta of the juxtamedullary nephron in vivo. Potassium reabsorption by the juxtamedullary nephron up to the hairpin turn was studied by the micropuncture technique in the exposed renal papilla of rats. In 18 nondiuretic rats, the fraction of filtered potassium remaining at the end of the desdending limb averaged 113 ± 9%, indicating either that potassium is not reabsorbed by the juxtamedullary proximal tubule and descending limb or that potassium is reabsorbed and secreted in those segments. Furosemide, a drug which inhibits NaCl reabsorption in the ascending limb downstream from the descending limb, significantly decreased the potassium remaining at the end of the descending limb from 106 ± 12 to 72 ± 11% in seven rats. Benzolamide, a drug which inhibits reabsorption of NaHCO3 and water in the proximal tubule upstream from the descending limb, significantly increased the potassium remaining from 103 ± 13 to 177 ± 32% in eight rats. These findings support the hypothesis that in the rat, potassium is normally reabsorbed by the proximal convoluted tubule and secreted in the pars recta or descending limb of the juxtamedullary nephron

Prospectus, November 15, 2017

Dodds Park hosts scholarship fundraiser run; Review: Hansel and Gretel at KCPA; 2017\u27s Pokemon film relives 1998 classic series; Tyler Oakley talks about journey as YouTube LGBTQ activist; Cobra\u27s men\u27s basketball wins against REnd Lake on Nov. 8.https://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_2017/1030/thumbnail.jp

Prospectus, November 29, 2017

Parkland organizations here to help with finals; Murder on the Orient Express a modern adaptation of a fantastic mystery; PC students discuss Starbucks cup controversy; Cobras men\u27s basketball wins against Lake Land on Nov. 18; Surveying a viable career option for PC students;https://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_2017/1031/thumbnail.jp