Head Position and Posturography: A Novel Biomarker to Identify Concussion Sufferers.

Balance control systems involve complex systems directing muscle activity to prevent internal and external influences that destabilize posture, especially when body positions change. The computerized dynamic posturography stability score has been established to be the most repeatable posturographic measure using variations of the modified Clinical Test of Sensory Integration in Balance (mCTSIB). However, the mCTSIB is a standard group of tests relying largely on eyes-open and -closed standing positions with the head in a neutral position, associated with probability of missing postural instabilities associated with head positions off the neutral plane. Postural stability scores are compromised with changes in head positions after concussion. The position of the head and neck induced by statically maintained head turns is associated with significantly lower stability scores than the standardized head neutral position of the mCTSIB in Post-Concussion Syndrome (PCS) subjects but not in normal healthy controls. This phenomenon may serve as a diagnostic biomarker to differentiate PCS subjects from normal ones as well as serving as a measurement with which to quantify function or the success or failure of a treatment. Head positions off the neutral plane provide novel biomarkers that identify and differentiate subjects suffering from PCS from healthy normal subjects

The Pupillary Light Reflex as a Biomarker of Concussion.

The size of our pupils changes continuously in response to variations in ambient light levels, a process known as the pupillary light reflex (PLR). The PLR is not a simple reflex as its function is modulated by cognitive brain function and any long-term changes in brain function secondary to injury should cause a change in the parameters of the PLR. We performed a retrospective clinical review of the PLR of our patients using the BrightLamp Reflex iPhone app. The PLR variables of latency, maximum pupil diameter (MaxPD), minimum pupil diameter (MinPD), maximum constriction velocity (MCV), and the 75% recovery time (75% PRT) were associated with significant differences between subjects who had suffered a concussion and those that had not. There were also significant differences in PLR metrics over the life span and between genders and those subjects with and without symptoms. The differences in PLR metrics are modulated not only by concussion history but also by gender and whether or not the person has symptoms associated with a head injury. A concussive injury to the brain is associated with changes in the PLR that persist over the life span, representing biomarkers that might be used in clinical diagnosis, treatment, and decision making

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of a Novel Brain and Vestibular Rehabilitation Treatment Modality in PTSD Patients Who have Suffered Combat-Related Traumatic Brain Injuries

Introduction: Blast-related head injuries are among the most prevalent injuries suffered by military personnel deployed in combat and mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) or concussion on the battlefield in Iraq/Afghanistan has resulted in its designation as a “signature injury.” Vestibular complaints are the most frequent sequelae of mTBI, and vestibular rehabilitation (VR) has been established as the most important treatment modality for this group of patients. Materials and Methods: We studied the effectiveness of a novel brain and VR treatment post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in subjects who had suffered combat-related traumatic brain injuries in terms of PTSD symptom reduction. The trial was registered as ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02003352. (http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02003352?term=carrick&rank=6). We analyzed the difference in the Clinician Administered DSM-IV PTSD Scale (CAPS) scores pre- and post-treatment using our subjects as their own matched controls. The study population consisted of 98 combat veterans maintaining an alpha of <0.05 and power of 80%. Results: Prior to treatment, 75 subjects representing 76.53 % of the sample were classified in the 2 most severe categories of PTSD. Forty-one subjects, representing 41.80 % of the total sample, were classified in the extreme category of PTSD and 34 subjects, representing 34.70 % of the total sample, were classified in the severe category of PTSD. After treatment, we observed a large reduction in CAPS severity scores with both statistical and substantive significance. Discussion: Treatment of PTSD as a physical injury rather than a psychiatric disorder is associated with strong statistical and substantive significant outcomes associated with a decrease of PTSD classification. The stigma associated with neuropsychiatric disorders may be lessened when PTSD is treated with brain and VR with a potential decrease in suffering of patients, family, and society

Brain Vital Signs in Elite Ice Hockey: Towards Characterizing Objective and Specific Neurophysiological Reference Values for Concussion Management.

Background: Prior concussion studies have shown that objective neurophysiological measures are sensitive to detecting concussive and subconcussive impairments in youth ice-hockey. These studies monitored brain vital signs at rink-side using a within-subjects design to demonstrate significant changes from pre-season baseline scans. However, practical clinical implementation must overcome inherent challenges related to any dependence on a baseline. This requires establishing the start of normative reference data sets. Methods: The current study collected specific reference data for N = 58 elite, youth, male ice-hockey players and compared these with a general reference dataset from N = 135 of males and females across the lifespan. The elite hockey players were recruited to a select training camp through CAA Hockey, a management agency for players drafted to leagues such as the National Hockey League (NHL). The statistical analysis included a test-retest comparison to establish reliability, and a multivariate analysis of covariance to evaluate differences in brain vital signs between groups with age as a covariate. Findings: Test-retest assessments for brain vital signs evoked potentials showed moderate-to-good reliability (Cronbach's Alpha > 0.7, Intraclass correlation coefficient > 0.5) in five out of six measures. The multivariate analysis of covariance showed no overall effect for group (p = 0.105), and a significant effect of age as a covariate was observed (p < 0.001). Adjusting for the effect of age, a significant difference was observed in the measure of N100 latency (p = 0.022) between elite hockey players and the heterogeneous control group. Interpretation: The findings support the concept that normative physiological data can be used in brain vital signs evaluation in athletes, and should additionally be stratified for age, skill level, and experience. These can be combined with general norms and/or individual baseline assessments where appropriate and/or possible. The current results allow for brain vital sign evaluation independent of baseline assessment, therefore enabling objective neurophysiological evaluation of concussion management and cognitive performance optimization in ice-hockey

The Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder With Auditory Neurofeedback: A Randomized Placebo Controlled Trial Using the Mente Autism Device

Introduction: Children affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have impairment of social interaction and demonstrate difficulty with emotional communication, display of posture and facial expression, with recognized relationships between postural control mechanisms and cognitive functions. Beside standard biomedical interventions and psychopharmacological treatments, there is increasing interest in the use of alternative non-invasive treatments such as neurofeedback (NFB) that could potentially modulate brain activity resulting in behavioral modification.Methods: Eighty-three ASD subjects were randomized to an Active group receiving NFB using the Mente device and a Control group using a Sham device. Both groups used the device each morning for 45 minutes over a 12 week home based trial without any other clinical interventions. Pre and Post standard ASD questionnaires, qEEG and posturography were used to measure the effectiveness of the treatment.Results: Thirty-four subjects (17 Active and 17 Control) completed the study. Statistically and substantively significant changes were found in several outcome measures for subjects that received the treatment. Similar changes were not detected in the Control group.Conclusions: Our results show that a short 12 week course of NFB using the Mente Autism device can lead to significant changes in brain activity (qEEG), sensorimotor behavior (posturography), and behavior (standardized questionnaires) in ASD children

Short- and Long-Term Effectiveness of a Subject’s Specific Novel Brain and Vestibular Rehabilitation Treatment Modality in Combat Veterans Suffering from PTSD

Introduction: Treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in combat veterans that have a long-term positive clinical effect has the potential to modify the treatment of PTSD. This outcome may result in changed and saved lives of our service personnel and their families. In a previous before–after-intervention study, we demonstrated high statistical and substantively significant short-term changes in the Clinician Administered DSM-IV PTSD Scale (CAPS) scores after a 2-week trial of a subject’s particular novel brain and vestibular rehabilitation (VR) program. The long-term maintenance of PTSD severity reduction was the subject of this study. Material and methods We studied the short- and long-term effectiveness of a subject’s particular novel brain and VR treatment of PTSD in subjects who had suffered combat-related traumatic brain injuries in terms of PTSD symptom reduction. The trial was registered as ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02003352. We analyzed the difference in the CAPS scores pre- and post-treatment (1 week and 3 months) using our subjects as their matched controls. Results: The generalized least squares (GLS) technique demonstrated that with our 26 subjects in the 3 timed groups the R2 within groups was 0.000, R2 between groups was 0.000, and overall the R2 was 0.000. The GLS regression was strongly statistically significant z = 21.29, p < 0.001, 95% CI [58.7, 70.63]. The linear predictive margins over time demonstrated strong statistical and substantive significance of decreasing PTSD severity scores for all timed CAPS tests. Discussion Our investigation has the promise of the development of superior outcomes of treatments in this area that will benefit a global society. The length of the treatment intervention involved (2 weeks) is less that other currently available treatments and has profound implications for cost, duration of disability, and outcomes in the treatment of PTSD in combat veterans

Esquema biogeográfico de la República Argentina

La biogeografía evolutiva reconoce áreas de endemismo y establece sus relaciones con otras áreas, proporcionando la información necesaria para elaborar un sistema jerárquico de regionalización natural. La estrecha relación entre la evolución geológica y biológica en el planeta se manifiesta en la existencia de biotas endémicas, producto de barreras geográficas y ecológicas. La biogeografía evolutiva pretende documentar la existencia de biotas, para representar la estructura evolutiva de los ecosistemas y su funcionalidad, así como contribuir a la determinación de prioridades para la conservación. En este trabajo se describen las características fundamentales de las unidades biogeográficas presentes en la República Argentina y se proporcionan los mapas respectivos, constituyendo un sistema general de referencia para estudios ecológicos, evolutivos y biogeográficos y en materia de educación y toma de decisiones para la conservación y uso sustentable. Para cada unidad biogeográfica se presentan el nombre válido y sus sinónimos, su ubicación geográfica, sus características distintivas, el tipo de paisaje y vegetación dominante y las especies endémicas. Además, se ilustran los paisajes típicos y algunas especies endémicas o características de cada unidad biogeográfica. También se discuten sus relaciones bióticas, evolución geobiótica y regionalización hasta la categoría de distrito. En el esquema aquí propuesto se reconocen 16 provincias, a su vez agrupadas en la región Neotropical (provincias de las Yungas, Paranaense, Bosque de Araucaria, Esteros del Iberá, Chaco y Pampeana), la Zona de Transición Sudamericana (provincias de la Puna, Altoandina Cuyana, Monte y Comechingones) y la región Andina (provincias Patagónica, Maule, Bosque Valdiviano, Bosque Magallánico, Islas Malvinas y Páramo Magallánico). La provincia de Yungas posee tres distritos: Selvas de Transición, Selvas Montanas y Bosques Montanos. La provincia Paranaense incluye el distrito de los Campos y el de las Selvas Mixtas. La provincia Esteros del Iberá stat. nov. está constituida por tres distritos: Delta del Paraná stat. rev., Río Uruguay stat. nov. y Sabanas Inundables del Paraná stat. nov. La provincia del Chaco abarca tres distritos: Chaqueño Oriental, Chaqueño Serrano stat. rev. y Chaqueño Occidental. En la provincia Pampeana se reconocen cinco distritos: Pampeano Austral, Pampeano Oriental, Espinal, Pampeano Occidental y Uruguayense. En el sector argentino de la provincia de la Puna se reconoce el distrito Jujeño. En la provincia Altoandina Cuyana se identifican tres distritos: Diaguita nom. nov., Cuyano ubic. nov. y Huarpe nom. nov. La provincia del Monte incluye cuatro distritos: Prepuneño, Septentrional, Erémico y Austral. En la provincia Patagónica reconocemos cinco subprovincias: Patagónica Central (distritos del Chubut y Santa Cruz), Fueguina, de la Payunia (distritos de la Payunia Septentrional y de la Payunia Austral), Subandina (distritos de la Patagonia Subandina Meridional, Altoandino Austral y de la Patagonia Subandina Septentrional) y Patagónica Occidental. En el sector argentino de la provincia de Maule está presente el distrito del Pehuén. La provincia del BosqueValdiviano está representada por el distrito Valdiviano. La provincia de las Islas Malvinas posee dos distritos: Islas Malvinas e Islas Georgia del Sur.Fil: Arana, Marcelo Daniel. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto; Argentina. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Species Survival Commission. Temperate South American Plants Specialist Group; SuizaFil: Natale, Evangelina Sandra. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Fundación Conservación y Desarrollo; ArgentinaFil: Ferretti, Nelson Edgardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida; ArgentinaFil: Romano, Gonzalo Matías. Fundación Hongos de Argentina para la Sustentabilidad; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Oggero, Antonia Josefina. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto; ArgentinaFil: Martínez, Gonzalo. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto; ArgentinaFil: Posadas, Paula Elena. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Morrone, Juan J.. Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico. Facultad de Ciencias; Méxic

Measurement of the CP-violating phase ϕs in B¯s0→Ds+Ds− decays

We present a measurement of the CP-violating weak mixing phase ϕs using the decay B¯0s→D+sD−s in a data sample corresponding to 3.0 fb−1 of integrated luminosity collected with the LHCb detector in pp collisions at center-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV. An analysis of the time evolution of the system, which does not use the constraint |λ|=1 to allow for the presence of CP violation in decay, yields ϕs=0.02±0.17(stat)±0.02(syst)  rad, |λ|=0.91+0.18−0.15(stat)±0.02(syst). This result is consistent with the standard model expectation

Measurement of the ηc(1S) production cross-section in proton–proton collisions via the decay ηc(1S) → pp¯

No abstract available

Search for the lepton flavour violating decay tau(-) -&gt; mu(-)mu(+)mu(-)

A search for the lepton flavour violating decay $\tau^-\rightarrow\mu^-\mu^+\mu^-$ is performed with the LHCb experiment. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb$^{−1}$ of proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV and 2.0 fb$^{−1}$ at 8 TeV. No evidence is found for a signal, and a limit is set at 90% confidence level on the branching fraction, $\mathcal{B}(\tau^-\rightarrow\mu^-\mu^+\mu^-)<4.6\times10^{−8}$.A search for the lepton flavour violating decay τ$^{−}$ → μ$^{−}$ μ$^{+}$ μ$^{−}$ is performed with the LHCb experiment. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 1.0 fb$^{−1}$ of proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV and 2.0 fb$^{−1}$ at 8 TeV. No evidence is found for a signal, and a limit is set at 90% confidence level on the branching fraction, $\mathrm{\mathcal{B}}\left({\tau}^{-}\to {\mu}^{-}{\mu}^{+}{\mu}^{-}\right)<4.6\times {10}^{-8}$ .A search for the lepton flavour violating decay $\tau^-\to \mu^-\mu^+\mu^-$ is performed with the LHCb experiment. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of $1.0\mathrm{\,fb}^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of $7\mathrm{\,Te\kern -0.1em V}$ and $2.0\mathrm{\,fb}^{-1}$ at $8\mathrm{\,Te\kern -0.1em V}$. No evidence is found for a signal, and a limit is set at $90\%$ confidence level on the branching fraction, $\mathcal{B}(\tau^-\to \mu^-\mu^+\mu^-) < 4.6 \times 10^{-8}$