Actual Onset Research Articles

A mechanistic model simulating ascosporic infections by Erysiphe necator, the powdery mildew fungus of grapevine

A new dynamic model for Erysiphe necator ascosporic infections on grapevine was developed. Between budbreak of vines and the time when the pool of ascospores is depleted, the model uses weather data for calculating, at daily intervals: curve of ascospore maturation; ascospore discharge events and relative proportion of the discharged ascospores; infection periods and their relative infection severity; and progress of latency period and time when secondary infections should begin. The model was validated over a 4‐year period (2005–2008) in 26 vineyards in Italy by comparing model predictions with actual observations of the first seasonal symptoms of powdery mildew. The model showed high sensitivity, specificity and accuracy. Proportions of true and false positive predictions were TPP = 0·94 and FPP = 0·26, respectively. Because a proportion of predicted infection periods did not result in actual disease onset, confidence was higher for prediction of non‐infections than for prediction of infections. Most of the false positive predictions occurred in the earlier growth stages of the host, when the surface area of susceptible tissue may be very small so that the probability that ejected ascospores land on susceptible tissue is low. An equation was then developed to describe the probability that a predicted infection period results in disease onset as a function of the growth stage of vines at the time of prediction. The new model should improve early season powdery mildew management by helping vineyard managers schedule fungicide sprays or schedule the scouting of the vineyard for detection of first disease signs.

Introduction

Introduction

Suicidality before and in the early phases of first episode psychosis

Introduction The suicide risk in psychotic disorders is highest in the early phases of illness. Studies have typically focused on suicidality from treatment start rather than actual onset of psychosis. This study explored the prevalence and characteristics of suicidality in patients with a first episode of psychosis (FEP) in two time intervals: 1) prior to study entry and 2) explicitly in the period of untreated psychosis. Method One hundred seventy FEP-patients were interviewed as soon as possible after treatment start. The interview included assessments of diagnoses, suicidality, symptoms, substance use, and premorbid functioning. Results Nearly 26% of the patients attempted suicide prior to study entry and 14% made suicide attempts during the period of untreated psychosis. Of the patients who had been suicidal (i.e. experienced suicidal ideation or attempts), 70% were suicidal during the period of untreated psychosis. Suicide attempts prior to study entry were associated with female gender, more depressive episodes, younger age at psychosis onset, and history of alcohol disorder. Suicide attempts during untreated psychosis were also associated with more depressive episodes and younger age at illness onset, in addition to drug use the last six months and longer duration of untreated psychosis (DUP). Conclusion The prevalence of suicidality before and in the early phases of FEP is high, especially during untreated psychosis. As prolonged DUP is associated with suicide attempts during the period of untreated psychosis, reducing the DUP could have the effect of reducing the prevalence of suicide attempts in patients with FEP.

Modelling water uptake, growth and sucrose accumulation of sugarcane subjected to water stress

Water stress affects the rate of water uptake, biomass accumulation and structural growth of sugarcane differently and, consequently, alters the partitioning of assimilate to sucrose storage. The CANEGRO sugarcane model is unable to accurately simulate the subtle rate changes in the source and sink processes during the progression of water stress during dry spells, with subsequent poor prediction of sucrose yields. The aim of this study was to test eight different water balance models by comparing simulated and experimentally determined rates of water uptake (WU), carbon assimilation (CAR), plant extension (PER) and sucrose accumulation (SA). Data from two experiments conducted in a rainshelter at Mount Edgecombe, South Africa were used: in the 2002/03 trial, WU, CAR, PER, SA were monitored over a 40-day period starting with 5-month-old well-watered sugarcane, which then received either adequate or no water (Experiment A). The 1998/99 trial was conducted under similar conditions, but with the stress treatment imposed at 3 months after planting (Experiment B). The approaches to modelling WU evaluated ranged from a simple approach based primarily on whole profile soil water content to relatively complex approaches taking account of layer specific soil water retention and root density. Results show that the fraction of available soil water at which soil water supply started limiting WU varied from 0.129 in Experiment A to 0.307 in Experiment B. The difference is ascribed to a difference in evaporative demand at that time. PER (sink activity) responded to water stress much sooner (14 days) and at much higher fractional soil water contents (0.81 compared with 0.14 in Experiment A) than CAR (source activity). SA was enhanced marginally in Experiment A and markedly in Experiment B due to mild water stress, presumably due to the differential impacts of water stress on source and sink activity. Severe water stress led to a cessation of sucrose accumulation. Increased modelling complexity did not necessarily result in better predictions of WU for these experiments. All models except CANESIM predicted the onset of reduced WU uptake to within 3 days of estimated actual onset. Simple models simulated a more gradual decline in WU with increasing stress levels than complex models, and mimicked actual decline closer. BEWAB was chosen as the most appropriate WU model for inclusion in CANEGRO because of its more gradual extraction of water as stress progresses. All models simulated smaller time differences between the onset of reduced sink activity and source activity than was observed. The best WU models in this respect were BEWAB and CANESIM. Using the BEWAB WU model also resulted in better simulations of CAR and PER. However, all models, except the CANESIM model, underestimated the early impact of water stress on PER. All models performed surprisingly well to simulate subtle changes in SA due to mild water stress. The BEWAB WU model with an adjusted water stress impact equation produced the best predictions of SA. It is recommended that the appropriate changes be made to the CANEGRO model and then to thoroughly re-validate yield predictions for many different cropping situations.

Molecular Markers of Preterm Labor in the Choriodecidua

Because relevant biochemical changes are known to begin at the choriodecidual interface some weeks before actual clinical onset of labor, we hypothesized that the preterm choriodecidua may display gene and protein expression patterns specific to preterm labor. Transcriptomic (microarray) and proteomic (2-dimensional gel electrophoresis [2DGE]) profiling methodologies were used to compare changes in choriodecidual tissue collected from women who delivered before 35 weeks of gestation following spontaneous preterm labor (n = 12) and gestation-matched nonlaboring controls (n = 7). Additionally, 2DGE was used to compare differences in protein expression during term and preterm labor and to construct a choriodecidual proteome map. Overall, expressed transcripts and proteins indicated active tissue remodeling independent of labor status and an association with inflammatory processes during labor. Spontaneous, infection-induced and abruption-associated preterm deliveries were each defined by distinct transcriptional profiles. Proteins osteoglycin and progesterone receptor component 2 (PGRMC2) were upregulated during term and preterm labor while galectin 1, annexin 3, annexin 5, and protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) were upregulated only during preterm labor, suggesting a probable association with the underlying pathology. Together, these results represent novel data that warrant further investigations to elucidate plausible causal relationships of these molecules with spontaneous preterm delivery.

Influence of field evaporation treatment on the field emission properties of carbon nanotubes array

Field evaporation was used in the post-fabrication treatment of a carbon nanotubes (CNTs) array and effectively modified the CNTs morphology in favor of the field emission under a moderate field. After the field evaporation treatment, the uniformity of the emission site distribution improved but the onset voltage rose. Using the Fowler–Nordheim theory, the actual onset field and the evaporation field around the CNT were calculated to be −4.6–5 and 9–12 V/nm, respectively. These values are close to those obtained from the individual CNT samples. The above results have provided an alternative to modify the configuration of an array sample and demonstrated the feasibility of tackling the problem of the disparity in the field emission capability of different CNTs in an array.

The detection of MEG signals from deep sources by a SQUID system for spinal cord evoked field

Event Abstract Back to Event The detection of MEG signals from deep sources by a SQUID system for spinal cord evoked field Yoshiaki Adachi1*, Susumu Fujii2, Shigenori Kawabata3, Alain De Cheveigne4 and Hisashi Kado5 1 Kanazawa Institute of Technology, Japan 2 Tokyo Metropolitan University, Department of System Design, Japan 3 Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Section of Orthopedic and Spinal Surgery, Japan 4 CNRS and Universite Paris Descartes, Laboratorie de Psychologie de la Perception, France 5 Kanazawa Institute of Technology, Applied Electronics Laboratory, Japan The MEG signals from deep sources such as the brainstem are quite weak because of the intensity decay by distance. To detect them, we must average a huge number of responses to improve the S/N ratio. The measurement inevitably requires a long time. We applied a biomagnetometer system developed recently for the spinal cord evoked magnetic field (SCEF) measurement to the detection of the magnetic field generated by deep sources in the brain. The measurement system is equipped with an array of 40 SQUID vector gradiometers with a long baseline length of 68 mm. Its cryostat has a cool-to-warm separation of less than 7 mm. The white noise level of the SQUID sensor is typically less than 3 fT/rtHz. These features were originally aimed at detecting the SCEF from deep in the cervix, but they are also an advantage for targeting the brain deep sources. Brainstem response measurements were performed on two subjects without hearing problems. The MEG signals synchronized with repetitive auditory stimulation of click sounds were recorded. The sounds were generated by Eartone 3A transducer and guided to the subjects' left ear through a 1.75-m plastic tube. The repetition rate was 9.52 Hz and the sound intensity was 70 or 75 dBSL. The observation area was positioned over the right lateral-occipital area of each subject. All signals were digitally recorded with an analog band-pass filter of 100 - 5000 Hz. After digitization, 8000 responses were averaged to improve the S/N ratio. A magnetic field component around 5 ms after the actual stimulus onset was clearly observed from both subjects. Its distribution was widely spread over the observation area of 90 mm x 140 mm and its peak amplitude was about 5 - 7 fT. Based on the peak latency, this component corresponds to the wave V of an auditory brainstem response (ABR). After noise reduction using synthesized spatial filters, earlier ABR waves were also observed. Conference: Biomag 2010 - 17th International Conference on Biomagnetism , Dubrovnik, Croatia, 28 Mar - 1 Apr, 2010. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Instrumentation and Multi-modal Integrations: MEG, Low-field MRI,EEG, fMRI,TMS,NIRS Citation: Adachi Y, Fujii S, Kawabata S, De Cheveigne A and Kado H (2010). The detection of MEG signals from deep sources by a SQUID system for spinal cord evoked field. Front. Neurosci. Conference Abstract: Biomag 2010 - 17th International Conference on Biomagnetism . doi: 10.3389/conf.fnins.2010.06.00422 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 09 Apr 2010; Published Online: 09 Apr 2010. * Correspondence: Yoshiaki Adachi, Kanazawa Institute of Technology, Kanazawa, Japan, adachi@ael.kanazawa-it.ac.jp Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Yoshiaki Adachi Susumu Fujii Shigenori Kawabata Alain De Cheveigne Hisashi Kado Google Yoshiaki Adachi Susumu Fujii Shigenori Kawabata Alain De Cheveigne Hisashi Kado Google Scholar Yoshiaki Adachi Susumu Fujii Shigenori Kawabata Alain De Cheveigne Hisashi Kado PubMed Yoshiaki Adachi Susumu Fujii Shigenori Kawabata Alain De Cheveigne Hisashi Kado Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

Information use and density-dependent emigration in an agrobiont spider

Density of conspecifics is considered as one of the main conditions affecting dispersal behavior and leading to a stabilization of population dynamics. Density-dependent dispersal can be induced by local competition at different phases during development and/or by density-related sources of social information. Here, we assessed the importance of population density on emigration rates and the degree to which the presence of silk threads at dispersal takeoff locations affects immediate dispersal decision making in the spider Erigone atra. By quantifying behaviors in wind tunnels under standardized laboratory conditions, silk-assisted long- and short-distance dispersal is quantified before the actual onset of the dispersal event. Increased densities during juvenile development only affected short-distance dispersal behavior. In females, short-distance dispersal increased with the female density experienced during development, whereas responses in males increased under combined high male/low female-experienced densities. Elevated densities at the onset of dispersal led to a general increase of predispersal behaviors. The presence of silk threads at takeoff platforms similarly induced an increase of dispersal displays, with specifically an increase in long-distance dispersal in both sexes. Our results demonstrate that the spider E. atra uses information related to density during development, most probably to avoid competition by performing short-distance dispersal. In contrast, density-related cues at the time of dispersal (i.e., increased densities and the presence of silk threads) increase general dispersal activities and long-distance ballooning events. Short- and long-distance dispersal strategies are consequently guided by differential density-related information use. Key words: araneae, density, dispersal, information, silk. [Behav Ecol]

Plastic responses of Abies pinsapo xylogenesis to drought and competition

Radial growth and xylogenesis were studied to investigate the influence of climate variability and intraspecific competition on secondary growth in Abies pinsapo Boiss., a relic Mediterranean fir. We monitored the responses to three thinning treatments (unthinned control -C-, 30% -T30- and 60% -T60- of basal area removed) to test the hypothesis that they may improve the adaptation capacity of tree growth to climatic stress. We also assessed whether xylogenesis was differentially affected by tree-to-tree competition. Secondary growth was assessed using manual band dendrometers from 2005 to 2007. In 2006, xylogenesis (phases of tracheid formation) was also investigated by taking microcores and performing histological analyses. Seasonal dynamics of radial increment were modeled using Gompertz functions and correlations with microclimate and radiation were performed. Histological analyses revealed it as fundamental to calibrate the dendrometer estimates of radial increment and to establish the actual onset and end dates of tracheid production. The lower radial-increment rates and number of produced tracheids were observed in the trees subjected to high competition in the unthinned plots. The growing season differed among the plots, and its duration ranged from an average of 78 days in unthinned plots to 115 days in thinned ones (T60). Variations in the beginning of the growing season (13 April to 22 May) and earlywood-latewood transition (early August) were mainly determined by the temperature pattern, while the onset and the end of the growing season were related to both annual precipitation and tree-to-tree competition. The tracheid-formation phases of radial enlargement and cell-wall thickening showed similar patterns in the trees from thinned and unthinned plots subjected to low and high competition, respectively, but the mean number of tracheids in each phase was always higher in the trees from the thinned plots. The reduction of competition through thinning induced a longer growing season and enhanced the radial growth in A. pinsapo.

Key role of the wetting layer in revealing the hidden path of Ge/Si(001) Stranski-Krastanow growth onset

The commonly accepted Stranski-Krastanow model, according to which island formation occurs on top of a wetting layer (WL) of a certain thickness, predicts for the morphological evolution an increasing island aspect ratio with volume. We report on an apparent violation of this thermodynamic understanding of island growth with deposition. In order to investigate the actual onset of three-dimensional islanding and the critical WL thickness in the Ge/Si(001) system, a key issue is controlling the Ge deposition with extremely high resolution [0.025 monolayer (ML)]. Atomic force microscopy and photoluminescence measurements on samples covering the deposition range 1.75--6.1 ML, taken along a Ge deposition gradient on 4 in. Si substrates and at different growth temperatures $({T}_{\text{g}})$, surprisingly reveal that for ${T}_{\text{g}}>675\text{ }\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}\text{C}$ steeper multifaceted domes apparently nucleate prior to shallow {105}-faceted pyramids, in a narrow commonly overlooked deposition range. The puzzling experimental findings are explained by a quantitative modeling of the total energy with deposition. We accurately matched ab initio calculations of layer and surface energies to finite-element method simulations of the elastic energy in islands, in order to compare the thermodynamic stability of different island shapes with respect to an increasing WL thickness. Close agreement between modeling and experiments is found, pointing out that the sizeable progressive lowering of the surface energy in the first few MLs of the WL reverts the common understanding of the SK growth onset. Strong similarities between islanding in SiGe and III/V systems are highlighted.

Soft-computing based diagnostic tool for analyzing demyelination in magnetic resonance images

This paper proposes a soft-computing based diagnostic tool for analyzing (white matter changes) demyelination due to radiation therapy given to brain tumor cases. The tool exploits the pattern of changes in gray level distribution using a temporal sequence of magnetic resonance (MR) images. Appearance of white matter changes due to demyelination varies from patient to patient. Further, there exists inherent impreciseness in the white matter change patterns. These characteristics make use of fuzzy features well suited for describing image based temporal patterns. Correlation between these temporal patterns and actual onset of demyelination can be captured by fuzzy rules because of the inherent uncertainty associated with changes in gray level pattern in the image and occurrence of the disease. The tool is based on hybrid approach of two popular approaches of genetic algorithm based machine learning (GBML) techniques namely Michigan and Pittsburgh approach. The genetic algorithm (GA) based machine learning tool generates an optimized rule set to indicate positive (P), negative (N) or doubtful (D) cases of demyelination.

G.P.3.01 An adult case of myopathy due to mutations of the TK2 gene

Mutations in the nuclear gene coding for mitochondrial thymidine kinase 2 (TK2) are responsible for a usually severe myopathy occurring in children and characterized by a huge depletion of mitochondrial DNA. We present here a case of late-onset thymidine kinase deficiency. Case report: This male patient was referred for a progressive onset, proximal muscle weakness. The actual onset was around age 10, with fatigue due to prolonged exercise. Ptosis and ocular motor limitation occurred at age 13, and weakness became clear around age 25.

A study of nucleation and the early stage of growth of nickel powder from a vapour nickel carbonyl precursor

The phenomenon of nucleation of solid particles from the gas phase has a number of important industrial applications. In this study, the formation of nickel nuclei from the gas phase decomposition of nickel carbonyl has been predicted using classical nucleation theory and compared with experimental results from a hot wall tube reactor. It was shown that the free energy nucleation barrier was much less significant in reality than predicted by theory. In one instance, application of the classical theory suggested that the nucleation onset temperature should be more than 250 K higher than the onset temperature calculated from the volume free energy. The experimental results showed that the actual nucleation onset temperature was increased by less than 60 K. Further calculations showed that the observed primary particles were produced during a brief nucleation event, and that the major contribution to particle growth was the result of the surface reaction.

Credit Risk Transfer Activities and Systemic Risk: How Banks Became Less Risky Individually But Posed Greater Risks to the Financial System at the Same Time

A main cause of the ongoing financial crisis is the various ways through which banks have transferred credit risk in the financial system. In this paper we study the riskiness of banks that have used these methods, as perceived by the market. For this we analyze a sample of banks that trade Credit Default Swaps (CDS) and a sample of banks that issued Collateralized Loan Obligations (CLOs) between 1997 and 2006. We find that after their first usage of either risk transfer method, these banks experience a large and significant permanent increase in their share price beta. This suggests that the market was aware of the risks arising from these methods, long before the actual onset of the crisis. We also address the question of the source of the beta effect by separating it into a volatility and a market correlation component. Quite strikingly we find that the increase in the beta is solely due to an increase in banks' correlations. The volatility of these banks' returns actually declines. This suggests that banks undertaking credit risk transfer activities may appear individually less risky, while actually posing a greater risk for the financial system. We argue that this posits a challenge for financial regulation, which has typically focused on the level of the individual institution.

Gamma frailty model for linkage analysis with application to interval-censored migraine data

For many diseases, it seems that the age at onset is genetically influenced. Therefore, the age-at-onset data are often collected in order to map the disease gene(s). The ages are often (right) censored or truncated, and therefore, many standard techniques for linkage analysis cannot be used. In this paper, we present a correlated frailty model for censored survival data of siblings. The model is used for testing heritability for the age at onset and linkage between the loci and the gene(s) that influence(s) the survival time. The model is applied to interval-censored migraine twin data. Heritability (obtained from the frailties rather than actual onset times) was estimated as 0.42; this value was highly significant. The highest lod score, a score of 1.9, was found at the end of chromosome 19.

The Paleogene record of Himalayan erosion: Bengal Basin, Bangladesh

A knowledge of Himalayan erosion history is critical to understanding crustal deformation processes, and the proposed link between the orogen's erosion and changes in both global climate and ocean geochemistry. The most commonly quoted age of India–Asia collision is ~50 Ma, yet the record of Paleogene Himalayan erosion is scant — either absent or of low age resolution. We apply biostratigraphic, petrographic, geochemical, isotopic and seismic techniques to Paleogene rocks of the Bengal Basin, Bangladesh, of previously disputed age and provenance. Our data show that the first major input of sands into the basin, in the >1 km thick deltaic Barail Formation, occurred at 38 Ma. Our biostratigraphic and isotopic mineral ages date the Barail Formation as spanning late Eocene to early Miocene and the provenance data are consistent with its derivation from the Himalaya, but inconsistent with Indian cratonic or Burman margin sources. Detrital mineral lag times show that exhumation of the orogen was rapid by 38 Ma. The identification of sediments shed from the rapidly exhuming southern flanks of the eastern–central Himalaya at 38 Ma, provides a well dated accessible sediment record 17 Myr older than the previously described 21 Ma sediments, in the foreland basin in Nepal. Discovery of Himalayan detritus in the Bengal Basin from 38 Ma: 1) resolves the puzzling discrepancy between the lack of erosional evidence for Paleogene crustal thickening that is recorded in the hinterland; 2) invalidates those previously proposed evidences of diachronous collision which were based on the tenet that Himalayan-derived sediments were deposited earlier in the west than the east; 3) enables models of Himalayan exhumation (e.g. by mid crustal channel flow) to be revised to reflect vigorous erosion and rapid exhumation by 38 Ma, and 4) provides evidence that rapid erosion in the Himalaya was coincident with the marked rise in marine 87Sr/86Sr values since ~40 Ma. Whether 38 Ma represents the actual initial onset of vigorous erosion from the southern flanks of the east-central Himalaya, or whether older material was deposited elsewhere, remains an open question.

A Romanian Population Isolate With High Frequency of Vitiligo and Associated Autoimmune Diseases

To characterize the epidemiology and genetics of vitiligo and associated autoimmune diseases in a population isolate in Romania in which there is a high frequency of these diseases. Prospective and retrospective ascertainment of all patients and extended families with these disorders in the study community. A geographically isolated community in the mountains of northern Romania. Patients Fifty-one affected individuals and their close relatives from 35 nuclear families in an extended kindred that effectively constitutes the entire community population. Demographic, phenotypic, and genetic aspects of vitiligo and other autoimmune diseases in the extended kindred. The frequencies of vitiligo and several other autoimmune diseases, including autoimmune thyroid disease, adult-onset autoimmune diabetes mellitus, and rheumatoid arthritis, are greatly elevated. The age of vitiligo onset in this village is relatively delayed, suggesting that the causes of vitiligo in this community may be somewhat atypical. Genetic segregation analysis is most consistent with a single major locus recessive model, although incomplete penetrance and heritability suggest that other genes and nongenetic factors likely influence occurrence of disease in homozygotes. The high frequency of vitiligo and other autoimmune diseases in this isolated inbred community and an unusual aspect of the vitiligo phenotype suggest that susceptibility to these disorders in this "special population" may be unusual, likely involving a major recessive gene. Whereas disease susceptibility seems to involve a major genetic component, actual onset of vitiligo in genetically susceptible individuals seems to require exposure to environmental triggers.

The subjective movement threshold (SMT)

Event Abstract Back to Event The subjective movement threshold (SMT) Sein Schmidt1*, Menen Mundt1, Sven Ohl2 and Stephan A. Brandt1 1 Universitätsmedizin-Berlin, Germany 2 University of Potsdam, Germany Self-awareness and action studies investigate how we are aware that an action was self-generated. Established in the framework of motor control, these studies argue that sensory predictions of future actions are a crucial component of self-awareness (Blakemore and Frith 2003). Previous studies investigated the temporal dissociation for the awareness of the intention to move and the actual onset of the movement. The temporal dissociation was found to be ca 73 ms, with the self-awareness of a movement preceding the actual movement (e.g. Libet 1999). The sense of agency is the feeling that our movements have a consequence. The comparison of predicted with the actual sensory consequence(s) is used to optimize motor control (Davidson and Wolpert 2003) and modulates the temporal dissociation; i.e. "temporal attraction", movement awareness and actual onset (Kalogeras 2002). Based on these results it is concluded that the sensory predictions of forward models play a pivotal role in self-awareness and action (Wolpert 2003). In contradistinction, control experiments have utilized non-volition induction of movements with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). These experiments did not induce temporal attraction or dissociation. We investigate if TMS can induce undetected movements. The hypothesis is that the subjective movement threshold (SMT) is higher than the active motor threshold (AMT) and lower than the resting motor threshold (RMT). In five subjects (average age 23 +/- 5) we investigated with neuronavigated TMS in a randomized design the SMT, AMT and RMT. The stimulation target was defined by maximal muscle twitches (MEPs) over the first dorsal interosseus (FDI) muscle for minimal suprathreshold stimulation. RMT and AMT were defined following standard procedures. Not MEPs but movement awareness was used to define the SMT. All other parameters were kept identical. Positive muscle responses were larger than 50 µV. Movement awareness was defined by subjective report. All thresholds were quantified statistically within a 95% CI by an efficient maximum-likelihood algorithm (Awiszus & Feistner, 2007). We found significant results in all single subjects. The necessary stimulation strength was lowest for AMT, SMT and RMT, respectively. The control experiment identified the minimal stimulation strength necessary to induce a 1 mV response (1mVT). Here, we introduce the "subjective movement threshold" as a novel measure. The SMT thus provides a new window for investigations of self-awareness and action, especially as it possibly allows for the unconscious induction of movements. Conference: Bernstein Symposium 2008, Munich, Germany, 8 Oct - 10 Oct, 2008. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: All Abstracts Citation: Schmidt S, Mundt M, Ohl S and Brandt SA (2008). The subjective movement threshold (SMT). Front. Comput. Neurosci. Conference Abstract: Bernstein Symposium 2008. doi: 10.3389/conf.neuro.10.2008.01.112 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 18 Nov 2008; Published Online: 18 Nov 2008. * Correspondence: Sein Schmidt, Universitätsmedizin-Berlin, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany, sein.schmidt@charite.de Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Sein Schmidt Menen Mundt Sven Ohl Stephan A Brandt Google Sein Schmidt Menen Mundt Sven Ohl Stephan A Brandt Google Scholar Sein Schmidt Menen Mundt Sven Ohl Stephan A Brandt PubMed Sein Schmidt Menen Mundt Sven Ohl Stephan A Brandt Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

A‐scab (Apple‐scab), a simulation model for estimating risk of Venturia inaequalis primary infections*

A‐scab (Apple‐scab) is a dynamic simulation model for Venturia inaequalis primary infections on apple. It simulates development of pseudothecia, ascospore maturation, discharge, deposition and infection during the season based on hourly data of air temperature, rainfall, relative humidity and leaf wetness. A‐scab produces a risk index for each infection period and forecasts the probable periods of symptoms appearance. The model was validated under different epidemiological conditions: its outputs were successfully compared with daily spore counts and actual onset and severity of the disease under orchard conditions, and neither corrections nor calibrations have been necessary to adapt the model to different apple‐growing areas. Compared to other existing models, A‐scab: (i) combines information from literature and data acquired from specific experiments; (ii) is completely ‘open’ because both model structure and algorithms have been published and are easily accessible; (iii) is not written with a specific computer language but it works on simple‐to‐use electronic sheets. For these reasons the model can be easily implemented in the computerized systems used by warning services.

Longitudinal Evaluation of "Presymptomatic" Carriers of Huntington's Disease

Longitudinal Evaluation of "Presymptomatic" Carriers of Huntington's Disease