Reflex Effects Research Articles

National Culture and its Impact on Entrepreneurial Teams: A Gendered Perspective

Grounded in gender stereotype activation theory, this study examines how cultural perceptions towards women entrepreneurs affect team processes, namely team reflexivity and consequently the team’s resources. We test our hypotheses combining data from 64 entrepreneurial teams comprised of members from different countries with measures of national culture from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor. Results show that the proportion of women in a team is positively related to the team’s resources via the mediating effect of team reflexivity. However, the effect of the proportion of women in a team on team reflexivity and, ultimately, on a team’s resources, is stronger when team members are from countries with a more favorable national perception of women’s entrepreneurship. These findings provide evidence for framing the quality of team processes as contingent to the interaction between the proportion of women in a team and national culture towards female’s entrepreneurship and contribute to the literature on women entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial teams and culture.

Team Failure and the Creative Process: The Effect of Team Failure and Reflexivity on Creativity

Teams in organizations often experience failures in pursuit of creative team and organizational goals. Experiencing a creative failure can disrupt important team processes that can decrease team motivation and creative performance. This reduction in performance happens through decreased team creative self-efficacy following a failure. Drawing on sensemaking theory, we propose that team reflexivity can buffer against the negative consequences of failure by enabling teams to foster productive team processes that will keep teams from experiencing a decline in creative performance. Using data from 95 teams, we found that teams high in reflexivity were able to maintain motivation after experiencing a failure.

The Role of Vocal Fold Bowing on Cough and Swallowing Dysfunction in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy.

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a neurodegenerative disease which results in cough and swallowing dysfunction and aspiration pneumonia. Relationships among vocal fold atrophy, cough, and swallowing have been identified in related diseases, but remain unknown in PSP. This study examined: 1) the prevalence of vocal fold bowing in PSP, and 2) the influence of vocal fold bowing on cough and swallowing in PSP. Prospective Cohort Study. Twenty-three participants with PSP completed instrumental assessments of cough and swallowing. Vocal fold bowing (BI) and swallowing safety (PAS) was assessed using flexible laryngoscopy. Measures of cough effectiveness were obtained using spirometry. Statistical analyses were used to determine the frequency of mild-moderate (BI > 0) and severe (BI > 12.2) bowing, and to assess the influence of BI on PAS and cough effectiveness in PSP. Fifty-two percent (n = 12) of participants exhibited severe bowing while 48% (n = 11) exhibited mild-to-moderate bowing. Voluntary cough peak expiratory flow rate (P = .01), as well as reflex (P = .02) and voluntary (P = .005) cough volume acceleration were lower for participants with severe BI when compared to mild-to-moderate BI. However, BI did not influence PAS (P > .05). Findings from this study suggest that vocal fold bowing is highly prevalent in PSP and associated with reduced reflex and voluntary cough effectiveness. These findings provide insight into the pathophysiology of compromised airway protection in this patient population. Future studies should examine vocal fold atrophy as a treatment target for behavioral and medical intervention in PSP. 3 (Prospective Observational Study) Laryngoscope, 131:1217-1222, 2021.

Orthogonal Region Selection Network for Laryngeal Closure Detection in Laryngoscopy Videos.

Vocal folds (VFs) play a critical role in breathing, swallowing, and speech production. VF dysfunctions caused by various medical conditions can significantly reduce patients' quality of life and lead to life-threatening conditions such as aspiration pneumonia, caused by food and/or liquid "invasion" into the windpipe. Laryngeal endoscopy is routinely used in clinical practice to inspect the larynx and to assess the VF function. Unfortunately, the resulting videos are only visually inspected, leading to loss of valuable information that can be used for early diagnosis and disease or treatment monitoring. In this paper, we propose a deep learning-based image analysis solution for automated detection of laryngeal adductor reflex (LAR) events in laryngeal endoscopy videos. Laryngeal endoscopy image analysis is a challenging task because of anatomical variations and various imaging problems. Analysis of LAR events is further challenging because of data imbalance since these are rare events. In order to tackle this problem, we propose a deep learning system that consists of a two-stream network with a novel orthogonal region selection subnetwork. To our best knowledge, this is the first deep learning network that learns to directly map its input to a VF open/close state without first segmenting or tracking the VF region, which drastically reduces labor-intensive manual annotation needed for mask or track generation. The proposed two-stream network and the orthogonal region selection subnetwork allow integration of local and global information for improved performance. The experimental results show promising performance for the automated, objective, and quantitative analysis of LAR events from laryngeal endoscopy videos.Clinical relevance- This paper presents an objective, quantitative, and automatic deep learning based system for detection of laryngeal adductor reflex (LAR) events in laryngoscopy videos.

Treatment Response to Botulinum Neurotoxin-A in Children With Cerebral Palsy Categorized by the Type of Stretch Reflex Muscle Activation.

While Botulinum NeuroToxin-A (BoNT-A) injections are frequently used to reduce the effects of hyperactive stretch reflexes in children with cerebral palsy (CP), the effects of this treatment vary strongly. Previous research, combining electromyography (EMG) with motion analysis, defined different patterns of stretch reflex muscle activation in muscles, those that reacted more to a change in velocity (velocity dependent –VD), and those that reacted more to a change in length (length dependent –LD). The aim of this study was to investigate the relation between the types of stretch reflex muscle activation in the semitendinosus with post-BoNT-A outcome as assessed passively and with 3D gait analysis in children with spastic CP. Eighteen children with spastic CP (10 bilaterally involved) between the ages of 12 and 18 years were assessed before and on average, 8 weeks post-treatment. EMG and motion analysis were used to assess the degree and type of muscle activation dependency in the semitendinosus during passive knee extensions performed at different joint angular velocities. Three-dimensional gait analysis was used to assess knee gait kinematics as a measure of functional outcome. Pre-treatment, 9 muscles were classified as VD and 9 as LD, but no differences between the groups were evident in the baseline knee gait kinematics. Post-treatment, stretch reflex muscle activation decreased significantly in both groups but the reduction was more pronounced in those muscles classified pre-treatment as VD (−72% vs. −50%, p = 0.005). In the VD group, these changes were accompanied by greater knee extension at initial contact and during the swing phase of gait. In the LD group, there was significantly increased post-treatment knee hyperextension in late stance. Although results vary between patients, the reduction of stretch reflex muscle activation in the semitendinosus generally translated to an improved functional outcome, as assessed with 3D gait analysis. However, results were less positive for those muscles with pre-treatment length-dependent type of stretch reflex muscle activation. The study demonstrates the relevance of categorizing the type of stretch reflex muscle activation as a possible predictor of treatment response.

Modulation of soleus H-reflex excitability following cervical transspinal conditioning stimulation in humans

The aim of this study was to establish the effects of transcutaneous spinal cord (transspinal) stimulation over the cervical region on soleus H-reflex excitability in healthy subjects while at rest. Reflex effects were established at subthreshold and suprathreshold cervical transspinal conditioning stimulation intensities of the extensor carpi radialis transspinal evoked potential. Twenty soleus H-reflexes at 0.125 Hz were recorded randomly under control conditions and following transspinal conditioning stimulation at conditioning-test intervals that ranged from 0 to 55 ms and tested in increment of 5 ms steps and at 100 ms. Cervical transspinal stimulation at suprathreshold and not at subthreshold intensities produced short, medium, and long-latency soleus H-reflex facilitation. The observed facilitatory reflex effects are consistent with activation of excitatory components of long propriospinal neurons. We propose the use of cervical transspinal stimulation to potentiate excitatory neuronal interactions between arms and legs in neurological disorders.

The exercise pressor reflex and chemoreflex interaction: cardiovascular implications for the exercising human.

Although the exercise pressor reflex (EPR) and the chemoreflex (CR) are recognized for their sympathoexcitatory effect, the cardiovascular implication of their interaction remains elusive. We quantified the individual and interactive cardiovascular consequences of these reflexes during exercise and revealed various modes of interaction. The EPR and hypoxia-induced CR interaction is hyper-additive for blood pressure and heart rate (responses during co-activation of the two reflexes are greater than the summation of the responses evoked by each reflex) and hypo-additive for peripheral haemodynamics (responses during co-activation of the reflexes are smaller than the summated responses). The EPR and hypercapnia-induced CR interaction results in a simple addition of the individual responses to each reflex (i.e. additive interaction). Collectively, EPR:CR co-activation results in significant cardiovascular interactions with restriction in peripheral haemodynamics, resulting from the EPR:CR interaction in hypoxia, likely having the most crucial impact on the functional capacity of an exercising human. We investigated the interactive effect of the exercise pressor reflex (EPR) and the chemoreflex (CR) on the cardiovascular response to exercise. Eleven healthy participants (5 females) completed a total of six bouts of single-leg knee-extension exercise (60% peak work rate, 4min each) either with or without lumbar intrathecal fentanyl to attenuate group III/IV afferent feedback from lower limbs to modify the EPR, while breathing either ambient air, normocapnic hypoxia (Sa O2 ∼79%, Pa O2 ∼43mmHg, Pa CO2 ∼33mmHg, pH ∼7.39), or normoxic hypercapnia (Sa O2 ∼98%, Pa O2 ∼105mmHg, Pa CO2 ∼50mmHg, pH ∼7.26) to modify the CR. During co-activation of the EPR and the hypoxia-induced CR (O2 -CR), mean arterial pressure and heart rate were significantly greater, whereas leg blood flow and leg vascular conductance were significantly lower than the summation of the responses evoked by each reflex alone. During co-activation of the EPR and the hypercapnia-induced CR (CO2 -CR), the haemodynamic responses were not different from the summated responses to each reflex response alone (P≥0.1). Therefore, while the interaction resulting from the EPR:O2 -CR co-activation is hyper-additive for blood pressure and heart rate, and hypo-additive for peripheral haemodynamics, the interaction resulting from the EPR:CO2 -CR co-activation is simply additive for all cardiovascular parameters. Thus, EPR:CR co-activation results in significant interactions between cardiovascular reflexes, with the impact differing when the CR activation is achieved by hypoxia or hypercapnia. Since the EPR:CR co-activation with hypoxia potentiates the pressor response and restricts blood flow to contracting muscles, this interaction entails the most functional impact on an exercising human.

Effect of dexmedetomidine on prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting in pediatric strabismus surgery: a randomized controlled study

BackgroundPostoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) are common side-effects following strabismus surgery. The present study aimed to compare the effects of different doses of dexmedetomidine (DEX) on PONV incidence in pediatric patients undergoing strabismus surgery.MethodsIn this prospective randomized double-blinded study, 126 pediatric patients undergoing strabismus surgery were randomized into one of three groups: Placebo group, normal saline; DEX1 group, 0.3 μg/kg dexmedetomidine, and DEX2 group, 0.5 μg/kg dexmedetomidine. Oculocardiac reflex (OCR) events were recorded during surgery. PONV or postoperative vomiting (POV) was recorded for 24 h in the ward. Pediatric anesthesia emergence delirium (PAED) scale and emergence agitation (EA) scale were recorded in the recovery room.ResultsIntraoperative OCR was significantly reduced in DEX2 group (42%) as compared to that of Placebo group (68%) (p = 0.0146). During the first 24 h post-op, the overall incidence of PONV was significantly lower in DEX2 group (10%) than that of Placebo group (32%) (p = 0.0142). There was no significant difference in POV among the three groups. PAED or EA scores among the three groups were similar during recovery time.ConclusionDexmedetomidine (0.5 μg/kg) reduced OCR and PONV without lengthening extubation time or recovery time in pediatric patients undergoing strabismus surgery.Trial registrationThe trial was prospectively registered before patient enrollment at Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (Clinical Trial Number: ChiCTR1800020176, Date: 12/19/2018).

Respiratory-Swallow Coordination Training and Voluntary Cough Skill Training: A Single-Subject Treatment Study in a Person With Parkinson's Disease.

Purpose Airway protective disorders are common in Parkinson's disease (PD), yet effective methods to rehabilitate these life-threatening impairments are limited. This study examined the effects of two skill-based treatments aimed at improving swallowing and cough in a severely dysphagic person with PD: respiratory-swallow coordination training (RSCT) and voluntary cough skill training (VCST). It was hypothesized that (a) RSCT would improve respiratory-swallow coordination and swallowing safety and efficiency and (b) VCST would improve reflex and voluntary cough effectiveness. Method An 81-year-old man with midstage PD and severe dysphagia was recruited for study participation. The study utilized a multiple-baseline ABACA experimental design with a 2-month delayed retention assessment. Measures of respiratory-swallow coordination, swallowing safety and efficiency, and cough effectiveness were collected at each assessment using respiratory inductive plethysmography, flexible endoscopic evaluations of swallowing, and spirometry. Data were analyzed descriptively using baseline corrected tau and standard mean difference effect sizes (d). Results Large effect sizes were observed immediately following RSCT for respiratory-swallow coordination (d = 9.17), penetration-aspiration (d = 12.88), vallecular residue (d = 1.75), piriform residue (d = 4.15), and overall dysphagia severity (d = 1.83). Large effect sizes were also observed immediately following VCST for single voluntary cough (d = 4.30), sequential voluntary cough (d = 3.28), and reflex cough (d = 5.58). Improvements were maintained 2 months later for all outcome measures except single voluntary cough. Discussion This is the first study to examine the effects of RSCT and VCST in a person with PD. Robust improvements in respiratory-swallow coordination and swallowing safety and efficiency were achieved following four sessions of RSCT, and significant improvements in reflex and voluntary cough strength were seen following four sessions of VCST. Future work is needed to study these treatments in larger cohorts of people with PD.

Axial perturbations evoke increased postural reflexes in Parkinson’s disease with postural instability

ObjectiveTo measure axially-evoked postural reflexes in 11 Parkinson’s disease (PD) subjects, both stable and unstable, and to compare these with 13 age-matched controls. Methods: We measured the short-latency electromyography (EMG) reflex effects of brief impulsive displacements applied to the upper sternum or C7 for tibialis anterior (TA) and soleus. Our subjects were studied standing normally and when leaning both forwards and backwards. ResultsThe initial mechanical effects of the stimuli were similar but the reflex responses for the unstable PD group were increased, even after allowing for the increased levels of tonic activation. For TA, unstable PD subjects had significantly larger responses than the stable PD group whose responses were in turn significantly larger than controls. For soleus, unstable PD subjects had significantly greater responses than controls. ConclusionsThese findings are consistent with previous evidence that exaggerated postural responses are characteristic of unstable PD subjects. SignificanceIncreased postural reflexes are characteristic of unstable PD subjects and may contribute to the instability seen for these patients in response to larger perturbations.

Urban Entrepreneurialism Vs Market Society: The Geography of China's Neoliberal Urbanism

AbstractExisting literature on China's neoliberal urbanism is preoccupied with its institutional incentives and political‐economy dynamics, which are characterized by state dominance through sponsorship and supervision of capital‐market operations that drive pro‐growth aspirations and gentrification strategies. Meanwhile, society, confronted with brutal neoliberal production of urban space, is vulnerable to dispossession and displacement. In this article, we draw upon an ethnographic study conducted at the Higher Education Mega Centre (HEMC) of Guangzhou in an attempt to revisit China's neoliberal urbanism beyond the Marxian political‐economy repertoire, and shift the theoretical focus from production to consumption. In an institutionalized neoliberal context, the state–market–society nexus is closely intertwined—a process that manifests itself as the entangling of state and market, the establishment of a market society, the reflexive effects between neoliberalization and Chinese urban entrepreneurialism, and the capital‐centric rule in urban (re)development. In particular, the socioeconomic and sociospatial contradictions in the HEMC case indicate aggressive and insatiable production of urban space, which has been led by the entrepreneurial local state, but is bounded by the market‐oriented and capital‐centric rules of institutionalized neoliberalization. The article concludes by calling for pragmatic reflection on the ‘hard’ neoliberal urbanism of the global South.

Experience of application of proproceptive modeling of walking in children of early age with motor disorders

Background. In the pathogenesis of cerebral palsy, the pathology of the proprioceptive modality plays an important role. Proprioceptive correction is an effective method for habilitation of children suffering from this disease. "Stimulation of the feet" is one of the methods of proprioceptive correction. In the process of treatment, pressure is applied to the receptor zones of the feet with pneumatic elements. The pressure is produced in walking mode and simulates the effect of the step on the foot. Objective: the rehabilitation treatment of children with the consequences of perinatal damage to the central nervous system and various forms of cerebral palsy.Materials and methods. The results of the rehabilitation treatment of 51 children with the consequences of perinatal damage to the central nervous system in 2 age groups: from 7 months to 1 year and from 1 year to 2 years are described. The average age of children was 1.8 ± 0.054 years, standard deviation 0.385. Among them, 27 (52.9 %) were boys, 24 (47.1 %) girls. The children had various motor dysfunctions. Children with a predominance of spasticity in the muscles of the lower extremities were 70.6 %, children with a predominance of reduced tone in the muscles of the lower extremities were 29.4 %. Rehabilitation treatment was carried out from the simulator of the base load "Сorvit". The course of basic stimulation was 10 procedures lasting from 10 to 15 minutes. The mode of stimulation was selected individually as in the classroom for physiotherapy. The duration and intensity of the pressure on the foot were selected.Results. As a result of treatment, positive dynamics of motor functions was noted. It was expressed in the normalization of muscle tone and with its decrease, and with an increase. The effect of tonic reflexes decreased. In the older group, normalization of the step structure was revealed. A reliable positive dynamics of speech and mental development was recorded. In children aged 7 months to a year with severe spastic paresis, it was statistically significant (p <0.05).Conclusions. Support stimulation is an effective and safe method of physical habilitation of children with the effects of perinatal brain lesions and cerebral palsy.

Внепищеводные симптомы гастроэзофагеальной рефлюксной болезни: в фокусе ларингофарингеальный рефлюкс

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) ranks first among gastroenterological diseases in terms of prevalence. GERD can also manifest with extraesophageal (atypical) symptoms, which include: cardiac, pulmonary, otorhinolaryngological and dental symptoms. In some cases, extraesophageal manifestations can come to the fore in the clinical picture. Moreover, in 25% of cases, GERD clinically occurs only with extraesophageal symptoms, which fits into one of the main features of modern real clinical practice – various diseases are increasingly losing their mononosological character, acquiring the status of comorbidity and multimorbidity. The presence of extraesophageal symptoms in patients with GERD is due to extraesophageal (or, more precisely, gastroesophagolaryngopharyngeal) reflux, which is referred to in the international medical literature as laryngopharyngeal reflux (LFR). Currently, LFR is considered as a condition of inflammation of the mucous membrane of the upper digestive and respiratory tracts associated with direct and indirect (reflex) effects of gastroduodenal refluctate, which can cause morphological changes in the mucous membrane. Over the past decade, two approaches to the treatment of LFR have emerged. The first approach involves the use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) as monotherapy along with dietary and lifestyle modification. The second comprehensive approach to LFR therapy in-volves dual therapy (PPI + alginate/antacid or PPI + prokinetic) or triple therapy (PPI + alginate/antacid + prokinetic). In this review, both approaches to the tre-atment of LFR are considered, and the possibilities of alginates in the treatment of LFR are considered.

Metapragmatics: When the author brings meaning and the addressee context

«Вестник Санкт-Петербургского университета. Язык и литература» — научно-теоретический журнал, публикующий научно-исследовательские статьи и критические научные рецензии на русском и английском языках, призванные отразить актуальную проблематику современной лингвистики, литературоведения и междисциплинарных гуманитарных исследований, а также представить многообразие существующих здесь подходов и плюрализм мнений исследователей.

Mediating effects of reflexivity of top management team between team processes and decision performance

Mediating effects of reflexivity of top management team between team processes and decision performance

Assessment of risk associated with drinking water with respect to indicators of olfactory and reflex effect

The quality of drinking water is currently a pressing issue, which plays a special role in the initiative of environmental protection, ecology and hygienics. When any sector of modern industry is developing, its activities are associated with a possible risk of contamination of water used by the population as drinking water, and with generation of industrial wastewater polluted with chemically aggressive agents, which are dangerous to human health. The authors of this paper conduct risk assessment with respect to the indicators of the olfactory-reflex effect of drinking water samples obtained in Kazan. The research results allow for the assessment of the health risk level, which the city residents would face because of drinking water ingestion, and for a specification of polluting substances through sensory evaluation.

Arterial Baroreceptors Sense Blood Pressure through Decorated Aortic Claws

Mechanosensory neurons across physiological systems sense force using diverse terminal morphologies. Arterial baroreceptors are sensory neurons that monitor blood pressure for real-time stabilization of cardiovascular output. Various aortic sensory terminals have been described, but those that sense blood pressure are unclear because of a lack of selective genetic tools. Here, we find that all baroreceptor neurons are marked in Piezo2-ires-Cre mice and then use genetic approaches to visualize the architecture of mechanosensory endings. Cre-guided ablation of vagal and glossopharyngeal PIEZO2 neurons eliminates the baroreceptor reflex and aortic depressor nerve effects on blood pressure and heart rate. Genetic mapping reveals that PIEZO2 neurons form a distinctive mechanosensory structure: macroscopic claws that surround the aortic arch and exude fine end-net endings. Other arterial sensory neurons that form flower-spray terminals are dispensable for baroreception. Together, these findings provide structural insights into how blood pressure is sensed in the aortic vessel wall.

Effects of type 1 diabetes mellitus on efferent auditory system in children and adolescents

AimTo investigate whether type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) could affect the efferent auditory system by analyzing the relationship between the activation of the medial olivocochlear reflex with disease duration, metabolic control and age at time of diagnosis. MethodA total of 101 children and adolescents were evaluated. They were divided into two groups: 50 with T1DM and 51 without the disease. The participants answered a structured questionnaire containing questions about auditory complaints and were evaluated for tonal audiometry, tympanometry, acoustic reflex, otoacoustic emission by distortion product to evaluate the inhibitory effect of medial olivocochlear reflex (MOC). ResultsThe participants with T1DM presented changed AR (increased or absent) at all the frequencies in both ears (p < 0.05) when compared with the group without the disease. No differences were found between the DPOAE amplitudes of the individuals with and without T1DM, in both ears at all the frequencies. There were significant differences in the activation of the MOC reflex between the groups with and without T1DM, the participants with T1DM presented the absence of the inhibitory effect of the DPOAE in the right and left ears, in the frequencies of 4000 Hz (p = 0.035/0.002respectively) and 6000 Hz (p = 0.033/0.031 respectively) and 8000 Hz (p = 0.007/0.001 respectively) when compared to the healthy group. Significant differences were also observed between the groups with and without T1DM (p < 0.05) for self-reported complaints of tinitus, difficulties with the perception of speech when there was noise and distraction with noise. No association was found between the hearing complaints and the audiological measurements obtained and disease time, metabolic control and age at the time of diagnosis. ConclusionThe findings suggest the presence of early auditory dysfunction of the efferent pathway in patients with T1DM.

How TMT Conflicts Affect Exploratory Innovation? The Moderating Effects of Team Task Reflexivity

How TMT Conflicts Affect Exploratory Innovation? The Moderating Effects of Team Task Reflexivity

Effect of cutaneous reflexes on running kinematics

Effect of cutaneous reflexes on running kinematics