Nonadjacent Areas Research Articles

On the edge: A scalable daltonization method focusing chromatic edges and contrast

Color Vision Deficiency (CVD) leads to a reduced capability to identify chromatic edges and contrast and may cause significant problems in various color tasks like, for example, comparative color tasks. Many daltonization methods to improve color perception of color-deficient people, however, change naturalness of confusion colors, which might complicate other color tasks like, for example, connotative and denotative color tasks. Thus, we present a daltonization method focusing on the enhancement of chromatic edges and contrast while preserving the naturalness of object colors as good as possible. Our proposed method, Yoshi-II-edge, is based on a previously presented method, Yoshi-II, which projects and rotates the lost information by color-deficient observers along the direction of optimal visibility. Yoshi-II-edge limits this enhancement to chromatic edges and contrast by computing an edge map obtained from the gradient of the error image between the original and its simulation. Furthermore, we propose a threshold and dilation to influence the width of the daltonized edge. We show that the performance of this method depends on the juxtaposition of confusion colors in the image. More precisely, Yoshi-II-edge performs well in images with adjacent areas of confusion colors but performs poorly in images with non-adjacent areas of confusion colors.

Partial Correlation-Based Retinotopically Organized Resting-State Functional Connectivity Within and Between Areas of the Visual Cortex Reflects More Than Cortical Distance.

Numerous studies have demonstrated functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)-based resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) between cortical areas. Recent evidence suggests that synchronous fluctuations in blood oxygenation level-dependent fMRI reflect functional organization at a scale finer than that of visual areas. In this study, we investigated whether RSFCs within and between lower visual areas are retinotopically organized and whether retinotopically organized RSFC merely reflects cortical distance. Subjects underwent retinotopic mapping and separately resting-state fMRI. Visual areas V1, V2, and V3, were subdivided into regions of interest (ROIs) according to quadrants and visual field eccentricity. Functional connectivity (FC) was computed based on Pearson's linear correlation (correlation), and Pearson's linear partial correlation (correlation between two time courses after the time courses from all other regions in the network are regressed out). Within a quadrant, within visual areas, all correlation and nearly all partial correlation FC measures showed statistical significance. Consistently in V1, V2, and to a lesser extent in V3, correlation decreased with increasing eccentricity separation. Consistent with previously reported monkey anatomical connectivity, correlation/partial correlation values between regions from adjacent areas (V1-V2 and V2-V3) were higher than those between nonadjacent areas (V1-V3). Within a quadrant, partial correlation showed consistent significance between regions from two different areas with the same or adjacent eccentricities. Pairs of ROIs with similar eccentricity showed higher correlation/partial correlation than pairs distant in eccentricity. Between dorsal and ventral quadrants, partial correlation between common and adjacent eccentricity regions within a visual area showed statistical significance; this extended to more distant eccentricity regions in V1. Within and between quadrants, correlation decreased approximately linearly with increasing distances separating the tested ROIs. Partial correlation showed a more complex dependence on cortical distance: it decreased exponentially with increasing distance within a quadrant, but was best fit by a quadratic function between quadrants. We conclude that RSFCs within and between lower visual areas are retinotopically organized. Correlation-based FC is nonselectively high across lower visual areas, even between regions that do not share direct anatomical connections. The mechanisms likely involve network effects caused by the dense anatomical connectivity within this network and projections from higher visual areas. FC based on partial correlation, which minimizes network effects, follows expectations based on direct anatomical connections in the monkey visual cortex better than correlation. Last, partial correlation-based retinotopically organized RSFC reflects more than cortical distance effects.

Neurons in the Basal Forebrain Project to the Cortex in a Complex Topographic Organization that Reflects Corticocortical Connectivity Patterns: An Experimental Study Based on Retrograde Tracing and 3D Reconstruction

The most prominent feature of the Basal Forebrain (BF) is the collection of large cortically projecting neurons (basal nucleus of Meynert) that serve as the primary source of cholinergic input to the entire cortical mantle. Despite its broad involvement in cortical activation, attention, and memory, the functional details of the BF are not well understood due to the anatomical complexity of the region. This study tested the hypothesis that basalocortical connections reflect cortical connectivity patterns. Distinct retrograde tracers were deposited into various frontal and posterior cortical areas, and retrogradely labeled cholinergic and noncholinergic neurons were mapped in the BF. Concurrently, we mapped retrogradely labeled cells in posterior cortical areas that project to various frontal areas, and all cell populations were combined in the same coordinate system. Our studies suggest that the cholinergic and noncholinergic projections to the neocortex are not diffuse, but instead, are organized into segregated or overlapping pools of projection neurons. The extent of overlap between BF populations projecting to the cortex depends on the degree of connectivity between the cortical targets of these projection populations. We suggest that the organization of projections from the BF may enable parallel modulation of multiple groupings of interconnected yet nonadjacent cortical areas.

MRI signal changes in the skull base bone after endoscopic nasopharyngectomy for recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Objective To evaluate the signal changes of the skull base after salvage surgury via endoscopic transnasal approach for local recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Methods Twenty patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma after radiation failure underwent nasophargeryngectomy via an endoscopic transnasal approach were selected from April 2006 to December 2011,including 16 males and 4 females with 31 to 67 years old.Each patient had previously received irradiation and experienced recurrence after 8 to 83 months of completed irradiation.All patients underwent MRI no more than 2 weeks before the salvage surgery and were subjected to repeat MRI scans 2 weeks,3 months,6 months later and semi-annually thereafter,with the follow-up time of 6 to 45 months (median 18 months).A two-sided Chi-square test was used to compare the signal changes and the tendency of changes on all presurgical and postsurgical MR images. Results The MRI signal changes were detected at 92 sites of skull-base between 2 weeks and 3 months after the surgery,which was hypointense on T1WI with moderate to marked contrast enhancement.In the follow-up period,the signal abnormalities at 36 sites of skull base had resolved or restored to the normal,and 34 sites remained stable,while in 22 sites,the MR signal changes became more obvious.The skull base bones adjacent to the region of the resection were more likely to show signal changes than nonadjacent areas (72 vs.20,χ2=33.128,P<0.01).The signal changes were more common on the ipsilateral skull base to the recurrent tumor in contrast to the contralateral skull base (68 vs 24,χ2=21.182,P<0.01). Conclusions The skull base signal changes after salvage surgury via endoscopic transnasal approach for local recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma,and it occurs in specific location.Most of sites tend to resolve or be stable at the follow up. Key words: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma; Neoplasm recurrence,local; Skull base; Magnetic resonance imaging

MRI signal changes in the skull base bone after endoscopic nasopharyngectomy for recurrent NPC: A serial study of 9 patients

PurposeThis study was focused on the serial changes in magnetic resonance images (MRI) of the skull-base bone that occur after endoscopic nasopharyngectomy in patients with local recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (rNPC). Materials and methodsNine patients with histologically proven rNPC were enrolled in this study. Two experienced radiologists independently reviewed all presurgical and postsurgical MR images for each patient. ResultsAt 36 sites on the skull base, the MRI signal underwent a change after surgery, which took the form of a heterogeneous pattern of hypointense regions with moderate contrast enhancement on T1WI. The onset of changes ranged between 2 weeks and 3 months after surgery. For 21 of the sites, the changes subsided over the course of follow-up, while in 6 they remained stable. At 9 sites, the alteration MRI signal became more pronounced with time. Changes were more common on the homolateral side of the skull base with respect to the recurrent tumor (P<0.05). The skull-base bone adjacent to the resection boundary had a higher incidence of signal change than nonadjacent areas (P<0.05). ConclusionsMRI changes in the skull base bone, having a number of distinguishing characteristics, appear to be a common sequel to endoscopic nasopharyngectomy for rNPC.

ACCOUNTING FOR NEIGHBORING EFFECTS IN MEASURES OF SPATIAL CONCENTRATION*

ABSTRACT A common problem with spatial economic concentration measures based on areal data (e.g., Gini, Herfindhal, entropy, and Ellison-Glaeser indices) is accounting for the position of regions in space. While they purport to measure spatial clustering, these statistics are confined to calculations within individual areal units. They are insensitive to the proximity of regions or to neighboring effects. Clearly, since spillovers do not recognize areal units, economic clusters may cross regional boundaries. Yet with current measures, any industrial agglomeration that traverses boundaries will be chopped into two or more pieces. Activity in adjacent spatial units is treated in exactly the same way as activity in far-flung, nonadjacent areas. This paper shows how popular measures of spatial concentration relying on areal data can be modified to account for neighboring effects. With a U.S. application, we also demonstrate that the new instruments we propose are easy to implement and can be valuable in regional analysis.

Designing Psychiatric Units: Constant Search for Balance

Designing Psychiatric Units: Constant Search for Balance

Cortical processing of tactile stimuli applied in quick succession across the fingertips: temporal evolution of dipole sources revealed by magnetoencephalography

We used magnetoencephalography (MEG) in 10 healthy human subjects to study cortical responses to tactile stimuli applied to the fingertips of digits 2-5 of the right hand. Each stimulus lasted 50 ms and was produced by air-driven elastic membranes. Four-hundred stimuli were delivered on each finger in three temporal patterns (conditions). In the "Discrete" condition, stimuli were applied to each finger repetitively with an interstimulus interval (ISI) of 1-2 s. In the "Continuous" condition, stimuli were applied to the fingers sequentially as four-stimulus trains with zero ISI and 1-2 s intervening between trains. Finally, in the "Gap" condition, stimuli were applied as in the Continuous condition but with an ISI of 50 ms. A sensation of tactile motion across fingers (digit 2 --> digit 5) was reported by all subjects in the Continuous and Gap conditions. Cortical responses were extracted as single equivalent current dipoles over a period of 1 s following stimulus onset. In all three conditions, initial responses in left primary somatosensory cortex (SI) were observed ~20 to 50 ms after stimulus onset and were followed by additional left SI responses and bilateral responses in the secondary somatosensory cortex (SII). In addition, in the Continuous and Gap conditions, there was an activation of the precentral gyrus, the temporal aspects of which depended on the temporal relation of the administered stimuli, as follows. An ISI of 0 ms led to activation of the precentral gyrus shortly after the second stimulation, whereas an ISI of 50 ms led to activation of the precentral gyrus after the third stimulation. The current findings support results from previous studies on temporal activity patterns in SI and SII, verify the participation of the precentral gyrus during tactile motion perception and, in addition, reveal aspects of integration of sequential sensory stimulations over nonadjacent areas as well as temporal activity patterns in the postcentral and precentral gyri.

Immunotherapy for patients with malignant glioma: from theoretical principles to clinical applications

Malignant gliomas are the most common type of primary brain tumor and are in great need of novel therapeutic approaches. Advances in treatment have been very modest, significant improvement in survival has been lacking for many decades and prognosis remains dismal. Despite ‘gross total’ surgical resections and currently available radio-chemotherapy, malignant gliomas inevitably recur due to reservoirs of notoriously invasive tumor cells that infiltrate adjacent and nonadjacent areas of normal brain parenchyma. In principle, the immune system is uniquely qualified to recognize and target these infiltrative pockets of tumor cells, which have generally eluded conventional treatment approaches. In the span of the last 10 years, our understanding of the cancer–immune system relationship has increased exponentially, and yet, we are only beginning to tease apart the intricacies of the CNS and immune cell interactions. This article reviews the complex associations of the immune system with brain tumors. We provide an overview of currently available treatment options for malignant gliomas, existing gaps in our knowledge of brain tumor immunology, and molecular techniques and targets that might be exploited for improved patient stratification and design of ‘custom immunotherapeutics’. We will also examine major new immunotherapy approaches that are being actively investigated to treat patients with malignant glioma, and identify some current and future research priorities in this area.

Prevalence and Trends in Smoking: A National Rural Study

Cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. To estimate the prevalence of and recent trends in smoking among adults by type of rural location and by state. Random-digit telephone survey of adults aged 18 years or older who participated in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System in 1994-1996 (n = 342,055) and 2000-2001 (n = 385,384). The main outcome measure was current cigarette smoking, defined as persons who smoke every day or some days, while nonsmokers were those who smoke not at all or reported never having smoked as many as 100 cigarettes. The prevalence of smoking changed little from the mid-1990s; in 2000-2001, it was 22.0% in urban areas, 24.9% in rural adjacent areas, 24.0% in large rural nonadjacent areas, and 24.9% in small rural nonadjacent areas. For rural locations combined, smoking prevalence was not below the 12% goal of Healthy People 2010 for any state, although the 12.5% prevalence in rural Utah approached this target. Prevalence was > or = 28% for rural residents of Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana. Since the mid-1990s, the prevalence of smoking for rural respondents decreased by more than 2 percentage points in 6 states: California, Connecticut, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Utah. However, it increased by 2 percentage points or more in 10 states: Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas. Smoking remains a refractory public health problem. Better ways to curb smoking in rural America are needed.

Look-Alike, Sound-Alike Oncology Medications

Confusing medication names and packaging may cause or contribute to potentially harmful medication errors. The names of several chemotherapy and supportive agents can look or sound like the names of other chemotherapy agents or unrelated medications and can be inadvertently interchanged, or mixed up. Poor handwriting, abbreviations of medication names, unclear verbal medication orders, memory lapses, and the large volume of medications currently in use are risk factors for look-alike, sound-alike medication errors. Risk reduction strategies include being aware of medications that look or sound like other medications, installing pop-up alerts in computer systems, prescribing medications by their generic and trade names, placing eye-catching labels and warning stickers on storage bins, storing medications in nonadjacent areas, and advising patients to be alert for potential mix-ups with look-alike, sound-alike medications.

Whistles of tucuxi dolphins (Sotalia fluviatilis) in Brazil: Comparisons among populations

A quantitative and comparative analysis of the acoustic whistles parameters of tucuxi dolphins (Sotalia fluviatilis) from eight areas in Brazilian waters were conducted. Tucuxi produced mainly upsweep whistles, and despite their similar characteristics to other delphinids, whistles were shorter and less complex in shape. Some signals had fundamental frequency components above 24 kHz, and a broader band system may be useful in further studies concerning tucuxi whistles. The frequency parameters of the whistles had the lowest variation coefficients, whereas the duration and number of inflections had the highest variation coefficients. About 65% of all whistles had common characteristics between study localities, but SF, MinF, MeF, F1/4, F1/2, and F3/4 increased in frequency from southern to northern populations. The magnitude of the whistle characteristics variation was comparatively smaller between adjacent sites areas than between nonadjacent ones. However, for some pairwise comparisons the whistles were more similar between nonadjacent areas than between adjacent ones, indicating that other factors besides genetic and mixing affected tucuxi whistle characteristics. Only a few numbers of whistle variables were significantly different between adjacent areas and the parameter ranges of whistles overlapped, which made it difficult to discriminate whistles between adjacent tucuxi populations.

Histopathology of congenital hyperinsulinism: retrospective study with genotype correlations.

The majority of the most severe cases of congenital hyperinsulinism (HI) are caused by defects in the beta-cell adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-sensitive potassium channel and usually require pancreatectomy to control blood sugar levels. In contrast to the recent advances in understanding the pathophysiology and genetic bases of HI, the histologic classification of this condition remains controversial. A recent proposal to classify the HI pancreata into diffuse and focal forms has drawn much interest because of its relative simplicity and its good correlation with the genetic abnormalities. We undertook a retrospective study to determine whether this classification scheme could be applied to 38 pancreata resected for HI at our institution. We also obtained leukocyte genomic DNA from 29 cases and screened the exons of ABCC8 and KCNJ11 genes for the presence of mutations. Nineteen cases (50.0%) were histologically classified as diffuse HI and 14 cases (36.8%) were categorized as focal form. The mutational analysis revealed that 14 of the 16 diffuse cases analyzed had either homozygous or compound heterozygous mutations of ABCC8 or KCNJ11 and 7 of 10 focal cases had only the paternally inherited mutations, consistent with the previous observations. Two patients (5.3%) had normal pancreatic histology but had persistent hypoglycemia postoperatively, leaving the possibility of residual focal lesion. Three of 38 cases (7.9%) did not fit well into either diffuse or focal category. Two cases differed from the described pattern for the diffuse form in that the nuclear enlargement was confined to a single area of the pancreas. The other case had a focal lesion but beta-cell nuclear enlargement was present in nonadjacent areas. Mutations for typical diffuse or focal HI were not identified in two of these three equivocal cases. We conclude from this study that nearly 90% of HI cases can be classified into either a diffuse or a focal form. However, a small percentage of cases represented a diagnostic challenge.

How to Evaluate the Impact of CCTV on Crime

The main aim of this paper is to specify how researchers could carry out high-quality evaluations of the effect of CCTV on crime rates. Five criteria of methodological quality are described: statistical conclusion validity, internal validity, construct validity, external validity and descriptive validity. The quality of CCTV evaluations can be assessed using the Maryland scientific methods scale. The minimum acceptable evaluation design is to have before and after measures of crime in experimental and comparable control areas. Desirable features of future evaluations include using several experimental and control areas, conducting a randomized experiment, carrying out surveys of potential victims and potential offenders, having a long time series of crime rates before and after CCTV, measuring displacement and diffusion of benefits by using adjacent and non-adjacent control areas, testing hypotheses about mediators and moderators, carefully measuring features of the CCTV scheme and features of persons and settings, having independent evaluators and carrying out cost-benefit analysis.

Model Testing of Users' Comprehension in Graphical Animation: The Effect of Speed and Focus Areas

Graphics provide a means of displaying large numbers of data points at one time. Multidimensional graphs are used for recognizing trends and analyzing a business environment for decision making. When several images are shown in an ordered sequence, an animated display is created. As the use of graphical, animated displays becomes more prevalent for business analysis and decision making, a better understanding of the conditions under which these displays are useful is needed. This research presents a model of animation speed setting based on Bloch's law of temporal summation; rapid, sequential, visual presentation; and eye movement timings. The model was tested in a laboratory experiment. The experimental results indicate that the model can be used to determine animation speed but only within the limits of human comprehension. Response accuracy to basic comparison questions was highest when the number of nonadjacent areas viewed on the display was 1 or 2. Based on these findings, a revised model is presented as well as a new guideline for interface design.

Multiple Mechanisms Support Oligoclonal T Cell Expansion in Rheumatoid Synovitis

The synovial T cell infiltrate in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is diverse but contains clonally expanded CD4+ populations. Recent reports have emphasized that RA patients have a tendency to develop CD4+ T cell oligoclonality which also manifests in the peripheral blood. Clonal dominance in the tissue may thus result from antigen specific stimulation in the synovial membrane or may reflect the infiltration of expanded clonotypes present throughout the lymphoid system. We have explored to what extent clonal populations amongst tissue CD4+ T cells display joint specificity as defined by their restriction to the joint, their persistence over time, and their expression of markers indicative for local activation. Matched samples of peripheral blood and synovial fluid or synovial tissue were collected from 14 patients with active RA and CD4+ IL-2R+ and CD4+ IL-2R- T cells from both compartments were purified. Clonal populations of CD4+ T cells were detected by RT-PCR amplification of T cell receptor (TCR) transcripts with BV and BJ specific primers followed by size fractionation and direct sequencing of dominant size classes of TCR transcripts. Clonal CD4+ T cells were detected in the synovial fluid and synovial tissue of all patients. All patients carried synovial clonotypes that were undetectable in the blood but were present in independent joints or at several non-adjacent areas of the same joint. These joint restricted CD4+ clonotypes were generally small in size, were preferentially found in the IL-2R+ subpopulation, and persisted over time. A second type of clonogenic T cells in the synovial infiltrate had an unrestricted tissue distribution and was present at similar frequencies amongst activated and nonactivated T cells in the blood and affected joints. Ubiquitous clonotypes isolated from two different patients expressed sequence homologies of the TCR beta chain. Two types of expanded CD4+ clonotypes contribute to the T cell infiltrate in rheumatoid synovitis. Differences in the distribution pattern and in molecular features suggest that distinct mechanisms are supporting the clonal outgrowth of these two groups of clonotypes. Clonally expanded T cells restricted to the joint but present in several independent joints appear to respond to locally residing antigens. Clonogenic cells with an unrestricted distribution pattern and widespread activation in the blood and tissue may react to a different class of antigens which appear to be shared by multiple patients. T cell recognition in RA may be involved at several different levels and may be related to more than one pathomechanism.

Wildlife conservation in urban greenways of the mid-southeastern United States

Goals related to wildlife conservation are stated or implied in many urban greenway plans, but the actual wildlife conservation value of urban greenways is unclear. We surveyed 72 km. of greenway consisting of 38 different greenway segments in six cities in the mid-southeastern United States to determine the presence or absence of red fox (Vulpes vulpes), grey fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), and to assess characteristics of the greenways and adjacent lands that might promote or limit the presence of these species in each greenway. We focused on fox and deer because these mammals, while habitat generalists, require diverse habitats within close proximity, and are more sensitive to human disturbance and have larger territories than the majority of urban wildlife in this region. Thus, they can serve as indicator species for these habitat values in urban greenways in the southeastern United States. Field observations and scent station inventories revealed that only 18 of the 38 greenway segments had either fox or deer, 12 had only fox, 6 had fox and deer, and none had deer alone. Greenway segments with more forest cover, wider corridors, greater amounts of adjacent natural or seminatural habitat, and forest connectivity between greenways and nonadjacent natural areas were more likely to have fox or deer present. Characteristics associated with fox and deer presence were not independent of each other. Because greenways with such characteristics tend to be surrounded by less urban areas, adjacent land use is a good predictor of fox and deer presence in the surveyed greenways. Whether greenways that are beneficial to fox and deer can be developed in urban settings is strongly site specific, because the greenway variables that appear most essential to these species are often dictated by the preexisting urban form and the vegetation in the vicinity of the greenway. Because the wildlife conservation value of urban greenways depends greatly on factors external to the greenway, greenways that have fox and deer present today may be particularly vulnerable to future changes in surrounding land use.

Use of peripheral electrography to evaluate synchronism of electrical activity in different parts of the gastrointestinal tract

Use of the technique of peripheral electrography to study electrical activity in various parts of the gastrointestinal tract in dogs after fasting and during digestion is described, and it is shown that a computerized spectral analysis of peripheral electrograms makes it possible to monitor the cycle of fasting periodic gastrointestinal activity. In the process of digestion, the cycle of fasting periodic activity is disrupted and nonadjacent areas of the gastrointestinal tract exhibit synchronous electrical activity.

Indo-Pacific coral biogeography: a case study from the Acropora selago group

We develop species-level biogeographic hypotheses for Acropora, the largest extant coral genus and the dominant scleractinian coral of Indo-Pacific reefs, based on morphometric and phylogenetic analyses of the Acropora selago group. Fourteen morphometric characters differentiated species from this group with an accuracy of 95%. When the Tukey test was administered, 11 of these characters displayed nonoverlapping subsets. The most resolved phylogenetic tree resulted from an analysis based on both morphometric and qualitative characters. Cladistic-biogeographic analysis using this tree and areas derived from species-distribution patterns showed that species with the greatest degree of endemism within the A. selago group possess the most derived character states, while the most primitive species (A. yongei) is the most widespread. Within the range of the group, four areas are recognised: (1) the Red Sea, (2) western to central Indian Ocean, (3) eastern Indian Ocean and (4) western to central Pacific Ocean. Species ranges overlap in a stepwise fashion from west to east. Areas adjacent to one another are biogeographically more closely related than non-adjacent areas. Whilst we offer a scenario for the history of distribution patterns of the A. selago group, we propose that biogeographical hypotheses based on Acropora be tested using a number of different species-groups. Similar distributional ranges for other Acropora species-groups, as well as separate distributional ranges for further groups, suggest that Acropora will provide an appropriate taxon to examine the biogeography of the tropical marine realm.

Unilateral Dermatomal Superficial Telangiectasia

A three-year-old boy with unilateral dermatomal superficial telangiectasia (UDST) is the first reported case with skin lesions in two non-adjacent areas (dermatomal areas of Trigeminal2 and L4-5). In this case, onset occurred at an early age, the onset was eight months after an operation, and the liver function was normal; therefore we believe it is congenital, even though the patient had undergone an extensive right hepatectomy to remove a hamartoma in his liver at the age of four months.