Increased occurrence of pesticide residues on crops grown in protected environments compared to crops grown in open field conditions.

Crops grown under plastic-clad structures or in greenhouses may be prone to an increased frequency of pesticide residue detections and higher concentrations of pesticides relative to equivalent crops grown in the open field. To test this we examined pesticide data for crops selected from the quarterly reports (2004-2009) of the UK's Pesticide Residue Committee. Five comparison crop pairs were identified whereby one crop of each pair was assumed to have been grown primarily under some form of physical protection ('protected') and the other grown primarily in open field conditions ('open').

Quantitative studies of lower motor neuron degeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: evidence for exponential decay of motor unit numbers and greatest rate of loss at the site of onset.

Objective: To use our Bayesian method of motor unit number estimation (MUNE) to evaluate lower motor neuron degeneration in ALS.

Methods: In subjects with ALS we performed serial MUNE studies. We examined the repeatability of the test and then determined whether the loss of MUs was fitted by an exponential or Weibull distribution.

Bayesian statistical MUNE method.

We have developed a new method of motor unit number estimation (MUNE) for assessing diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We used data from the whole stimulus-response curve and then performed a Bayesian statistical analysis. The Bayesian method uses mathematical equations that express the basic elements of motor unit activation after electrical stimulation and allows for the sources of variability and uncertainty in this formulation.

Motor unit number estimation--a Bayesian approach.

All muscle contractions are dependent on the functioning of motor units. In diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), progressive loss of motor units leads to gradual paralysis. A major difficulty in the search for a treatment for these diseases has been the lack of a reliable measure of disease progression.

Noticeable, troublesome and objectionable limits of blur.

We investigated limits at which induced blur becomes noticeable, troublesome and objectionable. We used 15 cyclopleged subjects, a Badal optometer with lines of three high contrast letters as targets, 3-6 mm artificial pupils, and 0.0-0.