Stroke walking and balance characteristics via principal component analysis.

Balance impairment is associated gait dysfunction with several quantitative spatiotemporal gait parameters in patients with stroke. However, the link between balance impairments and joint kinematics during walking remains unclear. Clinical assessments and gait measurements using motion analysis system was conducted in 44 stroke patients.

Ensemble memory of a scene interacts with current perception regardless of attentional requirements.

How do we maintain a rich and stable perceptual experience across the entire visual scene, even when we are focusing on a subset of visual inputs? The current study explored this question by investigating whether the visual system processes summary statistics of multiple features regardless of task relevance, and how they interact with subsequent perception. To test the processing of multifeature summary statistics under different attentional requirements, we presented multiple Gabor patches with heterogeneous orientations/colors and asked participants to attend to a single feature dimension (Experiments 1 and 3) or a single item (Experiment 2) for the memory task. During the memory maintenance period (before memory response), we asked the participants to perform a discrimination task (Experiments 1 and 2) or a boundary localization task (Experiment 3) to test how the memory of the ensemble representation alters the subsequent perceptual experience.

The effect of masks on the emotion perception of a facial crowd.

The present study investigated the effect of facial masks on people's ability to perceive emotions in crowds. We presented faces with the bottom halves occluded by masks or full faces without occlusion. In two sequentially presented crowds, we varied the number of faces, emotional valence, and intensity of facial expressions, examining the impact of masks on the perception of crowd emotion.

Effects of community ambulation training with 3D-printed ankle-foot orthosis on gait and functional improvements: a case series of three stroke survivors.

Introduction: Many of the patients using ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) experience poor fit, pain, discomfort, dislike of the aesthetics of the device, and excessive range of motion restrictions, which diminish the use of AFOs. Although 3D-printed ankle-foot orthoses (3D-AFOs) affect patient satisfaction and overall gait functions such as ankle moment, joint range of motion (ROM), and temporal-spatial parameters, the material properties and manufacturing process of 3D-AFOs are still diverse; the clinical effects of community ambulation using 3D-AFOs and satisfaction in patients with stroke are poorly understood.

Case Description: Case 1: A 30-year-old man, with a history of right basal ganglia hemorrhage, presented with marked foot drop and genu recurvatum.

Bilateral ankle deformities affects gait kinematics in chronic stroke patients.

Objectives: Stroke patients suffer from ankle joint deformities due to spastic ankle muscles. This study evaluated the viability of using 3D scanned surface images of the feet of stroke victims to visually assess the deformities of a hemiparetic foot and investigated the influences of deformed ankle joints on gait kinematics.

Methods: A total of 30 subjects with stroke-induced hemiparesis and 11 age-matched healthy controls completed the clinical assessments.

Does electrical stimulation synchronized with ankle movements better improve ankle proprioception and gait kinematics in chronic stroke? A randomized controlled study.

Background: Individuals with stroke have impaired sensorimotor function of ankle.

Objective: To investigate the effects of passive biaxial ankle movement training synchronized with electrical stimulation therapy (AMT-EST) on ankle proprioception, passive range of motion (pROM), and strength, balance, and gait of chronic stroke patients.

Methods: Thirty-five stroke patients were randomized.

Ankle Proprioception Deficit Is the Strongest Factor Predicting Balance Impairment in Patients With Chronic Stroke.

Objective: To determine the main factor that predicts balance impairment in patients with chronic stroke.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Inpatient rehabilitation hospital and research laboratory.

Effects of bi-axial ankle strengthening on muscle co-contraction during gait in chronic stroke patients: A randomized controlled pilot study.

Introduction: Ankle dysfunction in patients with stroke is a common but serious cause of balance and gait impairments. However, comprehensive paretic ankle training seldom exists. Thus, we investigated the effects of a bi-axial ankle muscle training program using visual feedback as a means to improve ankle strength and performance of functional activities in patients with stroke.

Search termination when the target is absent: The prevalence of coarse processing and its intertrial influence.

The visual system can flexibly distribute attentional resources to search areas, with this reflected in the spatial scale of information processing. Visual processing can be either coarse at a global level, or fine at a local level. Previous studies showed the transition between these 2 modes, from coarse to fine, but it has been unclear when and how this occurs.

Impacts of Message Framing and Social Distance in Health Campaign for Promoting Regular Physical Exercise.

We investigated effects of message framing and social distance on individuals' attitude toward health campaign and behavioral intention. Individuals who read a gain-framed message had better attitude toward the campaign and higher level of behavioral intention than those who read a loss-framed message. Perceived benefits mediated the relationship between message framing and behavioral intention.

Decreased Respiratory Muscle Function Is Associated with Impaired Trunk Balance among Chronic Stroke Patients: A Cross-sectional Study.

The abdominal muscles play a role in trunk balance. Abdominal muscle thickness is asymmetrical in stroke survivors, who also have decreased respiratory muscle function. We compared the thickness of the abdominal muscles between the affected and less affected sides in stroke survivors.

Systematic Review of Appropriate Robotic Intervention for Gait Function in Subacute Stroke Patients.

The purpose of this study was to critically evaluate the effects of robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) on gait-related function in patients with acute/subacute stroke. We conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled trials published between May 2012 and April 2016. This search included 334 articles (Cochrane, 51 articles; Embase, 175 articles; PubMed, 108 articles).

The Effects of Double Oscillation Exercise Combined with Elastic Band Exercise on Scapular Stabilizing Muscle Strength and Thickness in Healthy Young Individuals: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of double oscillation exercise combined with elastic band exercise on the strength and thickness ratio of the scapular stabilizing muscles in healthy young individuals. A total of 30 subjects (17 male, 13 female) were randomly assigned to an elastic band exercise group (EBG) (n = 15) or an elastic band plus double oscillation exercise group (EB-DOG) (n = 15). A total of 28 subjects completed the experiment and evaluation.

The improvement in respiratory function by inspiratory muscle training is due to structural muscle changes in patients with stroke: a randomized controlled pilot trial.

Background: The changes effected by the inspiratory muscle training (IMT) on the structure of inspiratory muscles such as on the diaphragm, in patients with stroke, is unclear.

Objective: To investigate the effect of IMT on inspiratory function, diaphragm thickness, walking endurance, and fatigue in patients with stroke.

Methods: A total of 30 patients with stroke were randomized to either the experimental group or the control group.

Reliability and validity of a dual-probe personal computer-based muscle viewer for measuring the pennation angle of the medial gastrocnemius muscle in patients who have had a stroke.

Background A dual-probe personal computer-based muscle viewer (DPC-BMW) is advantageous in that it is relatively lightweight and easy to apply. Objective To investigate the reliability and validity of the DPC-BMW in comparison with those of a portable ultrasonography (P-US) device for measuring the pennation angle of the medial gastrocnemius (MG) muscle at rest and during contraction. Methods Twenty-four patients who had a stroke (18 men and 6 women) participated in this study.

Diaphragm Thickness and Inspiratory Muscle Functions in Chronic Stroke Patients.

BACKGROUND The aims of this study are to investigate the difference between the diaphragm thickness at end expiration and the thickness at total lung capacity (TLC), and to examine differences in inspiratory muscle function between stroke patients and healthy individuals. MATERIAL AND METHODS Forty-five stroke patients and 49 healthy volunteers were included in this study. Diaphragm thickness was measured at end expiration and at TLC by ultrasonography.

Promoting HPV Vaccination Online: Message Design and Media Choice.

We investigated the effects of message framing and online media channel on young adults' perceived severity of human papillomavirus (HPV), perceived barriers and benefits of getting HPV vaccination, and behavioral intention to get vaccinated. An experiment was conducted with 142 college students. We found an interaction effect: The loss-framed message posted on Facebook was more effective in increasing the number of people who expressed their willingness to get HPV vaccination than the gain-framed message presented on Facebook.

Association of bi-functional activity in the N-terminal domain of glycogen debranching enzyme.

Glycogen debranching enzyme (GDE) in mammals and yeast exhibits α-1,4-transferase and α-1,6-glucosidase activities within a single polypeptide chain and facilitates the breakdown of glycogen by a bi-functional mechanism. Each enzymatic activity of GDE is suggested to be associated with distinct domains; α-1,4-glycosyltransferase activity with the N-terminal domain and α-1,6-glucosidase activity with the C-terminal domain. Here, we present the biochemical features of the GDE from Saccharomyces cerevisiae using the substrate glucose(n)-β-cyclodextrin (Gn-β-CD).

Thermal decomposition mechanisms of methylamine, ethylamine, and 1-propylamine on Si(100)-2 × 1 surface.

The thermal decomposition reactions of methylamine, ethylamine, and 1-propylamine absorbed on Si(100)-2 × 1 surface were theoretically investigated. Eight decomposition channels were found leading to desorption products of imine, H(2), alkyl cyanide, ammonia, aziridine, alkene, azetidine, and cyclopropane, which supports the experimental assignments. Our mechanistic studies strongly suggest that the alkyl cyanide (hydrogen cyanide in the case of methylamine) channel is coupled with the hydrogen desorption step.

Gold(I)-catalyzed cycloisomerization of alkynyl hydroxyallyl tosylamides to 4-oxa-6-azatricyclo[3.3.0.0(2,8)]octanes.

Reaction of alkyne allyl alcohols tethered with N-(p-tolylsulfonamide) in the presence of a cationic gold(I) catalyst gave new cycloisomerization products, 4-oxa-6-azatricyclo[3.3.0.