Evaluation of applied forces and EMG of the young, aged & stroke population in a 3D arm workspace.

The objectives of this study were to evaluate 11 muscle electromyograms (EMGs) while performing force application tasks in a 3D workspace, and to identify challenging regions within the workspace in which subjects had difficultly generating forces in desired directions. Each subject (4 young healthy adults, 4 older with stroke-induced disability, 4 age-matched older) applied forces (8 lbs desired) in 6 directions at 19 locations spatially distributed in the workspace. The normals could meet the force threshold levels except for the 2 female aged participants for the Right force direction.

Genetic variation in cannabinoid receptor 1 (CNR1) is associated with derangements in lipid homeostasis, independent of body mass index.

Aims: In humans, genetic variation in endocannabinergic signaling has been associated with anthropometric measures of obesity. In randomized trials, pharmacological blockade at the level of the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CNR1) receptor not only facilitates weight reduction, but also improves insulin sensitivity and clinical measures of lipid homeostasis. We therefore tested the hypothesis that genetic variation in CNR1 is associated with common obesity-related metabolic disorders.

A Poisson-like model of sub-clinical signs from the examination of healthy aging subjects.

Background And Aims: Our studies of the standard neurological examination on 66 middle-aged (50-64 yrs) and elderly subjects (65-84 yrs) demonstrate that healthy elders have neurological deficits (or "signs") that are not associated with specific known neurological disease. The purpose of the current study is to describe this loss of neurological function in healthy aging subjects as seen through accumulated subclinical neurological signs present.

Methods: Logistic regression is applied to the data on each of six signs.

Four-shell ellipsoidal model employing multipole expansion in ellipsoidal coordinates.

Although the head is more closely represented as an ellipsoid than a sphere, calculation in ellipsoidal coordinates is difficult. This paper presents a four shell ellipsoidal model, employing multipole expansion in ellipsoidal coordinates, for EEG, MEG, and evoked potential applications. Computational detail and insight into efficient calculation of the Lamé functions of the first and second kind are provided to demonstrate feasibilty.

Major quantitative trait locus for resting heart rate maps to a region on chromosome 4.

Multiple studies have identified resting heart rate as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease independent of other cardiovascular disease risk factors (such as dyslipidemia and hypertension). Previous studies have examined heart rate in hypertensive individuals, but little is known about the genetic determination of resting heart rate in a normal population. Therefore, our objective was to perform a genome screen on a population containing normotensive and hypertensive individuals.