Stereochemistry of Vanadium Peroxido Complexes: The Case of the Quinoline-2-carboxylato Ligand.

A new mononuclear vanadium peroxido complex [VO(O)()()]·HO () exhibiting an unprecedented isomerism of its ligands was isolated from a two-component water-acetonitrile solvent system. DFT computations aimed at inspecting the stability of all possible isomers of complexes [VO(O)()()], where and are NN+ON, OO+ON, NN+OO, and ON+ON donor atom set ligands, suggested that every complex characterized so far was the one preferred thermodynamically. However, the particular case of complex [VO(O)()()] reported herein poses a notable exception to this rule, as this complex yielded single crystals of the isomer with total energy above the anticipated isomer, although both of these isomers could be observed concurrently in solution and also in the solid state.

Thymectomy for Myasthenia Gravis: Complete Stable Remission and Associated Prognostic Factors in Over 1000 Cases.

The efficacy of thymectomy and the optimal surgical technique in the treatment of myasthenia gravis (MG) remain controversial. Long-term outcomes are lacking and remission rates are based on small populations. We reviewed our institutional experience of thymectomy for MG focusing on long-term outcomes, complete stable remission (CSR), improvement of symptoms, after transcervical, transsternal, thoracotomy, and VATS thymectomy.

Laryngeal Electromyographic findings in patients with vocal fold motion asymmetry.

Objectives/hypothesis: Vocal fold motion asymmetry (VFMA) is often attributed to vocal fold paresis or an anatomical variant. Although laryngeal electromyography (LEMG) may be used to evaluate patients with vocal fold paresis, electrodiagnostic findings in VFMA have not been well defined.

Study Design: Review of a case series

Methods: Twenty-five symptomatic patients with VFMA were examined by LEMG, and the findings were analyzed.

Analysis of laryngoscopic features in patients with unilateral vocal fold paresis.

Objectives/hypothesis: The diagnosis of paresis in patients with vocal fold motion impairment remains a challenge. More than 27 clinical parameters have been cited that may signify paresis. We hypothesize that some features are more significant than others.

Interrater Reliability in Analysis of Laryngoscopic Features for Unilateral Vocal Fold Paresis.

Objective: The diagnosis of paresis in patients with vocal fold motion impairment remains a challenge. In particular, laryngoscopy examination may result in significant disagreement in diagnosis among providers. We hypothesize that systematically evaluating for a standard set of clinical parameters will increase the diagnostic concordance among providers.

Modular mechatronic system for stationary bicycles interfaced with virtual environment for rehabilitation.

Background: Cycling has been used in the rehabilitation of individuals with both chronic and post-surgical conditions. Among the challenges with implementing bicycling for rehabilitation is the recruitment of both extremities, in particular when one is weaker or less coordinated. Feedback embedded in virtual reality (VR) augmented cycling may serve to address the requirement for efficacious cycling; specifically recruitment of both extremities and exercising at a high intensity.

The reasons for the recent decline in young driver licensing in the United States.

Objective: This survey examined why a substantial percentage of young adults currently do not have a driver's license and the future plans of this group concerning obtaining a license.

Method: A questionnaire was developed to examine several issues related to an individual's decision not to obtain a driver's license. An online survey was conducted, yielding useable responses from 618 persons aged 18 to 39 without a driver's license.

SQUID: sensorized shirt with smartphone interface for exercise monitoring and home rehabilitation.

Stroke is a leading cause of serious long-term disability in the United States. There is a need for new technological adjuncts to expedite patients' scheduled discharge from hospital and pursue rehabilitation procedure at home. SQUID is a low-cost, smart shirt that incorporates a six-channel electromyography (EMG) and heart rate data acquisition module to deliver objective audiovisual and haptic biofeedback to the patient.

Feasibility of virtual reality augmented cycling for health promotion of people poststroke.

Background And Purpose: A virtual reality (VR) augmented cycling kit (VRACK) was developed to address motor control and fitness deficits of individuals with chronic stroke. In this article, we report on the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of using the VR augmented cycling kit to improve cardiorespiratory (CR) fitness of individuals in the chronic phase poststroke.

Methods: Four individuals with chronic stroke (47-65 years old and ≥3 years poststroke), with residual lower extremity impairments (Fugl-Meyer 24-26/34), who were limited community ambulators (gait speed range 0.

Female drivers in the United States, 1963-2010: from a minority to a majority?

Objective: This study examined the changes in the relative proportions of male and female drivers between 1963 and 2010.

Method: The analysis used data from the Federal Highway Administration.

Results: During the period examined, the proportion of male drivers has gradually decreased.

A note: the changing gender demographics of U.S. drivers.

Objective: This study examined recent trends in gender differences in the percentage of persons with driver's licenses as a function of age by comparing data from 2010 and 1995.

Method: The analysis used data from the Federal Highway Administration and the U.S.

Update: Percentage of young persons with a driver's license continues to drop.

In two previous studies, we have shown that in several countries, including the United States, the percentage of young persons with a driver's license has recently decreased substantially. In this update, we extend the analysis for the United States--originally performed for 1983 and 2008-through 2010 by using driver-license and general-population data from the Federal Highway Administration and the U.S.

Recent changes in the age composition of drivers in 15 countries.

Objective: This study examined the recent changes in the percentage of persons with a driver's license in 15 countries as a function of age.

Method: The countries included were Canada, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Israel, Japan, Latvia, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States.

Results: The results indicate 2 patterns of change over time.

Recent changes in the age composition of U.S. drivers: implications for the extent, safety, and environmental consequences of personal transportation.

Objective: This study examined the changes in the United States from 1983 to 2008 in the percentage of persons with driver's licenses as a function of age.

Method: The analysis used data from the Federal Highway Administration on driver's licenses by age.

Results: (1) Over the past 25 years, there was a substantial decrease in the percentage of young people with a driver's license and a substantial increase in the percentage of older people with a driver's license.

An analysis of U.S. road fatalities per population: changes by age from 1958 to 2008.

Objective: This article presents a time-series analysis of changes in road safety in the United States from a public-health point of view.

Method: A 50-year period was examined, from 1958 to 2008. The emphasis was on the changes by decades in fatalities per population across different age groups.

Toward understanding on-road interactions of male and female drivers.

Objective: This study examined gender effects in six geometric scenarios of 2-vehicle crashes in which an involved driver could potentially ascertain the gender of the other driver prior to the crash.

Method: The actual frequencies of different combinations of the involved male and female drivers in these crash scenarios were compared with the expected frequencies if there were no gender interactions. The expected frequencies were based on annual distance driven for personal travel by male and female drivers.

A preliminary analysis of traffic crashes by out-of-state drivers.

Objective: This study was designed to investigate the relationship between the involvement of out-of-state drivers in fatal crashes and each US state's fatality rate per distance driven.

Method: Two analyses were performed. In the first analysis, we examined the percentages of out-of-state drivers among those involved in fatal crashes using the data from the Fatal Analysis Reporting System (FARS).

Image analysis for classification of dysplasia in Barrett's esophagus using endoscopic optical coherence tomography.

Barrett's esophagus (BE) and associated adenocarcinoma have emerged as a major health care problem. Endoscopic optical coherence tomography is a microscopic sub-surface imaging technology that has been shown to differentiate tissue layers of the gastrointestinal wall and identify dysplasia in the mucosa, and is proposed as a surveillance tool to aid in management of BE. In this work a computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system has been demonstrated for classification of dysplasia in Barrett's esophagus using EOCT.

Patient specific ankle-foot orthoses using rapid prototyping.

Background: Prefabricated orthotic devices are currently designed to fit a range of patients and therefore they do not provide individualized comfort and function. Custom-fit orthoses are superior to prefabricated orthotic devices from both of the above-mentioned standpoints. However, creating a custom-fit orthosis is a laborious and time-intensive manual process performed by skilled orthotists.

Congenital myasthenic syndrome associated with epidermolysis bullosa caused by homozygous mutations in PLEC1 and CHRNE.

Mutations in the plectin gene (PLEC1) cause epidermolysis bullosa simplex (EBS), which may associate with muscular dystrophy (EBS-MD) or pyloric atresia (EBS-PA). The association of EBS with congenital myasthenic syndrome (CMS) is also suspected to result from PLEC1 mutations. We report here a consanguineous patient with EBS and CMS for whom mutational analysis of PLEC1 revealed a homozygous 36 nucleotide insertion (1506_1507ins36) that results in a reduced expression of PLEC1 mRNA and plectin in the patient muscle.

Toward understanding the recent large reductions in U.S. road fatalities.

Background: From 2005 to 2009, U.S. road fatalities dropped by 22 percent (from 43,510 to 33,963).

EUS compared with endoscopy plus transabdominal US in the initial diagnostic evaluation of patients with upper abdominal pain.

Background: Primary upper endoscopy (EGD) and transabdominal US (TUS) are often performed in patients with upper abdominal pain.

Objective: Primary: Determine whether the combination of EGD and EUS was equivalent to EGD plus TUS in the diagnostic evaluation of upper abdominal pain. Secondary: Compare EUS versus TUS in detecting abdominal lesions, and compare EGD by using an oblique-viewing echoendoscope versus the standard, forward-viewing endoscope in detecting mucosal lesions.