Answering questions with an electroencephalogram-based brain-computer interface

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate that humans can learn to control selected electroencephalographic components and use that control to answer simple questions. METHODS: Four adults (one with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) learned to use electroencephalogram (EEG) mu rhythm (8 to 12Hz) or beta rhythm (18 to 25Hz) activity over sensorimotor cortex to control vertical cursor movement to targets at the top or bottom edge of a video screen. In subsequent sessions, the targets were replaced with the words YES and NO, and individuals used the cursor to answer spoken YES/NO questions from single- or multiple-topic question sets. They confirmed their answers through the response verification (RV) procedure, in which the word positions were switched and the question was answered again. RESULTS: For 5 consecutive sessions after initial question training, individuals were asked an average of 4.0 to 4.6 questions per minute; 64% to 87% of their answers were confirmed by the RV procedure and 93% to 99% of these answers were correct. Performances for single- and multiple-topic question sets did not differ significantly. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that (1) EEG-based cursor control can be used to answer simple questions with a high degree of accuracy, (2) attention to auditory queries and formulation of answers does not interfere with EEG-based cursor control, (3) question complexity (at least as represented by single versus multiple-topic question sets) does not noticeably affect performance, and (4) the RV procedure improves accuracy as expected. Several options for increasing the speed of communication appear promising. An EEG-based brain-computer interface could provide a new communication and control modality for people with severe motor disabilities.     

The natural history of the cervical foramen in symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals aged 20-60 years as measured by magnetic resonance imaging. A descriptive approach

STUDY DESIGN: This study was intended to identify normal degenerative morphologic evolution in the bony foramen in asymptomatic subjects by decade in comparison with symptomatic subjects of like decades. OBJECTIVES: To determine normal degenerative changes in the cervical spine caused by the aging process that predispose a person to foraminal stenosis and radiculopathy. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Cervical radiculopathy is a common problem caused by degenerative changes as people age. The characteristics of the foramen that result in stenosis are not known. METHODS: Five to six symptomatic and asymptomatic people in each decade volunteered for magnetic resonance imaging. Lordosis, disc heights, and ratio of spinal cord diameter to spinal canal diameter were measured at C4-C5, C5-C6, and C6-C7 from sagittal magnetic resonance images. Foraminal heights, widths, and areas were measured at the isthmus of the same foramen from oblique images. RESULTS: Foraminal heights, widths, and areas were larger in asymptomatic patients than in symptomatic patients. Morphologic analysis showed that inferior facet hypertrophy tended to decrease the width of the foramen in aging people. Disc heights, lordosis, and ratio of spinal cord diameter to spinal canal diameter showed no significant differences. CONCLUSIONS: Foraminal height affects overall foraminal area but tends to change little with age. Width also affects overall area and not only decreases in older people but also significantly affects the available area for the exiting nerve root.     

Value of CT angiography for postoperative assessment of patients with iliac artery aneurysms who have received endovascular grafts

OBJECTIVE: To determine the pathologic outcome in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-seropositive individuals with nonspecific bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cytology. STUDY DESIGN: The study group consisted of 126 cytologically negative or nonspecific BAL specimens from HIV-seropositive adults. Concurrent microbial cultures and transbronchial biopsies, as well as subsequent pulmonary cytology, lung biopsy or autopsy results were reviewed. Additionally, the cytologic morphology of specimens from patients found to have a potential bacterial pathogen was reviewed. RESULTS: In the 126 cases with nonspecific BAL cytology, a potential pulmonary pathogen was identified from a concurrent or subsequent pathologic specimen in 27% of cases, while no pathogen was identified in 73% of cases. Bacteria and fungi were the most common pathogens identified. Microbial cultures alone identified the pathogen in 59% of cases, while transbronchial biopsy added information in only 9%. Specimens with marked acute inflammation often yielded bacterial pathogens on microbial culture. CONCLUSION: A potential pulmonary pathogen can be identified in 27% of HIV-seropositive individuals with negative BAL cytology using other diagnostic modalities. Bacterial pathogens are most common and are usually identified by microbial culture. Marked acute inflammation in a BAL specimen is often associated with bacterial pneumonia.     

Antibodies to beta2-glycoprotein I in systemic lupus erythematosus: new laboratory marker of antiphospholipid syndrome

Antibodies to beta 2-glycoprotein in the serum of patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) were found by many investigators, but their results appeared contraversional. We studied clinical significance of antibodies to beta 2-glycoprotein I (anti-beta 2-GPI) in patients with SLE. 69 patients with verified SLE were examined for lupus anticoagulant (LA), antibodies to cardiolipin (aCL) and anti-beta 2-GPI. 44(65%), 46(67%), 49(71%), 19(28%), 16(23%) patients were positive for LA, IgG-aCL, IgM-aCL, IgG-anti-beta 2-GPI and IgM-anti-beta 2-GPI, respectively. Hyperproduction of IgG-anti-beta 2-GPI correlated with APS development as a whole, its separate clinical symptoms (venous and arterial thromboembolism, obstetric pathology and thrombocytopenia) and some comcomitant clinical signs (trophic crural ulcer, hemolytic anemia, valvular heart disorders). Moreover, an increase in concentration of IgM-anti-beta 2-GPI was associated with habitual abortion. Both isotypes of anti-beta 2-GPI occurred more frequently in the sera positive by LA and aCL. It is interesting that we discovered IgG-anti-beta 2-GPI more often in early than late postthrombolytic period. Thus, anti-2b2-GPI is a new serological marker of APS. Its detection is clinically important for upgrading diagnosis of APS.     

Cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and chronic oral tegafur modulated by folinic acid in the treatment of patients with advanced breast carcinoma

BACKGROUND/AIMS/METHODS: The distribution characteristics of a human colon carcinoma cell line, KM12-HX cells, were examined. After intraportal vein (i.p.v.) or intravenous (i.v.) injection into rats, almost all the injected tumor cells are distributed to liver or lung, respectively, both after 30 s and 30 min. Our previous kinetic analysis of the fate of tumor cells revealed that the cumulative amount of tumor cells distributed in the liver is a factor determining the degree of metastasis. Thus, we examined the mechanism of initial efficient trapping of tumor cells by the liver in more detail. RESULTS: Thirty minutes after tumor cells were injected into the left ventricle of the heart, the distribution of tumor cells was more restricted in several tissues (kidney, small intestine, large intestine and spleen), as compared with the distribution of microspheres undergoing 100% extraction, indicating that the first-pass extraction of KM12-HX cells is incomplete in these organs. The hepatic first-pass distribution of these tumor cells was unaffected by pretreatment of liposomes, such that the preinjected amount was sufficient to saturate the phagocytotic function of macrophages. Thus, the mechanism of initial distribution of the tumor cells to the liver is different from the mechanism of liposome uptake by macrophages. Considering that the diameter of microvessels in sinusoid and KM12-HX cells is approximately 7 and 12 microm, respectively, it is possible that these tumor cells are trapped physically in hepatic microvessels. In fact, after i.p.v. injection of microspheres 5 microm in diameter, only 20% of the dose was distributed to liver and the rest to other tissues. In contrast, almost 100% of microspheres 10 microm in diameter were distributed to the liver. CONCLUSIONS: These results support the hypothesis that the initial organ distribution of blood-borne tumor cells is determined by mechanical and physical properties of the cells.     

Butylated hydroxytoluene modulates DNA methylation in rats

This study was a replication of an earlier Cochran & Ganong study that investigated the perception of nurses and patients regarding the stressors faced by patients in the intensive care unit environment. As the original study was American in origin, one of the aims of the present study was to discover if the results would be replicated in a United Kingdom (UK) intensive care unit. Data collection was by the use of an environmental stress questionnaire that was an adaptation of the original data collection tool modified for use in a UK intensive care unit. The study was undertaken in two intensive care units producing a sample size of 71 patients and 71 nurses. There appears to be a wide variation in the perception of nurses and patients regarding the stress faced by patients in the intensive care unit. Similarities were noted between subject groups as to the nature of the stressors, although nurses tended to rate items over which they believed they had control as being more stressful than did the patients. Patients tended to rate items related to their illness and physical comfort as being most stressful. The results are in keeping with those from the Cochran & Ganong study.     

燃烧合成熔化制备块体纳米结构材料和金属间化合物基复合材料及其摩擦学性能

利用燃烧合成熔化技术在300℃以上加温以及惰性气氛保护条件下熔化制备了晶粒尺寸小于10 nm、厚度大于3 mm、具有优异力学和抗磨损性能的NiaAl,FeaAl,WGx块体纳米结构材料,并且利用此法制备了微观组织特征良好、增强相含量可在较大范围内调整,且具有良好力学和抗磨损性能的陶瓷相增强的铝化物、硅化物基复合材料.燃烧合成熔化技术具有低能耗、低污染和生产效率高等优点.对几类金属间化合物摩擦学性能的研究表明,其磨损性能具有反温度和速度效应,即随温度、速度的升高其磨损量反而下降,磨损机理以微断裂、疲劳磨损为主;复合化、纳米化是提高其抗磨性的有效途径.     

Structure of a highly acidic O-specific polysaccharide of lipopolysaccharide of Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis KMM 223 (44-1) containing L-iduronic acid and D-QuiNHb4NHb

An acidic O-specific polysaccharide was obtained by mild acid degradation of the lipopolysaccharide isolated by phenol-water extraction of Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis strain KMM 223 (44-1). L-Iduronic acid (IdoA) was found to be a component of the polysaccharide and identified by NMR spectroscopy and after carboxyl-reduction followed by acid hydrolysis and acetylation, by GLC-MS as 2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-1,6-anhydroidose. On the basis of 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopic studies, including 1D NOE, 2D NOESY, HSQC and HMBC experiments, the following structure of the branched pentasaccharide repeating unit of the polysaccharide was established: -->4)-beta-D-GlcpAI-(1-->4)-beta-D-GlcpAII-(1-->3)-beta-D-++ +QuipNHb4NHbII- (1-->2)-alpha-L-IdopA-(-->4 increases 1 alpha-D-QuipNAc4NAcI where QuiNAc4NAc and QuiNHb4NHb are 2,4-diacetamido-2,4,6-trideoxyglucose and 2,4,6-tri-deoxy-2,4- di[(S)-3-hydroxybutyramido]glucose, respectively. This is the first report of L-iduronic acid in a lipopolysaccharide and of D-QuiNHb4NHb in nature.