Comparison of the trunk-pelvis and lower extremities sagittal plane inter-segmental coordination and variability during walking in persons with and without chronic low back pain

Inter-segmental coordination can be influenced by chronic low back pain (CLBP). The sagittal plane lower extremities inter-segmental coordination pattern and variability, in conjunction with the pelvis and trunk, were assessed in subjects with and without non-specific CLBP during free-speed walking. Kinematic data were collected from 10 non-specific CLBP and 10 non-CLBP control volunteers while the subjects were walking at their preferred speed. Sagittal plane time-normalized segmental angles and velocities were used to calculate continuous relative phase for each data point. Mean absolute relative phase (MARP) and deviation phase (DP) were derived to quantify the trunk-pelvis and bilateral pelvis-thigh, thigh-shank and shank-foot coordination pattern and variability over the stance and swing phases of gait. Mann-Whitney U test was employed to compare the means of DP and MARP values between two groups (same side comparison). Statistical analysis revealed more in-phase/less variable trunk-pelvis coordination in the CLBP group (P < 0.05). CLBP group demonstrated less variable right or left pelvis-thigh coordination pattern (P < 0.05). Moreover, the left thigh-shank and left shank-foot MARP values in the CLBP group, were more in-phase than left MARP values in the non-CLBP control group during the swing phase (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the sagittal plane lower extremities, pelvis and trunk coordination pattern and variability could be generally affected by CLBP during walking. These changes can be possible compensatory strategies of the motor control system which can be considered in the CLBP subjects.     

运动技能水平与躯体感觉输入对运动表象的影响

运动表象质量与运动技能水平有关,运动表象质量随着运动技能水平的提高而上升。器械使用可使人脑产生可塑性改变,使用者会将器械纳入身体图式。然而,两者影响运动表象的神经心理机制还不清楚。本研究采用功能性磁共振成像探析篮球运动员与新手在不同持球条件下表象投篮时脑功能活动的差异。结果表明运动员表象质量较好,镜像神经系统激活高于新手;持球条件下运动员表象质量显著高于不持球条件下,镜像神经系统激活程度显著低于不持球条件下。研究说明持器械可以显著提高运动员的表象质量,器械使用带来镜像神经系统的可塑性变化。     

Scrutinizing the Emotional Nature of Intuitive Coherence Judgments

Dual‐system models propose that cognitive processing can occur either intuitively or deliberately. Unlike deliberate decision strategies, intuitive ones are assumed to have an emotional component attached to the decision process. We tested if intuitive decisions are indeed accompanied by an emotional response while deliberate decisions are not. Specifically, we conducted a psychophysiological study in which participants were instructed to decide either intuitively or deliberately if three simultaneously presented words were semantically coherent or incoherent (triad task). The degree of emotionality of these two decision strategies (intuitive vs. deliberate) was compared using changes in electrodermal activity (EDA) and the reaction time (RT) effect of an affective priming paradigm as primary measurements. Based on a valence‐arousal model, our results revealed that intuitive and deliberate judgments do not differ as to their emotional valence but that they do differ in emotional arousal. Most notably, sympathetic activation during intuitive judgments was significantly lower compared to sympathetic activation during deliberate judgments. Our results reflect that a relaxed state of mind—manifested in low sympathetic activity—could underlie the holistic processing that is assumed to facilitate the proliferation of semantic associations during coherence judgments. This suggests that coherence judgments made under an (instructed) intuitive decision mode have a specific psychophysiological signature and that arousal is the differentiating component between intuitive and deliberate decision strategies. © 2016 The Authors Journal of Behavioral Decision Making Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

Underdetermination and provability: a reply to Olaf Müller

Newton claims to have proven the heterogeneity of light through his experimentum crucis. However, Olaf Müller has worked out in detail Goethe’s idea that one could likewise prove the heterogeneity of darkness by inverting Newton’s famous experiment. Müller concludes that this invalidates Newton’s claim of proof. Yet this conclusion only holds if the heterogeneity of light and the heterogeneity of darkness is logically incompatible. This paper shows that this is not the case. Instead, in Quine’s terms, we have two logically compatible theories based on mutually irreducible theoretical terms. From a Quinean point of view, this does no harm to the provability of the corresponding statements.     

干预胆碱M受体对药物成瘾的影响及其与多巴胺的关系

药物成瘾是一类精神及行为障碍, 涉及到中枢神经系统的病变。毒蕈碱受体(Muscarinic receptor, M受体)属于胆碱能受体, 分5种亚型。行为学研究表明, 干预M受体能有效影响药物成瘾行为, 但其神经机制还亟待探索。阿片类药物与精神活性药物均能激活中枢多巴胺系统, 而M受体与多巴胺系统在多个脑区产生了交互作用。其中激动M2及M4受体抑制了多巴胺系统功能, 而激动M5受体增强了多巴胺系统功能, 与干预M2、M4、M5受体对药物成瘾行为的影响相对应。以上证据提示, 干预M受体可能通过影响多巴胺系统对药物成瘾起作用。     

胸腺功能的发现及其对免疫学发展的影响

19世纪60年代初,免疫系统的发现使免疫学的发展方向发生了革命性转变。在这场转变的过程中,胸腺功能的发现起到了重要的作用。详述了胸腺功能的发现过程,并进一步深入到免疫学思想史,讨论了这个发现如何影响了免疫学的历史进程。     

Experience-grounded semantics: a theory for intelligent systems

An experience-grounded semantics is introduced for an intelligent reasoning system, which is adaptive, and works with insufficient knowledge and resources. According to this semantics, truth and meaning are defined with respect to the experience of the system – the truth value of a statement indicates the amount of available evidence, and the meaning of a term indicates its experienced relations with other terms. The major difference between experience-grounded semantics and model-theoretic semantics is that the former does not assume the sufficiency of knowledge and resources. This approach provides new ideas to the solution of some important problems in cognitive science.     

Why do residents accept a demanding rule?: Fairness and social benefit as determinants of approval of a recycling system1,2

Abstract: This study examined why people accepted a demanding rule in a recycling system that was newly introduced in Nagoya City. We focused on two social psychological topics: social dilemmas and fairness. While the new system succeeded in reducing waste, it imposed a burden on citizens without providing incentives and sanctions. In a research survey, 1442 responses from a sample of 3000 (48% response rate) were obtained using a stratified sampling method. The results showed that the new recycling system was approved despite the demands placed on citizens, with a preference for more strict rules such as penalties and surveillance for noncompliance. The main determinants of approval of the new recycling system were social benefit and procedural fairness, whereas the main determinant of preference for strict rules was outcome fairness. We argue that (a) social benefit should be emphasized to facilitate cooperative behavior in a social dilemma situation and (b) the government should ensure sufficient discussion with citizens and acknowledgment of their opinions.     

仿生医学--一个新的医学理论体系的创立

医学发展呼唤原始性创新.大自然是人类创新的不竭源泉,国际上仿生学研究如火如荼.为了强化将仿生方法、仿生技术贯穿到科研创新的全过程,引导医学科技人员巧妙寻找源头创新,率先提出创立仿生医学体系,并初步建立起仿生医学的学科框架,以便更好地把握学科前沿和判断发展趋势,为我国在仿生医学学科领域的领先作用奠定重要基础.