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Unified framework for anisotropic interpolation and smoothing of diffusion tensor images.

To enhance the performance of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)-based fiber tractography, this study proposes a unified framework for anisotropic interpolation and smoothing of DTI data. The critical component of this framework is an anisotropic sigmoid interpolation kernel which is adaptively modulated by the local image intensity gradient profile. The adaptive modulation of the sigmoid kernel permits image smoothing in homogeneous regions and meanwhile guarantees preservation of structural boundaries. The unified scheme thus allows piece-wise smooth, continuous and boundary preservation interpolation of DTI data, so that smooth fiber tracts can be tracked in a continuous manner and confined within the boundaries of the targeted structure. The new interpolation method is compared with conventional interpolation methods on the basis of fiber tracking from synthetic and in vivo DTI data, which demonstrates the effectiveness of this unified framework.

Algorithms↗

Local velocity representation: evidence from motion adaptation.

Adaptation to a moving visual pattern induces shifts in the perceived motion of subsequently viewed moving patterns. Explanations of such effects are typically based on adaptation-induced sensitivity changes in spatio-temporal frequency tuned mechanisms (STFMs). An alternative hypothesis is that adaptation occurs in mechanisms that independently encode direction and speed (DSMs). Yet a third possibility is that adaptation occurs in mechanisms that encode 2D pattern velocity (VMs). We performed a series of psychophysical experiments to examine predictions made by each of the three hypotheses. The results indicate that: (1) adaptation-induced shifts are relatively independent of spatial pattern of both adapting and test stimuli; (2) the shift in perceived direction of motion of a plaid stimulus after adaptation to a grating indicates a shift in the motion of the plaid pattern, and not a shift in the motion of the plaid components; and (3) the 2D pattern of shift in perceived velocity radiates away from the adaptation velocity, and is inseparable in speed and direction of motion. Taken together, these results are most consistent with the VM adaptation hypothesis.

Adaptation, Ocular↗

Position-specific adaptation in complex cell receptive fields of the cat striate cortex.

1. Responses of complex cells in cat striate cortex were studied with flashed light slit stimuli. The responses to slits flashed in different positions in the receptive field were assessed quantitatively before and after periods of prolonged stimulation of one small region of the receptive field. This type of prolonged stimulation resulted in reduced responsivity over a limited zone within the complex cell receptive field. 2. The adaptation-induced responsivity decrement was generally observed in both the ON and OFF response profiles but could also be restricted to one or the other. In general, the magnitude of the response decrements was greatest in the ON response profiles. The adaptation-induced response decrement did not necessarily spread throughout the receptive field but was restricted to a small region surrounding the adapted receptive field position (RFP). Adaptation spread equally widely across the ON and OFF response profiles despite the smaller adaptation effects in the OFF profile. 3. The adaptation effects from repeated stimulation at a single RFP did not spread symmetrically across the receptive field, and a given cell's preferred direction of motion indicated the direction of the asymmetric spread of the adaptation. RFPs that would be stimulated by a light slit originating at the point of adaptation and moving in the preferred direction (preferred side) showed greater adaptation-induced response decrements than did RFPs that would be stimulated by a light slit moving in the opposite direction from the point of adaptation (nonpreferred side). There was significant enhancement of responses at some RFPs on the non-preferred side of the point of adaptation. This asymmetric spread of adaptation could be caused by adaptation of inhibitory connections that contribute to complex cell direction selectivity. 4. The asymmetry of adaptation was significantly different for the ON and OFF response profiles. The asymmetric spread of adaptation for the ON response profile was similar to that observed previously in simple cells with greater decrements in the preferred direction side of the point of adaptation. However, the OFF response profiles showed less directional asymmetry in the spread of adaptation and showed greater decrements at RFPs in the nonpreferred direction side of the point of adaptation. 5. The similarity between the spread of adaptation in simple and complex cells suggests that the adaptation in these cells is occurring through a common mechanism. The directional asymmetry of the spread of adaptation is likely due to a local postsynaptic mechanism of adaptation rather than presynaptic transmitter depletion.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Implementation of evidence-based medicine: evaluation of the Promoting Action on Clinical Effectiveness programme.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the Promoting Action on Clinical Effectiveness (PACE) programme, which sought to implement clinically effective practice in 16 local sites. METHODS: 182 semi-structured interviews, usually by telephone, with project team members, clinicians, and senior managers and representatives from the Department of Health and the King's Fund. RESULTS: The most influential factors were strong evidence, supportive opinion leaders and integration within a committed organization; without these factors, projects had little chance of success. Other factors (context analysis, professional involvement and good project management) emerged as important, supporting processes; their presence might be an additional help, but on their own they would not be enough to initiate change. A serious problem with any of them could have a strong adverse impact. CONCLUSIONS: Although there is no simple formula for the factors that ensure successful implementation of research-based improvements to clinical practice, certain principles do seem to help. Time and resource need to be devoted to a period of local negotiation and adaptation of good research evidence based on a careful understanding of the local context, in which opinion leader influence is an important component of a well managed and preferably well integrated process of change.

Diffusion of Innovation↗

[Formation and reversal development of the local mechanisms of heart protection during adaptation to continuous stress].

Experiments with isolated rat hearts demonstrated that in the course of adaptation to continuous immobilized stress of moderate intensity (1, 5, and 15 days), the heart gradually (at day 15) formed the defense mechanism previously described, that is the adaptive structural stabilization phenomenon (ASSP). ASSP defends cardiac contractile function and has a powerful antiarrhythmic and cytoprotective effect in total ischemia, reperfusion, and under the action of toxic concentrations of calcium and catecholamines. The protective ASSP effect formed over 15 days of continuous stress proved to be steady-state, remaining for 15 days of adaptation cessation. Thus, during adaptation to continuous stress higher regulatory mechanisms determine the gradual development of a highly effective defense mechanism in the heart at the cellular level.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Contrast adaptation in striate cortical neurons of the nocturnal primate bush baby (Galago crassicaudatus).

It has been argued that in order for the visual system to detect edges accurately under a range of conditions, the visual system needs to adapt to the local contrast level to preserve sensitivity (Blakemore & Campbell, 1969). Cells in the primary visual cortex of cats adapt to stimuli with low to moderate contrast. Curiously, macaque monkey neurons in primary visual cortex (V1) do not show evidence for similar adaptation. To address the question of whether this differential sensitivity in contrast adaptation might be due to phylogenetic variation between cats and primates or to specializations for visual niche (e.g. nocturnal vs. diurnal), contrast adaptation to temporally and spatially optimized gratings was examined in 30 V1 cells of three nocturnal primate bush babies (Galago crassicaudatus). A second objective was to examine the relationship between the degree of contrast adaptation and cell classification or cell location relative to cortical layers or compartments [i.e. cytochrome-oxidase (CO) blobs and interblobs]. All cells were classified (simple vs. complex) and anatomically localized relative to cortical layers and cytochrome-oxidase (CO) blob and interblob compartments. Two independent measures of contrast adaptation were used. In the first test, contrast was sequentially increased from 3-56% and then decreased. The contrast required to maintain a half-maximum response amplitude in the 30 cells tested increased an average of 0.24 (+/- 0.12) log units during the sequential decrements in contrast. For the second test, four sets of five interleaved contrasts within +/- 1 octave of a central adapting contrast (10%, 14%, 20%, and 28%, respectively) were presented. The cells produced a mean adaptation index of 0.57 (+/- 0.47) which is very similar to that exhibited by cat cortical neurons (0.54 +/- 0.41). Interestingly, cells in interblobs showed a trend toward greater adaptation than did blob cells. Moreover, cells in the supragranular layers exhibited greater adaptation than cells in the infragranular layers. No significant differences in adaptation were found to correlate with other cell classification indices. Taken together, our results suggest that contrast adaptation may be more important for maintaining sensitivity in nocturnal species (primates or cats) than in diurnal species (macaque monkeys), and that in the nocturnal bush baby, cells in cortical layers and compartments may be differentially specialized for contrast adaptation.

Adaptation, Ocular↗

Adaptive template filtering for signal-to-noise ratio enhancement in magnetic resonance imaging.

In this paper, a local shape-adaptive template filtering is proposed for the enhancement of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) without the loss of resolution in magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Unlike conventional filtering, where the template shape and coefficients are fixed, multiple templates are defined in the proposed algorithm. An optimal template is selected and optimal filtering, based on the template, is applied on a pixel-by-pixel basis. Using the proposed process, edge blurring is minimized and SNR enhancement is maximized by selecting the optimally matched template. Compared to existing two-dimensional (2-D) adaptive linear least square error (LLSE) filters or direction-adaptive recursive filters, the proposed adaptive template filter provides higher SNR and sharper edges for both MR and artificial resolution phantom images.

Algorithms↗

Follow-up visits as a measure of adaptation process to removable prostheses.

OBJECTIVES: The paper was aimed to establish the influence of some general and local factors on adaptation process to removable prostheses (RPs). The adaptation process is a complex issue, which is often associated with painful reactions. Those complaints force patients to visit a dentist who makes alterations to reduce the patient's discomfort. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study involved analysis of 300 dental records of patients who visited our Department for RPs. The authors analysed the influence of gender, age, condition of general health, maintenance of the prosthetic base tissues and the kind of prostheses on the process of adaptation. It was measured by means of a number of follow-up visits of the patients to our polyclinic. The findings were analysed statistically by means of chi-squared test. The level of significance was assumed to be p < 0.05. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Adaptation to RPs without any correction was revealed by about one-fifth of patients. Men adapted to RPs better than women. The biggest problems with adaptation to RPs were observed in patients using a complete and partial prosthesis simultaneously. The number of follow-up visits by patients who were treated with RPs for the first time or had been treated before was almost the same. Adaptation of RPs on an atrophic muco-osseous ridge was associated with more multiple visits than in the case of a well-preserved ridge. Healthy patients adapt to RPs better than patients with systemic disorders. Taking into account the limitations of the study, the number of follow-up visits may be used as a helpful indicator of the adaptation process.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Ultrastuctural immunocytochemistry of calcium-binding proteins in rapidly-adapting avian mechanoreceptors.

The localization of the calcium-binding proteins (CaBPs) calbindin-D28K (CB) and parvalbumin (PV) in avian rapidly-adapting Herbst and Grandry sensory corpuscles was studied with the use of immunocytochemistry and monoclonal antibodies. Strongest immunostaining was detected in cells of the capsule in both receptor types. Staining was more pronounced in the vicinity of endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria in the perinuclear regions, whereas staining was distinct in pinocytotic vesicles in peripheral cytoplasmic lamellae. Fibroblasts and macrophages in the subcapsular space of Herbst receptors also showed strong immunostaining in organelles in perinuclear regions. Modified Schwann cells in both receptor types revealed moderately-expressed immunostaining, which was more pronounced in perinuclear regions. The various parts of the receptor nerve fibers showed weak to strong staining. The physiological roles of the investigated CaBPs may be associated with cytoplasmic calcium ion (Ca++) storage, which is necessary for either active metabolism in the immunostained structures and/or their transfer to sensory axonal regions where Ca++ channels are present.

Animals↗

A dose-escalation trial with the adaptive radiotherapy process as a delivery system in localized prostate cancer: analysis of chronic toxicity.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the validity of the chosen adaptive radiotherapy (ART) dose-volume constraints while testing the hypothesis that toxicity would not be greater at higher tumor dose levels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the ART dose escalation/selection trial, treatment was initiated with a generic planning target volume (PTV) formed as a 1-cm expansion of the clinical target volume (CTV). After the first week of therapy, the patient was replanned with a patient-specific PTV, constructed with CT and electronic portal images obtained in the first 4 days of treatment. A new multileaf collimator beam aperture was used. A minimum dose prescribed to the patient-specific PTV, ranging 70.2-79.2 Gy, was determined on the basis of the following rectal and bladder constraints: <5% of the rectal wall has a dose >82 Gy, <30% of the rectal wall has a dose >75.6 Gy, <50% of the bladder volume has a dose >75.6 Gy, and the maximum bladder dose is 85 Gy. A conformal four-field and/or intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) technique was used. Independent reviewers scored toxicities. The worst toxicity score seen was used as per the Common Toxicity Criteria grade scale (version 2). We divided the patients into three separate groups: 70.2-72 Gy, >72-75.6 Gy, and >75.6-79.2 Gy. Toxicities in each group were quantified and compared by the Pearson chi-squared test to validate our dose escalation/selection model. Grades 0, 1, 2, and 3 were censored as none vs. each category and none vs. any. RESULTS: We analyzed patients with follow-up greater than 1 year. The mean duration of follow-up was 29 months (range, 12-46 months). We report on 280 patients, mean age 72 years (range, 51-87 years). Only 60 patients received adjuvant hormones. Mean pretreatment prostate-specific antigen level was 9.3 ng/mL (range, 0.6-120 ng/mL). Mean Gleason score was 6 (range, 3-9). The lowest dose level was given to 49 patients, the intermediate dose to 131 patients, and 100 patients received the highest dose escalation. One hundred eighty-one patients (65%) were treated to a prostate field only and 99 patients (35%) to prostate and seminal vesicles. Chronic genitourinary and/or gastrointestinal categories were incontinence, persistent urinary retention, increased urinary frequency/urgency, urethral stricture, hematuria, diarrhea, rectal pain, bleeding, ulcer, fistula, incontinence, and proctitis. Toxicity at the high dose level was not different from toxicity at the intermediate or lower dose levels. No significant difference was observed in any of the individual toxicity categories. CONCLUSIONS: By applying the ART process--namely, developing a patient-specific PTV--to prostate cancer patients, significant dose escalation can be achieved without increases in genitourinary or gastrointestinal toxicity. Our data validate the rectal and bladder dose-volume constraints chosen for our three-dimensional conformal and IMRT prostrate radiotherapy planning.

Aged↗

Role of posterior parietal cortex in the recalibration of visually guided reaching.

Visually guided reaching requires complex neural transformations to link visual and proprioceptive inputs with appropriate motor outputs. Despite the complexity of these transformations, hand-eye coordination in humans is remarkably flexible, as demonstrated by the ease with which reaching can be adapted to distortions in visual feedback. If subjects attempt to reach to visual targets while wearing displacing prisms, they initially misreach in the direction of visual displacement. Given feedback about their reaching errors, however, they quickly adapt to the visual distortion. This is shown by the gradual resumption of accurate reaching while the prisms remain in place, and by the immediate onset of reaching errors in the opposite direction after the prisms have been removed. Despite an abundance of psychophysical data on adaptation to prisms, the functional localization of this form of sensorimotor adaptation is uncertain. Here we use positron emission tomography (PET) to localize changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in subjects who performed a prism-adaptation task as well as a task that controlled for the sensory, motor and cognitive conditions of the adaptation experiment. Difference images that reflected the net effects of the adaptation process showed selective activation of posterior parietal cortex contralateral to the reaching limb.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Light adaptation within the receptive field centre of rat retinal ganglion cells.

1. Responses from axons of single retinal ganglion cells in the rat's optic tract were used to measure the pooling of adaptive signals within the cells' receptive field. Computer-aided analyses of response measurements were used to evaluate sensitivity at a number of field locations. 2. A small adapting spot caused a localized decrease in sensitivity within the receptive field centre of ON- and OFF-centre ganglion cells. 2. The functions describing response versus test luminance were similar in shape for all test and adaptation configurations. This assured that, using a fixed criterion response, sensitivity determinations could be made just as well in any receptive field location and under any of the experimental conditions. 4. A concentric surround, antagonistic to the receptive field centre, was readily apparent only under conditions of light adaptation. Experiments on the local effects of small adapting spots, conducted with selective surround adaptation, showed that the non-uniform spread of adaptation within the receptive field centre was not linked to surround intrusion. 5. The possibility that the photopic mechanism intruded to contaminate these results was considered and rejected. 6. When a suprathreshold spot was alternated between two equally sensitive positions, the ganglion cell gave an approximately balanced response. An upset of this balance was produced by placing a small adapting spot at either position, thus demonstrating, in another way, the non-uniform spread of adaptation within the receptive field centre. 7. It is concluded that significant pooling of adaptation effects occurs prior to the combination of influences which contribute to the centre response of a ganglion cell.

Action Potentials↗

Spatial trends in the sighting dates of British butterflies.

A strong relationship between appearance dates and temperature has been demonstrated over two decades for most British butterflies. Given this relationship over time, this paper tests whether comparable spatial trends in timing are also apparent. A major survey of British butterflies is used to calculate mean sighting dates of adults across the country, and these are compared with geographic patterns in temperature. With the use of regression techniques, we calculated latitudinal (south-north) and longitudinal (east-west) gradients in sighting date and temperature. The majority of butterflies appear later in the east of Britain where temperatures are lower during summer, but not the rest of the year. Most butterflies are also seen later in the cooler north of the country, by upto 3-4 days/100 km. However, no geographical relationship between temperature and timing of appearance was detected for over a third of the species analysed, suggesting their populations may be adapted to their local climates. We suggest possible mechanisms for this and discuss the implications of such adaptation for the ability of butterfly species to respond to rapid climate warming.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Localization of in vivo ribosome pause sites.

A protocol for the localization of the 5' boundaries of in vivo ribosomal pausing sites has been developed. These mapping experiments combine two basic techniques. The first is the isolation of polysomal transcripts via centrifugation of tissue extracts through a sucrose cushion in the presence of translational elongation inhibitors. The second technique involves a micrococcal nuclease protection assay first developed by Wolin and Walter for in vitro-bound ribosomes (EMBO J. 7, 3559-3569, 1988). Using this method, the 5' boundaries of in vivo ribosomal pause sites were localized on spinach chloroplast mRNAs derived from the atpA gene. This method is easily adaptable to the identification of in vivo ribosomal pause sites from any organism. It could also be adapted to the localization of in vivo binding sites for other nucleic acid binding proteins.

Base Sequence↗