Search results for "plastic"
showing 10 items of 7296 documents
The effects of motor imagery and Paired associative stimulation on cortical excitability
2009
ABSTRACT Kumpulainen, Susanne 2009. The effect of PAS and motor imagery on the excitability of the motor cortex. Department of Biology of Physical Activity, University of Jyväskylä. Master’s theses of biomechanics. 41 pages. The plasticity of the brain is an increasingly important topic for physical therapists interested in (re)learning and repair following injury. A number of potential endogenous and exogenous protocols have been developed with the improved understanding of the mechanisms of synaptic plasticity. The purpose of this study was twofold: First, the effect of motor imagery of plantarflexion on motor cortex excitability was investigated since it has been shown that motor imagery…
Modulation of plasticity of the soleus area of the motor cortex using paired associative stimulation
2015
Paired associative stimulation (PAS) repeatedly combines single somatosensory nerve stimuli with single transcranial magnetic stimuli to induce bidirectional changes in the excitability of the cortical projections to the target muscle. PAS and motor training have been shown to share common neural mechanisms, suggesting that PAS tests functionally relevant neuronal circuits. While PAS has been used extensively to target the hand area of the motor cortex, few studies have targeted the leg area of the motor cortex. The optimal interstimulus inter- val (ISI) to induce plasticity in the cortical projections to lower limbs is still not well established. Thus, the first purpose of this thesis was …
The effect of paired associative stimulation-induced long-term potentiation-like plasticity on visuomotor learning
2014
Aivojen hermostollisissa rakenteissa ja toiminnassa tapahtuu adaptaatiota motorisen oppimisen seurauksena. Eräs ehdotetuista malleista, johon muutokset voivat perustua on hermoliitoksen voimakkuuden pitkäaikainen tehostuminen eli pitkäkestoinen potentiaa-tio (LTP). Keinotekoisesti LTP:n kaltainen vaikutus voidaan tuottaa parillisella as-sosiatiivisella stimulaatiolla (PAS). Lisäksi tutkimustulokset osoittavat, että PAS voi parantaa tietyn tyyppistä motorista oppimista. Tämän tutkimuksen tarkoituksena on sel-vittää miten PAS:n tuottama LTP:n kaltainen plastisuus vaikuttaa visuomotorisen oppi-misen alkuvaiheeseen. Visuomotorinen oppimistehtävä suoritettiin kolme kertaa PAS:n jälkeen. Oppimist…
Combustion behavior of black liquors : droplet swelling and influence of liquor composition
2017
The combustion of black liquor (BL) in a recovery boiler is a central process in a kraft pulp mill for recovering the cooking chemicals and for producing heat and power. This work explored the most important combustion behavior of BL, the swelling of in-flight droplets, from the viewpoint of liquor composition. It also studied the combustion behavior of BL droplets obtained from two biorefining subprocesses (carbonation and hot-water pretreatment, HWP) and sulfur-free pulping alternatives (soda-anthraquinone (AQ) and oxygen-alkali pulping). The formation of a plastic state essential for the swelling of BL droplet was found to result from the melting of an array of carbohydrate-derived aliph…
Cell Mediated Immune System Hyperactivation and Complications in Surgery. Is There a Correlation?
2010
Introduction: The role of the immune system in wound healing is multifaceted and cell-to-cell interactions may affect healing in several ways, many of which are probably still unknown. The case of a 19-year-old girl who, after multiple postsurgical complications, was found to have a transient immune system hyperactivation is reported. Materials and Methods: A 19-years-old woman with a breast asymmetry, previously treated with breast augmentation and contralateral reduction mammaplasty, had her implant removed and she came to our attention seeking autologous reconstruction. A free DIEP flap was performed and, again, wound breakdown and liponecrosis ensued at both the donor and recipient site…
Melt Processed PCL/PEG Scaffold with Discrete Pore Size Gradient for Selective Cellular Infiltration
2016
In order to develop scaffold able to mimic the natural gradient properties of tissues, biphasic and triphasic approaches were adopted. In this work, polycaprolactone/polyethylene glycol (PCL/PEG) scaffolds were prepared by using a combination of melt mixing and selective leaching without harmful solvents. The method permitted to develop three-layer scaffolds with high control of porosity and pore size. The mechanical properties were evaluated under physiological condition in order to simulate the real conditions of work. Co-culture of osteoblastic and fibroblastic mice cells were carried out in order to study the differential cellular permeation through the different pore size layers.
Induction of neuronal plasticity during adulthood. Role of cortical interneurons and plasticity-related molecules.
2019
La complejidad del sistema nervioso de los vertebrados representa un reto a la hora de conocer su funcionamiento. Hace ya más de cien años que se postuló la neurona como unidad básica de procesamiento, generación y transmisión de la información a través de este sistema, y, con el paso de los años, ha evolucionado el conocimiento sobre esta unidad funcional. La idea clásica del sistema nervioso central (SNC) adulto es la de un tejido asombrosamente interconectado y complejo, pero prácticamente inmutable y muy poco adaptable a los cambios. No obstante, esta visión se ha ido desplazando, formándose una nueva idea del SNC adulto que, aunque de manera más limitada que durante el desarrollo, tamb…
Can Oscillatory Alpha-Gamma Phase-Amplitude Coupling be Used to Understand and Enhance TMS Effects?
2019
Recent applications of simultaneous scalp electroencephalography (EEG) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) suggest that adapting stimulation to underlying brain states may enhance neuroplastic effects of TMS. It is often assumed that longer-lasting effects of TMS on brain function may be mediated by phasic interactions between TMS pulses and endogenous cortical oscillatory dynamics. The mechanisms by which TMS exerts its neuromodulatory effects, however, remain unknown. Here, we discuss evidence concerning the functional effects on synaptic plasticity of oscillatory cross-frequency coupling in cortical networks as a potential framework for understanding the neuromodulatory effects o…
Plant Specialized Metabolites in Hazelnut (Corylus avellana) Kernel and Byproducts: An Update on Chemistry, Biological Activity, and Analytical Aspec…
2019
Abstract Corylus avellana (hazelnut) is one of the most popular tree nuts on a worldwide basis. The main products of C. avellana are kernels, a nutritious food, with a high content of healthy lipids, contained in a hard shell. In recent years, along with the ongoing research carried out on hazelnut kernels, a growing interest has been addressed to the hazelnut byproducts including hazelnut skin, hazelnut hard shell, and hazelnut green leafy cover as well as hazelnut tree leaf. These byproducts deriving from the roasting, cracking, shelling/hulling, and harvesting processes have been found as a source of “phytochemicals” with biological activity. The aim of this review is to provide a compre…
THE SCENOGRAPHY OF SERPOTTA STUCCOES REVISITED - MATERIAL AND FORM
2015
The material that lies beneath the smooth shining surface of the stuccoes of the Serpotta family who used to work in Sicily from 1670 to 1730, has been thoroughly studied in previous papers, disclosing the deep, albeit empirical, knowledge of materials science that guided the artists in creating their masterpieces. In this work, attention is focused on the solid perspective and on the scenographic sculpture by Giacomo Serpotta, who is acknowledged as the leading exponent of the School. The study deals with some particular works of the artist, the “small-scaled plastic theatres”, so-called “teatrini”, which he made for the San Lorenzo Oratory in Palermo. On the basis of archival documents an…