“Both feedforward and feedback mechanisms are used to ensu


“Both feedforward and feedback mechanisms are used to ensure accurate movements. Feedback information comes primarily from vision and proprioception; the relative contributions of these modalities to on-line control of action and internal model maintenance

remain unclear. We report data from an experiment in which a chronically deafferented subject (JDY) and nine controls were asked to reach to targets of different sizes both with and without vision. Movement times of controls were consistent with Fitts’ law on trials with and without vision. JDY’s movement times were consistent with Pictilisib manufacturer Fitts’ law only with vision. She was inaccurate relative to controls with vision but exhibited a significantly greater decrement 10058-F4 in performance than controls without vision. Finally,JDY’s performance on trials with vision deteriorated as a function of the number of preceding trials on which vision was not available. These data provide support for classical models of

motor control that divide reaching into an initial ballistic movement guided by efference copy, and a terminal stage where sensory feedback is crucial. Furthermore, these data also demonstrate that proprioception is needed to calibrate and maintain internal models of action. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Background. Infections caused by antimicrobial-resistant bacteria are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Residents of long-term care facilities (LTCF) are among the main reservoirs of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). Multidrug-resistant gram-negative organisms (MDRGN) are emerging as important pathogens among LTCF residents. Data on the clinical epidemiology of MDRGN, especially in comparison to VRE and MRSA, are limited.

Methods. All clinical cultures

collected from residents of a 750-bed LTCF for a period of 2 years were analyzed for the presence of MDRGN, VRE, and MRSA. Multidrug resistance among gram-negative bacteria was defined as resistance to three or more antimicrobials or antimicrobial groups including extended-spectrum penicillins (ampicillin/sulbactam or piperacillin/tazobactam), cephalosporins (cefazolin or ceftriaxone), gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole see more (TMP/SMX).

Results. A total of 1,661 clinical cultures were included in the analysis. MDRGN were recovered from 180 (10.8%) cultures, MRSA from 104 (6.3%), and VRE from 11 (0.6%). MDRGN were isolated more frequently than MRSA or VRE throughout the study period. The prevalence of MDRGN increased significantly from 7% in 2003 to 13% in 2005 (p = .001). More than 80% of MDRGN isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin, TMP/SMX, and ampicillin/sulbactam. Resistance to three, four, and five or more antimicrobials were identified among 122 (67.8%), 47 (26.1%), and 11 (6.1%) MDRGN isolates, respectively.

Conclusions.

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