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Kuldavletova O, Navarro Morales DC, Quarck G, Denise P, Clément G. Spaceflight alters reaction time and duration judgment of astronauts. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1141078. [PMID: 37007995 PMCID: PMC10063900 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1141078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
We report a study on astronauts aimed at characterizing duration judgment before, during, and after long-duration stays on board the International Space Station. Ten astronauts and a control group of 15 healthy (non-astronaut) participants performed a duration reproduction task and a duration production task using a visual target duration ranging from 2 to 38 s. Participants also performed a reaction time test for assessing attention. Compared to control participants and preflight responses, the astronauts’ reaction time increased during spaceflight. Also, during spaceflight, time intervals were under-produced while counting aloud and under-reproduced when there was a concurrent reading task. We hypothesize that time perception during spaceflight is altered by two mechanisms: (a) an acceleration of the internal clock through the changes in vestibular inputs in microgravity, and (b) difficulties in attention and working memory when a concurrent reading task is present. Prolonged isolation in confined areas, weightlessness, stress related to workload, and high-performance expectations could account for these cognitive impairments.
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Navarro Morales DC, Kuldavletova O, Quarck G, Denise P, Clément G. Time perception in astronauts on board the International Space Station. NPJ Microgravity 2023; 9:6. [PMID: 36658133 PMCID: PMC9852442 DOI: 10.1038/s41526-023-00250-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
We perceive the environment through an elaborate mental representation based on a constant integration of sensory inputs, knowledge, and expectations. Previous studies of astronauts on board the International Space Station have shown that the mental representation of space, such as the perception of object size, distance, and depth, is altered in orbit. Because the mental representations of space and time have some overlap in neural networks, we hypothesized that perception of time would also be affected by spaceflight. Ten astronauts were tested before, during, and after a 6-8-month spaceflight. Temporal tasks included judging when one minute had passed and how long it had been since the start of the workday, lunch, docking of a vehicle, and a spacewalk. Compared to pre-flight estimates, there is a relative overestimation for the 1-min interval during the flight and a relative underestimation of intervals of hours in duration. However, the astronauts quite accurately estimated the number of days since vehicle dockings and spacewalks. Prolonged isolation in confined areas, stress related to workload, and high-performance expectations are potential factors contributing to altered time perception of daily events. However, reduced vestibular stimulations and slower motions in weightlessness, as well as constant references to their timeline and work schedule could also account for the change in the estimation of time by the astronauts in space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah C. Navarro Morales
- grid.412043.00000 0001 2186 4076UNICAEN, INSERM, CHU Caen, Normandy University, COMETE, CYCERON, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen, France
| | - Olga Kuldavletova
- grid.412043.00000 0001 2186 4076UNICAEN, INSERM, CHU Caen, Normandy University, COMETE, CYCERON, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen, France
| | - Gaëlle Quarck
- grid.412043.00000 0001 2186 4076UNICAEN, INSERM, CHU Caen, Normandy University, COMETE, CYCERON, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen, France
| | - Pierre Denise
- grid.412043.00000 0001 2186 4076UNICAEN, INSERM, CHU Caen, Normandy University, COMETE, CYCERON, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen, France
| | - Gilles Clément
- grid.412043.00000 0001 2186 4076UNICAEN, INSERM, CHU Caen, Normandy University, COMETE, CYCERON, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen, France
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Lyakhovetskii V, Chetverikov A, Zelenskaya I, Tomilovskaya E, Karpinskaia V. Perception of length and orientation in dry immersion. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1157228. [PMID: 37123106 PMCID: PMC10130437 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1157228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction How does gravity (or lack thereof) affect sensory-motor processing? We analyze sensorimotor estimation dynamics for line segments with varying direction (orientation) in a 7-day dry immersion (DI), a ground-based model of gravitational unloading. Methods The measurements were carried out before the start of the DI, on the first, third, fifth and seventh days of the DI, and after its completion. At the memorization stage, the volunteers led the leading hand along the visible segment on a touchscreen display, and at the reproduction stage they repeated this movement on an empty screen. A control group followed the same procedure without DI. Results Both in the DI and control groups, when memorizing, the overall error in estimating the lengths and directions of the segments was small and did not have pronounced dynamics; when reproducing, an oblique effect (higher variability of responses to oblique orientations compared to cardinal ones) was obtained. We then separated biases (systematic error) and uncertainty (random error) in subjects' responses. At the same time, two opposite trends were more pronounced in the DI group during the DI. On the one hand the cardinal bias (a repulsion of orientation estimates away from cardinal axes) and, to a small extent, the variability of direction estimates decreased. On the other hand, the overestimation bias in length estimates increased. Discussion Such error pattern strongly supports the hypotheses of the vector encoding, in which the direction and length of the planned movement are encoded independently of each other when the DI disrupts primarily the movement length encoding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vsevolod Lyakhovetskii
- Institute for Cognitive Studies, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
- *Correspondence: Vsevolod Lyakhovetskii,
| | - Andrey Chetverikov
- Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Inna Zelenskaya
- Institute for Cognitive Studies, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
- Laboratory of Gravitational Physiology of the Sensorimotor System, Institute of Biomedical Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Elena Tomilovskaya
- Laboratory of Gravitational Physiology of the Sensorimotor System, Institute of Biomedical Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Valeriia Karpinskaia
- Institute for Cognitive Studies, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
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Karpinskaia VY, Pechenkova EV, Zelenskaya IS, Lyakhovetskii VA. Vision for Perception and Vision for Action in Space Travelers. Front Physiol 2022; 13:806578. [PMID: 35360254 PMCID: PMC8963356 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.806578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Valeriia Yu. Karpinskaia
- Laboratory of Neurovisualization, N.P. Bechtereva Institute of the Human Brain (Russian Academy of Sciences), St. Petersburg, Russia
- *Correspondence: Valeriia Yu. Karpinskaia
| | | | - Inna S. Zelenskaya
- Laboratory of Gravitational Physiology of the Sensorimotor System, Institute of Biomedical Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Vsevolod A. Lyakhovetskii
- Laboratory of Movement Physiology, Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
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Reschke MF, Clément G. Vestibular and Sensorimotor Dysfunction During Space Flight. CURRENT PATHOBIOLOGY REPORTS 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s40139-018-0173-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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Disentangling the visual, motor and representational effects of vestibular input. Cortex 2018; 104:46-57. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2018.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2017] [Revised: 11/23/2017] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Gallagher M, Ferrè ER. The aesthetics of verticality: A gravitational contribution to aesthetic preference. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2018; 71:2655-2664. [DOI: 10.1177/1747021817751353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Verticality plays a fundamental role in the arts, portraying concepts such as power, grandeur, or even morality; however, it is unclear whether people have an aesthetic preference for vertical stimuli. The perception of verticality occurs by integrating vestibular-gravitational input with proprioceptive signals about body posture. Thus, these signals may influence the preference for verticality. Here, we show that people have a genuine aesthetic preference for stimuli aligned with the vertical, and this preference depends on the position of the body relative to the gravitational direction. Observers rated the attractiveness of lines that varied in inclination. Perfectly vertical lines were judged to be more attractive than those inclined clockwise or anticlockwise only when participants held an upright posture. Critically, this preference was not present when their body was tilted away from the gravitational vertical. Our results showed that gravitational signals make a contribution to the perception of attractiveness of environmental objects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Gallagher
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, UK
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Török Á, Ferrè ER, Kokkinara E, Csépe V, Swapp D, Haggard P. Up, Down, Near, Far: An Online Vestibular Contribution to Distance Judgement. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0169990. [PMID: 28085939 PMCID: PMC5235368 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0169990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2016] [Accepted: 12/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Whether a visual stimulus seems near or far away depends partly on its vertical elevation. Contrasting theories suggest either that perception of distance could vary with elevation, because of memory of previous upwards efforts in climbing to overcome gravity, or because of fear of falling associated with the downwards direction. The vestibular system provides a fundamental signal for the downward direction of gravity, but the relation between this signal and depth perception remains unexplored. Here we report an experiment on vestibular contributions to depth perception, using Virtual Reality. We asked participants to judge the absolute distance of an object presented on a plane at different elevations during brief artificial vestibular inputs. Relative to distance estimates collected with the object at the level of horizon, participants tended to overestimate distances when the object was presented above the level of horizon and the head was tilted upward and underestimate them when the object was presented below the level of horizon. Interestingly, adding artificial vestibular inputs strengthened these distance biases, showing that online multisensory signals, and not only stored information, contribute to such distance illusions. Our results support the gravity theory of depth perception, and show that vestibular signals make an on-line contribution to the perception of effort, and thus of distance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ágoston Török
- Brain Imaging Centre, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Elisa Raffaella Ferrè
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, United Kingdom
| | - Elena Kokkinara
- Department of Personality, Assessment and Psychological Treatments, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Valéria Csépe
- Brain Imaging Centre, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - David Swapp
- Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Patrick Haggard
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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Clément G, Loureiro N, Sousa D, Zandvliet A. Perception of Egocentric Distance during Gravitational Changes in Parabolic Flight. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0159422. [PMID: 27463106 PMCID: PMC4963113 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0159422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2016] [Accepted: 07/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
We explored the effect of gravity on the perceived representation of the absolute distance of objects to the observers within the range from 1.5–6 m. Experiments were performed on board the CNES Airbus Zero-G during parabolic flights eliciting repeated exposures to short periods of microgravity (0 g), hypergravity (1.8 g), and normal gravity (1 g). Two methods for obtaining estimates of perceived egocentric distance were used: verbal reports and visually directed motion toward a memorized visual target. For the latter method, because normal walking is not possible in 0 g, blindfolded subjects translated toward the visual target by pulling on a rope with their arms. The results showed that distance estimates using both verbal reports and blind pulling were significantly different between normal gravity, microgravity, and hypergravity. Compared to the 1 g measurements, the estimates of perceived distance using blind pulling were shorter for all distances in 1.8 g, whereas in 0 g they were longer for distances up to 4 m and shorter for distances beyond. These findings suggest that gravity plays a role in both the sensorimotor system and the perceptual/cognitive system for estimating egocentric distance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilles Clément
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, Bron, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Nuno Loureiro
- Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Duarte Sousa
- International Space University, Strasbourg, France
| | - Andre Zandvliet
- European Space Research and Technology Center, European Space Agency, Noordwijk, The Netherlands
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Proulx MJ, Todorov OS, Taylor Aiken A, de Sousa AA. Where am I? Who am I? The Relation Between Spatial Cognition, Social Cognition and Individual Differences in the Built Environment. Front Psychol 2016; 7:64. [PMID: 26903893 PMCID: PMC4749931 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2015] [Accepted: 01/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Knowing who we are, and where we are, are two fundamental aspects of our physical and mental experience. Although the domains of spatial and social cognition are often studied independently, a few recent areas of scholarship have explored the interactions of place and self. This fits in with increasing evidence for embodied theories of cognition, where mental processes are grounded in action and perception. Who we are might be integrated with where we are, and impact how we move through space. Individuals vary in personality, navigational strategies, and numerous cognitive and social competencies. Here we review the relation between social and spatial spheres of existence in the realms of philosophical considerations, neural and psychological representations, and evolutionary context, and how we might use the built environment to suit who we are, or how it creates who we are. In particular we investigate how two spatial reference frames, egocentric and allocentric, might transcend into the social realm. We then speculate on how environments may interact with spatial cognition. Finally, we suggest how a framework encompassing spatial and social cognition might be taken in consideration by architects and urban planners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Proulx
- Crossmodal Cognition Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Bath Bath, UK
| | - Orlin S Todorov
- European Network for Brain Evolution Research The Hague, Netherlands
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Clément G, Allaway HCM, Demel M, Golemis A, Kindrat AN, Melinyshyn AN, Merali T, Thirsk R. Long-Duration Spaceflight Increases Depth Ambiguity of Reversible Perspective Figures. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0132317. [PMID: 26146839 PMCID: PMC4492703 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0132317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2015] [Accepted: 06/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The objective of this study was to investigate depth perception in astronauts during and after spaceflight by studying their sensitivity to reversible perspective figures in which two-dimensional images could elicit two possible depth representations. Other ambiguous figures that did not give rise to a perception of illusory depth were used as controls. Six astronauts and 14 subjects were tested in the laboratory during three sessions for evaluating the variability of their responses in normal gravity. The six astronauts were then tested during four sessions while on board the International Space Station for 5–6 months. They were finally tested immediately after return to Earth and up to one week later. The reaction time decreased throughout the sessions, thus indicating a learning effect. However, the time to first percept reversal and the number of reversals were not different in orbit and after the flight compared to before the flight. On Earth, when watching depth-ambiguous perspective figures, all subjects reported seeing one three-dimensional interpretation more often than the other, i.e. a ratio of about 70–30%. In weightlessness this asymmetry gradually disappeared and after 3 months in orbit both interpretations were seen for the same duration. These results indicate that the perception of “illusory” depth is altered in astronauts during spaceflight. This increased depth ambiguity is attributed to the lack of the gravitational reference and the eye-ground elevation for interpreting perspective depth cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilles Clément
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, Bron, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Heather C. M. Allaway
- Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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13
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Clément G, Skinner A, Lathan C. Distance and Size Perception in Astronauts during Long-Duration Spaceflight. Life (Basel) 2013; 3:524-37. [PMID: 25369884 PMCID: PMC4187133 DOI: 10.3390/life3040524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2013] [Revised: 12/03/2013] [Accepted: 12/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to microgravity during spaceflight is known to elicit orientation illusions, errors in sensory localization, postural imbalance, changes in vestibulo-spinal and vestibulo-ocular reflexes, and space motion sickness. The objective of this experiment was to investigate whether an alteration in cognitive visual-spatial processing, such as the perception of distance and size of objects, is also taking place during prolonged exposure to microgravity. Our results show that astronauts on board the International Space Station exhibit biases in the perception of their environment. Objects' heights and depths were perceived as taller and shallower, respectively, and distances were generally underestimated in orbit compared to Earth. These changes may occur because the perspective cues for depth are less salient in microgravity or the eye-height scaling of size is different when an observer is not standing on the ground. This finding has operational implications for human space exploration missions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilles Clément
- International Space University, Parc d'Innovation, 1 rue Jean-Dominique Cassini, Illkirch-Graffenstaden F-67400, France.
| | - Anna Skinner
- AnthroTronix, Inc., 8737 Colesville Road, Suite L203, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA.
| | - Corinna Lathan
- AnthroTronix, Inc., 8737 Colesville Road, Suite L203, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA.
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Ferrè ER, Longo MR, Fiori F, Haggard P. Vestibular modulation of spatial perception. Front Hum Neurosci 2013; 7:660. [PMID: 24133440 PMCID: PMC3794195 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2013] [Accepted: 09/23/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Vestibular inputs make a key contribution to the sense of one’s own spatial location. While the effects of vestibular stimulation on visuo-spatial processing in neurological patients have been extensively described, the normal contribution of vestibular inputs to spatial perception remains unclear. To address this issue, we used a line bisection task to investigate the effects of galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) on spatial perception, and on the transition between near and far space. Brief left-anodal and right-cathodal GVS or right-anodal and left-cathodal GVS were delivered. A sham stimulation condition was also included. Participants bisected lines of different lengths at six distances from the body using a laser pointer. Consistent with previous results, our data showed an overall shift in the bisection bias from left to right as viewing distance increased. This pattern suggests leftward bias in near space, and rightward bias in far space. GVS induced strong polarity dependent effects in spatial perception, broadly consistent with those previously reported in patients: left-anodal and right-cathodal GVS induced a leftward bisection bias, while right-anodal and left-cathodal GVS reversed this effect, and produced bisection bias toward the right side of the space. Interestingly, the effects of GVS were comparable in near and far space. We speculate that vestibular-induced biases in space perception may optimize gathering of information from different parts of the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa R Ferrè
- 1Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London London, UK
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Space physiology II: adaptation of the central nervous system to space flight—past, current, and future studies. Eur J Appl Physiol 2012; 113:1655-72. [DOI: 10.1007/s00421-012-2509-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2012] [Accepted: 09/20/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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