Success of quantum mechanical approximations for molecular geometries and electron-nuclear attraction expectation values: Gift of the Coulomb potential? J. Chem. Phys. 84, 4519 (1986); 10.1063/1.450024 Interpolated values of spectroscopic constants of asymmetric alkali molecules and molecular ions J. Chem. Phys. 62, 4753 (1975); 10.1063/1.430424Expectation values of the kinetic and potential energy of a diatomic molecule By using Hellman-type model potentials for alkali atoms, the many-electron problem of the alkali molecular ions is reduced to a three-body problem, and the ground state energy of the these ions calculated in the familiar Rayleigh-Ritz variational treatment. All the ions result as being stable. Other physical quantities (equilibrium and mean distances, etc.) are. also calculated. The reported data may be useful in a· variety of scattering problems, such as, for instance, alkali atom-ion collisions. They support the James' suggestion that the dissociation energies of the alkali molecular ions must be greater than those of the corresponding molecules, due to the greater diffuseness of the bonding wavefunctions. Application of the present approach to alkali hydride ions seems to indicate that these ions are not stable. The limitations of the pseudopotential approach for molecular calculations are discussed, and it is concluded that the approach is of simpler use for alkali molecular ions than for the corresponding molecules. Cs 3.88 1.6721. 0.3331. aReference 27. bReference 28.

The study of the electrical response of the retina to a luminous stimulus is one of the main fields of research in ocular electrophysiology. The features of the first component (a-wave) of the retinal response reflect the functional integrity of the two populations of photoreceptors: rods and cones. We fit the a-wave for pathological subjects with functions that account for possible mechanisms governing the kinetics of the photoreceptors. The paper extends a previous analysis, carried out for normal subjects, in which both populations are active, to patients affected by two particular diseases that reduce the working populations to only one. The pathologies investigated are Achromatopsia, a cone disease, and Congenital Stationary Night Blindness, a rod problem. We present evidence that the analysis of a pathological a-wave can be employed to quantitatively measure either cone or rod activities and to test hypotheses about their responses. The results show that the photoreceptoral responses differ in the two cases and functions implying a different number of photocascade stages are necessary to achieve a correct modeling of the early phototransduction process. Numerical values of the parameters characterizing the best-fit functions are given and discussed.

The processing of biosignals is increasingly being utilized in ambulatory situations in order to extract significant signals' features that can help in clinical diagnosis. However, this task is hampered by the fact that biomedical signals exhibit a complex behavior characterized by strong nonlinear and non-stationary properties that cannot always be perceived by simple visual examination. New processing methods need be considered. In this context, we propose a signal processing method, based on empirical mode decomposition and artificial neural networks, to analyze electroretinograms, i.e., the retinal response to a light flash, with the aim to detect and classify retinal diseases. The present application focuses on two retinal pathologies: achromatopsia, which is a cone disease, and congenital stationary night blindness, which affects the photoreceptoral signal transmission. The results indicate that, under suitable conditions, the method proposed here has the potential to provide a powerful tool for routine clinical examinations, since it is able to recognize with high level of confidence the eventual presence of one of the two pathologies.

Active learning is a format alternative to the conventional lecture/recitation/laboratory; research results have reported that it is suitable to encourage student inquiry and foster peer mentoring. Although the availability of computer‐based learning materials in biomedical sciences is increasing, there are relatively few studies aimed to integrate traditional methods of teaching with inquiry‐based approaches utilizing these Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) tools. This paper describes a pilot‐study on a comprehensive active laboratory course about digital ophthalmologic signal classification, experienced by a group of undergraduates in Bio‐Electronic Engineering. During the activity, the students became able to discriminate healthy subjects from patients affected by two retinal pathologies: Achromatopsia or Congenital Stationary Night Blindness. The study was based on the analysis and classification of the electroretinograms, that record the retinal response to a light flash. To process electroretinographic data, a software based on the Empirical Mode Decomposition and an Artificial Neural Network was used. Our findings indicate that this laboratory experience can be considered effective in improving student's reasoning skills and that students acting as investigators achieve a better outcome, presumably because this activity satisfies their psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness.