Optimisation of gelatin extraction from Unicorn leatherjacket (Aluterus monoceros) skin waste: response surface approach.

PubMed

Hanjabam, Mandakini Devi; Kannaiyan, Sathish Kumar; Kamei, Gaihiamngam; Jakhar, Jitender Kumar; Chouksey, Mithlesh Kumar; Gudipati, Venkateshwarlu

2015-02-01

Physical properties of gelatin extracted from Unicorn leatherjacket (Aluterus monoceros) skin, which is generated as a waste from fish processing industries, were optimised using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). A Box-Behnken design was used to study the combined effects of three independent variables, namely phosphoric acid (H3PO4) concentration (0.15-0.25 M), extraction temperature (40-50 °C) and extraction time (4-12 h) on different responses like yield, gel strength and melting point of gelatin. The optimum conditions derived by RSM for the yield (10.58%) were 0.2 M H3PO4 for 9.01 h of extraction time and hot water extraction of 45.83 °C. The maximum achieved gel strength and melting point was 138.54 g and 22.61 °C respectively. Extraction time was found to be most influencing variable and had a positive coefficient on yield and negative coefficient on gel strength and melting point. The results indicated that Unicorn leatherjacket skins can be a source of gelatin having mild gel strength and melting point.

Differences in orthotic design for thumb osteoarthritis and its impact on functional outcomes: A scoping review.

PubMed

de Almeida, Pedro Henrique Tq; MacDermid, Joy; Pontes, Tatiana Barcelos; Dos Santos-Couto-Paz, Clarissa Cardoso; Matheus, João Paulo Chieregato

2017-08-01

Orthoses are a well-known intervention for the treatment of thumb osteoarthritis; however, there is a multitude of orthotic designs and not enough evidence to support the efficacy of specific models. To examine the influence of different orthoses on pain, hand strength, and hand function of patients with thumb osteoarthritis. Literature review. A scoping literature review of 14 publications reporting orthotic interventions for patients with thumb osteoarthritis was conducted. Functional outcomes and measures were extracted and analyzed. In total, 12 studies reported improvements in pain and hand strength after the use of thumb orthoses. Comparisons between different orthotic designs were inconclusive. The use of orthoses can decrease pain and improve hand function of patients with thumb osteoarthritis; however, the effectiveness of different orthoses still needs support through adequate evidence. Clinical relevance Multiple orthoses for thumb osteoarthritis are available. Although current studies support their use to improve pain and hand function, there is no evidence to support the efficacy of specific orthotic designs. Improved functional outcomes can be achieved through the use of short orthoses, providing thumb stabilization without immobilizing adjacent joints.

Photon strength and the low-energy enhancement

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wiedeking, M.; Bernstein, L. A.; Bleuel, D. L.

2014-08-14

Several measurements in medium mass nuclei have reported a low-energy enhancement in the photon strength function. Although, much effort has been invested in unraveling the mysteries of this effect, its physical origin is still not conclusively understood. Here, a completely model-independent experimental approach to investigate the existence of this enhancement is presented. The experiment was designed to study statistical feeding from the quasi-continuum (below the neutron separation energy) to individual low-lying discrete levels in {sup 95}Mo produced in the (d, p) reaction. A key aspect to successfully study gamma decay from the region of high-level density is the detection andmore » extraction of correlated particle-gamma-gamma events which was accomplished using an array of Clover HPGe detectors and large area annular silicon detectors. The entrance channel excitation energy into the residual nucleus produced in the reaction was inferred from the detected proton energies in the silicon detectors. Gating on gamma-transitions originating from low-lying discrete levels specifies the state fed by statistical gamma-rays. Any particle-gamma-gamma event in combination with specific energy sum requirements ensures a clean and unambiguous determination of the initial and final state of the observed gamma rays. With these requirements the statistical feeding to individual discrete levels is extracted on an event-by-event basis. The results are presented and compared to {sup 95}Mo photon strength function data measured at the University of Oslo.« less

Fire resistant behaviour of cellulosic textile functionalized with wastage plant bio-molecules: A comparative scientific report.

PubMed

Basak, Santanu; Wazed Ali, S

2018-07-15

Three different wastage plant based bio-molecules named banana peel powder (Musa acuminata) (BPP), coconut shell (Cocos nucifera) extract (CSE) and pomegranate rind (Punica granatum) extract (PRE) have been explored as fire resistant material on the cellulosic polymer (cotton fabric). To this end, extracts have been applied to the cotton fabric in different concentration at elevated temperature for specific time period. Treated cotton fabric showed 6 (BPP), 8.5 (CSE) and 12 (PRE) times lower vertical burning rate compared to the control cotton fabric. Thermo-gravimetry (TG) curves and the limiting oxygen index (LOI) value revealed that the PRE extract (LOI: 32) treated fabric encompassed more thermal stability compared to the BPP (LOI:26) and the CSE (LOI: 27) treated fabric as it showed higher oxygen index and more weight retention (40%) at higher temperature 450°C. Moreover, the carbonaceous samples remained after the burning of the extracts and the treated fabrics showed structural integration and more carbon content [65.6 (PRE extract) and 76.3% (PRE treated cotton)] compared to the fragile, net like char of the control cotton fabric, having less carbon content (49.8%). Gas Chromatography Mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) of the different extracts (CSE, PRE, BPP) used for the study showed the presence of high molecular weight aromatic phenolic compounds, tannin based compound and the nitrogen containing alkaloids, responsible for fire resistant effect of the different extract treated fabric. Besides fire retardancy, all the treated fabric showed attractive natural colour (measured by colour strength values) and there has been no adverse effect on the tensile strength property of the fabric after the treatment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Understanding the bond-energy, hardness, and adhesive force from the phase diagram via the electron work function

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lu, Hao; Huang, Xiaochen; Li, Dongyang, E-mail: dongyang.li@ualberta.ca

2014-11-07

Properties of metallic materials are intrinsically determined by their electron behavior. However, relevant theoretical treatment involving quantum mechanics is complicated and difficult to be applied in materials design. Electron work function (EWF) has been demonstrated to be a simple but fundamental parameter which well correlates properties of materials with their electron behavior and could thus be used to predict material properties from the aspect of electron activities in a relatively easy manner. In this article, we propose a method to extract the electron work functions of binary solid solutions or alloys from their phase diagrams and use this simple approachmore » to predict their mechanical strength and surface properties, such as adhesion. Two alloys, Fe-Ni and Cu-Zn, are used as samples for the study. EWFs extracted from phase diagrams show same trends as experimentally observed ones, based on which hardness and surface adhesive force of the alloys are predicted. This new methodology provides an alternative approach to predict material properties based on the work function, which is extractable from the phase diagram. This work may also help maximize the power of phase diagram for materials design and development.« less

The effect of the addition of sorbitol and glycerol towards the edible film characteristics of the belitung taro starch and the lime leaves as antimicrobial

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asria, Merry; Elizarni, Samah, dan Selfa Dewati

2015-12-01

Plastics have been generally used for food packaging, but plastics using causing environmental problem for as non biodegradable. Resolving the problem need another alternative packaging that environmental friendly such as the edible film as biodegradable packing material. This research intend to determination the effects of sorbitol and glycerol (concentration of 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4%) as addition to the edible film characteristics from the belitung taro starch (Xanthosoma sagitifolium). Lime leaves (Citrus aurantifolia) extract used as an antimicrobial film (2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, and 10% respectively). From the research obtained that using sorbitol has given more rigid and hard film texture, while glycerol provides more elastic and flexible texture. Sorbitol give best performance at 2% where thickness 0.17 mm; tensile strength 41.60 MPa; yield strength 34.28 MPa; modulus of elasticity 7983.71 MPa; and maximum strain 29,8%. While, glycerol (2%) provides thickness 0.18 mm; tensile strength 35.72 MPa; yield strength 30.78 MPa; modulus of elasticity 9065.90 MPa; and maximum strain 14.4% for best performance. SEM and FTIR analysis applied to determine film surface morphology's characterization and determine the functional groups of the film materials. The addition of lime leaves extract as antimicrobial gives the growth inhibition activity against the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria.

Experimentally constrained ( p , γ ) Y 89 and ( n , γ ) Y 89 reaction rates relevant to p -process nucleosynthesis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Larsen, A. C.; Guttormsen, M.; Schwengner, R.

The nuclear level density and the g-ray strength function have been extracted for 89Y, using the Oslo Method on 89Y(p,p'γ) 89Y coincidence data. The g-ray strength function displays a low-energy enhancement consistent with previous observations in this mass region ( 93-98Mo). Shell-model calculations give support that the observed enhancement is due to strong, low-energy M1 transitions at high excitation energies. The data were further used as input for calculations of the 88Sr(p,γ) 89Y and 88Y(n,γ) 89Y cross sections with the TALYS reaction code. Lastly, comparison with cross-section data, where available, as well as with values from the BRUSLIB library, showsmore » a satisfying agreement.« less

Experimentally constrained ( p , γ ) Y 89 and ( n , γ ) Y 89 reaction rates relevant to p -process nucleosynthesis

DOE PAGES

Larsen, A. C.; Guttormsen, M.; Schwengner, R.; ...

2016-04-21

The nuclear level density and the g-ray strength function have been extracted for 89Y, using the Oslo Method on 89Y(p,p'γ) 89Y coincidence data. The g-ray strength function displays a low-energy enhancement consistent with previous observations in this mass region ( 93-98Mo). Shell-model calculations give support that the observed enhancement is due to strong, low-energy M1 transitions at high excitation energies. The data were further used as input for calculations of the 88Sr(p,γ) 89Y and 88Y(n,γ) 89Y cross sections with the TALYS reaction code. Lastly, comparison with cross-section data, where available, as well as with values from the BRUSLIB library, showsmore » a satisfying agreement.« less

A low-fat yoghurt supplemented with a rooster comb extract on muscle joint function in adults with mild knee pain: a randomized, double blind, parallel, placebo-controlled, clinical trial of efficacy.

PubMed

Solà, Rosa; Valls, Rosa-Maria; Martorell, Isabel; Giralt, Montserrat; Pedret, Anna; Taltavull, Núria; Romeu, Marta; Rodríguez, Àurea; Moriña, David; Lopez de Frutos, Victor; Montero, Manuel; Casajuana, Maria-Carmen; Pérez, Laura; Faba, Jenny; Bernal, Gloria; Astilleros, Anna; González, Roser; Puiggrós, Francesc; Arola, Lluís; Chetrit, Carlos; Martinez-Puig, Daniel

2015-11-01

Preliminary results suggested that oral-administration of rooster comb extract (RCE) rich in hyaluronic acid (HA) was associated with improved muscle strength. Following these promising results, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of low-fat yoghurt supplemented with RCE rich in HA on muscle function in adults with mild knee pain; a symptom of early osteoarthritis. Participants (n = 40) received low-fat yoghurt (125 mL d(-1)) supplemented with 80 mg d(-1) of RCE and the placebo group (n = 40) consumed the same yoghurt without the RCE, in a randomized, controlled, double-blind, parallel trial over 12 weeks. Using an isokinetic dynamometer (Biodex System 4), RCE consumption, compared to control, increased the affected knee peak torque, total work and mean power at 180° s(-1), at least 11% in men (p < 0.05) with no differences in women. No dietary differences were noted. These results suggest that long-term consumption of low-fat yoghurt supplemented with RCE could be a dietary tool to improve muscle strength in men, associated with possible clinical significance. However, further studies are needed to elucidate reasons for these sex difference responses observed, and may provide further insight into muscle function.

Modelling dental implant extraction by pullout and torque procedures.

PubMed

Rittel, D; Dorogoy, A; Shemtov-Yona, K

2017-07-01

Dental implants extraction, achieved either by applying torque or pullout force, is used to estimate the bone-implant interfacial strength. A detailed description of the mechanical and physical aspects of the extraction process in the literature is still missing. This paper presents 3D nonlinear dynamic finite element simulations of a commercial implant extraction process from the mandible bone. Emphasis is put on the typical load-displacement and torque-angle relationships for various types of cortical and trabecular bone strengths. The simulations also study of the influence of the osseointegration level on those relationships. This is done by simulating implant extraction right after insertion when interfacial frictional contact exists between the implant and bone, and long after insertion, assuming that the implant is fully bonded to the bone. The model does not include a separate representation and model of the interfacial layer for which available data is limited. The obtained relationships show that the higher the strength of the trabecular bone the higher the peak extraction force, while for application of torque, it is the cortical bone which might dictate the peak torque value. Information on the relative strength contrast of the cortical and trabecular components, as well as the progressive nature of the damage evolution, can be revealed from the obtained relations. It is shown that full osseointegration might multiply the peak and average load values by a factor 3-12 although the calculated work of extraction varies only by a factor of 1.5. From a quantitative point of view, it is suggested that, as an alternative to reporting peak load or torque values, an average value derived from the extraction work be used to better characterize the bone-implant interfacial strength. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Extremophile extracts and enhancement techniques show promise for the development of a live vaccine against Flavobacterium columnare

USGS Publications Warehouse

Powell, D.B.; Palm, R.C.; MacKenzie, A.P.; Winton, J.R.

2009-01-01

The effects of temperature, ionic strength, and new cryopreservatives derived from polar ice bacteria were investigated to help accelerate the development of economical, live attenuated vaccines for aquaculture. Extracts of the extremophile Gelidibacter algens functioned very well as part of a lyophilization cryoprotectant formulation in a 15-week storage trial. The bacterial extract and trehalose additives resulted in significantly higher colony counts of columnaris bacteria (Flavobacterium columnare) compared to nonfat milk or physiological saline at all time points measured. The bacterial extract combined with trehalose appeared to enhance the relative efficiency of recovery and growth potential of columnaris in flask culture compared to saline, nonfat milk, or trehalose-only controls. Pre-lyophilization temperature treatments significantly affected F. columnare survival following rehydration. A 30-min exposure at 0 ??C resulted in a 10-fold increase in bacterial survival following rehydration compared to mid-range temperature treatments. The brief 30 and 35 ??C pre-lyophilization exposures appeared to be detrimental to the rehydration survival of the bacteria. The survival of F. columnare through the lyophilization process was also strongly affected by changes in ionic strength of the bacterial suspension. Changes in rehydration constituents were also found to be important in promoting increased survival and growth. As the sodium chloride concentration increased, the viability of rehydrated F. columnare decreased. ?? 2009 Elsevier Inc.

Comparison of Protein Extracts from Various Unicellular Green Sources.

PubMed

Teuling, Emma; Wierenga, Peter A; Schrama, Johan W; Gruppen, Harry

2017-09-13

Photosynthetic unicellular organisms are considered as promising alternative protein sources. The aim of this study is to understand the extent to which these green sources differ with respect to their gross composition and how these differences affect the final protein isolate. Using mild isolation techniques, proteins were extracted and isolated from four different unicellular sources (Arthrospira (spirulina) maxima, Nannochloropsis gaditana, Tetraselmis impellucida, and Scenedesmus dimorphus). Despite differences in protein contents of the sources (27-62% w/w) and in protein extractability (17-74% w/w), final protein isolates were obtained that had similar protein contents (62-77% w/w) and protein yields (3-9% w/w). Protein solubility as a function of pH was different between the sources and in ionic strength dependency, especially at pH < 4.0. Overall, the characterization and extraction protocol used allows a relatively fast and well-described isolation of purified proteins from novel protein sources.

Comparison of Protein Extracts from Various Unicellular Green Sources

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Photosynthetic unicellular organisms are considered as promising alternative protein sources. The aim of this study is to understand the extent to which these green sources differ with respect to their gross composition and how these differences affect the final protein isolate. Using mild isolation techniques, proteins were extracted and isolated from four different unicellular sources (Arthrospira (spirulina) maxima, Nannochloropsis gaditana, Tetraselmis impellucida, and Scenedesmus dimorphus). Despite differences in protein contents of the sources (27–62% w/w) and in protein extractability (17–74% w/w), final protein isolates were obtained that had similar protein contents (62–77% w/w) and protein yields (3–9% w/w). Protein solubility as a function of pH was different between the sources and in ionic strength dependency, especially at pH < 4.0. Overall, the characterization and extraction protocol used allows a relatively fast and well-described isolation of purified proteins from novel protein sources. PMID:28701042

Emission current formation in plasma electron emitters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gruzdev, V. A.; Zalesski, V. G.

2010-12-01

A model of the plasma electron emitter is considered, in which the current redistribution over electrodes of the emitter gas-discharge structure and weak electric field formation in plasma are taken into account as functions of the emission current. The calculated and experimental dependences of the switching parameters, extraction efficiency, and strength of the electric field in plasma on the accelerating voltage and geometrical sizes of the emission channel are presented.

Analysis of FORTE data to extract ionospheric parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roussel-Dupré, Robert A.; Jacobson, Abram R.; Triplett, Laurie A.

2001-01-01

The ionospheric transfer function is derived for a spherically symmetric ionosphere with an arbitrary radial electron density profile in the limit where the radio frequencies of interest ω are much larger than the plasma frequency ωpe. An expansion of the transfer function to second order in the parameter X (= ω2pe/ω2) is carried out. In this limit the dispersive properties of the ionosphere are manifested as a frequency-dependent time of arrival that includes quadratic, cubic, and quartic terms in 1/ω. The coefficients of these terms are related to the total electron content (TEC) along the slant path from transmitter to receiver, the product of TEC and the longitudinal magnetic field strength along the slant path, and refractive bending and higher-order electron density profile effects, respectively. By fitting the time of arrival versus frequency of a transionospheric signal to a polynomial in 1/ω it is possible to extract the TEC, the longitudinal magnetic field strength, the peak electron density, and an effective thickness for the ionosphere. This exercise was carried out for a number of transionospheric pulses measured in the VHF by the FORTE satellite receiver and generated by the Los Alamos Portable Pulser. The results are compared with predictions derived from the International Reference Ionosphere and the United States Geological Survey geomagnetic field model.

C-phycocyanin extraction assisted by pulsed electric field from Artrosphira platensis.

PubMed

Martínez, Juan Manuel; Luengo, Elisa; Saldaña, Guillermo; Álvarez, Ignacio; Raso, Javier

2017-09-01

This paper assesses the application of pulsed electric fields (PEF) to the fresh biomass of Artrhospira platensis in order to enhance the extraction of C-phycocyanin into aqueous media. Electroporation of A. platensis depended on both electric field strength and treatment duration. The minimum electric field intensity for detecting C-phycocyanin in the extraction medium was 15kV/cm after the application of a treatment time 150μs (50 pulses of 3μs). However higher electric field strength were required when shorter treatment times were applied. Response surface methodology was used in order to investigate the influence of electric field strength (15-25kV/cm), treatment time (60-150μs), and temperature of application of PEF (10-40°C) on C-phycocyanin extraction yield (PEY). The increment of the temperature PEF treatment reduced the electric field strength and the treatment time required to obtain a given PEY and, consequently decreased the total specific energy delivered by the treatment. For example, the increment of temperature from 10°C to 40°C permitted to reduce the electric field strength required to extract 100mg/g d w of C-phycocyanin from 25 to 18kV/cm, and the specific energy input from 106.7 to 67.5kJ/Kg. Results obtained in this investigation demonstrated PEF's potential for selectively extraction C-phycocyanin from fresh A. platensis biomass. The purity of the C-phycocyanin extract obtained from the electroporated cells was higher than that obtained using other techniques based on the cell complete destruction. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Self-assembly of keratin peptides: Its implication on the performance of electrospun PVA nanofibers

PubMed Central

Kadirvelu, Kavitha; Fathima, Nishter Nishad

2016-01-01

Drawing inspiration from the field of designer self-assembling materials, this work is aimed to focus on the self-assembling nature of extracted peptides. Hair keratin, a proteinacious reject in tanning industry has been chosen since they have been extracted and used for wide range of applications. Keratin source was subjected to five hydrolysis treatments (viz., sulphitolysis, β-mercaptoethanol, ionic liquid, thioglycolic acid and alkali) and assayed for functional groups. This was followed by the prediction of secondary structure using circular dichroism, determining the microstructural level to which the extracted peptide has self-assembled. Sulphitolysis and thioglycolic acid based hydrolysates exist in monomeric conformation, whereas β-mercaptoethanol based hydrolysate exhibited dimeric conformation. The subsequent part of the study is to incorporate these peptides into the nanofibers to study the structural implication of keratin peptides on its characteristics. Accordingly, the peptides were electrospun with PVA and subjected to morphological, mechanical, thermal and biological characterizations. Monomeric nanofiber mat has high tensile strength of around 5.5 MPa and offered lower mass transport resistance, whereas dimeric mat has high Tm of around 290 °C and was more biocompatible. These results help in understanding the extraction-structure-function aspect of the hydrolysates stressing the role of extraction methods on the choice of application. PMID:27812004

Comparison of large-scale human brain functional and anatomical networks in schizophrenia.

PubMed

Nelson, Brent G; Bassett, Danielle S; Camchong, Jazmin; Bullmore, Edward T; Lim, Kelvin O

2017-01-01

Schizophrenia is a disease with disruptions in thought, emotion, and behavior. The dysconnectivity hypothesis suggests these disruptions are due to aberrant brain connectivity. Many studies have identified connectivity differences but few have been able to unify gray and white matter findings into one model. Here we develop an extension of the Network-Based Statistic (NBS) called NBSm (Multimodal Network-based statistic) to compare functional and anatomical networks in schizophrenia. Structural, resting functional, and diffusion magnetic resonance imaging data were collected from 29 chronic patients with schizophrenia and 29 healthy controls. Images were preprocessed, and average time courses were extracted for 90 regions of interest (ROI). Functional connectivity matrices were estimated by pairwise correlations between wavelet coefficients of ROI time series. Following diffusion tractography, anatomical connectivity matrices were estimated by white matter streamline counts between each pair of ROIs. Global and regional strength were calculated for each modality. NBSm was used to find significant overlap between functional and anatomical components that distinguished health from schizophrenia. Global strength was decreased in patients in both functional and anatomical networks. Regional strength was decreased in all regions in functional networks and only one region in anatomical networks. NBSm identified a distinguishing functional component consisting of 46 nodes with 113 links (p < 0.001), a distinguishing anatomical component with 47 nodes and 50 links (p = 0.002), and a distinguishing intermodal component with 26 nodes (p < 0.001). NBSm is a powerful technique for understanding network-based group differences present in both anatomical and functional data. In light of the dysconnectivity hypothesis, these results provide compelling evidence for the presence of significant overlapping anatomical and functional disruption in people with schizophrenia.

Oxytetracycline recovery from aqueous media using computationally designed molecularly imprinted polymers.

PubMed

Rodríguez-Dorado, Rosalía; Carro, Antonia M; Chianella, Iva; Karim, Kal; Concheiro, Angel; Lorenzo, Rosa A; Piletsky, Sergey; Alvarez-Lorenzo, Carmen

2016-09-01

Polymers for recovery/removal of the antimicrobial agent oxytetracycline (OTC) from aqueous media were developed with use of computational design and molecular imprinting. 2-Hydroxyethyl methacrylate, 2-acrylamide-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS), and mixtures of the two were chosen according to their predicted affinity for OTC and evaluated as functional monomers in molecularly imprinted polymers and nonimprinted polymers. Two levels of AMPS were tested. After bulk polymerization, the polymers were crushed into particles (200-1000 μm). Pressurized liquid extraction was implemented for template removal with a low amount of methanol (less than 20 mL in each extraction) and a few extractions (12-18 for each polymer) in a short period (20 min per extraction). Particle size distribution, microporous structure, and capacity to rebind OTC from aqueous media were evaluated. Adsorption isotherms obtained from OTC solutions (30-110 mg L(-1)) revealed that the polymers prepared with AMPS had the highest affinity for OTC. The uptake capacity depended on the ionic strength as follows: purified water > saline solution (0.9 % NaCl) > seawater (3.5 % NaCl). Polymer particles containing AMPS as a functional monomer showed a remarkable ability to clean water contaminated with OTC. The usefulness of the stationary phase developed for molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction was also demonstrated. Graphical Abstract Selection of functional monomers by molecular modeling renders polymer networks suitable for removal of pollutants from contaminated aqueous environments, under either dynamic or static conditions.

Graphene oxide-based dispersive solid-phase extraction combined with in situ derivatization and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for the determination of acidic pharmaceuticals in water.

PubMed

Naing, Nyi Nyi; Li, Sam Fong Yau; Lee, Hian Kee

2015-12-24

A fast and low-cost sample preparation method of graphene based dispersive solid-phase extraction combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) analysis, was developed. The procedure involves an initial extraction with water-immiscible organic solvent, followed by a rapid clean-up using amine functionalized reduced graphene oxide as sorbent. Simple and fast one-step in situ derivatization using trimethylphenylammonium hydroxide was subsequently applied on acidic pharmaceuticals serving as model analytes, ibuprofen, gemfibrozil, naproxen, ketoprofen and diclofenac, before GC-MS analysis. Extraction parameters affecting the derivatization and extraction efficiency such as volume of derivatization agent, effect of desorption solvent, effect of pH and effect of ionic strength were investigated. Under the optimum conditions, the method demonstrated good limits of detection ranging from 1 to 16ngL(-1), linearity (from 0.01 to 50 and 0.05 to 50μgL(-1), depending on the analytes) and satisfactory repeatability of extractions (relative standard deviations, below 13%, n=3). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Probing the interaction of U (VI) with phosphonate-functionalized mesoporous silica using solid-state NMR spectroscopy

DOE PAGES

Uribe, Eva C.; Mason, Harris E.; Shusterman, Jennifer A.; ...

2016-05-30

The fundamental interaction of U (VI) with diethylphosphatoethyl triethoxysilane functionalized SBA-15 mesoporous silica is studied by macroscopic batch experiments and solid-state NMR spectroscopy. DPTS-functionalized silica has been shown to extract U (VI) from nitric acid solutions at or above pH 3. Extraction is dependent on pH and ionic strength. Single-pulse 31P NMR on U (VI) contacted samples revealed that U (VI)only interacts with a fraction of the ligands present on the surface. At pH 4 the U (VI) extraction capacity of the material is limited to 27–37% of the theoretical capacity, based on ligand loading. We combined single pulse 31Pmore » NMR on U (VI)-contacted samples with batch studies to measure a ligand-to-metal ratio of approximately 2 : 1 at pH 3 and 4. Batch studies and cross-polarization NMR measurements reveal that U (VI) binds to deprotonated phosphonate and/or silanol sites. We use 31P– 31P DQ-DRENAR NMR studies to compare the average dipolar coupling between phosphorus spins for both U (VI)-complexed and non-complexed ligand environments. Furthermore, these measurements reveal that U (VI) extraction is not limited by inadequate surface distribution of ligands, but rather by low stability of the surface phosphonate complex.« less

Probing the interaction of U (VI) with phosphonate-functionalized mesoporous silica using solid-state NMR spectroscopy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Uribe, Eva C.; Mason, Harris E.; Shusterman, Jennifer A.

The fundamental interaction of U (VI) with diethylphosphatoethyl triethoxysilane functionalized SBA-15 mesoporous silica is studied by macroscopic batch experiments and solid-state NMR spectroscopy. DPTS-functionalized silica has been shown to extract U (VI) from nitric acid solutions at or above pH 3. Extraction is dependent on pH and ionic strength. Single-pulse 31P NMR on U (VI) contacted samples revealed that U (VI)only interacts with a fraction of the ligands present on the surface. At pH 4 the U (VI) extraction capacity of the material is limited to 27–37% of the theoretical capacity, based on ligand loading. We combined single pulse 31Pmore » NMR on U (VI)-contacted samples with batch studies to measure a ligand-to-metal ratio of approximately 2 : 1 at pH 3 and 4. Batch studies and cross-polarization NMR measurements reveal that U (VI) binds to deprotonated phosphonate and/or silanol sites. We use 31P– 31P DQ-DRENAR NMR studies to compare the average dipolar coupling between phosphorus spins for both U (VI)-complexed and non-complexed ligand environments. Furthermore, these measurements reveal that U (VI) extraction is not limited by inadequate surface distribution of ligands, but rather by low stability of the surface phosphonate complex.« less

The effect of electric field geometry on the performance of electromembrane extraction systems: footprints of a third driving force along with migration and diffusion.

PubMed

Moazami, Hamid Reza; Hosseiny Davarani, Saied Saeed; Mohammadi, Jamil; Nojavan, Saeed; Abrari, Masoud

2015-09-03

The distribution of electric field vectors was first calculated for electromembrane extraction (EME) systems in classical and cylindrical electrode geometries. The results showed that supported liquid membrane (SLM) has a general field amplifying effect due to its lower dielectric constant in comparison with aqueous donor/acceptor solutions. The calculated norms of the electric field vector showed that a DC voltage of 50 V can create huge electric field strengths up to 64 kV m(-1) and 111 kV m(-1) in classical and cylindrical geometries respectively. In both cases, the electric field strength reached its peak value on the inner wall of the SLM. In the case of classical geometry, the field strength was a function of the polar position of the SLM whereas the field strength in cylindrical geometry was angularly uniform. In order to investigate the effect of the electrode geometry on the performance of real EME systems, the analysis was carried out in three different geometries including classical, helical and cylindrical arrangements using naproxen and sodium diclofenac as the model analytes. Despite higher field strength and extended cross sectional area, the helical and cylindrical geometries gave lower recoveries with respect to the classical EME. The observed decline of the signal was proved to be against the relations governing migration and diffusion processes, which means that a third driving force is involved in EME. The third driving force is the interaction between the radially inhomogeneous electric field and the analyte in its neutral form. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bi-Functional Biobased Packing of the Cassava Starch, Glycerol, Licuri Nanocellulose and Red Propolis

PubMed Central

Costa, Samantha Serra; Druzian, Janice Izabel; Machado, Bruna Aparecida Souza; de Souza, Carolina Oliveira; Guimarães, Alaíse Gil

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to characterize and determine the bi-functional efficacy of active packaging films produced with starch (4%) and glycerol (1.0%), reinforced with cellulose nanocrystals (0–1%) and activated with alcoholic extracts of red propolis (0.4 to 1.0%). The cellulose nanocrystals used in this study were extracted from licuri leaves. The films were characterized using moisture, water-activity analyses and water vapor-permeability tests and were tested regarding their total phenolic compounds and mechanical properties. The antimicrobial and antioxidant efficacy of the films were evaluated by monitoring the use of the active films for packaging cheese curds and butter, respectively. The cellulose nanocrystals increased the mechanical strength of the films and reduced the water permeability and water activity. The active film had an antimicrobial effect on coagulase-positive staphylococci in cheese curds and reduced the oxidation of butter during storage. PMID:25383783

Bi-functional biobased packing of the cassava starch, glycerol, licuri nanocellulose and red propolis.

PubMed

Costa, Samantha Serra; Druzian, Janice Izabel; Machado, Bruna Aparecida Souza; de Souza, Carolina Oliveira; Guimarães, Alaíse Gil

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to characterize and determine the bi-functional efficacy of active packaging films produced with starch (4%) and glycerol (1.0%), reinforced with cellulose nanocrystals (0-1%) and activated with alcoholic extracts of red propolis (0.4 to 1.0%). The cellulose nanocrystals used in this study were extracted from licuri leaves. The films were characterized using moisture, water-activity analyses and water vapor-permeability tests and were tested regarding their total phenolic compounds and mechanical properties. The antimicrobial and antioxidant efficacy of the films were evaluated by monitoring the use of the active films for packaging cheese curds and butter, respectively. The cellulose nanocrystals increased the mechanical strength of the films and reduced the water permeability and water activity. The active film had an antimicrobial effect on coagulase-positive staphylococci in cheese curds and reduced the oxidation of butter during storage.

The transverse momentum dependence of charged kaon Bose–Einstein correlations in the SELEX experiment

DOE PAGES

Nigmatkulov, G. A.; et al.

2015-12-18

We report the measurement of the one-dimensional charged kaon correlation functions using 600 GeV/c Σ –, π – and 540 GeV/C ρ beams from the SELEX (E781) experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron. K ±K ± correlation functions are studied for three transverse pair momentum, kT, ranges and parameterized by a Gaussian form. The emission source radii, R, and the correlation strength, λ, are extracted. Furthermore, the analysis shows a decrease of the source radii with increasing kaon transverse pair momentum for all beam types.

Wound healing activity of Sida cordifolia Linn. in rats.

PubMed

Pawar, Rajesh S; Chaurasiya, Pradeep K; Rajak, Harish; Singour, Pradeep K; Toppo, Fedelic Ashish; Jain, Ankit

2013-01-01

The present study provides a scientific evaluation for the wound healing potential of ethanolic (EtOH) extract of Sida cordifolia Linn. (SCL) plant. Excision, incision and burn wounds were inflicted upon three groups of six rats each. Group I was assigned as control (ointment base). Group II was treated with 10% EtOH extract ointment. Group III was treated with standard silver sulfadiazine (0.01%) cream. The parameters observed were percentage of wound contraction, epithelialization period, hydroxyproline content, tensile strength including histopathological studies. It was noted that the effect produced by the ethanolic extract of SCL ointment showed significant (P < 0.01) healing in all wound models when compared with the control group. All parameters such as wound contraction, epithelialization period, hydroxyproline content, tensile strength and histopathological studies showed significant (P < 0.01) changes when compared with the control. The ethanolic extract ointment of SCL effectively stimulates wound contraction; increases tensile strength of excision, incision and burn wounds.

Antibacterial, mechanical, and barrier properties of sago starch film incorporated with Betel leaves extract.

PubMed

Nouri, Leila; Mohammadi Nafchi, Abdorreza

2014-05-01

The antimicrobial, mechanical and barrier properties and light transmission of sago starch film incorporated with different percentage of Betel leaf extract (5%, 10%, 20%, and 30%) were evaluated. With regard to mechanical properties, tensile strength decreased when the percentage of extract increased. Elongation at break (%) and seal strength (N/m) increased with increasing percentage of extract from 5% to 20%, while decreased for films containing 30% extract due to heterogeneity of films in this percentage. With regard to barrier properties, water vapour and oxygen barrier properties decreased in all samples when percentage of the extract increased. Antimicrobial activity of all the films increased against both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria as percentage of Betel leaf extract increased, except for Psuedomonas aeruginosa, which was not susceptible at any percentage of the extract. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Catharanthus roseus flower extract has wound-healing activity in Sprague Dawley rats

PubMed Central

Nayak, BS; Pinto Pereira, Lexley M

2006-01-01

Background Catharanthus roseus L (C. roseus) has been used to treat a wide assortment of diseases including diabetes. The objective of our study was to evaluate the antimicrobial and wound healing activity of the flower extract of Catharanthus in rats. Methods Wound healing activity was determined in rats, after administration (100 mg kg-1 day-1) of the ethanol extract of C. roseus flower, using excision, incision and dead space wounds models. The animals were divided into two groups of 6 each in all the models. In the excision model, group 1 animals were topically treated with carboxymethyl cellulose as placebo control and group 2 received topical application of the ethanol extract of C. roseus at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight/day. In an incision and dead space model group 1 animals were given normal saline and group 2 received the extract orally at a dose of 100 mg kg-1 day-1. Healing was assessed by the rate of wound contraction, period of epithelization, tensile strength (skin breaking strength), granulation tissue weight, and hydoxyproline content. Antimicrobial activity of the flower extract against four microorganisms was also assessed Results The extract of C. roseus significantly increased the wound breaking strength in the incision wound model compared with controls (P < 0.001). The extract-treated wounds were found to epithelialize faster, and the rate of wound contraction was significantly increased in comparison to control wounds (P < 0.001), Wet and dry granulation tissue weights, and hydroxyproline content in a dead space wound model increased significantly (p < 0.05). Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus demonstrated sensitivity to C. roseus Conclusion Increased wound contraction and tensile strength, augmented hydroxyproline content along with antimicrobial activity support the use of C. roseus in the topical management of wound healing. PMID:17184528

Microwave-assisted enhancement of milkweed (Calotropis procera L.) leaves as an eco-friendly source of natural colorants for textile.

PubMed

Hussaan, Muhammad; Iqbal, Naeem; Adeel, Shahid; Azeem, Muhammad; Tariq Javed, M; Raza, Ali

2017-02-01

Application of natural colorants to textile fabrics has gained worldwide public acceptance due to the hazardous nature of synthetic dyes. Present study investigated the microwave's mediated extraction of natural colorants from leaves of milkweed (Calotropis procera L.) as well as their application to cotton fabrics assisted with biochemical mordants. Dye extraction from C. procera leaves was carried out in various mediums (alkali and aqueous), and the extracted dye as well as cotton fabrics was irradiated with microwaves for 2, 4, 6, 8, or 10 min. Effect of various temperature regimes and sodium chloride (NaCl) concentrations was also evaluated on the color strength of dyed cotton fabrics. The results revealed that extraction of natural colorants was enhanced when microwave radiations were applied for 4 min by using alkali as an extraction medium as compared to aqueous one. Optimum dyeing of cotton fabrics was achieved by using NaCl at a temperature of 55 °C. Among the chemical mordants, iron was effective for better color strength when used as pre- and post-mordant. Among the studied bio-mordants, extract of Acacia nilotica bark significantly improved the color strength and fastness properties as pre-mordant and Curcuma longa tuber as post-mordant. It was concluded that extract of C. procera leaves was a potential source of natural colorants and a high level of dye was obtained upon irradiation of alkali-solubilized extract for 4 min. Application of NaCl at concentration of 3 g/100 mL and temperature treatment of 55 °C significantly improved the color strength of dyed cotton fabrics.

In vivo antioxidative property, antimicrobial and wound healing activity of flower extracts of Pyrostegia venusta (Ker Gawl) Miers.

PubMed

Roy, Purabi; Amdekar, Sarika; Kumar, Avnish; Singh, Rambir; Sharma, Poonam; Singh, Vinod

2012-03-06

Pyrostegia venusta (Ker Gawl) Miers. (Bignoniaceae), has been traditionally used as a remedy for treating white patches and infections on the skin (leukoderma, vitiligo). To investigate wound healing and antimicrobial activity of flower extract of Pyrostegia venusta, including in vivo antioxidant activity. Methanolic extracts of Pyrostegia venusta flowers were studied for wound healing efficiency along with its effect on pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines was assessed using excision and incision model of wound repair in Wistar rats. Healing was assessed by the rate of wound contraction, tensile strength, breaking strength, hydroxyproline and hexosamine content. Antimicrobial activity of the flower extract against twelve microorganisms was also assessed. In vivo antioxidant activity was performed to understand the mechanism of wound healing potency. The results indicated that Pyrostegia venusta extract has potent wound healing capacity as evident from the wound contraction and increased tensile strength. Hydroxyproline and hexosamine expression were also correlative with the healing pattern observed. Pyrostegia venusta extract exhibited moderate antimicrobial activity against the organisms: Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Micrococcus luteus, Enterobacter aerogenes, Salmonella typhi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger and Candida tropicana. During early wound healing phase TNF-α and IL-6 level were found to be up regulated by Pyrostegia venusta treatment. Increased wound contraction and tensile strength, augmented hydroxyproline and hexosamine content along with antioxidative activity and moderate antimicrobial activity support the early wound healing exhibited by Pyrostegia venusta flower extract. Induction in cytokine production may be one of the mechanisms involved in accelerating the wound healing by Pyrostegia venusta extract. Results suggest that Pyrostegia venusta may be useful in the tropical management of wound healing. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Micro-mechanical evaluation of SiC-SiC composite interphase properties and debond mechanisms

DOE PAGES

Kabel, Joey; Yang, Y.; Balooch, Mehdi; ...

2017-07-31

SiC-SiC composites exhibit exceptional high temperature strength and oxidation properties making them an advantageous choice for accident tolerant nuclear fuel cladding. In the present work, small scale mechanical testing along with AFM and TEM analysis were employed to evaluate PyC interphase properties that play a key role in the overall mechanical behavior of the composite. The Mohr-Coulomb formulation allowed for the extraction of the internal friction coefficient and debonding shear strength as a function of the PyC layer thickness, an additional parameter. Here, these results have led to re-evaluation of the Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion and adjustment via a new phenomenologicalmore » equation.« less

Smoking Cues, Argument Strength, and Perceived Effectiveness of Antismoking PSAs

PubMed Central

Cappella, Joseph. N.; Lerman, Caryn; Strasser, Andrew A.

2011-01-01

Introduction: The study examines the effectiveness of antismoking public service announcements (PSAs) among adult smokers as a function of smoking cues and the argument strength of the PSAs. Consistent with the previous cue-reactivity studies, smoking cues are defined as one of the following visual scenes: (a) objects associated with smoking, (b) holding or handling cigarettes, and (c) actual smoking behaviors. Argument strength indicates smoker's judgments of perceived strength and persuasiveness of the arguments extracted from the PSAs. Methods: Data were collected through a web-based experiment of a random sample of general population of smokers (n = 566 adults aged 19 years or older). Each participant was shown 4 PSAs randomly selected from a set of 60. Data were analyzed using multilevel modeling to assess the effects of smoking cues and argument strength. Effectiveness measures include perceived persuasiveness, transportation, valenced thought, negative emotion, and smoking-related thoughts. Results: Argument strength is a significant predictor of outcome variables. Although there were no significant main effects of smoking cues on any outcome variables, smoking cues were found to interact with argument strength such that the association between argument strength and outcome variables became weaker for PSAs in the smoking cue condition compared with those in the no-cue condition. Conclusions: The interaction between smoking cues and argument strength suggests that smoking cues in antismoking PSAs undermine a significant part of what makes PSAs effective—their arguments against smoking. In designing antismoking messages, the inclusion of smoking cues should be weighed carefully. PMID:21330273

Physiochemical and functional properties of chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) skin gelatin extracted at different temperatures.

PubMed

Liu, Yang; Xia, Lining; Jia, Hui; Li, Qi; Jin, Wengang; Dong, Xiuping; Pan, Jinfeng

2017-12-01

Aquatic source gelatins are gaining more attention due to the advantages in safety and religion acceptability compared with mammalian sources. For understanding the effects of extracting temperature on gelatins from chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) skins (GCSS), gelatins were extracted at temperatures from 40 to 90°C and the physiochemical properties of GCSS were investigated. GCSS yield increased while imino acids content declined as the increase of temperature. GCSS40, 50 and 60 showed strong β-, α1- and α2-chains but the three faded in GCSS70, 80 and 90, with the presence of low molecular weight fragments. Amides A, I and III were shifted to higher wavenumber in GCSS70, 80 and 90 compared with that of GCSS40, 50 and 60. X-ray diffraction showed lower intensity of peak at 7° in GCSS80 and 90 than in the other GCSS. Gel strength declined while a*, b* and ΔE* value increased as temperature increased. Foam expansion and stability of GCSS40, 50 and 60 were lower than those of GCSS70, 80 and 90. Emulsion activity and stability decreased as temperature increased. Extracting temperature greatly affected yield, molecular composition and functionalities of GCSS. A temperature lower than 50°C is recommended for GCSS extraction. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Does ipsilateral corticospinal excitability play a decisive role in the cross-education effect caused by unilateral resistance training? A systematic review.

PubMed

Colomer-Poveda, D; Romero-Arenas, S; Hortobagyi, T; Márquez, G

2018-01-02

Unilateral resistance training has been shown to improve muscle strength in both the trained and the untrained limb. One of the most widely accepted theories is that this improved performance is due to nervous system adaptations, specifically in the primary motor cortex. According to this hypothesis, increased corticospinal excitability (CSE), measured with transcranial magnetic stimulation, is one of the main adaptations observed following prolonged periods of training. The principal aim of this review is to determine the degree of adaptation of CSE and its possible functional association with increased strength in the untrained limb. We performed a systematic literature review of studies published between January 1970 and December 2016, extracted from Medline (via PubMed), Ovid, Web of Science, and Science Direct online databases. The search terms were as follows: (transcranial magnetic stimulation OR excitability) AND (strength training OR resistance training OR force) AND (cross transfer OR contralateral limb OR cross education). A total of 10 articles were found. Results regarding increased CSE were inconsistent. Although the possibility that the methodology had a role in this inconsistency cannot be ruled out, the results appear to suggest that there may not be a functional association between increases in muscle strength and in CSE. Copyright © 2017 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of aqueous leaves extract of Moringa oleifera Linn for wound healing in albino rats.

PubMed

Rathi, B S; Bodhankar, S L; Baheti, A M

2006-11-01

Aqueous extract of leaves of M. oleifera was investigated and rationalised for its wound healing activity. The aqueous extract was studied at dose level of 300 mg/kg body weight using resutured incision; excision and dead space wound models in rats. Significant increase in wound closure rate, skin-breaking strength, granuloma breaking strength, hydroxyproline content, granuloma dry weight and decrease in scar area was observed. The prohealing actions seem to be due to increased collagen deposition as well as better alignment and maturation. From the results obtained, it may be concluded that the aqueous extract of M. oleifera has significant wound healing property.

Diffusion with Varying Drag; the Runaway Problem.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rollins, David Kenneth

We study the motion of electrons in an ionized plasma of electrons and ions in an external electric field. A probability distribution function describes the electron motion and is a solution of a Fokker-Planck equation. In zero field, the solution approaches an equilibrium Maxwellian. For arbitrarily small field, electrons overcome the diffusive effects and are freely accelerated by the field. This is the electron runaway phenomenon. We treat the electric field as a small perturbation. We consider various diffusion coefficients for the one dimensional problem and determine the runaway current as a function of the field strength. Diffusion coefficients, non-zero on a finite interval are examined. Some non-trivial cases of these can be solved exactly in terms of known special functions. The more realistic case where the diffusion coefficient decays with velocity are then considered. To determine the runaway current, the equivalent Schrodinger eigenvalue problem is analysed. The smallest eigenvalue is shown to be equal to the runaway current. Using asymptotic matching a solution can be constructed which is then used to evaluate the runaway current. The runaway current is exponentially small as a function of field strength. This method is used to extract results from the three dimensional problem.

Appraisal of marigold flower based lutein as natural colourant for textile dyeing under the influence of gamma radiations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adeel, Shahid; Gulzar, Tahsin; Azeem, Muhammad; Fazal-ur-Rehman; Saeed, Muhammad; Hanif, Iram; Iqbal, Naeem

2017-01-01

Maintaining colour strength and fastness of the fabrics dyed with natural colourants had been the major constraint of utilizing plant based dyes in modern textile practices. The present study was concerned with the extraction of lutein dye from marigold (Tagetes erecta L.) flowers and role of gamma radiation in improving colour strength and fastness characteristics of the extracted dye. The investigation of dyed fabric in spectraflash showed that gamma ray treatment of 30 kGy was the optimum absorbed dose for surface modification to improve its dye uptake ability. Good colour strength was obtained when irradiated cotton (RC, 30 kGy) was dyed with extract of radiated marigold flower powder (RP) at 70 °C for 85 min, keeping M:L of 1:50 using dye bath of pH 5.0. The results from mordanting experiments revealed that 7% of tannic acid as pre-mordant and 5% of Cu as post-mordant were the best treatments to improve colour strength. It was found that gamma ray induced extraction of lutein from marigold flowers had a potential to be utilized as natural dyes in textile sector to produce yellowish green shades.

A Mineral-Rich Extract from the Red Marine Algae Lithothamnion calcareum Preserves Bone Structure and Function in Female Mice on a Western-Style Diet

PubMed Central

Aslam, Muhammad Nadeem; Kreider, Jaclynn M.; Paruchuri, Tejaswi; Bhagavathula, Narasimharao; DaSilva, Marissa; Zernicke, Ronald F.; Goldstein, Steven A.; Varani, James

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a mineral-rich extract derived from the red marine algae Lithothamnion calcareum could be used as a dietary supplement for prevention of bone mineral loss. Sixty C57BL/6 mice were divided into three groups based on diet: the first group received a high-fat Western-style diet (HFWD), the second group was fed the same HFWD along with the mineral-rich extract included as a dietary supplement, and the third group was used as a control and was fed a low-fat rodent chow diet (AIN76A). Mice were maintained on the respective diets for 15 months. Then, long bones (femora and tibiae) from both males and females were analyzed by three-dimensional micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and (bones from female mice) concomitantly assessed in bone strength studies. Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), osteocalcin, and N-terminal peptide of type I procollagen (PINP) were assessed in plasma samples obtained from female mice at the time of sacrifice. To summarize, female mice on the HFWD had reduced bone mineralization and reduced bone strength relative to female mice on the low-fat chow diet. The bone defects in female mice on the HFWD were overcome in the presence of the mineral-rich supplement. In fact, female mice receiving the mineral-rich supplement in the HFWD had better bone structure/function than did female mice on the low-fat chow diet. Female mice on the mineral-supplemented HFWD had higher plasma levels of TRAP than mice of the other groups. There were no differences in the other two markers. Male mice showed little diet-specific differences by micro-CT. PMID:20180099

Shear bond strengths of self-etching adhesives to caries-affected dentin on the gingival wall.

PubMed

Koyuturk, Alp Erdin; Sengun, Abdulkadir; Ozer, Fusun; Sener, Yagmur; Gokalp, Alparslan

2006-03-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the bonding ability of five current self-etching adhesives to caries-affected dentin on the gingival wall. Seventy extracted human molars with approximal dentin caries were employed in this study. In order to obtain caries-affected dentin on the gingival wall, grinding was performed under running water. Following which, specimens mounted in acrylic blocks and composite resins of the bonding systems were bonded to dentin with plastic rings and then debonded by shear bond strength. With Clearfil SE Bond, bonding to caries-affected dentin showed the highest bond strength. With Optibond Solo Plus Self-Etch, bonding to caries-affected dentin showed higher shear bond strength than AQ Bond, Tyrian SPE & One-Step Plus, and Prompt-L-Pop (p<0.05). Further, the bond strengths of Clearfil SE Bond and Optibond Solo Plus Self-Etch to sound dentin were higher than those of Prompt-L-Pop, AQ Bond, and Tyrian SPE & One-Step Plus (p<0.05). In conclusion, besides micromechanical interlocking through hybrid layer formation, bond strength of self-etch adhesives to dentin may be increased from additional chemical interaction between the functional monomer and residual hydroxyapatite. The results of this study confirmed that differences in bond strength among self-etching adhesives to both caries-affected and sound dentin were due to chemical composition rather than acidity.

Extraction of domoic acid from seawater and urine using a resin based on 2-(trifluoromethyl)acrylic acid.

PubMed

Piletska, Elena V; Villoslada, Fernando Navarro; Chianella, Iva; Bossi, Alessandra; Karim, Kal; Whitcombe, Michael J; Piletsky, Sergey A; Doucette, Gregory J; Ramsdell, John S

2008-03-03

A new solid-phase extraction (SPE) matrix with high affinity for the neurotoxin domoic acid (DA) was designed and tested. A computational modelling study led to the selection of 2-(trifluoromethyl)acrylic acid (TFMAA) as a functional monomer capable of imparting affinity towards domoic acid. Polymeric adsorbents containing TFMAA were synthesised and tested in high ionic strength solutions such as urine and seawater. The TFMAA-based polymers demonstrated excellent performance in solid-phase extraction of domoic acid, retaining the toxin while salts and other interfering compounds such as aspartic and glutamic acids were removed by washing and selective elution. It was shown that the TFMAA-based polymer provided the level of purification of domoic acid from urine and seawater acceptable for its quantification by high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) without any additional pre-concentration and purification steps.

Effectiveness of exercise interventions on physical function in community-dwelling frail older people: an umbrella review of systematic reviews.

PubMed

Jadczak, Agathe D; Makwana, Naresh; Luscombe-Marsh, Natalie; Visvanathan, Renuka; Schultz, Timothy J

2018-03-01

This umbrella review aimed to determine the effectiveness of exercise interventions, alone or in combination with other interventions, in improving physical function in community-dwelling older people identified as pre-frail or frail. Exercise is said to have a positive impact on muscle mass and strength which improves physical function and hence is beneficial for the treatment of frailty. Several systematic reviews discuss the effects of exercise interventions on physical function parameters, such as strength, mobility, gait, balance and physical performance, and indicate that multi-component exercise, including resistance, aerobic, balance and flexibility training, appears to be the best way in which to improve physical function parameters in frail older people. However, there is still uncertainty as to which exercise characteristics (type, frequency, intensity, duration and combinations) are the most effective and sustainable over the long-term. Participants were adults, 60 years or over, living in the community and identified as pre-frail or frail. Quantitative systematic reviews, with or without meta-analysis that examined the effectiveness of exercise interventions of any form, duration, frequency and intensity, alone or in combination with other interventions designed to alter physical function parameters in frail older people, were considered. The quantitative outcome measures were physical function, including muscular strength, gait, balance, mobility and physical performance. An iterative search strategy for ten bibliometric databases and gray literature was developed. Critical appraisal of seven systematic reviews was conducted independently by two reviewers using a standard Joanna Briggs Institute tool. Data was extracted independently by two reviewers using a standard Joanna Briggs Institute data extraction tool and summarized using a narrative synthesis approach. Seven systematic reviews were included in this umbrella review, with a total of 58 relevant randomized controlled trials and 6927 participants. Five systematic reviews examined the effects of exercise only, while two systematic reviews reported on exercise in combination with a nutritional approach, including protein supplementations, as well as fruit and dairy products. The average exercise frequency was 2-3 times per week (mean 3.0 ± 1.5 times per week; range 1-7 weekly) for 10-90 minutes per session (mean of 52.0 ± 16.5 mins) and a total duration of 5-72 weeks with the majority lasting a minimum of 2.5 months (mean 22.7 ± 17.7 weeks). Multi-component exercise interventions can currently be recommended for pre-frail and frail older adults to improve muscular strength, gait speed, balance and physical performance, including resistance, aerobic, balance and flexibility tasks. Resistance training alone also appeared to be beneficial, in particular for improving muscular strength, gait speed and physical performance. Other types of exercise were not sufficiently studied and their effectiveness is yet to be established. Interventions for pre-frail and frail older adults should include multi-component exercises, including in particular resistance training, as well as aerobic, balance and flexibility tasks. Future research should adopt a consistent definition of frailty and investigate the effects of other types of exercise alone or in combination with nutritional interventions so that more specific recommendations can be made.

Functional Performance Testing After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

PubMed Central

Abrams, Geoffrey D.; Harris, Joshua D.; Gupta, Anil K.; McCormick, Frank M.; Bush-Joseph, Charles A.; Verma, Nikhil N.; Cole, Brian J.; Bach, Bernard R.

2014-01-01

Background: When to allow an athlete to return to unrestricted sporting activity after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction remains controversial. Purpose: To report the results of functional performance testing reported in the literature for individuals at differing time points following ACL reconstruction and to examine differences between graft types. Study Design: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: A systematic review of Medline, Scopus, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials was performed using PRISMA guidelines. Inclusion criteria were English-language studies that examined any functional rehabilitation test from 6 months to 2 years following ACL reconstruction. All patient-, limb-, and knee-specific demographics were extracted from included investigations. All functional rehabilitation tests were analyzed and compared when applicable. Results: The search term returned a total of 890 potential studies, with 88 meeting inclusion and exclusion criteria. A total of 4927 patients were included, of which 66% were male. The mean patient age was 26.5 ± 3.4 years. The predominant graft choices for reconstruction were bone–patellar tendon–bone (BPTB) autograft (59.8%) and hamstring autograft (37.9%). The most commonly reported functional tests were the hop tests. The results of these functional tests, as reported in the Limb Symmetry Index (LSI), improved with increasing time, with nearly all results greater than 90% at 1 year following primary ACL reconstruction. At 6 months postoperatively, a number of isokinetic strength measurements failed to reach 80% LSI, most commonly isokinetic knee extension testing in both BPTB and hamstring autograft groups. The knee flexion strength deficit was significantly less in the BPTB autograft group as compared with those having hamstring autograft at 1 year postoperatively, while no significant differences were found in isokinetic extension strength between the 2 groups. Conclusion: Hop testing was the most commonly reported functional test following ACL reconstruction. Increases in performance on functional tests were predictably seen as time increased following surgery. Those with hamstring autografts may experience increased strength deficits with knee flexion versus those having BPTB autograft. These data provide information that may assist providers in determining timing of return to unrestricted sporting activity. PMID:26535266

Wound healing activity of Sida cordifolia Linn. in rats

PubMed Central

Pawar, Rajesh S.; Chaurasiya, Pradeep K.; Rajak, Harish; Singour, Pradeep K.; Toppo, Fedelic Ashish; Jain, Ankit

2013-01-01

Introduction: The present study provides a scientific evaluation for the wound healing potential of ethanolic (EtOH) extract of Sida cordifolia Linn. (SCL) plant. Materials and Methods: Excision, incision and burn wounds were inflicted upon three groups of six rats each. Group I was assigned as control (ointment base). Group II was treated with 10% EtOH extract ointment. Group III was treated with standard silver sulfadiazine (0.01%) cream. The parameters observed were percentage of wound contraction, epithelialization period, hydroxyproline content, tensile strength including histopathological studies. Result: It was noted that the effect produced by the ethanolic extract of SCL ointment showed significant (P < 0.01) healing in all wound models when compared with the control group. All parameters such as wound contraction, epithelialization period, hydroxyproline content, tensile strength and histopathological studies showed significant (P < 0.01) changes when compared with the control. Conclusion: The ethanolic extract ointment of SCL effectively stimulates wound contraction; increases tensile strength of excision, incision and burn wounds. PMID:24130382

Dyeing of γ-irradiated cotton with natural flavonoid dye extracted from irradiated onion shells (Allium cepa) powder

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rehman, Fazal-ur; Adeel, Shahid; Shahid, Muhammad; Bhatti, Ijaz Ahmad; Nasir, Faiza; Akhtar, Nasim; Ahmad, Zulfiqar

2013-11-01

Powder of Onion shells as a source of natural flavonoid dye (Quercetin) and cotton fabrics were exposed to absorbed doses of 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 kGy using Cs-137 gamma irradiator. Irradiated and un-irradiated dye powder was used for extraction of quercetin as well as antibacterial, hemolytic and antioxidant activities were also determined to observe the effect of radiation. Furthermore, color strength and colourfastness of irradiated fabrics were improved by using pre and post-mordants such as alum and iron. It is found that 4 kGy is the optimal absorbed dose for extraction of natural quercetin extracted from onion shells while maximum color strength and acceptable fastness properties are obtained on dyeing of irradiated fabric at 60 °C keeping M:L of 1:30 using 10% alum as pre-mordant and 6% alum as post-mordant. Gamma irradiation has not only improved the color strength of the dye using irradiated cotton but also that of colourfastness properties.

Lévy-stable two-pion Bose-Einstein correlations in s NN = 200 GeV Au + Au collisions

DOE PAGES

Adare, A.; Aidala, C.; Ajitanand, N. N.; ...

2018-06-14

Here, we present a detailed measurement of charged two-pion correlation functions in 0–30% centrality √ sNN = 200 GeV Au + Au collisions by the PHENIX experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The data are well described by Bose-Einstein correlation functions stemming from Lévy-stable source distributions. Using a fine transverse momentum binning, we extract the correlation strength parameter λ, the Lévy index of stability α, and the Lévy length scale parameter R as a function of average transverse mass of the pair m T. We find that the positively and the negatively charged pion pairs yield consistent results, andmore » their correlation functions are represented, within uncertainties, by the same Lévy-stable source functions. The λ(m T) measurements indicate a decrease of the strength of the correlations at low m T. The Lévy length scale parameter R(m T) decreases with increasing m T, following a hydrodynamically predicted type of scaling behavior. The values of the Lévy index of stability α are found to be significantly lower than the Gaussian case of α = 2, but also significantly larger than the conjectured value that may characterize the critical point of a second-order quark-hadron phase transition.« less

Lévy-stable two-pion Bose-Einstein correlations in s NN = 200 GeV Au + Au collisions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Adare, A.; Aidala, C.; Ajitanand, N. N.

Here, we present a detailed measurement of charged two-pion correlation functions in 0–30% centrality √ sNN = 200 GeV Au + Au collisions by the PHENIX experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The data are well described by Bose-Einstein correlation functions stemming from Lévy-stable source distributions. Using a fine transverse momentum binning, we extract the correlation strength parameter λ, the Lévy index of stability α, and the Lévy length scale parameter R as a function of average transverse mass of the pair m T. We find that the positively and the negatively charged pion pairs yield consistent results, andmore » their correlation functions are represented, within uncertainties, by the same Lévy-stable source functions. The λ(m T) measurements indicate a decrease of the strength of the correlations at low m T. The Lévy length scale parameter R(m T) decreases with increasing m T, following a hydrodynamically predicted type of scaling behavior. The values of the Lévy index of stability α are found to be significantly lower than the Gaussian case of α = 2, but also significantly larger than the conjectured value that may characterize the critical point of a second-order quark-hadron phase transition.« less

Isolation of fish skin and bone gelatin from tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus): Response surface approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arpi, N.; Fahrizal; Novita, M.

2018-03-01

In this study, gelatin from fish collagen, as one of halal sources, was extracted from tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) skin and bone, by using Response Surface Methodology to optimize gelatin extraction conditions. Concentrations of alkaline NaOH and acid HCl, in the pretreatment process, and temperatures in extraction process were chosen as independent variables, while dependent variables were yield, gel strength, and emulsion activity index (EAI). The result of investigation showed that lower NaOH pretreatment concentrations provided proper pH extraction conditions which combine with higher extraction temperatures resulted in high gelatin yield. However, gelatin emulsion activity index increased proportionally to the decreased in NaOH concentrations and extraction temperatures. No significant effect of the three independent variables on the gelatin gel strength. RSM optimization process resulted in optimum gelatin extraction process conditions using alkaline NaOH concentration of 0.77 N, acid HCl of 0.59 N, and extraction temperature of 66.80 °C. The optimal solution formula had optimization targets of 94.38%.

Effect of Increased Intensity of Physiotherapy on Patient Outcomes After Stroke: An Economic Literature Review and Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

PubMed Central

Chan, B

2015-01-01

Background Functional improvements have been seen in stroke patients who have received an increased intensity of physiotherapy. This requires additional costs in the form of increased physiotherapist time. Objectives The objective of this economic analysis is to determine the cost-effectiveness of increasing the intensity of physiotherapy (duration and/or frequency) during inpatient rehabilitation after stroke, from the perspective of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care. Data Sources The inputs for our economic evaluation were extracted from articles published in peer-reviewed journals and from reports from government sources or the Canadian Stroke Network. Where published data were not available, we sought expert opinion and used inputs based on the experts' estimates. Review Methods The primary outcome we considered was cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY). We also evaluated functional strength training because of its similarities to physiotherapy. We used a 2-state Markov model to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of functional strength training and increased physiotherapy intensity for stroke inpatient rehabilitation. The model had a lifetime timeframe with a 5% annual discount rate. We then used sensitivity analyses to evaluate uncertainty in the model inputs. Results We found that functional strength training and higher-intensity physiotherapy resulted in lower costs and improved outcomes over a lifetime. However, our sensitivity analyses revealed high levels of uncertainty in the model inputs, and therefore in the results. Limitations There is a high level of uncertainty in this analysis due to the uncertainty in model inputs, with some of the major inputs based on expert panel consensus or expert opinion. In addition, the utility outcomes were based on a clinical study conducted in the United Kingdom (i.e., 1 study only, and not in an Ontario or Canadian setting). Conclusions Functional strength training and higher-intensity physiotherapy may result in lower costs and improved health outcomes. However, these results should be interpreted with caution. PMID:26366241

Correlation between surface carbon concentration and adhesive strength at the Si cell/EVA interface in a PV module

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dhere, N.G.; Wollam, M.E.; Gadre, K.S.

1997-12-31

Silicon solar cell/EVA composite is being studied with an objective to further improve the manufacturing technology of PV modules. Sample extraction and adhesion strength measurement process has been modified. Silicon and EVA samples were extracted from solar cells of new and field-deployed modules. Optical microscopy, SEM, and AES of samples from new modules revealed EVA islands covering most of the silicon cell surface indicating a cohesive failure. A good correlation was observed between the adhesive strength and surface concentration of carbon. A low carbon concentration which indicated less EVA clinging to cell surface always resulted in low adhesive strengths. Themore » correlation provides a simple technique for inferring properties of EVA.« less

Influence of extractives on wood gluing and finishing- a review

Treesearch

Chung-Yun Hse; Mon-Lin Kuo

1988-01-01

Migration of extractives to the wood surface alters the properties of wood as an adherent. Extractives change the wettability and the curing properties of adhesives. A desirable wettability-permeability relationship is sometimes affected by extractives, thus reducing the gluebond strength and performance. Past efforts to determine which of the components of extractives...

Single-particle strength from nucleon transfer in oxygen isotopes: Sensitivity to model parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flavigny, F.; Keeley, N.; Gillibert, A.; Obertelli, A.

2018-03-01

In the analysis of transfer reaction data to extract nuclear structure information the choice of input parameters to the reaction model such as distorting potentials and overlap functions has a significant impact. In this paper we consider a set of data for the (d ,t ) and (d ,3He ) reactions on 14,16,18O as a well-delimited subject for a study of the sensitivity of such analyses to different choices of distorting potentials and overlap functions with particular reference to a previous investigation of the variation of valence nucleon correlations as a function of the difference in nucleon separation energy Δ S =| Sp-Sn| [Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 122503 (2013), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.122503].

Optimization of gelatine extraction from grass carp (Catenopharyngodon idella) fish skin by response surface methodology.

PubMed

Kasankala, Ladislaus M; Xue, Yan; Weilong, Yao; Hong, Sun D; He, Qian

2007-12-01

To establish the optimum gelatine extraction conditions from grass carp fish skin, response surface methodology (RSM) was adopted in this study. The effects of concentration of HCl (%, A), pre-treatment time (h, B), extraction temperature ( degrees C, C) and extraction time (h, D) were studied. The responses were yield (%) and gel strength (g). A=1.19%, B=24 h, C=52.61 degrees C and D=5.12h were determined as the optimum conditions while the predicted responses were 19.83% yield and 267 g gel strength. Gelling and melting points were 19.5 degrees C and 26.8 degrees C, respectively. Moreover, grass carp gelatine showed high contents of imino acids (proline and hydroxyproline) 19.47%. RSM provided a powerful tool to optimize the extraction parameters and the results may be adapted for industrial extraction of gelatine from grass carp fish skins.

Fabrication of a novel hydrophobic/ion-exchange mixed-mode adsorbent for the dispersive solid-phase extraction of chlorophenols from environmental water samples.

PubMed

Gao, Li; Wei, Yinmao

2016-08-01

A novel mixed-mode adsorbent was prepared by functionalizing silica with tris(2-aminoethyl)amine and 3-phenoxybenzaldehyde as the main mixed-mode scaffold due to the presence of the plentiful amino groups and benzene rings in their molecules. The adsorption mechanism was probed with acidic, natural and basic compounds, and the mixed hydrophobic and ion-exchange interactions were found to be responsible for the adsorption of analytes. The suitability of dispersive solid-phase extraction was demonstrated in the determination of chlorophenols in environmental water. Several parameters, including sample pH, desorption solvent, ionic strength, adsorbent dose, and extraction time were optimized. Under the optimal extraction conditions, the proposed dispersive solid-phase extraction coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography showed good linearity range and acceptable limits of detection (0.22∽0.54 ng/mL) for five chlorophenols. Notably, the higher extraction recoveries (88.7∽109.7%) for five chlorophenols were obtained with smaller adsorbent dose (10 mg) and shorter extraction time (15 min) compared with the reported methods. The proposed method might be potentially applied in the determination of trace chlorophenols in real water samples. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The influence of removing sizing on strength and stiffness of conventional and high modulus E-glass fibres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nørgaard Petersen, Helga; Kusano, Yukihiro; Brøndsted, Povl; Almdal, Kristoffer

2016-07-01

Two types of E-glass fibres, a conventional and a high modulus where the last one in the following will be denoted as ECR-glass fibre, were investigated regarding density, diameter, stiffness and strength. The fibres were analysed as pristine and after sizing removal treatments. The sizing was removed by either burning at 565°C or soxhlet extraction with acetone. It was found that the density and the stiffness increased after removing the sizing by the two removal treatments whereas the diameter did not change significantly. The strength of the fibres decreased after burning as the sizing, protecting against water and fibre-fibre damage, had been removed. The strength of the fibres after extraction was not significantly different from the strength of the pristine fibres despite removing the sizing. This indicates that the bonded part of sizing is still protecting the glass fibre surface.

Effects of HF Treatments on Tensile Strength of Hi-Nicalon Fibers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bansal, Narottam P.

1998-01-01

Tensile strengths of as-received Hi-Nicalon fibers and those having a dual BN/SiC surface coating, deposited by chemical vapor deposition, have been measured at room temperature. These fibers were also treated with HF for 24 h followed by tensile strength measurements. Strengths of uncoated and BN/SiC coated Hi-Nicalon fibers extracted from celsian matrix composites, by dissolving away the matrix in HF for 24 h, were also determined. The average tensile strength of uncoated Hi-Nicalon was 3.19 +/- 0.73 GPa with a Weibull modulus of 5.41. The Hi-Nicalon/BN/SiC fibers showed an average strength of 3.04 q 0.53 GPa and Weibull modulus of 6.66. After HF treatments, the average strengths of the uncoated and BN/SiC coated Hi-Nicalon fibers were 2.69 +/- 0.67 GPa and 2.80 +/- 0.53 GPa and the Weibull moduli were 4.93 and 5.96, respectively. The BN/SiC coated fibers extracted from the celsian matrix composite exhibited a strength of 2.38 +/- 0.40 GPa and a Weibull modulus of 7.15. The strength of the uncoated Hi-Nicalon fibers in the composite was so severely degraded that they disintegrated into small fragments during extraction with HF. The uncoated fibers probably undergo mechanical surface damage during hot pressing of the composites. Also, the BN layer on the coated fibers acts as a compliant layer which protects the fibers from mechanical damage during composite processing. The elemental composition and thickness of the fiber coatings were deten-nined using scanning Auger analysis. Microstructural analyses of the fibers and the coatings were done by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Strengths of fibers calculated using average and measured fiber diameters were in good agreement. Thus, the strength of fibers can be evaluated using an average fiber diameter instead of the measured diameter of each filament.

The effect of bone tunnel dilation versus extraction drilling on the initial fixation strength of press-fit anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

PubMed

Dargel, Jens; Schmidt-Wiethoff, Rüdiger; Brüggemann, Gert-Peter; Koebke, Jürgen

2007-11-01

Serial dilation of the bone tunnel has been reported to create a tighter graft-tunnel fit. It was hypothesized that a serial dilation of the femoral bone tunnel would increase the initial fixation strength in press-fit anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructive surgery. Initial fixation strength of the femoral press-fit fixation technique was investigated in 72 porcine specimens in an ex vivo study by varying the femoral tunnel preparation technique. Extraction-drilling, tunnel dilation by 1 mm and dilation by 2.5 mm were assessed. Initial fixation strength of press-fit fixated patellar tendon-bone grafts was tested within each preparation group conducting a single cycle (and cyclic) load to failure protocol. The resulting tunnel diameter and the porcine femoral bone mineral density were determined using microradiographs and peripheral quantitative CT scans, respectively. Dilating a previously extraction-drilled femoral bone tunnel by 1 mm significantly enhances initial press-fit fixation strength in both single cycle and cyclic load to failure testing when compared to extraction-drilling and tunnel dilation by 2.5 mm. Due to an initial spring-back effect the resulting diameter of the femoral tunnel was underestimated by 3.3% with drilling and 6.7 and 12.2% with dilation by 1 and 2.5 mm, respectively. Volumetric trabecular bone mineral density at the site corresponding to the area of tunnel placement averaged 318 mg/cm(3). Dilating a femoral tunnel that is underdrilled by 1 mm appears to be a reasonable technical procedure in order to enhance initial fixation strength of press-fit ACL graft fixation.

Molecular and functional properties of gelatin from the skin of unicorn leatherjacket as affected by extracting temperatures.

PubMed

Kaewruang, Phanngam; Benjakul, Soottawat; Prodpran, Thummanoon

2013-06-01

Gelatins extracted from the skin of unicorn leatherjacket at different temperatures (45, 55, 65 and 75°C) in the presence and the absence of soybean trypsin inhibitor (SBTI; 100 units/g pretreated skin) for 12h were characterised. In general, the addition of SBTI resulted in the lower yield, regardless of extraction temperature. Higher yield was obtained when higher extraction temperature was used (P<0.05). Gelatin from skin extracted at 75°C in the absence of SBTI showed the highest yield (10.66 ± 0.41%) (based on dry weight). The highest α-amino group content was observed in gelatin extracted at 55°C without SBTI incorporated. The band intensity of β-chain and α-chains increased as the extraction temperature increased, particularly above 55°C. Gelatin extracted at 65°C with and without SBTI incorporation exhibited the highest gel strength (178.00 ± 7.50 g and 170.47 ± 1.30 g, respectively). FTIR spectra indicated that a greater loss of molecular order of triple helix with a higher degradation was found in gelatin extracted at 55°C in the absence SBTI. Gelatin extracted at 65°C, either with or without SBTI, had the highest EAI and ESI with high foam expansion and stability. Thus, the extraction of gelatin from the skin of unicorn leatherjacket at temperature sufficiently high could render the gelatin with less degradation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effect of exercise therapy on knee adduction moment in individuals with knee osteoarthritis: A systematic review.

PubMed

Ferreira, Giovanni E; Robinson, Caroline Cabral; Wiebusch, Matheus; Viero, Carolina Cabral de Mello; da Rosa, Luis Henrique Telles; Silva, Marcelo Faria

2015-07-01

Exercise therapy is an evidence-based intervention for the conservative management of knee osteoarthritis. It is hypothesized that exercise therapy could reduce the knee adduction moment. A systematic review was performed in order to verify the effects of exercise therapy on the knee adduction moment in individuals with knee osteoarthritis in studies that also assessed pain and physical function. A comprehensive electronic search was performed on MEDLINE, Cochrane CENTRAL, EMBASE, Google scholar and OpenGrey. Inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials with control or sham groups as comparator assessing pain, physical function, muscle strength and knee adduction moment during walking at self-selected speed in individuals with knee osteoarthritis that underwent a structured exercise therapy rehabilitation program. Two independent reviewers extracted the data and assessed risk of bias. For each study, knee adduction moment, pain and physical function outcomes were extracted. For each outcome, mean differences and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Due to clinical heterogeneity among exercise therapy protocols, a descriptive analysis was chosen. Three studies, comprising 233 participants, were included. None of the studies showed significant differences between strengthening and control/sham groups in knee adduction moment. In regards to pain and physical function, the three studies demonstrated significant improvement in pain and two of them showed increased physical function following exercise therapy compared to controls. Muscle strength and torque significantly improved in all the three trials favoring the intervention group. Clinical benefits from exercise therapy were not associated with changes in the knee adduction moment. The lack of knee adduction moment reduction indicates that exercise therapy may not be protective in knee osteoarthritis from a joint loading point of view. Alterations in neuromuscular control, not captured by the knee adduction moment measurement, may contribute to alter dynamic joint loading following exercise therapy. To conclude, mechanisms other than the reduction in knee adduction moment might explain the clinical benefits of exercise therapy on knee osteoarthritis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Organization and hierarchy of the human functional brain network lead to a chain-like core.

PubMed

Mastrandrea, Rossana; Gabrielli, Andrea; Piras, Fabrizio; Spalletta, Gianfranco; Caldarelli, Guido; Gili, Tommaso

2017-07-07

The brain is a paradigmatic example of a complex system: its functionality emerges as a global property of local mesoscopic and microscopic interactions. Complex network theory allows to elicit the functional architecture of the brain in terms of links (correlations) between nodes (grey matter regions) and to extract information out of the noise. Here we present the analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging data from forty healthy humans at rest for the investigation of the basal scaffold of the functional brain network organization. We show how brain regions tend to coordinate by forming a highly hierarchical chain-like structure of homogeneously clustered anatomical areas. A maximum spanning tree approach revealed the centrality of the occipital cortex and the peculiar aggregation of cerebellar regions to form a closed core. We also report the hierarchy of network segregation and the level of clusters integration as a function of the connectivity strength between brain regions.

Extraction of triazole fungicides in environmental waters utilizing poly (ionic liquid)-functionalized magnetic adsorbent.

PubMed

Liu, Cheng; Liao, Yingmin; Huang, Xiaojia

2017-11-17

This work prepared a new poly (ionic liquid)-functionalized magnetic adsorbent (PFMA) for the extraction of triazole fungicides (TFs) in environmental waters prior to determination by high performance liquid chromatography/diode array detection (HPLC-DAD). A polymerizable ionic liquid, 1-methyl-3-allylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide was employed to copolymerize with divinylbenzene on the surface of modified magnetite to fabricate the PFMA. The morphology, spectroscopic and magnetic properties of the new adsorbent were investigated by different techniques. A series of key parameters that influence the extraction performance including the amount of PFMA, desorption solvent, adsorption and desorption time, sample pH value and ionic strength were optimized in detail. Under the optimum conditions, the prepared PFMA could extract targeted TFs effectively and quickly under the format of magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE). Satisfactory linearities were achieved in the range of 0.1-200.0μg/L for triadimenol and 0.05-200.0μg/L for other TFs with good coefficients of determination above 0.99 for all analytes. The limits of detection (S/N=3) and limits of quantification (S/N=10) for TFs were in the range of 0.0050-0.0078μg/L and 0.017-0.026μg/L, respectively. Environmental waters including lake, river and well waters were used to demonstrate the applicability of developed MSPE-HPLC-DAD method, and satisfactory recoveries and repeatability were obtained. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dexmedetomidine Disrupts the Local and Global Efficiencies of Large-scale Brain Networks.

PubMed

Hashmi, Javeria A; Loggia, Marco L; Khan, Sheraz; Gao, Lei; Kim, Jieun; Napadow, Vitaly; Brown, Emery N; Akeju, Oluwaseun

2017-03-01

A clear understanding of the neural basis of consciousness is fundamental to research in clinical and basic neuroscience disciplines and anesthesia. Recently, decreased efficiency of information integration was suggested as a core network feature of propofol-induced unconsciousness. However, it is unclear whether this finding can be generalized to dexmedetomidine, which has a different molecular target. Dexmedetomidine was administered as a 1-μg/kg bolus over 10 min, followed by a 0.7-μg · kg · h infusion to healthy human volunteers (age range, 18 to 36 yr; n = 15). Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired during baseline, dexmedetomidine-induced altered arousal, and recovery states. Zero-lag correlations between resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging signals extracted from 131 brain parcellations were used to construct weighted brain networks. Network efficiency, degree distribution, and node strength were computed using graph analysis. Parcellated brain regions were also mapped to known resting-state networks to study functional connectivity changes. Dexmedetomidine significantly reduced the local and global efficiencies of graph theory-derived networks. Dexmedetomidine also reduced the average brain connectivity strength without impairing the degree distribution. Functional connectivity within and between all resting-state networks was modulated by dexmedetomidine. Dexmedetomidine is associated with a significant drop in the capacity for efficient information transmission at both the local and global levels. These changes result from reductions in the strength of connectivity and also manifest as reduced within and between resting-state network connectivity. These findings strengthen the hypothesis that conscious processing relies on an efficient system of information transfer in the brain.

Single fibre strength of cellulosic fibre extracted from "Belatlan roots" plant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

M. Hanis. A., H.; Majid, M. S. Abdul; Ridzuan, M. J. M.; Fahmi, I.

2017-12-01

The tensile strength of a fibre extracted from "Belatlan Root" plant was investigated as potential reinforcement material in polymeric composites. Following retting process, the fibres were manually extracted from "Belatlan" root's plant. The fibres were treated with 5 % 10 %, 15 %, and 20 % sodium hydroxide (NaOH) wt. % concentration for 24 h. The single fibre tests were then performed in accordance with ASTM D3822-07 standard. The surfaces of the fibres prior and after the treatment were observed with a metallurgical Microscope MT8100 and the physical properties were recorded. Physically, in the post treatment, the fibre showed a decrease in diameter with increase in NaOH concentration The results from the mechanical testing indicates that samples subjected to 5 % NaOH treatment yielded the highest tensile strength and elastic modulus at 89.05 MPa ± 2.75 and 3.81 GPa ± 0.09 respectively compared to untreated fibres. This represents an increase of almost 72 % in tensile strength and 42 % for elastic modulus. The findings support the preliminary information for incorporating the "Belatlan Root" as possible reinforcing materials in composite structures.

Outcome following phrenic nerve transfer to musculocutaneous nerve in patients with traumatic brachial palsy: a qualitative systematic review.

PubMed

de Mendonça Cardoso, Marcio; Gepp, Ricardo; Correa, José Fernando Guedes

2016-09-01

The phrenic nerve can be transferred to the musculocutaneous nerve in patients with traumatic brachial plexus palsy in order to recover biceps strength, but the results are controversial. There is also a concern about pulmonary function after phrenic nerve transection. In this paper, we performed a qualitative systematic review, evaluating outcomes after this procedure. A systematic review of published studies was undertaken in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Data were extracted from the selected papers and related to: publication, study design, outcome (biceps strength in accordance with BMRC and pulmonary function) and population. Study quality was assessed using the "strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology" (STROBE) standard or the CONSORT checklist, depending on the study design. Seven studies were selected for this systematic review after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. One hundred twenty-four patients completed follow-up, and most of them were graded M3 or M4 (70.1 %) for biceps strength at the final evaluation. Pulmonary function was analyzed in five studies. It was not possible to perform a statistical comparison between studies because the authors used different parameters for evaluation. Most of the patients exhibited a decrease in pulmonary function tests immediately after surgery, with recovery in the following months. Study quality was determined using STROBE in six articles, and the global score varied from 8 to 21. Phrenic nerve transfer to the musculocutaneous nerve can recover biceps strength ≥M3 (BMRC) in most patients with traumatic brachial plexus injury. Early postoperative findings revealed that the development of pulmonary symptoms is rare, but it cannot be concluded that the procedure is safe because there is no study evaluating pulmonary function in old age.

Evaluation of the wound-healing activity of Hibiscus rosa sinensis L (Malvaceae) in Wistar albino rats.

PubMed

Bhaskar, Anusha; Nithya, V

2012-01-01

To investigate the wound-healing potency of the ethanolic extract of the flowers of Hibiscus rosa sinensis. The wound-healing activity of H. rosa sinensis (5 and 10% w/w) on Wistar albino rats was studied using three different models viz., excision, incision and dead space wound. The parameters studied were breaking strength in incision model, granulation tissue dry weight, breaking strength and collagen content in dead space wound model, percentage of wound contraction and period of epithelization in excision wound model. The granulation tissue formed on days 4, 8, 12, and 16 (post-wound) was used to estimate total collagen, hexosamine, protein, DNA and uronic acid. Data were analyzed by Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. The extract increased cellular proliferation and collagen synthesis at the wound site, as evidenced by increase in DNA, total protein and total collagen content of granulation tissues. The extract-treated wounds were found to heal much faster as indicated by improved rates of epithelialization and wound contraction. The extract of H. rosa sinensis significantly (P<0.001) increased the wound-breaking strength in the incision wound model compared to controls. The extract-treated wounds were found to epithelialize faster, and the rate of wound contraction was significantly (P<0.001) increased as compared to control wounds. Wet and dry granulation tissue weights in a dead space wound model increased significantly (P<0.001). There was a significant increase in wound closure rate, tensile strength, dry granuloma weight, wet granuloma weight and decrease in epithelization period in H. rosa sinensis-treated group as compared to control and standard drug-treated groups. The ethanolic extract of H. rosa sinensis had greater wound-healing activity than the nitrofurazone ointment.

Tribological properties of boron nitride synthesized by ion beam deposition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miyoshi, K.; Buckley, D. H.; Spalvins, T.

1985-01-01

The adhesion and friction behavior of boron nitride films on 440 C bearing stainless steel substrates was examined. The thin films containing the boron nitride were synthesized using an ion beam extracted from a borazine plasma. Sliding friction experiments were conducted with BN in sliding contact with itself and various transition metals. It is indicated that the surfaces of atomically cleaned BN coating film contain a small amount of oxides and carbides, in addition to boron nitride. The coefficients of friction for the BN in contact with metals are related to the relative chemical activity of the metals. The more active the metal, the higher is the coefficient of friction. The adsorption of oxygen on clean metal and BN increases the shear strength of the metal - BN contact and increases the friction. The friction for BN-BN contact is a function of the shear strength of the elastic contacts. Clean BN surfaces exhibit relatively strong interfacial adhesion and high friction. The presence of adsorbates such as adventitious carbon contaminants on the BN surfaces reduces the shear strength of the contact area. In contrast, chemically adsorbed oxygen enhances the shear strength of the BN-BN contact and increases the friction.

Rapid analysis of ultraviolet filters using dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction coupled to headspace gas chromatography and mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Pierson, Stephen A; Trujillo-Rodríguez, María J; Anderson, Jared L

2018-05-29

An ionic-liquid-based in situ dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction method coupled to headspace gas chromatography and mass spectrometry was developed for the rapid analysis of ultraviolet filters. The chemical structures of five ionic liquids were specifically designed to incorporate various functional groups for the favorable extraction of the target analytes. Extraction parameters including ionic liquid mass, molar ratio of ionic liquid to metathesis reagent, vortex time, ionic strength, pH, and total sample volume were studied and optimized. The effect of the headspace temperature and volume during the headspace sampling step was also evaluated to increase the sensitivity of the method. The optimized procedure is fast as it only required ∼7-10 min per extraction and allowed for multiple extractions to be performed simultaneously. In addition, the method exhibited high precision, good linearity, and low limits of detection for six ultraviolet filters in aqueous samples. The developed method was applied to both pool and lake water samples attaining acceptable relative recovery values. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Using Anisotropic 3D Minkowski Functionals for Trabecular Bone Characterization and Biomechanical Strength Prediction in Proximal Femur Specimens

PubMed Central

Nagarajan, Mahesh B.; De, Titas; Lochmüller, Eva-Maria; Eckstein, Felix; Wismüller, Axel

2017-01-01

The ability of Anisotropic Minkowski Functionals (AMFs) to capture local anisotropy while evaluating topological properties of the underlying gray-level structures has been previously demonstrated. We evaluate the ability of this approach to characterize local structure properties of trabecular bone micro-architecture in ex vivo proximal femur specimens, as visualized on multi-detector CT, for purposes of biomechanical bone strength prediction. To this end, volumetric AMFs were computed locally for each voxel of volumes of interest (VOI) extracted from the femoral head of 146 specimens. The local anisotropy captured by such AMFs was quantified using a fractional anisotropy measure; the magnitude and direction of anisotropy at every pixel was stored in histograms that served as a feature vectors that characterized the VOIs. A linear multi-regression analysis algorithm was used to predict the failure load (FL) from the feature sets; the predicted FL was compared to the true FL determined through biomechanical testing. The prediction performance was measured by the root mean square error (RMSE) for each feature set. The best prediction performance was obtained from the fractional anisotropy histogram of AMF Euler Characteristic (RMSE = 1.01 ± 0.13), which was significantly better than MDCT-derived mean BMD (RMSE = 1.12 ± 0.16, p<0.05). We conclude that such anisotropic Minkowski Functionals can capture valuable information regarding regional trabecular bone quality and contribute to improved bone strength prediction, which is important for improving the clinical assessment of osteoporotic fracture risk. PMID:29170581

Acoustic Facies Analysis of Side-Scan Sonar Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dwan, Fa Shu

Acoustic facies analysis methods have allowed the generation of system-independent values for the quantitative seafloor acoustic parameter, backscattering strength, from GLORIA and (TAMU) ^2 side-scan sonar data. The resulting acoustic facies parameters enable quantitative comparisons of data collected by different sonar systems, data from different environments, and measurements made with survey geometries. Backscattering strength values were extracted from the sonar amplitude data by inversion based on the sonar equation. Image processing products reveal seafloor features and patterns of relative intensity. To quantitatively compare data collected at different times or by different systems, and to ground truth-measurements and geoacoustic models, quantitative corrections must be made on any given data set for system source level, beam pattern, time-varying gain, processing gain, transmission loss, absorption, insonified area contribution, and grazing angle effects. In the sonar equation, backscattering strength is the sonar parameter which is directly related to seafloor properties. The GLORIA data used in this study are from the edge of a distal lobe of the Monterey Fan. An interfingered region of strong and weak seafloor signal returns from a flat seafloor region provides an ideal data set for this study. Inversion of imagery data from the region allows the quantitative definition of different acoustic facies. The (TAMU) ^2 data used are from a calibration site near the Green Canyon area of the Gulf of Mexico. Acoustic facies analysis techniques were implemented to generate statistical information for acoustic facies based on the estimates of backscattering strength. The backscattering strength values have been compared with Lambert's Law and other functions to parameterize the description of the acoustic facies. The resulting Lambertian constant values range from -26 dB to -36 dB. A modified Lambert relationship, which consists of both intercept and slope terms, appears to represent the BSS versus grazing angle profiles better based on chi^2 testing and error ellipse generation. Different regression functions, composed of trigonometric functions, were analyzed for different segments of the BSS profiles. A cotangent or sine/cosine function shows promising results for representing the entire grazing angle span of the BSS profiles.

Binding characteristics of Cu2+ to natural humic acid fractions sequentially extracted from the lake sediments.

PubMed

He, En; Lü, Changwei; He, Jiang; Zhao, Boyi; Wang, Jinghua; Zhang, Ruiqing; Ding, Tao

2016-11-01

Humic acids (HAs) determine the distribution, toxicity, bioavailability, and ultimate fate of heavy metals in the environment. In this work, ten HA fractions (F1-F10) were used as adsorbent, which were sequentially extracted from natural sediments of Lake Wuliangsuhai, to investigate the binding characteristics of Cu 2+ to HA. On the basis of the characterization results, differences were found between the ten extracted HA fractions responding to their elemental compositions and acidic functional groups. The characterization results reveal that the responses of ten extracted HA fractions to their elemental compositions and acidic functional groups were different. The O/C and (O + N)/C ratio of F1-F8 approximately ranged from 0.66 to 0.53 and from 0.72 to 0.61, respectively; the measured results showed that the contents of phenolic groups and carboxyl groups decreased from 4.46 to 2.60 mmol/g and 1.60 to 0.58 mmol/g, respectively. The binding characteristics of Cu 2+ to the ten HA fractions were well modeled by the bi-Langmuir model; the binding behavior of Cu 2+ to all the ten HA fractions were strongly impacted by pH and ionic strength. The FTIR and SEM-EDX image of HA fractions (pre- and post-adsorption) revealed that carboxyl and phenolic groups were responsible for the Cu 2+ sorption on the ten sequentially extracted HA fractions process, which is the same with the analysis of the ligand binding and bi-Langmuir models Accordingly, the adsorption capacity of the former HA fractions on Cu 2+ were higher than the latter ones, which may be attributed to the difference of carboxyl and phenolic group contents between the former and latter extracted HA fractions. Additionally, the functional groups with N and S should not be neglected. This work is hopeful to understand the environmental effect of humic substances, environmental geochemical behavior, and bioavailability of heavy metals in lakes.

An accurate and precise representation of drug ingredients.

PubMed

Hanna, Josh; Bian, Jiang; Hogan, William R

2016-01-01

In previous work, we built the Drug Ontology (DrOn) to support comparative effectiveness research use cases. Here, we have updated our representation of ingredients to include both active ingredients (and their strengths) and excipients. Our update had three primary lines of work: 1) analysing and extracting excipients, 2) analysing and extracting strength information for active ingredients, and 3) representing the binding of active ingredients to cytochrome P450 isoenzymes as substrates and inhibitors of those enzymes. To properly differentiate between excipients and active ingredients, we conducted an ontological analysis of the roles that various ingredients, including excipients, have in drug products. We used the value specification model of the Ontology for Biomedical Investigations to represent strengths of active ingredients and then analyzed RxNorm to extract excipient and strength information and modeled them according to the results of our analysis. We also analyzed and defined dispositions of molecules used in aggregate as active ingredients to bind cytochrome P450 isoenzymes. Our analysis of excipients led to 17 new classes representing the various roles that excipients can bear. We then extracted excipients from RxNorm and added them to DrOn for branded drugs. We found excipients for 5,743 branded drugs, covering ~27% of the 21,191 branded drugs in DrOn. Our analysis of active ingredients resulted in another new class, active ingredient role. We also extracted strengths for all types of tablets, capsules, and caplets, resulting in strengths for 5,782 drug forms, covering ~41% of the 14,035 total drug forms and accounting for ~97 % of the 5,970 tablets, capsules, and caplets in DrOn. We represented binding-as-substrate and binding-as-inhibitor dispositions to two cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoenzymes (CYP2C19 and CYP2D6) and linked these dispositions to 65 compounds. It is now possible to query DrOn automatically for all drug products that contain active ingredients whose molecular grains inhibit or are metabolized by a particular CYP isoenzyme. DrOn is open source and is available at http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/dron.owl.

Extraction and Characterization of Highly Gelling Low Methoxy Pectin from Cashew Apple Pomace

PubMed Central

Yapo, Beda M.; Koffi, Kouassi L.

2013-01-01

Investigation on the pectic substances of cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) apple under different acid-extraction conditions (pH 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0) showed that more than 10%–25% of A. occidentale pectins (AOP) could be extracted, depending on the extractant strength. The extracted AOP contained high amounts of galacturonic acid (GalA: 69.9%–84.5%) with some neutral sugars of which rhamnose (Rha: 1.3%–2.5%), arabinose (Ara: 2.6%–5.4%), and galactose (Gal: 4.7%–8.6%) were the main constituents. The degree of methoxylation (DM) was in the range of 28%–46% and was only slightly affected by the extractant strength, thereby indicating isolation of naturally low methoxy pectins (LMP). In terms of gelling capability, AOP yielded firmer Ca2+-mediated LMP gels than commercial citrus LMP with comparable DM. Cashew apple pomace, therefore, appears to be a potentially viable source for possible production of “non-chemically or enzymatically-tailored” LMP. PMID:28234301

Cellulose nanofiber extraction from grass by a modified kitchen blender

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakagaito, Antonio Norio; Ikenaga, Koh; Takagi, Hitoshi

2015-03-01

Cellulose nanofibers have been used to reinforce polymers, delivering composites with strength that in some cases can be superior to that of engineering plastics. The extraction of nanofibers from plant fibers can be achieved through specialized equipment that demands high energy input, despite delivering extremely low yields. The high extraction cost confines the use of cellulose nanofibers to the laboratory and not for industrial applications. This study aims to extract nanofibers from grass by using a kitchen blender. Earlier studies have demonstrated that paper sheets made of blender-extracted nanofibers (after 5 min to 10 min of blending) have strengths on par with paper sheets made from commercially available cellulose nanofibers. By optimizing the design of the blender bottle, nanofibrillation can be achieved in shorter treatment times, reducing the energy consumption (in the present case, to half) and the overall extraction cost. The raw materials used can be extended to the residue straw of agricultural crops, as an alternative to the usual pulp fibers obtained from wood.

Effect of hot-water extraction on alkaline pulping of bagasse.

PubMed

Lei, Yichao; Liu, Shijie; Li, Jiang; Sun, Runcang

2010-01-01

The effect of hot-water extraction on alkaline pulping was investigated. The properties of black liquor and pulp strength of bagasse were analyzed. The extraction was conducted at 160 degrees C for 30min where 13.2% of the mass was dissolved in the extraction liquor. Untreated bagasse and extracted bagasse were digested by soda and soda-AQ processes at 17% and 15.5% (with 0.1% AQ) alkali charge (NaOH). Cooking temperatures were 160 degrees C and 155 degrees C respectively. The pulp from extracted bagasse had a lower Kappa number and a higher viscosity compared to the pulp from the untreated bagasse. The black liquor from pulping extracted bagasse had a lower solid content, a lower viscosity and a lower silica content, but a higher heating value than that from pulping of untreated bagasse. Hot-water extraction resulted in a significant decrease in bleaching chemical consumption and the formation of chlorinated organics. Pulp strength properties such as the tensile index and the burst index were found to be lower, but the tear index, bulk, opacity and pulp freeness were found to be higher when hot-water extraction was applied. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quantitative and qualitative optimization of allergen extraction from peanut and selected tree nuts. Part 1. Screening of optimal extraction conditions using a D-optimal experimental design.

PubMed

L'Hocine, Lamia; Pitre, Mélanie

2016-03-01

A D-optimal design was constructed to optimize allergen extraction efficiency simultaneously from roasted, non-roasted, defatted, and non-defatted almond, hazelnut, peanut, and pistachio flours using three non-denaturing aqueous (phosphate, borate, and carbonate) buffers at various conditions of ionic strength, buffer-to-protein ratio, extraction temperature, and extraction duration. Statistical analysis showed that roasting and non-defatting significantly lowered protein recovery for all nuts. Increasing the temperature and the buffer-to-protein ratio during extraction significantly increased protein recovery, whereas increasing the extraction time had no significant impact. The impact of the three buffers on protein recovery varied significantly among the nuts. Depending on the extraction conditions, protein recovery varied from 19% to 95% for peanut, 31% to 73% for almond, 17% to 64% for pistachio, and 27% to 88% for hazelnut. A modulation by the buffer type and ionic strength of protein and immunoglobuline E binding profiles of extracts was evidenced, where high protein recovery levels did not always correlate with high immunoreactivity. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Study of the Effect of Surfactants on Extraction and Determination of Polyphenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Capacity of Fruits Extracts

PubMed Central

Hosseinzadeh, Reza; Khorsandi, Khatereh; Hemmaty, Syavash

2013-01-01

Micelle/water mixed solutions of different surface active agents were studied for their effectiveness in the extraction of polyphenolic compounds from various varieties of apples from west Azerbaijan province in Iran. The total content of polyphenolic compound in fruit extracts were determined using ferrous tartrate and Folin–Ciocalteu assays methods and chromatographic methods and compared with theme. High performance liquid chromatography is one of the most common and important methods in biochemical compound identification. The effect of pH, ionic strength, surfactant type, surfactant concentration, extraction time and common organic solvent in the apple polyphenolics extractions was studied using HPLC-DAD. Mixtures of surfactants, water and methanol at various ratios were examined and micellar-water solutions of Brij surfactant showed the highest polyphenol extraction efficiency. Optimum conditions for the extraction of polyphenolic compounds from apple occurred at 7 mM Brij35, pH 3. Effect of ionic strength on extraction was determined and 2% (W/V) potassium Chloride was determined to be the optimum salt concentration. The procedure worked well with an ultrasound bath. Total antioxidant capacity also was determined in this study. The method can be safely scaled up for pharmaceutical applications. PMID:23472082

Oral Administration of a Hot Water Extract of the Softshell Turtle (Trionyx sinensis) Improves Exercise Performance

PubMed Central

Harwanto, Dicky; Lee, Gong-Hyeon; Park, Sun-Mee; Choi, Jae-Suk; Kim, Mi-Ryung; Hong, Yong-Ki

2015-01-01

Freshwater softshell turtle (Trionyx sinensis) extract has been used traditionally as a tonic soup, and to recover from physical fatigue. To support these claims, the forelimb grip strength of mice was measured after feeding a soft-shell turtle extract for 7 days. The T. sinensis extract significantly increased the grip strength to 1.25±0.07 N (P<0.01), which is 16.8% higher than the force on day 0. After exercising, the blood glucose levels in extract-fed mice were 202% higher and urea levels were 73% lower, which were both significantly different than the levels observed after control treatment. Lactate dehydrogenase was significantly higher by 314%, and glutathione peroxidase increased by 165%. In addition, the obesity markers, serum triglyceride and cholesterol, decreased to 62% and 49%, respectively, after mice were fed the extract. These data show that the T. sinensis extract provided more energy for forelimb exercise, prevented protein catabolism and muscle fatigue, and decreased the oxidative stress caused by an exhaustive workout. PMID:26176001

Predicting hand function in older adults: evaluations of grip strength, arm curl strength, and manual dexterity.

PubMed

Liu, Chiung-Ju; Marie, Deana; Fredrick, Aaron; Bertram, Jessica; Utley, Kristen; Fess, Elaine Ewing

2017-08-01

Hand function is critical for independence in activities of daily living for older adults. The purpose of this study was to examine how grip strength, arm curl strength, and manual dexterous coordination contributed to time-based versus self-report assessment of hand function in community-dwelling older adults. Adults aged ≥60 years without low vision or neurological disorders were recruited. Purdue Pegboard Test, Jamar hand dynamometer, 30-second arm curl test, Jebsen-Taylor Hand Function Test, and the Late-Life Function and Disability Instrument were administered to assess manual dexterous coordination, grip strength, arm curl strength, time-based hand function, and self-report of hand function, respectively. Eighty-four adults (mean age = 72 years) completed the study. Hierarchical multiple regressions show that older adults with better arm curl strength (β = -.25, p < .01) and manual dexterous coordination (β = -.52, p < .01) performed better on the time-based hand function test. In comparison, older adults with better grip strength (β = .40, p < .01), arm curl strength (β = .23, p < .05), and manual dexterous coordination (β = .23, p < .05) were associated with better self-report of upper extremity function. The relationship between grip strength and hand function may be test-specific. Grip strength becomes a significant factor when the test requires grip strength to successfully complete the test tasks. Arm curl strength independently contributed to hand function in both time-based and self-report assessments, indicating that strength of extrinsic muscles of the hand are essential for hand function.

Investigating the characteristic strength of flocs formed from crude and purified Hibiscus extracts in water treatment.

PubMed

Jones, Alfred Ndahi; Bridgeman, John

2016-10-15

The growth, breakage and re-growth of flocs formed using crude and purified seed extracts of Okra (OK), Sabdariffa (SB) and Kenaf (KE) as coagulants and coagulant aids was assessed. The results showed floc size increased from 300 μm when aluminium sulphate (AS) was used as a coagulant to between 696 μm and 722 μm with the addition of 50 mg/l of OK, KE and SB crude samples as coagulant aids. Similarly, an increase in floc size was observed when each of the purified proteins was used as coagulant aid at doses of between 0.123 and 0.74 mg/l. The largest floc sizes of 741 μm, 460 μm and 571 μm were obtained with a 0.123 mg/l dose of purified Okra protein (POP), purified Sabdariffa (PSP) and purified Kenaf (PKP) respectively. Further coagulant aid addition from 0.123 to 0.74 mg/l resulted in a decrease in floc size and strength in POP and PSP. However, an increase in floc strength and reduced d50 size was observed in PKP at a dose of 0.74 mg/l. Flocs produced when using purified and crude extract samples as coagulant aids exhibited high recovery factors and strength. However, flocs exhibited greater recovery post-breakage when the extracts were used as a primary coagulant. It was observed that the combination of purified proteins and AS improved floc size, strength and recovery factors. Therefore, the applications of Hibiscus seeds in either crude or purified form increases floc growth, strength, recoverability and can also reduce the cost associated with the import of AS in developing countries. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chromatographic Separation, and Characteristics of Nucleic Acids from HeLa Cells

PubMed Central

Philipson, Lennart

1961-01-01

The application of the phenol-duponol method to extraction of nucleic acids from HeLa cells is described. Chromatography of the phenol extract on an esterified bovine serum albumin column with a salt gradient of sodium chloride gives separation of soluble RNA, DNA, and two different high molecular RNA fractions. Ultracentrifugation of the DNA eluted from the column gives a sedimentation coefficient (s 20 o,w) of 38, which agrees with ultracentrifugation data on the phenol extract. The eluted RNA appears polydisperse at low ionic strength, but at high ionic strength and after alcohol precipitation two fractions with the sedimentation coefficients of 16 and 25 to 29, respectively, were obtained. PMID:13735276

Effects of Chemical Cross-linkers on Caries-affected Dentin Bonding

PubMed Central

Macedo, G.V.; Yamauchi, M.; Bedran-Russo, A.K.

2009-01-01

The achievement of a strong and stable bond between composite resin and dentin remains a challenge in restorative dentistry. Over the past two decades, dental materials have been substantially improved, with better handling and bonding characteristics. However, little attention has been paid to the contribution of collagen structure/stability to bond strength. We hypothesized that the induction of cross-linking in dentin collagen improves dentin collagen stability and bond strength. This study investigated the effects of glutaraldehyde- and grape seed extract-induced cross-linking on the dentin bond strengths of sound and caries-affected dentin, and on the stability of dentin collagen. Our results demonstrated that the application of chemical cross-linking agents to etched dentin prior to bonding procedures significantly enhanced the dentin bond strengths of caries-affected and sound dentin. Glutaraldehyde and grape seed extract significantly increased dentin collagen stability in sound and caries-affected dentin, likely via distinct mechanisms. PMID:19892915

Effect of grape seed extract against biodegradation of composite resin-dentin shear bond strength

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Generosa, D. M.; Suprastiwi, E.; Asrianti, D.

2017-08-01

This study aimed to analyze the effect of grape seed extract (GSE) on resin-dentin shear bond strength. A group of 48 dentin samples were divided into 6 groups. The six groups, each with eight specimens, included group 1 (control), group 2 (control + NaOCl 10%), group 3 (2.9% GSE application before etching), group 4 (2.9% GSE application before etching + NaOCl 10%), group 5 (2.9% GSE application after etching), and group 6 (2.9% GSE application after etching + NaOCl 10%). Shear bond strengths were measured using a universal testing machine. Statistical analysis was done with the Kruskal-Wallis test and the Mann-Whitney U test. The highest median value was in group 3, and the lowest value was in group 5. GSE can improve the shear bond strength (p = 0.002 and 0.001), but it has no effect on reducing biodegradation (p = 0.141).

Effect of Early Rehabilitation during Intensive Care Unit Stay on Functional Status: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

PubMed Central

Castro-Avila, Ana Cristina; Serón, Pamela; Fan, Eddy; Gaete, Mónica; Mickan, Sharon

2015-01-01

Background and Aim Critically ill survivors may have functional impairments even five years after hospital discharge. To date there are four systematic reviews suggesting a beneficial impact for mobilisation in mechanically ventilated and intensive care unit (ICU) patients, however there is limited information about the influence of timing, frequency and duration of sessions. Earlier mobilisation during ICU stay may lead to greater benefits. This study aims to determine the effect of early rehabilitation for functional status in ICU/high-dependency unit (HDU) patients. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis. MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINALH, PEDro, Cochrane Library, AMED, ISI web of science, Scielo, LILACS and several clinical trial registries were searched for randomised and non-randomised clinical trials of rehabilitation compared to usual care in adult patients admitted to an ICU/HDU. Results were screened by two independent reviewers. Primary outcome was functional status. Secondary outcomes were walking ability, muscle strength, quality of life, and healthcare utilisation. Data extraction and methodological quality assessment using the PEDro scale was performed by primary reviewer and checked by two other reviewers. The authors of relevant studies were contacted to obtain missing data. Results 5733 records were screened. Seven articles were included in the narrative synthesis and six in the meta-analysis. Early rehabilitation had no significant effect on functional status, muscle strength, quality of life, or healthcare utilisation. However, early rehabilitation led to significantly more patients walking without assistance at hospital discharge (risk ratio 1.42; 95% CI 1.17-1.72). There was a non-significant effect favouring intervention for walking distance and incidence of ICU-acquired weakness. Conclusions Early rehabilitation during ICU stay was not associated with improvements in functional status, muscle strength, quality of life or healthcare utilisation outcomes, although it seems to improve walking ability compared to usual care. Results from ongoing studies may provide more data on the potential benefits of early rehabilitation in critically ill patients. PMID:26132803

Effects of lemon verbena extract (Recoverben®) supplementation on muscle strength and recovery after exhaustive exercise: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

PubMed

Buchwald-Werner, Sybille; Naka, Ioanna; Wilhelm, Manfred; Schütz, Elivra; Schoen, Christiane; Reule, Claudia

2018-01-01

Exhaustive exercise causes muscle damage accompanied by oxidative stress and inflammation leading to muscle fatigue and muscle soreness. Lemon verbena leaves, commonly used as tea and refreshing beverage, demonstrated antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a proprietary lemon verbena extract (Recoverben®) on muscle strength and recovery after exhaustive exercise in comparison to a placebo product. The study was performed as a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study with parallel design. Forty-four healthy males and females, which were 22-50 years old and active in sports, were randomized to 400 mg lemon verbena extract once daily or placebo. The 15 days intervention was divided into 10 days supplementation prior to the exhaustive exercise day (intensive jump-protocol), one day during the test and four days after. Muscle strength (MVC), muscle damage (CK), oxidative stress (GPx), inflammation (IL6) and volunteer-reported muscle soreness intensity were assessed pre and post exercise. Participants in the lemon verbena group benefited from less muscle damage as well as faster and full recovery. Compared to placebo, lemon verbena extract receiving participants had significantly less exercise-related loss of muscle strength ( p  = 0.0311) over all timepoints, improved glutathione peroxidase activity by trend ( p  = 0.0681) and less movement induced pain ( p  = 0.0788) by trend. Creatine kinase and IL-6 didn't show significant discrimmination between groups. Lemon verbena extract (Recoverben®) has been shown to be a safe and well-tolerated natural sports ingredient, by reducing muscle damage after exhaustive exercise. The trial was registered in the clinical trials registry (clinical trial.gov NCT02923102). Registered 28 September 2016.

Systematics of the electric dipole response in stable tin isotopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bassauer, Sergej; von Neumann-Cosel, Peter; Tamii, Atsushi

2018-05-01

The electric dipole is an important property of heavy nuclei. Precise information on the electric dipole response provides information on the electric dipole polarisability which in turn allows to extract important constraints on neutron-skin thickness in heavy nuclei and parameters of the symmetry energy. The tin isotope chain is particularly suited for a systematic study of the dependence of the electric dipole response on neutron excess as it provides a wide mass range of accessible isotopes with little change of the underlying structure. Recently an inelastic proton scattering experiment under forward angles including 0º on 112,116,124Sn was performed at the Research Centre for Nuclear Physics (RCNP), Japan with a focus on the low-energy dipole strength and the polarisability. First results are presented here. Using data from an earlier proton scattering experiment on 120Sn the gamma strength function and level density are determined for this nucleus.

Evaluation of wound healing, anti-microbial and antioxidant potential of Pongamia pinnata in wistar rats.

PubMed

Dwivedi, Deepak; Dwivedi, Mona; Malviya, Sourabh; Singh, Vinod

2017-01-01

To investigate wound healing, antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of leaf extract of Pongamia Pinnata . Methanolic extracts of P. pinnata leaf were studied for wound healing efficiency, and was assessed by the rate of wound contraction, tensile strength, breaking strength, hydroxyproline and hexosamine content, along with its effect on pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines was assessed using excision and incision model of wound repair in Wistar rats. Antimicrobial activity against ten microorganisms was also assessed. In vivo antioxidant activity was performed to understand the mechanism of wound healing potency. The results indicated that P. pinnata extract has potent wound healing capacity as evident from the wound contraction and increased tensile strength. Hydroxyproline and hexosamine expression were also well correlated with the healing pattern observed. extract exhibited significant antimicrobial activity, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, Micrococcus luteus, Enterobacter aerogenes, Salmonella typhi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger also indicate that P. pinnata posses potent antioxidant activity by inhibition lipid peroxidation, reduce glutathione, superoxide dismutase level and increases catalase activity. During early wound healing phase TNF-α and IL-6 level were found to be up-regulated by P. pinnata treatment. Increased wound contraction and tensile strength, augmented hydroxyproline and hexosamine content, antioxidative activity and moderate antimicrobial activity support the early wound healing exhibited by P. pinnata . Induction in cytokine production may be one of the mechanisms in accelerating the wound healing. Results suggest that P. pinnata may be useful in tropical management of wound healing.

Pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) fruit extract improves physical fatigue and exercise performance in mice.

PubMed

Wang, Shih-Yi; Huang, Wen-Ching; Liu, Chieh-Chung; Wang, Ming-Fu; Ho, Chin-Shan; Huang, Wen-Pei; Hou, Chia-Chung; Chuang, Hsiao-Li; Huang, Chi-Chang

2012-10-09

Pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) is a popular and nutritious vegetable consumed worldwide. The overall purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of C. moschata fruit extract (CME) on anti-fatigue and ergogenic functions following physiological challenges. Male ICR mice from four groups designated vehicle, CME-50, CME-100 and CME-250, respectively (n = 8 per group in each test) were orally administered CME for 14 days at 0, 50, 100 and 250 mg/kg/day. The anti-fatigue activity and exercise performance were evaluated using exhaustive swimming time, forelimb grip strength, as well as levels of plasma lactate, ammonia, glucose, and creatine kinase after an acute swimming exercise. The resting muscular and hepatic glycogen was also analyzed after 14-day supplementation with CME. Trend analysis revealed that CME treatments increased grip strength. CME dose-dependently increased 5% body weight loaded swimming time, blood glucose, and muscular and hepatic glycogen levels. CME dose-dependently decreased plasma lactate and ammonia levels and creatine kinase activity after a 15-min swimming test. The mechanism was relevant to the increase in energy storage (as glycogen) and release (as blood glucose), and the decrease of plasma levels of lactate, ammonia, and creatine kinase. Therefore, CME may be potential for the pharmacological effect of anti-fatigue.

CHARACTERIZATION OF POLED SINGLE-LAYER PZT FOR PIEZO STACK IN FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Hong; Matsunaga, Tadashi; Lin, Hua-Tay

2010-01-01

Poled single-layer PZT has been characterized in as-extracted and as-received states. PZT plate specimens in the former were extracted from a stack. Flexure strength of PZT was evaluated by using ball-on-ring and 4-point bend tests. Fractography showed that intergranular fractures dominated the fracture surface and that volume pores were the primary strength-limiting flaws. The electric field effect was investigated by testing the PZT in open circuit and coercive field levels. An asymmetrical response on the biaxial flexure strength with respect to the electric field direction was observed. These experimental results will assist reliability design of the piezo stack that ismore » being considered in fuel injection system.« less

Determination of volatile polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in waters using headspace solid-phase microextraction with a benzyl-functionalized crosslinked polymeric ionic liquid coating.

PubMed

Merdivan, Melek; Pino, Verónica; Anderson, Jared L

2017-08-01

A benzyl-functionalized crosslinked polymeric ionic liquid (PIL), produced through the co-polymerization of the 1-vinylbenzyl-3-hexadecylimidazolium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide (VBHDIM-NTf 2 ) ionic liquid (IL) monomer and 1,12-di(3-vinylbenzylimidazolium)dodecane bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide ((DVBIM) 2 C 12- 2NTf 2 ) IL crosslinker, was successfully used as a sorbent coating in headspace solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled to gas chromatography (GC) with flame-ionization detection (FID) to determine seven volatile polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in environmental water samples. Optimum extraction conditions for the PAHs when using the novel sorbent include an extraction temperature of 50°C, an ionic strength content adjusted with 30% (w/v) NaCl in the aqueous sample, and an extraction time of 60 min. The extraction performance of the crosslinked PIL fiber was compared to the SPME commercial coating polydimethylsiloxane fiber. The calibration ranges of the studied PAHs were linear in the range of 0.02-20 µg L -1 for the crosslinked PIL fiber. The accuracy of the proposed method was demonstrated by examining the spiked recoveries of seven PAHs which produced values ranging from 67.2% to 130% (for river- and seawater samples), and precision values lower than 9.4% for a spiked level of 1 µg L -1 , and detection limits between 0.01 and 0.04 µg L -1 , which supports the sensitivity of the method using GC-FID.

Phyllanthus muellerianus and C6H15NO3 synergistic effects on 0.5 M H2SO4-immersed steel-reinforced concrete: Implication for clean corrosion-protection of wind energy structures in industrial environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okeniyi, Joshua Olusegun; Omotosho, Olugbenga Adeshola; Popoola, Abimbola Patricia Idowu; Loto, Cleophas Akintoye

2016-07-01

This paper investigates Phyllanthus muellerianus leaf-extract and C6H15NO3 (triethanolamine: TEA) synergistic effects on reinforcing-steel corrosion-inhibition and the compressive-strength of steel-reinforced concrete immersed in 0.5 M H2SO4. This is to assess suitability of the synergistic admixture usage for wind-energy steel-reinforced concrete structures designed for industrial environments. Steel-reinforced concrete specimens were admixed with individual and synergistic designs of Phyllanthus muellerianus leaf-extract and C6H15NO3 admixtures and immersed in the 0.5 M H2SO4. Electrochemical monitoring of corrosion potential, as per ASTM C876-91 R99, and corrosion current were obtained and statistically analysed, as per ASTM G16-95 R04, for modelling noise resistance. Post-immersion compressive-strength testing then followed, as per ASTM C39/C39M-03, for detailing the admixture effect on load-bearing strength of the steel-reinforced concrete specimens. Results showed that while individual Phyllanthus muellerianus leaf-extract concentrations exhibited better inhibition-efficiency performance than C6H15NO3, synergistic additions of C6H15NO3 to Phyllanthus muellerianus leaf-extract improved steel-rebar corrosion-inhibition. Thus, 6 g Phyllanthus muellerianus + 2 g C6H15NO3 synergistically improved inhibition-efficiency to η = 84.17%, from η = 55.28% by the optimal chemical or from η = 74.72% by the optimal plant-extract admixtures. The study also established that improved compressive strength of steel-reinforced concrete with acceptable inhibition of the steel-rebar corrosion could be attained through optimal combination of the Phyllanthus muellerianus leaf-extract and C6H15NO3 admixtures.

Evaluation of the wound-healing activity of Hibiscus rosa sinensis L (Malvaceae) in Wistar albino rats

PubMed Central

Bhaskar, Anusha; Nithya, V.

2012-01-01

Objective: To investigate the wound-healing potency of the ethanolic extract of the flowers of Hibiscus rosa sinensis. Materials and Methods: The wound-healing activity of H. rosa sinensis (5 and 10% w/w) on Wistar albino rats was studied using three different models viz., excision, incision and dead space wound. The parameters studied were breaking strength in incision model, granulation tissue dry weight, breaking strength and collagen content in dead space wound model, percentage of wound contraction and period of epithelization in excision wound model. The granulation tissue formed on days 4, 8, 12, and 16 (post-wound) was used to estimate total collagen, hexosamine, protein, DNA and uronic acid. Data were analyzed by Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The extract increased cellular proliferation and collagen synthesis at the wound site, as evidenced by increase in DNA, total protein and total collagen content of granulation tissues. The extract-treated wounds were found to heal much faster as indicated by improved rates of epithelialization and wound contraction. The extract of H. rosa sinensis significantly (P<0.001) increased the wound-breaking strength in the incision wound model compared to controls. The extract-treated wounds were found to epithelialize faster, and the rate of wound contraction was significantly (P<0.001) increased as compared to control wounds. Wet and dry granulation tissue weights in a dead space wound model increased significantly (P<0.001). There was a significant increase in wound closure rate, tensile strength, dry granuloma weight, wet granuloma weight and decrease in epithelization period in H. rosa sinensis-treated group as compared to control and standard drug-treated groups. Conclusion: The ethanolic extract of H. rosa sinensis had greater wound-healing activity than the nitrofurazone ointment. PMID:23248396

Hot Water Extract of Leather Carp (Cyprinus carpio nudus) Improves Exercise Performance in Mice

PubMed Central

Lee, Gong-Hyeon; Harwanto, Dicky; Park, Sun-Mee; Choi, Jae-Suk; Kim, Mi-Ryung; Hong, Yong-Ki

2015-01-01

The hot water extract of leather carp (Cyprinus carpio nudus) has been used as a nourishing tonic soup and as an aid for recovery from physical fatigue. In this study, we investigated the effect of leather carp extract on exercise performance in mice. Swimming endurance and forelimb grip strength were assessed following oral administration of the extract (once per day for 7 days) at a dose of 0.5 mg/10 μL/g body weight. After 7 days, mice given the leather carp extract had significantly greater swimming endurance [105±18 s (P<0.05); 52% longer than day 0] and forelimb grip strength [1.18±0.05 Newton (P<0.01); 17% greater than day 0]. The extract increased muscle mass, but had little effect on body weight. Following the swimming exercise, blood glucose, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase levels in extract-fed mice were significantly higher (145%, 131%, and 106%, respectively) than in the saline control group. Blood levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were also significantly increased (128%) in mice given the extract compared to the controls. These results suggest that leather carp extract can improve physical exercise performance and prevent oxidative stress caused by exhaustive workouts. PMID:26770911

Quantitative and qualitative optimization of allergen extraction from peanut and selected tree nuts. Part 2. Optimization of buffer and ionic strength using a full factorial experimental design.

PubMed

L'Hocine, Lamia; Pitre, Mélanie

2016-03-01

A full factorial design was used to assess the single and interactive effects of three non-denaturing aqueous (phosphate, borate, and carbonate) buffers at various ionic strengths (I) on allergen extractability from and immunoglobulin E (IgE) immunoreactivity of peanut, almond, hazelnut, and pistachio. The results indicated that the type and ionic strength of the buffer had different effects on protein recovery from the nuts under study. Substantial differences in protein profiles, abundance, and IgE-binding intensity with different combinations of pH and ionic strength were found. A significant interaction between pH and ionic strength was observed for pistachio and almond. The optimal buffer system conditions, which maximized the IgE-binding efficiency of allergens and provided satisfactory to superior protein recovery yield and profiles, were carbonate buffer at an ionic strength of I=0.075 for peanut, carbonate buffer at I=0.15 for almond, phosphate buffer at I=0.5 for hazelnut, and borate at I=0.15 for pistachio. The buffer type and its ionic strength could be manipulated to achieve the selective solubility of desired allergens. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Surfactant-based ionic liquids for extraction of phenolic compounds combined with rapid quantification using capillary electrophoresis.

PubMed

Huang, Fangzhi; Berton, Paula; Lu, Chengfei; Siraj, Noureen; Wang, Chun; Magut, Paul K S; Warner, Isiah M

2014-09-01

A rapid liquid phase extraction employing a novel hydrophobic surfactant-based room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL), tetrabutylphosphonium dioctyl sulfosuccinate ([4C4 P][AOT]), coupled with capillary electrophoretic-UV (CE-UV) detection is developed for removal and determination of phenolic compounds. The long-carbon-chain RTIL used is sparingly soluble in most solvents and can be used to replace volatile organic solvents. This fact, in combination with functional-surfactant-anions, is proposed to reduce the interfacial energy of the two immiscible liquid phases, resulting in highly efficient extraction of analytes. Several parameters that influence the extraction efficiencies, such as extraction time, RTIL type, pH value, and ionic strength of aqueous solutions, were investigated. It was found that, under acidic conditions, most of the investigated phenols were extracted from aqueous solution into the RTIL phase within 12 min. Good linearity was observed over the concentration range of 0.1-80.0 μg/mL for all phenols investigated. The precision of this method, expressed as RSD, was determined to be within 3.4-5.3% range. The LODs (S/N = 3) of the method were in the range of 0.047-0.257 μg/mL. The proposed methodology was successfully applied to determination of phenols in real water samples. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Stimulation of nitric oxide synthesis by the aqueous extract of Panax ginseng root in RAW 264.7 cells

PubMed Central

Friedl, Roswitha; Moeslinger, Thomas; Kopp, Brigitte; Spieckermann, Paul Gerhard

2001-01-01

In this study, we investigated the effect of Panax ginseng root aqueous extracts upon inducible nitric oxide synthesis in RAW 264.7 cells. Panax ginseng root extract has been used in the Asian world for centuries as a traditional herb to enhance physical strength and resistance and is becoming more and more popular in Europe and North America. Incubation of murine macrophages (RAW 264.7 cells) with increasing amounts of aqueous extracts of Panax ginseng (0.05 – 0.8 μg μl−1) showed a dose dependent stimulation of inducible nitric oxide synthesis. Polysaccharides isolated from Panax ginseng showed strong stimulation of inducible nitric oxide synthesis, whereas a triterpene-enriched fraction from an aqueous extract of Panax ginseng did not show any stimulation. Inducible nitric oxide synthase protein expression was enhanced in a dose dependent manner as revealed by immunoblotting when cells were incubated with increasing amounts of Panax ginseng extract. This was associated with an incline in inducible nitric oxide synthase mRNA-levels as determined by semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction and electromobility shift assay studies indicated enhanced nuclear factor-κB DNA binding activity. As nitric oxide plays an important role in immune function, Panax ginseng treatment could modulate several aspects of host defense mechanisms due to stimulation of the inducible nitric oxide synthase. PMID:11739242

Protective effect of extract of Cordyceps sinensis in middle cerebral artery occlusion-induced focal cerebral ischemia in rats

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Ischemic hypoxic brain injury often causes irreversible brain damage. The lack of effective and widely applicable pharmacological treatments for ischemic stroke patients may explain a growing interest in traditional medicines. From the point of view of "self-medication" or "preventive medicine," Cordyceps sinensis was used in the prevention of cerebral ischemia in this paper. Methods The right middle cerebral artery occlusion model was used in the study. The effects of Cordyceps sinensis (Caterpillar fungus) extract on mortality rate, neurobehavior, grip strength, lactate dehydrogenase, glutathione content, Lipid Peroxidation, glutathione peroxidase activity, glutathione reductase activity, catalase activity, Na+K+ATPase activity and glutathione S transferase activity in a rat model were studied respectively. Results Cordyceps sinensis extract significantly improved the outcome in rats after cerebral ischemia and reperfusion in terms of neurobehavioral function. At the same time, supplementation of Cordyceps sinensis extract significantly boosted the defense mechanism against cerebral ischemia by increasing antioxidants activity related to lesion pathogenesis. Restoration of the antioxidant homeostasis in the brain after reperfusion may have helped the brain recover from ischemic injury. Conclusions These experimental results suggest that complement Cordyceps sinensis extract is protective after cerebral ischemia in specific way. The administration of Cordyceps sinensis extract significantly reduced focal cerebral ischemic/reperfusion injury. The defense mechanism against cerebral ischemia was by increasing antioxidants activity related to lesion pathogenesis. PMID:20955613

Protective effect of extract of Cordyceps sinensis in middle cerebral artery occlusion-induced focal cerebral ischemia in rats.

PubMed

Liu, Zhenquan; Li, Pengtao; Zhao, Dan; Tang, Huiling; Guo, Jianyou

2010-10-19

Ischemic hypoxic brain injury often causes irreversible brain damage. The lack of effective and widely applicable pharmacological treatments for ischemic stroke patients may explain a growing interest in traditional medicines. From the point of view of "self-medication" or "preventive medicine," Cordyceps sinensis was used in the prevention of cerebral ischemia in this paper. The right middle cerebral artery occlusion model was used in the study. The effects of Cordyceps sinensis (Caterpillar fungus) extract on mortality rate, neurobehavior, grip strength, lactate dehydrogenase, glutathione content, Lipid Peroxidation, glutathione peroxidase activity, glutathione reductase activity, catalase activity, Na+K+ATPase activity and glutathione S transferase activity in a rat model were studied respectively. Cordyceps sinensis extract significantly improved the outcome in rats after cerebral ischemia and reperfusion in terms of neurobehavioral function. At the same time, supplementation of Cordyceps sinensis extract significantly boosted the defense mechanism against cerebral ischemia by increasing antioxidants activity related to lesion pathogenesis. Restoration of the antioxidant homeostasis in the brain after reperfusion may have helped the brain recover from ischemic injury. These experimental results suggest that complement Cordyceps sinensis extract is protective after cerebral ischemia in specific way. The administration of Cordyceps sinensis extract significantly reduced focal cerebral ischemic/reperfusion injury. The defense mechanism against cerebral ischemia was by increasing antioxidants activity related to lesion pathogenesis.

Disrupted resting-state functional connectivity in minimally treated chronic schizophrenia.

PubMed

Wang, Xijin; Xia, Mingrui; Lai, Yunyao; Dai, Zhengjia; Cao, Qingjiu; Cheng, Zhang; Han, Xue; Yang, Lei; Yuan, Yanbo; Zhang, Yong; Li, Keqing; Ma, Hong; Shi, Chuan; Hong, Nan; Szeszko, Philip; Yu, Xin; He, Yong

2014-07-01

The pathophysiology of chronic schizophrenia may reflect long term brain changes related to the disorder. The effect of chronicity on intrinsic functional connectivity patterns in schizophrenia without the potentially confounding effect of antipsychotic medications, however, remains largely unknown. We collected resting-state fMRI data in 21 minimally treated chronic schizophrenia patients and 20 healthy controls. We computed regional functional connectivity strength for each voxel in the brain, and further divided regional functional connectivity strength into short-range regional functional connectivity strength and long-range regional functional connectivity strength. General linear models were used to detect between-group differences in these regional functional connectivity strength metrics and to further systematically investigate the relationship between these differences and clinical/behavioral variables in the patients. Compared to healthy controls, the minimally treated chronic schizophrenia patients showed an overall reduced regional functional connectivity strength especially in bilateral sensorimotor cortex, right lateral prefrontal cortex, left insula and right lingual gyrus, and these regional functional connectivity strength decreases mainly resulted from disruption of short-range regional functional connectivity strength. The minimally treated chronic schizophrenia patients also showed reduced long-range regional functional connectivity strength in the bilateral posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus, and increased long-range regional functional connectivity strength in the right lateral prefrontal cortex and lingual gyrus. Notably, disrupted short-range regional functional connectivity strength mainly correlated with duration of illness and negative symptoms, whereas disrupted long-range regional functional connectivity strength correlated with neurocognitive performance. All of the results were corrected using Monte-Carlo simulation. This exploratory study demonstrates a disruption of intrinsic functional connectivity without long-term exposure to antipsychotic medications in chronic schizophrenia. Furthermore, this disruption was connection-distance dependent, thus raising the possibility for differential neural pathways in neurocognitive impairment and psychiatric symptoms in schizophrenia. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The impact of chlorhexidine mouth rinse on the bond strength of polycarbonate orthodontic brackets.

PubMed

Hussein, Farouk Ahmed; Hashem, Mohammed Ibrahim; Chalisserry, Elna P; Anil, Sukumaran

2014-11-01

The purpose of the current in-vivo study was to assess the effect of using 0.12% chlorhexidine (CHX) mouth rinse, before bonding, on shear bond strength of polycarbonate brackets bonded with composite adhesive. Eighteen orthodontic patients with a mean age 21.41 ± 1.2 years, who were scheduled to have 2 or more first premolars extracted, were included in this study. Patients were referred for an oral prophylaxis program which included, in part, the use of a mouth rinse. Patients were divided into 2 groups, a test group of 9 patients who used 0.12% CHX gluconate mouth rinse twice daily and a control group of 9 patients who used a mouth rinse without CHX, but with same color. After 1 week, polycarbonate brackets were bonded to first premolars with Transbond XT composite adhesive. Premolars were extracted after 28 days and tested for shear bond strength on a universal testing machine. Student's t-test was used to compare shear bond strengths of both groups. No statistically significant difference was found in bond strengths' values between both groups. The test group (with CHX) has mean shear bond strength of 14.21 ± 2.42 MPa whereas the control group (without CHX) revealed a mean strength of 14.52 ± 2.31 MPa. The use of 0.12% CHX mouth rinse, for one week before bonding, did not affect the shear bond strength of polycarbonate brackets bonded with Transbond composite. Furthermore, these brackets showed clinically acceptable bond strength.

Supported Lipid Bilayer/Carbon Nanotube Hybrids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Xinjian; Moran-Mirabal, Jose; Craighead, Harold; McEuen, Paul

2007-03-01

We form supported lipid bilayers on single-walled carbon nanotubes and use this hybrid structure to probe the properties of lipid membranes and their functional constituents. We first demonstrate membrane continuity and lipid diffusion over the nanotube. A membrane-bound tetanus toxin protein, on the other hand, sees the nanotube as a diffusion barrier whose strength depends on the diameter of the nanotube. Finally, we present results on the electrical detection of specific binding of streptavidin to biotinylated lipids with nanotube field effect transistors. Possible techniques to extract dynamic information about the protein binding events will also be discussed.

Aging in the three-dimensional random-field Ising model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

von Ohr, Sebastian; Manssen, Markus; Hartmann, Alexander K.

2017-07-01

We studied the nonequilibrium aging behavior of the random-field Ising model in three dimensions for various values of the disorder strength. This allowed us to investigate how the aging behavior changes across the ferromagnetic-paramagnetic phase transition. We investigated a large system size of N =2563 spins and up to 108 Monte Carlo sweeps. To reach these necessary long simulation times, we employed an implementation running on Intel Xeon Phi coprocessors, reaching single-spin-flip times as short as 6 ps. We measured typical correlation functions in space and time to extract a growing length scale and corresponding exponents.

The physico-chemical properties of pangas catfish (Pangasius pangasius) skin gelatin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pradarameswari, K. A.; Zaelani, K.; Waluyo, E.; Nurdiani, R.

2018-04-01

Gelatin can be used as emulsifier and stabilizer in food products. Until now, the most widely used raw materials for the production of gelatin industry are cow bone, cow skin and pig skin. Fish gelatin has been highlighted as a better alternative to replace mammals gelatin based on ethical and religious perspective. Fish gelatin was extracted from Pangas catfish skin to determine its physico-chemical properties. Different temperatures (45 °C, 50 °C, 55 °C) were employed during gelatin extraction. Higher temperature increased the yield and fat contents of Pangas catfish skin gelatin. In contrary, higher water, protein, ash contents were observed during lower temperature. Temperature significantly (p < 0.05) affected the gel strength, viscosity, melting point, and gelling point of fish skin gelatin. Based on the FTIR spectrum catfish skin gelatin functional groups can be identified as N-H, O-H, C = H, C-O and C-H.

Assessment of commercial NLP engines for medication information extraction from dictated clinical notes.

PubMed

Jagannathan, V; Mullett, Charles J; Arbogast, James G; Halbritter, Kevin A; Yellapragada, Deepthi; Regulapati, Sushmitha; Bandaru, Pavani

2009-04-01

We assessed the current state of commercial natural language processing (NLP) engines for their ability to extract medication information from textual clinical documents. Two thousand de-identified discharge summaries and family practice notes were submitted to four commercial NLP engines with the request to extract all medication information. The four sets of returned results were combined to create a comparison standard which was validated against a manual, physician-derived gold standard created from a subset of 100 reports. Once validated, the individual vendor results for medication names, strengths, route, and frequency were compared against this automated standard with precision, recall, and F measures calculated. Compared with the manual, physician-derived gold standard, the automated standard was successful at accurately capturing medication names (F measure=93.2%), but performed less well with strength (85.3%) and route (80.3%), and relatively poorly with dosing frequency (48.3%). Moderate variability was seen in the strengths of the four vendors. The vendors performed better with the structured discharge summaries than with the clinic notes in an analysis comparing the two document types. Although automated extraction may serve as the foundation for a manual review process, it is not ready to automate medication lists without human intervention.

Physical Activity Interventions in Preventing Cognitive Decline and Alzheimer-Type Dementia: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Brasure, Michelle; Desai, Priyanka; Davila, Heather; Nelson, Victoria A; Calvert, Collin; Jutkowitz, Eric; Butler, Mary; Fink, Howard A; Ratner, Edward; Hemmy, Laura S; McCarten, J Riley; Barclay, Terry R; Kane, Robert L

2018-01-02

The prevalence of cognitive impairment and dementia is expected to increase dramatically as the population ages, creating burdens on families and health care systems. To assess the effectiveness of physical activity interventions in slowing cognitive decline and delaying the onset of cognitive impairment and dementia in adults without diagnosed cognitive impairments. Several electronic databases from January 2009 to July 2017 and bibliographies of systematic reviews. Trials published in English that lasted 6 months or longer, enrolled adults without clinically diagnosed cognitive impairments, and compared cognitive and dementia outcomes between physical activity interventions and inactive controls. Extraction by 1 reviewer and confirmed by a second; dual-reviewer assessment of risk of bias; consensus determination of strength of evidence. Of 32 eligible trials, 16 with low to moderate risk of bias compared a physical activity intervention with an inactive control. Most trials had 6-month follow-up; a few had 1- or 2-year follow-up. Evidence was insufficient to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of aerobic training, resistance training, or tai chi for improving cognition. Low-strength evidence showed that multicomponent physical activity interventions had no effect on cognitive function. Low-strength evidence showed that a multidomain intervention comprising physical activity, diet, and cognitive training improved several cognitive outcomes. Evidence regarding effects on dementia prevention was insufficient for all physical activity interventions. Heterogeneous interventions and cognitive test measures, small and underpowered studies, and inability to assess the clinical significance of cognitive test outcomes. Evidence that short-term, single-component physical activity interventions promote cognitive function and prevent cognitive decline or dementia in older adults is largely insufficient. A multidomain intervention showed a delay in cognitive decline (low-strength evidence). Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Application of response surface methodology for determination of methyl red in water samples by spectrophotometry method.

PubMed

Khodadoust, Saeid; Ghaedi, Mehrorang

2014-12-10

In this study a rapid and effective method (dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME)) was developed for extraction of methyl red (MR) prior to its determination by UV-Vis spectrophotometry. Influence variables on DLLME such as volume of chloroform (as extractant solvent) and methanol (as dispersive solvent), pH and ionic strength and extraction time were investigated. Then significant variables were optimized by using a Box-Behnken design (BBD) and desirability function (DF). The optimized conditions (100μL of chloroform, 1.3mL of ethanol, pH 4 and 4% (w/v) NaCl) resulted in a linear calibration graph in the range of 0.015-10.0mgmL(-1) of MR in initial solution with R(2)=0.995 (n=5). The limits of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were 0.005 and 0.015mgmL(-1), respectively. Finally, the DLLME method was applied for determination of MR in different water samples with relative standard deviation (RSD) less than 5% (n=5). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of Hibiscus rosa sinensis L (Malvaceae) on wound healing activity: a preclinical study in a Sprague Dawley rat.

PubMed

Shivananda Nayak, B; Sivachandra Raju, S; Orette, F A; Chalapathi Rao, A V

2007-06-01

Hibiscus rosa sinensis (H rosa sinensis), a plant product, has been used for the treatment of a variety of diseases as well as to promote wound healing. The wound-healing activity of the ethanol extract of H rosa sinensis flower was determined in rats, using excision, incision, and dead space wound models and is presented in this report. The animals were randomly divided into 2 groups of 6 each in all the models. Test group animals in each model were treated with the ethanol extract of H rosa sinensis orally by mixing in drinking water (120 mg kg(-1) day(-1)), and the control group animals were maintained with plain drinking water. Healing was assessed by the rate of wound contraction, period of epithelialization, tensile strength (skin breaking strength), granulation tissue weight, and hydroxyproline content. The antimicrobial activity of the flower extract against selected microorganisms that infect the wounds was also assessed. Animals treated with the extract exhibited an 86% reduction in the wound area compared with controls, who exhibited a 75% reduction. The extract-treated animals were found to epithelize their wounds significantly faster than controls (P < .002) and have shown significantly higher skin-breaking strength than controls (P < .002). The dry and wet weight of granulation tissue and hydroxyproline content were also increased significantly when compared with controls. The reported observations suggest H rosa sinensis aids wound healing in the rat model.

[The Use of Synthetic Polymers (Superdisintegrants) in Technology Tablets Containing Ethanol Dry Extract from Asparagus officinalis].

PubMed

Linka, Wojciech Andrzej; Wojtaszek, Ilona; Zgoda, Marian Mikołaj; Kołodziejczyk, Michał Krzysztof

2015-01-01

Dry extracts are now frequently used in medicine as an alternative to synthetic drugs. In the case of tablet technology with dry plant extracts, the proper selection of disintegrants (superdisintegrants) is particularly important. Objectives. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of the polymers constituting superdisintegrants (Vivasol®, Vivastar®, Polyplasdone XL) in uncoated tablet formulation of alcoholic extracted from Asparagus officinalis. Dry the ethanol extract of Asparagus officinalis, Vivasol®, Vivastar®, Vivapur®, Kollidon VA64, Polyplasdone XL, magnesium stearate. Direct compression. Paddle method was carried out to study pharmacopoeial parameters and pharmaceutical availability. The calculation of equivalency factors: similarity [f2] and the difference [f1]. Approximation results. Tablets brownish-green, with a smooth and uniform surface, without stains, chipping and damage. The determined average weight of the tablets compiled with the standards. The test friability and crushing strength revealed that the most mechanically strong tablets contained Vivasol, Vivastar, Polyplasdone XL. These tablets also have a longer disintegration and dissolution time compared with tablets containing only Vivasol. These differences are also confirmed by the calculated f2 and f1. The addition of a mixture of Polyplasdone XL and Vivastar to Vivasol significantly increases the mechanical strength of the tablets (crushing strength, resistance to crushing). The addition of a mixture of Polyplasdone XL and Vivastar to Vivasol paradoxically increases the disintegration time of tablets (11.1 min). Single superdisintegrant breaks up the tablet more effectively than a mixture of superdisintegrants.

Bond strengths of custom cast and prefabricated posts luted with two cements.

PubMed

Aleisa, Khalil Ibrahim

2011-02-01

This in vitro study evaluated the bond strength of custom cast and prefabricated posts luted with resin or zinc phosphate cements into unobturated canals of extracted teeth. Forty-eight custom cast and prefabricated posts were placed into extracted single-rooted human teeth. Post-cavity preparation was 1.5 mm in diameter and 10 mm in depth. Specimens were randomly divided into 4 groups of 12 each. Two of the groups were then luted with resin cement, while the other two groups were luted with zinc phosphate cement. A pull-out bond strength evaluation was performed using a universal testing machine. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to prove normal distribution. Data were statistically analyzed using two-way ANOVA and the Student t test (alpha = .05). For both luting agents, the prefabricated posts group exhibited significantly less bond strength than the custom cast posts group (P = .0001). There were statistically significant differences in mean bond strength for the prefabricated posts group luted with resin cement vs the group cemented with zinc phosphate cement (P = .002). There was no significant difference between the mean bond strength values of custom cast posts luted with resin cement or zinc phosphate cement. Custom cast posts showed significantly greater bond strength than prefabricated posts when luted with either resin or zinc phosphate cements. The type of cement had less significance on the retention of custom cast posts.

Muscle strength is associated with vitamin D receptor gene variants.

PubMed

Bozsodi, Arpad; Boja, Sara; Szilagyi, Agnes; Somhegyi, Annamaria; Varga, Peter Pal; Lazary, Aron

2016-11-01

Vitamin D receptor (VDR) is an important candidate gene in muscle function. Scientific reports on the effect of its genetic variants on muscle strength are contradictory likely due to the inconsistent study designs. Hand grip strength (HGS) is a highly heritable phenotype of muscle strength but only limited studies are available on its genetic background. Association between VDR polymorphisms and HGS has been poorly investigated and previous reports are conflicting. We studied the effect of VDR gene variants on HGS in a sample of 706 schoolchildren. Genomic DNA was extracted from saliva samples and six candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across the VDR gene were genotyped with Sequenom MassARRAY technique. HGS was measured with a digital dynamometer in both hands. Single marker and haplotype associations were adjusted for demographic parameters. Three SNPs, rs4516035 (A1012G; p = 0.009), rs1544410 (BsmI; p = 0.010), and rs731236 (TaqI; p = 0.038) and a 3' UTR haploblock constructed by three SNPs (Bsml-Taq1-rs10783215; p < 0.005) showed significantly associations with HGS of the dominant hand. In the non-dominant hand, the effects of the A1012G (p = 0.034) and the 3' UTR haploblock (p < 0.01) on HGS were also significant. Since the promoter SNP (A10112G) and the 3' UTR haplotype were proved to be associated with the expression and the stability of the VDR mRNA in earlier studies, VDR variants can be supposed to have a direct effect on muscle strength. The individual genetic patterns can also explain the inconsistency of the previously published clinical results on the association between vitamin D and muscle function. © 2016 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 34:2031-2037, 2016. © 2016 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Sensory and motor peripheral nerve function and longitudinal changes in quadriceps strength.

PubMed

Ward, Rachel E; Boudreau, Robert M; Caserotti, Paolo; Harris, Tamara B; Zivkovic, Sasa; Goodpaster, Bret H; Satterfield, Suzanne; Kritchevsky, Stephen; Schwartz, Ann V; Vinik, Aaron I; Cauley, Jane A; Newman, Anne B; Strotmeyer, Elsa S

2015-04-01

Poor peripheral nerve function is common in older adults and may be a risk factor for strength decline, although this has not been assessed longitudinally. We assessed whether sensorimotor peripheral nerve function predicts strength longitudinally in 1,830 participants (age = 76.3 ± 2.8, body mass index = 27.2 ± 4.6kg/m(2), strength = 96.3 ± 34.7 Nm, 51.0% female, 34.8% black) from the Health ABC study. Isokinetic quadriceps strength was measured semiannually over 6 years. Peroneal motor nerve conduction amplitude and velocity were recorded. Sensory nerve function was assessed with 10-g and 1.4-g monofilaments and average vibration detection threshold at the toe. Lower-extremity neuropathy symptoms were self-reported. Worse vibration detection threshold predicted 2.4% lower strength in men and worse motor amplitude and two symptoms predicted 2.5% and 8.1% lower strength, respectively, in women. Initial 10-g monofilament insensitivity predicted 14.2% lower strength and faster strength decline in women and 6.6% lower strength in men (all p < .05). Poor nerve function predicted lower strength and faster strength decline. Future work should examine interventions aimed at preventing declines in strength in older adults with impaired nerve function. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Muscle Strength and Changes in Physical Function in Women With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

PubMed

Andrews, James S; Trupin, Laura; Schmajuk, Gabriela; Barton, Jennifer; Margaretten, Mary; Yazdany, Jinoos; Yelin, Edward H; Katz, Patricia P

2015-08-01

Cross-sectional studies have observed that muscle weakness is associated with worse physical function among women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The present study examines whether reduced upper and lower extremity muscle strength predict declines in function over time among adult women with SLE. One hundred forty-six women from a longitudinal SLE cohort participated in the study. All measures were collected during in-person research visits approximately 2 years apart. Upper extremity muscle strength was assessed by grip strength. Lower extremity muscle strength was assessed by peak knee torque of extension and flexion. Physical function was assessed using the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). Regression analyses modeled associations of baseline upper and lower extremity muscle strength with followup SPPB scores controlling for baseline SPPB, age, SLE duration, SLE disease activity (Systemic Lupus Activity Questionnaire), physical activity level, prednisone use, body composition, and depression. Secondary analyses tested whether associations of baseline muscle strength with followup in SPPB scores differed between intervals of varying baseline muscle strength. Lower extremity muscle strength strongly predicted changes over 2 years in physical function even when controlling for covariates. The association of reduced lower extremity muscle strength with reduced physical function in the future was greatest among the weakest women. Reduced lower extremity muscle strength predicted clinically significant declines in physical function, especially among the weakest women. Future studies should test whether therapies that promote preservation of lower extremity muscle strength may prevent declines in function among women with SLE. © 2015, American College of Rheumatology.

Creatine co-ingestion with carbohydrate or cinnamon extract provides no added benefit to anaerobic performance.

PubMed

Islam, Hashim; Yorgason, Nick J; Hazell, Tom J

2016-09-01

The insulin response following carbohydrate ingestion enhances creatine transport into muscle. Cinnamon extract is promoted to have insulin-like effects, therefore this study examined if creatine co-ingestion with carbohydrates or cinnamon extract improved anaerobic capacity, muscular strength, and muscular endurance. Active young males (n = 25; 23.7 ± 2.5 y) were stratified into 3 groups: (1) creatine only (CRE); (2) creatine+ 70 g carbohydrate (CHO); or (3) creatine+ 500 mg cinnamon extract (CIN), based on anaerobic capacity (peak power·kg(-1)) and muscular strength at baseline. Three weeks of supplementation consisted of a 5 d loading phase (20 g/d) and a 16 d maintenance phase (5 g/d). Pre- and post-supplementation measures included a 30-s Wingate and a 30-s maximal running test (on a self-propelled treadmill) for anaerobic capacity. Muscular strength was measured as the one-repetition maximum 1-RM for chest, back, quadriceps, hamstrings, and leg press. Additional sets of the number of repetitions performed at 60% 1-RM until fatigue measured muscular endurance. All three groups significantly improved Wingate relative peak power (CRE: 15.4% P = .004; CHO: 14.6% P = .004; CIN: 15.7%, P = .003), and muscular strength for chest (CRE: 6.6% P < .001; CHO: 6.7% P < .001; CIN: 6.4% P < .001), back (CRE: 5.8% P < .001; CHO: 6.4% P < .001; CIN: 8.1% P < .001), and leg press (CRE: 11.7% P = .013; CHO: 10.0% P = .007; CIN: 17.3% P < .001). Only the CRE (10.4%, P = .021) and CIN (15.5%, P < .001) group improved total muscular endurance. No differences existed between groups post-supplementation. These findings demonstrate that three different methods of creatine ingestion lead to similar changes in anaerobic power, strength, and endurance.

The District Health Information System (DHIS2): A literature review and meta-synthesis of its strengths and operational challenges based on the experiences of 11 countries.

PubMed

Dehnavieh, Reza; Haghdoost, AliAkbar; Khosravi, Ardeshir; Hoseinabadi, Fahime; Rahimi, Hamed; Poursheikhali, Atousa; Khajehpour, Nahid; Khajeh, Zahra; Mirshekari, Nadia; Hasani, Marziyeh; Radmerikhi, Samera; Haghighi, Hajar; Mehrolhassani, Mohammad Hossain; Kazemi, Elaheh; Aghamohamadi, Saeide

2018-01-01

Health information systems offer many potential benefits for healthcare, including financial benefits and for improving the quality of patient care. The purpose of District Health Information Systems (DHIS) is to document data that are routinely collected in all public health facilities in a country using the system. The aim of this study was to examine the strengths and operational challenges of DHIS2, with a goal to enable decision makers in different counties to more accurately evaluate the outcomes of introducing DHIS2 into their particular country. A review of the literature combined with the method of meta-synthesis was used to source information and interpret results relating to the strengths and operational challenges of DHIS2. Databases (Embase, PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar) were searched for documents related to strengths and operational challenges of DHIS2, with no time limit up to 8 April 2017. The review and evaluation of selected studies was conducted in three stages: title, abstract and full text. Each of the selected studies was reviewed carefully and key concepts extracted. These key concepts were divided into two categories of strengths and operational challenges of DHIS2. Then, each category was grouped based on conceptual similarity to achieve the main themes and sub-themes. Content analysis was used to analyse extracted data. Of 766 identified citations, 20 studies from 11 countries were included and analysed in this study. Identified strengths in the DHIS were represented in seven themes (with 21 categories): technical features of software, proper management of data, application flexibility, networking and increasing the satisfaction of stakeholders, development of data management, increasing access to information and economic benefits. Operational challenges were identified and captured in 11 themes (with 18 categories): funds; appropriate communication infrastructure; the need for the existence of appropriate data; political, cultural, social and structural infrastructure; manpower; senior managers; training; using academic potentials; definition and standardising the deployment processes; neglect to application of criteria and clinical guidelines in the use of system; data security; stakeholder communications challenges and the necessity to establish a pilot system. This study highlighted specific strengths in the technical and functional aspects of DHIS2 and also drew attention to particular challenges and concerns. These results provide a sound evidence base for decision makers and policymakers to enable them to make more accurate decisions about whether or not to use the DHIS2 in the health system of their country.

Is the relationship between increased knee muscle strength and improved physical function following exercise dependent on baseline physical function status?

PubMed

Hall, Michelle; Hinman, Rana S; van der Esch, Martin; van der Leeden, Marike; Kasza, Jessica; Wrigley, Tim V; Metcalf, Ben R; Dobson, Fiona; Bennell, Kim L

2017-12-08

Clinical guidelines recommend knee muscle strengthening exercises to improve physical function. However, the amount of knee muscle strength increase needed for clinically relevant improvements in physical function is unclear. Understanding how much increase in knee muscle strength is associated with improved physical function could assist clinicians in providing appropriate strength gain targets for their patients in order to optimise outcomes from exercise. The aim of this study was to investigate whether an increase in knee muscle strength is associated with improved self-reported physical function following exercise; and whether the relationship differs according to physical function status at baseline. Data from 100 participants with medial knee osteoarthritis enrolled in a 12-week randomised controlled trial comparing neuromuscular exercise to quadriceps strengthening exercise were pooled. Participants were categorised as having mild, moderate or severe physical dysfunction at baseline using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Associations between 12-week changes in physical function (dependent variable) and peak isometric knee extensor and flexor strength (independent variables) were evaluated with and without accounting for baseline physical function status and covariates using linear regression models. In covariate-adjusted models without accounting for baseline physical function, every 1-unit (Nm/kg) increase in knee extensor strength was associated with physical function improvement of 17 WOMAC units (95% confidence interval (CI) -29 to -5). When accounting for baseline severity of physical function, every 1-unit increase in knee extensor strength was associated with physical function improvement of 24 WOMAC units (95% CI -42 to -7) in participants with severe physical dysfunction. There were no associations between change in strength and change in physical function in participants with mild or moderate physical dysfunction at baseline. The association between change in knee flexor strength and change in physical function was not significant, irrespective of baseline function status. In patients with severe physical dysfunction, an increase in knee extensor strength and improved physical function were associated. ANZCTR 12610000660088 . Registered 12 August 2010.

Cross-sectional association between muscle strength and self-reported physical function in 195 hip osteoarthritis patients.

PubMed

Hall, Michelle; Wrigley, Tim V; Kasza, Jessica; Dobson, Fiona; Pua, Yong Hao; Metcalf, Ben R; Bennell, Kim L

2017-02-01

This study aimed to evaluate associations between strength of selected hip and knee muscles and self-reported physical function, and their clinical relevance, in men and women with hip osteoarthritis (OA). Cross-sectional data from 195 participants with symptomatic hip OA were used. Peak isometric torque of hip extensors, flexors, and abductors, and knee extensors were measured, along with physical function using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index questionnaire. Separate linear regressions in men and women were used to determine the association between strength and physical function accounting for age, pain, and radiographic disease severity. Subsequently, magnitudes of strength associated with estimates of minimal clinically important improvement (MCII) in physical function were estimated according to severity of difficulty with physical function. For men, greater strength of the hip extensors, hip flexors and knee extensors were each associated with better physical function. For women, greater muscle strength of all tested muscles were each associated with better physical function. For men and women, increases in muscle strength between 17-32%, 133-223%, and 151-284% may be associated with estimates of MCII in physical function for those with mild, moderate, and severe physical dysfunction, respectively. Greater isometric strength of specific hip and thigh muscle groups may be associated with better self-reported physical function in men and women. In people with mild physical dysfunction, an estimate of MCII in physical function may be associated with attainable increases in strength. However, in patients with more severe dysfunction, greater and perhaps unattainable strength increases may be associated with an estimate of MCII in physical function. Longitudinal studies are required to validate these observations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sarcopenic obesity and complex interventions with nutrition and exercise in community-dwelling older persons – a narrative review

PubMed Central

Goisser, Sabine; Kemmler, Wolfgang; Porzel, Simone; Volkert, Dorothee; Sieber, Cornel Christian; Bollheimer, Leo Cornelius; Freiberger, Ellen

2015-01-01

One of the many threats to independent life is the age-related loss of muscle mass and muscle function commonly referred to as sarcopenia. Another important health risk in old age leading to functional decline is obesity. Obesity prevalence in older persons is increasing, and like sarcopenia, severe obesity has been consistently associated with several negative health outcomes, disabilities, falls, and mobility limitations. Both sarcopenia and obesity pose a health risk for older persons per se, but in combination, they synergistically increase the risk for negative health outcomes and an earlier onset of disability. This combination of sarcopenia and obesity is commonly referred to as sarcopenic obesity. The present narrative review reports the current knowledge on the effects of complex interventions containing nutrition and exercise interventions in community-dwelling older persons with sarcopenic obesity. To date, several complex interventions with different outcomes have been conducted and have shown promise in counteracting either sarcopenia or obesity, but only a few studies have addressed the complex syndrome of sarcopenic obesity. Strong evidence exists on exercise interventions in sarcopenia, especially on strength training, and for obese older persons, strength exercise in combination with a dietary weight loss intervention demonstrated positive effects on muscle function and body fat. The differences in study protocols and target populations make it impossible at the moment to extract data for a meta-analysis or give state-of-the-art recommendations based on reliable evidence. A conclusion that can be drawn from this narrative review is that more exercise programs containing strength and aerobic exercise in combination with dietary interventions including a supervised weight loss program and/or protein supplements should be conducted in order to investigate possible positive effects on sarcopenic obesity. PMID:26346071

Sarcopenic obesity and complex interventions with nutrition and exercise in community-dwelling older persons--a narrative review.

PubMed

Goisser, Sabine; Kemmler, Wolfgang; Porzel, Simone; Volkert, Dorothee; Sieber, Cornel Christian; Bollheimer, Leo Cornelius; Freiberger, Ellen

2015-01-01

One of the many threats to independent life is the age-related loss of muscle mass and muscle function commonly referred to as sarcopenia. Another important health risk in old age leading to functional decline is obesity. Obesity prevalence in older persons is increasing, and like sarcopenia, severe obesity has been consistently associated with several negative health outcomes, disabilities, falls, and mobility limitations. Both sarcopenia and obesity pose a health risk for older persons per se, but in combination, they synergistically increase the risk for negative health outcomes and an earlier onset of disability. This combination of sarcopenia and obesity is commonly referred to as sarcopenic obesity. The present narrative review reports the current knowledge on the effects of complex interventions containing nutrition and exercise interventions in community-dwelling older persons with sarcopenic obesity. To date, several complex interventions with different outcomes have been conducted and have shown promise in counteracting either sarcopenia or obesity, but only a few studies have addressed the complex syndrome of sarcopenic obesity. Strong evidence exists on exercise interventions in sarcopenia, especially on strength training, and for obese older persons, strength exercise in combination with a dietary weight loss intervention demonstrated positive effects on muscle function and body fat. The differences in study protocols and target populations make it impossible at the moment to extract data for a meta-analysis or give state-of-the-art recommendations based on reliable evidence. A conclusion that can be drawn from this narrative review is that more exercise programs containing strength and aerobic exercise in combination with dietary interventions including a supervised weight loss program and/or protein supplements should be conducted in order to investigate possible positive effects on sarcopenic obesity.

Lower Limb Progressive Resistance Training Improves Leg Strength but Not Gait Speed or Balance in Parkinson’s Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

PubMed Central

Tillman, Alex; Muthalib, Makii; Hendy, Ashlee M.; Johnson, Liam G.; Rantalainen, Timo; Kidgell, Dawson J.; Enticott, Peter G.; Teo, Wei-Peng

2015-01-01

The use of progressive resistance training (PRT) to improve gait and balance in people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) is an emerging area of interest. However, the main effects of PRT on lower limb functions such as gait, balance, and leg strength in people with PD remain unclear. Therefore, the aim of the meta-analysis is to evaluate the evidence surrounding the use of PRT to improve gait and balance in people with PD. Five electronic databases, from inception to December 2014, were searched to identify the relevant studies. Data extraction was performed by two independent reviewers and methodological quality was assessed using the PEDro scale. Standardized mean differences (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of fixed and random effects models were used to calculate the effect sizes between experimental and control groups and I2 statistics were used to determine levels of heterogeneity. In total, seven studies were identified consisting of 172 participants (experimental n = 84; control n = 88). The pooled results showed a moderate but significant effect of PRT on leg strength (SMD 1.42, 95% CI 0.464–2.376); however, no significant effects were observed for gait speed (SMD 0.418, 95% CI −0.219 to 1.055). No significant effects were observed for balance measures included in this review. In conclusion, our results showed no discernable effect of PRT on gait and balance measures, although this is likely due to the lack of studies available. It may be suggested that PRT be performed in conjunction with balance or task-specific functional training to elicit greater lower limb functional benefits in people with PD. PMID:25852550

Lower limb progressive resistance training improves leg strength but not gait speed or balance in Parkinson's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Tillman, Alex; Muthalib, Makii; Hendy, Ashlee M; Johnson, Liam G; Rantalainen, Timo; Kidgell, Dawson J; Enticott, Peter G; Teo, Wei-Peng

2015-01-01

The use of progressive resistance training (PRT) to improve gait and balance in people with Parkinson's disease (PD) is an emerging area of interest. However, the main effects of PRT on lower limb functions such as gait, balance, and leg strength in people with PD remain unclear. Therefore, the aim of the meta-analysis is to evaluate the evidence surrounding the use of PRT to improve gait and balance in people with PD. Five electronic databases, from inception to December 2014, were searched to identify the relevant studies. Data extraction was performed by two independent reviewers and methodological quality was assessed using the PEDro scale. Standardized mean differences (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of fixed and random effects models were used to calculate the effect sizes between experimental and control groups and I (2) statistics were used to determine levels of heterogeneity. In total, seven studies were identified consisting of 172 participants (experimental n = 84; control n = 88). The pooled results showed a moderate but significant effect of PRT on leg strength (SMD 1.42, 95% CI 0.464-2.376); however, no significant effects were observed for gait speed (SMD 0.418, 95% CI -0.219 to 1.055). No significant effects were observed for balance measures included in this review. In conclusion, our results showed no discernable effect of PRT on gait and balance measures, although this is likely due to the lack of studies available. It may be suggested that PRT be performed in conjunction with balance or task-specific functional training to elicit greater lower limb functional benefits in people with PD.

Current and future resources for functional metagenomics

PubMed Central

Lam, Kathy N.; Cheng, Jiujun; Engel, Katja; Neufeld, Josh D.; Charles, Trevor C.

2015-01-01

Functional metagenomics is a powerful experimental approach for studying gene function, starting from the extracted DNA of mixed microbial populations. A functional approach relies on the construction and screening of metagenomic libraries—physical libraries that contain DNA cloned from environmental metagenomes. The information obtained from functional metagenomics can help in future annotations of gene function and serve as a complement to sequence-based metagenomics. In this Perspective, we begin by summarizing the technical challenges of constructing metagenomic libraries and emphasize their value as resources. We then discuss libraries constructed using the popular cloning vector, pCC1FOS, and highlight the strengths and shortcomings of this system, alongside possible strategies to maximize existing pCC1FOS-based libraries by screening in diverse hosts. Finally, we discuss the known bias of libraries constructed from human gut and marine water samples, present results that suggest bias may also occur for soil libraries, and consider factors that bias metagenomic libraries in general. We anticipate that discussion of current resources and limitations will advance tools and technologies for functional metagenomics research. PMID:26579102

Current and future resources for functional metagenomics.

PubMed

Lam, Kathy N; Cheng, Jiujun; Engel, Katja; Neufeld, Josh D; Charles, Trevor C

2015-01-01

Functional metagenomics is a powerful experimental approach for studying gene function, starting from the extracted DNA of mixed microbial populations. A functional approach relies on the construction and screening of metagenomic libraries-physical libraries that contain DNA cloned from environmental metagenomes. The information obtained from functional metagenomics can help in future annotations of gene function and serve as a complement to sequence-based metagenomics. In this Perspective, we begin by summarizing the technical challenges of constructing metagenomic libraries and emphasize their value as resources. We then discuss libraries constructed using the popular cloning vector, pCC1FOS, and highlight the strengths and shortcomings of this system, alongside possible strategies to maximize existing pCC1FOS-based libraries by screening in diverse hosts. Finally, we discuss the known bias of libraries constructed from human gut and marine water samples, present results that suggest bias may also occur for soil libraries, and consider factors that bias metagenomic libraries in general. We anticipate that discussion of current resources and limitations will advance tools and technologies for functional metagenomics research.

Hand Strength, Handwriting, and Functional Skills in Children With Autism.

PubMed

Alaniz, Michele L; Galit, Eleanor; Necesito, Corina Isabel; Rosario, Emily R

2015-01-01

To establish hand strength development trends in children with autism and to investigate correlations between grip and pinch strength, components of handwriting, and functional activities in children with and without autism. Fifty-one children were divided into two groups: typically developing children and children on the autism spectrum. Each child completed testing for pinch and grip strength, handwriting legibility, pencil control, and independence in functional activities. The children with autism followed the same strength development trends as the typically developing children. Grip strength correlated with pencil control in both groups and with handwriting legibility in the typically developing children but not in the children with autism. Grip and pinch strength correlated with independence with functional activities in both groups. This study provides evidence that grip and pinch strength are important components in developing pencil control, handwriting legibility, and independence with functional fine motor tasks. Copyright © 2015 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

Experimental Study on Strength Evaluation Applied for Teeth Extraction: An In Vivo Study

PubMed Central

Cicciù, Marco; Bramanti, Ennio; Signorino, Fabrizio; Cicciù, Alessandra; Sortino, Francesco

2013-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this work was to analyse all the applied movements when extracting healthy upper and lower jaw premolars for orthodontic purposes. The authors wanted to demonstrate that the different bone densities of the mandible and maxilla are not a significant parameter when related to the extraction force applied. The buccal and palatal rocking movements, plus the twisting movements were also measured in this in-vivo study during premolar extraction for orthodontic purposes. Methods: The physical strains or forces transferred onto the teeth during extraction are the following three movements: gripping, twisting, and traction. A strain measurement gauge was attached onto an ordinary dentistry plier. The strain measurement gauge was constituted with an extensimetric washer with three 45º grids. The system operation was correlated to the variation of electrical resistance. Results: The variations of resistance (∆R) and all the different forces applied to the teeth (∆V) were recorded by a computerized system. Data results were processed through Microsoft Excel. The results underlined the stress distribution on the extracted teeth during gripping, twisting and flexion. Conclusions: The obtained data showed that the strength required to effect teeth extraction is not influenced by the quality of the bone but is instead influenced by the shape of the tooth’s root. PMID:23539609

Magnesium supplementation through seaweed calcium extract rather than synthetic magnesium oxide improves femur bone mineral density and strength in ovariectomized rats.

PubMed

Bae, Yun Jung; Bu, So Young; Kim, Jae Young; Yeon, Jee-Young; Sohn, Eun-Wha; Jang, Ki-Hyo; Lee, Jae-Cheol; Kim, Mi-Hyun

2011-12-01

Commercially available seaweed calcium extract can supply high amounts of calcium as well as significant amounts of magnesium and other microminerals. The purpose of this study was to investigate the degree to which the high levels of magnesium in seaweed calcium extract affects the calcium balance and the bone status in ovariectomized rats in comparison to rats supplemented with calcium carbonate and magnesium oxide. A total of 40 Sprague-Dawley female rats (7 weeks) were divided into four groups and bred for 12 weeks: sham-operated group (Sham), ovariectomized group (OVX), ovariectomized with inorganic calcium and magnesium supplementation group (OVX-Mg), and ovariectomized with seaweed calcium and magnesium supplementation group (OVX-SCa). All experimental diets contained 0.5% calcium. The magnesium content in the experimental diet was 0.05% of the diet in the Sham and OVX groups and 0.1% of the diet in the OVX-Mg and OVX-SCa groups. In the calcium balance study, the OVX-Mg and OVX-SCa groups were not significantly different in calcium absorption compared to the OVX group. However, the femoral bone mineral density and strength of the OVX-SCa group were higher than those of the OVX-Mg and OVX groups. Seaweed calcium with magnesium supplementation or magnesium supplementation alone did not affect the serum ALP and CTx levels in ovariectomized rats. In summary, consumption of seaweed calcium extract or inorganic calcium carbonate with magnesium oxide demonstrated the same degree of intestinal calcium absorption, but only the consumption of seaweed calcium extract resulted in increased femoral bone mineral density and strength in ovariectomized rats. Our results suggest that seaweed calcium extract is an effective calcium and magnesium source for improving bone health compared to synthetic calcium and magnesium supplementation.

Effect of chitosan and cationic starch on the surface chemistry properties of bagasse paper.

PubMed

Ashori, Alireza; Cordeiro, Nereida; Faria, Marisa; Hamzeh, Yahya

2013-07-01

The use of non-wood fibers in the paper industry has been an economical and environmental necessity. The application of dry-strength agents has been a successful method to enhance the strength properties of paper. The experimental results evidencing the potential of chitosan and cationic starch utilization in bagasse paper subjected to hot water pre-extraction has been presented in this paper. The research analyzes the surface properties alterations due to these dry-strength agents. Inverse gas chromatography was used to evaluate the properties of surface chemistry of the papers namely the surface energy, active sites, surface area as well as the acidic/basic character. The results of the study revealed that the handsheets process causes surface arrangement and orientation of chemical groups, which induce a more hydrophobic and basic surface. The acid-base surface characteristics after the addition of dry-strength agents were the same as the bagasse handsheets with and without hot water pre-extraction. The results showed that the dry-strength agent acts as a protecting film or glaze on the surfaces of bagasse paper handsheets. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Iron oxide functionalized graphene nano-composite for dispersive solid phase extraction of chemical warfare agents from aqueous samples.

PubMed

Chinthakindi, Sridhar; Purohit, Ajay; Singh, Varoon; Tak, Vijay; Goud, D Raghavender; Dubey, D K; Pardasani, Deepak

2015-05-15

Present study deals with the preparation and evaluation of graphene based magnetic nano-composite for dispersive solid phase extraction of Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) relevant chemicals from aqueous samples. Nano-composite, Fe3O4@SiO2-G was synthesized by covalently bonding silica coated Fe3O4 onto the graphene sheets. Nerve agents (NA), Sulfur mustard (SM) and their non-toxic environmental markers were the target analytes. Extraction parameters like amount of sorbent, extraction time and desorption conditions were optimized. Dispersion of 20 milligram of sorbent in 200mL of water sample for 20min. followed by methanol/chloroform extraction produced average to good recoveries (27-94%) of targeted analytes. Recoveries of real agents exhibited great dependency upon sample pH and ionic strength. Sarin produced maximum recovery under mild acidic conditions (56% at pH 5) while VX demanded alkaline media (83% at pH 9). Salts presence in the aqueous samples was found to be advantageous, raising the recoveries to as high as 94% for SM. Excellent limits of detection (LOD) for sulphur mustard and VX (0.11ngmL(-1) and 0.19ngmL(-1) respectively) proved the utility of the developed method for the off-site analysis of CWC relevant chemicals. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Single molecule force spectroscopy reveals the adhesion mechanism of hydrophobins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Yi; Li, Bing; Qin, Meng; Wang, Wei

Hydrophobins are a special class of amphiphilic proteins produced by filamentous fungi. They show outstanding interfacial self-assembly and adhesion properties, which are critical to their biological function. Such feature also inspires their broad applications in bio-engineering, surface modification, and nanotechnology. However, the biophysical properties of hydrophobins are not well understood. We combined atomic force microscopy based single molecule force spectroscopy and protein engineering to directly quantify the adhesion strength of a hydorphobin (HFB1) to various surfaces in both the monomer and oligomer states to reveal the molecular determinant of the adhesion strength of hydrophobins. We found that the monomer HFB1 showed distinct adhesion properties towards hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces. The adhesion to hydrophobic surfaces (i.e. graphite and gold) was significantly higher than that to the hydrophilic ones (e.g. mica and silicon). However, when self-assembled monolayers were formed, the adhesion strengths to various surfaces were similar and were ubiquitously stronger than the monomer cases. We hypothesized that the interactions among hydrophobins in the monolayer played significant roles for the enhance adhesion strengths. Extracting any single hydrophobin monomers from the surface required the break of interactions not only with the surface but also with the neighboring units. We proposed that such a mechanism may be widely explored in nature for many biofilms for surface adhesion. May also inspire the design of novel adhesives.

Optimization of free radical scavenging capacity and pH of Hylocereus polyrhizus peel by Response Surface Methodology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Putranto, A. W.; Dewi, S. R.; Puspitasari, Y.; Nuriah, F. A.

2018-03-01

Red dragon fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus) peel, a by-product of juice processing, contains a high antioxidant that can be used for nutraceuticals. Hence, it is important to extract and investigate its antioxidant stability. The aim of this study was to optimize the free radical scavenging capacity and pH of H. polyrhizus peel extract using Central Composite Design (CCD) under Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The extraction of H. polyrhizus peel was done by using green-Pulsed Electric Field (PEF)-assisted extraction method. Factors optimized were electric field strength (kV/cm) and extraction time (seconds). The result showed that the correlation between responses (free radical-scavenging capacity and pH) and two factors was quadratic model. The optimum conditions was obtained at the electric field strength of 3.96 kV/cm, and treatment time of 31.9 seconds. Under these conditions, the actual free radical-scavenging capacity and pH were 75.86 ± 0.2 % and 4.8, respectively. The verification model showed that the actual values are in accordance with the predicted values, and have error rate values of free radical-scavenging capacity and pH responses were 0.1% and 3.98%, respectively. We suggest to extract the H. polyrhizus peel using a green and non-thermal extraction technology, PEF-assisted extraction, for research, food applications and nutraceuticals industry.

Effect of ultrasound on electrochemical chloride extraction from mortar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yiqun; Yao, Wu; Zuo, Junqing

2018-03-01

In this paper, the effect of auxiliary ultrasound on electrochemical chloride extraction (ECE) was studied. The chloride removal efficiency was investigated by examining the chloride content with ultrasound-assisted ECE and changing the introducing time of ultrasound. The experimental results showed that removal of chloride ions was noted to be more effective in ECE treatment assisted with ultrasound treatment (UT). In addition, the lower w/c ratio led to more distinct effect of ultrasonic cavitation on chloride removal. Electrochemical behaviors measured with different treatment revealed that UT treatment was effective on moderating the corrosion condition. Microstructural analyses revealed a significant alteration in composition and morphology of cementitious phases with UT treatment. Pull-out tests indicated that ultrasound had a certain negative impact on the bond strength. Although the effect of introducing ultrasound in the first 2 weeks or the last 2 weeks on the extraction efficiency was not obvious, intermittent ultrasound could not only ensure the chloride extraction efficiency, but also reduce the adverse effect of ultrasound on the bond strength.

Exercise for people with peripheral neuropathy.

PubMed

White, C M; Pritchard, J; Turner-Stokes, L

2004-10-18

Peripheral neuropathies are a wide range of diseases affecting the peripheral nerves. Demyelination or axonal degeneration gives rise to a variety of symptoms including reduced or altered sensation, pain, muscle weakness and fatigue. Secondary disability arises and this may result in adjustments to psychological and social function. Exercise therapy, with a view to developing strength and stamina, forms part of the treatment for people with peripheral neuropathy, particularly in the later stages of recovery from acute neuropathy and in chronic neuropathies. The primary objective was to examine the effect of exercise therapy on functional ability in the treatment of people with peripheral neuropathy. In addition, secondary outcomes of muscle strength, endurance, broader measures of health and well being, as well as unfavourable outcomes were examined. We searched the Cochrane Neuromuscular Disease Group register (July 2002 and updated February 2004) and MEDLINE (from January 1966 to June 2004), EMBASE (from January 1980 to June 2004), CINAHL (from January 1982 to July 2002) and LILACS (from January 1982 to July 2002) electronic databases. Bibliographies of all selected randomised controlled trials were checked and authors contacted to identify additional published or unpublished data. Any randomised or quasi-randomised controlled trial comparing the effect of exercise therapy with no exercise therapy or drugs or an alternative non-drug treatment on functional ability (or disability) in people with peripheral neuropathy at least eight weeks after randomisation was included. Two reviewers independently selected eligible studies, rated the methodological quality and extracted data. Only one trial fully met the inclusion criteria. An additional two trials assessed outcomes less than eight weeks after randomisation and were also included. Methodological quality was poor for several criteria in each study. Data used in the three studies could not be pooled due to heterogeneity of diagnostic groups and outcome measures. The results of the included trials failed to show any effect of strengthening and endurance exercise programmes on functional ability in people with peripheral neuropathy. However, there is some evidence that strengthening exercise programmes were moderately effective in increasing the strength of tested muscles. There is inadequate evidence to evaluate the effect of exercise on functional ability in people with peripheral neuropathy. The results suggest that progressive resisted exercise may improve muscle strength in affected muscles.

Deposition kinetics of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) on silica in monovalent and divalent salts.

PubMed

Zhu, Pingting; Long, Guoyu; Ni, Jinren; Tong, Meiping

2009-08-01

The deposition kinetics of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) on silica surfaces were examined in both monovalent and divalent solutions under a variety of environmentally relevant ionic strength and pH conditions by employing a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (DCM-D). Soluble EPS (SEPS) and bound EPS (BEPS) were extracted from four bacterial strains with different characteristics. Maximum favorable deposition rates (k(fa)) were observed for all EPS at low ionic strengths in both NaCl and CaCl2 solutions. With the increase of ionic strength, k(fa) decreased due to the simultaneous occurrence of EPS aggregation in solutions. Deposition efficiency (alpha; the ratio of deposition rates obtained under unfavorable versus corresponding favorable conditions) for all EPS increased with increasing ionic strength in both NaCl and CaCl2 solutions, which agreed with the trends of zeta potentials and was consistent with the classic Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory. Comparison of alpha for SEPS and BEPS extracted from the same strain showed that the trends of alpha did not totally agree with trends of zeta potentials, indicating the deposition kinetics of EPS on silica surfaces were not only controlled by DLVO interactions, but also non-DLVO forces. Close comparison of alpha for EPS extracted from different sources showed alpha increased with increasing proteins to polysaccharides ratio. Subsequent experiments for EPS extracted from the same strain but with different proteins to polysaccharides ratios and from activated sludge also showed that alpha were largest for EPS with greatest proteins to polysaccharides ratio. Additional experiments for pure protein and solutions with different pure proteins to pure saccharides ratios further corroborated that larger proteins to polysaccharides ratio resulted in greater EPS deposition.

[Biochemistry and functional characterization of squid mantle meat (Dosidicus gigas)].

PubMed

Abugoch, L; Guarda, A; María Pérez, L; Isabel Donghi, M

2000-12-01

A study for the characterization of frozen giant squid mantle (meat) protein stored at -25 degrees C for 8 month was started. In the present research, the following functional properties were investigate: emulsifying, water holding and gel forming capacities. Optimal conditions for the separation and differentiation of miofibrillar and sarcoplasmatic proteins were also studied. It was found that the unfrozen giant squid mantle meat es capable of emulifying 2.817,4 g of oil/g of protein and holding capacity was 3.64 g of water/g of protein. Related to the gel forming capacity, it was not obtain, probably due to excessive storage of the meat. With regard to miofibrilar protein obtention of the squid mantle meat, it was found that two low ionic strength washings (I = 0.05), the sarcoplasmic proteins were practically eliminated from the protein matrix. The differentiation of miofibrilar and sarcoplasmatic proteins was obtained by PAGE-SDS of the squid mantle meat extracted at two different ionic strength (I = 0.05 and I = 0.5). This work demonstrates that the giant squid mantle protein has a high emulsifying and water holding capacity, and it can be used, as a raw material, for the improvement of sausage products. About the gelling products, more studies will be necessary with fresh squid mantle meat to conclude about this functional property.

Measurement of the interference structure function R{sub LT} for the {sup 12}C(e,e{sup {prime}}p) reaction in the quasielastic region

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Holtrop, M.; Jordan, D.; McIlvain, T.

1998-12-01

The coincidence cross section and the interference structure function, R{sub LT}, were measured for the {sup 12}C(e,e{sup {prime}}p)thinsp{sup 11}B reaction at quasielastic kinematics and central momentum transfer of {vert_bar}{rvec q}{vert_bar}=400thinspMeV/c. The measurement was at an opening angle of {theta}{sub pq}=11{degree}, covering a range in missing energy of E{sub m}=0 to 65 MeV. The R{sub LT} structure function is found to be consistent with zero for E{sub m}{gt}50thinspMeV, confirming an earlier study which indicated that R{sub L} vanishes in this region. The integrated strengths of the p- and s-shell are compared with a distorted wave impulse approximation (DWIA) calculation. The s-shellmore » strength and shape are also compared with a Hartree Fock{endash}random phase approximation (HF-RPA) calculation. The DWIA calculation does not succeed in giving a consistent description of both the cross section data and the extracted R{sub LT} response for either shell. The HF-RPA calculation describes the data more consistently, which may be due to the inclusion of 2-body currents in this calculation. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}« less

Identifying Turbulent Structures through Topological Segmentation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bremer, Peer-Timo; Gruber, Andrea; Bennett, Janine C.

2016-01-01

A new method of extracting vortical structures from a turbulent flow is proposed whereby topological segmentation of an indicator function scalar field is used to identify the regions of influence of the individual vortices. This addresses a long-standing challenge in vector field topological analysis: indicator functions commonly used produce a scalar field based on the local velocity vector field; reconstructing regions of influence for a particular structure requires selecting a threshold to define vortex extent. In practice, the same threshold is rarely meaningful throughout a given flow. By also considering the topology of the indicator field function, the characteristics ofmore » vortex strength and extent can be separated and the ambiguity in the choice of the threshold reduced. The proposed approach is able to identify several types of vortices observed in a jet in cross-flow configuration simultaneously where no single threshold value for a selection of common indicator functions appears able to identify all of these vortex types.« less

Silk Fibroin Degradation Related to Rheological and Mechanical Properties.

PubMed

Partlow, Benjamin P; Tabatabai, A Pasha; Leisk, Gary G; Cebe, Peggy; Blair, Daniel L; Kaplan, David L

2016-05-01

Regenerated silk fibroin has been proposed as a material substrate for biomedical, optical, and electronic applications. Preparation of the silk fibroin solution requires extraction (degumming) to remove contaminants, but results in the degradation of the fibroin protein. Here, a mechanism of fibroin degradation is proposed and the molecular weight and polydispersity is characterized as a function of extraction time. Rheological analysis reveals significant changes in the viscosity of samples while mechanical characterization of cast and drawn films shows increased moduli, extensibility, and strength upon drawing. Fifteen minutes extraction time results in degraded fibroin that generates the strongest films. Structural analysis by wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) indicates molecular alignment in the drawn films and shows that the drawing process converts amorphous films into the crystalline, β-sheet, secondary structure. Most interesting, by using selected extraction times, films with near-native crystallinity, alignment, and molecular weight can be achieved; yet maximal mechanical properties for the films from regenerated silk fibroin solutions are found with solutions subjected to some degree of degradation. These results suggest that the regenerated solutions and the film casting and drawing processes introduce more complexity than native spinning processes. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Potential osteogenic activity of ethanolic extract and oxoflavidin isolated from Pholidota articulata Lindley.

PubMed

Sharma, Chetan; Dixit, Manisha; Singh, Rohit; Agrawal, Manali; Mansoori, Mohd Nizam; Kureel, Jyoti; Singh, Divya; Narender, Tadigoppula; Arya, Kamal Ram

2015-07-21

Pholidota articulata Lindley (PA) locally known as Hadjojen (bone jointer) belongs to family Orchidaceae is used for healing fractures in folklore tradition of Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, Himalaya, India. Bone is a dynamic organ and is constantly being remodeled in order to facilitate growth and repair. This process requires the involvement of bone forming osteoblast and bone resorbing osteoclast cells, which function in generating and mineralizing bone, giving strength and rigidity to the skeletal system. Present study was aimed to determine the therapeutic potential of ethanolic extract of PA and its isolated compound oxoflavidin, by characterizing their fracture healing properties. Ovariectomized (Ovx) estrogen deficient adult female Balb/c mice were used for in vivo evaluation of osteogenic or bone healing potential of ethanolic extract of PA. Further, its isolated compounds were tested for their osteogenic efficacy using alkaline phosphatase assay and mineralization assay in vitro in mice calvarial osteoblasts. The ethanolic extract of PA exhibited significant restoration of trabecular micro-architecture in both femoral and tibial bones. Additionally, treatment with PA extract led to better bone quality and devoid of any uterine estrogenicity in ovariectomized estrogen deficient mice. One of the isolated compound, oxoflavidin enhanced ALP activity (a marker of osteoblast differentiation), mineral nodule formation and mRNA levels of osteogenic markers like BMP-2, Type 1 Collagen, RUNX-2 and osteocalcin. These results warrant that ethanolic extract of PA and it's pure compound oxoflavidin have fracture healing properties. The extract and oxoflavidin exhibit a strong threapeutical potential for the treatment and management of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Changes in physical functioning and muscle strength in men receiving androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer: a controlled comparison.

PubMed

Gonzalez, Brian D; Jim, Heather S L; Small, Brent J; Sutton, Steven K; Fishman, Mayer N; Zachariah, Babu; Heysek, Randy V; Jacobsen, Paul B

2016-05-01

The purpose of the study is to examine changes in muscle strength and self-reported physical functioning in men receiving androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer compared to matched controls. Prostate cancer patients scheduled to begin ADT (n = 62) were assessed within 20 days of starting ADT and 6 and 12 months later. Age and geographically matched prostate cancer controls treated with prostatectomy only (n = 86) were assessed at similar time intervals. Grip strength measured upper body strength, the Chair Rise Test measured lower body strength, and the SF-12 Physical Functioning scale measured self-reported physical functioning. As expected, self-reported physical functioning and upper body muscle strength declined in ADT recipients but remained stable in prostate cancer controls. Contrary to expectations, lower body muscle strength remained stable in ADT recipients but improved in prostate cancer controls. Higher Gleason scores, more medical comorbidities, and less exercise at baseline predicted greater declines in physical functioning in ADT recipients. ADT is associated with declines in self-reported physical functioning and upper body muscle strength as well as worse lower body muscle strength relative to prostate cancer controls. These findings should be included in patient education regarding the risks and benefits of ADT. Findings also underscore the importance of conducting research on ways to prevent or reverse declines in physical functioning in this patient population.

Comparative Evaluation of Fracture Strength of Different Types of Composite Core Build-up Materials: An in vitro Study.

PubMed

Gowda, Srinivasa; Quadras, Dilip D; Sesappa, Shetty R; Maiya, G R Ramakrishna; Kumar, Lalit; Kulkarni, Dinraj; Mishra, Nitu

2018-05-01

The aim of the study was to evaluate the fracture strength of three types of composite core build-up materials. The objectives were to study and evaluate the fracture strength and type of fracture in composite core build-up in restoration of endodonti-cally treated teeth with or without a prefabricated metallic post. A total of 60 freshly extracted mandibular premolars free of caries, cracks, or fractures were end-odontically treated and restored with composite core build-up with prefabricated metallic posts cemented with resin luting cement (group I) and without a post (group II). This was followed by a core build-up of 10 teeth each with three different types of composite materials: Hybrid composite, nanocomposite, and ormocer respectively. The samples were mounted on polyvinyl chloride block and then loaded in the universal load frame at 90° to the long axis of tooth. The fracture strength of the samples was directly obtained from the load indicator attached to the universal load frame. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) test revealed that teeth restored with post exhibited highest fracture strength (1552.32 N) and teeth restored without post exhibited lowest fracture strength (232.20 N). Bonferroni's test revealed that values for hybrid composite (Z-100, 3M ESPE) with post, nanocomposite (Z-350, 3M ESPE) with post, ormocer composite (Admira-VOCO) with post, and nanocomposite (Z-350, 3M ESPE) without post were not significantly different from each other. Teeth restored with post and core using hybrid composite yielded the highest values for fracture strength. Teeth restored with ormocer core without post exhibited the lowest values. Teeth restored with nanocomposite core without post exhibited strength that was comparable with hybrid composite core but higher than that of ormocer. Mutilated endodontically treated teeth can be prosthetically rehabilitated successfully by using adhesive composite core build-up along with post to meet anatomical, functional, and esthetic demands.

Detection of low-amplitude in vivo intrinsic signals from an optical imager of retinal function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barriga, Eduardo S.; T'so, Dan; Pattichis, Marios; Kwon, Young; Kardon, Randy; Abramoff, Michael; Soliz, Peter

2006-02-01

In the early stages of some retinal diseases, such as glaucoma, loss of retinal activity may be difficult to detect with today's clinical instruments. Many of today's instruments focus on detecting changes in anatomical structures, such as the nerve fiber layer. Our device, which is based on a modified fundus camera, seeks to detect changes in optical signals that reflect functional changes in the retina. The functional imager uses a patterned stimulus at wavelength of 535nm. An intrinsic functional signal is collected at a near infrared wavelength. Measured changes in reflectance in response to the visual stimulus are on the order of 0.1% to 1% of the total reflected intensity level, which makes the functional signal difficult to detect by standard methods because it is masked by other physiological signals and by imaging system noise. In this paper, we analyze the video sequences from a set of 60 experiments with different patterned stimuli from cats. Using a set of statistical techniques known as Independent Component Analysis (ICA), we estimate the signals present in the videos. Through controlled simulation experiments, we quantify the limits of signal strength in order to detect the physiological signal of interest. The results of the analysis show that, in principle, signal levels of 0.1% (-30dB) can be detected. The study found that in 86% of the animal experiments the patterned stimuli effects on the retina can be detected and extracted. The analysis of the different responses extracted from the videos can give an insight of the functional processes present during the stimulation of the retina.

Chain conformation, rheological and charge properties of fucoidan extracted from sea cucumber Thelenota ananas: A semi-flexible coil negative polyelectrolyte.

PubMed

Xu, Xiaoqi; Xue, Changhu; Chang, Yaoguang; Liu, Guanchen

2017-12-15

As a bioactive and functional polysaccharide, sea cucumber fucoidan has received increasing attention. Chain conformation and physicochemical properties of fucoidan extracted from Thelenota ananas (Ta-FUC) was investigated by utilizing HPSEC-MALLS-Visc-RI, microelectrophoresis and steady shear measurements. The conformation parameter α s (0.61±0.02), the Mark-Houwink-Kuhn-Sakurada exponent α η (0.92±0.01), α h (0.64±0.01) and the Smidsrød-Haug stiffness parameter B (0.036±0.010) consistently manifested that Ta-FUC adopted a semi-flexible coil conformation in NaCl solution. Based on a wormlike cylinder model, stiffness parameters, including persistence length q (13.27±0.80nm) and cylinder diameter d (0.79nm), were calculated. This polysaccharide demonstrated shear-thinning rheological behaviour, and critical concentration from dilute to semidilute concentration regime was determined as 3.6mg/ml. Ta-FUC exhibited as a negative polyelectrolyte in wide pH and ionic strength ranges. These molecular characteristics and physicochemical properties would facilitate further application of Ta-FUC as a functional ingredient in food. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Entanglement entropy in a one-dimensional disordered interacting system: the role of localization.

PubMed

Berkovits, Richard

2012-04-27

The properties of the entanglement entropy (EE) in one-dimensional disordered interacting systems are studied. Anderson localization leaves a clear signature on the average EE, as it saturates on the length scale exceeding the localization length. This is verified by numerically calculating the EE for an ensemble of disordered realizations using the density matrix renormalization group method. A heuristic expression describing the dependence of the EE on the localization length, which takes into account finite-size effects, is proposed. This is used to extract the localization length as a function of the interaction strength. The localization length dependence on the interaction fits nicely with the expectations.

The effects of a 12-week strength-training program on strength and functionality in women with fibromyalgia.

PubMed

Kingsley, J Derek; Panton, Lynn B; Toole, Tonya; Sirithienthad, Prawee; Mathis, Reed; McMillan, Victor

2005-09-01

To determine whether women with fibromyalgia benefit from strength training. Randomized controlled trial. Testing was completed at the university and training was completed at a local community wellness facility. Twenty-nine women (age range, 18-54 y) with fibromyalgia participated. Subjects were randomly assigned to a control (n=14; wait-listed for exercise) or strength (n=15) group. After the first 4 weeks, 7 (47%) women dropped from the strength group. Subjects underwent 12 weeks of training on 11 exercises, 2 times a week, performing 1 set of 8 to 12 repetitions at 40% to 60% of their maximal lifts and were progressed to 60% to 80%. Subjects were measured for strength, functionality, tender point sensitivity, and fibromyalgia impact. The strength group significantly (P< or =.05) improved upper- (strength, 39+/-11 to 42+/-12 kg; control, 38+/-13 to 38+/-12 kg) and lower- (strength, 68+/-28 to 82+/-25 kg; control, 61+/-25 to 61+/-26 kg) body strength. Upper-body functionality measured by the Continuous-Scale Physical Functional Performance test improved significantly (strength, 44+/-11 to 50+/-16U; control, 51+/-11 to 49+/-13U) after training. Tender point sensitivity and fibromyalgia impact did not change. Strength training improved strength and some functionality in women with fibromyalgia. Interventions with resistance have important implications on independence and quality of life issues for women with fibromyalgia.

Effect of burdock extract on physical performance and physiological fatigue in mice

PubMed Central

CHEN, Wen-Chyuan; HSU, Yi-Ju; LEE, Mon-Chien; LI, Hua Shuai; HO, Chun-Sheng; HUANG, Chi-Chang; CHEN, Fu-An

2017-01-01

Burdock (BD) is a common vegetable with many pharmacological properties. However, few studies have examined the effect of BD on exercise performance and physical fatigue. We aimed to evaluate the potential beneficial effects of BD on fatigue and ergogenic functions following physical challenge in mice. Methods: Male ICR mice were divided into four groups to receive either vehicle, or BD at 348.5, 697 or 1,742.5 mg/kg/day, by daily oral gavage for 4 weeks. Exercise performance and fatigue were evaluated from forelimb grip strength, exhaustive swimming time, and post-exercise levels of physical fatigue-related biomarkers serum lactate, ammonia, glucose, and creatine kinase (CK). Results: BD supplementation elevated endurance and grip strength in a dose-dependent manner. It also significantly decreased lactate, ammonia, and CK levels after physical challenge. In addition, BD supplementation had few subchronic toxic effects. Conclusions: Supplementation with BD has a wide spectrum of bioactive effects, including health promotion, performance improvement, and fatigue reduction. PMID:28890521

Structure, mechanical characteristics and in vitro degradation, cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and mutagenicity of novel biodegradable Zn-Mg alloys.

PubMed

Kubásek, J; Vojtěch, D; Jablonská, E; Pospíšilová, I; Lipov, J; Ruml, T

2016-01-01

Zn-(0-1.6)Mg (in wt.%) alloys were prepared by hot extrusion at 300 °C. The structure, mechanical properties and in vitro biocompatibility of the alloys were investigated. The hot-extruded magnesium-based WE43 alloy was used as a control. Mechanical properties were evaluated by hardness, compressive and tensile testing. The cytotoxicity, genotoxicity (comet assay) and mutagenicity (Ames test) of the alloy extracts and ZnCl2 solutions were evaluated with the use of murine fibroblasts L929 and human osteosarcoma cell line U-2 OS. The microstructure of the Zn alloys consisted of recrystallized Zn grains of 12 μm in size and fine Mg2Zn11 particles arranged parallel to the hot extrusion direction. Mechanical tests revealed that the hardness and strength increased with increasing Mg concentration. The Zn-0.8 Mg alloys showed the best combination of tensile mechanical properties (tensile yield strength of 203 MPa, ultimate tensile strength of 301 MPa and elongation of 15%). At higher Mg concentrations the plasticity of Zn-Mg alloys was deteriorated. Cytotoxicity tests with alloy extracts and ZnCl2 solutions proved the maximum safe Zn(2+) concentrations of 120 μM and 80 μM for the U-2 OS and L929 cell lines, respectively. Ames test with extracts of alloys indicated that the extracts were not mutagenic. The comet assay demonstrated that 1-day extracts of alloys were not genotoxic for U-2 OS and L929 cell lines after 1-day incubation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Upper Extremity Muscle Volumes and Functional Strength After Resistance Training in Older Adults

PubMed Central

Daly, Melissa; Vidt, Meghan E.; Eggebeen, Joel D.; Simpson, W. Greg; Miller, Michael E.; Marsh, Anthony P.; Saul, Katherine R.

2014-01-01

Aging leads to a decline in strength and an associated loss of independence. The authors examined changes in muscle volume, maximum isometric joint moment, functional strength, and 1-repetition maximum (1RM) after resistance training (RT) in the upper extremity of older adults. They evaluated isometric joint moment and muscle volume as predictors of functional strength. Sixteen healthy older adults (average age 75 ± 4.3 yr) were randomized to a 6-wk upper extremity RT program or control group. The RT group increased 1RM significantly (p < .01 for all exercises). Compared with controls, randomization to RT led to greater functional pulling strength (p = .003), isometric shoulder-adduction moment (p = .041), elbow-flexor volume (p = .017), and shoulder-adductor volume (p = .009). Shoulder-muscle volumes and isometric moments were good predictors of functional strength. The authors conclude that shoulder strength is an important factor for performing functional reaching and pulling tasks and a key target for upper extremity RT interventions. PMID:22952203

[The effect of root canal re-wetting on push-out bond strength and durability of fiber post].

PubMed

Yao, Ke; Song, Jie-wen; Li, Yan

2011-02-01

To analyze the push-out bond strength of fiber post and the durability of interface between dentin and composite resin during over drying and re-wetting of root canal. Thirty-six extracted human maxillary central incisors were randomly divided into three groups: Group A for the process of over drying, Group B for re-wetting, Group C for control. All teeth were sliced into several thin discs with thickness of 1.0 mm for micro push-out test and scanning electron microscope(SEM) observation. Push-out shear strengths of fiber post immediately after bonding in group A, B and C were (5.97 ± 1.97), (7.67 ± 2.19) and (8.46 ± 2.35) MPa. Push-out strengths of fiber post two months after water storage were (2.08 ± 1.67), (2.99 ± 1.48) and (3.22 ± 1.43) MPa. There was significantly difference in push-out strength between Group A and Group B (P < 0.05). Significantly difference in push-out strength was also found between Group A and Group C. In the condition of immediate testing, there was also significantly difference between push-out strength of cervical slice and middle slice, and between cervical slice and apical slice (P < 0.05). The water storage time has significant effect on the push-out bond strength of fiber posts (P < 0.05). Inappropriate condensation air blowing operation can cause extracted teeth root canal dentin over dry. Dehydration can destroy the formation of general structure of interface between composite resin and dentin. The over dry dentin can be turned back to wetting stage by water pouring, which can help fiber-reinforced composite post regain its normal retention strength and original adhesive durability.

Extraction of trivalent rare-earth metal nitrates by solutions of tributyl phosphate and diisooctylmethylphosphonate in kerosene

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pyartman, A.K.; Puzikov, E.A.; Kopyrin, A.A.

1995-01-01

Isotherms of extraction of trivalent rare-earth metal nitrates in the series lanthanum-lutetium, yttrium by 0.5-2.5 M solutions of tri-n-buty1 phosphate and diisooctyl methylphosphonate in kerosene at 298.15 K, pH 2 are presented. The influence of the ionic strength of aqueous phase and extractant concentration on the concentration extraction constants in the case of formation of metal(III) trisolvates in organic phase is given by equation.

Indigenous proteases in the skin of unicorn leatherjacket (Alutherus monoceros) and their influence on characteristic and functional properties of gelatin.

PubMed

Ahmad, Mehraj; Benjakul, Soottawat; Ovissipour, Mahmoudreza; Prodpran, Thummanoon

2011-07-15

Indigenous proteases in the skin of unicorn leatherjacket (Alutherus monoceros) were characterised using autolytic study. Maximised autolysis was found at pH 7 and 50°C. Autolysis was markedly inhibited by 0.04mM soybean trypsin inhibitor (SBTI), suggesting that heat activated serine protease was predominant in the skin. The impact of indigenous proteases on the properties of gelatin extracted from unicorn leatherjacket skin was investigated. Gelatin was extracted from unicorn leatherjacket skin using distilled water at 50°C for 12h in the presence and absence of 0.04mM SBTI. In the presence of SBTI, the degradation was markedly inhibited, but a lower gelatin extraction yield was obtained (P<0.05). Extracted gelatins contained α(1) and α(2) chains as the predominant components with some degradation peptides. FTIR spectra indicated a greater loss of molecular order of the triple helix and a higher degradation was found in gelatin extracted in the absence of 0.04mM SBTI. The net charge of gelatin samples extracted with and without 0.04mM SBTI became zero at pHs of 8.45 and 7.31, respectively, as determined by ζ-potential titration. Higher gel strength (320.68±3.02g) was obtained in gelatin extracted with SBTI, compared with that of gelatin extracted without SBTI (288.63±1.44g). High emulsifying activity index but lower emulsifying stability index was observed in the former. Therefore, heat-activated serine protease was involved in the degradation of gelatin molecules, thereby affecting the yield, proteinaceous components and properties of gelatin from unicorn leatherjacket skin. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Elliptically polarizing adjustable phase insertion device

DOEpatents

Carr, Roger

1995-01-01

An insertion device for extracting polarized electromagnetic energy from a beam of particles is disclosed. The insertion device includes four linear arrays of magnets which are aligned with the particle beam. The magnetic field strength to which the particles are subjected is adjusted by altering the relative alignment of the arrays in a direction parallel to that of the particle beam. Both the energy and polarization of the extracted energy may be varied by moving the relevant arrays parallel to the beam direction. The present invention requires a substantially simpler and more economical superstructure than insertion devices in which the magnetic field strength is altered by changing the gap between arrays of magnets.

Preparation and properties of self-reinforced cellulose composite films from Agave microfibrils using an ionic liquid.

PubMed

Reddy, K Obi; Zhang, Jinming; Zhang, Jun; Rajulu, A Varada

2014-12-19

The applications of natural fibers and their microfibrils are increasing rapidly due to their environment benefits, specific strength properties and renewability. In the present work, we successfully extracted cellulose microfibrils from Agave natural fibers by chemical method. The extracted microfibrils were characterized by chemical analysis. The cellulose microfibrils were found to dissolve in an ionic liquid 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (AmimCl) to larger extent along with little quantity of undissolved microfibrils. Using this solution, the self-reinforced regenerated cellulose composite films were prepared. The raw fiber, extracted cellulose microfibrils and regenerated cellulose composite films were characterized by FTIR, (13)C CP-MAS NMR, XRD, TGA and SEM techniques. The average tensile strength, modulus and elongation at break of the self-reinforced cellulose composite films were found to be 135 MPa, 8150 MPa and 3.2%, respectively. The high values of tensile strength and modulus were attributed to the self-reinforcement of Agave fibers in their generated matrix. These self-reinforced cellulose biodegradable composite films prepared from renewable source can find applications in packaging field. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optimization of physico-chemical properties of gelatin extracted from fish skin of rainbow trout (Onchorhynchus mykiss).

PubMed

Tabarestani, H Shahiri; Maghsoudlou, Y; Motamedzadegan, A; Mahoonak, A R Sadeghi

2010-08-01

Physico-chemical properties of gelatin extracted from rainbow trout (Onchorhynchus mykiss) skin were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). Central rotatable composite design was applied to study the combined effects of NaOH concentration (0.01-0.21 N), acetic acid concentration (0.01-0.21 N) and pre-treatment time (1-3h) on yield, molecular weight distribution, gel strength, viscosity and melting point of gelatin. Regression models were developed to predict the variables. Predict values of multiple response at optimal condition were that yield=9.36%, alpha(1)/alpha(2) chain ratio=1.76, beta chain percent=32.81, gel strength=459 g, viscosity=3.2 mPa s and melting point=20.4 degrees C. The optimal condition was obtained using 0.19 N NaOH and 0.121 N acetic acid for 3h. The results showed that the concentration of H(+) during pre-treatment had significant effect on molecular weight distribution, melting point and gel strength. The concentration of OH(-) had significant effect on viscosity and for extraction yield, pretreatment time was the critical factor. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of strength training, detraining and retraining in muscle strength, hypertrophy and functional tasks in older female adults.

PubMed

Correa, Cleiton S; Cunha, Giovani; Marques, Nise; Oliveira-Reischak, Ãlvaro; Pinto, Ronei

2016-07-01

Previous studies presented different results regarding the maintenance time of muscular adaptations after strength training and the ability to resume the gains on muscular performance after resumption of the training programme. This study aimed to verify the effect of strength training on knee extensors and elbow flexor muscle strength, rectus femoris muscle volume and functional performance in older female adults after 12 weeks of strength training, 1 year of detraining and followed by 12 weeks of retraining. Twelve sedentary older women performed 12 weeks of strength training, 1 year of detraining and 12 weeks of retraining. The strength training was performed twice a week, and the assessment was made four times: at the baseline, after the strength training, after the detraining and after the retraining. The knee extensor and elbow flexor strength, rectus femoris muscle volume and functional task were assessed. Strength of knee extensor and elbow flexor muscles, rectus femoris muscle volume and 30-s sit-to-stand increased from baseline to post-training (respectively, 40%, 70%, 38% and 46%), decreased after detraining (respectively, -36%, -64%, -35% and -43%) and increased again these parameters after retraining (35%, 68%, 36% and 42%). Strength training induces gains on strength and hypertrophy, also increased the performance on functional tasks after the strength training. The stoppage of the strength caused strength loss and reduction of functional performance. The resumption of the strength training promoted the same gains of muscular performance in older female adults. © 2015 Scandinavian Society of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Greater understanding of normal hip physical function may guide clinicians in providing targeted rehabilitation programmes.

PubMed

Kemp, Joanne L; Schache, Anthony G; Makdissi, Michael; Sims, Kevin J; Crossley, Kay M

2013-07-01

This study investigated tests of hip muscle strength and functional performance. The specific objectives were to: (i) establish intra- and inter-rater reliability; (ii) compare differences between dominant and non-dominant limbs; (iii) compare agonist and antagonist muscle strength ratios; (iv) compare differences between genders; and (v) examine relationships between hip muscle strength, baseline measures and functional performance. Reliability study and cross-sectional analysis of hip strength and functional performance. In healthy adults aged 18-50years, normalised hip muscle peak torque and functional performance were evaluated to: (i) establish intra-rater and inter-rater reliability; (ii) analyse differences between limbs, between antagonistic muscle groups and genders; and (iii) associations between strength and functional performance. Excellent reliability (intra-rater ICC=0.77-0.96; inter-rater ICC=0.82-0.95) was observed. No difference existed between dominant and non-dominant limbs. Differences in strength existed between antagonistic pairs of muscles: hip abduction was greater than adduction (p<0.001) and hip ER was greater than IR (p<0.001). Men had greater ER strength (p=0.006) and hop for distance (p<0.001) than women. Strong associations were observed between measures of hip muscle strength (except hip flexion) and age, height, and functional performance. Deficits in hip muscle strength or functional performance may influence hip pain. In order to provide targeted rehabilitation programmes to address patient-specific impairments, and determine when individuals are ready to return to physical activity, clinicians are increasingly utilising tests of hip strength and functional performance. This study provides a battery of reliable, clinically applicable tests which can be used for these purposes. Copyright © 2012 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and caudate pathway: New evidence for cue-induced craving of smokers.

PubMed

Yuan, Kai; Yu, Dahua; Bi, Yanzhi; Wang, Ruonan; Li, Min; Zhang, Yajuan; Dong, Minghao; Zhai, Jinquan; Li, Yangding; Lu, Xiaoqi; Tian, Jie

2017-09-01

Although the activation of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the striatum had been found in smoking cue induced craving task, whether and how the functional interactions and white matter integrity between these brain regions contribute to craving processing during smoking cue exposure remains unknown. Twenty-five young male smokers and 26 age- and gender-matched nonsmokers participated in the smoking cue-reactivity task. Craving related brain activation was extracted and psychophysiological interactions (PPI) analysis was used to specify the PFC-efferent pathways contributed to smoking cue-induced craving. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and probabilistic tractography was used to explore whether the fiber connectivity strength facilitated functional coupling of the circuit with the smoking cue-induced craving. The PPI analysis revealed the negative functional coupling of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and the caudate during smoking cue induced craving task, which positively correlated with the craving score. Neither significant activation nor functional connectivity in smoking cue exposure task was detected in nonsmokers. DTI analyses revealed that fiber tract integrity negatively correlated with functional coupling in the DLPFC-caudate pathway and activation of the caudate induced by smoking cue in smokers. Moreover, the relationship between the fiber connectivity integrity of the left DLPFC-caudate and smoking cue induced caudate activation can be fully mediated by functional coupling strength of this circuit in smokers. The present study highlighted the left DLPFC-caudate pathway in smoking cue-induced craving in smokers, which may reflect top-down prefrontal modulation of striatal reward processing in smoking cue induced craving processing. Hum Brain Mapp 38:4644-4656, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Meta-analysis of the effect of strengthening interventions in individuals with cerebral palsy.

PubMed

Park, Eun-Young; Kim, Won-Ho

2014-02-01

This study aimed to investigate the evidence that strengthening interventions can improve muscle strength and activity in individuals with cerebral palsy. The search focused on studies that employed strength training for children with cerebral palsy for which six electronic databases were used to extract literature published from 2001 to 2012. The key terms used in these searches were combined strength training, strengthening, weight training, weight lifting, resistance, and cerebral palsy. The quality of each study was assessed using the PEDro (Physiotherapy Evidence Database) scale. Thirteen randomized controlled trial studies were selected and divided into categories according to program type, mode, and outcome measures. The overall effect sizes of each study and types of strengthening were large. Strengthening exercise improved muscle strength to a greater degree, when practiced 3 times per week in 40-50 min sessions than in other categories of session length, and greater improvement was observed in younger children than in older. The effect size of the activities and variables related to gait, except for gait endurance, were medium to large. The effect size of individual muscles was large, but the effect sizes for ankle plantar flexor, hip abductor/adductor, and extensor were insignificant. Strengthening interventions are useful for increasing muscle strength in individuals with cerebral palsy, specifically in youth and children, and optimal exercise consisted of 40- to 50-min sessions performed 3 times per week. Although strengthening interventions may improve activities, including gait, more studies that are rigorous are needed to determine the contributions to gross motor function. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Joint laxity and the relationship between muscle strength and functional ability in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.

PubMed

van der Esch, M; Steultjens, M; Knol, D L; Dinant, H; Dekker, J

2006-12-15

To establish the impact of knee joint laxity on the relationship between muscle strength and functional ability in osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. A cross-sectional study of 86 patients with OA of the knee was conducted. Tests were performed to determine varus-valgus laxity, muscle strength, and functional ability. Laxity was assessed using a device that measures the angular deviation of the knee in the frontal plane. Muscle strength was measured using a computer-driven isokinetic dynamometer. Functional ability was assessed by observation (100-meter walking test) and self report (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index [WOMAC]). Regression analyses were performed to assess the impact of joint laxity on the relationship between muscle strength and functional ability. In regression analyses, the interaction between muscle strength and joint laxity contributed to the variance in both walking time (P = 0.002) and WOMAC score (P = 0.080). The slope of the regression lines indicated that the relationship between muscle strength and functional ability (walking time, WOMAC) was stronger in patients with high knee joint laxity. Patients with knee OA and high knee joint laxity show a stronger relationship between muscle strength and functional ability than patients with OA and low knee joint laxity. Patients with OA, high knee joint laxity, and low muscle strength are most at risk of being disabled.

Universal Scaling and Critical Exponents of the Anisotropic Quantum Rabi Model.

PubMed

Liu, Maoxin; Chesi, Stefano; Ying, Zu-Jian; Chen, Xiaosong; Luo, Hong-Gang; Lin, Hai-Qing

2017-12-01

We investigate the quantum phase transition of the anisotropic quantum Rabi model, in which the rotating and counterrotating terms are allowed to have different coupling strengths. The model interpolates between two known limits with distinct universal properties. Through a combination of analytic and numerical approaches, we extract the phase diagram, scaling functions, and critical exponents, which determine the universality class at finite anisotropy (identical to the isotropic limit). We also reveal other interesting features, including a superradiance-induced freezing of the effective mass and discontinuous scaling functions in the Jaynes-Cummings limit. Our findings are extended to the few-body quantum phase transitions with N>1 spins, where we expose the same effective parameters, scaling properties, and phase diagram. Thus, a stronger form of universality is established, valid from N=1 up to the thermodynamic limit.

Universal Scaling and Critical Exponents of the Anisotropic Quantum Rabi Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Maoxin; Chesi, Stefano; Ying, Zu-Jian; Chen, Xiaosong; Luo, Hong-Gang; Lin, Hai-Qing

2017-12-01

We investigate the quantum phase transition of the anisotropic quantum Rabi model, in which the rotating and counterrotating terms are allowed to have different coupling strengths. The model interpolates between two known limits with distinct universal properties. Through a combination of analytic and numerical approaches, we extract the phase diagram, scaling functions, and critical exponents, which determine the universality class at finite anisotropy (identical to the isotropic limit). We also reveal other interesting features, including a superradiance-induced freezing of the effective mass and discontinuous scaling functions in the Jaynes-Cummings limit. Our findings are extended to the few-body quantum phase transitions with N >1 spins, where we expose the same effective parameters, scaling properties, and phase diagram. Thus, a stronger form of universality is established, valid from N =1 up to the thermodynamic limit.

Decreased long- and short-range functional connectivity at rest in drug-naive major depressive disorder.

PubMed

Guo, Wenbin; Liu, Feng; Chen, Jindong; Wu, Renrong; Zhang, Zhikun; Yu, Miaoyu; Xue, Zhimin; Zhao, Jingping

2016-08-01

Abnormal functional connectivity has been observed in major depressive disorder. Anatomical distance may affect functional connectivity in patients with major depressive disorder. However, whether and how anatomical distance affects functional connectivity at rest remains unclear in drug-naive patients with major depressive disorder. Forty-four patients with major depressive disorder, as well as 44 age-, sex- and education-matched healthy controls, underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning. Regional functional connectivity strength was calculated for each voxel in the whole brain, which was further divided into short- and long-range functional connectivity strength. The patients showed decreased long-range positive functional connectivity strength in the right inferior parietal lobule, as well as decreased short-range positive functional connectivity strength in the right insula and right superior temporal gyrus relative to those of the controls. No significant correlations existed between abnormal functional connectivity strength and the clinical variables of the patients. The findings revealed that anatomical distance decreases long- and short-range functional connectivity strength in patients with major depressive disorder, which may underlie the neurobiology of major depressive disorder. © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2015.

Effects of etching time on enamel bond strengths.

PubMed

Triolo, P T; Swift, E J; Mudgil, A; Levine, A

1993-12-01

This study evaluated the effects of etching time on bond strengths of composite to enamel. Proximal surfaces of extracted molars were etched with either a conventional etchant (35% phosphoric acid) or one of two dentin/enamel conditioners, 10% maleic acid (Scotchbond Multi-Purpose Etchant), or a solution of oxalic acid, aluminum nitrate, and glycine (Gluma 1 & 2 Conditioner). Each agent was applied for 15, 30, or 60 seconds. Specimens etched with 35% phosphoric acid had the highest mean bond strengths at each etching time. At the manufacturer's recommended application times, the other two agents gave significantly lower shear bond strengths than phosphoric acid.

Pulmonary Function, Muscle Strength, and Incident Mobility Disability in Elders

PubMed Central

Buchman, Aron S.; Boyle, Patricia A.; Leurgans, Sue E.; Evans, Denis A.; Bennett, David A.

2009-01-01

Muscle strength, including leg strength and respiratory muscle strength, are relatively independently associated with mobility disability in elders. However, the factors linking muscle strength with mobility disability are unknown. To test the hypothesis that pulmonary function mediates the association of muscle strength with the development of mobility disability in elders, we used data from a longitudinal cohort study of 844 ambulatory elders without dementia participating in the Rush Memory and Aging Project with a mean follow-up of 4.0 years (SD = 1.39). A composite measure of pulmonary function was based on spirometric measures of forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume, and peak expiratory flow. Respiratory muscle strength was based on maximal inspiratory pressure and expiratory pressure and leg strength based on hand-held dynamometry. Mobility disability was defined as a gait speed less than or equal to 0.55 m/s based on annual assessment of timed walk. Secondary analyses considered time to loss of the ability to ambulate. In separate proportional hazards models which controlled for age, sex, and education, composite measures of pulmonary function, respiratory muscle strength, and leg strength were each associated with incident mobility disability (all P values < 0.001). Further, all three were related to the development of incident mobility disability when considered together in a single model (pulmonary function: hazard ratio [HR], 0.721; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.577, 0.902; respiratory muscle strength: HR, 0.732; 95% CI, 0.593, 0.905; leg strength: HR, 0.791; 95% CI, 0.640, 0.976). Secondary analyses examining incident loss of the ability to ambulate revealed similar findings. Overall, these findings suggest that lower levels of pulmonary function and muscle strength are relatively independently associated with the development of mobility disability in the elderly. PMID:19934353

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ISOMETRIC THIGH MUSCLE STRENGTH AND MINIMAL CLINICALLY IMPORTANT DIFFERENCES (MCIDS) IN KNEE FUNCTION IN OSTEOARTHRITIS – DATA FROM THE OSTEOARTHRITIS INITIATIVE

PubMed Central

Ruhdorfer, Anja; Wirth, Wolfgang; Eckstein, Felix

2014-01-01

Objective To determine the relationship between thigh muscle strength and clinically relevant differences in self-assessed lower limb function. Methods Isometric knee extensor and flexor strength of 4553 Osteoarthritis Initiative participants (2651 women/1902 men) was related to Western Ontario McMasters Universities (WOMAC) physical function scores by linear regression. Further, groups of Male and female participant strata with minimal clinically important differences (MCIDs) in WOMAC function scores (6/68) were compared across the full range of observed values, and to participants without functional deficits (WOMAC=0). The effect of WOMAC knee pain and body mass index on the above relationships was explored using stepwise regression. Results Per regression equations, a 3.7% reduction in extensor and a 4.0% reduction in flexor strength were associated with an MCID in WOMAC function in women, and a 3.6%/4.8% reduction in men. For strength divided by body weight, reductions were 5.2%/6.7% in women and 5.8%/6.7% in men. Comparing MCID strata across the full observed range of WOMAC function confirmed the above estimates and did not suggest non-linear relationships across the spectrum of observed values. WOMAC pain correlated strongly with WOMAC function, but extensor (and flexor) muscle strength contributed significant independent information. Conclusion Reductions of approximately 4% in isometric muscle strength and of 6% in strength/weight were related to a clinically relevant difference in WOMAC functional disability. Longitudinal studies will need to confirm these relationships within persons. Muscle extensor (and flexor) strength (per body weight) provided significant independent information in addition to pain in explaining variability in lower limb function. PMID:25303012

Progressive resistance strength training for improving physical function in older adults

PubMed Central

Liu, Chiung-ju; Latham, Nancy K

2014-01-01

Background Muscle weakness in old age is associated with physical function decline. Progressive resistance strength training (PRT) exercises are designed to increase strength. Objectives To assess the effects of PRT on older people and identify adverse events. Search methods We searched the Cochrane Bone, Joint and Muscle Trauma Group Specialized Register (to March 2007), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Library 2007, Issue 2), MEDLINE (1966 to May 01, 2008), EMBASE (1980 to February 06 2007), CINAHL (1982 to July 01 2007) and two other electronic databases. We also searched reference lists of articles, reviewed conference abstracts and contacted authors. Selection criteria Randomised controlled trials reporting physical outcomes of PRT for older people were included. Data collection and analysis Two review authors independently selected trials, assessed trial quality and extracted data. Data were pooled where appropriate. Main results One hundred and twenty one trials with 6700 participants were included. In most trials, PRT was performed two to three times per week and at a high intensity. PRT resulted in a small but significant improvement in physical ability (33 trials, 2172 participants; SMD 0.14, 95% CI 0.05 to 0.22). Functional limitation measures also showed improvements: e.g. there was a modest improvement in gait speed (24 trials, 1179 participants, MD 0.08 m/s, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.12); and a moderate to large effect for getting out of a chair (11 trials, 384 participants, SMD -0.94, 95% CI -1.49 to -0.38). PRT had a large positive effect on muscle strength (73 trials, 3059 participants, SMD 0.84, 95% CI 0.67 to 1.00). Participants with osteoarthritis reported a reduction in pain following PRT (6 trials, 503 participants, SMD -0.30, 95% CI -0.48 to -0.13). There was no evidence from 10 other trials (587 participants) that PRT had an effect on bodily pain. Adverse events were poorly recorded but adverse events related to musculoskeletal complaints, such as joint pain and muscle soreness, were reported in many of the studies that prospectively defined and monitored these events. Serious adverse events were rare, and no serious events were reported to be directly related to the exercise programme. Authors' conclusions This review provides evidence that PRT is an effective intervention for improving physical functioning in older people, including improving strength and the performance of some simple and complex activities. However, some caution is needed with transferring these exercises for use with clinical populations because adverse events are not adequately reported. PMID:19588334

Electromechanical and robot-assisted arm training for improving generic activities of daily living, arm function, and arm muscle strength after stroke.

PubMed

Mehrholz, Jan; Hädrich, Anja; Platz, Thomas; Kugler, Joachim; Pohl, Marcus

2012-06-13

Electromechanical and robot-assisted arm training devices are used in rehabilitation, and might help to improve arm function after stroke. To assess the effectiveness of electromechanical and robot-assisted arm training for improving generic activities of daily living, arm function, and arm muscle strength in patients after stroke. We will also assess the acceptability and safety of the therapy. We searched the Cochrane Stroke Group's Trials Register (last searched July 2011), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library 2011, Issue 7), MEDLINE (1950 to July 2011), EMBASE (1980 to July 2011), CINAHL (1982 to July 2011), AMED (1985 to July 2011), SPORTDiscus (1949 to July 2011), PEDro (searched August 2011), COMPENDEX (1972 to July 2011), and INSPEC (1969 to July 2011). We also handsearched relevant conference proceedings, searched trials and research registers, checked reference lists, and contacted trialists, experts and researchers in our field, as well as manufacturers of commercial devices. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing electromechanical and robot-assisted arm training for recovery of arm function with other rehabilitation or placebo interventions, or no treatment, for patients after stroke. Two review authors independently selected trials for inclusion, assessed trial quality, and extracted data. We contacted trialists for additional information. We analysed the results as standardised mean differences (SMDs) for continuous variables and risk differences (RDs) for dichotomous variables. We included 19 trials (involving 666 participants) in this update of our review. Electromechanical and robot-assisted arm training did improve activities of daily living (SMD 0.43, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.11 to 0.75, P = 0.009, I(2) = 67%) as well as arm function (SMD 0.45, 95% CI 0.20 to 0.69, P = 0.0004, I(2) = 45%), but arm muscle strength did not improve (SMD 0.48, 95% CI -0.06 to 1.03, P = 0.08, I(2) = 79%). Electromechanical and robot-assisted arm training did not increase the risk of patients to drop out (RD 0.00, 95% CI -0.04 to 0.04, P = 0.82, I(2) = 0.0%), and adverse events were rare. Patients who receive electromechanical and robot-assisted arm training after stroke are more likely to improve their generic activities of daily living. Paretic arm function may also improve, but not arm muscle strength. However, the results must be interpreted with caution because there were variations between the trials in the duration and amount of training, type of treatment, and in the patient characteristics.

Effects of aquatic exercise on physical function and fitness among people with spinal cord injury: A systematic review.

PubMed

Li, Chunxiao; Khoo, Selina; Adnan, Athirah

2017-03-01

The aim of this review is to synthesize the evidence on the effects of aquatic exercise interventions on physical function and fitness among people with spinal cord injury. Six major databases were searched from inception till June 2015: MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsychInfo, SPORTDiscus, and Cochrane Center Register of Controlled Trials. Two reviewers independently rated methodological quality using the modified Downs and Black Scale and extracted and synthesized key findings (i.e., participant characteristics, study design, physical function and fitness outcomes, and adverse events). Eight of 276 studies met the inclusion criteria, of which none showed high research quality. Four studies assessed physical function outcomes and 4 studies evaluated aerobic fitness as outcome measures. Significant improvements on these 2 outcomes were generally found. Other physical or fitness outcomes including body composition, muscular strength, and balance were rarely reported. There is weak evidence supporting aquatic exercise training to improve physical function and aerobic fitness among adults with spinal cord injury. Suggestions for future research include reporting details of exercise interventions, evaluating other physical or fitness outcomes, and improving methodological quality.

Extracting of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) fish skin gelatin as influenced by alkaline concentration and extraction times

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mafazah, E. M.; Pranoto, Y.; Rohman, A.

2018-03-01

Yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) skin is a by-product of the fish processing industry. Yellowfin tuna skin was used as materials for gelatin because it contains collagen. This study was conducted to determine the characteristics of yellowfin tuna skin gelatin (YSG). In this study, YSG was obtained by the extraction process in 0.01 M NaOH solution for 12 h. The results show that the yield of YSG was 12.49 % dry basis, with the gel strength of 291.73 g Bloom, viscosity of 8.6 cPs and melting point of 35 °C. The gel strength and melting point of YSG were lower than commercial bovine gelatin (CBG), which was 309.7401 g Bloom and 36.33 °C, respectively. However, the viscosity of YSG was higher than the CBG which was 5.6 cPs.

Pulmonary Function, Muscle Strength and Mortality in Old Age

PubMed Central

Buchman, A. S.; Boyle, P. A.; Wilson, R.S.; Gu, Liping; Bienias, Julia L.; Bennett, D. A.

2009-01-01

Numerous reports have linked extremity muscle strength with mortality but the mechanism underlying this association is not known. We used data from 960 older persons without dementia participating in the Rush Memory and Aging Project to test two sequential hypotheses: first, that extremity muscle strength is a surrogate for respiratory muscle strength, and second, that the association of respiratory muscle strength with mortality is mediated by pulmonary function. In a series of proportional hazards models, we first demonstrated that the association of extremity muscle strength with mortality was no longer significant after including a term for respiratory muscle strength, controlling for age, sex, education, and body mass index. Next, the association of respiratory muscle strength with mortality was attenuated by more than 50% and no longer significant after including a term for pulmonary function. The findings were unchanged after controlling for cognitive function, parkinsonian signs, physical frailty, balance, physical activity, possible COPD, use of pulmonary medications, vascular risk factors including smoking, chronic vascular diseases, musculoskeletal joint pain, and history of falls. Overall, these findings suggest that pulmonary function may partially account for the association of muscle strength and mortality. PMID:18755207

Increased Tensile Strength of Carbon Nanotube Yarns and Sheets through Chemical Modification and Electron Beam Irradiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Sandi G.; Williams, Tiffany S.; Baker, James S.; Sola, Francisco; Lebron-Colon, Marisabel; McCorkle, Linda S.; Wilmoth, Nathan G.; Gaier, James; Chen, Michelle; Meador, Michael A.

2014-01-01

The inherent strength of individual carbon nanotubes offers considerable opportunity for the development of advanced, lightweight composite structures. Recent work in the fabrication and application of carbon nanotube (CNT) forms such as yarns and sheets has addressed early nanocomposite limitations with respect to nanotube dispersion and loading; and has pushed the technology toward structural composite applications. However, the high tensile strength of an individual CNT has not directly translated to macro-scale CNT forms where bulk material strength is limited by inter-tube electrostatic attraction and slippage. The focus of this work was to assess post processing of CNT sheet and yarn to improve the macro-scale strength of these material forms. Both small molecule functionalization and e-beam irradiation was evaluated as a means to enhance tensile strength and Youngs modulus of the bulk CNT material. Mechanical testing results revealed a tensile strength increase in CNT sheets by 57 when functionalized, while an additional 48 increase in tensile strength was observed when functionalized sheets were irradiated; compared to unfunctionalized sheets. Similarly, small molecule functionalization increased yarn tensile strength up to 25, whereas irradiation of the functionalized yarns pushed the tensile strength to 88 beyond that of the baseline yarn.

Physiochemical and functional properties of tiger puffer (Takifugu rubripes) skin gelatin as affected by extraction conditions.

PubMed

Pan, Jinfeng; Li, Qi; Jia, Hui; Xia, Lining; Jin, Wengang; Shang, Meijun; Xu, Chang; Dong, Xiuping

2018-04-01

The study investigated physiochemical and functional properties of gelatins from tiger puffer skin (GTPS) extracted with warm-water method at 45, 55 and 65°C for 3, 6 and 12h. GTPS45 exhibited strong γ-, β-, α1- and α2-chains, but they faded with the presence of fragments (<80KDa) in other GTPS. As the increase of temperature and time, amide I and A were shifted to higher wavenumber and their amplitudes in GTPS65-12 decreased. Lightness declined while redness and yellowness were enhanced. Gel strength was in a range of 144.5-79.8g, where it of GTPS45-3 was the highest while it of GTPS65-12 was the lowest (p<0.05), coincided with the longer relaxation time of T 22 for immobilized water. Decline in gelling and melting temperature was observed when temperature and time increased. EAI and ESI increased as time prolonged or temperature climbed (p<0.05), in agreement with the form of emulsion droplet by microscopy. Both category and level of volatile compounds increased GTPS65-12 and 55-12 compared with those in GTPS45-12. Results suggest that temperature and time greatly affect the properties of GTPS. To ensure good properties, GTPS should be extracted at a temperature of 45-55°C for less than 12h. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mechanical and bond strength properties of light-cured and chemically cured glass ionomer cements.

PubMed

McCarthy, M F; Hondrum, S O

1994-02-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the mechanical and bond strength properties of a commercially available light-cured glass ionomer cement and of a chemically cured glass ionomer cement. Sixty recently extracted human molars were randomly divided into six equal groups, and the bond strengths of the two cement types were evaluated at 1 hour, 24 hours, and 7 days. Stainless steel lingual buttons were bonded to prepared enamel surfaces, and the samples were placed in a water bath at 37 degrees C until testing. The shear bond strength of each sample was determined with a universal testing instrument. The mechanical strength properties of the two cements were then evaluated. The transverse flexural strength, compressive strength, rigidity, and diametral tensile strength were tested for each cement at 1 hour, 24 hours, and 7 days. The results of the mechanical property strength tests were then compared with the results of the bond strength tests.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Functional chitosan-based grapefruit seed extract composite films for applications in food packaging technology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tan, Y.M.; Lim, S.H.; Tay, B.Y.

Highlights: • Chitosan-based grapefruit seed extract (GFSE) films were solution casted. • GFSE was uniformly dispersed within all chitosan film matrices. • All chitosan-based composite films showed remarkable transparency. • Increasing amounts of GFSE incorporated increased the elongation at break of films. • Chitosan-based GFSE composite films inhibited the proliferation of fungal growth. - Abstract: Chitosan-based composite films with different amounts of grapefruit seed extract (GFSE) (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5% v/v) were fabricated via solution casting technique. Experimental results showed that GFSE was uniformly dispersed within all chitosan film matrices. The presence of GFSE made the films more amorphous andmore » tensile strength decreased, while elongation at break values increased as GFSE content increased. Results from the measurement of light transmission revealed that increasing amounts of GFSE (from 0.5 to 1.5% v/v) did not affect transparency of the films. Furthermore, packaging of bread samples with chitosan-based GFSE composite films inhibited the proliferation of fungal growth as compared to control samples. Hence, chitosan-based GFSE composite films have the potential to be a useful material in the area of food technology.« less

Relationship between isometric thigh muscle strength and minimum clinically important differences in knee function in osteoarthritis: data from the osteoarthritis initiative.

PubMed

Ruhdorfer, Anja; Wirth, Wolfgang; Eckstein, Felix

2015-04-01

To determine the relationship between thigh muscle strength and clinically relevant differences in self-assessed lower leg function. Isometric knee extensor and flexor strength of 4,553 Osteoarthritis Initiative participants (2,651 women and 1,902 men) was related to the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) physical function scores by linear regression. Further, groups of male and female participant strata with minimum clinically important differences (MCIDs) in WOMAC function scores (6 of 68 units) were compared across the full range of observed values and to participants without functional deficits (WOMAC score 0). The effect of WOMAC knee pain and body mass index on the above relationships was explored using stepwise regression. Per regression equations, a 3.7% reduction in extensor strength and a 4.0% reduction in flexor strength were associated with an MCID in WOMAC function in women, and, respectively, a 3.6% and 4.8% reduction in men. For strength divided by body weight, reductions were 5.2% and 6.7%, respectively, in women and 5.8% and 6.7%, respectively, in men. Comparing MCID strata across the full observed range of WOMAC function confirmed the above estimates and did not suggest nonlinear relationships across the spectrum of observed values. WOMAC pain correlated strongly with WOMAC function, but extensor (and flexor) muscle strength contributed significant independent information. Reductions of approximately 4% in isometric muscle strength and of 6% in strength per body weight were related to a clinically relevant difference in WOMAC functional disability. Longitudinal studies will need to confirm these relationships within persons. Muscle extensor (and flexor) strength (per body weight) provided significant independent information in addition to pain in explaining variability in lower leg function. Copyright © 2015 by the American College of Rheumatology.

Handgrip Strength Predicts Functional Decline at Discharge in Hospitalized Male Elderly: A Hospital Cohort Study

PubMed Central

García-Peña, Carmen; García-Fabela, Luis C.; Gutiérrez-Robledo, Luis M.; García-González, Jose J.; Arango-Lopera, Victoria E.; Pérez-Zepeda, Mario U.

2013-01-01

Functional decline after hospitalization is a common adverse outcome in elderly. An easy to use, reproducible and accurate tool to identify those at risk would aid focusing interventions in those at higher risk. Handgrip strength has been shown to predict adverse outcomes in other settings. The aim of this study was to determine if handgrip strength measured upon admission to an acute care facility would predict functional decline (either incident or worsening of preexisting) at discharge among older Mexican, stratified by gender. In addition, cutoff points as a function of specificity would be determined. A cohort study was conducted in two hospitals in Mexico City. The primary endpoint was functional decline on discharge, defined as a 30-point reduction in the Barthel Index score from that of the baseline score. Handgrip strength along with other variables was measured at initial assessment, including: instrumental activities of daily living, cognition, depressive symptoms, delirium, hospitalization length and quality of life. All analyses were stratified by gender. Logistic regression to test independent association between handgrip strength and functional decline was performed, along with estimation of handgrip strength test values (specificity, sensitivity, area under the curve, etc.). A total of 223 patients admitted to an acute care facility between 2007 and 2009 were recruited. A total of 55 patients (24.7%) had functional decline, 23.46% in male and 25.6% in women. Multivariate analysis showed that only males with low handgrip strength had an increased risk of functional decline at discharge (OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.79–0.98, p = 0.01), with a specificity of 91.3% and a cutoff point of 20.65 kg for handgrip strength. Females had not a significant association between handgrip strength and functional decline. Measurement of handgrip strength on admission to acute care facilities may identify male elderly patients at risk of having functional decline, and intervene consequently. PMID:23936113

Strength of knee flexors of the paretic limb as an important determinant of functional status in post-stroke rehabilitation.

PubMed

Kostka, Joanna; Czernicki, Jan; Pruszyńska, Magdalena; Miller, Elżbieta

The purpose of the study was to assess the effectiveness of the multi-modal exercise program (MMEP) in patients after stroke, and to identify muscles that are the best predictors of functional performance and changes in functional status in a 3-week rehabilitation program. Thirty-one post-stroke patients (60.6±12.7 years) participating in a 3-week MMEP took part in the study. Measurements of extensor and flexor strength of the knee (F ext , F flex ) were done. Functional performance was measured using Timed Up & Go test (TUG), 6-Minute Walk Test (6-MWT) and Tinetti Test. The rehabilitation program improved all the results of functional tests, as well as the values of strength in the patients. Both baseline and post-rehabilitation functional status was associated with knee flexor and extensor muscle strength of paretic but not of non-paretic limbs. At baseline examination muscle strength difference between both F flex kg -1 and F ext kg -1 had an influence on functional status. After rehabilitation the effect of muscle strength difference on functional status was not evident for F ext kg -1 and, interestingly, even more prominent for F flex kg -1 . MMEP can effectively increase muscle strength and functional capacity in post-stroke patients. Knee flexor muscle strength of the paretic limb and the knee flexor difference between the limbs is the best predictor of functional performance in stroke survivors. Copyright © 2017 Polish Neurological Society. Published by Elsevier Urban & Partner Sp. z o.o. All rights reserved.

Effect of Different Anti-Oxidants on Shear Bond Strength of Composite Resins to Bleached Human Enamel

PubMed Central

Saladi, Hari Krishna; Bollu, Indira Priyadarshini; Burla, Devipriya; Ballullaya, Srinidhi Vishnu; Devalla, Srihari; Maroli, Sohani; Jayaprakash, Thumu

2015-01-01

Introduction The bond strength of the composite to the bleached enamel plays a very important role in the success and longevity of an aesthetic restoration. Aim The aim of this study was to compare and evaluate the effect of Aloe Vera with 10% Sodium Ascorbate on the Shear bond strength of composite resin to bleached human enamel. Materials and Methods Fifty freshly extracted human maxillary central incisors were selected and divided into 5 groups. Group I and V are unbleached and bleached controls groups respectively. Group II, III, IV served as experimental groups. The labial surfaces of groups II, III, IV, V were treated with 35% Carbamide Peroxide for 30mins. Group II specimens were subjected to delayed composite bonding. Group III and IV specimens were subjected to application of 10% Sodium Ascorbate and leaf extract of Aloe Vera following the Carbamide Peroxide bleaching respectively. Specimens were subjected to shear bond strength using universal testing machine and the results were statistically analysed using ANOVA test. Tukey (HSD) Honest Significant Difference test was used to comparatively analyse statistical differences between the groups. A p-value <0.05 is taken as statistically significant. Results The mean shear bond strength values of Group V showed significantly lower bond strengths than Groups I, II, III, IV (p-value <0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the shear bond strength values of groups I, II, III, IV. Conclusion Treatment of the bleached enamel surface with Aloe Vera and 10% Sodium Ascorbate provided consistently better bond strength. Aloe Vera may be used as an alternative to 10% Sodium Ascorbate. PMID:26674656

Resin-dentin bonds to EDTA-treated vs. acid-etched dentin using ethanol wet-bonding. Part II: Effects of mechanical cycling load on microtensile bond strengths.

PubMed

Sauro, Salvatore; Toledano, Manuel; Aguilera, Fatima Sánchez; Mannocci, Francesco; Pashley, David H; Tay, Franklin R; Watson, Timothy F; Osorio, Raquel

2011-06-01

To compare microtensile bond strengths (MTBS) subsequent to load cycling of resin bonded acid-etched or EDTA-treated dentin using a modified ethanol wet-bonding technique. Flat dentin surfaces were obtained from extracted human molars and conditioned using 37% H(3)PO(4) (PA) (15s) or 0.1M EDTA (60s). Five experimental adhesives and one commercial bonding agent were applied to the dentin and light-cured. Solvated experimental resins (50% ethanol/50% comonomers) were used as primers and their respective neat resins were used as the adhesives. The resin-bonded teeth were stored in distilled water (24h) or submitted to 5000 loading cycles of 90N. The bonded teeth were then sectioned in beams for MTBS. Modes of failure were examined by scanning electron microscopy. The most hydrophobic resin 1 gave the lowest bond strength values to both acid and EDTA-treated dentin. The hydrophobic resin 2 applied to EDTA-treated dentin showed lower bond strengths after cycling load but this did not occur when it was bonded to PA-etched dentin. Resins 3 and 4, which contained hydrophilic monomers, gave higher bond strengths to both EDTA-treated or acid-etched dentin and showed no significant difference after load cycling. The most hydrophilic resin 5 showed no significant difference in bond strengths after cycling loading when bonded to EDTA or phosphoric acid treated dentin but exhibited low bond strengths. The presence of different functional monomers influences the MTBS of the adhesive systems when submitted to cyclic loads. Adhesives containing hydrophilic comonomers are not affected by cycling load challenge especially when applied on EDTA-treated dentin followed by ethanol wet bonding. Copyright © 2011 Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Novel double-confined polymeric ionic liquids as sorbents for solid-phase microextraction with enhanced stability and durability in high-ionic-strength solution.

PubMed

Feng, Juanjuan; Sun, Min; Xu, Lili; Wang, Shuai; Liu, Xia; Jiang, Shengxiang

2012-12-14

Because of the occurrence of ion exchange between high-ionic-strength solution and anions of polymeric ionic liquids (PILs), PILs based solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fibers were rarely used in direct immersion mode to high-salt-added samples. In this work, a novel double-confined PIL sorbent was prepared by co-polymerization of cation and anion of 1-vinyl-3-octylimidzaolium p-styrenesulfonate (VOIm(+)SS(-)). The poly(VOIm(+)-SS(-)) was chemically bonded onto functionalized stainless steel wire via surface radical chain-transfer reaction. Stability of poly(VOIm(+)-SS(-)) in high-ionic-strength solution was investigated and compared with that of poly(1-vinyl-3-octylimidzaolium benzenesulfonate) (poly(VOIm(+)BS(-))) by elemental analysis of sulfur element, and results turned out that the poly(VOIm(+)-SS(-)) was more stable. Coupled to gas chromatography (GC), the poly(VOIm(+)-SS(-)) fiber was used to extract three sorts of compounds including anilines, phenols and phthalate esters in aqueous solution. The as-established method showed good linearity, low detection limits, and acceptable repeatability. The direct immersion SPME-GC method was applied to determine the model phthalate esters in bottled mineral water. The determination results were satisfactory. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Changes to the COS Extraction Algorithm for Lifetime Position 3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Proffitt, Charles R.; Bostroem, K. Azalee; Ely, Justin; Foster, Deatrick; Hernandez, Svea; Hodge, Philip; Jedrzejewski, Robert I.; Lockwood, Sean A.; Massa, Derck; Peeples, Molly S.; Oliveira, Cristina M.; Penton, Steven V.; Plesha, Rachel; Roman-Duval, Julia; Sana, Hugues; Sahnow, David J.; Sonnentrucker, Paule; Taylor, Joanna M.

2015-09-01

The COS FUV Detector Lifetime Position 3 (LP3) has been placed only 2.5" below the original lifetime position (LP1). This is sufficiently close to gain-sagged regions at LP1 that a revised extraction algorithm is needed to ensure good spectral quality. We provide an overview of this new "TWOZONE" extraction algorithm, discuss its strengths and limitations, describe new output columns in the X1D files that show the boundaries of the new extraction regions, and provide some advice on how to manually tune the algorithm for specialized applications.

[Effect of phosphate and organic acid addition on passivation of simulated Pb contaminated soil and the stability of the product].

PubMed

Zuo, Ji-Chao; Gao, Ting-Ting; Su, Xiao-Juan; Wan, Tian-Ying; Hu, Hong-Qing

2014-10-01

Organic acids can improve the phosphorus availability, influence the immobilization of heavy metals in soil, and has very complicated function in phosphorus activation and heavy metal passivation. This research took simulated Pb contaminated soil as material, phosphate and citric acid as remediation matter, adopted BCR continuous extraction, 0.01 mol · L(-1) CaCl2 and toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) to evaluate the remediation effect. Besides, malic acid and NaNO3 were taken as desorption reagents to discuss the stability of the phosphorus-citric acid-Pb system. The results showed that: in the absence of citric acid, the amount of acid extracted Pb decreased along with the increase of P concentration; when the P concentration was 100 and 400 mg · kg(-1), acid extractable Pb increased with the increasing of citric acid concentration. However, residual Pb changed in the opposite direction from acid extractable Pb. The phenomenon showed that P improved the bioavailability of Pb, while citric acid had the opposite effect. With a certain organic acid concentration, extractable Pb contents extracted by 0.01 mol · L(-1) CaCl2 and TCLP both decreased with the increasing P concentration, therefore, P had immobilization effect on Pb in contaminated soil. But at a fixed P concentration, extractable Pb contents by 0.01 mol · L(-1) CaCl2 and TCLP changed in the opposite trend with the increasing citric acid concentration. The desorption rate of Pb in soil increased with the increasing malic acid concentration, the decreasing pH and the increasing ionic strength. The desorption extent of Pb in soil with P only was lower than that with both P and citric acid. But the stability of Pb passivated by the former was higher.

Elliptically polarizing adjustable phase insertion device

DOEpatents

Carr, R.

1995-01-17

An insertion device for extracting polarized electromagnetic energy from a beam of particles is disclosed. The insertion device includes four linear arrays of magnets which are aligned with the particle beam. The magnetic field strength to which the particles are subjected is adjusted by altering the relative alignment of the arrays in a direction parallel to that of the particle beam. Both the energy and polarization of the extracted energy may be varied by moving the relevant arrays parallel to the beam direction. The present invention requires a substantially simpler and more economical superstructure than insertion devices in which the magnetic field strength is altered by changing the gap between arrays of magnets. 3 figures.

The impact of higher-order aberrations on the strength of directional signals produced by accommodative microfluctuations

PubMed Central

Metlapally, Sangeetha; Tong, Jianliang L.; Tahir, Humza J.; Schor, Clifton M.

2014-01-01

It has been proposed that the accommodation system could perform contrast discrimination between the two dioptric extremes of accommodative microfluctuations to extract directional signals for reflex accommodation. Higher-order aberrations (HOAs) may have a significant influence on the strength of these contrast signals. Our goal was to compute the effect HOAs may have on contrast signals for stimuli within the upper defocus limit by comparing computed microcontrast fluctuations with psychophysical contrast increment thresholds (Bradley & Ohzawa, 1986). Wavefront aberrations were measured while subjects viewed a Maltese spoke stimulus monocularly. Computations were performed for accommodation or disaccommodation stimuli from a 3 Diopter (D) baseline. Microfluctuations were estimated from the standard deviation of the wavefronts over time at baseline. Through-focus Modulation Transfer, optical contrast increments (ΔC), and Weber fractions (ΔC/C) were derived from point spread functions computed from the wavefronts at baseline for 2 and 4 cycles per degree (cpd) components, with and without HOAs. The ΔCs thus computed from the wavefronts were compared with psychophysical contrast increment threshold data. Microfluctuations are potentially useful for extracting directional information for defocus values within 3 D, where contrast increments for the 2 or 4 cpd components exceed psychophysical thresholds. HOAs largely reduce contrast signals produced by microfluctuations, depending on the mean focus error, and their magnitude in individual subjects, and they may shrink the effective stimulus range for reflex accommodation. The upper defocus limit could therefore be constrained by discrimination of microcontrast fluctuations. PMID:25342542

Neutron-hole strength in the N = 81 isotones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howard, A. M.; Freeman, S. J.; Schiffer, J. P.; Bloxham, T.; Clark, J. A.; Deibel, C. M.; Kay, B. P.; Parker, P. D.; Sharp, D. K.; Thomas, J. S.

2012-09-01

The distribution of neutron-hole strength has been studied in the N = 81 isotones 137Ba, 139Ce, 141Nd and 143Sm through the single-neutron removing reactions (p,d) and (3He,α), at energies of 23 and 34 MeV, respectively. Systematic cross section measurements were made at angles sensitive to the transferred angular momentum, and spectroscopic factors extracted through a distorted-wave Born approximation analysis. Application of the MacFarlane-French sum rules indicate an anomalously low summed g7/2 spectroscopic factor, most likely due to extensive fragmentation of the single-particle strength. Single-particle energies, based upon the centroids of observed strength, are presented.

Effectiveness of physical therapy interventions for children with cerebral palsy: A systematic review

PubMed Central

Anttila, Heidi; Autti-Rämö, Ilona; Suoranta, Jutta; Mäkelä, Marjukka; Malmivaara, Antti

2008-01-01

Background To assess the effectiveness of physical therapy (PT) interventions on functioning in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Methods A search was made in Medline, Cinahl, PEDro and the Cochrane library for the period 1990 to February 2007. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on PT interventions in children with diagnosed CP were included. Two reviewers independently assessed the methodological quality and extracted the data. The outcomes measured in the trials were classified using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). Results Twenty-two trials were identified. Eight intervention categories were distinguished. Four trials were of high methodological quality. Moderate evidence of effectiveness was established for two intervention categories: effectiveness of upper extremity treatments on attained goals and active supination, and of prehensile hand treatment and neurodevelopmental therapy (NDT) or NDT twice a week on developmental status, and of constraint-induced therapy on amount and quality of hand use. Moderate evidence of ineffectiveness was found of strength training on walking speed and stride length. Conflicting evidence was found for strength training on gross motor function. For the other intervention categories the evidence was limited due to low methodological quality and the statistically insignificant results of the studies. Conclusion Due to limitations in methodological quality and variations in population, interventions and outcomes, mostly limited evidence on the effectiveness of most PT interventions is available through RCTs. Moderate evidence was found for some effectiveness of upper extremity training. Well-designed trials are needed especially for focused PT interventions. PMID:18435840

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Birkhan, J.; Miorelli, M.; Bacca, S.

The electric dipole strength distribution in 48Ca between 5 and 25 MeV has been determined at RCNP, Osaka, from proton inelastic scattering experiments at forward angles. Combined with photoabsorption data at higher excitation energy, this enables the rst extraction of the electric dipole polarizability D( 48Ca) = 2:07(22) fm 3. Remarkably, the dipole response of 48Ca is found to be very similar to that of 40Ca, consistent with a small neutron skin in 48Ca. The experimental results are in good agreement with ab initio calculations based on chiral e ective eld theory interactions and with state-of-the-art density-functional calculations, implying amore » neutron skin in 48Ca of 0:14 - 0:20 fm.« less

The ep -->e'p eta reaction at and above the S11(1535) baryon resonance.

PubMed

Thompson, R; Dytman, S; Kim, K Y; Mueller, J; Adams, G S; Amaryan, M J; Anciant, E; Anghinolfi, M; Asavapibhop, B; Auger, T; Audit, G; Avakian, H; Barrow, S; Battaglieri, M; Beard, K; Bektasoglu, M; Bertozzi, W; Bianchi, N; Biselli, A; Boiarinov, S; Bonner, B E; Briscoe, W J; Brooks, W; Burkert, V D; Calarco, J R; Capitani, G; Carman, D S; Carnahan, B; Cole, P L; Coleman, A; Connelly, J; Cords, D; Corvisiero, P; Crabb, D; Crannell, H; Cummings, J; Day, D; Degtyarenko, P V; Demirchyan, R A; Dennis, L C; Deppman, A; De Sanctis, E; De Vita, R; Dhuga, K S; Djalali, C; Dodge, G E; Doughty, D; Dragovitsch, P; Dugger, M; Eckhause, M; Efremenko, Y V; Egiyan, H; Egiyan, K S; Elouadrhiri, L; Farhi, L; Feuerbach, R J; Ficenec, J; Fissum, K; Freyberger, A; Funsten, H; Gai, M; Gavrilov, V B; Gilfoyle, G P; Giovanetti, K; Gilad, S; Girard, P; Griffioen, K A; Guidal, M; Guillo, M; Gyurjyan, V; Hancock, D; Hardie, J; Heddle, D; Heisenberg, J; Hersman, F W; Hicks, K; Hicks, R S; Holtrop, M; Hyde-Wright, C E; Ito, M M; Jenkins, D; Joo, K; Kane, J; Khandaker, M; Kim, W; Klein, A; Klein, F J; Klusman, M; Kossov, M; Kuhn, S E; Kuang, Y; Laget, J M; Lawrence, D; Leskin, G A; Longhi, A; Loukachine, K; Lucas, M; Magahiz, R; Major, R W; Manak, J J; Marchand, C; Matthews, S K; McAleer, S; McCarthy, J; McNabb, J W; Mecking, B A; Mestayer, M D; Meyer, C A; Minehart, R; Mirazita, M; Miskimen, R; Muccifora, V; Mutchler, G S; Napolitano, J; Niyazov, R A; Ohandjanyan, M S; O'Brien, J T; Opper, A; Patois, Y; Peterson, G A; Philips, S; Pivnyuk, N; Pocanic, D; Pogorelko, O; Polli, E; Preedom, B M; Price, J W; Qin, L M; Raue, B A; Reolon, A R; Riccardi, G; Ricco, G; Ripani, M; Ritchie, B G; Ronchetti, F; Rossi, P; Roudot, F; Rowntree, D; Rubin, P D; Salgado, C W; Sanzone, M; Sapunenko, V; Sarty, A; Sargsyan, M; Schumacher, R A; Shafi, A; Sharabian, Y G; Shaw, J; Shuvalov, S M; Skabelin, A; Smith, T; Smith, C; Smith, E S; Sober, D I; Spraker, M; Stepanyan, S; Stoler, P; Taiuti, M; Taylor, S; Tedeschi, D; Tung, T Y; Vineyard, M F; Vlassov, A; Weller, H; Weinstein, L B; Welsh, R; Weygand, D P; Whisnant, S; Witkowski, M; Wolin, E; Yegneswaran, A; Yun, J; Zhou, Z; Zhao, J

2001-02-26

New cross sections for the reaction e p-->e p eta are reported for total center of mass energy W = 1.5--1.86 GeV and invariant momentum transfer Q2 = 0.25--1.5 (GeV/c)(2). This large kinematic range allows extraction of important new information about response functions, photocouplings, and eta N coupling strengths of baryon resonances. Newly observed structure at W approximately 1.65 GeV is shown to come from interference between S and P waves and can be interpreted with known resonances. Improved values are derived for the photon coupling amplitude for the S11(1535) resonance.

Knee joint laxity does not moderate the relationship between quadriceps strength and physical function in knee osteoarthritis patients: A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Altubasi, Ibrahim M

2018-06-07

Knee osteoarthritis is a common and a disabling musculoskeletal disorder. Patients with knee osteoarthritis have activity limitations which are linked to the strength of the quadriceps muscle. Previous research reported that the relationship between quadriceps muscle strength and physical function is moderated by the level of knee joint frontal plane laxity. The purpose of the current study is to reexamine the moderation effect of the knee joint laxity as measured by stress radiographs on the relationship between quadriceps muscle strength and physical function. One-hundred and sixty osteoarthritis patients participated in this cross-sectional study. Isometric quadriceps muscle strength was measured using an isokinetic dynamometer. Self-rated and performance-based physical function were measured using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) physical function subscale and Get Up and Go test, respectively. Stress radiographs which were taken while applying varus and valgus loads to knee using the TELOS device. Knee joint laxity was determined by measuring the distance between joint surfaces on the medial and lateral sides. Hierarchical multiple regression models were constructed to study the moderation effect of laxity on the strength function relationship. Two regression models were constructed for self-rated and performance-based function. After controlling for demographics, strength contributed significantly in the models. The addition of laxity and laxity-strength interaction did not add significant contributions in the regression models. Frontal plane knee joint laxity measured by stress radiographs does not moderate the relationship between quadriceps muscle strength and physical function in patients with osteoarthritis. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Strength Development: Using Functional Isometrics in an Isotonic Strength Training Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Allen; And Others

1985-01-01

A study was made to determine if a combination of functional isometrics and standard isotonic training would be superior to a standard isotonic program in an instructional setting. The results provide support for functional isometrics as an enhancement where achievement of maximum strength is the goal. (Author/MT)

Automated detection of videotaped neonatal seizures of epileptic origin.

PubMed

Karayiannis, Nicolaos B; Xiong, Yaohua; Tao, Guozhi; Frost, James D; Wise, Merrill S; Hrachovy, Richard A; Mizrahi, Eli M

2006-06-01

This study aimed at the development of a seizure-detection system by training neural networks with quantitative motion information extracted from short video segments of neonatal seizures of the myoclonic and focal clonic types and random infant movements. The motion of the infants' body parts was quantified by temporal motion-strength signals extracted from video segments by motion-segmentation methods based on optical flow computation. The area of each frame occupied by the infants' moving body parts was segmented by clustering the motion parameters obtained by fitting an affine model to the pixel velocities. The motion of the infants' body parts also was quantified by temporal motion-trajectory signals extracted from video recordings by robust motion trackers based on block-motion models. These motion trackers were developed to adjust autonomously to illumination and contrast changes that may occur during the video-frame sequence. Video segments were represented by quantitative features obtained by analyzing motion-strength and motion-trajectory signals in both the time and frequency domains. Seizure recognition was performed by conventional feed-forward neural networks, quantum neural networks, and cosine radial basis function neural networks, which were trained to detect neonatal seizures of the myoclonic and focal clonic types and to distinguish them from random infant movements. The computational tools and procedures developed for automated seizure detection were evaluated on a set of 240 video segments of 54 patients exhibiting myoclonic seizures (80 segments), focal clonic seizures (80 segments), and random infant movements (80 segments). Regardless of the decision scheme used for interpreting the responses of the trained neural networks, all the neural network models exhibited sensitivity and specificity>90%. For one of the decision schemes proposed for interpreting the responses of the trained neural networks, the majority of the trained neural-network models exhibited sensitivity>90% and specificity>95%. In particular, cosine radial basis function neural networks achieved the performance targets of this phase of the project (i.e., sensitivity>95% and specificity>95%). The best among the motion segmentation and tracking methods developed in this study produced quantitative features that constitute a reliable basis for detecting neonatal seizures. The performance targets of this phase of the project were achieved by combining the quantitative features obtained by analyzing motion-strength signals with those produced by analyzing motion-trajectory signals. The computational procedures and tools developed in this study to perform off-line analysis of short video segments will be used in the next phase of this project, which involves the integration of these procedures and tools into a system that can process and analyze long video recordings of infants monitored for seizures in real time.

Wood chemical composition as related to properties of handsheets made from loblolly pine refiner groundwood

Treesearch

Charles W. McMillin

1969-01-01

Burst and tear strengths of handsheets made from 48 pulps disk-refined from chips of varying chemical composition decreased with incressing extractive content after the independent effects of fiber morphology were specified. This result was attributed to lessened bond strength caused by reduced surface tension forces and blocking of reactive sites on the fiber surfaces...

Evaluation of Anticonvulsant, Antidepressant-, and Anxiolytic-like Effects of an Aqueous Extract from Cultured Mycelia of the Lingzhi or Reishi Medicinal Mushroom Ganoderma lucidum (Higher Basidiomycetes) in Mice.

PubMed

Socala, Katarzyna; Nieoczym, Dorota; Grzywnowicz, Krzysztof; Stefaniuk, Dawid; Wlaz, Piotr

2015-01-01

Ganoderma lucidum is a well-known medicinal mushroom with a long history of use. This study was designed to assess the anticonvulsant potential of an aqueous extract from cultured G. lucidum mycelium in 3 acute seizure models: timed intravenous pentylenetetrazole infusion, maximal electroshock seizure threshold, and 6-Hz-induced psychomotor seizure tests in mice. Moreover, antidepressant-like and anxiolytic-like effects of G. lucidum were evaluated using the forced swim test and the elevated plus maze test in mice, respectively. No changes in seizure thresholds in the intravenous pentylenetetrazole and maximal electroshock seizure threshold tests after acute treatment with G. lucidum extract (200-600 mg/kg) was observed. However, the studied extract (100-400 mg/kg) significantly increased the threshold for psychomotor seizures in the 6-Hz seizure test. In the forced swim test, G. lucidum (100-400 mg/kg) significantly reduced the duration of immobility. No anxiolytic-like or sedative effects were reported in mice pretreated with the extract (400-600 mg/kg). G. lucidum extract (50-2400 mg/kg) did not produce toxic effects in the chimney test (motor coordination) or grip-strength test (neuromuscular strength). Further studies are required to explain the neuropharmacological effects of G. lucidum and to identify its active ingredients that may affect seizure threshold, mood, or anxiety.

Simultaneous extraction and HPLC determination of 3-indole butyric acid and 3-indole acetic acid in pea plant by using ionic liquid-modified silica as sorbent.

PubMed

Sheikhian, Leila; Bina, Sedigheh

2016-01-15

In this study, ionic liquid-modified silica was used as sorbent for simultaneous extraction and preconcentration of 3-indole butyric acid and 3-indole acetic acid in pea plants. The effect of some parameters such as pH and ionic strength of sample solution, amount of sorbent, flow rate of aqueous sample solution and eluent solution, concentration of eluent solution, and temperature were studied for each hormone solution. Percent extraction of 3-indole butyric acid and 3-indole acetic acid was strongly affected by pH of aqueous sample solution. Ionic strength of aqueous phase and temperature showed no serious effects on extraction efficiency of studied plant hormones. Obtained breakthrough volume was 200mL for each of studied hormones. Preconcentration factor for spectroscopic and chromatographic determination of studied hormones was 100 and 4.0×10(3) respectively. Each solid sorbent phase was reusable for almost 10 times of extraction/stripping procedure. Relative standard deviations of extraction/stripping processes of 3-indole butyric acid and 3-indole acetic acid were 2.79% and 3.66% respectively. The calculated limit of detections for IBA and IAA were 9.1×10(-2)mgL(-1) and 1.6×10(-1)mgL(-1) respectively. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Loss of mechanical properties in vivo and bone-implant interface strength of AZ31B magnesium alloy screws with Si-containing coating.

PubMed

Tan, Lili; Wang, Qiang; Lin, Xiao; Wan, Peng; Zhang, Guangdao; Zhang, Qiang; Yang, Ke

2014-05-01

In this study the loss of mechanical properties and the interface strength of coated AZ31B magnesium alloy (a magnesium-aluminum alloy) screws with surrounding host tissues were investigated and compared with non-coated AZ31B, degradable polymer and biostable titanium alloy screws in a rabbit animal model after 1, 4, 12 and 21weeks of implantation. The interface strength was evaluated in terms of the extraction torque required to back out the screws. The loss of mechanical properties over time was indicated by one-point bending load loss of the screws after these were extracted at different times. AZ31B samples with a silicon-containing coating had a decreased degradation rate and improved biological properties. The extraction torque of Ti6Al4V, poly-l-lactide (PLLA) and coated AZ31B increased significantly from 1week to 4weeks post-implantation, indicating a rapid osteosynthesis process over 3weeks. The extraction torque of coated AZ31B increased with implantation time, and was higher than that of PLLA after 4weeks of implantation, equalling that of Ti6Al4V at 12weeks and was higher at 21weeks. The bending loads of non-coated AZ31B and PLLA screws degraded sharply after implantation, and that of coated AZ31B degraded more slowly. The biodegradation mechanism, the coating to control the degradation rate and the bioactivity of magnesium alloys influencing the mechanical properties loss over time and bone-implant interface strength are discussed in this study and it is concluded that a suitable degradation rate will result in an improvement in the mechanical performance of magnesium alloys, making them more suitable for clinical application. Copyright © 2013 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mesoscale Thermodynamic Analysis of Atomic-Scale Dislocation-Obstacle Interactions Simulated by Molecular Dynamics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Monet, Giath; Bacon, David J; Osetskiy, Yury N

2010-01-01

Given the time and length scales in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of dislocation-defect interactions, quantitative MD results cannot be used directly in larger scale simulations or compared directly with experiment. A method to extract fundamental quantities from MD simulations is proposed here. The first quantity is a critical stress defined to characterise the obstacle resistance. This mesoscopic parameter, rather than the obstacle 'strength' designed for a point obstacle, is to be used for an obstacle of finite size. At finite temperature, our analyses of MD simulations allow the activation energy to be determined as a function of temperature. The resultsmore » confirm the proportionality between activation energy and temperature that is frequently observed by experiment. By coupling the data for the activation energy and the critical stress as functions of temperature, we show how the activation energy can be deduced at a given value of the critical stress.« less

Effect of pulsed electric field treatment during cold maceration and alcoholic fermentation on major red wine qualitative and quantitative parameters.

PubMed

El Darra, Nada; Rajha, Hiba N; Ducasse, Marie-Agnès; Turk, Mohammad F; Grimi, Nabil; Maroun, Richard G; Louka, Nicolas; Vorobiev, Eugène

2016-12-15

This work studies the effect of pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment at moderate and high field strengths (E=0.8kV/cm & 5kV/cm) prior and during alcoholic fermentation (AF) of red grapes on improving different parameters of pre-treated extracts: pH, °Brix, colour intensity (CI), total polyphenols content (TPI) of Cabernet Sauvignon red wine. Similar trends were observed for treating grapes using moderate and high electric field strength on the enhancement of CI and TPI of the wine after AF. The application of PEF using moderate strengths at different times during cold maceration (CM) (0, 2 and 4days) was more efficient for treatment during CM. The treatment during AF showed lower extraction rate compared to treating during CM and prior to AF. Our results clearly show that the best time for applying the PEF-treatment through the red fermentation is during the CM step. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

[Correlations Between Joint Proprioception, Muscle Strength, and Functional Ability in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis].

PubMed

Chen, Yoa; Yu, Yong; He, Cheng-qi

2015-11-01

To establish correlations between joint proprioception, muscle flexion and extension peak torque, and functional ability in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Fifty-six patients with symptomatic knee OA were recruited in this study. Both proprioceptive acuity and muscle strength were measured using the isomed-2000 isokinetic dynamometer. Proprioceptive acuity was evaluated by establishing the joint motion detection threshold (JMDT). Muscle strength was evaluated by Max torque (Nm) and Max torque/weight (Nm/ kg). Functional ability was assessed by the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index physical function (WOMAC-PF) questionnaire. Correlational analyses were performed between proprioception, muscle strength, and functional ability. A multiple stepwise regression model was established, with WOMAC-PF as dependent variable and patient age, body mass index (BMI), visual analogue scale (VAS)-score, mean grade for Kellgren-Lawrance of both knees, mean strength for quadriceps and hamstring muscles of both knees, and mean JMDT of both knees as independent variables. Poor proprioception (high JMDT) was negatively correlated with muscle strength (P<0.05). There was no significant correlation between knee proprioception (high JMDT) and joint pain (WOMAC pain score), and between knee proprioception (high JMDT) and joint stiffness (WOMAC stiffness score). Poor proprioception (high JMDT) was correlated with limitation in functional ability (WOMAC physical function score r=0.659, P<0.05). WOMAC score was correlated with poor muscle strength (quadriceps muscle strength r = -0.511, P<0.05, hamstring muscle strength r = -0.408, P<0.05). The multiple stepwise regression model showed that high JMDT C standard partial regression coefficient (B) = 0.385, P<0.50 and high VAS-scale score (B=0.347, P<0.05) were significant predictors of WOMAC-PF score. Patients with poor proprioception is associated with poor muscle strength and limitation in functional ability. Patients with symptomatic OA of knees commonly endure with moderate to considerable dysfunction, which is associated with poor proprioception (high JMDT) and high VAS-scale score.

Associations of knee extensor strength and standing balance with physical function in knee osteoarthritis.

PubMed

Pua, Yong-Hao; Liang, Zhiqi; Ong, Peck-Hoon; Bryant, Adam L; Lo, Ngai-Nung; Clark, Ross A

2011-12-01

Knee extensor strength is an important correlate of physical function in patients with knee osteoarthritis; however, it remains unclear whether standing balance is also a correlate. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cross-sectional associations of knee extensor strength, standing balance, and their interaction with physical function. One hundred four older adults with end-stage knee osteoarthritis awaiting a total knee replacement (mean ± SD age 67 ± 8 years) participated. Isometric knee extensor strength was measured using an isokinetic dynamometer. Standing balance performance was measured by the center of pressure displacement during quiet standing on a balance board. Physical function was measured by the self-report Short Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire and by the 10-meter fast-pace gait speed test. After adjustment for demographic and knee pain variables, we detected significant knee strength by standing balance interaction terms for both SF-36 physical function and fast-pace gait speed. Interrogation of the interaction revealed that standing balance in the anteroposterior plane was positively related to physical function among patients with lower knee extensor strength. Conversely, among patients with higher knee extensor strength, the standing balance-physical function associations were, or tended to be, negative. These findings suggest that although standing balance was related to physical function in patients with knee osteoarthritis, this relationship was complex and dependent on knee extensor strength level. These results are of importance in developing intervention strategies and refining theoretical models, but they call for further study. Copyright © 2011 by the American College of Rheumatology.

Comparison of hydroxyapatite and dental enamel for testing shear bond strengths.

PubMed

Imthiaz, Nishat; Georgiou, George; Moles, David R; Jones, Steven P

2008-05-01

To investigate the feasibility of using artificial hydroxyapatite as a future biomimetic laboratory substitute for human enamel in orthodontic bond strength testing by comparing the shear bond strengths and nature of failure of brackets bonded to samples of hydroxyapatite and enamel. One hundred and fifty hydroxyapatite discs were prepared by compression at 20 tons and fired in a furnace at 1300 degrees C. One hundred and five enamel samples were prepared from the buccal and palatal/lingual surfaces of healthy premolars extracted for orthodontic purposes. Orthodontic brackets were bonded to each sample and these were subjected to shear bond strength testing using a custom-made jig mounted in an Instron Universal Testing Machine. The force value at bond failure was obtained, together with the nature of failure which was assessed using the Adhesive Remnant Index. The mean shear bond strength for the enamel samples was 16.62 MPa (95 per cent CI: 15.26, 17.98) and for the hydroxyapatite samples 20.83 MPa (95 per cent CI: 19.68, 21.98). The difference between the two samples was statistically significant (p < 0.001). When the nature of failure was assessed with the ARI Index, 83 per cent of the enamel samples scored 2 or 3, while 49 per cent of the hydroxyapatite samples scored 0 or 1. Hydroxyapatite was an effective biomimetic substrate for bond strength testing with a mean shear bond strength value (20.83 MPa) at the upper end of the normal range attributed to enamel (15-20 MPa). Although the difference between the shear bond strengths for hydroxyapatite and enamel was statistically significant, hydroxyapatite could be used as an alternative to enamel for comparative laboratory studies until a closer alternative is found. This would eliminate the need for extracted teeth to be collected. However, it should be used with caution for quantitative studies where true bond strengths are to be investigated.

Dietary supplementation with fruit polyphenolics ameliorates age-related deficits in behavior and neuronal markers of inflammation and oxidative stress.

PubMed

Shukitt-Hale, Barbara; Galli, Rachel L; Meterko, Vanessa; Carey, Amanda; Bielinski, Donna F; McGhie, Tony; Joseph, James A

2005-03-01

Dietary supplementation with fruit or vegetable extracts can ameliorate age-related declines in measures of learning, memory, motor performance, and neuronal signal transduction in a rat model. To date, blueberries have proved most effective at improving measures of motor performance, spatial learning and memory, and neuronal functioning in old rats. In an effort to further characterize the bioactive properties of fruits rich in color and correspondingly high in anthocyanins and other polyphenolics, 19-month-old male Fischer rats were fed a well-balanced control diet, or the diet supplemented with 2% extract from either blueberry, cranberry, blackcurrant, or Boysenberry fruit for eight weeks before testing began. The blackcurrant and cranberry diets enhanced neuronal signal transduction as measured by striatal dopamine release, while the blueberry and cranberry diets were effective in ameliorating deficits in motor performance and hippocampal HSP70 neuroprotection; these changes in HSP70 were positively correlated with performance on the inclined screen. It appears that the polyphenols in blueberries and cranberries have the ability to improve muscle tone, strength and balance in aging rats, whereas polyphenols in blueberries, cranberries and blackcurrants have the ability to enhance neuronal functioning and restore the brain's ability to generate a neuroprotective response to stress.

Respiratory muscle strength is not decreased in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

PubMed

Urell, Charlotte; Emtner, Margareta; Hedenstrom, Hans; Westerdahl, Elisabeth

2016-03-31

Postoperative pulmonary impairments are significant complications after cardiac surgery. Decreased respiratory muscle strength could be one reason for impaired lung function in the postoperative period. The primary aim of this study was to describe respiratory muscle strength before and two months after cardiac surgery. A secondary aim was to describe possible associations between respiratory muscle strength and lung function. In this prospective observational study 36 adult cardiac surgery patients (67 ± 10 years) were studied. Respiratory muscle strength and lung function were measured before and two months after surgery. Pre- and postoperative respiratory muscle strength was in accordance with predicted values; MIP was 78 ± 24 cmH2O preoperatively and 73 ± 22 cmH2O at two months follow-up (p = 0.19). MEP was 122 ± 33 cmH2O preoperatively and 115 ± 38 cmH2O at two months follow-up (p = 0.18). Preoperative lung function was in accordance with predicted values, but was significantly decreased postoperatively. At two-months follow-up there was a moderate correlation between MIP and FEV1 (r = 0.43, p = 0.009). Respiratory muscle strength was not impaired, either before or two months after cardiac surgery. The reason for postoperative lung function alteration is not yet known. Interventions aimed at restore an optimal postoperative lung function should focus on other interventions then respiratory muscle strength training.

The effect of stimulus strength on the speed and accuracy of a perceptual decision.

PubMed

Palmer, John; Huk, Alexander C; Shadlen, Michael N

2005-05-02

Both the speed and the accuracy of a perceptual judgment depend on the strength of the sensory stimulation. When stimulus strength is high, accuracy is high and response time is fast; when stimulus strength is low, accuracy is low and response time is slow. Although the psychometric function is well established as a tool for analyzing the relationship between accuracy and stimulus strength, the corresponding chronometric function for the relationship between response time and stimulus strength has not received as much consideration. In this article, we describe a theory of perceptual decision making based on a diffusion model. In it, a decision is based on the additive accumulation of sensory evidence over time to a bound. Combined with simple scaling assumptions, the proportional-rate and power-rate diffusion models predict simple analytic expressions for both the chronometric and psychometric functions. In a series of psychophysical experiments, we show that this theory accounts for response time and accuracy as a function of both stimulus strength and speed-accuracy instructions. In particular, the results demonstrate a close coupling between response time and accuracy. The theory is also shown to subsume the predictions of Piéron's Law, a power function dependence of response time on stimulus strength. The theory's analytic chronometric function allows one to extend theories of accuracy to response time.

Extracting Strength from Ramp-Release Experiments on Z

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Justin

2013-06-01

Releasing from a compressed state has long been recognized as a sensitive measure of a material's constitutive response. The initial elastic unloading provides insights which can be related to changes in shear stress or, in the context of classic plasticity, to the material's yield surface. Ramp compression and subsequent release experiments on Sandia's Z machine typically consist of a driving aluminum electrode pushing a sample material which is backed by a window. A particle velocity measurement of the sample/window interface provides a ramp-release profile. Under most circumstances, however, the impedance mismatch at this interface results in the measurement of a highly perturbed velocity, particularly at the late times of interest. Wave attenuation, the finite pressure range over which the material elastically unloads, and rate effects additionally complicate the interpretation of the experiment. In an effort to accurately analyze experiments of this type, each of these complications is addressed. The wave interactions are accounted for through the so-called transfer function methodology and involves a coupling of the experimental measurements with numerical simulations. Simulated window velocity measurements are combined with the corresponding in situ simulations to define a mapping describing the wave interactions due to the presence of the window. Applying this mapping to the experimentally measured velocity results in an in situ sample response which may then be used in a classic Lagrangian analysis from which the strength can be extracted via the self-consistent method. Corrections for attenuation, pressure averaging, and limitations of the analysis due to rate-effects are verified through the use of synthetic data. To date, results on the strength of aluminum to 1.2 MBar, beryllium to 1 MBar, and tantalum to over 2 MBar have been obtained through this methodology and will be presented. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin company, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

Robustness of radiomic breast features of benign lesions and luminal A cancers across MR magnet strengths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whitney, Heather M.; Drukker, Karen; Edwards, Alexandra; Papaioannou, John; Giger, Maryellen L.

2018-02-01

Radiomics features extracted from breast lesion images have shown potential in diagnosis and prognosis of breast cancer. As clinical institutions transition from 1.5 T to 3.0 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), it is helpful to identify robust features across these field strengths. In this study, dynamic contrast-enhanced MR images were acquired retrospectively under IRB/HIPAA compliance, yielding 738 cases: 241 and 124 benign lesions imaged at 1.5 T and 3.0 T and 231 and 142 luminal A cancers imaged at 1.5 T and 3.0 T, respectively. Lesions were segmented using a fuzzy C-means method. Extracted radiomic values for each group of lesions by cancer status and field strength of acquisition were compared using a Kolmogorov-Smirnov test for the null hypothesis that two groups being compared came from the same distribution, with p-values being corrected for multiple comparisons by the Holm-Bonferroni method. Two shape features, one texture feature, and three enhancement variance kinetics features were found to be potentially robust. All potentially robust features had areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) statistically greater than 0.5 in the task of distinguishing between lesion types (range of means 0.57-0.78). The significant difference in voxel size between field strength of acquisition limits the ability to affirm more features as robust or not robust according to field strength alone, and inhomogeneities in static field strength and radiofrequency field could also have affected the assessment of kinetic curve features as robust or not. Vendor-specific image scaling could have also been a factor. These findings will contribute to the development of radiomic signatures that use features identified as robust across field strength.

Lower Cognitive Function in Older Patients with Lower Muscle Strength and Muscle Mass.

PubMed

van Dam, Romee; Van Ancum, Jeanine M; Verlaan, Sjors; Scheerman, Kira; Meskers, Carel G M; Maier, Andrea B

2018-06-18

Low muscle strength and muscle mass are associated with adverse outcomes in older hospitalized patients. The aim of this study was to assess the association between cognitive functioning and muscle strength and muscle mass in hospitalized older patients. This prospective inception cohort included 378 patients aged 70 years or older. At admission patients were assessed for cognitive functioning by use of the Six-Item Cognitive Impairment Test (6-CIT). Muscle strength and muscle mass were assessed using handheld dynamometry and segmental multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis, within 48 h after admission and on day 7, or earlier on the day of discharge. The data of 371 patients (mean age ± standard deviation 80.1 ± 6.4 years, 49.3% female) were available for analyses. The median (interquartile range) 6-CIT score was 4 (0-8) points. At admission, lower cognitive functioning was associated with lower muscle strength, lower skeletal muscle mass (SMM), lower appendicular lean mass, and lower SMM index. Cognitive functioning was not associated with change in muscle strength and muscle mass during hospitalization. This study further strengthens evidence for an association between lower cognitive functioning and lower muscle strength and muscle mass, but without a further decline during hospitalization. © 2018 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.

[A Structural Equation Model on Family Strength of Married Working Women].

PubMed

Hong, Yeong Seon; Han, Kuem Sun

2015-12-01

The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of predictive factors related to family strength and develop a structural equation model that explains family strength among married working women. A hypothesized model was developed based on literature reviews and predictors of family strength by Yoo. This constructed model was built of an eight pathway form. Two exogenous variables included in this model were ego-resilience and family support. Three endogenous variables included in this model were functional couple communication, family stress and family strength. Data were collected using a self-report questionnaire from 319 married working women who were 30~40 of age and lived in cities of Chungnam province in Korea. Data were analyzed with PASW/WIN 18.0 and AMOS 18.0 programs. Family support had a positive direct, indirect and total effect on family strength. Family stress had a negative direct, indirect and total effect on family strength. Functional couple communication had a positive direct and total effect on family strength. These predictive variables of family strength explained 61.8% of model. The results of the study show a structural equation model for family strength of married working women and that predicting factors for family strength are family support, family stress, and functional couple communication. To improve family strength of married working women, the results of this study suggest nursing access and mediative programs to improve family support and functional couple communication, and reduce family stress.

Secondary biomarkers of insecticide-induced stress of honey bee colonies and their relevance for overwintering strength.

PubMed

Wegener, Jakob; Ruhnke, Haike; Milchreit, Kathrin; Kleebaum, Katharina; Franke, Monique; Mispagel, Sebastian; Bischoff, Gabriela; Kamp, Günter; Bienefeld, Kaspar

2016-10-01

The evaluation of pesticide side-effects on honeybees is hampered by a lack of colony-level bioassays that not only are sensitive to physiological changes, but also allow predictions about the consequences of exposure for longer-term colony productivity and survival. Here we measured 28 biometrical, biochemical and behavioural indicators in a field study with 63 colonies and 3 apiaries. Colonies were stressed in early summer by feeding them for five days with either the carbamate growth regulator fenoxycarb or the neurotoxic neonicotinoid imidacloprid, or left untreated. Candidate stress indicators were measured 8-64 days later. We determined which of the indicators were influenced by the treatments, and which could be used as predictors in regression analyses of overwintering strength. Among the indicators influenced by fenoxycarb were the amount of brood in colonies as well as the learning performance and 24h-memory of bees, and the concentration of the brood food component 10HDA in head extracts. Imidacloprid significantly affected honey production, total number of bees and activity of the immune-related enzyme phenoloxidase in forager bee extracts. Indicators predictive of overwintering strength but unrelated to insecticide feeding included vitellogenin titer and glucose oxidase-activity in haemolymph/whole body-extracts of hive bees. Apart from variables that were themselves components of colony strength (numbers of bees/brood cells), the only indicator that was both influenced by an insecticide and predictive of overwintering strength was the concentration of 10HDA in worker bee heads. Our results show that physiological and biochemical bioassays can be used to study effects of insecticides at the colony level and assess the vitality of bee colonies. At the same time, most bioassays evaluated here appear of limited use for predicting pesticide effects on colony overwintering strength, because those that were sensitive to the insecticides were not identical with those that were predictive of colony overwintering. Our study therefore illustrates the difficulties involved in evaluating the economic/ecological significance of pesticide-induced stress in honey bee field studies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Integration of a kraft pulping mill into a forest biorefinery: pre-extraction of hemicellulose by steam explosion versus steam treatment.

PubMed

Martin-Sampedro, Raquel; Eugenio, Maria E; Moreno, Jassir A; Revilla, Esteban; Villar, Juan C

2014-02-01

Growing interest in alternative and renewable energy sources has brought increasing attention to the integration of a pulp mill into a forest biorefinery, where other products could be produced in addition to pulp. To achieve this goal, hemicelluloses were extracted, either by steam explosion or by steam treatment, from Eucalyptus globulus wood prior to pulping. The effects of both pre-treatments in the subsequent kraft pulping and paper strength were evaluated. Results showed a similar degree of hemicelluloses extraction with both options (32-67% of pentosans), which increased with the severity of the conditions applied. Although both pre-treatments increased delignification during pulping, steam explosion was significantly better: 12.9 kappa number vs 22.6 for similar steam unexploded pulps and 40.7 for control pulp. Finally, similar reductions in paper strength were found regardless of the type of treatment and conditions assayed, which is attributed to the increase of curled and kinked fibers. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ultrasound-assisted extraction coupled with under vacuum distillation of flavour compounds from spearmint (carvone-rich) plants: Comparison with conventional hydrodistillation.

PubMed

Da Porto, Carla; Decorti, Deborha

2009-08-01

Ultrasonically assisted extraction of flavour compounds from different varieties of Mentha spicata, using 70% ethanol, have been carried out for 5, 10 and 15min and coupled with under vacuum distillation. The ultrasound distilled extracts have been analysed by GC-MS and compared with essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation. The results have showed that ultrasonically assisted extraction in combination with under vacuum distillation have provided extracts with higher flavouring strength due to the increased concentration of desirable oxygenated compounds (from 5 to 8 times) compared with hydrodistillation. Extraction yields of flavour volatiles have been calculated giving a range 0.04-0.13% by ultrasound and 0.01-0.02% by hydrodistillation.

In vitro evaluation of endodontic posts.

PubMed

Drummond, J L

2000-05-01

To compare stainless steel posts and three different fibrous posts with respect to pullout (shear) strength from extracted third molars embedded in denture acrylic. Post space was prepared and the posts cemented with a resin cement according to manufacturer's instructions. Single step and multi-step dentin bonding systems were also evaluated. The testing was in tension at a loading rate of 2 mm/min. The statistical analysis indicated no significant difference in the pullout (shear) strength between any of the post groups tested. Also evaluated was the flexure strength of the fibrous posts before and after thermal cycling. Statistical analysis indicated a significant decrease in flexure strength for the respective fibrous posts following thermal cycling.

Supplementation of Eurycoma longifolia Jack Extract for 6 Weeks Does Not Affect Urinary Testosterone: Epitestosterone Ratio, Liver and Renal Functions in Male Recreational Athletes

PubMed Central

Chen, Chee Keong; Mohamad, Wan Mohd Zahiruddin Wan; Ooi, Foong Kiew; Ismail, Shaiful Bahari; Abdullah, Mohamad Rusli; George, Annie

2014-01-01

Background: Eurycoma longifolia Jack (ElJ) has been shown to elevate serum testosterone and increased muscle strength in humans. This study investigated the effects of Physta® a standardized water extract of ElJ (400 mg/day for 6 weeks) on testosterone: epitestosterone (T:E) ratio, liver and renal functions in male recreational athletes. Methods: A total of 13 healthy male recreational athletes were recruited in this double blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study. The participants were required to consume either 400 mg of ElJ or placebo daily for 6 weeks in the first supplementation regimen. Following a 3 week wash-out period, the participants were requested to consume the other supplement for another 6 weeks. Mid-stream urine samples and blood samples were collected prior to and after 6 weeks of supplementation with either ElJ or placebo. The urine samples were subsequently analyzed for T:E ratio while the blood samples were analyzed for liver and renal functions. Results: T:E ratio was not significantly different following 6 weeks supplementation of either ElJ or placebo compared with their respective baseline values. Similarly, there were no significant changes in both the liver and renal functions tests following the supplementation of ElJ. Conclusions: Supplementation of ElJ i.e. Physta® at a dosage of 400 mg/day for 6 weeks did not affect the urinary T:E ratio and hence will not breach any doping policies of the International Olympic Committee for administration of exogenous testosterone or its precursor. In addition, the supplementation of ElJ at this dosage and duration was safe as it did adversely affect the liver and renal functions. PMID:25013692

Plantain peel - a potential source of antioxidant dietary fibre for developing functional cookies.

PubMed

Arun, K B; Persia, Florence; Aswathy, P S; Chandran, Janu; Sajeev, M S; Jayamurthy, P; Nisha, P

2015-10-01

Plantain cultivar Nendran is popular as a staple food in many parts of India and deep fried chips made from raw matured Nendran are one of the popular snack items in India. This study aims to utilize peel from Nendran variety- the main byproduct of banana chips industry- to develop high fibre cookies with enhanced bioactive content. Proximate analysis indicated that peels are rich in total dietary fibre (64.33 g/100 g), vitamins (Folic acid- 33.12 mg/100 g) and minerals (Potassium- 35.61 mg/100 g). Nendran Peel Flour (NPF) was extracted with hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol. Phenolic and flavonoid content was high for ethyl acetate extract (15.21 and 9.39 mg QE/g dry weight). Methanol extract was more potent in reducing Copper ion (2.36 μM TR/g dry weight) and scavenging NO (IC50-381.71 μg/mL). Ethyl acetate extract was capable of scavenging DPPH and hydroxyl radical. HPLC profiling showed presence of gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, rutin hydrate and quercetin in ethyl acetate extract and gallic acid, chlorogenic acid and vanillic acid in methanol extract. Cookies prepared with NPF possess higher total dietary fibre content. There was a decrease in spread ratio, breaking strength and browning index of cookies as the percentage of NPF increased. NPF incorporation gradually increased the phenolic content from 4.36 to 5.28 mg GAE, compared to control cookie (3.21 mg GAE). DPPH scavenging activity also increased with increase in NPF. Hence NPF is a very good source of antioxidant dietary fibre and acceptable cookies can be produced by replacing wheat flour with 10 % NPF.

Quantifying Fish Backscattering using SONAR Instrument and Kirchhoff Ray Mode (KRM) Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manik, Henry M.

2016-08-01

Sonar instrument was used to study backscattering from tuna fish. Extraction of target strength, incidence angle, and frequency dependence of the backscattered signal for individual scatterer was important for biological information. For this purpose, acoustic measurement of fish backscatter was conducted in the laboratory. Characteristics and general trends of the target strength of fish with special reference to tuna fish were investigated by using a Kirchhoff Ray Mode (KRM) model. Backscattering strength were calculated for the KRM having typical morphological and physical parameters of actual fish. Those backscattering amplitudes were shown as frequency, body length, backscattering patterns, the density and sound speed dependences, and orientation dependence. These results were compared with experimentally measured target strength data and good agreement was found. Measurement and model showed the target strength from the fish are depend on the presence of swimbladder. Target Strength increase with increasing the frequency and fish length.

Benchmarking the Performance of Exchange-Correlation Functionals for Predicting Two-Photon Absorption Strengths.

PubMed

Beerepoot, Maarten T P; Alam, Md Mehboob; Bednarska, Joanna; Bartkowiak, Wojciech; Ruud, Kenneth; Zaleśny, Robert

2018-06-15

The present work investigates the performance of exchange-correlation functionals in the prediction of two-photon absorption (2PA) strengths. For this purpose, we considered six common functionals used for studying 2PA processes and tested these on six organoboron chelates. The set consisted of two semilocal (PBE and BLYP), two hybrid (B3LYP and PBE0), and two range-separated (LC-BLYP and CAM-B3LYP) functionals. The RI-CC2 method was chosen as a reference level and was found to give results consistent with the experimental data that are available for three of the molecules considered. Of the six exchange-correlation functionals studied, only the range-separated functionals predict an ordering of the 2PA strengths that is consistent with experimental and RI-CC2 results. Even though the range-separated functionals predict correct relative trends, the absolute values for the 2PA strengths are underestimated by a factor of 2-6 for the molecules considered. An in-depth analysis, on the basis of the derived generalized few-state model expression for the 2PA strength for a coupled-cluster wave function, reveals that the problem with these functionals can be linked to underestimated excited-state dipole moments and, to a lesser extent, overestimated excitation energies. The semilocal and hybrid functionals exhibit less predictable errors and a variation in the 2PA strengths in disagreement with the reference results. The semilocal and hybrid functionals show smaller average errors than the range-separated functionals, but our analysis reveals that this is due to fortuitous error cancellation between excitation energies and the transition dipole moments. Our results constitute a warning against using currently available exchange-correlation functionals in the prediction of 2PA strengths and highlight the need for functionals that correctly describe the electron density of excited electronic states.

Thouless-Valatin rotational moment of inertia from linear response theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrík, Kristian; Kortelainen, Markus

2018-03-01

Spontaneous breaking of continuous symmetries of a nuclear many-body system results in the appearance of zero-energy restoration modes. These so-called spurious Nambu-Goldstone modes represent a special case of collective motion and are sources of important information about the Thouless-Valatin inertia. The main purpose of this work is to study the Thouless-Valatin rotational moment of inertia as extracted from the Nambu-Goldstone restoration mode that results from the zero-frequency response to the total-angular-momentum operator. We examine the role and effects of the pairing correlations on the rotational characteristics of heavy deformed nuclei in order to extend our understanding of superfluidity in general. We use the finite-amplitude method of the quasiparticle random-phase approximation on top of the Skyrme energy density functional framework with the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov theory. We have successfully extended this formalism and established a practical method for extracting the Thouless-Valatin rotational moment of inertia from the strength function calculated in the symmetry-restoration regime. Our results reveal the relation between the pairing correlations and the moment of inertia of axially deformed nuclei of rare-earth and actinide regions of the nuclear chart. We have also demonstrated the feasibility of the method for obtaining the moment of inertia for collective Hamiltonian models. We conclude that from the numerical and theoretical perspective, the finite-amplitude method can be widely used to effectively study rotational properties of deformed nuclei within modern density functional approaches.

Fish-oil supplementation enhances the effects of strength training in elderly women.

PubMed

Rodacki, Cintia L N; Rodacki, André L F; Pereira, Gleber; Naliwaiko, Katya; Coelho, Isabela; Pequito, Daniele; Fernandes, Luiz Cléudio

2012-02-01

Muscle force and functional capacity generally decrease with aging in the older population, although this effect can be reversed, attenuated, or both through strength training. Fish oil (FO), which is rich in n-3 (omega-3) PUFAs, has been shown to play a role in the plasma membrane and cell function of muscles, which may enhance the benefits of training. The effect of strength training and FO supplementation on the neuromuscular system of the elderly has not been investigated. The objective was to investigate the chronic effect of FO supplementation and strength training on the neuromuscular system (muscle strength and functional capacity) of older women. Forty-five women (aged 64 ± 1.4 y) were randomly assigned to 3 groups. One group performed strength training only (ST group) for 90 d, whereas the others performed the same strength-training program and received FO supplementation (2 g/d) for 90 d (ST90 group) or for 150 d (ST150 group; supplemented 60 d before training). Muscle strength and functional capacity were assessed before and after the training period. No differences in the pretraining period were found between groups for any of the variables. The peak torque and rate of torque development for all muscles (knee flexor and extensor, plantar and dorsiflexor) increased from pre- to posttraining in all groups. However, the effect was greater in the ST90 and ST150 groups than in the ST group. The activation level and electromechanical delay of the muscles changed from pre- to posttraining only for the ST90 and ST150 groups. Chair-rising performance in the FO groups was higher than in the ST group. Strength training increased muscle strength in elderly women. The inclusion of FO supplementation caused greater improvements in muscle strength and functional capacity.

Electromechanical and robot-assisted arm training for improving activities of daily living, arm function, and arm muscle strength after stroke.

PubMed

Mehrholz, Jan; Pohl, Marcus; Platz, Thomas; Kugler, Joachim; Elsner, Bernhard

2015-11-07

Electromechanical and robot-assisted arm training devices are used in rehabilitation, and may help to improve arm function after stroke. To assess the effectiveness of electromechanical and robot-assisted arm training for improving activities of daily living, arm function, and arm muscle strength in people after stroke. We also assessed the acceptability and safety of the therapy. We searched the Cochrane Stroke Group's Trials Register (last searched February 2015), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (the Cochrane Library 2015, Issue 3), MEDLINE (1950 to March 2015), EMBASE (1980 to March 2015), CINAHL (1982 to March 2015), AMED (1985 to March 2015), SPORTDiscus (1949 to March 2015), PEDro (searched April 2015), Compendex (1972 to March 2015), and Inspec (1969 to March 2015). We also handsearched relevant conference proceedings, searched trials and research registers, checked reference lists, and contacted trialists, experts, and researchers in our field, as well as manufacturers of commercial devices. Randomised controlled trials comparing electromechanical and robot-assisted arm training for recovery of arm function with other rehabilitation or placebo interventions, or no treatment, for people after stroke. Two review authors independently selected trials for inclusion, assessed trial quality and risk of bias, and extracted data. We contacted trialists for additional information. We analysed the results as standardised mean differences (SMDs) for continuous variables and risk differences (RDs) for dichotomous variables. We included 34 trials (involving 1160 participants) in this update of our review. Electromechanical and robot-assisted arm training improved activities of daily living scores (SMD 0.37, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.11 to 0.64, P = 0.005, I² = 62%), arm function (SMD 0.35, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.51, P < 0.0001, I² = 36%), and arm muscle strength (SMD 0.36, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.70, P = 0.04, I² = 72%), but the quality of the evidence was low to very low. Electromechanical and robot-assisted arm training did not increase the risk of participant drop-out (RD 0.00, 95% CI -0.02 to 0.03, P = 0.84, I² = 0%) with moderate-quality evidence, and adverse events were rare. People who receive electromechanical and robot-assisted arm and hand training after stroke might improve their activities of daily living, arm and hand function, and arm and hand muscle strength. However, the results must be interpreted with caution because the quality of the evidence was low to very low, and there were variations between the trials in the intensity, duration, and amount of training; type of treatment; and participant characteristics.

Rehabilitation technologies and interventions for individuals with spinal cord injury: translational potential of current trends.

PubMed

Musselman, Kristin E; Shah, Meeral; Zariffa, José

2018-05-16

In the past, neurorehabilitation for individuals with neurological damage, such as spinal cord injury (SCI), was focused on learning compensatory movements to regain function. Presently, the focus of neurorehabilitation has shifted to functional neurorecovery, or the restoration of function through repetitive movement training of the affected limbs. Technologies, such as robotic devices and electrical stimulation, are being developed to facilitate repetitive motor training; however, their implementation into mainstream clinical practice has not been realized. In this commentary, we examined how current SCI rehabilitation research aligns with the potential for clinical implementation. We completed an environmental scan of studies in progress that investigate a physical intervention promoting functional neurorecovery. We identified emerging interventions among the SCI population, and evaluated the strengths and gaps of the current direction of SCI rehabilitation research. Seventy-three study postings were retrieved through website and database searching. Study objectives, outcome measures, participant characteristics and the mode(s) of intervention being studied were extracted from the postings. The FAME (Feasibility, Appropriateness, Meaningfulness, Effectiveness, Economic Evidence) Framework was used to evaluate the strengths and gaps of the research with respect to likelihood of clinical implementation. Strengths included aspects of Feasibility, as the research was practical, aspects of Appropriateness as the research aligned with current scientific literature on motor learning, and Effectiveness, as all trials aimed to evaluate the effect of an intervention on a clinical outcome. Aspects of Feasibility were also identified as a gap; with two thirds of the studies examining emerging technologies, the likelihood of successful clinical implementation was questionable. As the interventions being studied may not align with the preferences of clinicians and priorities of patients, the Appropriateness of these interventions for the current health care environment was questioned. Meaningfulness and Economic Evidence were also identified as gaps since few studies included measures reflecting the perceptions of the participants or economic factors, respectively. The identified gaps will likely impede the clinical uptake of many of the interventions currently being studied. Future research may lessen these gaps through a staged approach to the consideration of the FAME elements as novel interventions and technologies are developed, evaluated and implemented.

Relationships of muscle strength and bone mineral density in ambulatory children with cerebral palsy.

PubMed

Chen, C-L; Lin, K-C; Wu, C-Y; Ke, J-Y; Wang, C-J; Chen, C-Y

2012-02-01

This work explores the relationships of muscle strength and areal bone mineral density (aBMD) in ambulatory children with cerebral palsy (CP). The knee extensor strength, but not motor function, was related to aBMD. Thus, muscle strength, especially antigravity muscle strength, was more associated with aBMD in these children than motor function. Muscle strength is related to bone density in normal children. However, no studies have examined these relationships in ambulatory children with CP. This work explores the relationships of muscle strength and aBMD in ambulatory children with CP. Forty-eight ambulatory children with spastic CP, aged 5-15 years, were classified into two groups based on Gross Motor Function Classification System levels: I (n = 28) and II (n = 20). Another 31 normal development (ND) children were recruited as the comparison group for the aBMD. Children with CP underwent assessments of growth, lumbar and distal femur aBMD, Gross Motor Function Measure-66 (GMFM-66), and muscle strength of knee extensor and flexor by isokinetic dynamometer. The distal femur aBMD, but not lumbar aBMD, was lower in children with CP than in ND children (p < 0.05). Children with level I had greater knee flexor strength and GMFM-66 scores than those with level II (p < 0.001). However, the knee extensor strength and distal femur and lumbar aBMD did not differ between two groups. Regression analysis revealed the weight and knee extensor strength, but not GMFM-66 scores, were related positively to the distal femur and lumbar aBMD (adjusted r (2) = 0.56-0.65, p < 0.001). These results suggest the muscle strength, especially antigravity muscle strength, were more associated with the bone density of ambulatory children with CP than motor function. The data may allow clinicians for early identifying the ambulatory CP children of potential low bone density.

Review: African medicinal plants with wound healing properties.

PubMed

Agyare, Christian; Boakye, Yaw Duah; Bekoe, Emelia Oppong; Hensel, Andreas; Dapaah, Susana Oteng; Appiah, Theresa

2016-01-11

Wounds of various types including injuries, cuts, pressure, burns, diabetic, gastric and duodenal ulcers continue to have severe socio-economic impact on the cost of health care to patients, family and health care institutions in both developing and developed countries. However, most people in the developing countries, especially Africa, depend on herbal remedies for effective treatment of wounds. Various in vitro and in vivo parameters are used for the evaluation of the functional activity of medicinal plants by using extracts, fractions and isolated compounds. The aim of the review is to identify African medicinal plants with wound healing properties within the last two decades. Electronic databases such as PubMed, Scifinder(®) and Google Scholar were used to search and filter for African medicinal plants with wound healing activity. The methods employed in the evaluation of wound healing activity of these African medicinal plants comprise both in vivo and in vitro models. In vivo wound models such as excision, incision, dead space and burn wound model are commonly employed in assessing the rate of wound closure (contraction), tensile strength or breaking strength determination, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, hydroxyproline content assay and histological investigations including epithelialisation, collagen synthesis, and granulation tissue formation. In in vitro studies, single cell systems are mostly used to study proliferation and differentiation of dermal fibroblasts and keratinocytes by monitoring typical differentiation markers like collagen and keratin. In this study, 61 plants belonging to 36 families with scientifically demonstrated or reported wound healing properties were reviewed. Various plant parts including leaves, fruits, stem bark and root extracts of the plants are used in the evaluation of plants for wound healing activities. Although, a variety of medicinal plants for wound healing can be found in literature, there is a need for the isolation and characterization of the bioactive compounds responsible for the wound healing properties. Also, cytotoxicity studies should be performed on the promising agents or bioactive fractions or extracts. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of aquatic exercise on physical function and fitness among people with spinal cord injury

PubMed Central

Li, Chunxiao; Khoo, Selina; Adnan, Athirah

2017-01-01

Abstract Objective: The aim of this review is to synthesize the evidence on the effects of aquatic exercise interventions on physical function and fitness among people with spinal cord injury. Data source: Six major databases were searched from inception till June 2015: MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsychInfo, SPORTDiscus, and Cochrane Center Register of Controlled Trials. Study appraisal and synthesis methods: Two reviewers independently rated methodological quality using the modified Downs and Black Scale and extracted and synthesized key findings (i.e., participant characteristics, study design, physical function and fitness outcomes, and adverse events). Results: Eight of 276 studies met the inclusion criteria, of which none showed high research quality. Four studies assessed physical function outcomes and 4 studies evaluated aerobic fitness as outcome measures. Significant improvements on these 2 outcomes were generally found. Other physical or fitness outcomes including body composition, muscular strength, and balance were rarely reported. Conclusions and implications of key findings: There is weak evidence supporting aquatic exercise training to improve physical function and aerobic fitness among adults with spinal cord injury. Suggestions for future research include reporting details of exercise interventions, evaluating other physical or fitness outcomes, and improving methodological quality. PMID:28296754

Exploring time- and frequency- dependent functional connectivity and brain networks during deception with single-trial event-related potentials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Jun-Feng; Yang, Yong; Huang, Wen-Tao; Lin, Pan; Ge, Sheng; Zheng, Hong-Mei; Gu, Ling-Yun; Zhou, Hui; Li, Chen-Hong; Rao, Ni-Ni

2016-11-01

To better characterize the cognitive processes and mechanisms that are associated with deception, wavelet coherence was employed to evaluate functional connectivity between different brain regions. Two groups of subjects were evaluated for this purpose: 32 participants were required to either tell the truth or to lie when facing certain stimuli, and their electroencephalogram signals on 12 electrodes were recorded. The experimental results revealed that deceptive responses elicited greater connectivity strength than truthful responses, particularly in the θ band on specific electrode pairs primarily involving connections between the prefrontal/frontal and central regions and between the prefrontal/frontal and left parietal regions. These results indicate that these brain regions play an important role in executing lying responses. Additionally, three time- and frequency-dependent functional connectivity networks were proposed to thoroughly reflect the functional coupling of brain regions that occurs during lying. Furthermore, the wavelet coherence values for the connections shown in the networks were extracted as features for support vector machine training. High classification accuracy suggested that the proposed network effectively characterized differences in functional connectivity between the two groups of subjects over a specific time-frequency area and hence could be a sensitive measurement for identifying deception.

Effect of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on facial muscle strength and oral function in stroke patients with facial palsy

PubMed Central

Choi, Jong-Bae

2016-01-01

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on facial muscle strength and oral function in stroke patients with facial palsy. [Subjects and Methods] Nine subjects received the electrical stimulation and traditional dysphagia therapy. Electrical stimulation was applied to stimulate each subject’s facial muscles 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week, for 4 weeks. [Results] Subjects showed significant improvement in cheek and lip strength and oral function after the intervention. [Conclusion] This study demonstrates that electrical stimulation improves facial muscle strength and oral function in stroke patients with dysphagia. PMID:27799689

Effects of Elastic Resistance Exercise on Muscle Strength and Functional Performance in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

de Oliveira, Poliana Alves; Blasczyk, Juscelino Castro; Souza Junior, Gerson; Lagoa, Karina Ferreira; Soares, Milene; de Oliveira, Ricardo Jacó; Filho, Paulo José Barbosa Gutierres; Carregaro, Rodrigo Luiz; Martins, Wagner Rodrigues

2017-04-01

Elastic Resistance Exercise (ERE) has already demonstrated its effectiveness in older adults and, when combined with the resistance generated by fixed loads, in adults. This review summarizes the effectiveness of ERE performed as isolated method on muscle strength and functional performance in healthy adults. A database search was performed (MEDLine, Cochrane Library, PEDro and Web of Knowledge) to identify controlled clinical trials in English language. The mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and overall effect size were calculated for all comparisons. The PEDro scale was used assess the methodological quality. From the 93 articles identified by the search strategy, 5 met the inclusion criteria, in which 3 presented high quality (PEDro > 6). Meta-analyses demonstrated that the effects of ERE were superior when compared with passive control on functional performance and muscle strength. When compared with active controls, the effect of ERE was inferior on function performance and with similar effect on muscle strength. ERE are effective to improve functional performance and muscle strength when compared with no intervention, in healthy adults. ERE are not superior to other methods of resistance training to improve functional performance and muscle strength in health adults.

Knee extension range of motion and self-report physical function in total knee arthroplasty: mediating effects of knee extensor strength

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Knee extensor strength and knee extension range of motion (ROM) are important predictors of physical function in patients with a total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, the relationship between the two knee measures remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to examine whether changes in knee extensor strength mediate the association between changes in knee extension ROM and self-report physical function. Methods Data from 441 patients with a TKA were collected preoperatively and 6 months postoperatively. Self-report measure of physical function was assessed by the Short Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire. Knee extensor strength was measured by handheld dynamometry and knee extension ROM by goniometry. A bootstrapped cross product of coefficients approach was used to evaluate mediation effects. Results Mediation analyses, adjusted for clinicodemographic measures, revealed that the association between changes in knee extension ROM and SF-36 physical function was mediated by changes in knee extensor strength. Conclusions In patients with TKA, knee extensor strength mediated the influence of knee extension ROM on physical function. These results suggest that interventions to improve the range of knee extension may be useful in improving knee extensor performance. PMID:23332039

Positive effects of 1-year football and strength training on mechanical muscle function and functional capacity in elderly men.

PubMed

Sundstrup, Emil; Jakobsen, Markus Due; Andersen, Lars Louis; Andersen, Thomas Rostgaard; Randers, Morten Bredsgaard; Helge, Jørn Wulff; Suetta, Charlotte; Schmidt, Jakob Friis; Bangsbo, Jens; Krustrup, Peter; Aagaard, Per

2016-06-01

A decline in physical capacity takes place with increasing age that negatively affects overall physical function including work ability and the ability to perform typical activities of daily living (ADL). The overall aim of the present study was to determine the neuromuscular adaptations to long-term (1 year) football and strength training in older untrained adults, and to assess the concurrent effect on functional ADL capacity. Twenty-seven healthy elderly males (68.2 ± 3.2 years) were randomly assigned to 12 months of either recreational football training (FT: n = 10), strength training (ST: n = 9) or served as inactive controls (CON: n = 8). Recreational football training consisted of small-sided training sessions whereas strength training consisted of high intensity exercises targeting the lower extremity and upper body. Maximal thigh muscle strength and rate of force development (RFD) were assessed with isokinetic dynamometry, while postural balance and vertical jumping performance were evaluated using force plate analysis. Furthermore, functional ability was evaluated by stair-ascent and chair-rising testing. A total of nine, nine and seven participants from FT, ST and CON, respectively, were included in the analysis. Both exercise regimens led to substantial gains in functional ability, evidenced by 24 and 18 % reduced stair-ascent time, and 32 and 21 % increased chair-rising performance in FT and ST, respectively (all P < 0.05). Long-term strength training led to increased concentric (14 %; P < 0.01) and isometric (23 %; P < 0.001) quadriceps and isometric hamstring strength (44 %; P < 0.0001), whereas football training mainly resulted in enhanced hamstring strength (18 %, P < 0.05) and RFD (89 %, P < 0.0001). Long-term (1 year) strength training led to increased quadriceps and hamstring strength, whereas the adaptations to football training mainly included enhanced strength and rapid force capacity of the hamstring muscles. Gains in functional ability were observed in response to both training regimens, evidenced by reduced stair-ascent time and increased chair-rising performance. Long-term football exercise and strength training both appear to be effective interventional strategies to improve factors of importance for ADL by counteracting the age-related decline in lower limb strength and functional capacity among old male adults. This could potentially be a way to improve work ability of senior workers.

The Extraction of 3D Shape from Texture and Shading in the Human Brain

PubMed Central

Georgieva, Svetlana S.; Todd, James T.; Peeters, Ronald

2008-01-01

We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the human cortical areas involved in processing 3-dimensional (3D) shape from texture (SfT) and shading. The stimuli included monocular images of randomly shaped 3D surfaces and a wide variety of 2-dimensional (2D) controls. The results of both passive and active experiments reveal that the extraction of 3D SfT involves the bilateral caudal inferior temporal gyrus (caudal ITG), lateral occipital sulcus (LOS) and several bilateral sites along the intraparietal sulcus. These areas are largely consistent with those involved in the processing of 3D shape from motion and stereo. The experiments also demonstrate, however, that the analysis of 3D shape from shading is primarily restricted to the caudal ITG areas. Additional results from psychophysical experiments reveal that this difference in neuronal substrate cannot be explained by a difference in strength between the 2 cues. These results underscore the importance of the posterior part of the lateral occipital complex for the extraction of visual 3D shape information from all depth cues, and they suggest strongly that the importance of shading is diminished relative to other cues for the analysis of 3D shape in parietal regions. PMID:18281304

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reppert, Mike; Kell, Adam; Pruitt, Thomas

The vibrational spectral density is an important physical parameter needed to describe both linear and non-linear spectra of multi-chromophore systems such as photosynthetic complexes. Low-temperature techniques such as hole burning (HB) and fluorescence line narrowing are commonly used to extract the spectral density for a given electronic transition from experimental data. We report here that the lineshape function formula reported by Hayes et al. [J. Phys. Chem. 98, 7337 (1994)] in the mean-phonon approximation and frequently applied to analyzing HB data contains inconsistencies in notation, leading to essentially incorrect expressions in cases of moderate and strong electron-phonon (el-ph) coupling strengths.more » A corrected lineshape function L(ω) is given that retains the computational and intuitive advantages of the expression of Hayes et al. [J. Phys. Chem. 98, 7337 (1994)]. Although the corrected lineshape function could be used in modeling studies of various optical spectra, we suggest that it is better to calculate the lineshape function numerically, without introducing the mean-phonon approximation. New theoretical fits of the P870 and P960 absorption bands and frequency-dependent resonant HB spectra of Rb. sphaeroides and Rps. viridis reaction centers are provided as examples to demonstrate the importance of correct lineshape expressions. Comparison with the previously determined el-ph coupling parameters [Johnson et al., J. Phys. Chem. 94, 5849 (1990); Lyle et al., ibid. 97, 6924 (1993); Reddy et al., ibid. 97, 6934 (1993)] is also provided. The new fits lead to modified el-ph coupling strengths and different frequencies of the special pair marker mode, ω{sub sp}, for Rb. sphaeroides that could be used in the future for more advanced calculations of absorption and HB spectra obtained for various bacterial reaction centers.« less

Comparison of Three Information Sources for Smoking Information in Electronic Health Records

PubMed Central

Wang, Liwei; Ruan, Xiaoyang; Yang, Ping; Liu, Hongfang

2016-01-01

OBJECTIVE The primary aim was to compare independent and joint performance of retrieving smoking status through different sources, including narrative text processed by natural language processing (NLP), patient-provided information (PPI), and diagnosis codes (ie, International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision [ICD-9]). We also compared the performance of retrieving smoking strength information (ie, heavy/light smoker) from narrative text and PPI. MATERIALS AND METHODS Our study leveraged an existing lung cancer cohort for smoking status, amount, and strength information, which was manually chart-reviewed. On the NLP side, smoking-related electronic medical record (EMR) data were retrieved first. A pattern-based smoking information extraction module was then implemented to extract smoking-related information. After that, heuristic rules were used to obtain smoking status-related information. Smoking information was also obtained from structured data sources based on diagnosis codes and PPI. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were measured using patients with coverage (ie, the proportion of patients whose smoking status/strength can be effectively determined). RESULTS NLP alone has the best overall performance for smoking status extraction (patient coverage: 0.88; sensitivity: 0.97; specificity: 0.70; accuracy: 0.88); combining PPI with NLP further improved patient coverage to 0.96. ICD-9 does not provide additional improvement to NLP and its combination with PPI. For smoking strength, combining NLP with PPI has slight improvement over NLP alone. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that narrative text could serve as a more reliable and comprehensive source for obtaining smoking-related information than structured data sources. PPI, the readily available structured data, could be used as a complementary source for more comprehensive patient coverage. PMID:27980387

Sensory and motor peripheral nerve function and lower-extremity quadriceps strength: the health, aging and body composition study.

PubMed

Strotmeyer, Elsa S; de Rekeneire, Nathalie; Schwartz, Ann V; Resnick, Helaine E; Goodpaster, Bret H; Faulkner, Kimberly A; Shorr, Ronald I; Vinik, Aaron I; Harris, Tamara B; Newman, Anne B

2009-11-01

To determine whether sensory and motor nerve function is associated cross-sectionally with quadriceps or ankle dorsiflexion strength in an older community-based population. Cross-sectional analyses within a longitudinal cohort study. Two U.S. clinical sites. Two thousand fifty-nine Health, Aging and Body Composition Study (Health ABC) participants (49.5% male, 36.7% black, aged 73-82) in 2000/01. Quadriceps and ankle strength were measured using an isokinetic dynamometer. Sensory and motor peripheral nerve function in the legs and feet was assessed using 10-g and 1.4-g monofilaments, vibration threshold, and peroneal motor nerve conduction amplitude and velocity. Monofilament insensitivity, poorest vibration threshold quartile (>60 mu), and poorest motor nerve conduction amplitude quartile (<1.7 mV) were associated with 11%, 7%, and 8% lower quadriceps strength (all P<.01), respectively, than in the best peripheral nerve function categories in adjusted linear regression models. Monofilament insensitivity and lowest amplitude quartile were both associated with 17% lower ankle strength (P<.01). Multivariate analyses were adjusted for demographic characteristics, diabetes mellitus, body composition, lifestyle factors, and chronic health conditions and included all peripheral nerve measures in the same model. Monofilament insensitivity (beta=-7.19), vibration threshold (beta=-0.097), and motor nerve conduction amplitude (beta=2.01) each contributed independently to lower quadriceps strength (all P<.01). Monofilament insensitivity (beta=-5.29) and amplitude (beta=1.17) each contributed independently to lower ankle strength (all P<.01). Neither diabetes mellitus status nor lean mass explained the associations between peripheral nerve function and strength. Reduced sensory and motor peripheral nerve function is related to poorer lower extremity strength in older adults, suggesting a mechanism for the relationship with lower extremity disability.

[Tensile strength of bone fixation of hydroxyapatite coated Schanz screws of the Heidelberg External Fixation System (HEFS)--comparative torque measurements in clinical use and in cadaver tibia].

PubMed

Placzek, R; Deuretzbacher, G; Meiss, A L

2002-12-01

It is claimed in the literature that hydroxyapatite(HA)-coated screws of external fixators have superior fixation strength in bone, which is postulated to lead to a substantial decrease in loosening and infection rates. We report on a study of the maximum torque values developed while inserting and removing 30 HA-coated Schanz screws of 8 Heidelberg external fixation systems applied to the tibia to correct leg length differences and axial deformities. The infection rate was determined in accordance with defined criteria, and was found to be about 20% for the HA-coated screws. Screws without infection showed an extraction torque above insertion torque, screws with infection an extraction torque below. A significant correlation (p = 0.05) was seen between infection and decrease in fixation strength (quotient: loosening torque/tightening torque). To exclude the impact of such biological processes as osteointegration and bone remodelling, the clinical results were compared with the torques measured for coated and uncoated Schanz screws in a human cadaveric tibia. A significantly higher fixation strength in bone was found for HA-coated screws in comparison with uncoated screws (p = 0.002). These data warrant a clinical study directly comparing HA-coated and uncoated Schanz screws.

MIA analysis of FPGA BPMs and beam optics at APS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ji, Da-Heng; Wang, Chun-Xi; Qin, Qing

2012-11-01

Model independent analysis, which was developed for high precision and fast beam dynamics analysis, is a promising diagnostic tool for modern accelerators. We implemented a series of methods to analyze the turn-by-turn BPM data. Green's functions corresponding to the local transfer matrix elements R12 or R34 are extracted from BPM data and fitted with the model lattice using least-square fitting. Here, we report experimental results obtained from analyzing the transverse motion of a beam in the storage ring at the Advanced Photon Source. BPM gains and uncoupled optics parameters are successfully determined. Quadrupole strengths are adjusted for fitting but can not be uniquely determined in general due to an insufficient number of BPMs.

Constrained dipole oscillator strength distributions, sum rules, and dispersion coefficients for Br2 and BrCN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Ashok; Thakkar, Ajit J.

2017-03-01

Dipole oscillator strength distributions for Br2 and BrCN are constructed from photoabsorption cross-sections combined with constraints provided by the Kuhn-Reiche-Thomas sum rule, the high-energy behavior of the dipole-oscillator-strength density and molar refractivity data when available. The distributions are used to predict dipole sum rules S (k) , mean excitation energies I (k) , and van der Waals C6 coefficients. Coupled-cluster calculations of the static dipole polarizabilities of Br2 and BrCN are reported for comparison with the values of S (- 2) extracted from the distributions.

The influence of hair lipids in ethnic hair properties.

PubMed

Martí, M; Barba, C; Manich, A M; Rubio, L; Alonso, C; Coderch, L

2016-02-01

Biochemical studies have mainly focused on the composition of hair. African hair exhibited lower moisturization and less radial swelling when flushing with water compared with Asian or Caucasian hair, and they assumed a possible lipid differentiation among human populations. This study consists in the lipid characterization of different ethnic hairs (Caucasian, Asian and African hairs) and the influence of these lipids in different hair properties such as humidity and mechanical properties. Evaluation of water sorption and desorption of the different ethnic hairs and with and without lipids is also studied mainly to determine permeation changes of the keratin fibres. Extractions of exogenous and endogenous lipids with different organic solvents were performed; lipid analysis and its quantification using thin-layer chromatography coupled to an automated flame ionization detector (TLC/FID) were performed. Absorption and desorption curves were obtained in a thermogravimetric balance equipped with a controlled humidity chamber, the Q5000SA Sorption Analyzer (TA Instruments, New Castle, IL, U.S.A.). Also, mechanical properties (breaking stress and breaking elongation) were analysed using a computer programmable dynamometer (Instron 5500R). Lipid extraction showed the highest amount of total lipids for the African hair which may come from external sebaceous lipids compared with Asian or Caucasian hair. Caucasian fibres were found to be the most hydrated fibre, and a decrease in moisture was found in the extracted fibres, again, which is more important for the Caucasian hair. A superior lineal mass was found for the Asian fibres which supported their higher strength. The results obtained from the analysis of the mechanical properties of delipidized fibres indicate a surprising increase in the strength of African and Caucasian fibres. Perhaps this increase in strength could be related to the humidity decrease in lipid-extracted hair fibres. Results of water uptake and desorption indicate that Asian and Caucasian hairs present the lower diffusion coefficients compared with the African ones. At least for the African fibre, an extraction of its lipids that mainly account for apolar lipids ameliorates the fibre structure, decreasing its permeability to water and increasing its tensile strength. The ethnic hairs were assessed related to their lipid composition, and some differences between them were found in terms of water uptake and mechanical properties. © 2015 Society of Cosmetic Scientists and the Société Française de Cosmétologie.

Fast Spectroscopic Imaging and Field Compensation Using Frequency Modulation at Ultra-High-Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jang, Albert Woo Ju

The high energy phosphates (HEP) in the myocardium, which are critical to understanding the cardiac function in both normal and pathophysiologic states, can be assessed non-invasively in vivo using phosphorus-31 (31P) spectroscopy. Compared to proton, for the same volume and magnetic field strength, the available signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio of the HEP metabolites is orders of magnitude lower mainly due to its intrinsically low concentration. Hence, cardiac spectroscopy greatly benefits when performed at ultra-high-fields (UHF, ≥ 7 T), both in terms of increased SNR and increased spectroscopic resolution. However, at ultra-high-field strengths, complications arise from the RF transmit wavelength becoming comparable or smaller than the field-of-view (FOV), thus exhibiting wave-like behavior. Furthermore, even with the spectroscopic resolution afforded at UHF, measuring myocardial inorganic phosphate (Pi) is still a challenge and has been a major barrier in extracting the ATP turnover rate. Recently, an indirect way of extracting the ATP hydrolysis rate forgoing direct measurement of Pi was established. In this work, we combine this method with the T1 nom method to monitor the transmural distribution of forward creatine kinase reaction (kf,CK) and ATP hydrolysis rate (kr,ATPase) of the myocardium, effectively reducing data acquisition time by up to an order of magnitude. In addition, a new class of 2D FM pulses and multidimensional adiabatic pulses are presented, which can compensate for B1 inhomogeneity through its spatiotemporal properties. These pulses should be valuable for spectroscopic applications at ultra-high-fields.

Characterization of Strength and Function in Ambulatory Adults With GNE Myopathy.

PubMed

Argov, Zohar; Bronstein, Faye; Esposito, Alicia; Feinsod-Meiri, Yael; Florence, Julaine M; Fowler, Eileen; Greenberg, Marcia B; Malkus, Elizabeth C; Rebibo, Odelia; Siener, Catherine S; Caraco, Yoseph; Kolodny, Edwin H; Lau, Heather A; Pestronk, Alan; Shieh, Perry; Skrinar, Alison M; Mayhew, Jill E

2017-09-01

To characterize the pattern and extent of muscle weakness and impact on physical functioning in adults with GNEM. Strength and function were assessed in GNEM subjects (n = 47) using hand-held dynamometry, manual muscle testing, upper and lower extremity functional capacity tests, and the GNEM-Functional Activity Scale (GNEM-FAS). Profound upper and lower muscle weakness was measured using hand-held dynamometry in a characteristic pattern, previously described. Functional tests and clinician-reported outcomes demonstrated the consequence of muscle weakness on physical functioning. The characteristic pattern of upper and lower muscle weakness associated with GNEM and the resulting functional limitations can be reliably measured using these clinical outcome assessments of muscle strength and function.

Hand grip strength and dexterity function in children aged 6-12 years: A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Omar, Mohammed T A; Alghadir, Ahmad H; Zafar, Hamayun; Al Baker, Shaheerah

Cross-sectional and clinical measurement. Assessment of hand function considers an essential part in clinical practice. To develop normative values of hand grip strength and dexterity function for 6-12-year-old children in Saudi Arabia. Grip strength and dexterity function was measured in 525 children using Grip Track hand dynamometer (JTECH Medical, Midvale, UT, USA) and 9-hole pegboard test respectively. The grip strength and dexterity function was improved as age progressed regardless of gender. Across all age groups, the hand grip strength of boys was significantly higher than girls for dominant hand (31.75 ± 10.33 vs 28.24 ± 9.35; P < .001) and nondominant hand (31.01 ± 10.27 vs 27.27 ± 9.30; P < .001). The girls performed slightly faster than boys for dominant hand (19.70 vs 20.68; P < .05) and nondominant hand (21.79 vs 23.46; P < .05). In general, girls completed a 9-HPT faster than boys in the 2 of 7 age groups: 11 years (9-HPT scores = 2.10 seconds; P < .01) and 12 years (9-HPT scores = 1.93 seconds; P < .01). The overall patterns of hand grip strength and dexterity function observed in the present study are similar to the previous studies that established acceleration of grip strength with advanced age, and faster performance scores in older children than younger children in both genders. Norms of hand grip strength and dexterity enable therapists to identify some developmental characteristics of hand function among Saudi children, determine the presence of impairment, and compare scores from children in different clinical settings. Not applicable. Copyright © 2017 Hanley & Belfus. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A computer-aided system for automatic extraction of femur neck trabecular bone architecture using isotropic volume construction from clinical hip computed tomography images.

PubMed

Vivekanandhan, Sapthagirivasan; Subramaniam, Janarthanam; Mariamichael, Anburajan

2016-10-01

Hip fractures due to osteoporosis are increasing progressively across the globe. It is also difficult for those fractured patients to undergo dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scans due to its complicated protocol and its associated cost. The utilisation of computed tomography for the fracture treatment has become common in the clinical practice. It would be helpful for orthopaedic clinicians, if they could get some additional information related to bone strength for better treatment planning. The aim of our study was to develop an automated system to segment the femoral neck region, extract the cortical and trabecular bone parameters, and assess the bone strength using an isotropic volume construction from clinical computed tomography images. The right hip computed tomography and right femur dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry measurements were taken from 50 south-Indian females aged 30-80 years. Each computed tomography image volume was re-constructed to form isotropic volumes. An automated system by incorporating active contour models was used to segment the neck region. A minimum distance boundary method was applied to isolate the cortical and trabecular bone components. The trabecular bone was enhanced and segmented using trabecular enrichment approach. The cortical and trabecular bone features were extracted and statistically compared with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry measured femur neck bone mineral density. The extracted bone measures demonstrated a significant correlation with neck bone mineral density (r > 0.7, p < 0.001). The inclusion of cortical measures, along with the trabecular measures extracted after isotropic volume construction and trabecular enrichment approach procedures, resulted in better estimation of bone strength. The findings suggest that the proposed system using the clinical computed tomography images scanned with low dose could eventually be helpful in osteoporosis diagnosis and its treatment planning. © IMechE 2016.

Return to knee-strenuous sport after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a report from a rehabilitation outcome registry of patient characteristics.

PubMed

Hamrin Senorski, Eric; Samuelsson, Kristian; Thomeé, Christoffer; Beischer, Susanne; Karlsson, Jón; Thomeé, Roland

2017-05-01

To characterise patients who returned to knee-strenuous sports after an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Data from isotonic tests of muscle function and patient-reported outcome measures, Tegner activity scale (Tegner and Lysholm in Clin Orthop Relat Res 198:43-49, 1985), physical activity scale, knee injury and osteoarthritis scale and knee self-efficacy scale were extracted from a registry. The 157 included patients, 15-30 years of age, had undergone primary ACL reconstruction and were all involved in knee-strenuous sports, i.e. pre-injury Tegner of 6 or higher. Return to sport was studied in two different ways: return to pre-injury Tegner and return to knee-strenuous sport (Tegner 6). Fifty-two patients (33 %), who returned to pre-injury Tegner, 10 months after surgery, were characterised by better subjective knee function measured with the knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome score (p < 0.05), compared with patients who did not. These patients also had higher perceived self-efficacy of knee function (p < 0.01), measured with knee self-efficacy scale. Eighty-four patients (54 %) who returned to knee-strenuous sports, i.e. Tegner 6 or higher, were characterised by higher goals for physical activity (p < 0.01) and higher self-efficacy of future knee function (p < 0.05). Strength measurements showed that women who returned to sports were stronger in leg extension than women who did not. No differences were found in Limb Symmetry Index for knee strength or jumping ability. Patients who returned to sports after ACL reconstruction had better subjective knee function and higher self-efficacy of knee function. Results highlight that further emphasis should be placed at psychological factors during rehabilitation of patients after ACLR. II.

Effectiveness of land-based physiotherapy exercise following hospital discharge following hip arthroplasty for osteoarthritis: an updated systematic review.

PubMed

Lowe, Catherine J Minns; Davies, Linda; Sackley, Catherine M; Barker, Karen L

2015-09-01

Existing review required updating. To evaluate the effectiveness of physiotherapy exercise after discharge from hospital on function, walking, range of motion, quality of life and muscle strength, for patients following elective primary total hip arthroplasty for osteoarthritis. Systematic review from January 2007 to November 2013. AMED, CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Kingsfund Database, and PEDro. Cochrane CENTRAL, BioMed Central (BMC), The Department of Health National Research Register and Clinical Trials.gov register. Searches were overseen by a librarian. Authors were contacted for missing information. No language restrictions were applied. Trials comparing physiotherapy exercise vs usual/standard care, or comparing two types of relevant exercise physiotherapy, following discharge from hospital after elective primary total hip replacement for osteoarthritis were reviewed. Functional activities of daily living, walking, quality of life, muscle strength and joint range of motion. Quality and risk of bias for studies were evaluated. Data were extracted and meta-analyses considered. 11 trials are included in the review. Trial quality was mixed. Newly included studies were assessed as having lower risk of bias than previous studies. Narrative review indicates that physiotherapy exercise after discharge following total hip replacement may potentially benefit patients in terms of function, walking and muscle strengthening. The overall quality and quantity of trials, and their diversity, prevented meta-analyses. Disappointingly, insufficient evidence still prevents the effectiveness of physiotherapy exercise following discharge to be determined for this patient group. High quality, adequately powered, trials with long term follow up are required. Copyright © 2015 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lower limb strength training in children with cerebral palsy – a randomized controlled trial protocol for functional strength training based on progressive resistance exercise principles

PubMed Central

Scholtes, Vanessa A; Dallmeijer, Annet J; Rameckers, Eugene A; Verschuren, Olaf; Tempelaars, Els; Hensen, Maartje; Becher, Jules G

2008-01-01

Background Until recently, strength training in children with cerebral palsy (CP) was considered to be inappropriate, because it could lead to increased spasticity or abnormal movement patterns. However, the results of recent studies suggest that progressive strength training can lead to increased strength and improved function, but low methodological quality and incomplete reporting on the training protocols hampers adequate interpretation of the results. This paper describes the design and training protocol of a randomized controlled trial to assess the effects of a school-based progressive functional strength training program for children with CP. Methods/Results Fifty-one children with Gross Motor Function Classification Systems levels I to III, aged of 6 to 13 years, were recruited. Using stratified randomization, each child was assigned to an intervention group (strength training) or a control group (usual care). The strength training was given in groups of 4–5 children, 3 times a week, for a period of 12 weeks. Each training session focussed on four exercises out of a 5-exercise circuit. The training load was gradually increased based on the child's maximum level of strength, as determined by the 8 Repetition Maximum (8 RM). To evaluate the effectiveness of the training, all children were evaluated before, during, directly after, and 6 weeks after the intervention period. Primary outcomes in this study were gross motor function (measured with the Gross Motor Function Measure and functional muscle strength tests) and walking ability (measured with the 10-meter, the 1-minute and the timed stair test). Secondary outcomes were lower limb muscle strength (measured with a 6 RM test, isometric strength tests, and a sprint capacity test), mobility (measured with a mobility questionnaire), and sport activities (measured with the Children's Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment). Spasticity and range of motion were assessed to evaluate any adverse events. Conclusion Randomized clinical trials are considered to present the highest level of evidence. Nevertheless, it is of utmost importance to report on the design, the applied evaluation methods, and all elements of the intervention, to ensure adequate interpretation of the results and to facilitate implementation of the intervention in clinical practice if the results are positive. Trial Registration Trial Register NTR1403 PMID:18842125

Shoulder functional ratio in elite junior tennis players.

PubMed

Saccol, Michele Forgiarini; Gracitelli, Guilherme Conforto; da Silva, Rogério Teixeira; Laurino, Cristiano Frota de Souza; Fleury, Anna Maria; Andrade, Marília dos Santos; da Silva, Antonio Carlos

2010-02-01

To evaluate shoulder rotation strength and compare the functional ratio between shoulders of elite junior tennis players. This cross-sectional study evaluated muscular rotation performance of 40 junior tennis players (26 male and 14 female) with an isokinetic dynamometer. Strength variables of external (ER) and internal rotators (IR) in concentric and eccentric modes were considered. For the peak torque functional ratio, the eccentric strength of the ER and the concentric strength of the IR were calculated. All variables related to IR were significantly higher on the dominant compared to the non-dominant side in males and females (p<0.05), but only boys exhibited this dominance effect in ER (p<0.05 and p<0.001). Regarding functional ratios, they were significantly lower for the dominant shoulder (p<0.001) and below 1.00 for both groups, indicating that the eccentric strength of the ER was not greater than the concentric strength of the IR. Elite junior tennis players without shoulder injury have shoulder rotation muscle strength imbalances that alter the normal functional ratio between rotator cuff muscles. Although these differences do not seem to affect the athletic performance, detection and prevention with exercise programs at an early age are recommended. Crown Copyright 2009. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Solid phase extraction membrane

DOEpatents

Carlson, Kurt C [Nashville, TN; Langer, Roger L [Hudson, WI

2002-11-05

A wet-laid, porous solid phase extraction sheet material that contains both active particles and binder and that possesses excellent wet strength is described. The binder is present in a relatively small amount while the particles are present in a relatively large amount. The sheet material is sufficiently strong and flexible so as to be pleatable so that, for example, it can be used in a cartridge device.

Grip Strength Is Associated With Cognitive Performance in Schizophrenia and the General Population: A UK Biobank Study of 476559 Participants.

PubMed

Firth, Joseph; Stubbs, Brendon; Vancampfort, Davy; Firth, Josh A; Large, Matthew; Rosenbaum, Simon; Hallgren, Mats; Ward, Philip B; Sarris, Jerome; Yung, Alison R

2018-06-06

Handgrip strength may provide an easily-administered marker of cognitive functional status. However, further population-scale research examining relationships between grip strength and cognitive performance across multiple domains is needed. Additionally, relationships between grip strength and cognitive functioning in people with schizophrenia, who frequently experience cognitive deficits, has yet to be explored. Baseline data from the UK Biobank (2007-2010) was analyzed; including 475397 individuals from the general population, and 1162 individuals with schizophrenia. Linear mixed models and generalized linear mixed models were used to assess the relationship between grip strength and 5 cognitive domains (visual memory, reaction time, reasoning, prospective memory, and number memory), controlling for age, gender, bodyweight, education, and geographical region. In the general population, maximal grip strength was positively and significantly related to visual memory (coefficient [coeff] = -0.1601, standard error [SE] = 0.003), reaction time (coeff = -0.0346, SE = 0.0004), reasoning (coeff = 0.2304, SE = 0.0079), number memory (coeff = 0.1616, SE = 0.0092), and prospective memory (coeff = 0.3486, SE = 0.0092: all P < .001). In the schizophrenia sample, grip strength was strongly related to visual memory (coeff = -0.155, SE = 0.042, P < .001) and reaction time (coeff = -0.049, SE = 0.009, P < .001), while prospective memory approached statistical significance (coeff = 0.233, SE = 0.132, P = .078), and no statistically significant association was found with number memory and reasoning (P > .1). Grip strength is significantly associated with cognitive functioning in the general population and individuals with schizophrenia, particularly for working memory and processing speed. Future research should establish directionality, examine if grip strength also predicts functional and physical health outcomes in schizophrenia, and determine whether interventions which improve muscular strength impact on cognitive and real-world functioning.

Circuit strength training improves muscle strength, functional performance and anthropometric indicators in sedentary elderly women.

PubMed

Mazini Filho, Mauro L; Aidar, Felipe J; Gama de Matos, Dihogo; Costa Moreira, Osvaldo; Patrocínio de Oliveira, Cláudia E; de Oliveira Venturini, Gabriela R; Magalhães Curty, Victor; Menezes Touguinha, Henrique; Caputo Ferreira, Maria E

2017-04-26

This study aimed to investigate the effects of circuit strength training on the muscle strength, functional autonomy and anthropometric indicators of the elderly. Were included 65 women divided in two groups: strength training (TG, n= 34) and control group (CG, n = 31). The strength-training group was subjected to a circuit shaped training program, three days per week, for a period of 12 weeks. In each training session, the circuit was repeated three times. In each circuit, all exercises wereperformed once, with 8 to 12 repetitions per exercise, with 30-seconds intervals between each exercise. TG showed significantly changes in body composition post 12 weeks, as decreases in body weight (Δ -1.5±1.8 kg) and BMI (Δ-0.57 ±0.74 kg/m²), and decreases in abdominal (Δ -3±1.61 cm), waist (Δ -1 ± 1.61 cm), hip (Δ -2.75±1.44 cm) and waist hip ratio circumference (Δ -0.02 ± 0.15 cm). For functional autonomy, TG showed increases post 12 weeks by 30-second chair stand (Δ 3.5±0.4 reps), six minute walk (Δ60.95±7.91 m), back scratch (Δ 3.2 ± 1.36 cm), and time up and go tests (Δ -1,62 ±0,15s). TG also showed increases in muscle strength post 12 weeks in both leg press (Δ 11±1,29 kg) and lat pulldown (Δ11 ±0,75 Kg). For CG, Body composition, functional autonomy and muscle strength did not improved in any moment. Hence, circuit strength training provides significant improvements inmuscle strength, functional performance and anthropometric indicators in sedentary elderly women.

Effect of Oenothera odorata Root Extract on Microgravity and Disuse-Induced Muscle Atrophy

PubMed Central

Lee, Yong-Hyeon; Seo, Dong-Hyun; Park, Ji-Hyung; Kabayama, Kazuya; Opitz, Joerg; Lee, Kwang Ho; Kim, Han-Sung; Kim, Tack-Joong

2015-01-01

Muscle atrophy, a reduction of muscle mass, strength, and volume, results from reduced muscle use and plays a key role in various muscular diseases. In the microgravity environment of space especially, muscle atrophy is induced by muscle inactivity. Exposure to microgravity induces muscle atrophy through several biological effects, including associations with reactive oxygen species (ROS). This study used 3D-clinostat to investigate muscle atrophy caused by oxidative stress in vitro, and sciatic denervation was used to investigate muscle atrophy in vivo. We assessed the effect of Oenothera odorata root extract (EVP) on muscle atrophy. EVP helped recover cell viability in C2C12 myoblasts exposed to microgravity for 24 h and delayed muscle atrophy in sciatic denervated mice. However, the expressions of HSP70, SOD1, and ceramide in microgravity-exposed C2C12 myoblasts and in sciatic denervated mice were either decreased or completely inhibited. These results suggested that EVP can be expected to have a positive effect on muscle atrophy by disuse and microgravity. In addition, EVP helped characterize the antioxidant function in muscle atrophy. PMID:25945103

Effect of Oenothera odorata Root Extract on Microgravity and Disuse-Induced Muscle Atrophy.

PubMed

Lee, Yong-Hyeon; Seo, Dong-Hyun; Park, Ji-Hyung; Kabayama, Kazuya; Opitz, Joerg; Lee, Kwang Ho; Kim, Han-Sung; Kim, Tack-Joong

2015-01-01

Muscle atrophy, a reduction of muscle mass, strength, and volume, results from reduced muscle use and plays a key role in various muscular diseases. In the microgravity environment of space especially, muscle atrophy is induced by muscle inactivity. Exposure to microgravity induces muscle atrophy through several biological effects, including associations with reactive oxygen species (ROS). This study used 3D-clinostat to investigate muscle atrophy caused by oxidative stress in vitro, and sciatic denervation was used to investigate muscle atrophy in vivo. We assessed the effect of Oenothera odorata root extract (EVP) on muscle atrophy. EVP helped recover cell viability in C2C12 myoblasts exposed to microgravity for 24 h and delayed muscle atrophy in sciatic denervated mice. However, the expressions of HSP70, SOD1, and ceramide in microgravity-exposed C2C12 myoblasts and in sciatic denervated mice were either decreased or completely inhibited. These results suggested that EVP can be expected to have a positive effect on muscle atrophy by disuse and microgravity. In addition, EVP helped characterize the antioxidant function in muscle atrophy.

Alterations in Normal Aging Revealed by Cortical Brain Network Constructed Using IBASPM.

PubMed

Li, Wan; Yang, Chunlan; Shi, Feng; Wang, Qun; Wu, Shuicai; Lu, Wangsheng; Li, Shaowu; Nie, Yingnan; Zhang, Xin

2018-04-16

Normal aging has been linked with the decline of cognitive functions, such as memory and executive skills. One of the prominent approaches to investigate the age-related alterations in the brain is by examining the cortical brain connectome. IBASPM is a toolkit to realize individual atlas-based volume measurement. Hence, this study seeks to determine what further alterations can be revealed by cortical brain networks formed by IBASPM-extracted regional gray matter volumes. We found the reduced strength of connections between the superior temporal pole and middle temporal pole in the right hemisphere, global hubs as the left fusiform gyrus and right Rolandic operculum in the young and aging groups, respectively, and significantly reduced inter-module connection of one module in the aging group. These new findings are consistent with the phenomenon of normal aging mentioned in previous studies and suggest that brain network built with the IBASPM could provide supplementary information to some extent. The individualization of morphometric features extraction deserved to be given more attention in future cortical brain network research.

Characterizing components of the Saw Palmetto Berry Extract (SPBE) on prostate cancer cell growth and traction.

PubMed

Scholtysek, Carina; Krukiewicz, Aleksandra A; Alonso, José-Luis; Sharma, Karan P; Sharma, Pal C; Goldmann, Wolfgang H

2009-02-13

Saw Palmetto Berry Extract (SPBE) is applied for prostate health and treatment of urinary tract infections, nonbacterial prostitis and Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) in man. An assumption is that SPBE affects tumor cell progression and migration in breast and prostate tissue. In this work, DU-145 cells were used to demonstrate that SPBE and its sterol components, beta-sitosterol and stigmasterol, inhibit prostate cancer growth by increasing p53 protein expression and also inhibit carcinoma development by decreasing p21 and p27 protein expression. In the presence of cholesterol, these features are not only reversed but increased significantly. The results show for the first time the potential of SPBE, beta-sitosterol and stigmasterol as potential anti-tumor agents. Since the protein p53 is also regarded as nuclear matrix protein facilitating actin cytoskeletal binding, 2D tractions were measured. The cell adhesion strength in the presence of SPBE, beta-sitosterol and cholesterol and the observation was that the increase in p53 expression triggered an increase in the intracellular force generation. The results suggest a dual function of p53 in cells.

Fatigue Strength Estimation Based on Local Mechanical Properties for Aluminum Alloy FSW Joints

PubMed Central

Sillapasa, Kittima; Mutoh, Yoshiharu; Miyashita, Yukio; Seo, Nobushiro

2017-01-01

Overall fatigue strengths and hardness distributions of the aluminum alloy similar and dissimilar friction stir welding (FSW) joints were determined. The local fatigue strengths as well as local tensile strengths were also obtained by using small round bar specimens extracted from specific locations, such as the stir zone, heat affected zone, and base metal. It was found from the results that fatigue fracture of the FSW joint plate specimen occurred at the location of the lowest local fatigue strength as well as the lowest hardness, regardless of microstructural evolution. To estimate the fatigue strengths of aluminum alloy FSW joints from the hardness measurements, the relationship between fatigue strength and hardness for aluminum alloys was investigated based on the present experimental results and the available wide range of data from the references. It was found as: σa (R = −1) = 1.68 HV (σa is in MPa and HV has no unit). It was also confirmed that the estimated fatigue strengths were in good agreement with the experimental results for aluminum alloy FSW joints. PMID:28772543

Fatigue Strength Estimation Based on Local Mechanical Properties for Aluminum Alloy FSW Joints.

PubMed

Sillapasa, Kittima; Mutoh, Yoshiharu; Miyashita, Yukio; Seo, Nobushiro

2017-02-15

Overall fatigue strengths and hardness distributions of the aluminum alloy similar and dissimilar friction stir welding (FSW) joints were determined. The local fatigue strengths as well as local tensile strengths were also obtained by using small round bar specimens extracted from specific locations, such as the stir zone, heat affected zone, and base metal. It was found from the results that fatigue fracture of the FSW joint plate specimen occurred at the location of the lowest local fatigue strength as well as the lowest hardness, regardless of microstructural evolution. To estimate the fatigue strengths of aluminum alloy FSW joints from the hardness measurements, the relationship between fatigue strength and hardness for aluminum alloys was investigated based on the present experimental results and the available wide range of data from the references. It was found as: σ a ( R = -1) = 1.68 HV ( σ a is in MPa and HV has no unit). It was also confirmed that the estimated fatigue strengths were in good agreement with the experimental results for aluminum alloy FSW joints.

Flower power: its association with bee power and floral functional morphology in papilionate legumes

PubMed Central

Córdoba, Silvina A.; Cocucci, Andrea A.

2011-01-01

Background and Aims A test was made of the hypothesis that papilionate legume flowers filter pollinators according to their ability to exert strength to open flowers to access rewards. In addition, interactions with pollen vectors were expected to explain the structural complexity of the architecture of these flowers since operative flower strength may be determined by a combination of morphological traits which form part of an intrafloral functional module. Methods Six papilionate species were studied: Collaea argentina, Desmodium uncinatum, Galactia latisiliqua, Lathyrus odoratus, Spartium junceum and Tipuana tipu. Measurements were made of the strength needed to open keels and the strength that pollinators were capable of exerting. Morphological traits of all petals were also measured to determine which of them could be either mutually correlated or correlated with operative strength and moment of strength and participated in a functional module. Key Results It was observed that pollinators were capable in all cases of exerting forces higher and often several times higher than that needed to access floral rewards, and no association could be detected between floral operative strength and strength exerted by the corresponding pollinators. On the other hand, strong and significant correlations were found among morphometric traits and, of these, with operative strength and moment. This was particularly evident among traits of the keel and the wings, presumably involved in the functioning of the floral moveable mechanism. Conclusions Though visitors are often many times stronger than the operative strength of the flowers they pollinate, exceptionally weak bees such as Apis mellifera cannot open the strongest flowers. On the other hand, strong correlations among certain petal morphometric traits (particularly between the keel and wings) give support to the idea that an intrafloral module is associated with the functioning of the mechanism of these legume flowers. In addition, the highly significant correlations found across petals support the view of functional phenotypic integration transcending the ontogenetic organization of flower structure. PMID:21821623

Purification of inulinases by changing the ionic strength of the medium and precipitation with alcohols.

PubMed

Golunski, Simone; Silva, Marceli F; Marques, Camila T; Rosseto, Vanusa; Kaizer, Rosilene R; Mossi, Altemir J; Rigo, Diane; Dallago, Rogério M; DI Luccio, Marco; Treichel, Helen

2017-01-01

The present study evaluated the purification of inulinase by changing the ionic strength of the medium by addition of NaCl and CaCl2 followed by precipitation with n-propyl alcohol or iso-propyl alcohol. The effects of the concentration of alcohols and the rate of addition of alcohols in the crude extract on the purification yield and purification factor were evaluated. Precipitation caused an activation of enzyme and allowed purification factors up to 2.4-fold for both alcohols. The purification factor was affected positively by the modification of the ionic strength of the medium to 0.5 mol.L-1 NaCl before precipitation with the alcohol (n-propyl or iso-propyl). A purification factor of 4.8-fold and an enzyme yield of 78.1 % could be achieved by the addition of 0.5 mol.L-1 of NaCl to the crude extract, followed by the precipitation with 50 % (v/v) of n-propyl alcohol, added at a flow rate of 19.9 mL/min.

Joint proprioception, muscle strength, and functional ability in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.

PubMed

van der Esch, M; Steultjens, M; Harlaar, J; Knol, D; Lems, W; Dekker, J

2007-06-15

To test the hypotheses that poor knee joint proprioception is related to limitations in functional ability, and poor proprioception aggravates the impact of muscle weakness on limitations in functional ability in osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. Sixty-three patients with symptomatic OA of the knee were tested. Proprioceptive acuity was assessed by establishing the joint motion detection threshold (JMDT) in the anteroposterior direction. Muscle strength was measured using a computer-driven isokinetic dynamometer. Functional ability was assessed by the 100-meter walking test, the Get Up and Go (GUG) test, and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index physical function (WOMAC-PF) questionnaire. Correlation analyses were performed to assess the relationship between proprioception, muscle strength, and functional ability. Regression analyses were performed to assess the impact of proprioception on the relationship between muscle strength and functional ability. Poor proprioception (high JMDT) was related to more limitation in functional ability (walking time r = 0.30, P < 0.05; GUG time r = 0.30, P < 0.05; WOMAC-PF r = 0.26, P <0.05). In regression analyses, the interaction between proprioception and muscle strength was significantly related to functional ability (walking time, P < 0.001 and GUG time, P < 0.001) but not to WOMAC-PF score (P = 0.625). In patients with poor proprioception, reduction of muscle strength was associated with more severe deterioration of functional ability than in patients with accurate proprioception. Patients with poor proprioception show more limitation in functional ability, but this relationship is rather weak. In patients with poor proprioception, muscle weakness has a stronger impact on limitations in functional ability than in patients with accurate proprioception.

Limited effects of micronutrient supplementation on strength and physical function after abdominal aortic aneurysmectomy.

PubMed

Watters, James M; Vallerand, Andrew; Kirkpatrick, Susan M; Abbott, Heather E; Norris, Sonya; Wells, George; Barber, Graeme G

2002-08-01

Tissue injury following ischemia-reperfusion is mediated in part by free oxygen radicals. We hypothesized that perioperative micronutrient supplementation would augment antioxidant defenses, minimize muscle injury, and minimize postoperative decreases in muscle strength and physical function following abdominal aortic aneurysmectomy. A university-affiliated hospital and regional referral center. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of supplementation with beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, zinc, and selenium for a period of 2-3 weeks prior to surgery and 1 week thereafter. Patients undergoing elective abdominal aortic aneurysmectomy (n=18 per group). Handgrip and other measures of strength and physical function. Handgrip and quadriceps strength decreased following surgery, but not to a significantly different extent in the placebo and supplemented groups. Self-rated physical function decreased following surgery in the placebo group and was preserved in the supplemented group. Perioperative supplementation with micronutrients with antioxidant properties has limited effects on strength and physical function following major elective surgery.

Effects of Aerobic Exercise Applied Early After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting on Pulmonary Function, Respiratory Muscle Strength, and Functional Capacity: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Borges, Daniel L; Silva, Mayara Gabrielle; Silva, Luan Nascimento; Fortes, João Vyctor; Costa, Erika Thalita; Assunção, Rebeca Pessoa; Lima, Carlos Magno; da Silva Nina, Vinícius José; Bernardo-Filho, Mário; Caputo, Danúbia Sá

2016-09-01

Physical activity is beneficial in several clinical situations and recommended for patients with ischemic heart disease, as well as for those undergoing cardiac surgery. In a randomized controlled trial, 34 patients underwent coronary artery bypass grafting. A randomized control group (n = 15) submitted to conventional physiotherapy. The intervention group (n = 19) received the same protocol plus additional aerobic exercise with cycle ergometer. Pulmonary function by spirometry, respiratory muscle strength by manovacuometry, and functional capacity through 6-minute walking test was assessed before surgery and at hospital discharge. There was significant reduction in pulmonary function in both groups. In both groups, inspiratory muscle strength was maintained while expiratory muscle strength significantly decreased. Functional capacity was maintained in the intervention group (364.5 [324.5 to 428] vs. 348 [300.7 to 413.7] meters, P = .06), but it decreased significantly in control group patients (320 [288.5 to 393.0] vs. 292 [237.0 to 336.0] meters, P = .01). A significant difference in functional capacity was also found in intergroup analyses at hospital discharge (P = .03). Aerobic exercise applied early on coronary artery bypass grafting patients may promote maintenance of functional capacity, with no impact on pulmonary function and respiratory muscle strength when compared with conventional physiotherapy.

Hand grip strength and associated factors in non-institutionalised men and women 50 years and older in South Africa.

PubMed

Ramlagan, Shandir; Peltzer, Karl; Phaswana-Mafuya, Nancy

2014-01-07

Little is known about the prevalence, predictors and gender differences in hand grip strength of older adults in Africa. This study aims to investigate social and health differences in hand grip strength among older adults in a national probability sample of older South Africans who participated in the Study of Global Ageing and Adults Health (SAGE wave 1) in 2008. We conducted a national population-based cross-sectional study with a sample of 3840 men and women aged 50 years or older in South Africa. The questionnaire included socio-demographic characteristics, health variables, and anthropometric measurements. Linear multivariate regression analysis was performed to assess the association of social factors, health variables and grip strength. The mean overall hand grip strength was 37.9 kgs for men (mean age 61.1 years, SD = 9.1) and 31.5 kgs for women (mean age 62.0 years, SD = 9.7). In multivariate analysis among men, greater height, not being underweight and lower functional disability was associated with greater grip strength, and among women, greater height, better cognitive functioning, and lower functional disability were associated with greater grip strength. Greater height and lower functional disability were found for both older South African men and women to be significantly associated with grip strength.

Quadriceps Strength Asymmetry Following ACL Reconstruction Alters Knee Joint Biomechanics and Functional Performance at Time of Return to Activity

PubMed Central

Palmieri-Smith, RM; Lepley, LK

2016-01-01

Background Quadriceps strength deficits are observed clinically following anterior cruciate injury and reconstruction and are often not overcome despite rehabilitation. Given that quadriceps strength may be important for achieving symmetrical joint biomechanics and promoting long-term joint health, determining the magnitude of strength deficits that lead to altered mechanics is critical. Purpose To determine if the magnitude of quadriceps strength asymmetry alters knee and hip biomechanical symmetry, as well as functional performance and self-reported function. Study Design Cross-Sectional study. Methods Seventy-three patients were tested at the time they were cleared for return to activity following ACL reconstruction. Quadriceps strength and activation, scores on the International Knee Documentation Committee form, the hop for distance test, and sagittal plane lower extremity biomechanics were recorded while patients completed a single-legged hop. Results Patients with high and moderate quadriceps strength symmetry had larger central activation ratios as well as greater limb symmetry indices on the hop for distance compared to patients with low quadriceps strength symmetry (P<0.05). Similarly, knee flexion angle and external moment symmetry was higher in the patients with high and moderate quadriceps symmetry compared to those with low symmetry (P<0.05). Quadriceps strength was found to be associated with sagittal plane knee angle and moment symmetry (P<0.05). Conclusion Patients with low quadriceps strength displayed greater movement asymmetries at the knee in the sagittal plane. Quadriceps strength was related to movement asymmetries and functional performance. Rehabilitation following ACL reconstruction needs to focus on maximizing quadriceps strength, which likely will lead to more symmetrical knee biomechanics. PMID:25883169

Quadriceps Strength Asymmetry After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Alters Knee Joint Biomechanics and Functional Performance at Time of Return to Activity.

PubMed

Palmieri-Smith, Riann M; Lepley, Lindsey K

2015-07-01

Quadriceps strength deficits are observed clinically after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and reconstruction and are often not overcome despite rehabilitation. Given that quadriceps strength may be important for achieving symmetrical joint biomechanics and promoting long-term joint health, determining the magnitude of strength deficits that lead to altered mechanics is critical. To determine if the magnitude of quadriceps strength asymmetry alters knee and hip biomechanical symmetry as well as functional performance and self-reported function. Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. A total of 73 patients were tested at the time they were cleared for return to activity after ACL reconstruction. Quadriceps strength and activation, scores on the International Knee Documentation Committee form, the hop for distance test, and sagittal plane lower extremity biomechanics were recorded while patients completed a single-legged hop. Patients with high and moderate quadriceps strength symmetry had larger central activation ratios as well as greater limb symmetry indices on the hop for distance compared with patients with low quadriceps strength symmetry (P < .05). Similarly, knee flexion angle and external moment symmetry were higher in the patients with high and moderate quadriceps symmetry compared with those with low symmetry (P < .05). Quadriceps strength was found to be associated with sagittal plane knee angle and moment symmetry (P < .05). Patients with low quadriceps strength displayed greater movement asymmetries at the knee in the sagittal plane. Quadriceps strength was related to movement asymmetries and functional performance. Rehabilitation after ACL reconstruction needs to focus on maximizing quadriceps strength, which likely will lead to more symmetrical knee biomechanics. © 2015 The Author(s).

Effect of bulk-fill base material on fracture strength of root-filled teeth restored with laminate resin composite restorations.

PubMed

Taha, N A; Maghaireh, G A; Ghannam, A S; Palamara, J E

2017-08-01

To evaluate the effect of using a bulk-fill flowable base material on fracture strength and fracture patterns of root-filled maxillary premolars with MOD preparations restored with laminate restorations. Fifty extracted maxillary premolars were selected for the study. Standardized MOD cavities with endodontic treatment were prepared for all teeth, except for intact control. The teeth were divided randomly into five groups (n=10); (Group 1) sound teeth, (Group 2) unrestored teeth; (Group 3) MOD cavities with Vitrebond base and resin-based composite (Ceram. X One Universal); (Group 4) MOD cavities with 2mm GIC base (Fuji IX GP) and resin-based composite (Ceram. X One Universal) open laminate, (Group 5) MOD cavities were restored with 4mm of bulk-fill flowable base material (SDR) and resin-based composite (Ceram. X One Universal). All teeth were thermocycled and subjected to a 45° ramped oblique load in a universal testing machine. Fracture load and fracture patterns were recorded. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Dunnett's T3 test. Restoration in general increased the fracture strength compared to unrestored teeth. The fracture strength of group 5 (bulk-fill) was significantly higher than the fracture strength of the GIC laminate groups and not significantly different from the intact teeth (355±112N, P=0.118). The type of failure was unfavorable for most of the groups, with the majority being mixed failures. The use of a bulk-fill flowable base material significantly increased the fracture strength of extracted root-filled teeth with MOD cavities; however it did not improve fracture patterns to more favorable ones. Investigating restorative techniques that may improve the longevity of root-filled premolar teeth restored with direct resin restorations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Large-scale deformed QRPA calculations of the gamma-ray strength function based on a Gogny force

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martini, M.; Goriely, S.; Hilaire, S.; Péru, S.; Minato, F.

2016-01-01

The dipole excitations of nuclei play an important role in nuclear astrophysics processes in connection with the photoabsorption and the radiative neutron capture that take place in stellar environment. We present here the results of a large-scale axially-symmetric deformed QRPA calculation of the γ-ray strength function based on the finite-range Gogny force. The newly determined γ-ray strength is compared with experimental photoabsorption data for spherical as well as deformed nuclei. Predictions of γ-ray strength functions and Maxwellian-averaged neutron capture rates for Sn isotopes are also discussed.

Characterization of Strength and Function in Ambulatory Adults With GNE Myopathy

PubMed Central

Argov, Zohar; Bronstein, Faye; Esposito, Alicia; Feinsod-Meiri, Yael; Florence, Julaine M.; Fowler, Eileen; Greenberg, Marcia B.; Malkus, Elizabeth C.; Rebibo, Odelia; Siener, Catherine S.; Caraco, Yoseph; Kolodny, Edwin H.; Lau, Heather A.; Pestronk, Alan; Shieh, Perry; Mayhew, Jill E.

2017-01-01

Abstract Objective: To characterize the pattern and extent of muscle weakness and impact on physical functioning in adults with GNEM. Methods: Strength and function were assessed in GNEM subjects (n = 47) using hand-held dynamometry, manual muscle testing, upper and lower extremity functional capacity tests, and the GNEM-Functional Activity Scale (GNEM-FAS). Results: Profound upper and lower muscle weakness was measured using hand-held dynamometry in a characteristic pattern, previously described. Functional tests and clinician-reported outcomes demonstrated the consequence of muscle weakness on physical functioning. Conclusions: The characteristic pattern of upper and lower muscle weakness associated with GNEM and the resulting functional limitations can be reliably measured using these clinical outcome assessments of muscle strength and function. PMID:28827485

Strength functions, entropies, and duality in weakly to strongly interacting fermionic systems.

PubMed

Angom, D; Ghosh, S; Kota, V K B

2004-01-01

We revisit statistical wave function properties of finite systems of interacting fermions in the light of strength functions and their participation ratio and information entropy. For weakly interacting fermions in a mean-field with random two-body interactions of increasing strength lambda, the strength functions F(k) (E) are well known to change, in the regime where level fluctuations follow Wigner's surmise, from Breit-Wigner to Gaussian form. We propose an ansatz for the function describing this transition which we use to investigate the participation ratio xi(2) and the information entropy S(info) during this crossover, thereby extending the known behavior valid in the Gaussian domain into much of the Breit-Wigner domain. Our method also allows us to derive the scaling law lambda(d) approximately 1/sqrt[m] ( m is number of fermions) for the duality point lambda= lambda(d), where F(k) (E), xi(2), and S(info) in both the weak ( lambda=0 ) and strong mixing ( lambda= infinity ) basis coincide. As an application, the ansatz function for strength functions is used in describing the Breit-Wigner to Gaussian transition seen in neutral atoms CeI to SmI with valence electrons changing from 4 to 8.

Associations between aging-related changes in grip strength and cognitive function in older adults: A systematic review.

PubMed

Zammit, Andrea R; Robitaille, Annie; Piccinin, Andrea; Muniz-Terrera, Graciela; Hofer, Scott M

2018-03-08

Grip strength and cognitive function reflect upper body muscle strength and mental capacities. Cross-sectional research has suggested that in old age these two processes are moderately to highly associated, and that an underlying common cause drives this association. Our aim was to synthesize and evaluate longitudinal research addressing whether changes in grip strength are associated with changes in cognitive function in healthy older adults. We systematically reviewed English-language research investigating the longitudinal association between repeated measures of grip strength and of cognitive function in community-dwelling older adults to evaluate the extent to which the two indices decline concurrently. We used four search engines: Embase, PsychINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science. Of 459 unique citations, 6 met our full criteria: 4 studies reported a longitudinal association between rates of change in grip strength and cognitive function in older adults, 2 of which reported the magnitudes of these associations as ranging from low to moderate; 2 studies reported significant cross-sectional but not longitudinal associations among rates of change. All studies concluded that cognitive function and grip strength declined, on average, with increasing age, although with little to no evidence for longitudinal associations among rates of change. Future research is urged to expand the study of physical and cognitive associations in old age using a within-person and multi-study integrative approach to evaluate the reliability of longitudinal results with greater emphasis on the magnitude of this association.

The sensory side of post-stroke motor rehabilitation.

PubMed

Bolognini, Nadia; Russo, Cristina; Edwards, Dylan J

2016-04-11

Contemporary strategies to promote motor recovery following stroke focus on repetitive voluntary movements. Although successful movement relies on efficient sensorimotor integration, functional outcomes often bias motor therapy toward motor-related impairments such as weakness, spasticity and synergies; sensory therapy and reintegration is implied, but seldom targeted. However, the planning and execution of voluntary movement requires that the brain extracts sensory information regarding body position and predicts future positions, by integrating a variety of sensory inputs with ongoing and planned motor activity. Neurological patients who have lost one or more of their senses may show profoundly affected motor functions, even if muscle strength remains unaffected. Following stroke, motor recovery can be dictated by the degree of sensory disruption. Consequently, a thorough account of sensory function might be both prognostic and prescriptive in neurorehabilitation. This review outlines the key sensory components of human voluntary movement, describes how sensory disruption can influence prognosis and expected outcomes in stroke patients, reports on current sensory-based approaches in post-stroke motor rehabilitation, and makes recommendations for optimizing rehabilitation programs based on sensory stimulation.

The sensory side of post-stroke motor rehabilitation

PubMed Central

Bolognini, Nadia; Russo, Cristina; Edwards, Dylan J.

2017-01-01

Contemporary strategies to promote motor recovery following stroke focus on repetitive voluntary movements. Although successful movement relies on efficient sensorimotor integration, functional outcomes often bias motor therapy toward motor-related impairments such as weakness, spasticity and synergies; sensory therapy and reintegration is implied, but seldom targeted. However, the planning and execution of voluntary movement requires that the brain extracts sensory information regarding body position and predicts future positions, by integrating a variety of sensory inputs with ongoing and planned motor activity. Neurological patients who have lost one or more of their senses may show profoundly affected motor functions, even if muscle strength remains unaffected. Following stroke, motor recovery can be dictated by the degree of sensory disruption. Consequently, a thorough account of sensory function might be both prognostic and prescriptive in neurorehabilitation. This review outlines the key sensory components of human voluntary movement, describes how sensory disruption can influence prognosis and expected outcomes in stroke patients, reports on current sensory-based approaches in post-stroke motor rehabilitation, and makes recommendations for optimizing rehabilitation programs based on sensory stimulation. PMID:27080070

[Masticatory function and life style in aged].

PubMed

Watanabe, I

1998-03-01

Elderly people gain enjoyment in their remaining years from eating, speaking and tasting things, and they find that the oral function is necessary to arouse in them a desire to work for society, in addition to looking after their own health, they find that over function is important. Recently, more attention has come to be paid to one's external appearance. Even if function is impaired, appearance has a strong influence on the feeling of leading a worth-while life. Though increasing age brings a steady loss of teeth, it is unlikely that physiological change resulting from tooth decay and disease are the cause of tooth loss. Degradation of the hard tissue caused by decay is unavoidable. Unless the decayed area is removed and the teeth are repaired with artificial materials, the function of the affected tooth is permanently lost. Moreover, as decay progresses and periodontal disease worsens the state of a given area, extraction becomes necessary. This is the process by which teeth are lost. However, even if teeth are lost, masticatory function may be restored through the use of dentures. Recently, we carried out a survey which showed that a group of elderly people with good masticatory functions were more healthy and lived longer than a group of elderly people with reduced physical functions (weight, grasping strength, balance, bone salt volume) and poor masticatory function.

Relationship between tongue strength, lip strength, and nutrition-related sarcopenia in older rehabilitation inpatients: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Sakai, Kotomi; Nakayama, Enri; Tohara, Haruka; Kodama, Keiji; Takehisa, Takahiro; Takehisa, Yozo; Ueda, Koichiro

2017-01-01

Objective The objective of this study was to clarify the relationship between tongue strength, lip strength, and nutrition-related sarcopenia (NRS). Patients and methods A total of 201 older inpatients aged ≥65 years (70 men, median age: 84 years, interquartile range: 79–89 years) consecutively admitted for rehabilitation were included in this cross-sectional study. The main factors evaluated were the presence of NRS diagnosed by malnutrition using the Mini-Nutrition Assessment – Short Form, sarcopenia based on the criteria of the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia, tongue strength, and lip strength. Other factors such as age, sex, comorbidity, physical function, cognitive function, and oral intake level were also assessed. Results In all, 78 (38.8%) patients were allocated to the NRS group, and 123 (61.2%) patients were allocated to the non-NRS group. The median tongue strength and lip strength (interquartile range) were significantly lower in the NRS group (tongue: 22.9 kPa [17.7–27.7 kPa] and lip: 7.2 N [5.6–9.8 N]) compared with the non-NRS group (tongue: 29.7 kPa [24.8–35.1 kPa] and lip: 9.9 N [8.4–12.3 N], P<0.001 for both). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that NRS was independently associated with tongue strength (odds ratio [OR] =0.93, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.87–0.98, P=0.012) and lip strength (OR =0.76, 95% CI 0.66–0.88, P<0.001), even after adjusting for age, sex, comorbidity, physical function, cognitive function, and oral intake level. Conclusion The likelihood of occurrence of NRS decreased when tongue strength or lip strength increased. Tongue strength and lip strength may be important factors for preventing and improving NRS, regardless of the presence of low oral intake level in older rehabilitation inpatients. PMID:28814847

Residual strength of GFR/POM as a function of damage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zachariev, G.; Rudolph, H.-V.; Ivers, H.

2010-07-01

A relation between the residual strength and the dispersed damage accumulated in a short fiber reinforced polyoximethylene (GFR/POM) samples under tension is found. For that purpose dependencies of damage and residual strength on loading percentage are used. Damage as a function of loading percentage is known for the material under study. To find the dependency of residual strength on loading percentage a subsidiary function is introduced and a method is proposed for determination of the parameters in the dependency on the basis of the experimental data. Both damage and residual strength are measured after unloading samples that have been loaded applying different loading percentages. Damage is the accumulation of new internal surfaces that arise under mechanical loading in the whole volume of the material. They are registered by a new original method of X-ray refraction. The analytical relation between the residual strength and damage accumulated is compared to the experimental results found for the residual strength under different damage degrees.

Evaluation of wound healing and anti-inflammatory activity of the rhizomes of Rumex abyssinicus J. (Polygonaceae) in mice.

PubMed

Mulisa, Eshetu; Asres, Kaleab; Engidawork, Ephrem

2015-09-30

Rumex abyssinicus Jacq (Polygonaceae) is widely used in Ethiopia for treatment of wound and other diseases. Although reports are available in the literature on some of the claimed activities, nothing has so far been reported about the wound healing activity of R. abyssinicus. Thus, this work was initiated to investigate the wound healing and anti-inflammatory activities of 80% methanol extract of the rhizomes of R. abyssinicus in mice. Following extraction of the rhizomes of the plant with 80% methanol, the extract was formulated as ointment (5% & 10% w/w) with simple ointment base B.P. The ointment was then evaluated for wound healing activity using excision and incision wound models. Parameters, including wound contraction, epithelization time and hydroxyproline content were determined using the excision model, whereas tensile strength was measured from the incision model. In parallel, anti-inflammatory activity of the rhizome was evaluated with carrageenan induced hind paw edema model by dissolving the 80% methanol extract in 1% carboxyl methyl cellulose and administering orally in various doses (250, 500 and 750 mg/kg). Wound treated with 5% and 10% (w/w) hydroalcoholic extract ointment exhibited significant wound healing activity in both models, as evidenced by increased wound contraction, shorter epithelization time, higher tissue breaking strength and increased hydroxyproline content. The hydroalcoholic extract also produced dose-related significant reduction (p < 0.05-0.001) of inflammation. The results of this study demonstrated that the hydroalcoholic extract of the rhizomes of R. abyssinicus facilitated wound healing at least in part via its anti-inflammatory activity, supporting its traditional claim as a wound healing agent.

Rapid and continuous magnetic separation in droplet microfluidic devices.

PubMed

Brouzes, Eric; Kruse, Travis; Kimmerling, Robert; Strey, Helmut H

2015-02-07

We present a droplet microfluidic method to extract molecules of interest from a droplet in a rapid and continuous fashion. We accomplish this by first marginalizing functionalized super-paramagnetic beads within the droplet using a magnetic field, and then splitting the droplet into one droplet containing the majority of magnetic beads and one droplet containing the minority fraction. We quantitatively analysed the factors which affect the efficiency of marginalization and droplet splitting to optimize the enrichment of magnetic beads. We first characterized the interplay between the droplet velocity and the strength of the magnetic field and its effect on marginalization. We found that marginalization is optimal at the midline of the magnet and that marginalization is a good predictor of bead enrichment through splitting at low to moderate droplet velocities. Finally, we focused our efforts on manipulating the splitting profile to improve the enrichment provided by asymmetric splitting. We designed asymmetric splitting forks that employ capillary effects to preferentially extract the bead-rich regions of the droplets. Our strategy represents a framework to optimize magnetic bead enrichment methods tailored to the requirements of specific droplet-based applications. We anticipate that our separation technology is well suited for applications in single-cell genomics and proteomics. In particular, our method could be used to separate mRNA bound to poly-dT functionalized magnetic microparticles from single cell lysates to prepare single-cell cDNA libraries.

GoGene: gene annotation in the fast lane.

PubMed

Plake, Conrad; Royer, Loic; Winnenburg, Rainer; Hakenberg, Jörg; Schroeder, Michael

2009-07-01

High-throughput screens such as microarrays and RNAi screens produce huge amounts of data. They typically result in hundreds of genes, which are often further explored and clustered via enriched GeneOntology terms. The strength of such analyses is that they build on high-quality manual annotations provided with the GeneOntology. However, the weakness is that annotations are restricted to process, function and location and that they do not cover all known genes in model organisms. GoGene addresses this weakness by complementing high-quality manual annotation with high-throughput text mining extracting co-occurrences of genes and ontology terms from literature. GoGene contains over 4,000,000 associations between genes and gene-related terms for 10 model organisms extracted from more than 18,000,000 PubMed entries. It does not cover only process, function and location of genes, but also biomedical categories such as diseases, compounds, techniques and mutations. By bringing it all together, GoGene provides the most recent and most complete facts about genes and can rank them according to novelty and importance. GoGene accepts keywords, gene lists, gene sequences and protein sequences as input and supports search for genes in PubMed, EntrezGene and via BLAST. Since all associations of genes to terms are supported by evidence in the literature, the results are transparent and can be verified by the user. GoGene is available at http://gopubmed.org/gogene.

A wavelet-based adaptive fusion algorithm of infrared polarization imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Wei; Gu, Guohua; Chen, Qian; Zeng, Haifang

2011-08-01

The purpose of infrared polarization image is to highlight man-made target from a complex natural background. For the infrared polarization images can significantly distinguish target from background with different features, this paper presents a wavelet-based infrared polarization image fusion algorithm. The method is mainly for image processing of high-frequency signal portion, as for the low frequency signal, the original weighted average method has been applied. High-frequency part is processed as follows: first, the source image of the high frequency information has been extracted by way of wavelet transform, then signal strength of 3*3 window area has been calculated, making the regional signal intensity ration of source image as a matching measurement. Extraction method and decision mode of the details are determined by the decision making module. Image fusion effect is closely related to the setting threshold of decision making module. Compared to the commonly used experiment way, quadratic interpolation optimization algorithm is proposed in this paper to obtain threshold. Set the endpoints and midpoint of the threshold searching interval as initial interpolation nodes, and compute the minimum quadratic interpolation function. The best threshold can be obtained by comparing the minimum quadratic interpolation function. A series of image quality evaluation results show this method has got improvement in fusion effect; moreover, it is not only effective for some individual image, but also for a large number of images.

Rapid and continuous magnetic separation in droplet microfluidic devices

PubMed Central

Brouzes, Eric; Kruse, Travis; Kimmerling, Robert; Strey, Helmut H.

2015-01-01

We present a droplet microfluidic method to extract molecules of interest from a droplet in a rapid and continuous fashion. We accomplish this by first marginalizing functionalized super-paramagnetic beads within the droplet using a magnetic field, and then splitting the droplet into one droplet containing the majority of magnetic beads and one droplet containing the minority fraction. We quantitatively analysed the factors which affect the efficiency of marginalization and droplet splitting to optimize the enrichment of magnetic beads. We first characterized the interplay between the droplet velocity and the strength of the magnetic field and its effect on marginalization. We found that marginalization is optimal at the midline of the magnet and that marginalization is a good predictor of bead enrichment through splitting at low to moderate droplet velocities. Finally, we focused our efforts on manipulating the splitting profile to improve the enrichment provided by asymmetric splitting. We designed asymmetric splitting forks that employ capillary effects to preferentially extract the bead-rich regions of the droplets. Our strategy represents a framework to optimize magnetic bead enrichment methods tailored to the requirements of specific droplet-based applications. We anticipate that our separation technology is well suited for applications in single-cell genomics and proteomics. In particular, our method could be used to separate mRNA bound to poly-dT functionalized magnetic microparticles from single cell lysates to prepare single-cell cDNA libraries. PMID:25501881

An international qualitative study of ability and disability in ADHD using the WHO-ICF framework.

PubMed

Mahdi, Soheil; Viljoen, Marisa; Massuti, Rafael; Selb, Melissa; Almodayfer, Omar; Karande, Sunil; de Vries, Petrus J; Rohde, Luis; Bölte, Sven

2017-10-01

This is the third in a series of four cross-cultural empirical studies designed to develop International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF, and Children and Youth version, ICF(-CY) Core Sets for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). To explore the perspectives of individuals diagnosed with ADHD, self-advocates, immediate family members and professional caregivers on relevant areas of impairment and functional abilities typical for ADHD across the lifespan as operationalized by the ICF(-CY). A qualitative study using focus group discussions or semi-structured interviews of 76 participants, divided into 16 stakeholder groups. Participants from five countries (Brazil, India, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Sweden) were included. A deductive qualitative content analysis was conducted to extract meaningful functioning and disability concepts from verbatim material. Extracted concepts were then linked to ICF(-CY) categories by independent researchers using a standardized linking procedure. In total, 82 ICF(-CY) categories were identified, of which 32 were related to activities and participation, 25 to environmental factors, 23 to body functions and 2 to body structures. Participants also provided opinions on experienced positive sides to ADHD. A high level of energy and drive, creativity, hyper-focus, agreeableness, empathy, and willingness to assist others were the most consistently reported strengths associated with ADHD. Stakeholder perspectives highlighted the need to appraise ADHD in a broader context, extending beyond diagnostic criteria into many areas of ability and disability as well as environmental facilitators and barriers. This qualitative study, along with three other studies (comprehensive scoping review, expert survey and clinical study), will provide the scientific basis to define ICF(-CY) Core Sets for ADHD, from which assessment tools can be derived for use in clinical and research setting, as well as in health care administration.

Free-form reticulated shell structures searched for maximum buckling strength

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takiuchi, Yuji; Kato, Shiro; Nakazawa, Shoji

2017-10-01

In this paper, a scheme of shape optimization is proposed for maximum buckling strength of free-form steel reticulated shells. In order to discuss the effectiveness of objective functions with respect to maximizing buckling strength, several different optimizations are applied to shallow steel single layer reticulated shells targeting rigidly jointed tubular members. The objective functions to be compared are linear buckling load, strain energy, initial yield load, and elasto-plastic buckling strength evaluated based on Modified Dunkerley Formula. With respect to obtained free-forms based on the four optimization schemes, both of their elastic buckling and elasto-plastic buckling behaviour are investigated and compared considering geometrical imperfections. As a result, it is concluded that the first and fourth optimization methods are effective from a viewpoint of buckling strength. And the relation between generalized slenderness ratio and appropriate objective function applied in buckling strength maximization is made clear.

Photon Strength Function at Low Energies in 95Mo

DOE PAGES

Wiedeking, M.; Bernstein, L. A.; Allmond, J. M.; ...

2014-05-01

A new and model-independent experimental method has been developed to determine the energy dependence of the photon strength function. It is designed to study statistical feeding from the quasi continuum to individual low-lying discrete levels. This new technique is presented and results for 95Mo are compared to data from the University of Oslo. In particular, questions regarding the existence of the low-energy enhancement in the photon strength function are addressed.

Relationship between lower limb muscle strength, self-reported pain and function, and frontal plane gait kinematics in knee osteoarthritis.

PubMed

Park, Sang-Kyoon; Kobsar, Dylan; Ferber, Reed

2016-10-01

The relationship between muscle strength, gait biomechanics, and self-reported physical function and pain for patients with knee osteoarthritis is not well known. The objective of this study was to investigate these relationships in this population. Twenty-four patients with knee osteoarthritis and 24 healthy controls were recruited. Self-reported pain and function, lower-limb maximum isometric force, and frontal plane gait kinematics during treadmill walking were collected on all patients. Between-group differences were assessed for 1) muscle strength and 2) gait biomechanics. Linear regressions were computed within the knee osteoarthritis group to examine the effect of muscle strength on 1) self-reported pain and function, and 2) gait kinematics. Patients with knee osteoarthritis exhibited reduced hip external rotator, knee extensor, and ankle inversion muscle force output compared with healthy controls, as well as increased peak knee adduction angles (effect size=0.770; p=0.013). Hip abductor strength was a significant predictor of function, but not after controlling for covariates. Ankle inversion, hip abduction, and knee flexion strength were significant predictors of peak pelvic drop angle after controlling for covariates (34.4% unique variance explained). Patients with knee osteoarthritis exhibit deficits in muscle strength and while they play an important role in the self-reported function of patients with knee osteoarthritis, the effect of covariates such as sex, age, mass, and height was more important in this relationship. Similar relationships were observed from gait variables, except for peak pelvic drop, where hip, knee, and ankle strength remained important predictors of this variable after controlling for covariates. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water and beverages using membrane-assisted solvent extraction in combination with large volume injection-gas chromatography-mass spectrometric detection.

PubMed

Rodil, Rosario; Schellin, Manuela; Popp, Peter

2007-09-07

Membrane-assisted solvent extraction (MASE) in combination with large volume injection-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (LVI-GC-MS) was applied for the determination of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in aqueous samples. The MASE conditions were optimized for achieving high enrichment of the analytes from aqueous samples, in terms of extraction conditions (shaking speed, extraction temperature and time), extraction solvent and composition (ionic strength, sample pH and presence of organic solvent). Parameters like linearity and reproducibility of the procedure were determined. The extraction efficiency was above 65% for all the analytes and the relative standard deviation (RSD) for five consecutive extractions ranged from 6 to 18%. At optimized conditions detection limits at the ng/L level were achieved. The effectiveness of the method was tested by analyzing real samples, such as river water, apple juice, red wine and milk.

Two traditional maize inbred lines of contrasting technological abilities are discriminated by the seed flour proteome.

PubMed

Pinheiro, Carla; Sergeant, Kjell; Machado, Cátia M; Renaut, Jenny; Ricardo, Cândido P

2013-07-05

The seed proteome of two traditional maize inbred lines (pb269 and pb369) contrasting in grain hardness and in preferable use for bread-making was evaluated. The pb269 seeds, of flint type (i.e., hard endosperm), are preferably used by manufacturers, while pb369 (dent, soft endosperm) is rejected. The hypothesis that the content and relative amounts of specific proteins in the maize flour are relevant for such discrimination of the inbred lines was tested. The flour proteins were sequentially extracted following the Osborne fractionation (selective solubilization), and the four Osborne fractions were submitted to two-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE). The total amount of protein extracted from the seeds was not significantly different, but pb369 flour exhibited significantly higher proportions of salt-extracted proteins (globulins) and ethanol-extracted proteins (alcohol-soluble prolamins). The proteome analysis allowed discrimination between the two inbred lines, with pb269 demonstrating higher heterogeneity than pb369. From the 967 spots (358 common to both lines, 208 specific to pb269, and 401 specific to pb369), 588 were submitted to mass spectrometry (MS). Through the combined use of trypsin and chymotrypsin it was possible to identify proteins in 436 spots. The functional categorization in combination with multivariate analysis highlighted the most discriminant biological processes (carbohydrate metabolic process, response to stress, chitin catabolic process, oxidation-reduction process) and molecular function (nutrient reservoir activity). The inbred lines exhibited quantitative and qualitative differences in these categories. Differences were also revealed in the amounts, proportions, and distribution of several groups of storage proteins, which can have an impact on the organization of the protein body and endosperm hardness. For some proteins (granule-bound starch synthase-1, cyclophilin, zeamatin), a change in the protein solubility rather than in the total amount extracted was observed, which reveals distinct in vivo associations and/or changes in binding strength between the inbred lines. Our approach produced information that relates protein content, relative protein content, and specific protein types to endosperm hardness and to the preferable use for "broa" bread-making.

Validity and reliability of isometric, isokinetic and isoinertial modalities for the assessment of quadriceps muscle strength in patients with total knee arthroplasty.

PubMed

Lienhard, K; Lauermann, S P; Schneider, D; Item-Glatthorn, J F; Casartelli, N C; Maffiuletti, N A

2013-12-01

Reliability of isometric, isokinetic and isoinertial modalities for quadriceps strength evaluation, and the relation between quadriceps strength and physical function was investigated in 29 total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients, with an average age of 63 years. Isometric maximal voluntary contraction torque, isokinetic peak torque, and isoinertial one-repetition maximum load of the involved and uninvolved quadriceps were evaluated as well as objective (walking parameters) and subjective physical function (WOMAC). Reliability was good and comparable for the isometric, isokinetic, and isoinertial strength outcomes on both sides (intraclass correlation coefficient range: 0.947-0.966; standard error of measurement range: 5.1-9.3%). Involved quadriceps strength was significantly correlated to walking speed (r range: 0.641-0.710), step length (r range: 0.685-0.820) and WOMAC function (r range: 0.575-0.663), independent from the modality (P < 0.05). Uninvolved quadriceps strength was also significantly correlated to walking speed (r range: 0.413-0.539), step length (r range: 0.514-0.608) and WOMAC function (r range: 0.374-0.554) (P < 0.05), except for WOMAC function/isokinetic peak torque (P > 0.05). In conclusion, isometric, isokinetic, and isoinertial modalities ensure valid and reliable assessment of quadriceps muscle strength in TKA patients. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Effects of surface treatment and adhesive application on shear bond strength between zirconia and enamel].

PubMed

Li, Yinghui; Wu, Buling; Sun, Fengyang

2013-03-01

To evaluate the effects of sandblasting and different orthodontic adhesives on shear bond strength between zirconia and enamel. Zirconia ceramic samples were designed and manufactured for 40 extracted human maxillary first premolars with CAD/CAM system. The samples were randomized into 4 groups for surface treatment with sandblasting and non-treated with adhesives of 3M Transbond XT or Jingjin dental enamel bonding resin. After 24 h of bonded fixation, the shear bond strengths were measured by universal mechanical testing machine and analyzed with factorial variance analysis. The shear bond strength was significantly higher in sandblasting group than in untreated group (P<0.05) and comparable between the two groups with the adhesives of Transbond XT and dental enamel bonding resin (P>0.05). The shear bond strength between zirconia and enamel is sufficient after sandblasting regardless of the application of either adhesive.

The interfacial strength of carbon nanofiber epoxy composite using single fiber pullout experiments.

PubMed

Manoharan, M P; Sharma, A; Desai, A V; Haque, M A; Bakis, C E; Wang, K W

2009-07-22

Carbon nanotubes and nanofibers are extensively researched as reinforcing agents in nanocomposites for their multifunctionality, light weight and high strength. However, it is the interface between the nanofiber and the matrix that dictates the overall properties of the nanocomposite. The current trend is to measure elastic properties of the bulk nanocomposite and then compare them with theoretical models to extract the information on the interfacial strength. The ideal experiment is single fiber pullout from the matrix because it directly measures the interfacial strength. However, the technique is difficult to apply to nanocomposites because of the small size of the fibers and the requirement for high resolution force and displacement sensing. We present an experimental technique for measuring the interfacial strength of nanofiber-reinforced composites using the single fiber pullout technique and demonstrate the technique for a carbon nanofiber-reinforced epoxy composite. The experiment is performed in situ in a scanning electron microscope and the interfacial strength for the epoxy composite was measured to be 170 MPa.

Wireless Concrete Strength Monitoring of Wind Turbine Foundations.

PubMed

Perry, Marcus; Fusiek, Grzegorz; Niewczas, Pawel; Rubert, Tim; McAlorum, Jack

2017-12-16

Wind turbine foundations are typically cast in place, leaving the concrete to mature under environmental conditions that vary in time and space. As a result, there is uncertainty around the concrete's initial performance, and this can encourage both costly over-design and inaccurate prognoses of structural health. Here, we demonstrate the field application of a dense, wireless thermocouple network to monitor the strength development of an onshore, reinforced-concrete wind turbine foundation. Up-to-date methods in fly ash concrete strength and maturity modelling are used to estimate the distribution and evolution of foundation strength over 29 days of curing. Strength estimates are verified by core samples, extracted from the foundation base. In addition, an artificial neural network, trained using temperature data, is exploited to demonstrate that distributed concrete strengths can be estimated for foundations using only sparse thermocouple data. Our techniques provide a practical alternative to computational models, and could assist site operators in making more informed decisions about foundation design, construction, operation and maintenance.

Wireless Concrete Strength Monitoring of Wind Turbine Foundations

PubMed Central

Niewczas, Pawel; Rubert, Tim

2017-01-01

Wind turbine foundations are typically cast in place, leaving the concrete to mature under environmental conditions that vary in time and space. As a result, there is uncertainty around the concrete’s initial performance, and this can encourage both costly over-design and inaccurate prognoses of structural health. Here, we demonstrate the field application of a dense, wireless thermocouple network to monitor the strength development of an onshore, reinforced-concrete wind turbine foundation. Up-to-date methods in fly ash concrete strength and maturity modelling are used to estimate the distribution and evolution of foundation strength over 29 days of curing. Strength estimates are verified by core samples, extracted from the foundation base. In addition, an artificial neural network, trained using temperature data, is exploited to demonstrate that distributed concrete strengths can be estimated for foundations using only sparse thermocouple data. Our techniques provide a practical alternative to computational models, and could assist site operators in making more informed decisions about foundation design, construction, operation and maintenance. PMID:29258176

Evaluation of the influence of time and concentration of sodium hypochlorite on the bond strength of glass fibre post.

PubMed

Knight, Beau; Love, Robert M; George, Roy

2017-10-24

This study evaluated the effect of time and concentrations of sodium hypochlorite on the bond strength of a glass fibre post cemented in a root canal with resin cement. A total of 45 single-rooted extracted human teeth were prepared with Protaper ® universal files, randomly allocated into nine groups and then subjected to 1% or 4% NaOCl for a period of 1 min or 2 min. Fibre posts were then bonded into the root canal, sectioned and the bond strength tested using a push-out test. A longer irrigation time resulted in a significant reduction (P < 0.05) in bond strength, while a final additional irrigation with distilled water significantly reduced bond strength. The concentration of NaOCl did not significantly affect bond strength. Within the limitations of this study, it was observed that regardless of the concentration of NaOCl used, shorter irrigation times favoured better fibre post bonding. © 2017 Australian Society of Endodontology Inc.

Relationships between Isometric Muscle Strength, Gait Parameters, and Gross Motor Function Measure in Patients with Cerebral Palsy

PubMed Central

Shin, Hyung-Ik; Sung, Ki Hyuk; Chung, Chin Youb; Lee, Kyoung Min; Lee, Seung Yeol; Lee, In Hyeok

2016-01-01

Purpose This study investigated the correlation between isometric muscle strength, gross motor function, and gait parameters in patients with spastic cerebral palsy and to find which muscle groups play an important role for gait pattern in a flexed knee gait. Materials and Methods Twenty-four ambulatory patients (mean age, 10.0 years) with spastic cerebral palsy who were scheduled for single event multilevel surgery, including distal hamstring lengthening, were included. Preoperatively, peak isometric muscle strength was measured for the hip flexor, hip extensor, knee flexor, and knee extensor muscle groups using a handheld dynamometer, and three-dimensional (3D) gait analysis and gross motor function measure (GMFM) scoring were also performed. Correlations between peak isometric strength and GMFM, gait kinematics, and gait kinetics were analyzed. Results Peak isometric muscle strength of all muscle groups was not related to the GMFM score and the gross motor function classification system level. Peak isometric strength of the hip extensor and knee extensor was significantly correlated with the mean pelvic tilt (r=-0.588, p=0.003 and r=-0.436, p=0.033) and maximum pelvic obliquity (r=-0.450, p=0.031 and r=-0.419, p=0.041). There were significant correlations between peak isometric strength of the knee extensor and peak knee extensor moment in early stance (r=0.467, p=0.021) and in terminal stance (r=0.416, p=0.043). Conclusion There is no correlation between muscle strength and gross motor function. However, this study showed that muscle strength, especially of the extensor muscle group of the hip and knee joints, might play a critical role in gait by stabilizing pelvic motion and decreasing energy consumption in a flexed knee gait. PMID:26632404

Relationships between Isometric Muscle Strength, Gait Parameters, and Gross Motor Function Measure in Patients with Cerebral Palsy.

PubMed

Shin, Hyung Ik; Sung, Ki Hyuk; Chung, Chin Youb; Lee, Kyoung Min; Lee, Seung Yeol; Lee, In Hyeok; Park, Moon Seok

2016-01-01

This study investigated the correlation between isometric muscle strength, gross motor function, and gait parameters in patients with spastic cerebral palsy and to find which muscle groups play an important role for gait pattern in a flexed knee gait. Twenty-four ambulatory patients (mean age, 10.0 years) with spastic cerebral palsy who were scheduled for single event multilevel surgery, including distal hamstring lengthening, were included. Preoperatively, peak isometric muscle strength was measured for the hip flexor, hip extensor, knee flexor, and knee extensor muscle groups using a handheld dynamometer, and three-dimensional (3D) gait analysis and gross motor function measure (GMFM) scoring were also performed. Correlations between peak isometric strength and GMFM, gait kinematics, and gait kinetics were analyzed. Peak isometric muscle strength of all muscle groups was not related to the GMFM score and the gross motor function classification system level. Peak isometric strength of the hip extensor and knee extensor was significantly correlated with the mean pelvic tilt (r=-0.588, p=0.003 and r=-0.436, p=0.033) and maximum pelvic obliquity (r=-0.450, p=0.031 and r=-0.419, p=0.041). There were significant correlations between peak isometric strength of the knee extensor and peak knee extensor moment in early stance (r=0.467, p=0.021) and in terminal stance (r=0.416, p=0.043). There is no correlation between muscle strength and gross motor function. However, this study showed that muscle strength, especially of the extensor muscle group of the hip and knee joints, might play a critical role in gait by stabilizing pelvic motion and decreasing energy consumption in a flexed knee gait.

Spectral characterization of plastic scintillation detector response as a function of magnetic field strength

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simiele, E.; Kapsch, R.-P.; Ankerhold, U.; Culberson, W.; DeWerd, L.

2018-04-01

The purpose of this work was to characterize intensity and spectral response changes in a plastic scintillation detector (PSD) as a function of magnetic field strength. Spectra measurements as a function of magnetic field strength were performed using an optical spectrometer. The response of both a PSD and PMMA fiber were investigated to isolate the changes in response from the scintillator and the noise signal as a function of magnetic field strength. All irradiations were performed in water at a photon beam energy of 6 MV. Magnetic field strengths of (0, ±0.35, ±0.70, ±1.05, and  ±1.40) T were investigated. Four noise subtraction techniques were investigated to evaluate the impact on the resulting noise-subtracted scintillator response with magnetic field strength. The noise subtraction methods included direct spectral subtraction, the spectral method, and variants thereof. The PMMA fiber exhibited changes in response of up to 50% with magnetic field strength due to the directional light emission from \\breve{C} erenkov radiation. The PSD showed increases in response of up to 10% when not corrected for the noise signal, which agrees with previous investigations of scintillator response in magnetic fields. Decreases in the \\breve{C} erenkov light ratio with negative field strength were observed with a maximum change at  ‑1.40 T of 3.2% compared to 0 T. The change in the noise-subtracted PSD response as a function of magnetic field strength varied with the noise subtraction technique used. Even after noise subtraction, the PSD exhibited changes in response of up to 5.5% over the four noise subtraction methods investigated.

Performance on the Functional Movement Screen Is Related to Hop Performance But Not to Hip and Knee Strength in Collegiate Football Players.

PubMed

Willigenburg, Nienke; Hewett, Timothy E

2017-03-01

To define the relationship between Functional Movement Screen (FMS) scores and hop performance, hip strength, and knee strength in collegiate football players. Cross-sectional cohort. Freshmen of a Division I collegiate American football team (n = 59). The athletes performed the FMS, and also a variety of hop tests, isokinetic knee strength, and isometric hip strength tasks. We recorded total FMS score, peak strength, and hop performance, and we calculated asymmetries between legs on the different tasks. Spearman correlation coefficients quantified the relationships between these measures, and χ analyses compared the number of athletes with asymmetries on the different tasks. We observed significant correlations (r = 0.38-0.56, P ≤ 0.02) between FMS scores and hop distance but not between FMS scores and hip or knee strength (all P ≥ 0.21). The amount of asymmetry on the FMS test was significantly correlated to the amount of asymmetry on the timed 6-m hop (r = 0.44, P < 0.01) but not to hip or knee strength asymmetries between limbs (all P ≥ 0.34). Functional Movement Screen score was positively correlated to hop distance, and limb asymmetry in FMS tasks was correlated to limb asymmetry in 6-m hop time in football players. No significant correlations were observed between FMS score and hip and knee strength or between FMS asymmetry and asymmetries in hip and knee strength between limbs. These results indicate that a simple hop for distance test may be a time-efficient and cost-efficient alternative to FMS testing in athletes and that functional asymmetries between limbs do not coincide with strength asymmetries.

Ensembles of NLP Tools for Data Element Extraction from Clinical Notes

PubMed Central

Kuo, Tsung-Ting; Rao, Pallavi; Maehara, Cleo; Doan, Son; Chaparro, Juan D.; Day, Michele E.; Farcas, Claudiu; Ohno-Machado, Lucila; Hsu, Chun-Nan

2016-01-01

Natural Language Processing (NLP) is essential for concept extraction from narrative text in electronic health records (EHR). To extract numerous and diverse concepts, such as data elements (i.e., important concepts related to a certain medical condition), a plausible solution is to combine various NLP tools into an ensemble to improve extraction performance. However, it is unclear to what extent ensembles of popular NLP tools improve the extraction of numerous and diverse concepts. Therefore, we built an NLP ensemble pipeline to synergize the strength of popular NLP tools using seven ensemble methods, and to quantify the improvement in performance achieved by ensembles in the extraction of data elements for three very different cohorts. Evaluation results show that the pipeline can improve the performance of NLP tools, but there is high variability depending on the cohort. PMID:28269947

Ensembles of NLP Tools for Data Element Extraction from Clinical Notes.

PubMed

Kuo, Tsung-Ting; Rao, Pallavi; Maehara, Cleo; Doan, Son; Chaparro, Juan D; Day, Michele E; Farcas, Claudiu; Ohno-Machado, Lucila; Hsu, Chun-Nan

2016-01-01

Natural Language Processing (NLP) is essential for concept extraction from narrative text in electronic health records (EHR). To extract numerous and diverse concepts, such as data elements (i.e., important concepts related to a certain medical condition), a plausible solution is to combine various NLP tools into an ensemble to improve extraction performance. However, it is unclear to what extent ensembles of popular NLP tools improve the extraction of numerous and diverse concepts. Therefore, we built an NLP ensemble pipeline to synergize the strength of popular NLP tools using seven ensemble methods, and to quantify the improvement in performance achieved by ensembles in the extraction of data elements for three very different cohorts. Evaluation results show that the pipeline can improve the performance of NLP tools, but there is high variability depending on the cohort.

Noise Strength Estimates of Three SGRs: Swift J1822.3-1606, SGR J1833-0832 and Swift J1834.9-0846

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serim, M. M.; Inam, S. Ç.; Baykal, A.

2012-12-01

We studied timing solutions of the three magnetars SWIFT J1822.3-1606, SGR J1833-0832 and Swift J1834.9-0846. We extracted the residuals of pulse arrival times with respect to the constant pulse frequency derivative. Using polynomial estimator techniques, we estimated the noise strengths of the sources. Our results showed that the noise strength and spin-down rate are strongly correlated, indicating that increase in spin-down rate leads to more torque noise on the magnetars. We are in progress of extending our analysis to the other magnetars.

Intermediate Nuclear Structure for 2v 2{beta} Decay of {sup 48}Ca Studied by (p, n) and (n, p) Reactions at 300 MeV

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sakai, H.; Yako, K.

2009-08-26

Angular distributions of the double differential cross sections for the {sup 48}Ca(p,n) and the {sup 48}Ti(n,p) reactions were measured at 300 MeV. A multipole decomposition technique was applied to the spectra to extract the Gamow-Teller (GT) transition strengths. In the (n, p) spectrum beyond 8 MeV excitation energy extra B(GT{sup +}) strengths which are not predicted by the shell model calculation. This extra B(GT{sup +}) strengths significantly contribute to the nuclear matrix element of the 2v2{beta}-decay.

Extracting dirt from water: a strengths-based approach to religion for African American same-gender-loving men.

PubMed

Lassiter, Jonathan Mathias

2014-02-01

Religion is one of the most powerful and ubiquitous forces in African American same-gender-loving (SGL) men's lives. Research indicates that it has both positive and negative influences on the health behaviors and outcomes of this population. This paper presents a review of the literature that examines religion as a risk and protective factor for African American SGL men. A strengths-based approach to religion that aims to utilize its protective qualities and weaken its relation to risk is proposed. Finally, recommendations are presented for the use of a strengths-based approach to religion in clinical work and research.

Etched poly(ether ether ketone) jacket stir bar with detachable dumbbell-shaped structure for stir bar sorptive extraction.

PubMed

Zhou, Wei; Wang, Chenlu; Wang, Xuemei; Chen, Zilin

2018-06-08

Development of stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) device with high stability and extraction efficiency is critical and challenging by date. In this work, etched poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) tube with high mechanical strength and large specific surface area was used as jacket for SBSE device. By etching with concentrated sulfuric acid, the smooth outer surface of PEEK become porous with plenty of micro holes, which was beneficial for coating of sorbents and significantly improved the extraction performance. After functionalized by bio-polydopamine method, strong hydrophobic p-naphtholbenzein molecular was immobilized onto the chemical resistant PEEK surface (PNB@E-PEEK) as stationary phase. We also firstly developed a simple detachable dumbbell-shaped structure for improving the workability of PEEK jacket stir bar. The dumbbell-shaped construction can eliminate the friction between stir bar and container, and the design of detachable structure make elution can be accomplished easier with small amount of organic solvent. It was interesting that the developed detachable dumbbell-shaped PNB@E-PEEK stir bar showed exceptional stability and extraction efficiency for SBSE enrichment of multiple analytes including several Sudan dyes, triazines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), alkaloids and flavonoid. By coupling with high performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV), PNB@E-PEEK stir bar based SBSE-HPLC-UV method was applied for the analysis of common Sudan dye pollutants. The method showed low limits of detection (0.02-0.03 ng/mL), good linearity (R 2  ≥ 0.9979) and good reproducibility (relative standard deviation ≤ 7.96%). It has been successfully applied to determine three dye pollutants in tap and lake water. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Skeleton extractions and applications].

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Quadros, William Roshan

2010-05-01

This paper focuses on the extraction of skeletons of CAD models and its applications in finite element (FE) mesh generation. The term 'skeleton of a CAD model' can be visualized as analogous to the 'skeleton of a human body'. The skeletal representations covered in this paper include medial axis transform (MAT), Voronoi diagram (VD), chordal axis transform (CAT), mid surface, digital skeletons, and disconnected skeletons. In the literature, the properties of a skeleton have been utilized in developing various algorithms for extracting skeletons. Three main approaches include: (1) the bisection method where the skeleton exists at equidistant from at leastmore » two points on boundary, (2) the grassfire propagation method in which the skeleton exists where the opposing fronts meet, and (3) the duality method where the skeleton is a dual of the object. In the last decade, the author has applied different skeletal representations in all-quad meshing, hex meshing, mid-surface meshing, mesh size function generation, defeaturing, and decomposition. A brief discussion on the related work from other researchers in the area of tri meshing, tet meshing, and anisotropic meshing is also included. This paper concludes by summarizing the strengths and weaknesses of the skeleton-based approaches in solving various geometry-centered problems in FE mesh generation. The skeletons have proved to be a great shape abstraction tool in analyzing the geometric complexity of CAD models as they are symmetric, simpler (reduced dimension), and provide local thickness information. However, skeletons generally require some cleanup, and stability and sensitivity of the skeletons should be controlled during extraction. Also, selecting a suitable application-specific skeleton and a computationally efficient method of extraction is critical.« less

Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi (Anacardiaceae) in the healing process of gastrorraphy in rats.

PubMed

dos Santos, Orlando José; Barros-Filho, Allan Kardec Duailibe; Malafaia, Osvaldo; Ribas-Filho, Jurandir Marcondes; Santos, Rayan Haquim Pinheiro; Santos, Rennan Abud Pinheiro

2012-01-01

Gastrorraphy, isolated or associated with the use of biological adhesives, was throughout the history of surgery the usual way to promote healing in gastric lesions and the use of herbal medicine has been increasingly more employed. To evaluate the wound healing in the stomach of rats with the use of the hydroalcoholic extract of Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi (aroeira). Sixty rats, adult males, were divided into two groups: aroeira group and control group. Each one was subdivided into four subgroups of 15 animals (test groups). Each subdivided subgroup was also subdivided into three subgroups of five rats (deaths periods of 7, 14 and 21 days). All animals underwent the same surgical procedure (injury and stomach suture); animals in the aroeira group received daily dose of 100 mg/kg of hydroalcoholic extract via gavage while the control group received isotonic saline solution. Parameters evaluated were: macroscopic and microscopic changes, test for resistance to insufflation of atmospheric air and test for tensile strength. All animals had good healing of the abdominal wall and gastrorraphies without infection and dehiscence. Both groups had adhesions to the gastrorraphies surfaces with neighboring organs. The resistance test by insufflation of atmospheric air and tensile strength showed higher average of pressure on the 7th day and breaking strength in the time periods for the aroeira group. The intensity of chronic inflammation revealed statistically significant differences in the variables fibroblast proliferation and collagen. The use of hydroalcoholic extract of Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi accelerated the stomach healing in rats.

E1 and M1 γ-strength functions in 144Nd

DOE PAGES

Voinov, A. V.; Grimes, S. M.

2015-12-14

Both E1 and M1 γ-strength functions below the neutron separation energy were analyzed based on experimental data from 143Nd(n,γ) 144Nd and 143Nd(n,γα) 140Ce reactions. It is confirmed that the commonly adopted E1 model based on the temperature dependence of the width of the giant dipole resonance works well. The popular M1 strength function due to the spin-flip magnetic resonance located near the neutron binding energy is not capable of reproducing experimental data. As a result, the low-energy enhancement of the M1 strength or the energy-independent model of Weisskopf, both leading to the low-energy strength sizable to E1 one, fit experimentalmore » data best.« less

Headspace single drop microextraction versus dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction using magnetic ionic liquid extraction solvents.

PubMed

An, Jiwoo; Rahn, Kira L; Anderson, Jared L

2017-05-15

A headspace single drop microextraction (HS-SDME) method and a dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) method were developed using two tetrachloromanganate ([MnCl 4 2- ])-based magnetic ionic liquids (MIL) as extraction solvents for the determination of twelve aromatic compounds, including four polyaromatic hydrocarbons, by reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The analytical performance of the developed HS-SDME method was compared to the DLLME approach employing the same MILs. In the HS-SDME approach, the magnetic field generated by the magnet was exploited to suspend the MIL solvent from the tip of a rod magnet. The utilization of MILs in HS-SDME resulted in a highly stable microdroplet under elevated temperatures and long extraction times, overcoming a common challenge encountered in traditional SDME approaches of droplet instability. The low UV absorbance of the [MnCl 4 2- ]-based MILs permitted direct analysis of the analyte enriched extraction solvent by HPLC. In HS-SDME, the effects of ionic strength of the sample solution, temperature of the extraction system, extraction time, stir rate, and headspace volume on extraction efficiencies were examined. Coefficients of determination (R 2 ) ranged from 0.994 to 0.999 and limits of detection (LODs) varied from 0.04 to 1.0μgL -1 with relative recoveries from lake water ranging from 70.2% to 109.6%. For the DLLME method, parameters including disperser solvent type and volume, ionic strength of the sample solution, mass of extraction solvent, and extraction time were studied and optimized. Coefficients of determination for the DLLME method varied from 0.997 to 0.999 with LODs ranging from 0.05 to 1.0μgL -1 . Relative recoveries from lake water samples ranged from 68.7% to 104.5%. Overall, the DLLME approach permitted faster extraction times and higher enrichment factors for analytes with low vapor pressure whereas the HS-SDME approach exhibited better extraction efficiencies for analytes with relatively higher vapor pressure. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of processing induced defects on laminate response - Interlaminar tensile strength

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gurdal, Zafer; Tomasino, Alfred P.; Biggers, S. B.

1991-01-01

Four different layup methods were used in the present study of the interlaminar tensile strength of AS4/3501-6 graphite-reinforced epoxy as a function of defects from manufacturing-induced porosity. The methods were: (1) baseline hand layup, (2) solvent wipe of prepreg for resin removal, (3) moisture-introduction between plies, and (4) a low-pressure cure cycle. Pore characterization was conducted according to ASTM D-2734. A significant reduction is noted in the out-of-plane tensile strength as a function of increasing void content; the porosity data were used in an empirical model to predict out-of-plane strength as a function of porosity.

The use of carrier RNA to enhance DNA extraction from microfluidic-based silica monoliths.

PubMed

Shaw, Kirsty J; Thain, Lauren; Docker, Peter T; Dyer, Charlotte E; Greenman, John; Greenway, Gillian M; Haswell, Stephen J

2009-10-12

DNA extraction was carried out on silica-based monoliths within a microfluidic device. Solid-phase DNA extraction methodology was applied in which the DNA binds to silica in the presence of a chaotropic salt, such as guanidine hydrochloride, and is eluted in a low ionic strength solution, such as water. The addition of poly-A carrier RNA to the chaotropic salt solution resulted in a marked increase in the effective amount of DNA that could be recovered (25ng) compared to the absence of RNA (5ng) using the silica-based monolith. These findings confirm that techniques utilising nucleic acid carrier molecules can enhance DNA extraction methodologies in microfluidic applications.

Hand grip strength and associated factors in non-institutionalised men and women 50 years and older in South Africa

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Little is known about the prevalence, predictors and gender differences in hand grip strength of older adults in Africa. This study aims to investigate social and health differences in hand grip strength among older adults in a national probability sample of older South Africans who participated in the Study of Global Ageing and Adults Health (SAGE wave 1) in 2008. Methods We conducted a national population-based cross-sectional study with a sample of 3840 men and women aged 50 years or older in South Africa. The questionnaire included socio-demographic characteristics, health variables, and anthropometric measurements. Linear multivariate regression analysis was performed to assess the association of social factors, health variables and grip strength. Results The mean overall hand grip strength was 37.9 kgs for men (mean age 61.1 years, SD = 9.1) and 31.5 kgs for women (mean age 62.0 years, SD = 9.7). In multivariate analysis among men, greater height, not being underweight and lower functional disability was associated with greater grip strength, and among women, greater height, better cognitive functioning, and lower functional disability were associated with greater grip strength. Conclusions Greater height and lower functional disability were found for both older South African men and women to be significantly associated with grip strength. PMID:24393403

Evolutionary versatility of eukaryotic protein domains revealed by their bigram networks

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Protein domains are globular structures of independently folded polypeptides that exert catalytic or binding activities. Their sequences are recognized as evolutionary units that, through genome recombination, constitute protein repertoires of linkage patterns. Via mutations, domains acquire modified functions that contribute to the fitness of cells and organisms. Recent studies have addressed the evolutionary selection that may have shaped the functions of individual domains and the emergence of particular domain combinations, which led to new cellular functions in multi-cellular animals. This study focuses on modeling domain linkage globally and investigates evolutionary implications that may be revealed by novel computational analysis. Results A survey of 77 completely sequenced eukaryotic genomes implies a potential hierarchical and modular organization of biological functions in most living organisms. Domains in a genome or multiple genomes are modeled as a network of hetero-duplex covalent linkages, termed bigrams. A novel computational technique is introduced to decompose such networks, whereby the notion of domain "networking versatility" is derived and measured. The most and least "versatile" domains (termed "core domains" and "peripheral domains" respectively) are examined both computationally via sequence conservation measures and experimentally using selected domains. Our study suggests that such a versatility measure extracted from the bigram networks correlates with the adaptivity of domains during evolution, where the network core domains are highly adaptive, significantly contrasting the network peripheral domains. Conclusions Domain recombination has played a major part in the evolution of eukaryotes attributing to genome complexity. From a system point of view, as the results of selection and constant refinement, networks of domain linkage are structured in a hierarchical modular fashion. Domains with high degree of networking versatility appear to be evolutionary adaptive, potentially through functional innovations. Domain bigram networks are informative as a model of biological functions. The networking versatility indices extracted from such networks for individual domains reflect the strength of evolutionary selection that the domains have experienced. PMID:21849086

Evolutionary versatility of eukaryotic protein domains revealed by their bigram networks.

PubMed

Xie, Xueying; Jin, Jing; Mao, Yongyi

2011-08-18

Protein domains are globular structures of independently folded polypeptides that exert catalytic or binding activities. Their sequences are recognized as evolutionary units that, through genome recombination, constitute protein repertoires of linkage patterns. Via mutations, domains acquire modified functions that contribute to the fitness of cells and organisms. Recent studies have addressed the evolutionary selection that may have shaped the functions of individual domains and the emergence of particular domain combinations, which led to new cellular functions in multi-cellular animals. This study focuses on modeling domain linkage globally and investigates evolutionary implications that may be revealed by novel computational analysis. A survey of 77 completely sequenced eukaryotic genomes implies a potential hierarchical and modular organization of biological functions in most living organisms. Domains in a genome or multiple genomes are modeled as a network of hetero-duplex covalent linkages, termed bigrams. A novel computational technique is introduced to decompose such networks, whereby the notion of domain "networking versatility" is derived and measured. The most and least "versatile" domains (termed "core domains" and "peripheral domains" respectively) are examined both computationally via sequence conservation measures and experimentally using selected domains. Our study suggests that such a versatility measure extracted from the bigram networks correlates with the adaptivity of domains during evolution, where the network core domains are highly adaptive, significantly contrasting the network peripheral domains. Domain recombination has played a major part in the evolution of eukaryotes attributing to genome complexity. From a system point of view, as the results of selection and constant refinement, networks of domain linkage are structured in a hierarchical modular fashion. Domains with high degree of networking versatility appear to be evolutionary adaptive, potentially through functional innovations. Domain bigram networks are informative as a model of biological functions. The networking versatility indices extracted from such networks for individual domains reflect the strength of evolutionary selection that the domains have experienced.

A robust and tunable mitotic oscillator in artificial cells

PubMed Central

Wang, Shiyuan; Barnes, Patrick M; Liu, Xuwen; Xu, Haotian; Jin, Minjun; Liu, Allen P

2018-01-01

Single-cell analysis is pivotal to deciphering complex phenomena like heterogeneity, bistability, and asynchronous oscillations, where a population ensemble cannot represent individual behaviors. Bulk cell-free systems, despite having unique advantages of manipulation and characterization of biochemical networks, lack the essential single-cell information to understand a class of out-of-steady-state dynamics including cell cycles. Here, by encapsulating Xenopus egg extracts in water-in-oil microemulsions, we developed artificial cells that are adjustable in sizes and periods, sustain mitotic oscillations for over 30 cycles, and function in forms from the simplest cytoplasmic-only to the more complicated ones involving nuclear dynamics, mimicking real cells. Such innate flexibility and robustness make it key to studying clock properties like tunability and stochasticity. Our results also highlight energy as an important regulator of cell cycles. We demonstrate a simple, powerful, and likely generalizable strategy of integrating strengths of single-cell approaches into conventional in vitro systems to study complex clock functions. PMID:29620527

Interfacial characteristics and determination of cohesive and adhesive strength of plasma-coated hydroxyapatite via nanoindentation and microscratch techniques.

PubMed

McManamon, Colm; de Silva, Johann P; Power, John; Ramirez-Garcia, Sonia; Morris, Michael A; Cross, Graham L W

2014-09-30

We investigate the chemical composition and mechanical properties of plasma-deposited hydroxyapatite on grit-blasted Ti-6Al-4V coupons as models of typical prosthetic hip implants. Nanoindentation is used to extract the mechanical properties of the hydroxyapatite (HA) coating and to evaluate the behavior of the material as a function of distance from the interface. A microscratch technique was used to determine parameters of cohesive and adhesive failure of the material that are critical in determining the functionality of these biomedical devices. This delamination method has not been studied in detail before and is usually considered to be unsuitable because of the thickness of the HA and the roughness of the substrate. However, through cross-section analysis of the scratch test, we can determine the point at which the HA delaminates from the substrate. It was concluded that spallation occurs locally, and there is no evidence of gross spallation, indicating that the coating is well adhered to the substrate.

Quantitative Understanding of SHAPE Mechanism from RNA Structure and Dynamics Analysis.

PubMed

Hurst, Travis; Xu, Xiaojun; Zhao, Peinan; Chen, Shi-Jie

2018-05-10

The selective 2'-hydroxyl acylation analyzed by primer extension (SHAPE) method probes RNA local structural and dynamic information at single nucleotide resolution. To gain quantitative insights into the relationship between nucleotide flexibility, RNA 3D structure, and SHAPE reactivity, we develop a 3D Structure-SHAPE Relationship model (3DSSR) to rebuild SHAPE profiles from 3D structures. The model starts from RNA structures and combines nucleotide interaction strength and conformational propensity, ligand (SHAPE reagent) accessibility, and base-pairing pattern through a composite function to quantify the correlation between SHAPE reactivity and nucleotide conformational stability. The 3DSSR model shows the relationship between SHAPE reactivity and RNA structure and energetics. Comparisons between the 3DSSR-predicted SHAPE profile and the experimental SHAPE data show correlation, suggesting that the extracted analytical function may have captured the key factors that determine the SHAPE reactivity profile. Furthermore, the theory offers an effective method to sieve RNA 3D models and exclude models that are incompatible with experimental SHAPE data.

Low dynamic muscle strength and its associations with fatigue, functional performance, and quality of life in premenopausal patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and low disease activity: a case–control study

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The purpose of the present study was to compare dynamic muscle strength, functional performance, fatigue, and quality of life in premenopausal systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with low disease activity versus matched-healthy controls and to determine the association of dynamic muscle strength with fatigue, functional performance, and quality of life in SLE patients. Methods We evaluated premenopausal (18–45 years) SLE patients with low disease activity (Systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index [SLEDAI]: mean 1.5 ± 1.2). The control (n = 25) and patient (n = 25) groups were matched by age, physical characteristics, and the level of physical activities in daily life (International Physical Activity Questionnaire IPAQ). Both groups had not participated in regular exercise programs for at least six months prior to the study. Dynamic muscle strength was assessed by one-repetition maximum (1-RM) tests. Functional performance was assessed by the Timed Up and Go (TUG), in 30-s test a chair stand and arm curl using a 2-kg dumbbell and balance test, handgrip strength and a sit-and-reach flexibility test. Quality of life (SF-36) and fatigue were also measured. Results The SLE patients showed significantly lower dynamic muscle strength in all exercises (leg press 25.63%, leg extension 11.19%, leg curl 15.71%, chest press 18.33%, lat pulldown 13.56%, 1-RM total load 18.12%, P < 0.001-0.02) compared to the controls. The SLE patients also had lower functional performance, greater fatigue and poorer quality of life. In addition, fatigue, SF-36 and functional performance accounted for 52% of the variance in dynamic muscle strength in the SLE patients. Conclusions Premenopausal SLE patients with low disease activity showed lower dynamic muscle strength, along with increased fatigue, reduced functional performance, and poorer quality of life when compared to matched controls. PMID:24011222

New Measurements of High-Momentum Nucleons and Short-Range Structures in Nuclei

DOE PAGES

Fomin, N.; Arrington, J.; Asaturyan, R.; ...

2012-02-01

We present new, high-Q 2 measurements of inclusive electron scattering from high-momentum nucleons in nuclei. This yields an improved extraction of the strength of two-nucleon correlations for several nuclei, including light nuclei where clustering effects can, for the first time, be examined. The data extend to the kinematic regime where three-nucleon correlations are expected to dominate and we observe significantly greater strength in this region than previous measurements.

Antibacterial effect and shear bond strength of an orthodontic adhesive cement containing Galla chinensis extract

PubMed Central

WANG, LU-FEI; LUO, FENG; XUE, CHAO-RAN; DENG, MENG; CHEN, CHEN; WU, HAO

2016-01-01

Galla chinensis extract (GCE), a naturally-derived agent, has a significant inhibitory effect on cariogenic bacteria. The present study aims to evaluate the antibacterial effect and shear bond strength of an orthodontic adhesive cement containing GCE. A resin-modified glass ionomer cement incorporated GCE at five mass fractions (0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, and 0.8%) to prepare GCE-containing cement for analysis. For the agar diffusion test, cement specimens were placed on agar disk inoculated with Streptococcus mutans (strain ATCC 25175). Following 48 h incubation, the inhibition halo diameter was measured. To assess bacteria colonization susceptibility, S. mutans adhesion to cement specimens was detected by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) following 48 h incubation. To evaluate bond strength, a total of 50 metal brackets were bonded on premolar surfaces by using cement (10 teeth/group). Following immersion in an artificial saliva for 3 days, shear bond strength (SBS) was measured. The results demonstrated that GCE-containing samples exhibited a larger bacterial inhibition halo than control, and the inhibition zone increased as the GCE mass fraction increased. SEM analysis demonstrated that S. mutans presented a weaker adherent capacity to all GCE-containing cements compared with control, but the difference between each GCE-containing group was not significant. SBS values of each GCE-containing group exhibited no difference compared with the control. In conclusion, GCE-containing adhesive cement exhibits a promising inhibitory effect on S. mutans growth and adhesion. Without compromising bond strength, adding GCE in adhesive cement may be an attractive option for preventing white spot lesions during orthodontic treatment. PMID:27073642

Disease causality extraction based on lexical semantics and document-clause frequency from biomedical literature.

PubMed

Lee, Dong-Gi; Shin, Hyunjung

2017-05-18

Recently, research on human disease network has succeeded and has become an aid in figuring out the relationship between various diseases. In most disease networks, however, the relationship between diseases has been simply represented as an association. This representation results in the difficulty of identifying prior diseases and their influence on posterior diseases. In this paper, we propose a causal disease network that implements disease causality through text mining on biomedical literature. To identify the causality between diseases, the proposed method includes two schemes: the first is the lexicon-based causality term strength, which provides the causal strength on a variety of causality terms based on lexicon analysis. The second is the frequency-based causality strength, which determines the direction and strength of causality based on document and clause frequencies in the literature. We applied the proposed method to 6,617,833 PubMed literature, and chose 195 diseases to construct a causal disease network. From all possible pairs of disease nodes in the network, 1011 causal pairs of 149 diseases were extracted. The resulting network was compared with that of a previous study. In terms of both coverage and quality, the proposed method showed outperforming results; it determined 2.7 times more causalities and showed higher correlation with associated diseases than the existing method. This research has novelty in which the proposed method circumvents the limitations of time and cost in applying all possible causalities in biological experiments and it is a more advanced text mining technique by defining the concepts of causality term strength.

Relationship between physical function and biomechanical gait patterns in boys with haemophilia.

PubMed

Stephensen, D; Taylor, S; Bladen, M; Drechsler, W I

2016-11-01

The World Federation of Haemophilia recommends joint and muscle health is evaluated using X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging, together with clinical examination scores. To date, inclusion of performance-based functional activities to monitor children with the condition has received little attention. To evaluate test-retest repeatability of physical function tests and quantify relationships between physical function, lower limb muscle strength and gait patterns in young boys with haemophilia. Timed 6-minute walk, timed up and down stairs, timed single leg stance, muscle strength of the knee extensors, ankle dorsi and plantar flexors, together with joint biomechanics during level walking were collected from 21 boys aged 6-12 years with severe haemophilia. Measures of physical function and recording of muscle strength with a hand-held myometer were repeatable (ICC > 0.78). Distances walked in six minutes, time taken to go up and down a flight of stairs and lower limb muscle strength correlated closely with ankle range of motion, together with peak knee flexion and ankle dorsi and plantarflexion moments during walking (P < 0.05). Alterations in gait patterns of boys with haemophilia appear to be associated with changes in performance of physical function and performance seems to depend on their muscle strength. Timed 6-minute walk test, timed up and down steps test and muscle strength of the knee extensors showed the strongest correlation with biomechanical joint function, and hence might serve as a basis for the clinical monitoring of physical function outcomes in children with haemophilia. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Hand grip strength and cognitive function among elderly cancer survivors.

PubMed

Yang, Lin; Koyanagi, Ai; Smith, Lee; Hu, Liang; Colditz, Graham A; Toriola, Adetunji T; López Sánchez, Guillermo Felipe; Vancampfort, Davy; Hamer, Mark; Stubbs, Brendon; Waldhör, Thomas

2018-01-01

We evaluated the associations of handgrip strength and cognitive function in cancer survivors ≥ 60 years old using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Data in two waves of NHANES (2011-2014) were aggregated. Handgrip strength in kilogram (kg) was defined as the maximum value achieved using either hand. Two cognitive function tests were conducted among adults 60 years and older. The Animal Fluency Test (AFT) examines categorical verbal fluency (a component of executive function), and the Digital Symbol Substitution test (DSST) assesses processing speed, sustained attention, and working memory. Survey analysis procedures were used to account for the complex sampling design of the NHANES. Multiple linear regression models were used to estimate associations of handgrip strength with cognitive test scores, adjusting for confounders (age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, marital status, smoking status, depressive symptoms and leisure time physical activity). Among 383 cancer survivors (58.5% women, mean age = 70.9 years, mean BMI = 29.3 kg/m2), prevalent cancer types were breast (22.9%), prostate (16.4%), colon (6.9%) and cervix (6.2%). In women, each increase in kg of handgrip strength was associated with 0.20 (95% CI: 0.08 to 0.33) higher score on AFT and 0.83 (95% CI: 0.30 to 1.35) higher score on DSST. In men, we observed an inverted U-shape association where cognitive function peaked at handgrip strength of 40-42 kg. Handgrip strength, a modifiable factor, appears to be associated with aspects of cognitive functions in cancer survivors. Prospective studies are needed to address their causal relationship.

Poor physical function in elderly women in low-level aged care is related to muscle strength rather than to measures of sarcopenia

PubMed Central

Woods, Julie L; Iuliano-Burns, Sandra; King, Susannah J; Strauss, Boyd J; Walker, Karen Z

2011-01-01

Purpose: To determine the prevalence of sarcopenia and investigate relationships among body composition, muscle strength, and physical function in elderly women in low-level aged care. Subjects and methods: Sixty-three ambulatory women (mean age 86 years) participated in this cross-sectional study where body composition was determined by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA); ankle, knee, and hip strength by the Nicholas Manual Muscle Tester; and physical function by ‘timed up and go’ (TUG) and walking speed (WS) over 6 meters. Body composition data from a female reference group (n = 62, mean age 29 years) provided cut-off values for defining sarcopenia. Results: Elderly women had higher body mass index (P < 0.001), lower lean mass (P < 0.001), and higher fat mass (P < 0.01) than the young reference group. Only a small proportion (3.2%) had absolute sarcopenia (defined by appendicular skeletal muscle mass/height squared) whereas 37% had relative sarcopenia class II (defined by percentage skeletal muscle mass). Scores for TUG and WS indicated relatively poor physical function, yet these measures were not associated with muscle mass or indices of sarcopenia. In multivariate analysis, only hip abductor strength predicted both TUG and WS (both P = 0.01). Conclusion: Hip strength is a more important indicator of physical functioning than lean mass. Measurement of hip strength may therefore be a useful screening tool to detect those at risk of functional decline and requirement for additional care. Further longitudinal studies with a range of other strength measures are warranted. PMID:21472094

EFFECTS OF STRENGTH TRAINING ON PHYSICAL FUNCTION: INFLUENCE OF POWER, STRENGTH, AND BODY COMPOSITION

PubMed Central

Hanson, Erik D.; Srivatsan, Sindhu R.; Agrawal, Siddhartha; Menon, Kalapurakkal S.; Delmonico, Matthew J.; Wang, Min Q.; Hurley, Ben F.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine (a) the effects of strength training (ST) on physical function and (b) the influence of strength, power, muscle volume (MV), and body composition on physical function. Healthy, inactive adults (n = 50) aged 65 years and older underwent strength, power, total body composition (% fat and fat free mass [FFM]), and physical function testing before and after 22 weeks of ST. Physical function testing consisted of tasks designed to mimic common physical activities of daily living (ADL). To improve internal validity of the assessment of mid-thigh intermuscular fat, subcutaneous fat, and knee extensors MV, a 10-week unilateral ST program using the untrained leg as an internal control preceded 12 weeks of whole-body ST. Strength, power, and FFM increased significantly with ST (all p < 0.05), whereas rapid walk, 5 chair stands, and get up and go time decreased significantly with ST in the overall group (all p < 0.05). Women improved significantly in both walking test times (both p < 0.05) but not in the stair climb test, whereas men improved in the stair climb test (p < 0.05) but not in walking test times. Multiple regression analysis revealed the highest R2 (0.28) for the change in chair stands time, followed by stair climb and usual walk at 0.27 and 0.21, respectively. ST improves performance in functional tasks important for ADLs. Changes in strength, power, and FFM are predictors of ST-induced improvements in these tasks. PMID:19910811

Poor physical function in elderly women in low-level aged care is related to muscle strength rather than to measures of sarcopenia.

PubMed

Woods, Julie L; Iuliano-Burns, Sandra; King, Susannah J; Strauss, Boyd J; Walker, Karen Z

2011-01-01

To determine the prevalence of sarcopenia and investigate relationships among body composition, muscle strength, and physical function in elderly women in low-level aged care. Sixty-three ambulatory women (mean age 86 years) participated in this cross-sectional study where body composition was determined by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA); ankle, knee, and hip strength by the Nicholas Manual Muscle Tester; and physical function by 'timed up and go' (TUG) and walking speed (WS) over 6 meters. Body composition data from a female reference group (n = 62, mean age 29 years) provided cut-off values for defining sarcopenia. Elderly women had higher body mass index (P < 0.001), lower lean mass (P < 0.001), and higher fat mass (P < 0.01) than the young reference group. Only a small proportion (3.2%) had absolute sarcopenia (defined by appendicular skeletal muscle mass/height squared) whereas 37% had relative sarcopenia class II (defined by percentage skeletal muscle mass). Scores for TUG and WS indicated relatively poor physical function, yet these measures were not associated with muscle mass or indices of sarcopenia. In multivariate analysis, only hip abductor strength predicted both TUG and WS (both P = 0.01). Hip strength is a more important indicator of physical functioning than lean mass. Measurement of hip strength may therefore be a useful screening tool to detect those at risk of functional decline and requirement for additional care. Further longitudinal studies with a range of other strength measures are warranted.

Probabilistic material degradation model for aerospace materials subjected to high temperature, mechanical and thermal fatigue, and creep

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boyce, L.

1992-01-01

A probabilistic general material strength degradation model has been developed for structural components of aerospace propulsion systems subjected to diverse random effects. The model has been implemented in two FORTRAN programs, PROMISS (Probabilistic Material Strength Simulator) and PROMISC (Probabilistic Material Strength Calibrator). PROMISS calculates the random lifetime strength of an aerospace propulsion component due to as many as eighteen diverse random effects. Results are presented in the form of probability density functions and cumulative distribution functions of lifetime strength. PROMISC calibrates the model by calculating the values of empirical material constants.

Treatment of cartilage with beta-aminopropionitrile accelerates subsequent collagen maturation and modulates integrative repair.

PubMed

McGowan, Kevin B; Sah, Robert L

2005-05-01

Integrative repair of cartilage was previously found to depend on collagen synthesis and maturation. beta-aminopropionitrile (BAPN) treatment, which irreversibly blocks lysyl oxidase, inhibited the formation of collagen crosslinks, prevented development of adhesive strength, and caused a buildup of GuHCl-extractable collagen crosslink precursors. This buildup of crosslink precursor in the tissue may be useful for enhancing integrative repair. We tested in vitro the hypothesis that pre-treatment of cartilage with BAPN, followed by washout before implantation, could be a useful therapeutic strategy to accelerate subsequent collagen maturation. In individual cartilage disks, collagen processing was reversibly blocked by BAPN treatment (0.1 mM) as indicated by a BAPN-induced increase in the total and proportion of incorporated radiolabel that was extractable by 4M guanidine-HCl, followed by a decrease, within 3-4 days of BAPN washout, in the proportion of extractable radiolabel to control levels. With a similar pattern, integration between pairs of apposed cartilage blocks was reversibly blocked by BAPN treatment, and followed by an enhancement of integration after BAPN washout. The low and high levels of integration were associated with enrichment in [(3)H]proline in a form that was susceptible and resistant, respectively, to extraction. With increasing duration up to 7 days after BAPN pre-treatment, the levels of [(3)H]proline extraction decreased, and the development of adhesive strength increased. Thus, BAPN can be used to modulate integrative cartilage repair.

Appraisal on the wound healing activity of different extracts obtained from Aegle marmelos and Mucuna pruriens by in vivo experimental models.

PubMed

Toppo, F A; Pawar, R S

2016-01-01

The use of a simple and reproducible model is inevitable for an objective statement of the effects of external factors on wound healing. Hence, the present study was conducted to evaluate wound healing activities of sequential different extracts of Aegle marmelos leaves (AM) and Mucuna pruriens seeds (MP) by in vivo experimental models. Wistar albino rats were subjected to excision, incision and dead space wounds measuring approximately 250 mm2, 3 cm and implanting sterilized polyvinyl chloride tube on the back of each rat near either side of the vertebral column respectively. The experimental animals were randomized into eight groups (n = 6), control, standard and treatment groups. Hydrogel of different extracts were applied topically once daily. The parameters observed were percentage of wound contraction, epithelization period, tensile strength, hydroxyproline content of the granulation tissue, and histological changes during wound healing. The statistical study revealed that in excision, incision, and dead space wound models all formulations have significant (P < 0.01) wound healing potential. However, methanolic extract formulation was found to be superior to all other treatments as evidenced by rapid wound contraction, lesser number of days required for complete epithelization, increased tensile strength and significant increase in hydroxyproline content. As compared to the reference standard treated group the wound healing process of the experimental groups was decelerated. All extracts obtained from AM and MP facilitated the wound healing process in all experimental models.

Extraction of 3D Femur Neck Trabecular Bone Architecture from Clinical CT Images in Osteoporotic Evaluation: a Novel Framework.

PubMed

Sapthagirivasan, V; Anburajan, M; Janarthanam, S

2015-08-01

The early detection of osteoporosis risk enhances the lifespan and quality of life of an individual. A reasonable in-vivo assessment of trabecular bone strength at the proximal femur helps to evaluate the fracture risk and henceforth, to understand the associated structural dynamics on occurrence of osteoporosis. The main aim of our study was to develop a framework to automatically determine the trabecular bone strength from clinical femur CT images and thereby to estimate its correlation with BMD. All the 50 studied south Indian female subjects aged 30 to 80 years underwent CT and DXA measurements at right femur region. Initially, the original CT slices were intensified and active contour model was utilised for the extraction of the neck region. After processing through a novel process called trabecular enrichment approach (TEA), the three dimensional (3D) trabecular features were extracted. The extracted 3D trabecular features, such as volume fraction (VF), solidity of delta points (SDP) and boundness, demonstrated a significant correlation with femoral neck bone mineral density (r = 0.551, r = 0.432, r = 0.552 respectively) at p < 0.001. The higher area under the curve values of the extracted features (VF: 85.3 %; 95CI: 68.2-100 %, SDP: 82.1 %; 95CI: 65.1-98.9 % and boundness: 90.4 %; 95CI: 78.7-100 %) were observed. The findings suggest that the proposed framework with TEA method would be useful for spotting women vulnerable to osteoporotic risk.

Thouless energy and multifractality across the many-body localization transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serbyn, Maksym; Papić, Z.; Abanin, Dmitry A.

2017-09-01

Thermal and many-body localized phases are separated by a dynamical phase transition of a new kind. We analyze the distribution of off-diagonal matrix elements of local operators across this transition in two different models of disordered spin chains. We show that the behavior of matrix elements can be used to characterize the breakdown of thermalization and to extract the many-body Thouless energy. We find that upon increasing the disorder strength the system enters a critical region around the many-body localization transition. The properties of the system in this region are: (i) the Thouless energy becomes smaller than the level spacing, (ii) the matrix elements show critical dependence on the energy difference, and (iii) the matrix elements, viewed as amplitudes of a fictitious wave function, exhibit strong multifractality. This critical region decreases with the system size, which we interpret as evidence for a diverging correlation length at the many-body localization transition. Our findings show that the correlation length becomes larger than the accessible system sizes in a broad range of disorder strength values and shed light on the critical behavior near the many-body localization transition.

Passive RFID Rotation Dimension Reduction via Aggregation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matthews, Eric

Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) has applications in object identification, position, and orientation tracking. RFID technology can be applied in hospitals for patient and equipment tracking, stores and warehouses for product tracking, robots for self-localisation, tracking hazardous materials, or locating any other desired object. Efficient and accurate algorithms that perform localisation are required to extract meaningful data beyond simple identification. A Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) is the strength of a received radio frequency signal used to localise passive and active RFID tags. Many factors affect RSSI such as reflections, tag rotation in 3D space, and obstacles blocking line-of-sight. LANDMARC is a statistical method for estimating tag location based on a target tag's similarity to surrounding reference tags. LANDMARC does not take into account the rotation of the target tag. By either aggregating multiple reference tag positions at various rotations, or by determining a rotation value for a newly read tag, we can perform an expected value calculation based on a comparison to the k-most similar training samples via an algorithm called K-Nearest Neighbours (KNN) more accurately. By choosing the average as the aggregation function, we improve the relative accuracy of single-rotation LANDMARC localisation by 10%, and any-rotation localisation by 20%.

Small angle x ray scattering studies of reverse micelles in supercritical fluids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pfund, D. M.; Fulton, J. L.

1994-10-01

The nature of aggregates formed in a supercritical fluid determines its solvent power and selectivity. Small angle X ray scattering (SAXS) is a powerful tool for studying the properties of aggregates with sizes in the 10(angstrom) to 200(angstrom) range. It is also useful in studying those interparticle interactions which operate over a similar distance. The authors have used SAXS to examine the aggregates formed in pure fluids, in mixtures and in fluid/surfactant/water systems. The scattered intensity as a function of angle depends on the geometry, polydispersity, X ray contrast, and interaction strength of the particles as well as on the phase behavior of the system. In this paper the authors present the results of modeling the X-ray scattering from AOT/water reverse micelles in supercritical propane and in propane/carbon dioxide mixtures. They examine the effect of dilution with CO2 anti-solvent on the phase behavior of the system and on the strength of intermicellar attractions. A better understanding of these systems must be obtained before the applications of supercritical reverse micelle systems to extractions, reactions, and enhanced oil recovery can be fully developed.

Acute effects of static stretching on peak and end-range hamstring-to-quadriceps functional ratios.

PubMed

Sekir, Ufuk; Arabaci, Ramiz; Akova, Bedrettin

2015-10-18

To evaluate if static stretching influences peak and end-range functional hamstring-to-quadriceps (H/Q) strength ratios in elite women athletes. Eleven healthy female athletes in an elite competitive level participated to the study. All the participants fulfilled the static stretching or non-stretching (control) intervention protocol in a randomized design on different days. Two static unassisted stretching exercises, one in standing and one in sitting position, were used to stretch both the hamstring and quadriceps muscles during these protocols. The total time for the static stretching was 6 ± 1 min. The isokinetic peak torque measurements for the hamstring and quadriceps muscles in eccentric and concentric modes and the calculations for the functional H/Q strength ratios at angular velocities of 60°/s and 180°/s were made before (pre) and after (post) the control or stretching intervention. The strength measurements and functional strength ratio calculations were based during the entire- and end-range of knee extension. The pre-test scores for quadriceps and hamstring peak torque and end range values were not significantly different between the groups (P > 0.05). Subsequently, although the control group did not exhibit significant changes in quadriceps and hamstring muscle strength (P > 0.05), static stretching decreased eccentric and concentric quadriceps muscle strength at both the 60°/s and 180°/s test speeds (P < 0.01). Similarly, static stretching also decreased eccentric and concentric hamstring muscle strength at both the 60°/s and 180°/s test speeds (P < 0.01). On the other hand, when the functional H/Q strength ratios were taken into consideration, the pre-intervention values were not significant different between the groups both during the entire and end range of knee extension (P > 0.05). Furthermore, the functional H/Q strength ratios exhibited no significant alterations during the entire and end ranges of knee extension both in the static stretching or the control intervention (P > 0.05). According to our results, static stretching routine does not influence functional H/Q ratio. Athletes can confidently perform static stretching during their warm-up routines.

Acute effects of static stretching on peak and end-range hamstring-to-quadriceps functional ratios

PubMed Central

Sekir, Ufuk; Arabaci, Ramiz; Akova, Bedrettin

2015-01-01

AIM: To evaluate if static stretching influences peak and end-range functional hamstring-to-quadriceps (H/Q) strength ratios in elite women athletes. METHODS: Eleven healthy female athletes in an elite competitive level participated to the study. All the participants fulfilled the static stretching or non-stretching (control) intervention protocol in a randomized design on different days. Two static unassisted stretching exercises, one in standing and one in sitting position, were used to stretch both the hamstring and quadriceps muscles during these protocols. The total time for the static stretching was 6 ± 1 min. The isokinetic peak torque measurements for the hamstring and quadriceps muscles in eccentric and concentric modes and the calculations for the functional H/Q strength ratios at angular velocities of 60°/s and 180°/s were made before (pre) and after (post) the control or stretching intervention. The strength measurements and functional strength ratio calculations were based during the entire- and end-range of knee extension. RESULTS: The pre-test scores for quadriceps and hamstring peak torque and end range values were not significantly different between the groups (P > 0.05). Subsequently, although the control group did not exhibit significant changes in quadriceps and hamstring muscle strength (P > 0.05), static stretching decreased eccentric and concentric quadriceps muscle strength at both the 60°/s and 180°/s test speeds (P < 0.01). Similarly, static stretching also decreased eccentric and concentric hamstring muscle strength at both the 60°/s and 180°/s test speeds (P < 0.01). On the other hand, when the functional H/Q strength ratios were taken into consideration, the pre-intervention values were not significant different between the groups both during the entire and end range of knee extension (P > 0.05). Furthermore, the functional H/Q strength ratios exhibited no significant alterations during the entire and end ranges of knee extension both in the static stretching or the control intervention (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: According to our results, static stretching routine does not influence functional H/Q ratio. Athletes can confidently perform static stretching during their warm-up routines. PMID:26495249

New true-triaxial rock strength criteria considering intrinsic material characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Qiang; Li, Cheng; Quan, Xiaowei; Wang, Yanning; Yu, Liyuan; Jiang, Binsong

2018-02-01

A reasonable strength criterion should reflect the hydrostatic pressure effect, minimum principal stress effect, and intermediate principal stress effect. The former two effects can be described by the meridian curves, and the last one mainly depends on the Lode angle dependence function. Among three conventional strength criteria, i.e. Mohr-Coulomb (MC), Hoek-Brown (HB), and Exponent (EP) criteria, the difference between generalized compression and extension strength of EP criterion experience a firstly increase then decrease process, and tends to be zero when hydrostatic pressure is big enough. This is in accordance with intrinsic rock strength characterization. Moreover, the critical hydrostatic pressure I_c corresponding to the maximum difference of between generalized compression and extension strength can be easily adjusted by minimum principal stress influence parameter K. So, the exponent function is a more reasonable meridian curves, which well reflects the hydrostatic pressure effect and is employed to describe the generalized compression and extension strength. Meanwhile, three Lode angle dependence functions of L_{{MN}}, L_{{WW}}, and L_{{YMH}}, which unconditionally satisfy the convexity and differential requirements, are employed to represent the intermediate principal stress effect. Realizing the actual strength surface should be located between the generalized compression and extension surface, new true-triaxial criteria are proposed by combining the two states of EP criterion by Lode angle dependence function with a same lode angle. The proposed new true-triaxial criteria have the same strength parameters as EP criterion. Finally, 14 groups of triaxial test data are employed to validate the proposed criteria. The results show that the three new true-triaxial exponent criteria, especially the Exponent Willam-Warnke criterion (EPWW) criterion, give much lower misfits, which illustrates that the EP criterion and L_{{WW}} have more reasonable meridian and deviatoric function form, respectively. The proposed new true-triaxial strength criteria can provide theoretical foundation for stability analysis and optimization of support design of rock engineering.

High and odd impact exercise training improved physical function and fall risk factors in community-dwelling older men

PubMed Central

Allison, Sarah J.; Brooke-Wavell, Katherine; Folland, Jonathan

2018-01-01

High impact exercise programmes can improve bone strength, but little is known about whether this type of training further benefits fracture risk by improving physical function in older people. Objectives: This study investigated the influence of high impact exercise on balance, muscle function and morphology in older men. Methods: Fifty, healthy men (65-80 years) were assigned to a 6-month multidirectional hopping programme (TG) and twenty age and physical activity matched volunteers served as controls (CG). Before and after training, muscle function (hop performance, leg press and plantar- and dorsiflexion strength) and physiological determinants (muscle thickness and architecture) as well as balance control (sway path, one leg stance duration) were measured. Resting gastrocnemius medialis (GM) muscle thickness and architecture were assessed using ultrasonography. Results: Significant improvements in hop impulse (+12%), isometric leg-press strength (+4%) and ankle plantarflexion strength (+11%), dorsiflexor strength (+20%) were found in the TG compared to the CG (ANOVA interaction, P<0.05) and unilateral stance time improved over time for TG. GM muscle thickness indicated modest hypertrophy (+4%), but muscle architecture was unchanged. Conclusion: The positive changes in strength and balance after high impact and odd impact training would be expected to improve physical function in older adults. PMID:29504585

Effect of isometric quadriceps exercise on muscle strength, pain, and function in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled study.

PubMed

Anwer, Shahnawaz; Alghadir, Ahmad

2014-05-01

[Purpose] The aim of present study was to investigate the effects of isometric quadriceps exercise on muscle strength, pain, and function in knee osteoarthritis. [Subjects and Methods] Outpatients (N=42, 21 per group; age range 40-65 years; 13 men and 29 women) with osteoarthritis of the knee participated in the study. The experimental group performed isometric exercises including isometric quadriceps, straight leg raising, and isometric hip adduction exercise 5 days a week for 5 weeks, whereas the control group did not performed any exercise program. The outcome measures or dependent variables selected for this study were pain intensity, isometric quadriceps strength, and knee function. These variables were measured using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), strength gauge device, and reduced WOMAC index, respectively. All the measurements were taken at baseline (week 0) and at the end of the trial at week 5. [Results] In between-group comparisons, the maximum isometric quadriceps strength, reduction in pain intensity, and improvement in function in the isometric exercise group at the end of the 5th week were significantly greater than those of the control group (p<0.05). [Conclusion] The 5-week isometric quadriceps exercise program showed beneficial effects on quadriceps muscle strength, pain, and functional disability in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.

High and odd impact exercise training improved physical function and fall risk factors in community-dwelling older men.

PubMed

Allison, Sarah J; Brooke-Wavell, Katherine; Folland, Jonathan

2018-03-01

High impact exercise programmes can improve bone strength, but little is known about whether this type of training further benefits fracture risk by improving physical function in older people. This study investigated the influence of high impact exercise on balance, muscle function and morphology in older men. Fifty, healthy men (65-80 years) were assigned to a 6-month multidirectional hopping programme (TG) and twenty age and physical activity matched volunteers served as controls (CG). Before and after training, muscle function (hop performance, leg press and plantar- and dorsiflexion strength) and physiological determinants (muscle thickness and architecture) as well as balance control (sway path, one leg stance duration) were measured. Resting gastrocnemius medialis (GM) muscle thickness and architecture were assessed using ultrasonography. Significant improvements in hop impulse (+12%), isometric leg-press strength (+4%) and ankle plantarflexion strength (+11%), dorsiflexor strength (+20%) were found in the TG compared to the CG (ANOVA interaction, P⟨0.05) and unilateral stance time improved over time for TG. GM muscle thickness indicated modest hypertrophy (+4%), but muscle architecture was unchanged. The positive changes in strength and balance after high impact and odd impact training would be expected to improve physical function in older adults.

Surgery-Induced Changes and Early Recovery of Hip-Muscle Strength, Leg-Press Power, and Functional Performance after Fast-Track Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Prospective Cohort Study

PubMed Central

Holm, Bente; Thorborg, Kristian; Husted, Henrik; Kehlet, Henrik; Bandholm, Thomas

2013-01-01

Background By measuring very early changes in muscle strength and functional performance after fast-track total hip arthroplasty (THA), post-operative rehabilitation, introduced soon after surgery, can be designed to specifically target identified deficits. Objective(s) Firstly, to quantify changes (compared to pre-operative values) in hip muscle strength, leg-press power, and functional performance in the first week after THA, and secondly, to explore relationships between the muscle strength changes, and changes in hip pain, systemic inflammation, and thigh swelling. Design Prospective, cohort study. Setting Convenience sample of patients receiving a THA at Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark, between March and December 2011. Participants Thirty-five patients (65.9±7.2 years) undergoing THA. Main outcome measures Hip muscle strength, leg-press power, performance-based function, and self-reported disability were determined prior to, and 2 and 8 days after, THA (Day 2 and 8, respectively). Hip pain, thigh swelling, and C-Reactive Protein were also determined. Results Five patients were lost to follow-up. Hip muscle strength and leg press power were substantially reduced at Day 2 (range of reductions: 41–58%, P<0.001), but less pronounced at Day 8 (range of reductions: 23–31%, P<0.017). Self-reported symptoms and function (HOOS: Pain, Symptoms, and ADL) improved at Day 8 (P<0.014). Changes in hip pain, C-Reactive Protein, and thigh swelling were not related to the muscle strength and power losses. Conclusion(s) Hip muscle strength and leg-press power decreased substantially in the first week after THA – especially at Day 2 – with some recovery at Day 8. The muscle strength loss and power loss were not related to changes in hip pain, systemic inflammation, or thigh swelling. In contrast, self-reported symptoms and function improved. These data on surgery-induced changes in muscle strength may help design impairment-directed, post-operative rehabilitation to be introduced soon after surgery. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01246674. PMID:23614020

Electric Dipole Polarizability of ^{48}Ca and Implications for the Neutron Skin.

PubMed

Birkhan, J; Miorelli, M; Bacca, S; Bassauer, S; Bertulani, C A; Hagen, G; Matsubara, H; von Neumann-Cosel, P; Papenbrock, T; Pietralla, N; Ponomarev, V Yu; Richter, A; Schwenk, A; Tamii, A

2017-06-23

The electric dipole strength distribution in ^{48}Ca between 5 and 25 MeV has been determined at RCNP, Osaka from proton inelastic scattering experiments at forward angles. Combined with photoabsorption data at higher excitation energy, this enables the first extraction of the electric dipole polarizability α_{D}(^{48}Ca)=2.07(22)  fm^{3}. Remarkably, the dipole response of ^{48}Ca is found to be very similar to that of ^{40}Ca, consistent with a small neutron skin in ^{48}Ca. The experimental results are in good agreement with ab initio calculations based on chiral effective field theory interactions and with state-of-the-art density-functional calculations, implying a neutron skin in ^{48}Ca of 0.14-0.20 fm.

Acoustic emission signal processing technique to characterize reactor in-pile phenomena

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Agarwal, Vivek, E-mail: vivek.agarwal@inl.gov; Tawfik, Magdy S., E-mail: magdy.tawfik@inl.gov; Smith, James A., E-mail: james.smith@inl.gov

2015-03-31

Existing and developing advanced sensor technologies and instrumentation will allow non-intrusive in-pile measurement of temperature, extension, and fission gases when coupled with advanced signal processing algorithms. The transmitted measured sensor signals from inside to the outside of containment structure are corrupted by noise and are attenuated, thereby reducing the signal strength and the signal-to-noise ratio. Identification and extraction of actual signal (representative of an in-pile phenomenon) is a challenging and complicated process. In the paper, empirical mode decomposition technique is utilized to reconstruct actual sensor signal by partially combining intrinsic mode functions. Reconstructed signal will correspond to phenomena and/or failuremore » modes occurring inside the reactor. In addition, it allows accurate non-intrusive monitoring and trending of in-pile phenomena.« less

Electric Dipole Polarizability of Ca 48 and Implications for the Neutron Skin

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Birkhan, J.; Miorelli, M.; Bacca, S.

The electric dipole strength distribution in 48Ca between 5 and 25 MeV has been determined at RCNP, Osaka, from proton inelastic scattering experiments at forward angles. Combined with photoabsorption data at higher excitation energy, this enables the rst extraction of the electric dipole polarizability D( 48Ca) = 2:07(22) fm 3. Remarkably, the dipole response of 48Ca is found to be very similar to that of 40Ca, consistent with a small neutron skin in 48Ca. The experimental results are in good agreement with ab initio calculations based on chiral e ective eld theory interactions and with state-of-the-art density-functional calculations, implying amore » neutron skin in 48Ca of 0:14 - 0:20 fm.« less

Electric Dipole Polarizability of Ca 48 and Implications for the Neutron Skin

DOE PAGES

Birkhan, J.; Miorelli, M.; Bacca, S.; ...

2017-06-23

The electric dipole strength distribution in 48Ca between 5 and 25 MeV has been determined at RCNP, Osaka, from proton inelastic scattering experiments at forward angles. Combined with photoabsorption data at higher excitation energy, this enables the rst extraction of the electric dipole polarizability D( 48Ca) = 2:07(22) fm 3. Remarkably, the dipole response of 48Ca is found to be very similar to that of 40Ca, consistent with a small neutron skin in 48Ca. The experimental results are in good agreement with ab initio calculations based on chiral e ective eld theory interactions and with state-of-the-art density-functional calculations, implying amore » neutron skin in 48Ca of 0:14 - 0:20 fm.« less

Automated prediction of protein function and detection of functional sites from structure.

PubMed

Pazos, Florencio; Sternberg, Michael J E

2004-10-12

Current structural genomics projects are yielding structures for proteins whose functions are unknown. Accordingly, there is a pressing requirement for computational methods for function prediction. Here we present PHUNCTIONER, an automatic method for structure-based function prediction using automatically extracted functional sites (residues associated to functions). The method relates proteins with the same function through structural alignments and extracts 3D profiles of conserved residues. Functional features to train the method are extracted from the Gene Ontology (GO) database. The method extracts these features from the entire GO hierarchy and hence is applicable across the whole range of function specificity. 3D profiles associated with 121 GO annotations were extracted. We tested the power of the method both for the prediction of function and for the extraction of functional sites. The success of function prediction by our method was compared with the standard homology-based method. In the zone of low sequence similarity (approximately 15%), our method assigns the correct GO annotation in 90% of the protein structures considered, approximately 20% higher than inheritance of function from the closest homologue.

Balance and ankle muscle strength predict spatiotemporal gait parameters in individuals with diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

PubMed

Camargo, Marcela R; Barela, José A; Nozabieli, Andréa J L; Mantovani, Alessandra M; Martinelli, Alessandra R; Fregonesi, Cristina E P T

2015-01-01

The aims of this study were to evaluate aspects of balance, ankle muscle strength and spatiotemporal gait parameters in individuals with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) and verify whether deficits in spatiotemporal gait parameters were associated with ankle muscle strength and balance performance. Thirty individuals with DPN and 30 control individuals have participated. Spatiotemporal gait parameters were evaluated by measuring the time to walk a set distance during self-selected and maximal walking speeds. Functional mobility and balance performance were assessed using the Functional Reach and the Time Up and Go tests. Ankle isometric muscle strength was assessed with a handheld digital dynamometer. Analyses of variance were employed to verify possible differences between groups and conditions. Multiple linear regression analysis was employed to uncover possible predictors of gait deficits. Gait spatiotemporal, functional mobility, balance performance and ankle muscle strength were affected in individuals with DPN. The Time Up and Go test performance and ankle muscle isometric strength were associated to spatiotemporal gait changes, especially during maximal walking speed condition. Functional mobility and balance performance are damaged in DPN and balance performance and ankle muscle strength can be used to predict spatiotemporal gait parameters in individuals with DPN. Copyright © 2015 Diabetes India. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Whole-body vibration as a potential countermeasure for dynapenia and arterial stiffness.

PubMed

Figueroa, Arturo; Jaime, Salvador J; Alvarez-Alvarado, Stacey

2016-09-01

Age-related decreases in muscle mass and strength are associated with decreased mobility, quality of life, and increased cardiovascular risk. Coupled with the prevalence of obesity, the risk of death becomes substantially greater. Resistance training (RT) has a well-documented beneficial impact on muscle mass and strength in young and older adults, although the high-intensity needed to elicit these adaptations may have a detrimental or negligible impact on vascular function, specifically on arterial stiffness. Increased arterial stiffness is associated with systolic hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy, and myocardial ischemia. Therefore, improvements of muscle strength and arterial function are important in older adults. Recently, whole-body vibration (WBV) exercise, a novel modality of strength training, has shown to exhibit similar results on muscle strength as RT in a wide-variety of populations, with the greatest impact in elderly individuals with limited muscle function. Additionally, WBV training has been shown to have beneficial effects on vascular function by reducing arterial stiffness. This article reviews relevant publications reporting the effects of WBV on muscle strength and/or arterial stiffness. Findings from current studies suggest the use of WBV training as an alternative modality to traditional RT to countermeasure the age-related detriments in muscle strength and arterial stiffness in older adults.

Recovery of calf muscle strength following acute achilles tendon rupture treatment: a comparison between minimally invasive surgery and conservative treatment.

PubMed

Metz, Roderik; van der Heijden, Geert J M G; Verleisdonk, Egbert-Jan M M; Tamminga, Rob; van der Werken, Christiaan

2009-10-01

The aim of this study was to measure the effect of treatment of acute Achilles tendon ruptures on calf muscle strength recovery. Eighty-three patients with acute Achilles tendon rupture were randomly allocated to either minimally invasive surgery with functional after-treatment or conservative treatment by functional bracing. Calf muscle strength using isokinetic testing was evaluated at 3 months and after 6 or more months posttreatment. To exclusively investigate the effect of treatment on outcome, the authors excluded patients with major complications from the analysis. In 31 of 39 patients in the surgical treatment group and 25 of 34 patients in the conservative treatment group, isokinetic strength tests were performed. In the analysis of differences in mean peak torque, no statistically significant differences were found between surgery and conservative treatment, except for plantar flexion strength at 90 degrees per second at the second measurement, favoring conservative treatment. After 8 to 10 months follow- up, loss of plantar flexion strength was still present in the injured leg in both treatment groups. In conclusion, isokinetic muscle strength testing did not detect a statistically significant difference between minimally invasive surgical treatment with functional after-treatment and conservative treatment by functional bracing of acute Achilles tendon ruptures.

Joint brain connectivity estimation from diffusion and functional MRI data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Shu-Hsien; Lenglet, Christophe; Parhi, Keshab K.

2015-03-01

Estimating brain wiring patterns is critical to better understand the brain organization and function. Anatomical brain connectivity models axonal pathways, while the functional brain connectivity characterizes the statistical dependencies and correlation between the activities of various brain regions. The synchronization of brain activity can be inferred through the variation of blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) signal from functional MRI (fMRI) and the neural connections can be estimated using tractography from diffusion MRI (dMRI). Functional connections between brain regions are supported by anatomical connections, and the synchronization of brain activities arises through sharing of information in the form of electro-chemical signals on axon pathways. Jointly modeling fMRI and dMRI data may improve the accuracy in constructing anatomical connectivity as well as functional connectivity. Such an approach may lead to novel multimodal biomarkers potentially able to better capture functional and anatomical connectivity variations. We present a novel brain network model which jointly models the dMRI and fMRI data to improve the anatomical connectivity estimation and extract the anatomical subnetworks associated with specific functional modes by constraining the anatomical connections as structural supports to the functional connections. The key idea is similar to a multi-commodity flow optimization problem that minimizes the cost or maximizes the efficiency for flow configuration and simultaneously fulfills the supply-demand constraint for each commodity. In the proposed network, the nodes represent the grey matter (GM) regions providing brain functionality, and the links represent white matter (WM) fiber bundles connecting those regions and delivering information. The commodities can be thought of as the information corresponding to brain activity patterns as obtained for instance by independent component analysis (ICA) of fMRI data. The concept of information flow is introduced and used to model the propagation of information between GM areas through WM fiber bundles. The link capacity, i.e., ability to transfer information, is characterized by the relative strength of fiber bundles, e.g., fiber count gathered from the tractography of dMRI data. The node information demand is considered to be proportional to the correlation between neural activity at various cortical areas involved in a particular functional mode (e.g. visual, motor, etc.). These two properties lead to the link capacity and node demand constraints in the proposed model. Moreover, the information flow of a link cannot exceed the demand from either end node. This is captured by the feasibility constraints. Two different cost functions are considered in the optimization formulation in this paper. The first cost function, the reciprocal of fiber strength represents the unit cost for information passing through the link. In the second cost function, a min-max (minimizing the maximal link load) approach is used to balance the usage of each link. Optimizing the first cost function selects the pathway with strongest fiber strength for information propagation. In the second case, the optimization procedure finds all the possible propagation pathways and allocates the flow proportionally to their strength. Additionally, a penalty term is incorporated with both the cost functions to capture the possible missing and weak anatomical connections. With this set of constraints and the proposed cost functions, solving the network optimization problem recovers missing and weak anatomical connections supported by the functional information and provides the functional-associated anatomical subnetworks. Feasibility is demonstrated using realistic diffusion and functional MRI phantom data. It is shown that the proposed model recovers the maximum number of true connections, with fewest number of false connections when compared with the connectivity derived from a joint probabilistic model using the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm presented in a prior work. We also apply the proposed method to data provided by the Human Connectome Project (HCP).

Improved orthodontic bonding to silver amalgam. Part 2. Lathe-cut, admixed, and spherical amalgams with different intermediate resins.

PubMed

Büyükyilmaz, T; Zachrisson, B U

1998-08-01

Flat rectangular tabs (n = 270) prepared from spherical (Tytin), admixed (Dispersalloy) or lathe-cut amalgam (ANA 2000) were subjected to aluminum oxide sandblasting with either 50-mu or 90-mu abrasive powder. Mandibular incisor edgewise brackets were bonded to these tabs. An intermediate resin was used, either All-Bond 2 Primers A + B or a 4-META product--Amalgambond Plus (AP) or Reliance Metal Primer (RMP)--followed by Concise. All specimens were stored in water at 37 degrees C for 24 hours and thermocycled 1000 times from 5 degrees C to 55 degrees C and back before tensile bond strength testing. The bond strength of Concise to etched enamel of extracted, caries-free premolars was used as a control. Bond failure sites were classified using a modified adhesive remnant index (ARI) system. Results were expressed as mean bond strength with SD, and as a function relating the probability of bond failure to stress by means of Weibull analysis. Mean tensile bond strength in the experimental groups ranged from 2.9 to 11.0 MPa--significantly weaker than the control sample (16.0 MPa). Bond failure invariably occurred at the amalgam/adhesive interface. The strongest bonds were created to the spherical and lathe-cut amalgams (range 6.8 to 11.0 MPa). Bonds to the spherical amalgam were probably more reliable. The intermediate application of the 4-META resins AP and RMP generally created significantly stronger bonds to all three basic types of amalgam products than the bonds obtained with the All-Bond 2 primers. The effect of abrasive-particle size on bond strength to different amalgam surfaces was not usually significant (p > 0.05). The implications of these findings are discussed in relationship to clinical experience bonding orthodontic attachments to large amalgam restorations in posterior teeth.

Quantitative Biology of Exercise-Induced Signal Transduction Pathways.

PubMed

Liu, Timon Cheng-Yi; Liu, Gang; Hu, Shao-Juan; Zhu, Ling; Yang, Xiang-Bo; Zhang, Quan-Guang

2017-01-01

Exercise is essential in regulating energy metabolism. Exercise activates cellular, molecular, and biochemical pathways with regulatory roles in training response adaptation. Among them, endurance/strength training of an individual has been shown to activate its respective signal transduction pathways in skeletal muscle. This was further studied from the viewpoint of quantitative difference (QD). For the mean values, [Formula: see text], of two sets of data, their QD is defined as [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text]). The function-specific homeostasis (FSH) of a function of a biosystem is a negative-feedback response of the biosystem to maintain the function-specific conditions inside the biosystem so that the function is perfectly performed. A function in/far from its FSH is called a normal/dysfunctional function. A cellular normal function can resist the activation of other signal transduction pathways so that there are normal function-specific signal transduction pathways which full activation maintains the normal function. An acute endurance/strength training may be dysfunctional, but its regular training may be normal. The normal endurance/strength training of an individual may resist the activation of other signal transduction pathways in skeletal muscle so that there may be normal endurance/strength training-specific signal transduction pathways (NEPs/NSPs) in skeletal muscle. The endurance/strength training may activate NSPs/NEPs, but the QD from the control is smaller than 0.80. The simultaneous activation of both NSPs and NEPs may enhance their respective activation, and the QD from the control is larger than 0.80. The low level laser irradiation pretreatment of rats may promote the activation of NSPs in endurance training skeletal muscle. There may be NEPs/NSPs in skeletal muscle trained by normal endurance/strength training.

Is exercise used as medicine? Association of meeting strength training guidelines and functional limitations among older US adults.

PubMed

Kraschnewski, Jennifer L; Sciamanna, Christopher N; Ciccolo, Joseph T; Rovniak, Liza S; Lehman, Erik B; Candotti, Carolina; Ballentine, Noel H

2014-09-01

To determine the association between meeting strength training guidelines (≥2 times per week) and the presence of functional limitations among older adults. This cross-sectional study used data from older adult participants (N=6763) of the National Health Interview Survey conducted in 2011 in the United States. Overall, 16.1% of older adults reported meeting strength training guidelines. For each of nine functional limitations, those with the limitation were less likely to meet strength training recommendations than those without the limitation. For example, 20.0% of those who reported no difficulty walking one-quarter mile met strength training guidelines, versus only 10.1% of those who reported difficulty (p<.001). In sum, 21.7% of those with no limitations (33.7% of sample) met strength training guidelines, versus only 15.9% of those reporting 1-4 limitations (38.5% of sample) and 9.8% of those reporting 5-9 limitations (27.8% of sample) (p<.001). Strength training is uncommon among older adults and even less common among those who need it the most. The potential for strength training to improve the public's health is therefore substantial, as those who have the most to gain from strength training participate the least. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Physical therapy interventions for knee pain secondary to osteoarthritis: a systematic review.

PubMed

Wang, Shi-Yi; Olson-Kellogg, Becky; Shamliyan, Tatyana A; Choi, Jae-Young; Ramakrishnan, Rema; Kane, Robert L

2012-11-06

Osteoarthritis is a leading cause of disability. Nonsurgical treatment is a key first step. Systematic literature review of physical therapy (PT) interventions for community-dwelling adults with knee osteoarthritis. MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, the Physiotherapy Evidence Database, Scirus, Allied and Complementary Medicine, and the Health and Psychosocial Instruments bibliography database. 193 randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) published in English from 1970 to 29 February 2012. Means of outcomes, PT interventions, and risk of bias were extracted to pool standardized mean differences. Disagreements between reviewers abstracting and checking data were resolved through discussion. Meta-analyses of 84 RCTs provided evidence for 13 PT interventions on pain (58 RCTs), physical function (36 RCTs), and disability (29 RCTs). Meta-analyses provided low-strength evidence that aerobic (11 RCTs) and aquatic (3 RCTs) exercise improved disability and that aerobic exercise (19 RCTs), strengthening exercise (17 RCTs), and ultrasonography (6 RCTs) reduced pain and improved function. Several individual RCTs demonstrated clinically important improvements in pain and disability with aerobic exercise. Other PT interventions demonstrated no sustained benefit. Individual RCTs showed similar benefits with aerobic, aquatic, and strengthening exercise. Adverse events were uncommon and did not deter participants from continuing treatment. Variability in PT interventions and outcomes measures hampered synthesis of evidence. Low-strength evidence suggested that only a few PT interventions were effective. Future studies should compare combined PT interventions (which is how PT is generally administered for pain associated with knee osteoarthritis). Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Geometrical Description in Binary Composites and Spectral Density Representation

PubMed Central

Tuncer, Enis

2010-01-01

In this review, the dielectric permittivity of dielectric mixtures is discussed in view of the spectral density representation method. A distinct representation is derived for predicting the dielectric properties, permittivities ε, of mixtures. The presentation of the dielectric properties is based on a scaled permittivity approach, ξ=(εe-εm)(εi-εm)-1, where the subscripts e, m and i denote the dielectric permittivities of the effective, matrix and inclusion media, respectively [Tuncer, E. J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 2005, 17, L125]. This novel representation transforms the spectral density formalism to a form similar to the distribution of relaxation times method of dielectric relaxation. Consequently, I propose that any dielectric relaxation formula, i.e., the Havriliak-Negami empirical dielectric relaxation expression, can be adopted as a scaled permittivity. The presented scaled permittivity representation has potential to be improved and implemented into the existing data analyzing routines for dielectric relaxation; however, the information to extract would be the topological/morphological description in mixtures. To arrive at the description, one needs to know the dielectric properties of the constituents and the composite prior to the spectral analysis. To illustrate the strength of the representation and confirm the proposed hypothesis, the Landau-Lifshitz/Looyenga (LLL) [Looyenga, H. Physica 1965, 31, 401] expression is selected. The structural information of a mixture obeying LLL is extracted for different volume fractions of phases. Both an in-house computational tool based on the Monte Carlo method to solve inverse integral transforms and the proposed empirical scaled permittivity expression are employed to estimate the spectral density function of the LLL expression. The estimated spectral functions for mixtures with different inclusion concentration compositions show similarities; they are composed of a couple of bell-shaped distributions, with coinciding peak locations but different heights. It is speculated that the coincidence in the peak locations is an absolute illustration of the self-similar fractal nature of the mixture topology (structure) created with the LLL expression. Consequently, the spectra are not altered significantly with increased filler concentration level—they exhibit a self-similar spectral density function for different concentration levels. Last but not least, the estimated percolation strengths also confirm the fractal nature of the systems characterized by the LLL mixture expression. It is concluded that the LLL expression is suitable for complex composite systems that have hierarchical order in their structure. These observations confirm the finding in the literature.

Dispersive nano solid material-ultrasound assisted microextraction as a novel method for extraction and determination of bendiocarb and promecarb: response surface methodology.

PubMed

Khodadoust, S; Ghaedi, M; Hadjmohammadi, M R

2013-11-15

A new extraction method, based on Dispersive Nano-Solid material-Ultrasound Assisted Micro-Extraction (DNSUAME), was used for the preconcentration of the bendiocarb and promecarb pesticides in the water samples prior to high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The properties of NiZnS nanomaterial loaded on activated carbon (NiZnS-AC) are characterized by FT-IR, TEM, and BET. This novel nanomaterial showed great adsorptive ability towards the bendiocarb and promecarb pesticides. The effective variables such as the amount of adsorbent (mg: NiZnS-AC), the pH and ionic strength of sample solution, the vortex and ultrasonic time (min), the ultrasonic temperature (°C), and desorption volume (mL) are investigated by screening 2(7-4) experiments of Plackett-Burman (PB) design. The important variables optimized by using a central composite design (CCD) were combined by a desirability function (DF). At optimum conditions, the method has linear response over 0.0033-10 µg mL(-1) with detection limit between 0.0010 and 0.0015 µg mL(-1) with relative standard deviations (RSDs) less than 5.5% (n=3). The method has been successfully applied for the determination of the bendiocarb and promecarb pesticides in the water samples. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of strength training program on hip extensors and knee extensors strength of lower limb in children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy.

PubMed

Aye, Thanda; Thein, Soe; Hlaing, Thaingi

2016-01-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to determine whether strength training programs for hip extensors and knee extensors improve gross motor function of children with cerebral palsy in Myanmar. [Subjects and Methods] Forty children (25 boys and 15 girls, mean age: 6.07 ± 2.74 years) from National Rehabilitation Hospital, Yangon, Myanmar, who had been diagnosed with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy, Gross Motor Classification System I and II participated in a 6-week strength training program (45 minutes per day, 3 days per week) on hip and knee extensors. Assessment was made, before and after intervention, of the amount of training weight in pounds, as well as Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) dimensions D (standing) and E (walking, running, jumping). [Results] All scores had increased significantly after the strength-training program. [Conclusion] A simple method of strength-training program for hip and knee extensors might lead to improved muscle strength and gross motor function in children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy.

Effects of strength training program on hip extensors and knee extensors strength of lower limb in children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy

PubMed Central

Aye, Thanda; Thein, Soe; Hlaing, Thaingi

2016-01-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to determine whether strength training programs for hip extensors and knee extensors improve gross motor function of children with cerebral palsy in Myanmar. [Subjects and Methods] Forty children (25 boys and 15 girls, mean age: 6.07 ± 2.74 years) from National Rehabilitation Hospital, Yangon, Myanmar, who had been diagnosed with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy, Gross Motor Classification System I and II participated in a 6-week strength training program (45 minutes per day, 3 days per week) on hip and knee extensors. Assessment was made, before and after intervention, of the amount of training weight in pounds, as well as Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM) dimensions D (standing) and E (walking, running, jumping). [Results] All scores had increased significantly after the strength-training program. [Conclusion] A simple method of strength-training program for hip and knee extensors might lead to improved muscle strength and gross motor function in children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy. PMID:27065561

Effect of various commercially available mouthrinses on shear bond strength of orthodontic metal brackets: an in vitro study.

PubMed

Meeran, Nazeer Ahmed; George, Ashwin Mathew

2013-01-01

Alcohol is known to degrade and dissolve the bisphenol A glycidyl methacrylate present in the composite resin. The effect of alcohol containing mouthrinses on the shear bond strength of orthodontic metal brackets bonded with composite resin has not been verified until date and is the purpose of this study. The aims and objectives of the present study were to evaluate (1) Whether there is a significant difference in the shear bond strength of metal orthodontic brackets after the 1 year (12 h) and 2 years simulation (24 h) of mouth rinsing with 4 different commercially available mouthrinses (2 alcoholic and 2 alcohol-free mouthrinses) when compared to the control. (2) Whether alcohol containing mouthrinses have more adverse effect on the shear bond strength when compared with alcohol-free mouthrinses. (3) To assess the site of bond failure using adhesive remnant index. Experimental - laboratory based. A total of 100 upper premolars extracted for orthodontic purpose were collected immediately after extraction, cleared soft-tissue debris and blood and immediately stored in distilled water with 0.1% thymol crystals added to inhibit bacterial growth. Two alcohol containing mouthrinses and two alcohol-free mouthrinses were used and the bonded teeth were placed in the mouthrinses for a stipulated period of time (1 year simulation and 2 years simulation) and shear bond strength were tested using Lloyd Universal Testing Machine. The data were analyzed using analysis of variance and paired samples t-test. After the 1 year and 2 years simulation time, samples stored in alcohol containing mouthrinses showed lower bond strength (P < 0.05) when compared to samples stored in alcohol free mouthrinses and distilled water (control). Alcohol containing mouthrinses affect the shear bond strength of the metal orthodontic brackets bonded with composite resin (Transbond XT in the present study), more when compared with alcohol-free mouthrinses. It is, therefore, highly advisable to avoid alcohol containing mouthrinses in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment and use alcohol-free mouthrinses as adjuncts to regular oral hygiene procedures for maintaining good enamel integrity and periodontal health, without compromising the shear bond strength of the bonded metal brackets.

Low- and High-Volume Water-Based Resistance Training Induces Similar Strength and Functional Capacity Improvements in Older Women: A Randomized Study.

PubMed

Reichert, Thaís; Delevatti, Rodrigo Sudatti; Prado, Alexandre Konig Garcia; Bagatini, Natália Carvalho; Simmer, Nicole Monticelli; Meinerz, Andressa Pellegrini; Barroso, Bruna Machado; Costa, Rochelle Rocha; Kanitz, Ana Carolina; Kruel, Luiz Fernando Martins

2018-03-27

Water-based resistance training (WRT) has been indicated to promote strength gains in elderly population. However, no study has compared different training strategies to identify the most efficient one. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of 3 WRT strategies on the strength and functional capacity of older women. In total, 36 women were randomly allocated to training groups: simple set of 30 seconds [1 × 30s; 66.41 (1.36) y; n = 12], multiple sets of 10 seconds [3 × 10s; 66.50 (1.43) y; n = 11], and simple set of 10 seconds [1 × 10s; 65.23 (1.09) y; n = 13]. Training lasted for 12 weeks. The maximal dynamic strength (in kilograms) and muscular endurance (number of repetitions) of knee extension, knee flexion, elbow flexion, and bench press, as well as functional capacity (number of repetitions), were evaluated. All types of training promoted similar gains in maximal dynamic strength of knee extension and flexion as well as elbow flexion. Only the 1 × 30s and 1 × 10s groups presented increments in bench press maximal strength. All 3 groups showed increases in muscular endurance in all exercises and functional capacity. WRT using long- or short-duration simple sets promotes the same gains in strength and functional capacity in older women as does WRT using multiple sets.

Uranium extraction by complexation with siderophores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bahamonde Castro, Cristina

One of the major concerns of energy production is the environmental impact associated with the extraction of natural resources. Nuclear energy fuel is obtained from uranium, an abundant and naturally occurring element in the environment, but the currently used techniques for uranium extraction leave either a significant fingerprint (open pit mines) or a chemical residue that alters the pH of the environment (acid or alkali leaching). It is therefore clear that a new and greener approach to uranium extraction is needed. Bioleaching is one potential alternative. In bioleaching, complexants naturally produced from fungi or bacteria may be used to extract the uranium. In the following research, the siderophore enterobactin, which is naturally produced by bacteria to extract and solubilize iron from the environment, is evaluated to determine its potential for complexing with uranium. To determine whether enterobactin could be used for uranium extraction, its acid dissociation and its binding strength with the metal of interest must be determined. Due to the complexity of working with radioactive materials, lanthanides were used as analogs for uranium. In addition, polyprotic acids were used as structural and chemical analogs for the siderophore during method development. To evaluate the acid dissociation of enterobactin and the subsequent binding constants with lanthanides, three different analytical techniques were studied including: potentiometric titration, UltraViolet Visible (UV-Vis) spectrophotometry and Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC). After evaluation of three techniques, a combination of ITC and potentiometric titrations was deemed to be the most viable way for studying the siderophore of interest. The results obtained from these studies corroborate the ideal pH range for enterobactin complexation to the lanthanide of interest and pave the way for determining the strength of complexation relative to other naturally occurring metals. Ultimately, this fundamental research enhances our current understanding of heavy metal complexation to naturally occurring complexants, which may enhance the metals mobility in the environment or potentially be used as a greener alternative in uranium extraction or remediation.

[Application of micro-power system in the surgery of tooth extraction].

PubMed

Kaijin, Hu; Yongfeng, Li

2015-02-01

Tooth extraction is a common operation in oral surgery. Traditional-extraction instruments, such as bone chisel, elevator, and bone hammer, lead to not only severe trauma but also unnecessary complications, and patients easily become nervous and apprehensive if tooth extraction is performed using these violent instruments. In recent years, with the develop- ment of minimally invasive concept and technology, various micro-power instruments have been used for tooth extraction. This innovative technology can reduce the iatrogenic trauma and complications of tooth extraction. Additionally, this technology can greatly decrease the patient's physical and mental pressure. The new equipment compensates for the deficiency of traditional tooth extraction equipment and facilitates the gradual replacement of the latter. Diverse micro-power systems have distinct strengths and weaknesses, so some auxiliary instruments are still needed during tooth extraction. This paper focuses on the various micro-power systems for tooth extraction and tries to compare the advantages and disadvantages of these systems. Selection and usage of auxiliary equipment are also introduced. Thus, this paper provides reference for the proper application of the micro-power systems in tooth extraction.

Effects of Neuromuscular Training on Children and Young Adults with Down Syndrome: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Sugimoto, Dai; Bowen, Samantha L; Meehan, William P; Stracciolini, Andrea

2016-08-01

To synthesize existing research evidence and examine effects of neuromuscular training on general strength, maximal strength, and functional mobility tasks in children and young adults with Down syndrome. PubMed and EBSCO were used as a data source. To attain the aim of this study, literature search was performed under following inclusion criteria: (1) included participants with Down syndrome, (2) implemented a neuromuscular training intervention and measured outcome variables of general strength, maximal strength, and functional mobility tasks, (3) had a group of participants whose mean ages were under 30 years old, (4) employed a prospective controlled design, and (5) used mean and standard deviations to express the outcome variables. Effect size was calculated from each study based on pre- and post-testing value differences in general strength, maximal strength, and functional mobility tasks between control and intervention groups. The effect size was further classified in to one of the following categories: small, moderate, and large effects. Seven studies met inclusion criteria. Analysis indicated large to moderate effects on general strength, moderate to small effects on maximal strength, and small effect on functional mobility tasks by neuromuscular training. Although there were limited studies, the results showed that neuromuscular training could be used as an effective intervention in children and young adults with Down syndrome. Synthesis of seven reviewed studies indicated that neuromuscular training could be beneficial to optimize general and maximal muscular strength development in children and young adults with Down syndrome. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Association between muscle function, cognitive state, depression symptoms and quality of life of older people: evidence from clinical practice.

PubMed

Gariballa, Salah; Alessa, Awad

2018-04-01

Although low muscle function/strength is an important predictor of poor clinical outcome in older patients, information on its impact on mental health in clinical practice is still lacking. The aim of this report is to measure the impact of low muscle function measured by handgrip strength on mental health of older people during both acute illness and recovery. Four hundred and thirty-two randomly selected hospitalized older patients had their baseline demographic and clinical characteristics assessed within 72 h of admission, at 6 weeks and at 6 months. Low muscle strength-handgrip was defined using the European Working Group criteria. Mental health outcome measures including cognitive state, depression symptoms and quality of life were also measured. Among the 432 patients recruited, 308 (79%) had low muscle strength at baseline. Corresponding figures at 6 weeks and at 6 months were 140 (73%) and 158 (75%). Patients with poor muscle strength were significantly older with increased disability and poor nutritional status compared with those with normal muscle strength. After adjustment for age, gender, disability, comorbidity including severity of acute illness and body mass index patients with low muscle strength had worse cognitive function, quality of life and higher depression symptoms compared with those with normal muscle strength over a 6-month period (p < 0.05). Poor muscle strength in older people is associated with poor cognitive state and quality of life and increased depression symptoms during both acute illness and recovery.

Effects of gastrocnemius recession on ankle motion, strength, and functional outcomes: a systematic review and national healthcare database analysis.

PubMed

Gianakos, Arianna; Yasui, Youichi; Murawski, Christopher D; Kennedy, John G

2016-04-01

The purpose of this systematic review was to report the effects of gastrocnemius recession on ankle dorsiflexion range of motion, function, and push-off power. The MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were reviewed with terms "gastrocnemius recession". The inclusion criteria were: (1) clinical studies, (2) published in a peer-reviewed journal within the past 10 years, and (3) published in English. Excluded were: (1) review articles, (2) cadaveric studies, (3) studies including patients under the age of 18 years, (4) studies evaluating a neurologic condition, (5) level of evidence 5, and (6) Quality of Evidence Score <3. Data were then extracted and analysed for trends. The PearlDiver Database was also used to review de-identified patient information retrospectively between 2007 and 2011. Full-text review yielded 23 articles that fit the inclusion criteria. Twenty-one of 23 (91%) and 2/23 (9%) studies were level of evidence 4 and 3, respectively. Twelve of 23 (52%) studies reported follow-up assessment between 12 and 36 months, and no studies reported longer-term follow-up. Twelve of 12 (100%) studies reported improved dorsiflexion range of motion 9/9 (100%) reported improved AOFAS, and 11/11 (100%) reported improved VAS. Five of 23 (22%) studies reported strength in a measured and controlled fashion with variable results, but of these, no study reported a return to normal power. The mean complication rate was 14%. The available evidence supports that GR improves functional outcomes and increases dorsiflexion range of motion. Furthermore, GR affects gait kinematics, which may cause compensatory effects at the knee, ankle, and subtalar joints. Evidence has shown that power does not return to normal levels. Clinicians may utilize these data clinically to determine whether patients may benefit from GR or not. IV.

Elastic and anelastic relaxations associated with the incommensurate structure of Pr0.48Ca0.52MnO3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carpenter, Michael A.; Howard, Christopher J.; McKnight, Ruth E. A.; Migliori, Albert; Betts, Jon B.; Fanelli, Victor R.

2010-10-01

The elastic and anelastic properties of a polycrystalline sample of Pr0.48Ca0.52MnO3 have been investigated by resonant ultrasound spectroscopy, as a function of temperature (10-1130 K) and magnetic field strength (0-15 T). Marked softening of the shear modulus as the Pnma↔incommensurate phase transition at ˜235K in zero field is approached from either side is consistent with pseudoproper ferroelastic character, driven by an order parameter with Γ3+ symmetry associated with Jahn-Teller ordering. This is accompanied by an increase in attenuation just below the transition point. The attenuation remains relatively high down to ˜80K , where there is a distinct Debye peak. It is attributed to coupling of shear strain with the Γ3+ order parameter which, in turn, controls the repeat distance of the incommensurate structure. Kinetic data extracted from the Debye peak suggest that the rate-controlling process could be related to migration of polarons. Elastic softening and stiffening as a function of magnetic field at constant temperatures between 177 and ˜225K closely resembles the behavior as a function of temperature at 0, 5, and 10 T and is consistent with thermodynamically continuous behavior for the phase transition in both cases. This overall pattern can be rationalized in terms of linear/quadratic coupling between the Γ3+ order parameter and an order parameter with Σ1 or Σ2 symmetry. It is also consistent with a dominant role for spontaneous strains in determining the strength of coupling, evolution of the incommensurate microstructure, and equilibrium evolution of the Jahn-Teller ordered structure through multicomponent order-parameter space.

Measuring outcomes in adult spinal deformity surgery: a systematic review to identify current strengths, weaknesses and gaps in patient-reported outcome measures.

PubMed

Faraj, Sayf S A; van Hooff, Miranda L; Holewijn, Roderick M; Polly, David W; Haanstra, Tsjitske M; de Kleuver, Marinus

2017-08-01

Adult spinal deformity (ASD) causes severe disability, reduces overall quality of life, and results in a substantial societal burden of disease. As healthcare is becoming more value based, and to facilitate global benchmarking, it is critical to identify and standardize patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). This study aims to identify the current strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in PROMs used for ASD. Studies were included following a systematic search in multiple bibliographic databases between 2000 and 2015. PROMs were extracted and linked to the outcome domains of WHO's International Classification of Functioning and Health (ICF) framework. Subsequently, the clinimetric quality of identified PROMs was evaluated. The literature search identified 144 papers that met the inclusion criteria, and nine frequently used PROMs were identified. These covered 29 ICF outcome domains, which could be grouped into three of the four main ICF chapters: body function (n = 7), activity and participation (n = 19), environmental factors (n = 3), and body structure (n = 0). A low quantity (n = 3) of papers was identified that studied the clinimetric quality of PROMs. The Scoliosis Research Society (SRS)-22 has the highest level of clinimetric quality for ASD. Outcome domains related to mobility and pain were well represented. We identified a gap in current outcome measures regarding neurological and pulmonary function. In addition, no outcome domains were measured in the ICF chapter body structure. These results will serve as a foundation for the process of seeking international consensus on a standard set of outcome domains, accompanied PROMs and contributing factors to be used in future clinical trials and spine registries.

[Effects of education and strength training on functional tests among older people with osteoarthritis].

PubMed

Jiménez S, Christian Edgardo; Fernández G, Rubén; Zurita O, Félix; Linares G, Daniel; Farías M, Ariel

2014-04-01

Hip and knee osteoarthritis are important causes of pain and disability among older people. Education and strength training can alleviate symptoms and avoid functional deterioration. To assess muscle strength, fall risk and quality of life of older people with osteoarthritis and the effects of physiotherapy education and strength training on these variables. Thirty participants aged 78 ± 5 years (63% women) were randomly assigned to receive physiotherapy (Controls), physiotherapy plus education (Group 1) and physiotherapy plus strength training (group 2). At baseline and after 16 weeks of intervention, patients were evaluated with the Senior Fitness Test, Timed Up and Go and Quality of Life score short form (SF-36). During the intervention period, Senior Fitness Test and Timed Up and Go scores improved in all groups and SF-36 did not change. The improvement in Senior Fitness Test and Timed Up and Go was more marked in Groups 1 and 2 than in the control group. Education and strength training improve functional tests among older people with osteoarthritis.

Solid-phase microextraction of benzimidazole fungicides in environmental liquid samples and HPLC-fluorescence determination.

PubMed

López Monzón, A; Vega Moreno, D; Torres Padrón, M E; Sosa Ferrera, Z; Santana Rodríguez, J J

2007-03-01

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection was optimized for extraction and determination of four benzimidazole fungicides (benomyl, carbendazim, thiabendazole, and fuberidazole) in water. We studied extraction and desorption conditions, for example fiber type, extraction time, ionic strength, extraction temperature, and desorption time to achieve the maximum efficiency in the extraction. Results indicate that SPME using a Carboxen-polydimethylsiloxane 75 microm (CAR-PDMS) fiber is suitable for extraction of these types of compound. Final analysis of benzimidazole fungicides was performed by HPLC with fluorescence detection. Recoveries ranged from 80.6 to 119.6 with RSDs below 9% and limits of detection between 0.03 and 1.30 ng mL-1 for the different analytes. The optimized procedure was applied successfully to the determination of benzimidazole fungicides mixtures in environmental water samples (sea, sewage, and ground water).

Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP)

MedlinePlus

... be used even as a first-line therapy. Physiotherapy may improve muscle strength, function and mobility, and ... be used even as a first-line therapy. Physiotherapy may improve muscle strength, function and mobility, and ...

Functional electrical stimulation cycling does not improve mobility in people with acquired brain injury and its effects on strength are unclear: a randomised trial.

PubMed

de Sousa, Davide G; Harvey, Lisa A; Dorsch, Simone; Leung, Joan; Harris, Whitney

2016-10-01

Does 4 weeks of active functional electrical stimulation (FES) cycling in addition to usual care improve mobility and strength more than usual care alone in people with a sub-acute acquired brain injury caused by stroke or trauma? Multi centre, randomised, controlled trial. Forty patients from three Sydney hospitals with recently acquired brain injury and a mean composite strength score in the affected lower limb of 7 (SD 5) out of 20 points. Participants in the experimental group received an incremental, progressive, FES cycling program five times a week over a 4-week period. All participants received usual care. Outcome measures were taken at baseline and at 4 weeks. Primary outcomes were mobility and strength of the knee extensors of the affected lower limb. Mobility was measured with three mobility items of the Functional Independence Measure and strength was measured with a hand-held dynamometer. Secondary outcomes were strength of the knee extensors of the unaffected lower limb, strength of key muscles of the affected lower limb and spasticity of the affected plantar flexors. All but one participant completed the study. The mean between-group differences for mobility and strength of the knee extensors of the affected lower limb were -0.3/21 points (95% CI -3.2 to 2.7) and 7.5 Nm (95% CI -5.1 to 20.2), where positive values favoured the experimental group. The only secondary outcome that suggested a possible treatment effect was strength of key muscles of the affected lower limb with a mean between-group difference of 3.0/20 points (95% CI 1.3 to 4.8). Functional electrical stimulation cycling does not improve mobility in people with acquired brain injury and its effects on strength are unclear. ACTRN12612001163897. [de Sousa DG, Harvey LA, Dorsch S, Leung J, Harris W (2016) Functional electrical stimulation cycling does not improve mobility in people with acquired brain injury and its effects on strength are unclear: a randomised controlled trial.Journal of Physiotherapy62: 203-208]. Copyright © 2016 Australian Physiotherapy Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Adaptations in humans for assessing physical strength from the voice

PubMed Central

Sell, Aaron; Bryant, Gregory A.; Cosmides, Leda; Tooby, John; Sznycer, Daniel; von Rueden, Christopher; Krauss, Andre; Gurven, Michael

2010-01-01

Recent research has shown that humans, like many other animals, have a specialization for assessing fighting ability from visual cues. Because it is probable that the voice contains cues of strength and formidability that are not available visually, we predicted that selection has also equipped humans with the ability to estimate physical strength from the voice. We found that subjects accurately assessed upper-body strength in voices taken from eight samples across four distinct populations and language groups: the Tsimane of Bolivia, Andean herder-horticulturalists and United States and Romanian college students. Regardless of whether raters were told to assess height, weight, strength or fighting ability, they produced similar ratings that tracked upper-body strength independent of height and weight. Male voices were more accurately assessed than female voices, which is consistent with ethnographic data showing a greater tendency among males to engage in violent aggression. Raters extracted information about strength from the voice that was not supplied from visual cues, and were accurate with both familiar and unfamiliar languages. These results provide, to our knowledge, the first direct evidence that both men and women can accurately assess men's physical strength from the voice, and suggest that estimates of strength are used to assess fighting ability. PMID:20554544

The significance of nanoparticles on bond strength of polymer concrete to steel

DOE PAGES

Douba, A.; Genedy, M.; Matteo, E. N.; ...

2017-01-03

Here, polymer concrete (PC) is a commonly used material in construction due to its improved durability and good bond strength to steel substrate. PC has been suggested as a repair and seal material to restore the bond between the cement annulus and the steel casing in wells that penetrate formations under consideration for CO 2 sequestration. Nanoparticles including Multi-Walled Carbon Nano Tubes (MWCNTs), Aluminum Nanoparticles (ANPs) and Silica Nano particles (SNPs) were added to an epoxy-based PC to examine how the nanoparticles affect the bond strength of PC to a steel substrate. Slant shear tests were used to determine themore » bond strength of PC incorporating nanomaterials to steel; results reveal that PC incorporating nanomaterials has an improved bond strength to steel substrate compared with neat PC. In particular, ANPs improve the bond strength by 51% over neat PC. Local shear stresses, extracted from Finite Element (FE) analysis of the slant shear test, were found to be as much as twice the apparent/average shear/bond strength. These results suggest that the impact of nanomaterials is higher than that shown by the apparent strength. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) measurements of epoxy with and without nanomaterials showed ANPs to influence curing of epoxy, which might explain the improved bond strength of PC incorporating ANPs.« less

The significance of nanoparticles on bond strength of polymer concrete to steel

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Douba, A.; Genedy, M.; Matteo, E. N.

Here, polymer concrete (PC) is a commonly used material in construction due to its improved durability and good bond strength to steel substrate. PC has been suggested as a repair and seal material to restore the bond between the cement annulus and the steel casing in wells that penetrate formations under consideration for CO 2 sequestration. Nanoparticles including Multi-Walled Carbon Nano Tubes (MWCNTs), Aluminum Nanoparticles (ANPs) and Silica Nano particles (SNPs) were added to an epoxy-based PC to examine how the nanoparticles affect the bond strength of PC to a steel substrate. Slant shear tests were used to determine themore » bond strength of PC incorporating nanomaterials to steel; results reveal that PC incorporating nanomaterials has an improved bond strength to steel substrate compared with neat PC. In particular, ANPs improve the bond strength by 51% over neat PC. Local shear stresses, extracted from Finite Element (FE) analysis of the slant shear test, were found to be as much as twice the apparent/average shear/bond strength. These results suggest that the impact of nanomaterials is higher than that shown by the apparent strength. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) measurements of epoxy with and without nanomaterials showed ANPs to influence curing of epoxy, which might explain the improved bond strength of PC incorporating ANPs.« less

The Effect of Primer Application Modifications on the Bond Strength of 4th Generation Adhesive Bonding Agents

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-30

dentin. Methods: The coronal enamel of 120 extracted human third molars was removed with a low-speed saw. The teeth were mounted in PVC pipe with dental...LITERATURE REVIEW A. Background 1. Acid Etching in Dentistry. Buonocore demonstrated in 1955 that the preparation of dental enamel with an...The influence of deviations from the manufacturer’s instructions for the use of six adhesive systems on the bond strengths to enamel and dentin

Deconstructing spatiotemporal chaos using local symbolic dynamics.

PubMed

Pethel, Shawn D; Corron, Ned J; Bollt, Erik

2007-11-23

We find that the global symbolic dynamics of a diffusively coupled map lattice is well approximated by a very small local model for weak to moderate coupling strengths. A local symbolic model is a truncation of the full symbolic model to one that considers only a single element and a few neighbors. Using interval analysis, we give rigorous results for a range of coupling strengths and different local model widths. Examples are presented of extracting a local symbolic model from data and of controlling spatiotemporal chaos.

Tensile and Microindentation Stress-Strain Curves of Al-6061

DOE Data Explorer

Weaver, Jordan S [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies (CINT); Khosravani, Ali [Georgia Inst. of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States); Castillo, Andrew [Georgia Inst. of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States); Kalidind, Surya R [Georgia Inst. of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States)

2016-07-13

Recent spherical microindentation stress-strain protocols were developed and validated on Al-6061 (DOI: 10.1186/s40192-016-0054-3). The scaling factor between the uniaxial yield strength and the indentation yield strength was determined to be about 1.9. The microindentation stress-strain protocols were then applied to a microstructurally graded sample in an effort to extract high throughput process-property relationships. The tensile and microindentation force-displacement and stress-strain data are presented in this data set.

Do muscle mass, muscle density, strength, and physical function similarly influence risk of hospitalization in older adults?

PubMed

Cawthon, Peggy Mannen; Fox, Kathleen M; Gandra, Shravanthi R; Delmonico, Matthew J; Chiou, Chiun-Fang; Anthony, Mary S; Sewall, Ase; Goodpaster, Bret; Satterfield, Suzanne; Cummings, Steven R; Harris, Tamara B

2009-08-01

To examine the association between strength, function, lean mass, muscle density, and risk of hospitalization. Prospective cohort study. Two U.S. clinical centers. Adults aged 70 to 80 (N=3,011) from the Health, Aging and Body Composition Study. Measurements were of grip strength, knee extension strength, lean mass, walking speed, and chair stand pace. Thigh computed tomography scans assessed muscle area and density (a proxy for muscle fat infiltration). Hospitalizations were confirmed by local review of medical records. Negative binomial regression models estimated incident rate ratios (IRRs) of hospitalization for race- and sex-specific quartiles of each muscle and function parameter separately. Multivariate models adjusted for age, body mass index, health status, and coexisting medical conditions. During an average 4.7 years of follow-up, 1,678 (55.7%) participants experienced one or more hospitalizations. Participants in the lowest quartile of muscle density were more likely to be subsequently hospitalized (multivariate IRR=1.47, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.24-1.73) than those in the highest quartile. Similarly, participants with the weakest grip strength were at greater risk of hospitalization (multivariate IRR=1.52, 95% CI=1.30-1.78, Q1 vs. Q4). Comparable results were seen for knee strength, walking pace, and chair stands pace. Lean mass and muscle area were not associated with risk of hospitalization. Weak strength, poor function, and low muscle density, but not muscle size or lean mass, were associated with greater risk of hospitalization. Interventions to reduce the disease burden associated with sarcopenia should focus on increasing muscle strength and improving physical function rather than simply increasing lean mass.

Modeling of functional trunk muscle performance: interfacing ergonomics and spine rehabilitation in response to the ADA.

PubMed

Khalaf, K A; Parnianpour, M; Sparto, P J; Simon, S R

1997-10-01

The combination of increasing costs of musculoskeletal injuries and the implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has created the need for a more objective functional understanding of dynamic trunk performance. In this study, trunk extensor and flexor strengths were measured as a function of angular position and velocity for 20 subjects performing maximum isometric and isokinetic exertions. Results indicate that trunk strength is significantly influenced by trunk angular position, trunk angular velocity, gender, and direction, as well as by the interaction between trunk angular position and velocity. Three-dimensional surfaces of trunk strength in response to trunk angular position and velocity were constructed for each subject per direction. Such data presentation is more accurate and gives better insight about the strength profile of an individual than does the traditional use of a single strength value. The joint strength capacity profiles may be combined with joint torque requirements from a manual material handling task, such as a lifting task, to compute the dynamic utilization ratio for the trunk muscles. This ratio can be used as a unified measure of both task demand and functional capacity to guide job assignment, return to work, and prognosis during the rehabilitation processes. Furthermore, the strength regressions developed in this study would provide dynamic strength limits that can be used as functional constraints in the computer simulation of physical activities, such as lifting. In light of the ADA, this would be of great value in predicting the consequences of task modifications and/or workstation alterations without subjecting an injured worker or an individual with a disability to unnecessary testing.

Musculoskeletal strength, balance performance, and self-efficacy in elderly ving tsun chinese martial art practitioners: implications for fall prevention.

PubMed

Fong, Shirley S M; Ng, Shamay S M; Liu, Karen P Y; Pang, Marco Y C; Lee, H W; Chung, Joanne W Y; Lam, Priscillia L; Guo, X

2014-01-01

Objectives. To (1) compare the bone strength, lower limb muscular strength, functional balance performance, and balance self-efficacy between Ving Tsun (VT) martial art practitioners and nonpractitioners and (2) identify the associations between lower limb muscular strength, functional balance performance, and balance self-efficacy among the VT-trained participants. Methods. Thirty-five VT practitioners (mean age ± SD = 62.7 ± 13.3 years) and 49 nonpractitioners (mean age ± SD = 65.9 ± 10.5 years) participated in the study. The bone strength of the distal radius, lower limb muscular strength, functional balance performance, and balance self-efficacy were assessed using an ultrasound bone sonometer, the five times sit-to-stand test (FTSTS), the Berg balance scale (BBS), and the Chinese version of the activities-specific balance confidence scale, respectively. A multivariate analysis of covariance was performed to compare all the outcome variables between the two groups. Results. Elderly VT practitioners had higher radial bone strength on the dominant side (P < 0.05), greater lower limb muscular strength (P = 0.001), better functional balance performance (P = 0.003), and greater balance confidence (P < 0.001) than the nonpractitioners. Additionally, only the FTSTS time revealed a significant association with the BBS score (r = -0.575,  P = 0.013). Conclusions. VT may be a suitable health-maintenance exercise for the elderly. Our findings may inspire the development of VT fall-prevention exercises for the community-dwelling healthy elderly.

Musculoskeletal Strength, Balance Performance, and Self-Efficacy in Elderly Ving Tsun Chinese Martial Art Practitioners: Implications for Fall Prevention

PubMed Central

Fong, Shirley S. M.; Ng, Shamay S. M.; Liu, Karen P. Y.; Pang, Marco Y. C.; Lee, H. W.; Chung, Joanne W. Y.; Lam, Priscillia L.; Guo, X.

2014-01-01

Objectives. To (1) compare the bone strength, lower limb muscular strength, functional balance performance, and balance self-efficacy between Ving Tsun (VT) martial art practitioners and nonpractitioners and (2) identify the associations between lower limb muscular strength, functional balance performance, and balance self-efficacy among the VT-trained participants. Methods. Thirty-five VT practitioners (mean age ± SD = 62.7 ± 13.3 years) and 49 nonpractitioners (mean age ± SD = 65.9 ± 10.5 years) participated in the study. The bone strength of the distal radius, lower limb muscular strength, functional balance performance, and balance self-efficacy were assessed using an ultrasound bone sonometer, the five times sit-to-stand test (FTSTS), the Berg balance scale (BBS), and the Chinese version of the activities-specific balance confidence scale, respectively. A multivariate analysis of covariance was performed to compare all the outcome variables between the two groups. Results. Elderly VT practitioners had higher radial bone strength on the dominant side (P < 0.05), greater lower limb muscular strength (P = 0.001), better functional balance performance (P = 0.003), and greater balance confidence (P < 0.001) than the nonpractitioners. Additionally, only the FTSTS time revealed a significant association with the BBS score (r = −0.575,  P = 0.013). Conclusions. VT may be a suitable health-maintenance exercise for the elderly. Our findings may inspire the development of VT fall-prevention exercises for the community-dwelling healthy elderly. PMID:25530782

Somatropin treatment of spinal muscular atrophy: a placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover pilot study.

PubMed

Kirschner, J; Schorling, D; Hauschke, D; Rensing-Zimmermann, C; Wein, U; Grieben, U; Schottmann, G; Schara, U; Konrad, K; Müller-Felber, W; Thiele, S; Wilichowski, E; Hobbiebrunken, E; Stettner, G M; Korinthenberg, R

2014-02-01

In preclinical studies growth hormone and its primary mediator IGF-1 have shown potential to increase muscle mass and strength. A single patient with spinal muscular atrophy reported benefit after compassionate use of growth hormone. Therefore we evaluated the efficacy and safety of growth hormone treatment for spinal muscular atrophy in a multicenter, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover pilot trial. Patients (n = 19) with type II/III spinal muscular atrophy were randomised to receive either somatropin (0.03 mg/kg/day) or placebo subcutaneously for 3 months, followed by a 2-month wash-out phase before 3 months of treatment with the contrary remedy. Changes in upper limb muscle strength (megascore for elbow flexion and hand-grip in Newton) were assessed by hand-held myometry as the primary measure of outcome. Secondary outcome measures included lower limb muscle strength, motor function using the Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale and other functional tests for motor function and pulmonary function. Somatropin treatment did not significantly affect upper limb muscle strength (point estimate mean: 0.08 N, 95% confidence interval (CI:-3.79;3.95, p = 0.965), lower limb muscle strength (point estimate mean: 2.23 N, CI:-2.19;6.63, p = 0.302) or muscle and pulmonary function. Side effects occurring during somatropin treatment corresponded with well-known side effects of growth hormone substitution in patients with growth hormone deficiency. In this pilot study, growth hormone treatment did not improve muscle strength or function in patients with spinal muscular atrophy type II/III. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparison of lower body specific resistance training on the hamstring to quadriceps strength ratios in men and women.

PubMed

Dorgo, Sandor; Edupuganti, Pradeep; Smith, Darla R; Ortiz, Melchor

2012-06-01

In this study, we compared hamstring (H) and quadriceps (Q) strength changes in men and women, as well as changes in conventional and functional H:Q ratios following an identical 12-week resistance training program. An isokinetic dynamometer was used to assess 14 male and 14 female participants before and after the intervention, and conventional and functional H:Q ratios were calculated. Hamstring strength improved similarly in men and women, but improvement in quadriceps strength was significantly greater in men, while women showed only modest improvements. For the conventional and functional H:Q ratios, women showed significantly greater improvements than men. Both men and women were able to exceed the commonly recommended 0.6 conventional and 1.0 functional H:Q ratios after the 12-week lower-body resistance training program.

Effect of Virtual Reality-based Bilateral Upper Extremity Training on Upper Extremity Function after Stroke: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

PubMed

Lee, Suhyun; Kim, Yumi; Lee, Byoung-Hee

2016-12-01

In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effect of virtual reality-based bilateral upper extremity training (VRBT) on paretic upper limb function and muscle strength in patients with stroke. Eighteen stroke survivors were assigned to either the VRBT group (n = 10) or the bilateral upper limb training group (BT, n = 8). Patients in the VRBT group performed bilateral upper extremity exercises in a virtual reality environment, whereas those in the BT group performed conventional bilateral upper extremity exercises. All training was conducted for 30 minutes day -1 , 3 days a week, for a period of 6 weeks. Patients were assessed for upper extremity function and hand strength. Compared with the BT group, the VRBT group exhibited significant improvements in upper extremity function and muscle strength (p < 0.05) after the 6-week training programme. The Box and Block test results revealed that upper extremity function and elbow flexion in hand strength were significantly improved in terms of group, time and interaction effect of group by time. Furthermore, the VRBT group demonstrated significant improvements in upper extremity function, as measured by the Jebsen Hand Function Test and Grooved Pegboard test, and in the hand strength test, as measured by elbow extension, grip, palmar pinch, lateral pinch and tip pinch, in both time and the interaction effect of group by time. These results suggest that VRBT is a feasible and beneficial means of improving upper extremity function and muscle strength in individuals following stroke. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

No beneficial effects of vitamin D supplementation on muscle function or quality of life in primary hyperparathyroidism: results from a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Rolighed, Lars; Rejnmark, Lars; Sikjaer, Tanja; Heickendorff, Lene; Vestergaard, Peter; Mosekilde, Leif; Christiansen, Peer

2015-05-01

Impairments of muscle function and strength in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) are rarely addressed, although decreased muscle function may contribute to increased fracture risk. We aimed to assess the changes in muscle strength, muscle function, postural stability, quality of life (QoL), and well-being during treatment with vitamin D or placebo before and after parathyroidectomy (PTX) in PHPT patients. A randomized placebo-controlled trial. We included 46 PHPT patients, mean age 58 (range 29-77) years and 35 (76%) were women. Daily treatment with 70 μg (2800 IU) cholecalciferol or placebo for 52 weeks. Treatment was administered 26 weeks before PTX and continued for 26 weeks after PTX. Changes in QoL and measures of muscle strength and function. Preoperatively, 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) increased significantly (50-94 nmol/l) compared with placebo (57-52 nmol/l). We did not measure any beneficial effects of supplementation with vitamin D compared with placebo regarding well-being, QoL, postural stability, muscle strength, or function. In all patients, we measured marked improvements in QoL, well-being (P<0.01), muscle strength in the knee flexion and extension (P<0.001), and muscle function tests (P<0.01) after surgical cure. Postural stability improved during standing with eyes closed (P<0.05), but decreased with eyes open (P<0.05). Patients with PHPT and 25OHD levels around 50 nmol/l did not benefit from vitamin D supplementation concerning muscle strength, muscle function, postural stability, well-being, or QoL. Independent of preoperative 25OHD levels, PTX improved these parameters. © 2015 European Society of Endocrinology.

Sarcopenia during neoadjuvant therapy for oesophageal cancer: characterising the impact on muscle strength and physical performance.

PubMed

Guinan, Emer M; Doyle, S L; Bennett, A E; O'Neill, L; Gannon, J; Elliott, J A; O'Sullivan, J; Reynolds, J V; Hussey, J

2018-05-01

Preoperative chemo(radio)therapy for oesophageal cancer (OC) may have an attritional impact on body composition and functional status, impacting postoperative outcome. Physical decline with skeletal muscle loss has not been previously characterised in OC and may be amenable to physical rehabilitation. This study characterises skeletal muscle mass and physical performance from diagnosis to post-neoadjuvant therapy in patients undergoing preoperative chemo(radio)therapy for OC. Measures of body composition (axial computerised tomography), muscle strength (handgrip), functional capacity (walking distance), anthropometry (weight, height and waist circumference), physical activity, quality-of-life and nutritional status were captured prospectively. Sarcopenia status was defined as pre-sarcopenic (low muscle mass only), sarcopenic (low muscle mass and low muscle strength or function) or severely sarcopenic (low muscle mass and low muscle strength and low muscle function). Twenty-eight participants were studied at both time points (mean age 62.86 ± 8.18 years, n = 23 male). Lean body mass reduced by 4.9 (95% confidence interval 3.2 to 6.7) kg and mean grip strength reduced by 4.3 (2.5 to 6.1) kg from pre- to post-neoadjuvant therapy. Quality-of-life scores capturing gastrointestinal symptoms improved. Measures of anthropometry, walking distance, physical activity and nutritional status did not change. There was an increase in sarcopenic status from diagnosis (pre-sarcopenic n = 2) to post-treatment (pre-sarcopenic n = 5, severely sarcopenic n = 1). Despite maintenance of body weight, functional capacity and activity habits, participants experience declines in muscle mass and strength. Interventions involving exercise and/or nutritional support to build muscle mass and strength during preoperative therapy, even in patients who are functioning normally, are warranted.

Knee Extensor Strength and Risk of Structural, Symptomatic, and Functional Decline in Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Culvenor, Adam G; Ruhdorfer, Anja; Juhl, Carsten; Eckstein, Felix; Øiestad, Britt Elin

2017-05-01

To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis on the association between knee extensor strength and the risk of structural, symptomatic, or functional deterioration in individuals with or at risk of knee osteoarthritis (KOA). We systematically identified and methodologically appraised all longitudinal studies (≥1-year followup) reporting an association between knee extensor strength and structural (tibiofemoral, patellofemoral), symptomatic (self-reported, knee replacement), or functional (subjective, objective) decline in individuals with or at risk of radiographic or symptomatic KOA. Results were pooled for each of the above associations using meta-analysis, or if necessary, summarized according to a best-evidence synthesis. Fifteen studies were included, evaluating >8,000 participants (51% female), with a followup time between 1.5 and 8 years. Meta-analysis revealed that lower knee extensor strength was associated with an increased risk of symptomatic (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index [WOMAC] pain: odds ratio [OR] 1.35, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.10-1.67) and functional decline (WOMAC function: OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.00-1.89, and chair-stand task: OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.03-1.04), but not increased risk of radiographic tibiofemoral joint space narrowing (JSN) (OR 1.15, 95% CI 0.84-1.56). No trend in risk was observed for KOA status (present versus absent). Best-evidence synthesis showed inconclusive evidence for lower knee extensor strength being associated with increased risk of patellofemoral deterioration. Meta-analysis showed that lower knee extensor strength is associated with an increased risk of symptomatic and functional deterioration, but not tibiofemoral JSN. The risk of patellofemoral deterioration in the presence of knee extensor strength deficits is inconclusive. © 2016, American College of Rheumatology.

In vivo wound healing activity and phytochemical screening of the crude extract and various fractions of Kalanchoe petitiana A. Rich (Crassulaceae) leaves in mice.

PubMed

Mekonnen, Awol; Sidamo, Temesgen; Asres, Kaleab; Engidawork, Ephrem

2013-01-30

The leaves of Kalanchoe petitiana A. Rich (Crassulaceae) are used in Ethiopian folk medicine for treatment of evil eye, fractured surface for bone setting and several skin disorders including for the treatment of sores, boils, and malignant wounds. In order to scientifically prove the claimed utilization of the plant, the effects of the extracts and the fractions were investigated using in vivo excision, incision and dead space wound models. Mice were used for wound healing study, while rats and rabbit were used for skin irritation test. For studying healing activity 80% methanolic extract and the fractions were formulated in strength of 5% and 10%, either as ointment (hydroalcoholic extract, aqueous and methanol fractions) or gel (chloroform fraction). Oral administration of the crude extract was used for dead space model. Negative controls were treated either with simple ointment or sodium carboxyl methyl cellulose xerogel, while positive controls with nitrofurazone (0.2 w/v) skin ointment. Negative controls for dead space model were treated with 1% carboxy methyl cellulose. Parameters, including rate of wound contraction, period of complete epithelializtion, hydroxyproline contents and skin breaking strength were evaluated. Significant wound healing activity was observed with ointment formulated from the crude extract at both 5% and 10% concentration (p<0.01) compared to controls in both excision and incision models. In dead space model, 600 mg/kg (p<0.01) but not 300 mg/kg significantly increased hydroxyproline content. Fractions showed variable effect, with the chloroform fraction lacking any significant effect. Both 5% and 10% formulations of the aqueous and methanolic fractions significantly increased wound contraction, decreased epithelializtion time and increased hydroxyproline content in excision wound model (p<0.05) as compared to controls. These fractions were also endowed with higher skin breaking strength in incision wound model (p<0.01). The present study provided evidence that the leaves of Kalanchoe petitiana A. Rich possess remarkable wound healing activities supporting the folkloric assertion of the plant. Fractionation revealed that polar or semi polar compound may play vital role, as both aqueous and methanolic fractions were endowed with wound healing activity. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of gamma radiation on the colour strength and fastness properties of fabric using turmeric (Curcuma longa L .) as natural dye

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhatti, Ijaz A.; Adeel, Shahid; Jamal, M. Asghar; Safdar, Muhammad; Abbas, Muhammad

2010-05-01

The effect of gamma radiation on the dyeing of cotton with extract of turmeric ( Curcuma longa L.) powder has been investigated. Cotton fabric and turmeric powder were irradiated to absorbed doses of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 kGy using Co-60 gamma irradiator. Dyeing parameters such as temperature, pH and mordant concentration were optimized. Dyeing was performed using un-irradiated and irradiated cotton with the extracts of un-irradiated and irradiated turmeric powder in order to investigate the effect of radiation treatment on the colour strength of dyed fabric. The reported data of un-irradiated and irradiated fabrics dyed with un-irradiated and irradiated dyes were obtained using the spectraflash SF-650. The colourfastness to light, rubbing- and washing-fastness properties showed that gamma irradiation has improved the dyeing characteristics from fair to good.

[The adhesive properties of two bonding systems to tetracycline stained dentin].

PubMed

Liu, H L; Liang, K N; Cheng, L; Li, J Y; He, L B

2016-01-01

To investigate and compare the bonding properties of Single Bond 2 and SE Bond to tetracycline stained dentin in vitro. Ten extracted tetracycline stained human teeth and ten extracted normal human teeth were collected and the occlusal dentin surfaces of all extracted teeth were exposed. The tetracycline stained teeth and normal teeth were divided into two groups, respectively and randomly, based on the adhesives applied. Total-etch adhesive(Single Bond 2) and self-etch adhesive(SE Bond) were used. After application of the adhesives to the dentin surfaces, composite crowns were built up. After 24 h water storage, the teeth were sectioned longitudinally into sticks(0.9 mm×0.9 mm bonding area) for micro tensile testing or micro Raman spectroscopy detection. Bonding strength(μTBS) and resin conversion rate were analyzed using one-way ANOVA. The tetracycline Single Bond 2 group presented lower bonding strength[(16.17 ± 3.16) MPa] than the tetracycline SE Bond group[(25.82 ± 2.62) MPa], and also demonstrated lower bonding strength than the normal Single Bond 2 group[(29.13 ± 2.44) MPa] and the normal SE Bond group[(24.29±2.83) MPa] (P<0.05) , while there was no statistical differences among the other three groups(P>0.05). The resin conversion rate of tetracycline Single Bond 2 group[(55±6)%] was significantly lower than the tetracycline SE Bond group[(66±3)% ](P<0.05) and also lower than the normal Single Bond 2 group[(64 ± 5)%] and the normal SE Bond group[(65 ± 4)%] (P<0.05). No statistically significant differences were observed among the other three groups(P>0.05). The bonding strength of total-etch adhesive system to the tetracycline stained dentin was significantly lower than that to the normal dentin.

Flexural analysis of palm fiber reinforced hybrid polymer matrix composite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venkatachalam, G.; Gautham Shankar, A.; Raghav, Dasarath; Santhosh Kiran, R.; Mahesh, Bhargav; Kumar, Krishna

2015-07-01

Uncertainty in availability of fossil fuels in the future and global warming increased the need for more environment friendly materials. In this work, an attempt is made to fabricate a hybrid polymer matrix composite. The blend is a mixture of General Purpose Resin and Cashew Nut Shell Liquid, a natural resin extracted from cashew plant. Palm fiber, which has high strength, is used as reinforcement material. The fiber is treated with alkali (NaOH) solution to increase its strength and adhesiveness. Parametric study of flexure strength is carried out by varying alkali concentration, duration of alkali treatment and fiber volume. Taguchi L9 Orthogonal array is followed in the design of experiments procedure for simplification. With the help of ANOVA technique, regression equations are obtained which gives the level of influence of each parameter on the flexure strength of the composite.

Mechanics aspects of NDE by sound and ultrasound

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fu, L. S.

1982-01-01

Nondestructive evaluation (NDE) is considered as a means to detect the energy release mechanism of defects and the interaction of microstructures within materials with sound waves and/or ultrasonic waves. Ultrasonic inspection involves the frequency range 20 kHz-1 GHz with amplitudes depending on the sensitivity of the test instrumentation. Pulse echo systems are most frequently used in NDE. Information is extracted from the signals through measurements of the signal velocity, attenuation, the acoustic emission when stress is applied, and calculation of the acoustoelastic coefficients. Fracture properties, tensile and shear strengths, the interlaminar shear strength, the cohesive strength, yield and impact strengths, the hardness, and the residual stress can be assayed by ultrasonic methods. Finally, attention is given to analytical treatment of the derived data, with mention given to transition matrix, integral equation, and eigenstrain approaches.

Observation of isoscalar and isovector dipole excitations in neutron-rich 20O

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakatsuka, N.; Baba, H.; Aumann, T.; Avigo, R.; Banerjee, S. R.; Bracco, A.; Caesar, C.; Camera, F.; Ceruti, S.; Chen, S.; Derya, V.; Doornenbal, P.; Giaz, A.; Horvat, A.; Ieki, K.; Inakura, T.; Imai, N.; Kawabata, T.; Kobayashi, N.; Kondo, Y.; Koyama, S.; Kurata-Nishimura, M.; Masuoka, S.; Matsushita, M.; Michimasa, S.; Million, B.; Motobayashi, T.; Murakami, T.; Nakamura, T.; Ohnishi, T.; Ong, H. J.; Ota, S.; Otsu, H.; Ozaki, T.; Saito, A.; Sakurai, H.; Scheit, H.; Schindler, F.; Schrock, P.; Shiga, Y.; Shikata, M.; Shimoura, S.; Steppenbeck, D.; Sumikama, T.; Syndikus, I.; Takeda, H.; Takeuchi, S.; Tamii, A.; Taniuchi, R.; Togano, Y.; Tscheuschner, J.; Tsubota, J.; Wang, H.; Wieland, O.; Wimmer, K.; Yamaguchi, Y.; Yoneda, K.; Zenihiro, J.

2017-05-01

The isospin characters of low-energy dipole excitations in neutron-rich unstable nucleus 20O were investigated, for the first time in unstable nuclei. Two spectra obtained from a dominant isovector probe (20O + Au) and a dominant isoscalar probe (20O + α) were compared and analyzed by the distorted-wave Born approximation to extract independently the isovector and isoscalar dipole strengths. Two known 1- states with large isovector dipole strengths at energies of 5.36(5) MeV (11-) and 6.84(7) MeV (12-) were also excited by the isoscalar probe. These two states were found to have different isoscalar dipole strengths, 2.70(32)% (11-) and 0.67(12)% (12-), respectively, in exhaustion of the isoscalar dipole-energy-weighted sum rule. The difference in isoscalar strength indicated that they have different underlying structures.

Shoulder Strength Requirements for Upper Limb Functional Tasks: Do Age and Rotator Cuff Tear Status Matter?

PubMed

Santago, Anthony C; Vidt, Meghan E; Li, Xiaotong; Tuohy, Christopher J; Poehling, Gary G; Freehill, Michael T; Saul, Katherine R

2017-12-01

Understanding upper limb strength requirements for daily tasks is imperative for early detection of strength loss that may progress to disability due to age or rotator cuff tear. We quantified shoulder strength requirements for 5 upper limb tasks performed by 3 groups: uninjured young adults and older adults, and older adults with a degenerative supraspinatus tear prior to repair. Musculoskeletal models were developed for each group representing age, sex, and tear-related strength losses. Percentage of available strength used was quantified for the subset of tasks requiring the largest amount of shoulder strength. Significant differences in strength requirements existed across tasks: upward reach 105° required the largest average strength; axilla wash required the largest peak strength. However, there were limited differences across participant groups. Older adults with and without a tear used a larger percentage of their shoulder elevation (p < .001, p < .001) and external rotation (p < .001, p = .017) strength than the young adults, respectively. Presence of a tear significantly increased percentage of internal rotation strength compared to young (p < .001) and uninjured older adults (p = .008). Marked differences in strength demand across tasks indicate the need for evaluating a diversity of functional tasks to effectively detect early strength loss, which may lead to disability.

Innovative strength training-induced neuroplasticity and increased muscle size and strength in children with spastic cerebral palsy: an experimenter-blind case study--three-month follow-up.

PubMed

Lee, Dong Ryul; Kim, Yun Hee; Kim, Dong A; Lee, Jung Ah; Hwang, Pil Woo; Lee, Min Jin; You, Sung Hyun

2014-01-01

In children with cerebral palsy (CP), the never-learned-to-use (NLTU) effect and underutilization suppress the normal development of cortical plasticity in the paretic limb, which further inhibits its functional use and increases associated muscle weakness. To highlight the effects of a novel comprehensive hand repetitive intensive strengthening training system on neuroplastic changes associated with upper extremity (UE) muscle strength and motor performance in children with spastic hemiplegic CP. Two children with spastic hemiplegic CP were recruited. Intervention with the comprehensive hand repetitive intensive strengthening training system was provided for 60 min a day, three times a week, for 10 weeks. Neuroplastic changes, muscle size, strength, and associated motor function were measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound imaging, and standardized motor tests, respectively. The functional MRI data showed that the comprehensive hand repetitive intensive strengthening training intervention produced measurable neuroplastic changes in the neural substrates associated with motor control and learning. These neuroplastic changes were associated with increased muscle size, strength and motor function. These results provide compelling evidence of neuroplastic changes and associated improvements in muscle size and motor function following innovative upper extremity strengthening exercise.

Effects of hyperthyroidism on hand grip strength and function.

PubMed

Erkol İnal, Esra; Çarlı, Alparslan Bayram; Çanak, Sultan; Aksu, Oğuzhan; Köroğlu, Banu Kale; Savaş, Serpil

2015-01-01

Hyperthyroidism is a pathologic condition in which the body is exposed to excessive amounts of circulating thyroid hormones. Skeletal muscle is one of the major target organs of thyroid hormones. We evaluated hand grip strength and function in patients with overt hyperthyroidism. Fifty-one patients newly diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and 44 healthy controls participated in this study. Age, height, weight, and dominant hand of all participants were recorded. The diagnosis of hyperthyroidism was confirmed by clinical examination and laboratory tests. Hand grip strength was tested at the dominant hand with a Jamar hand dynamometer. The grooved pegboard test (PGT) was used to evaluate hand dexterity. The Duruöz Hand Index (DHI) was used to assess hand function. No significant differences were found in terms of clinical and demographic findings between the patients with hyperthyroidism and healthy controls (p > 0.05). Significant differences were found between the patients with hyperthyroidism and healthy controls regarding PGT and DHI scores (p < 0.05). Hyperthyroidism seemed to affect hand dexterity and function more than hand grip strength and seemed to be associated with reduced physical function more than muscle strength. This may also indicate that patients with hyperthyroidism should be evaluated by multidisplinary modalities.

Effect of traditional resistance and power training using rated perceived exertion for enhancement of muscle strength, power, and functional performance.

PubMed

Tiggemann, Carlos Leandro; Dias, Caroline Pieta; Radaelli, Regis; Massa, Jéssica Cassales; Bortoluzzi, Rafael; Schoenell, Maira Cristina Wolf; Noll, Matias; Alberton, Cristine Lima; Kruel, Luiz Fernando Martins

2016-04-01

The present study compared the effects of 12 weeks of traditional resistance training and power training using rated perceived exertion (RPE) to determine training intensity on improvements in strength, muscle power, and ability to perform functional task in older women. Thirty healthy elderly women (60-75 years) were randomly assigned to traditional resistance training group (TRT; n = 15) or power training group (PT; n = 15). Participants trained twice a week for 12 weeks using six exercises. The training protocol was designed to ascertain that participants exercised at an RPE of 13-18 (on a 6-20 scale). Maximal dynamic strength, muscle power, and functional performance of lower limb muscles were assessed. Maximal dynamic strength muscle strength leg press (≈58 %) and knee extension (≈20 %) increased significantly (p < 0.001) and similarly in both groups after training. Muscle power also increased with training (≈27 %; p < 0.05), with no difference between groups. Both groups also improved their functional performance after training period (≈13 %; p < 0.001), with no difference between groups. The present study showed that TRT and PT using RPE scale to control intensity were significantly and similarly effective in improving maximal strength, muscle power, and functional performance of lower limbs in elderly women.

In-season monitoring of hip and groin strength, health and function in elite youth soccer: Implementing an early detection and management strategy over two consecutive seasons.

PubMed

Wollin, Martin; Thorborg, Kristian; Welvaert, Marijke; Pizzari, Tania

2018-03-14

The primary purpose of this study was to describe an early detection and management strategy when monitoring in-season hip and groin strength, health and function in soccer. Secondly to compare pre-season to in-season test results. Longitudinal cohort study. Twenty-seven elite male youth soccer players (age: 15.07±0.73years) volunteered to participate in the study. Monitoring tests included: adductor strength, adductor/abductor strength ratio and hip and groin outcome scores (HAGOS). Data were recorded at pre-season and at 22 monthly intervals in-season. Thresholds for alerts to initiate further investigations were defined as any of the following: adductor strength reductions >15%, adductor/abductor strength ratio <0.90, and HAGOS subscale scores <75 out of 100 in any of the six subscales. Overall, 105 alerts were detected involving 70% of players. Strength related alerts comprised 40% and remaining 60% of alerts were related to HAGOS. Hip adductor strength and adductor/abductor strength ratio were lowest at pre-season testing and had increased significantly by month two (p<0.01, mean difference 0.26, CI95%: 0.12, 0.41N/kg and p<0.01, mean difference 0.09, CI95%: 0.04, 0.13 respectively). HAGOS subscale scores were lowest at baseline with all, except Physical Activity, showing significant improvements at time-point one (p<0.01). Most (87%) time-loss were classified minimal or mild. In-season monitoring aimed at early detection and management of hip and groin strength, health and function appears promising. Hip and groin strength, health and function improved quickly from pre-season to in-season in a high-risk population for ongoing hip and groin problems. Copyright © 2018 Sports Medicine Australia. All rights reserved.

Quadriceps rate of torque development and disability in individuals with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

PubMed

Davis, Hope C; Troy Blackburn, J; Ryan, Eric D; Luc-Harkey, Brittney A; Harkey, Matthew S; Padua, Darin A; Pietrosimone, Brian

2017-07-01

The purpose of this study was to determine associations between self-reported function (International Knee Documentation Committee Index), isometric quadriceps strength and rate of torque development in individuals with a unilateral anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Forty-one individuals [31% male, BMI mean 25 (SD 4) kg/m 2 , months post anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction mean 49 (SD 40)] completed the self-reported function and isometric quadriceps function testing. Rate of torque development was assessed at 0-100ms (early), 100-200ms (late) ms, and peak following the onset of contraction. Associations were examined between rate of torque development, strength, and self-reported function. Linear regression was used to determine the unique amount of variance explained by the combination of rate of torque development and strength. Higher rate of torque development 100-200ms is weakly associated with higher self-reported function in individuals with a unilateral anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (r=0.274, p=0.091); however, rate of torque development 100-200ms does not predict a significant amount of variance in self-reported function after accounting for strength (ΔR 2 =0.003, P=0.721). Quadriceps strength has a greater influence on self-reported function compared to rate of torque development in individuals with an anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with time from surgery. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sea Ice Classification Using Synthetic Aperture Radar

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-06-01

same as the correlation of VBI to VB2 . There are other considerations that will influence the strength of the discrimination. Some of these...high density data tapes that the images used in this thesis were extracted . The fact that the SAR was not calibrated may have some effect on the...imagery. These images were extracted from the data collected on missions flown on 5-8 April 1987. The areal coverage of these missions are shown in

Effects of different strength training frequencies on maximum strength, body composition and functional capacity in healthy older individuals.

PubMed

Turpela, Mari; Häkkinen, Keijo; Haff, Guy Gregory; Walker, Simon

2017-11-01

There is controversy in the literature regarding the dose-response relationship of strength training in healthy older participants. The present study determined training frequency effects on maximum strength, muscle mass and functional capacity over 6months following an initial 3-month preparatory strength training period. One-hundred and six 64-75year old volunteers were randomly assigned to one of four groups; performing strength training one (EX1), two (EX2), or three (EX3) times per week and a non-training control (CON) group. Whole-body strength training was performed using 2-5 sets and 4-12 repetitions per exercise and 7-9 exercises per session. Before and after the intervention, maximum dynamic leg press (1-RM) and isometric knee extensor and plantarflexor strength, body composition and quadriceps cross-sectional area, as well as functional capacity (maximum 7.5m forward and backward walking speed, timed-up-and-go test, loaded 10-stair climb test) were measured. All experimental groups increased leg press 1-RM more than CON (EX1: 3±8%, EX2: 6±6%, EX3: 10±8%, CON: -3±6%, P<0.05) and EX3 improved more than EX1 (P=0.007) at month 9. Compared to CON, EX3 improved in backward walk (P=0.047) and EX1 in timed-up-and-go (P=0.029) tests. No significant changes occurred in body composition. The present study found no evidence that higher training frequency would induce greater benefit to maximum walking speed (i.e. functional capacity) despite a clear dose-response in dynamic 1-RM strength, at least when predominantly using machine weight-training. It appears that beneficial functional capacity improvements can be achieved through low frequency training (i.e. 1-2 times per week) in previously untrained healthy older participants. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Non-elite gymnastics participation is associated with greater bone strength, muscle size, and function in pre- and early pubertal girls.

PubMed

Burt, L A; Naughton, G A; Greene, D A; Courteix, D; Ducher, G

2012-04-01

Recent reports indicate an increase in forearm fractures in children. Bone geometric properties are an important determinant of bone strength and therefore fracture risk. Participation in non-elite gymnastics appears to contribute to improving young girls' musculoskeletal health, more specifically in the upper body. The primary aim of this study was to determine the association between non-elite gymnastics participation and upper limb bone mass, geometry, and strength in addition to muscle size and function in young girls. Eighty-eight pre- and early pubertal girls (30 high-training gymnasts [HGYM, 6-16 hr/ wk], 29 low-training gymnasts [LGYM, 1-5 h r/wk] and 29 non-gymnasts [NONGYM]), aged 6-11 years were recruited. Upper limb lean mass, BMD and BMC were derived from a whole body DXA scan. Forearm volumetric BMD, bone geometry, estimated strength, and muscle CSA were determined using peripheral QCT. Upper body muscle function was investigated with muscle strength, explosive power, and muscle endurance tasks. HGYM showed greater forearm bone strength compared with NGYM, as well as greater arm lean mass, BMC, and muscle function (+5% to +103%, p < 0.05). LGYM displayed greater arm lean mass, BMC, muscle power, and endurance than NGYM (+4% to +46%, p < 0.05); however, the difference in bone strength did not reach significance. Estimated fracture risk at the distal radius, which accounted for body weight, was lower in both groups of gymnasts. Compared with NONGYM, HGYM tended to show larger skeletal differences than LGYM; yet, the two groups of gymnasts only differed for arm lean mass and muscle CSA. Non-elite gymnastics participation was associated with musculoskeletal benefits in upper limb bone geometry, strength and muscle function. Differences between the two gymnastic groups emerged for arm lean mass and muscle CSA, but not for bone strength.

Evaluation of wound healing activity of extracts of plantain banana (Musa sapientum var. paradisiaca) in rats.

PubMed

Agarwal, P K; Singh, A; Gaurav, K; Goel, Shalini; Khanna, H D; Goel, R K

2009-01-01

Plantain banana (M. sapientum var. paradisiaca, MS) has been shown to possess ulcer healing activity. The present work with plantain banana was undertaken with the premise that the drug promoting ulcer healing could have effect on wound healing also. Wound healing activity of MS was studied in terms of (i) percent wound contraction, epithelization period and scar area; (ii) wound breaking strength and (iii) on granulation tissue antioxidant status [estimation of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and reduced glutathione (GSH), free radical (lipid peroxidation, an indicator of tissue damage) and connective tissue formation and maturation (hexuronic acid, hydroxyproline and hexosamine levels)] in excision, incision and dead space wound models respectively. The rats were given graded doses (50-200 mg/kg/day) of aqueous (MSW) and methanolic (MSE) extracts of MS orally for a period of 10-21 days depending upon the type of study. Both extracts (100 mg/kg) when studied for incision and dead space wounds parameters, increased wound breaking strength and levels of hydroxyproline, hexuronic acid, hexosamine, superoxide dismutase, reduced glutathione in the granulation tissue and decreased percentage of wound area, scar area and lipid peroxidation when compared with the control group. Both the extracts showed good safety profile. Plantain banana thus, favoured wound healing which could be due to its antioxidant effect and on various wound healing biochemical parameters.

[Phenolic foam prepared by lignin from a steam-explosion derived biorefinery of corn stalk].

PubMed

Wang, Guanhua; Chen, Hongzhang

2014-06-01

To increase the integral economic effectiveness, biorefineries of lignocellulosic materials should not only utilize carbohydrates hydrolyzed from cellulose and hemicellulose but also use lignin. We used steam-exploded corn stalk as raw materials and optimized the temperature and alkali concentration in the lignin extraction process to obtain lignin liquor with higher yield and purity. Then the concentrated lignin liquor was used directly to substitute phenol for phenolic foam preparation and the performances of phenolic foam were characterized by microscopic structure analysis, FTIR, compression strength and thermal conductivity detection. The results indicated that, when steam-exploded corn stalk was extracted at 120 degrees C for 2 h by 1% NaOH with a solid to liquid ratio of 1:10, the extraction yield of lignin was 79.67%. The phenolic foam prepared from the concentrated lignin liquor showed higher apparent density and compression strength with the increasing substitution rate of lignin liquor. However, there were not significant differences of thermal conductivity and flame retardant properties by the addition of lignin, which meant that the phenolic foam substituted by lignin liquor was approved for commercial application. This study, which uses alkali-extracted lignin liquor directly for phenolic foam preparation, provides a relatively simple way for utilization of lignin and finally increases the overall commercial operability ofa lignocellulosic biorefinery derived by steam explosion.

Pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) seed proteins: sequential extraction processing and fraction characterization.

PubMed

Rezig, Leila; Chibani, Farhat; Chouaibi, Moncef; Dalgalarrondo, Michèle; Hessini, Kamel; Guéguen, Jacques; Hamdi, Salem

2013-08-14

Seed proteins extracted from Tunisian pumpkin seeds ( Cucurbita maxima ) were investigated for their solubility properties and sequentially extracted according to the Osborne procedure. The solubility of pumpkin proteins from seed flour was greatly influenced by pH changes and ionic strength, with higher values in the alkaline pH regions. It also depends on the seed defatting solvent. Protein solubility was decreased by using chloroform/methanol (CM) for lipid extraction instead of pentane (P). On the basis of differential solubility fractionation and depending on the defatting method, the alkali extract (AE) was the major fraction (42.1 (P), 22.3% (CM)) compared to the salt extract (8.6 (P), 7.5% (CM)). In salt, alkali, and isopropanol extracts, all essential amino acids with the exceptions of threonine and lysine met the minimum requirements for preschool children (FAO/WHO/UNU). The denaturation temperatures were 96.6 and 93.4 °C for salt and alkali extracts, respectively. Pumpkin protein extracts with unique protein profiles and higher denaturation temperatures could impart novel characteristics when used as food ingredients.

Effects of daily vitamin D supplementation on respiratory muscle strength and physical performance in vitamin D-deficient COPD patients: a pilot trial.

PubMed

Rafiq, Rachida; Prins, Hendrik J; Boersma, Wim G; Daniels, Johannes Ma; den Heijer, Martin; Lips, Paul; de Jongh, Renate T

2017-01-01

Although vitamin D is well known for its function in calcium homeostasis and bone mineralization, several studies have shown positive effects on muscle strength and physical function. In addition, vitamin D has been associated with pulmonary function and the incidence of airway infections. As vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, supplementation might have a beneficial effect in these patients. To assess the effect of vitamin D supplementation on respiratory muscle strength and physical performance in vitamin D-deficient COPD patients. Secondary outcomes are pulmonary function, handgrip strength, exacerbation rate, and quality of life. We performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial. Participants were randomly allocated to receive 1,200 IU vitamin D3 per day (n=24) or placebo (n=26) during 6 months. Study visits were conducted at baseline, and at 3 and 6 months after randomization. During the visits, blood was collected, respiratory muscle strength was measured (maximum inspiratory and expiratory pressure), physical performance and 6-minute walking tests were performed, and handgrip strength and pulmonary function were assessed. In addition, participants kept a diary card in which they registered respiratory symptoms. At baseline, the mean (standard deviation [SD]) serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration (nmol/L) was 42.3 (15.2) in the vitamin D group and 40.6 (17.0) in the placebo group. Participants with vitamin D supplementation had a larger increase in serum 25(OH)D compared to the placebo group after 6 months (mean difference (SD): +52.8 (29.8) vs +12.3 (25.1), P <0.001). Primary outcomes, respiratory muscle strength and physical performance, did not differ between the groups after 6 months. In addition, no differences were found in the 6-minute walking test results, handgrip strength, pulmonary function, exacerbation rate, or quality of life. Vitamin D supplementation did not affect (respiratory) muscle strength or physical performance in this pilot trial in vitamin D-deficient COPD patients.

Development and validation of a magnetic solid-phase extraction with high-performance liquid chromatography method for the simultaneous determination of amphetamine and methadone in urine.

PubMed

Taghvimi, Arezou; Hamishehkar, Hamed; Ebrahimi, Mahmoud

2016-06-01

The simultaneous determination of amphetamine and methadone was carried out by magnetic graphene oxide nanoparticles, a magnetic solid-phase extraction adsorbent, as a new sample treatment technique. The main factors (the amounts of sample volume, amount of adsorbent, type and amount of extraction organic solvent, time of extraction and desorption, pH, the ionic strength of extraction medium, and agitation rate) influencing the extraction efficiency were investigated and optimized. Under the optimized conditions, good linearity was observed in the range of 100-1500 ng/mL for amphetamine and 100-1000 ng/mL for methadone. The method was evaluated for determination of AM and methadone in positive urine samples, satisfactory results were obtained, therefore magnetic solid-phase extraction can be applied as a novel method for the determination of drugs of abuse in forensic laboratories. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Enhancement of holding strength of cannulated screw supported with PMMA: a biomechanical study on femoral head [corrected].

PubMed

Zeynalov, Reşad; Ağır, İsmail; Akgülle, Ahmet Hamdi; Kocaoğlu, Barış; Yalçın, Mithat Selim

2015-07-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the holding strength of cannulated screw with multiple holes on threaded area, supported with PMMA in femoral head. A total of 48 human femoral heads were divided into two groups after mineral density measurement with Q-CT. Seven-millimeter cannulated screws with multiple holes on threaded area supported with PMMA were used in the study group, while in the control group standard 7-mm cannulated screws were used. Each group was divided into three subgroups with eight femoral heads. Mineral density of each subgroup was equal to the other. Groups were compared in terms of pull-out, maximum extraction torque and cut-out. In pull-out group, maximum holding strength (N) was measured, while axial pull-out of 0.5 mm/sec applied with Instron. Results showed meaningful significant difference (p < 0.011) between two groups. In cut-out group, femoral heads were placed into Instron and loading was started from 5 N at 2 mm per minute at first, and it was continued until a failure, at least 5 mm, of implant was observed. Results showed significant difference (p < 0.05) between two groups. In maximum extraction group, 4° per second reverse torque (Nm) was applied with torque meter. Highest torque value was measured during extraction time, and results showed very significant difference (p < 0. 001) between two groups. The results of our new design of cannulated screw augmented with PMMA provided background data to clinical application.

A New Approach to Improve Cognition, Muscle Strength, and Postural Balance in Community-Dwelling Elderly with a 3-D Virtual Reality Kayak Program.

PubMed

Park, Junhyuck; Yim, JongEun

2016-01-01

Aging is usually accompanied with deterioration of physical abilities, such as muscular strength, sensory sensitivity, and functional capacity. Recently, intervention methods with virtual reality have been introduced, providing an enjoyable therapy for elderly. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a 3-D virtual reality kayak program could improve the cognitive function, muscle strength, and balance of community-dwelling elderly. Importantly, kayaking involves most of the upper body musculature and needs the balance control. Seventy-two participants were randomly allocated into the kayak program group (n = 36) and the control group (n = 36). The two groups were well matched with respect to general characteristics at baseline. The participants in both groups performed a conventional exercise program for 30 min, and then the 3-D virtual reality kayak program was performed in the kayak program group for 20 min, two times a week for 6 weeks. Cognitive function was measured using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Muscle strength was measured using the arm curl and handgrip strength tests. Standing and sitting balance was measured using the Good Balance system. The post-test was performed in the same manner as the pre-test; the overall outcomes such as cognitive function (p < 0.05), muscle strength (p < 0.05), and balance (standing and sitting balance, p < 0.05) were significantly improved in kayak program group compared to the control group. We propose that the 3-D virtual reality kayak program is a promising intervention method for improving the cognitive function, muscle strength, and balance of elderly.

Profile of isokinetic eccentric-to-concentric strength ratios of shoulder rotator muscles in elite female team handball players.

PubMed

Andrade, Marilia Dos Santos; Fleury, Anna Maria; de Lira, Claudio Andre Barbosia; Dubas, Joao Paulo; da Silva, Antonio Carlos

2010-05-01

The purpose of this study was to establish the isokinetic profile of shoulder rotator muscles strength in female handball players. Twenty-seven handball players performed concentric and eccentric strength tests of both dominant and non-dominant upper limbs on an isokinetic dynamometer. Internal and external rotator muscles peak torque was assessed at 1.05, 3.14, and 5.23 rad . s(-1) in concentric mode and at 3.14 and 5.23 rad . s(-1) in eccentric mode. Concentric balance ratio and functional ratio were obtained. Bi-lateral deficiency was compared. Concentric strength for internal and external rotation was significantly greater for the dominant than for the non-dominant limb for all speeds (P < or = 0.0001). For eccentric actions, internal rotator muscles were stronger in the dominant than the non-dominant limb (P < or = 0.0001) at both speeds. Concentric balance and functional balance ratios did not differ between sides at 3.14 rad . s(-1) (P = 0.1631), but at 5.23 rad . s(-1) the functional balance ratio in the dominant limb was lower than for the non-dominant limb (P = 0.0500). Although the dominant side was stronger than the non-dominant side, balance concentric ratios remained the same, with only the functional strength ratio different at 5.23 rad . s(-1). Our results suggest that concentric strength exercises be used for internal and external rotators on the non-dominant side, and functional exercise that improves eccentric rotation strength for prevention programmes.

Effectiveness of several solutions to prevent the formation of precipitate due to the interaction between sodium hypochlorite and chlorhexidine and its effect on bond strength of an epoxy-based sealer.

PubMed

Magro, M G; Kuga, M C; Aranda-Garcia, A J; Victorino, K R; Chávez-Andrade, G M; Faria, G; Keine, K C; Só, M V R

2015-05-01

To evaluate the effectiveness of isopropyl alcohol, saline or distilled water to prevent the precipitate formed between sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) and chlorhexidine (CHX) and its effect on the bond strength of an epoxy-based sealer in radicular dentine. The root canals of 50 extracted human canines (n = 10) were instrumented. In G1, root canals were irrigated with 17% EDTA and 2.5% NaOCl; G2, as G1, except that 2% CHX was used as the final irrigant. In the other groups, intermediate flushes with isopropyl alcohol (G3), saline (G4) or distilled water (G5) were used between NaOCl and CHX. The specimens were submitted to SEM analysis to evaluate the presence of debris and smear layer, in the apical and cervical segments. In sequence, fifty extracted human canines were distributed into five groups (n = 10), similar to the SEM study. After root filling, the roots were sectioned transversally to obtain dentine slices, in the cervical, middle and apical thirds. The root filling was submitted to a push-out bond strength test using an electromechanical testing machine. Statistical analysis was performed using Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn's tests (α = 5%). All groups had similar amounts of residue precipitated on the canal walls (P > 0.05). The push-out bond strength values were similar for all groups, independently of the root third evaluated (P > 0.05). Isopropyl alcohol, saline and distilled water failed to prevent the precipitation of residues on canal walls following the use of NaOCl and CHX. The residues did not interfere with the push-out bond strength of the root filling. © 2014 International Endodontic Journal. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Effect of Kaempferia parviflora Extract on Physical Fitness of Soccer Players: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Promthep, Kreeta; Eungpinichpong, Wichai; Sripanidkulchai, Bungorn; Chatchawan, Uraiwan

2015-01-01

Background Physical fitness is a fundamental prerequisite for soccer players. Kaempferia parviflora is an herbal plant that has been used in some Asian athletes with the belief that it might prevent fatigue and improve physical fitness. This study aimed to determine the effects of Kaempferia parviflora on the physical fitness of soccer players. Material/Methods Sixty soccer players who routinely trained at a sports school participated in a double-blind placebo-controlled trial and were randomly allocated to the treatment group or the placebo group. The participants in both groups were given either 180 mg of Kaempferia parviflora extract in capsules or a placebo once daily for 12 weeks. Baseline data were collected using the following 6 tests of physical performance: a sit-and-reach test, a hand grip strength test, a back-and-leg strength test, a 40-yard technical test, a 50-metre sprint test, and a cardiorespiratory fitness test. All of the tests were performed every 4 weeks throughout the 12-week study period. Results The study showed that after treatment with Kaempferia parviflora, the right-hand grip strength was significantly increased at weeks 4, 8, and 12. The left-hand grip strength was significantly increased at week 8. However, the back-and-leg strength, the 40-yard technical test, the sit-and-reach test, the 50-metre sprint test, and the cardiorespiratory fitness test results of the treatment group were not significantly different from those of the placebo group. Conclusions Taking Kaempferia parviflora supplements for 12 weeks may significantly enhance some physical fitness components in soccer players. PMID:25957542

Ceramic composites: A review of toughening mechanisms and demonstration of micropillar compression for interface property extraction

DOE PAGES

Kabel, Joey; Hosemann, Peter; Zayachuk, Yevhen; ...

2018-01-24

We present that ceramic fiber–matrix composites (CFMCs) are exciting materials for engineering applications in extreme environments. By integrating ceramic fibers within a ceramic matrix, CFMCs allow an intrinsically brittle material to exhibit sufficient structural toughness for use in gas turbines and nuclear reactors. Chemical stability under high temperature and irradiation coupled with high specific strength make these materials unique and increasingly popular in extreme settings. This paper first offers a review of the importance and growing body of research on fiber–matrix interfaces as they relate to composite toughening mechanisms. Second, micropillar compression is explored experimentally as a high-fidelity method formore » extracting interface properties compared with traditional fiber push-out testing. Three significant interface properties that govern composite toughening were extracted. For a 50-nm-pyrolytic carbon interface, the following were observed: a fracture energy release rate of ~2.5 J/m 2, an internal friction coefficient of 0.25 ± 0.04, and a debond shear strength of 266 ± 24 MPa. Lastly, this research supports micromechanical evaluations as a unique bridge between theoretical physics models for microcrack propagation and empirically driven finite element models for bulk CFMCs.« less

Ceramic composites: A review of toughening mechanisms and demonstration of micropillar compression for interface property extraction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kabel, Joey; Hosemann, Peter; Zayachuk, Yevhen

We present that ceramic fiber–matrix composites (CFMCs) are exciting materials for engineering applications in extreme environments. By integrating ceramic fibers within a ceramic matrix, CFMCs allow an intrinsically brittle material to exhibit sufficient structural toughness for use in gas turbines and nuclear reactors. Chemical stability under high temperature and irradiation coupled with high specific strength make these materials unique and increasingly popular in extreme settings. This paper first offers a review of the importance and growing body of research on fiber–matrix interfaces as they relate to composite toughening mechanisms. Second, micropillar compression is explored experimentally as a high-fidelity method formore » extracting interface properties compared with traditional fiber push-out testing. Three significant interface properties that govern composite toughening were extracted. For a 50-nm-pyrolytic carbon interface, the following were observed: a fracture energy release rate of ~2.5 J/m 2, an internal friction coefficient of 0.25 ± 0.04, and a debond shear strength of 266 ± 24 MPa. Lastly, this research supports micromechanical evaluations as a unique bridge between theoretical physics models for microcrack propagation and empirically driven finite element models for bulk CFMCs.« less

Preparation of magnetic chitosan and graphene oxide-functional guanidinium ionic liquid composite for the solid-phase extraction of protein.

PubMed

Ding, Xueqin; Wang, Yuzhi; Wang, Ying; Pan, Qi; Chen, Jing; Huang, Yanhua; Xu, Kaijia

2015-02-25

A series of novel cationic functional hexaalkylguanidinium ionic liquids and anionic functional tetraalkylguanidinium ionic liquids have been synthesized, and then magnetic chitosan graphene oxide (MCGO) composite has been prepared and coated with these functional guanidinium ionic liquids to extract protein by magnetic solid-phase extraction. MCGO-functional guanidinium ionic liquid has been characterized by vibrating sample magnetometer, field emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction spectrometer and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. After extraction, the concentrations of protein were determined by measuring the absorbance at 278 nm using an ultra violet visible spectrophotometer. The advantages of MCGO-functional guanidinium ionic liquid in protein extraction were compared with magnetic chitosan, graphene oxide, MCGO and MCGO-ordinary imidazolium ionic liquid. The proposed method has been applied to extract trypsin, lysozyme, ovalbumin and bovine serum albumin. A comprehensive study of the adsorption conditions such as the concentration of protein, the amount of MCGO-functional guanidinium ionic liquid, the pH, the temperature and the extraction time were also presented. Moreover, the MCGO-functional guanidinium ionic liquid can be easily regenerated, and the extraction capacity was about 94% of the initial one after being used three times. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Mechanical Strength of Si Foams in the Mushy Zone during Solidification of Al–Si Alloys

PubMed Central

Lim, Jeon Taik; Youn, Ji Won; Seo, Seok Yong; Kim, Ki Young; Kim, Suk Jun

2017-01-01

The mechanical strength of an Al-30% Si alloy in the mushy zone was estimated by using a novel centrifugation apparatus. In the apparatus, the alloy melt was partially solidified, forming a porous structure made of primary Si platelets (Si foam) while cooling. Subsequently, pressure generated by centrifugal force pushed the liquid phase out of the foam. The estimated mechanical strength of the Si foam in the temperature range 850–993 K was very low (62 kPa to 81 kPa). This is about two orders of magnitude lower than the mechanical strength at room temperature as measured by compressive tests. When the centrifugal stress was higher than the mechanical strength of the foam, the foam fractured, and the primary Si crystallites were extracted along with the Al-rich melt. Therefore, to maximize the centrifugal separation efficiency of the Al-30% Si alloy, the centrifugal stress should be in the range of 62–81 kPa. PMID:28772695

Determining the strengths of HCP slip systems using harmonic analyses of lattice strain distributions

DOE PAGES

Dawson, Paul R.; Boyce, Donald E.; Park, Jun-Sang; ...

2017-10-15

A robust methodology is presented to extract slip system strengths from lattice strain distributions for polycrystalline samples obtained from high-energy x-ray diffraction (HEXD) experiments with in situ loading. The methodology consists of matching the evolution of coefficients of a harmonic expansion of the distributions from simulation to the coefficients derived from measurements. Simulation results are generated via finite element simulations of virtual polycrystals that are subjected to the loading history applied in the HEXD experiments. Advantages of the methodology include: (1) its ability to utilize extensive data sets generated by HEXD experiments; (2) its ability to capture trends in distributionsmore » that may be noisy (both measured and simulated); and (3) its sensitivity to the ratios of the family strengths. The approach is used to evaluate the slip system strengths of Ti-6Al-4V using samples having relatively equiaxed grains. These strength estimates are compared to values in the literature.« less

Investigation into the effect of some additives on the mechanical strength, quality and thermal conductivity of clay bricks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaid, Adnan I. O.; Qandil, A.; Qattous, M. A. A.

2016-08-01

It was repeatedly reported that the clay bricks industry in Jordan is facing both weak mechanical strength and poor quality which caused marketing problems where it is expected to serve the increasing demand of housing in the country especially after the political crises in the neighboring countries Iraq and Syria. It is therefore anticipated that improvement of the mechanical strength and quality of the produced clay evaluation of the brick industry in Jordan is worth investigating. In this paper, theoretical and experimental investigation obtained from field visits to the factories producing clay bricks were carried out. Furthermore, the effect of using some additives from locally available materials namely: Battn El-Ghoul Clay, Suweileh sand and Olive extracts on the mechanical strength, thermal conductivity and surface quality of the produced bricks is investigated and discussed. The experimental results indicated that thermal conductivity, color and durability were all enhanced and the ultimate compressive strength was reduced but remained higher than the acceptable value for brickwork.

Effects of strength and neuromuscular training on functional performance in athletes after partial medial meniscectomy.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiaohui; Hu, Min; Lou, Zhen; Liao, Bagen

2017-02-01

The aims of this study were to determine an effective knee function rehabilitation program for athletes undergoing partial medial meniscectomy. Participants were randomly assigned to neuromuscular training (NT) or strength training (ST) group and subjected to functional assessments before surgery and again at 4, and 8 weeks post hoc . Functional knee assessment, such as Lysholm knee scoring, star excursion balance, and BTE PrimusRS isokinetic performance tests were evaluated in each group. All postoperational symptoms were significantly improved after 4 and 8 weeks of NT and ST. Both NT and ST programs showed effective knee function recovery seen as an increase in muscular strength and endurance. However, the NT program showed the most significant functional improvement of dynamic balance and coordination.

A systematic review of cognitive functioning among young people who have experienced homelessness, foster care, or poverty.

PubMed

Fry, Charlotte E; Langley, Kate; Shelton, Katherine H

2017-11-01

Young people who have experienced homelessness, foster care, or poverty are among the most disadvantaged in society. This review examines whether young people who have these experiences differ from their non-disadvantaged peers with respect to their cognitive skills and abilities, and whether cognitive profiles differ between these three groups. Three electronic databases were systematically searched for articles published between 1 January 1995 and 1 February 2015 on cognitive functioning among young people aged 15 to 24 years who have experienced homelessness, foster care, or poverty. Articles were screened using pre-determined inclusion criteria, then the data were extracted, and its quality assessed. A total of 31 studies were included. Compared to non-disadvantaged youth or published norms, cognitive performance was generally found to be impaired in young people who had experienced homelessness, foster care, or poverty. A common area of difficulty across all groups is working memory. General cognitive functioning, attention, and executive function deficits are shared by the homeless and poverty groups. Creativity emerges as a potential strength for homeless young people. The cognitive functioning of young people with experiences of impermanent housing and poverty has been relatively neglected and more research is needed to further establish cognitive profiles and replicate the findings reviewed here. As some aspects of cognitive functioning may show improvement with training, these could represent a target for intervention.

Physical and functional measures related to low back pain in individuals with lower-limb amputation: an exploratory pilot study.

PubMed

Friel, Karen; Domholdt, Elizabeth; Smith, Douglas G

2005-01-01

For this study, we compared the physical impairments and functional deficits of individuals with lower-limb amputation (LLA) for those with and without low back pain (LBP). Nineteen participants with LLA were placed into two groups based on visual analog scores of LBP. We assessed functional limitations, iliopsoas length, hamstring length, abdominal strength, back extensor strength, and back extensor endurance. Data analysis included correlations and t-tests. We found significant correlations between pain score and functional limitations, iliopsoas length, and back extensor endurance. We also detected significant differences in functional limitations, iliopsoas length, back extensor strength, and back extensor endurance between those with and without LBP. We saw significant differences in back extensor strength and back extensor endurance between those with transtibial and transfemoral amputations. Differences exist in physical measures of individuals with LLA with and without LBP. Clinicians should consider these impairments in individuals with amputation who experience LBP. Because of the participants' characteristics, these findings may be applicable to veterans with LLA.

Human adaptations for the visual assessment of strength and fighting ability from the body and face

PubMed Central

Sell, Aaron; Cosmides, Leda; Tooby, John; Sznycer, Daniel; von Rueden, Christopher; Gurven, Michael

2008-01-01

Selection in species with aggressive social interactions favours the evolution of cognitive mechanisms for assessing physical formidability (fighting ability or resource-holding potential). The ability to accurately assess formidability in conspecifics has been documented in a number of non-human species, but has not been demonstrated in humans. Here, we report tests supporting the hypothesis that the human cognitive architecture includes mechanisms that assess fighting ability—mechanisms that focus on correlates of upper-body strength. Across diverse samples of targets that included US college students, Bolivian horticulturalists and Andean pastoralists, subjects in the US were able to accurately estimate the physical strength of male targets from photos of their bodies and faces. Hierarchical linear modelling shows that subjects were extracting cues of strength that were largely independent of height, weight and age, and that corresponded most strongly to objective measures of upper-body strength—even when the face was all that was available for inspection. Estimates of women's strength were less accurate, but still significant. These studies are the first empirical demonstration that, for humans, judgements of strength and judgements of fighting ability not only track each other, but accurately track actual upper-body strength. PMID:18945661

Estimation of 1RM for knee extension based on the maximal isometric muscle strength and body composition.

PubMed

Kanada, Yoshikiyo; Sakurai, Hiroaki; Sugiura, Yoshito; Arai, Tomoaki; Koyama, Soichiro; Tanabe, Shigeo

2017-11-01

[Purpose] To create a regression formula in order to estimate 1RM for knee extensors, based on the maximal isometric muscle strength measured using a hand-held dynamometer and data regarding the body composition. [Subjects and Methods] Measurement was performed in 21 healthy males in their twenties to thirties. Single regression analysis was performed, with measurement values representing 1RM and the maximal isometric muscle strength as dependent and independent variables, respectively. Furthermore, multiple regression analysis was performed, with data regarding the body composition incorporated as another independent variable, in addition to the maximal isometric muscle strength. [Results] Through single regression analysis with the maximal isometric muscle strength as an independent variable, the following regression formula was created: 1RM (kg)=0.714 + 0.783 × maximal isometric muscle strength (kgf). On multiple regression analysis, only the total muscle mass was extracted. [Conclusion] A highly accurate regression formula to estimate 1RM was created based on both the maximal isometric muscle strength and body composition. Using a hand-held dynamometer and body composition analyzer, it was possible to measure these items in a short time, and obtain clinically useful results.

Anti-gravity training improves walking capacity and postural balance in patients with muscular dystrophy.

PubMed

Berthelsen, Martin Peter; Husu, Edith; Christensen, Sofie Bouschinger; Prahm, Kira Philipsen; Vissing, John; Jensen, Bente Rona

2014-06-01

Recent studies in patients with muscular dystrophies suggest positive effects of aerobic and strength training. These studies focused training on using bicycle ergometers and conventional strength training, which precludes more severely affected patients from participating, because of their weakness. We investigated the functional effects of combined aerobic and strength training in patients with Becker and limb-girdle muscular dystrophies with knee muscle strength levels as low as 3% of normal strength. Eight patients performed 10 weeks of aerobic and strength training on an anti-gravity treadmill, which offered weight support up to 80% of their body weight. Six minute walking distance, dynamic postural balance, and plasma creatine kinase were assessed 10 weeks prior to training, immediately before training and after 10 weeks of training. Training elicited an improvement of walking distance by 8±2% and dynamic postural balance by 13±4%, indicating an improved physical function. Plasma creatine kinase remained unchanged. These results provide evidence that a combination of aerobic and strength training during anti-gravity has the potential to safely improve functional ability in severely affected patients with Becker and limb-girdle muscular dystrophies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of core instability strength training on trunk muscle strength, spinal mobility, dynamic balance and functional mobility in older adults.

PubMed

Granacher, Urs; Lacroix, Andre; Muehlbauer, Thomas; Roettger, Katrin; Gollhofer, Albert

2013-01-01

Age-related postural misalignment, balance deficits and strength/power losses are associated with impaired functional mobility and an increased risk of falling in seniors. Core instability strength training (CIT) involves exercises that are challenging for both trunk muscles and postural control and may thus have the potential to induce benefits in trunk muscle strength, spinal mobility and balance performance. The objective was to investigate the effects of CIT on measures of trunk muscle strength, spinal mobility, dynamic balance and functional mobility in seniors. Thirty-two older adults were randomly assigned to an intervention group (INT; n = 16, aged 70.8 ± 4.1 years) that conducted a 9-week progressive CIT or to a control group (n = 16, aged 70.2 ± 4.5 years). Maximal isometric strength of the trunk flexors/extensors/lateral flexors (right, left)/rotators (right, left) as well as of spinal mobility in the sagittal and the coronal plane was measured before and after the intervention program. Dynamic balance (i.e. walking 10 m on an optoelectric walkway, the Functional Reach test) and functional mobility (Timed Up and Go test) were additionally tested. Program compliance was excellent with participants of the INT group completing 92% of the training sessions. Significant group × test interactions were found for the maximal isometric strength of the trunk flexors (34%, p < 0.001), extensors (21%, p < 0.001), lateral flexors (right: 48%, p < 0.001; left: 53%, p < 0.001) and left rotators (42%, p < 0.001) in favor of the INT group. Further, training-related improvements were found for spinal mobility in the sagittal (11%, p < 0.001) and coronal plane (11%, p = 0.06) directions, for stride velocity (9%, p < 0.05), the coefficient of variation in stride velocity (31%, p < 0.05), the Functional Reach test (20%, p < 0.05) and the Timed Up and Go test (4%, p < 0.05) in favor of the INT group. CIT proved to be a feasible exercise program for seniors with a high adherence rate. Age-related deficits in measures of trunk muscle strength, spinal mobility, dynamic balance and functional mobility can be mitigated by CIT. This training regimen could be used as an adjunct or even alternative to traditional balance and/or resistance training. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Low-energy modification of the γ strength function of the odd-even nucleus 115In

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Versteegen, Maud; Denis-Petit, David; Méot, Vincent; Bonnet, Thomas; Comet, Maxime; Gobet, Franck; Hannachi, Fazia; Tarisien, Medhi; Morel, Pascal; Martini, Marco; Péru, Sophie

2016-10-01

Photoactivation yield measurements on 115In have been performed at the ELSA facility with Bremsstrahlung photon beams over a range of endpoint energies between 4.5 and 18 MeV. The measured photoexcitation yields of the Inm115 metastable state are compared with calculated yields using cross sections obtained with different models of the photon strength function. It is shown that additional photon strength with respect to the general Lorentzian model is needed at 8.1 MeV for the calculated yields to reproduce the data. The origin of this extra strength is unclear, because it is compatible with additional strength predicted in both E 1 and M 1 photon strength distributions by quasiparticle random-phase approximation calculations using the Gogny D1S force.

[Methodological aspects of functional neuroimaging at high field strength: a critical review].

PubMed

Scheef, L; Landsberg, M W; Boecker, H

2007-09-01

The last few years have proven that high field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is superior in nearly every way to conventional equipment up to 1.5 tesla (T). Following the global success of 3T-scanners in research institutes and medical practices, a new generation of MRI devices with field strengths of 7T and higher is now on the horizon. The introduction of ultra high fields has brought MRI technology closer to the physical limitations and increasingly greater costs are required to achieve this goal. This article provides a critical overview of the advantages and problems of functional neuroimaging using ultra high field strengths. This review is principally limited to T2*-based functional imaging techniques not dependent on contrast agents. The main issues include the significance of high field technology with respect to SNR, CNR, resolution, and sequences, as well as artifacts, noise exposure, and SAR. Of great relevance is the discussion of parallel imaging, which will presumably determine the further development of high and ultra high field strengths. Finally, the importance of high field strengths for functional neuroimaging is explained by selected publications.

Effects of Nordic walking on physical functions and depression in frail people aged 70 years and above.

PubMed

Lee, Han Suk; Park, Jeung Hun

2015-08-01

[Purpose] This study investigated the effects of Nordic walking on physical functions and depression in frail people aged 70 years and above. [Subjects] Twenty frail elderly individuals ≥70 years old were assigned to either a Nordic walking group (n=8) or general exercise group (n=10). [Methods] The duration of intervention was equal in both groups (3 sessions/week for 12 weeks, 60 min/session). Physical function (balance, upper extremity strength, lower extremity strength, weakness) and depression were examined before and after the interventions. [Results] With the exception of upper extremity muscle strength, lower extremity strength, weakness, balance, and depression after Nordic walking demonstrated statistically significant improvement. However, in the general exercise group, only balance demonstrated a statistically significant improvement after the intervention. There were significant differences in the changes in lower extremity muscle strength, weakness and depression between the groups. [Conclusion] In conclusion, Nordic walking was more effective than general exercise. Therefore, we suggest that Nordic walking may be an attractive option for significant functional improvement in frail people over 70 years old.

The Resilience Function of Character Strengths in the Face of War and Protracted Conflict.

PubMed

Shoshani, Anat; Slone, Michelle

2015-01-01

This study investigated the role of character strengths and virtues in moderating relations between conflict exposure and psychiatric symptoms among 1078 adolescents aged 13-15 living in southern Israel, who were exposed to lengthy periods of war, terrorism and political conflict. Adolescents were assessed for character strengths and virtues, political violence exposure using the Political Life Events (PLE) scale, and psychiatric symptoms using the Brief Symptom Inventory and the UCLA PTSD Index. Results confirmed that political violence exposure was positively correlated with psychiatric symptoms. Interpersonal, temperance and transcendence strengths were negatively associated with psychiatric symptoms. Moderating effects of the interpersonal strengths on the relation between political violence exposure and the psychiatric and PTSD indices were confirmed. The findings extend existing knowledge about the resilience function of character strengths in exposure to protracted conflict and have important practical implications for applying strength-building practices for adolescents who grow up in war-affected environments.

Investigation of Pu(IV)-acetohydroxamic acid complex by solvent extraction with di(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, M. Alex; Paulenova, Alena; Tkac, Peter

2010-03-01

The stability constant of the Pu(IV)-acetohydroxamic acid complex Pu(AHA)3+ at 1 M ionic strength (pH = 0) has been investigated by method of solvent extraction. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (HDEHP) was used to extract Pu(IV) from perchloric and nitric acid media at various AHA concentrations. Distribution ratios over a range of ligand concentrations were used in conjunction with graphical methods to obtain logβ1 = 14.3 ± 0.03 in perchloric acid. The stability constant determined from solutions in nitric acid was excluded because of the uncertainty in plutonium speciation.

Experimental demonstration of ion extraction from magnetic thrust chamber for laser fusion rocket

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saito, Naoya; Yamamoto, Naoji; Morita, Taichi; Edamoto, Masafumi; Nakashima, Hideki; Fujioka, Shinsuke; Yogo, Akifumi; Nishimura, Hiroaki; Sunahara, Atsushi; Mori, Yoshitaka; Johzaki, Tomoyuki

2018-05-01

A magnetic thrust chamber is an important system of a laser fusion rocket, in which the plasma kinetic energy is converted into vehicle thrust by a magnetic field. To investigate the plasma extraction from the system, the ions in a plasma are diagnosed outside the system by charge collectors. The results clearly show that the ion extraction does not strongly depend on the magnetic field strength when the energy ratio of magnetic field to plasma is greater than 4.3, and the magnetic field pushes back the plasma to generate a thrust, as previously suggested by numerical simulation and experiments.

Albumin-genipin solder for laser tissue repair.

PubMed

Lauto, A; Foster, L J R; Ferris, L; Avolio, A; Zwaneveld, N; Poole-Warren, L A

2004-01-01

Laser tissue soldering (LTS) is an alternative technique to suturing for tissue repair that avoids foreign body reaction and provides immediate sealing of the wound. One of the major drawbacks of LTS, however, is the weak tensile strength of the solder welds when compared to sutures. In this study, a crosslinking agent of low cytotoxicity was investigated for its ability to enhance the bond strength of albumin solders with sheep intestine. Solder strips were welded onto rectangular sections of sheep small intestine using a diode laser. The laser delivered in continuous mode a power of 170 +/- 10 mW at lambda = 808 nm, through a multimode optical fiber (core size = 200 microm) to achieve a dose of 10.8 +/- 0.5 J/mg. The solder thickness and surface area were kept constant throughout the experiment (thickness = 0.15 +/- 0.01 mm, area = 12 +/- 1.2 mm2). The solder was composed of 62% bovine serum albumin (BSA), 0.38% genipin, 0.25% indocyanin green dye (IG), and water. Tissue welding was also performed with a BSA solder without genipin, as a control group. The repaired tissue was tested for tensile strength by a calibrated tensiometer. Murine fibroblasts were also cultured in extracted media from heat-denatured genipin solder to assess cell growth inhibition in a 48 hours period. The tensile strength of the genipin solder was doubled that of the BSA solder (0.21 +/- 0.04 N and 0.11 +/- 0.04 N, respectively; P = 10(-15) unpaired t-test, N = 30). Media extracted from crosslinked genipin solder showed negligible toxicity to fibroblast cells under the culture conditions examined here. Addition of a chemical crosslinking agent, such as genipin, significantly increased the tensile strength of adhesive-tissue bonds. A proposed mechanism for this enhanced bond strength is the synergistic action of mechanical adhesion with chemical crosslinking by genipin.

Empirical calibration of the near-infrared Ca II triplet - III. Fitting functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cenarro, A. J.; Gorgas, J.; Cardiel, N.; Vazdekis, A.; Peletier, R. F.

2002-02-01

Using a near-infrared stellar library of 706 stars with a wide coverage of atmospheric parameters, we study the behaviour of the CaII triplet strength in terms of effective temperature, surface gravity and metallicity. Empirical fitting functions for recently defined line-strength indices, namely CaT*, CaT and PaT, are provided. These functions can be easily implemented into stellar population models to provide accurate predictions for integrated CaII strengths. We also present a thorough study of the various error sources and their relation to the residuals of the derived fitting functions. Finally, the derived functional forms and the behaviour of the predicted CaII are compared with those of previous works in the field.

Upper-limb motor and sensory function in patients with hip fracture: Comparison with community-dwelling older adults.

PubMed

Hayashi, Hiroyuki; Nakashima, Daiki; Matsuoka, Hiroka; Iwai, Midori; Nakamura, Shugo; Kubo, Ayumi; Tomiyama, Naoki

2017-11-06

Upper-limb function is important in patients with hip fracture so they can perform activities of daily living and participate in leisure activities. Upper-limb function of these patients, however, has not been thoroughly investigated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the upper-limb motor and sensory functions in patients with hip fracture by comparing these functions with those of community-dwelling older adults (control group). We compared the results of motor and sensory function tests of upper-limb function - range of motion, strength, sensibility, finger dexterity, comprehensive hand function - between patients with hip fracture (n= 32) and the control group (n= 32). Patients with hip fracture had significantly reduced grip strength, pinch strength, finger dexterity, and comprehensive hand function compared with the control group. Most upper-limb functions are impaired in the patients with hip fracture. Thus, upper-limb function of patients with hip fracture should be considered during treatment.

Benefits of maltodextrin intake 2 hours before cholecystectomy by laparotomy in respiratory function and functional capacity: a prospective randomized clinical trial

PubMed Central

Zani, Fabiana Vieira Breijão; Aguilar-Nascimento, José Eduardo; Nascimento, Diana Borges Dock; da Silva, Ageo Mário Cândido; Caporossi, Fernanda Stephan; Caporossi, Cervantes

2015-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the change in respiratory function and functional capacity according to the type of preoperative fasting. Methods: Randomized prospective clinical trial, with 92 female patients undergoing cholecystectomy by laparotomy with conventional or 2 hours shortened fasting. The variables measured were the peak expiratory flow, forced expiratory volume in the first second, forced vital capacity, dominant handgrip strength, and non-dominant handgrip strength. Evaluations were performed 2 hours before induction of anesthesia and 24 hours after the operation. Results: The two groups were similar in preoperative evaluations regarding demographic and clinical characteristics, as well as for all variables. However, postoperatively the group with shortened fasting had higher values than the group with conventional fasting for lung function tests peak expiratory flow (128.7±62.5 versus 115.7±59.9; p=0.040), forced expiratory volume in the first second (1.5±0.6 versus 1.2±0.5; p=0.040), forced vital capacity (2.3±1.1 versus 1.8±0.9; p=0.021), and for muscle function tests dominant handgrip strength (24.9±6.8 versus 18.4±7.7; p=0.001) and non-dominant handgrip strength (22.9±6.3 versus 17.0±7.8; p=0.0002). In the intragroup evaluation, there was a decrease in preoperative compared with postoperative values, except for dominant handgrip strength (25.2±6.7 versus 24.9±6.8; p=0.692), in the shortened fasting group. Conclusion: Abbreviation of preoperative fasting time with ingestion of maltodextrin solution is beneficial to pulmonary function and preserves dominant handgrip strength. PMID:26154547

Rapid and continuous magnetic separation in droplet microfluidic devices

DOE PAGES

Brouzes, Eric; Kruse, Travis; Kimmerling, Robert; ...

2014-12-03

Here, we present a droplet microfluidic method to extract molecules of interest from a droplet in a rapid and continuous fashion. We accomplish this by first marginalizing functionalized super-paramagnetic beads within the droplet using a magnetic field, and then splitting the droplet into one droplet containing the majority of magnetic beads and one droplet containing the minority fraction. We quantitatively analysed the factors which affect the efficiency of marginalization and droplet splitting to optimize the enrichment of magnetic beads. We first characterized the interplay between the droplet velocity and the strength of the magnetic field and its effect on marginalization.more » We found that marginalization is optimal at the midline of the magnet and that marginalization is a good predictor of bead enrichment through splitting at low to moderate droplet velocities. Finally, we focused our efforts on manipulating the splitting profile to improve the enrichment provided by asymmetric splitting. We designed asymmetric splitting forks that employ capillary effects to preferentially extract the bead-rich regions of the droplets. Our strategy represents a framework to optimize magnetic bead enrichment methods tailored to the requirements of specific droplet-based applications. We anticipate that our separation technology is well suited for applications in single-cell genomics and proteomics. In particular, our method could be used to separate mRNA bound to poly-dT functionalized magnetic microparticles from single cell lysates to prepare single-cell cDNA libraries.« less

Body weight-supported training in Becker and limb girdle 2I muscular dystrophy.

PubMed

Jensen, Bente R; Berthelsen, Martin P; Husu, Edith; Christensen, Sofie B; Prahm, Kira P; Vissing, John

2016-08-01

We studied the functional effects of combined strength and aerobic anti-gravity training in severely affected patients with Becker and Limb-Girdle muscular dystrophies. Eight patients performed 10-week progressive combined strength (squats, calf raises, lunges) and aerobic (walk/run, jogging in place or high knee-lift) training 3 times/week in a lower-body positive pressure environment. Closed-kinetic-chain leg muscle strength, isometric knee strength, rate of force development (RFD), and reaction time were evaluated. Baseline data indicated an intact neural activation pattern but showed compromised muscle contractile properties. Training (compliance 91%) improved functional leg muscle strength. Squat series performance increased 30%, calf raises 45%, and lunges 23%. Anti-gravity training improved closed-kinetic-chain leg muscle strength despite no changes in isometric knee extension strength and absolute RFD. The improved closed-kinetic-chain performance may relate to neural adaptation involving motor learning and/or improved muscle strength of other muscles than the weak knee extensors. Muscle Nerve 54: 239-243, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effect of alloy composition on high-temperature bending fatigue strength of ferritic stainless steels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahn, Yong-Sik; Song, Jeon-Young

2011-12-01

Exhaust manifolds are subjected to an environment in which heating and cooling cycles occur due to the running pattern of automotive engines. This temperature profile results in the repeated bending stress of exhaust pipes. Therefore, among high-temperature characteristics, the bending fatigue strength is an important factor that affects the lifespan of exhaust manifolds. Here, we report on the effect of the alloy composition, namely the weight fraction of the elements Cr, Mo, Nb, and Ti, on the high-temperature bending fatigue strength of the ferritic stainless steel used in exhaust manifolds. Little difference in the tensile strength and bending fatigue strength of the different composition steels was observed below 600 °C, with the exception of the low-Cr steel. However, steels with high Cr, Mo, or Nb fractions showed considerably larger bending fatigue strength at temperatures of 800 °C. After heating, the precipitates from the specimens were extracted electrolytically and analyzed using scanning electron microscopy energy dispersive spectrometry and transmission electron microscopy. Alloying with Cr and Mo was found to increase the bending fatigue strength due to the substitutional solid solution effect, while alloying with Nb enhanced the strength by forming fine intermetallic compounds, including NbC and Fe2Nb.

Development of estimation system of knee extension strength using image features in ultrasound images of rectus femoris

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murakami, Hiroki; Watanabe, Tsuneo; Fukuoka, Daisuke; Terabayashi, Nobuo; Hara, Takeshi; Muramatsu, Chisako; Fujita, Hiroshi

2016-04-01

The word "Locomotive syndrome" has been proposed to describe the state of requiring care by musculoskeletal disorders and its high-risk condition. Reduction of the knee extension strength is cited as one of the risk factors, and the accurate measurement of the strength is needed for the evaluation. The measurement of knee extension strength using a dynamometer is one of the most direct and quantitative methods. This study aims to develop a system for measuring the knee extension strength using the ultrasound images of the rectus femoris muscles obtained with non-invasive ultrasonic diagnostic equipment. First, we extract the muscle area from the ultrasound images and determine the image features, such as the thickness of the muscle. We combine these features and physical features, such as the patient's height, and build a regression model of the knee extension strength from training data. We have developed a system for estimating the knee extension strength by applying the regression model to the features obtained from test data. Using the test data of 168 cases, correlation coefficient value between the measured values and estimated values was 0.82. This result suggests that this system can estimate knee extension strength with high accuracy.

A Scoping Review of Physical Performance Outcome Measures Used in Exercise Interventions for Older Adults With Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias.

PubMed

McGough, Ellen L; Lin, Shih-Yin; Belza, Basia; Becofsky, Katie M; Jones, Dina L; Liu, Minhui; Wilcox, Sara; Logsdon, Rebecca G

2017-11-28

There is growing evidence that exercise interventions can mitigate functional decline and reduce fall risk in older adults with Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRD). Although physical performance outcome measures have been successfully used in older adults without cognitive impairment, additional research is needed regarding their use with individuals who have ADRD, and who may have difficulty following instructions regarding performance of these measures. The purpose of this scoping review was to identify commonly used physical performance outcome measures, for exercise interventions, that are responsive and reliable in older adults with ADRD. Ultimately, we aimed to provide recommendations regarding the use of outcome measures for individuals with ADRD across several domains of physical performance. A scoping review was conducted to broadly assess physical performance outcome measures used in exercise interventions for older adults with ADRD. Exercise intervention studies that included at least 1 measure of physical performance were included. All physical performance outcome measures were abstracted, coded, and categorized into 5 domains of physical performance: fitness, functional mobility, gait, balance, and strength. Criteria for recommendations were based on (1) the frequency of use, (2) responsiveness, and (3) reliability. Frequency was determined by the number of studies that used the outcome measure per physical performance domain. Responsiveness was assessed via calculated effect size of the outcome measures across studies within physical performance domains. Reliability was evaluated via published studies of psychometric properties. A total of 20 physical performance outcome measures were extracted from 48 articles that met study inclusion criteria. The most frequently used outcome measures were the 6-minute walk test, Timed Up and Go, repeated chair stand tests, short-distance gait speed, the Berg Balance Scale, and isometric strength measures. These outcome measures demonstrated a small, medium, or large effect in at least 50% of the exercise intervention studies. Good to excellent reliability was reported in samples of older adults with mild to moderate dementia. Fitness, functional mobility, gait, balance, and strength represent important domains of physical performance for older adults. The 6-minute walk test, Timed Up and Go, repeated chair stand tests, short-distance gait speed, Berg Balance Scale, and isometric strength are recommended as commonly used and reliable physical performance outcome measures for exercise interventions in older adults with mild to moderate ADRD. Further research is needed on optimal measures for individuals with severe ADRD. The results of this review will aid clinicians and researchers in selecting reliable measures to evaluate physical performance outcomes in response to exercise interventions in older adults with ADRD.

The effects of exercise on muscle strength, body composition, physical functioning and the inflammatory profile of older adults: a systematic review.

PubMed

Liberman, Keliane; Forti, Louis N; Beyer, Ingo; Bautmans, Ivan

2017-01-01

This systematic review reports the most recent literature regarding the effects of physical exercise on muscle strength, body composition, physical functioning and inflammation in older adults. All articles were assessed for methodological quality and where possible effect size was calculated. Thirty-four articles were included - four involving frail, 24 healthy and five older adults with a specific disease. One reported on both frail and nonfrail patients. Several types of exercise were used: resistance training, aerobic training, combined resistance training and aerobic training and others. In frail older persons, moderate-to-large beneficial exercise effects were noted on inflammation, muscle strength and physical functioning. In healthy older persons, effects of resistance training (most frequently investigated) on inflammation or muscle strength can be influenced by the exercise modalities (intensity and rest interval between sets). Muscle strength seemed the most frequently used outcome measure, with moderate-to-large effects obtained regardless the exercise intervention studied. Similar effects were found in patients with specific diseases. Exercise has moderate-to-large effects on muscle strength, body composition, physical functioning and inflammation in older adults. Future studies should focus on the influence of specific exercise modalities and target the frail population more.

Pelvic floor muscle strength of women consulting at the gynecology outpatient clinics and its correlation with sexual dysfunction: A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Ozdemir, Filiz Ciledag; Pehlivan, Erkan; Melekoglu, Rauf

2017-01-01

To investigate the pelvic floor muscle strength of the women andevaluateits possible correlation with sexual dysfunction. In this cross-sectional type study, stratified clusters were used for the sampling method. Index of Female Sexual Function (IFSF) worksheetwere used for questions on sexual function. The pelvic floor muscle strength of subjects was assessed byperineometer. The chi-squared test, logistic regression and Pearson's correlation analysis were used for the statistical analysis. Four hundred thirty primiparous women, mean age 38.5 participated in this study. The average pelvic floor muscle strength value was found 31.4±9.6 cm H 2 O and the average Index of Female Sexual Function (IFSF) score was found 26.5±6.9. Parity (odds ratio OR=5.546) and age 40 or higher (OR=3.484) were found correlated with pelvic floor muscle weakness (p<0.05). The factors directly correlated with sexual dysfunction were found being overweight (OR=2.105) and age 40 or higher (OR=2.451) (p<0.05). Pearson's correlation analysis showed that there was a statistically significantlinear correlation between the muscular strength of the pelvic floor and sexual function (p=0.001). The results suggested subjects with decreased pelvic floor muscle strength value had higher frequency of sexual dysfunction.

ACE I/D and ACTN3 R/X polymorphisms as potential factors in modulating exercise-related phenotypes in older women in response to a muscle power training stimuli.

PubMed

Pereira, Ana; Costa, Aldo M; Izquierdo, Mikel; Silva, António J; Bastos, Estela; Marques, Mário C

2013-10-01

Genetic variation of the human ACE I/D and ACTN3 R577X polymorphisms subsequent to 12 weeks of high-speed power training on maximal strength (1RM) of the arm and leg muscles, muscle power performance (counter-movement jump), and functional capacity (sit-to-stand test) was examined in older Caucasian women [n = 139; mean age 65.5 (8.2) years; 67.0 (10.0) kg and 1.57 (0.06) m]. Chelex 100 was used for DNA extraction, and genotype was determined by PCR-RFLP methods. Muscular strength, power, and functional testing were conducted at baseline (T1) and after 12 weeks (T2) of high-speed power training. At baseline, the ACE I/D and ACTN3 R/X polymorphisms were not associated with muscle function or muscularity phenotypes in older Caucasian women. After the 12-week high-speed training program, subjects significantly increased their muscular and functional capacity performance (p < 0.05). For both polymorphisms, significant genotype-training interaction (p < 0.05) was found in all muscular performance indices, except for 1RM leg extension in the ACE I/D (p = 0.187). Analyses of the combined effects between genotypes showed significant differences in all parameters (p < 0.05) in response to high-speed power training between the power (ACTN3 RR + RX & ACE DD) versus "non-power" muscularity-oriented genotypes (ACTN3 XX & ACE II + ID)]. Our data suggest that the ACE and ACTN3 genotypes (single or combined) exert a significant influence in the muscle phenotypes of older Caucasian women in response to high-speed power training. Thus, the ACE I/D and ACTN3 R/X polymorphisms are likely factors in modulating exercise-related phenotypes in older women, particularly in response to a resistance training stimuli.

Functional Capacity in Adults With Cerebral Palsy: Lower Limb Muscle Strength Matters.

PubMed

Gillett, Jarred G; Lichtwark, Glen A; Boyd, Roslyn N; Barber, Lee A

2018-05-01

To investigate the relation between lower limb muscle strength, passive muscle properties, and functional capacity outcomes in adults with cerebral palsy (CP). Cross-sectional study. Tertiary institution biomechanics laboratory. Adults with spastic-type CP (N=33; mean age, 25y; range, 15-51y; mean body mass, 70.15±21.35kg) who were either Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level I (n=20) or level II (n=13). Not applicable. Six-minute walk test (6MWT) distance (m), lateral step-up (LSU) test performance (total repetitions), timed up-stairs (TUS) performance (s), maximum voluntary isometric strength of plantar flexors (PF) and dorsiflexors (DF) (Nm.kg -1 ), and passive ankle joint and muscle stiffness. Maximum isometric PF strength independently explained 61% of variance in 6MWT performance, 57% of variance in LSU test performance, and 50% of variance in TUS test performance. GMFCS level was significantly and independently related to all 3 functional capacity outcomes, and age was retained as a significant independent predictor of LSU and TUS test performance. Passive medial gastrocnemius muscle fascicle stiffness and ankle joint stiffness were not significantly related to functional capacity measures in any of the multiple regression models. Low isometric PF strength was the most important independent variable related to distance walked on the 6MWT, fewer repetitions on the LSU test, and slower TUS test performance. These findings suggest lower isometric muscle strength contributes to the decline in functional capacity in adults with CP. Copyright © 2018 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Solutions to inverse plume in a crosswind problem using a predictor - corrector method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vanderveer, Joseph; Jaluria, Yogesh

2013-11-01

Investigation for minimalist solutions to the inverse convection problem of a plume in a crosswind has developed a predictor - corrector method. The inverse problem is to predict the strength and location of the plume with respect to a select few downstream sampling points. This is accomplished with the help of two numerical simulations of the domain at differing source strengths, allowing the generation of two inverse interpolation functions. These functions in turn are utilized by the predictor step to acquire the plume strength. Finally, the same interpolation functions with the corrections from the plume strength are used to solve for the plume location. Through optimization of the relative location of the sampling points, the minimum number of samples for accurate predictions is reduced to two for the plume strength and three for the plume location. After the optimization, the predictor-corrector method demonstrates global uniqueness of the inverse solution for all test cases. The solution error is less than 1% for both plume strength and plume location. The basic approach could be extended to other inverse convection transport problems, particularly those encountered in environmental flows.

The bioimpedance phase angle predicts low muscle strength, impaired quality of life, and increased mortality in old patients with cancer.

PubMed

Norman, Kristina; Wirth, Rainer; Neubauer, Maxi; Eckardt, Rahel; Stobäus, Nicole

2015-02-01

We investigated the impact of low phase angle (PhA) values on muscle strength, quality of life, symptom severity, and 1-year mortality in older cancer patients. Prospective study with 1-year follow-up. Cancer patients aged >60 years. PhA was derived from whole body impedance analysis. The fifth percentile of age-, sex-, and body mass index-stratified reference values were used as cut-off. Quality of life was determined with the European Organization of Research and Treatment in Cancer questionnaire, reflecting both several function scales and symptom severity. Muscle strength was assessed by hand grip strength, knee extension strength, and peak expiratory flow. 433 cancer patients, aged 60-95 years, were recruited. Patients with low PhA (n = 197) exhibited decreased muscle strength compared with patients with normal PhA (hand grip strength: 22 ± 8.6 vs 28.9 ± 8.9 kg, knee extension strength: 20.8 ± 11.8 vs 28.1 ± 14.9 kg, and peak expiratory flow: 301.1 ± 118 vs 401.7 ± 142.6 L/min, P < .001). Physical function, global health status, and role function from the European Organization of Research and Treatment in Cancer questionnaire were reduced, and most symptoms (fatigue, anorexia, pain, and dyspnea) increased in patients with low PhA (P < .001). In a risk-factor adjusted regression analysis, PhA emerged as independent predictor of physical function (ß:-0.538, P = .023), hand grip strength (ß:-4.684, P < .0001), knee extension strength (ß:-4.548, P = .035), and peak expiratory flow (ß:-66.836, P < .0001). Low PhA moreover predicted 1-year mortality in the Cox proportional hazards regression model, whereas grip strength was no longer significant. PhA below the fifth reference percentile is highly predictive of decreased muscle strength, impaired quality of life, and increased mortality in old patients with cancer and should be evaluated in routine assessment. Copyright © 2015 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

FAST INdiCATE Trial protocol. Clinical efficacy of functional strength training for upper limb motor recovery early after stroke: neural correlates and prognostic indicators.

PubMed

Pomeroy, Valerie M; Ward, Nick S; Johansen-Berg, Heidi; van Vliet, Paulette; Burridge, Jane; Hunter, Susan M; Lemon, Roger N; Rothwell, John; Weir, Christopher J; Wing, Alan; Walker, Andrew A; Kennedy, Niamh; Barton, Garry; Greenwood, Richard J; McConnachie, Alex

2014-02-01

Functional strength training in addition to conventional physical therapy could enhance upper limb recovery early after stroke more than movement performance therapy plus conventional physical therapy. To determine (a) the relative clinical efficacy of conventional physical therapy combined with functional strength training and conventional physical therapy combined with movement performance therapy for upper limb recovery; (b) the neural correlates of response to conventional physical therapy combined with functional strength training and conventional physical therapy combined with movement performance therapy; (c) whether any one or combination of baseline measures predict motor improvement in response to conventional physical therapy combined with functional strength training or conventional physical therapy combined with movement performance therapy. Randomized, controlled, observer-blind trial. The sample will consist of 288 participants with upper limb paresis resulting from a stroke that occurred within the previous 60 days. All will be allocated to conventional physical therapy combined with functional strength training or conventional physical therapy combined with movement performance therapy. Functional strength training and movement performance therapy will be undertaken for up to 1·5 h/day, five-days/week for six-weeks. Measurements will be undertaken before randomization, six-weeks thereafter, and six-months after stroke. Primary efficacy outcome will be the Action Research Arm Test. Explanatory measurements will include voxel-wise estimates of brain activity during hand movement, brain white matter integrity (fractional anisotropy), and brain-muscle connectivity (e.g. latency of motor evoked potentials). The primary clinical efficacy analysis will compare treatment groups using a multilevel normal linear model adjusting for stratification variables and for which therapist administered the treatment. Effect of conventional physical therapy combined with functional strength training versus conventional physical therapy combined with movement performance therapy will be summarized using the adjusted mean difference and 95% confidence interval. To identify the neural correlates of improvement in both groups, we will investigate associations between change from baseline in clinical outcomes and each explanatory measure. To identify baseline measurements that independently predict motor improvement, we will develop a multiple regression model. © 2013 The Authors. International Journal of Stroke published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of World Stroke Organization.

SATSIN System Manual

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Livingston, R.C.

1995-01-01

This report outlines the design, functions and operation of the HAARP Diagnostic Satellite Scintillation (SATSIN) system that will be used to characterize the structure and dynamics of F region ionospheric irregularities created during HF heating. When in routine operation, the SATSIN system will be located so that the propagation path from satellite radio beacons passes through the heated volume created by HAARP. The signal, altered in phase and amplitude by the irregularities, is received by the SATSIN array of eight antennas and is processed to extract the spatial and temporal characteristics of the scintillation. From this information, the strength, shapemore » and motion of the in situ irregularities generated by HAARP can be implied. The hardware and software components of the system are reviewed, and the installation and operation in conjunction with the HAARP network are outlined.« less

Protein-protein interaction predictions using text mining methods.

PubMed

Papanikolaou, Nikolas; Pavlopoulos, Georgios A; Theodosiou, Theodosios; Iliopoulos, Ioannis

2015-03-01

It is beyond any doubt that proteins and their interactions play an essential role in most complex biological processes. The understanding of their function individually, but also in the form of protein complexes is of a great importance. Nowadays, despite the plethora of various high-throughput experimental approaches for detecting protein-protein interactions, many computational methods aiming to predict new interactions have appeared and gained interest. In this review, we focus on text-mining based computational methodologies, aiming to extract information for proteins and their interactions from public repositories such as literature and various biological databases. We discuss their strengths, their weaknesses and how they complement existing experimental techniques by simultaneously commenting on the biological databases which hold such information and the benchmark datasets that can be used for evaluating new tools. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Research highlights: microfluidics meets big data.

PubMed

Tseng, Peter; Weaver, Westbrook M; Masaeli, Mahdokht; Owsley, Keegan; Di Carlo, Dino

2014-03-07

In this issue we highlight a collection of recent work in which microfluidic parallelization and automation have been employed to address the increasing need for large amounts of quantitative data concerning cellular function--from correlating microRNA levels to protein expression, increasing the throughput and reducing the noise when studying protein dynamics in single-cells, and understanding how signal dynamics encodes information. The painstaking dissection of cellular pathways one protein at a time appears to be coming to an end, leading to more rapid discoveries which will inevitably translate to better cellular control--in producing useful gene products and treating disease at the individual cell level. From these studies it is also clear that development of large scale mutant or fusion libraries, automation of microscopy, image analysis, and data extraction will be key components as microfluidics contributes its strengths to aid systems biology moving forward.

Influence of dentinal regions on bond strengths of different adhesive systems.

PubMed

Ozer, F; Unlü, N; Sengun, A

2003-06-01

This in vitro study assessed comparatively the shear bond strengths of three composite resins, 3M Valux Plus (3MVP), Herculite (H), Clearfil AP-X (CAP-X), a polyacid modified composite resin Dyract (D), and a resin modified glass-ionomer materials Vitremer (V), to cervical and buccal dentine regions of extracted human molar teeth. Four different bonding systems, 3M ScotchBond Multipurpose (SB), Clearfil Liner Bond 2 (LB2), Opti Bond (OB), and Prime & Bond 2.1 (PB 2.1) were used with the manufacturer's respective composite and compomer materials. One hundred freshly extracted mandibular molar teeth were selected for this study. Flat buccal dentine surfaces were created on 50 teeth and cylindrical rods of the five materials were bonded to the dentine surfaces. For assessment of cervical bond strengths, the materials were bonded to mesial and distal enamel bordered occlusal dentinal surfaces of the remaining 50 teeth. The five groups of restorative procedures were applied as follows; Group 1: SB + 3MVP, Group 2: LB2 + CAP-X, Group 3: OB + H, Group 4: PB2.1 + D, Group 5: Vitremer primer (VP) VP + V. Each restorative procedure thus had 20 specimens (10 buccal + 10 cervical). After 24 h of water storage (37 degrees C), the specimens were tested on a Universal Testing machine in shear with a cross head speed of 0.5 mm min-1. The bond strength values were calculated in MPa and the results were evaluated statistically using Kruskal-Wallis one-way/anova and Mann-Whitney U-tests. It was found that the bond strengths of SB + 3MVP, LB2 + CAP-X and VP + V to buccal dentine surfaces were significantly stronger (P < 0.05) than those to the occluso-cervical dentine floors. When the bond strengths to the occluso-cervical dentine and buccal dentine surface were compared, there was no significant difference between the materials (P > 0.05). Vitremer was found the least successful adhesive material in terms of shear bond strength on both buccal and occluso-cervical dentine surfaces.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dawson, Paul R.; Boyce, Donald E.; Park, Jun-Sang

A robust methodology is presented to extract slip system strengths from lattice strain distributions for polycrystalline samples obtained from high-energy x-ray diffraction (HEXD) experiments with in situ loading. The methodology consists of matching the evolution of coefficients of a harmonic expansion of the distributions from simulation to the coefficients derived from measurements. Simulation results are generated via finite element simulations of virtual polycrystals that are subjected to the loading history applied in the HEXD experiments. Advantages of the methodology include: (1) its ability to utilize extensive data sets generated by HEXD experiments; (2) its ability to capture trends in distributionsmore » that may be noisy (both measured and simulated); and (3) its sensitivity to the ratios of the family strengths. The approach is used to evaluate the slip system strengths of Ti-6Al-4V using samples having relatively equiaxed grains. These strength estimates are compared to values in the literature.« less

THM determination of the 65 keV resonance strength intervening in the {sup 17}O(p,α){sup 14}N reaction rate

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sergi, M. L.; La Cognata, M.; Pizzone, R. G.

2015-02-24

The {sup 17}O(p,α){sup 14}N reaction is of paramount importance for the nucleosynthesis in a number of stellar sites, including red giants (RG), asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars, massive stars and classical novae. We report on the indirect study of the {sup 17}O(p,α){sup 14}N reaction via the Trojan Horse Method by applying the approach recently developed for extracting the resonance strength of the narrow resonance at E{sub c.m.}{sup R} = 65 keV (E{sub X} =5.673 MeV). The strength of the 65 keV resonance in the {sup 17}O(p,α){sup 14}N reaction, measured by means of the THM, has been used to renormalize the corresponding resonancemore » strength in the {sup 17}O+p radiative capture channel.« less

Gamow-Teller Strength Distributions in {sup 48}Sc by the {sup 48}Ca(p,n) and {sup 48}Ti(n,p) Reactions and Two-Neutrino Double-beta Decay Nuclear Matrix Elements

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yako, K.; Sasano, M.; Miki, K.

2009-07-03

The double-differential cross sections for the {sup 48}Ca(p,n) and {sup 48}Ti(n,p) reactions were measured at 300 MeV. A multipole decomposition technique was applied to the spectra to extract the Gamow-Teller (GT) components. The integrated GT strengths up to an excitation energy of 30 MeV in {sup 48}Sc are 15.3+-2.2 and 2.8+-0.3 in the (p,n) and (n,p) spectra, respectively. In the (n,p) spectra additional GT strengths were found above 8 MeV where shell models within the fp shell-model space predict almost no GT strengths, suggesting that the present shell-model description of the nuclear matrix element of the two-neutrino double-beta decay ismore » incomplete.« less

Oscillator strengths and branching fractions of 4d75p-4d75s Rh II transitions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouazza, Safa

2017-01-01

This work reports semi-empirical determination of oscillator strengths, transition probabilities and branching fractions for Rh II 4d75p-4d75s transitions in a wide wavelength range. The angular coefficients of the transition matrix, beforehand obtained in pure SL coupling with help of Racah algebra are transformed into intermediate coupling using eigenvector amplitudes of these two configuration levels determined for this purpose; The transition integral was treated as free parameter in the least squares fit to experimental oscillator strength (gf) values found in literature. The extracted value: <4d75s|r1|4d75p> =2.7426 ± 0.0007 is slightly smaller than that computed by means of ab-initio method. Subsequently to oscillator strength evaluations, transition probabilities and branching fractions were deduced and compared to those obtained experimentally or through another approach like pseudo-relativistic Hartree-Fock model including core-polarization effects.

Near-infrared spectroscopy and skeletal muscle oxidative function in vivo in health and disease: a review from an exercise physiology perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grassi, Bruno; Quaresima, Valentina

2016-09-01

In most daily activities related to work or leisure, the energy for muscle work substantially comes from oxidative metabolism. Functional limitations or impairments of this metabolism can significantly affect exercise tolerance and performance. As a method for the functional evaluation of skeletal muscle oxidative metabolism, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has important strengths but also several limitations, some of which have been overcome by recent technological developments. Skeletal muscle fractional O2 extraction, the main variable which can be noninvasively evaluated by NIRS, is the result of the dynamic balance between O2 utilization and O2 delivery; it can yield relevant information on key physiological and pathophysiological mechanisms, relevant in the evaluation of exercise performance and exercise tolerance in healthy subjects (in normal and in altered environmental conditions) and in patients. In the right hands, NIRS can offer insights into the physiological and pathophysiological adaptations to conditions of increased O2 needs that involve, in an integrated manner, different organs and systems of the body. In terms of patient evaluation, NIRS allows determination of the evolution of the functional impairments, to identify their correlations with clinical symptoms, to evaluate the effects of therapeutic or rehabilitative interventions, and to gain pathophysiological and diagnostic insights.

Near-infrared spectroscopy and skeletal muscle oxidative function in vivo in health and disease: a review from an exercise physiology perspective.

PubMed

Grassi, Bruno; Quaresima, Valentina

2016-09-01

In most daily activities related to work or leisure, the energy for muscle work substantially comes from oxidative metabolism. Functional limitations or impairments of this metabolism can significantly affect exercise tolerance and performance. As a method for the functional evaluation of skeletal muscle oxidative metabolism, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has important strengths but also several limitations, some of which have been overcome by recent technological developments. Skeletal muscle fractional O2 extraction, the main variable which can be noninvasively evaluated by NIRS, is the result of the dynamic balance between O2 utilization and O2 delivery; it can yield relevant information on key physiological and pathophysiological mechanisms, relevant in the evaluation of exercise performance and exercise tolerance in healthy subjects (in normal and in altered environmental conditions) and in patients. In the right hands, NIRS can offer insights into the physiological and pathophysiological adaptations to conditions of increased O2 needs that involve, in an integrated manner, different organs and systems of the body. In terms of patient evaluation, NIRS allows determination of the evolution of the functional impairments, to identify their correlations with clinical symptoms, to evaluate the effects of therapeutic or rehabilitative interventions, and to gain pathophysiological and diagnostic insights.

Functional Brain Networks: Does the Choice of Dependency Estimator and Binarization Method Matter?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jalili, Mahdi

2016-07-01

The human brain can be modelled as a complex networked structure with brain regions as individual nodes and their anatomical/functional links as edges. Functional brain networks are constructed by first extracting weighted connectivity matrices, and then binarizing them to minimize the noise level. Different methods have been used to estimate the dependency values between the nodes and to obtain a binary network from a weighted connectivity matrix. In this work we study topological properties of EEG-based functional networks in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). To estimate the connectivity strength between two time series, we use Pearson correlation, coherence, phase order parameter and synchronization likelihood. In order to binarize the weighted connectivity matrices, we use Minimum Spanning Tree (MST), Minimum Connected Component (MCC), uniform threshold and density-preserving methods. We find that the detected AD-related abnormalities highly depend on the methods used for dependency estimation and binarization. Topological properties of networks constructed using coherence method and MCC binarization show more significant differences between AD and healthy subjects than the other methods. These results might explain contradictory results reported in the literature for network properties specific to AD symptoms. The analysis method should be seriously taken into account in the interpretation of network-based analysis of brain signals.

The influence of cooling forearm/hand and gender on estimation of handgrip strength.

PubMed

Cheng, Chih-Chan; Shih, Yuh-Chuan; Tsai, Yue-Jin; Chi, Chia-Fen

2014-01-01

Handgrip strength is essential in manual operations and activities of daily life, but the influence of forearm/hand skin temperature on estimation of handgrip strength is not well documented. Therefore, the present study intended to investigate the effect of local cooling of the forearm/hand on estimation of handgrip strength at various target force levels (TFLs, in percentage of MVC) for both genders. A cold pressor test was used to lower and maintain the hand skin temperature at 14°C for comparison with the uncooled condition. A total of 10 male and 10 female participants were recruited. The results indicated that females had greater absolute estimation deviations. In addition, both genders had greater absolute deviations in the middle range of TFLs. Cooling caused an underestimation of grip strength. Furthermore, a power function is recommended for establishing the relationship between actual and estimated handgrip force. Statement of relevance: Manipulation with grip strength is essential in daily life and the workplace, so it is important to understand the influence of lowering the forearm/hand skin temperature on grip-strength estimation. Females and the middle range of TFL had greater deviations. Cooling the forearm/hand tended to cause underestimation, and a power function is recommended for establishing the relationship between actual and estimated handgrip force. Practitioner Summary: It is important to understand the effect of lowering the forearm/hand skin temperature on grip-strength estimation. A cold pressor was used to cool the hand. The cooling caused underestimation, and a power function is recommended for establishing the relationship between actual and estimated handgrip force. Manipulation with grip strength is essential in daily life and the workplace, so it is important to understand the influence of lowering the forearm/hand skin temperature on grip-strength estimation. Females and the middle range of TFL had greater deviations. Cooling the forearm/hand tended to cause underestimation, and a power function is recommended for establishing the relationship between actual and estimated handgrip force. It is important to understand the effect of lowering the forearm/hand skin temperature on grip-strength estimation. A cold pressor was used to cool the hand. The cooling caused underestimation, and a power function is recommended for establishing the relationship between actual and estimated handgrip force

Chronic disease, functional health status, and demographics: a multi-dimensional approach to risk adjustment.

PubMed Central

Hornbrook, M C; Goodman, M J

1996-01-01

OBJECTIVE. The goal of this study was to develop unbiased risk-assessment models to be used for paying health plans on the basis of enrollee health status and use propensity. We explored the risk structure of adult employed HMO members using self-reported morbidities, functional status, perceived health status, and demographic characteristics. DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING. Data were collected on a random sample of members of a large, federally qualified, prepaid group practice, hospital-based HMO located in the Pacific Northwest. STUDY DESIGN. Multivariate linear nonparametric techniques were used to estimate risk weights on demographic, morbidity, and health status factors at the individual level. The dependent variable was annual real total health plan expense for covered services for the year following the survey. Repeated random split-sample validation techniques minimized outlier influences and avoided inappropriate distributional assumptions required by parametric techniques. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS. A mail questionnaire containing an abbreviated medical history and the RAND-36 Health Survey was administered to a 5 percent sample of adult subscribers and their spouses in 1990 and 1991, with an overall 44 percent response rate. Utilization data were extracted from HMO automated information systems. Annual expenses were computed by weighting all utilization elements by standard unit costs for the HMO. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS. Prevalence of such major chronic diseases as heart disease, diabetes, depression, and asthma improve prediction of future medical expense; functional health status and morbidities are each better than simple demographic factors alone; functional and perceived health status as well as demographic characteristics and diagnoses together yield the best prediction performance and reduce opportunities for selection bias. We also found evidence of important interaction effects between functional/perceived health status scales and disease classes. CONCLUSIONS. Self-reported morbidities and functional health status are useful risk measures for adults. Risk-assessment research should focus on combining clinical information with social survey techniques to capitalize on the strengths of both approaches. Disease-specific functional health status scales should be developed and tested to capture the most information for prediction. PMID:8698586

Tensile strength of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko nucleus material from overhangs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Attree, N.; Groussin, O.; Jorda, L.; Nébouy, D.; Thomas, N.; Brouet, Y.; Kührt, E.; Preusker, F.; Scholten, F.; Knollenberg, J.; Hartogh, P.; Sierks, H.; Barbieri, C.; Lamy, P.; Rodrigo, R.; Koschny, D.; Rickman, H.; Keller, H. U.; A'Hearn, M. F.; Auger, A.-T.; Barucci, M. A.; Bertaux, J.-L.; Bertini, I.; Bodewits, D.; Boudreault, S.; Cremonese, G.; Da Deppo, V.; Davidsson, B.; Debei, S.; De Cecco, M.; Deller, J.; El-Maarry, M. R.; Fornasier, S.; Fulle, M.; Gutiérrez, P. J.; Güttler, C.; Hviid, S.; Ip, W.-H.; Kovacs, G.; Kramm, J. R.; Küppers, M.; Lara, L. M.; Lazzarin, M.; Lopez Moreno, J. J.; Lowry, S.; Marchi, S.; Marzari, F.; Mottola, S.; Naletto, G.; Oklay, N.; Pajola, M.; Toth, I.; Tubiana, C.; Vincent, J.-B.; Shi, X.

2018-03-01

We directly measured twenty overhanging cliffs on the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko extracted from the latest shape model and estimated the minimum tensile strengths needed to support them against collapse under the comet's gravity. We find extremely low strengths of around 1 Pa or less (1 to 5 Pa, when scaled to a metre length). The presence of eroded material at the base of most overhangs, as well as the observed collapse of two features andthe implied previous collapse of another, suggests that they are prone to failure and that the true material strengths are close to these lower limits (although we only consider static stresses and not dynamic stress from, for example, cometary activity). Thus, a tensile strength of a few pascals is a good approximation for the tensile strength of the 67P nucleus material, which is in agreement with previous work. We find no particular trends in overhang properties either with size over the 10-100 m range studied here or location on the nucleus. There are no obvious differences, in terms of strength, height or evidence of collapse, between the populations of overhangs on the two cometary lobes, suggesting that 67P is relatively homogenous in terms of tensile strength. Low material strengths are supportive of cometary formation as a primordial rubble pile or by collisional fragmentation of a small body (tens of km).

FAST CP: protocol of a randomised controlled trial of the efficacy of a 12-week combined Functional Anaerobic and Strength Training programme on muscle properties and mechanical gait deficiencies in adolescents and young adults with spastic-type cerebral palsy

PubMed Central

Gillett, Jarred G; Lichtwark, Glen A; Boyd, Roslyn N; Barber, Lee A

2015-01-01

Introduction Individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) have muscles that are smaller, weaker and more resistant to stretch compared to typically developing people. Progressive resistance training leads to increases in muscle size and strength. In CP, the benefits of resistance training alone may not transfer to improve other activities such as walking; however, the transfer of strength improvements to improved mobility may be enhanced by performing training that involves specific functional tasks or motor skills. This study aims to determine the efficacy of combined functional anaerobic and strength training in (1) influencing muscle strength, structure and function and (2) to determine if any changes in muscle strength and structure following training impact on walking ability and gross motor functional capacity and performance in the short (following 3 months of training) and medium terms (a further 3 months post-training). Methods and analysis 40 adolescents and young adults with CP will be recruited to undertake a 12-week training programme. The training programme will consist of 3×75 min sessions per week, made up of 5 lower limb resistance exercises and 2–3 functional anaerobic exercises per session. The calf muscles will be specifically targeted, as they are the most commonly impacted muscles in CP and are a key muscle group involved in walking. If, as we believe, muscle properties change following combined strength and functional training, there may be long-term benefits of this type of training in slowing the deterioration of muscle function in people with spastic-type CP. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval has been obtained from the ethics committees at The University of Queensland (2014000066) and Children's Health Queensland (HREC/15/QRCH/30). The findings will be disseminated by publications in peer-reviewed journals, conferences and local research organisations’ media. Trial registration number Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12614001217695). PMID:26116614

Binary Code Extraction and Interface Identification for Security Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-10-02

the functions extracted during the end-to-end applications and at the bottom some additional functions extracted from the OpenSSL library. fact that as...mentioned in Section 5.1 through Section 5.3 and some additional functions that we extract from the OpenSSL library for evaluation purposes. The... OpenSSL functions, the false positives and negatives are measured by comparison with the original C source code. For the malware samples, no source is

Tongue Strength is Associated with Grip Strength and Nutritional Status in Older Adult Inpatients of a Rehabilitation Hospital.

PubMed

Sakai, Kotomi; Nakayama, Enri; Tohara, Haruka; Maeda, Tomomi; Sugimoto, Motonobu; Takehisa, Takahiro; Takehisa, Yozo; Ueda, Koichiro

2017-04-01

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate whether tongue strength observed in older adult inpatients of a rehabilitation hospital is associated with muscle function, nutritional status, and dysphagia. A total of 174 older adult inpatients aged 65 years and older in rehabilitation (64 men, 110 women; median age, 84 years; interquartile range, 80-89 years) who were suspected of having reduced tongue strength due to sarcopenia were included in this study. Isometric tongue strength was measured using a device fitted with a disposable oral balloon probe. We evaluated age, muscle function as assessed by the Barthel index and grip strength, nutritional status as measured by the Mini Nutritional Assessment-short form (MNA-SF), body mass index, serum albumin, controlling nutritional status, and calf circumference and arm muscle area to assess muscle mass. In addition, the functional oral intake scale (FOIS) was used as an index of dysphagia. Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that isometric tongue strength was independently associated with grip strength (coefficient = 0.33, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.12-0.54, p = 0.002), MNA-SF (coefficient = 0.74, 95 % CI 0.12-1.35, p = 0.019), and FOIS (coefficient = 0.02, 95 % CI 0.00-0.15, p = 0.047). To maintain and improve tongue strength in association with sarcopenic dysphagia, exercise therapy and nutritional therapy interventions, as well as direct interventions to address tongue strength, may be effective in dysphagia rehabilitation in older adult inpatients.

Beta-decay strength and isospin mixing studies in the sd and fp-shells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jokinen, A.; ńystö, J.; Dendooven, P.; Honkanen, A.; Lipas, P.; Peräjärvi, K.; Oinonen, M.; Siiskonen, T.

1998-12-01

We have studied beta decays of MT<0 nuclei in sd and fp shells. The decay of 41Ti shows a large, 10(8) %, isospin mixing of IAS and the Gamow-Teller strength is observed to be quenched by a factor of q2=0.64. These results can be reproduced qualitatively in our shell model calculations. We have observed for the first time proton and gamma decay of the isobaric analogue state in 23Mg. Our results on the isospin mixing of the isobaric analogue state agrees well with the shell model calculations. The obtained proton branch of the IAS is used to extract the transition strength for the reaction 22Na(p,γ)23Mg.

Support Vector Machine-Based Endmember Extraction

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Filippi, Anthony M; Archibald, Richard K

Introduced in this paper is the utilization of Support Vector Machines (SVMs) to automatically perform endmember extraction from hyperspectral data. The strengths of SVM are exploited to provide a fast and accurate calculated representation of high-dimensional data sets that may consist of multiple distributions. Once this representation is computed, the number of distributions can be determined without prior knowledge. For each distribution, an optimal transform can be determined that preserves informational content while reducing the data dimensionality, and hence, the computational cost. Finally, endmember extraction for the whole data set is accomplished. Results indicate that this Support Vector Machine-Based Endmembermore » Extraction (SVM-BEE) algorithm has the capability of autonomously determining endmembers from multiple clusters with computational speed and accuracy, while maintaining a robust tolerance to noise.« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, T.; Yang, Z.; Dong, P.

The cold-cathode Penning ion gauge (PIG) type ion source has been used for generation of negative hydrogen (H{sup -}) ions as the internal ion source of a compact cyclotron. A novel method called electrical shielding box dc beam measurement is described in this paper, and the beam intensity was measured under dc extraction inside an electrical shielding box. The results of the trajectory simulation and dc H{sup -} beam extraction measurement were presented. The effect of gas flow rate, magnetic field strength, arc current, and extraction voltage were also discussed. In conclusion, the dc H{sup -} beam current of aboutmore » 4 mA from the PIG ion source with the puller voltage of 40 kV and arc current of 1.31 A was extrapolated from the measurement at low extraction dc voltages.« less

Ultrastructural analysis of v-myb oncogene product cooperation with components of avian cell nuclear matrix.

PubMed

Korb, J; Stokrová, J; Karafiát, V

2000-01-01

The cooperation of the v-Myb oncoprotein with extracted nuclear matrix of avian haematopoietic cells expressing the v-myb oncogene was studied by means of immunoelectron microscopy. The nuclear matrix was extracted by a gentle method of detergent treatment at moderate ionic strength and visualized either in ultrathin LR White sections, in unembedded resin-free sections, and in addition by the aqueous spreading technique. Using anti-Myb polyclonal antibody we have shown interaction of the v-Myb protein product with extracted nuclear matrix. This oncoprotein, however, was easily released from the structure by a detergent as well as by DNAase treatment and ammonium sulphate extraction. Prefixation of structures before detergent treatment prevented this extraction. The v-Myb protein marker was distributed in clusters or associated with fibrillar structures in most cases. Single markers decorating these fibrillar or less dense structures were also detected.

Weathering Characteristics of Wood Plastic Composites Reinforced with Extracted or Delignified Wood Flour

PubMed Central

Chen, Yao; Stark, Nicole M.; Tshabalala, Mandla A.; Gao, Jianmin; Fan, Yongming

2016-01-01

This study investigated weathering performance of an HDPE wood plastic composite reinforced with extracted or delignified wood flour (WF). The wood flour was pre-extracted with three different solvents, toluene/ethanol (TE), acetone/water (AW), and hot water (HW), or sodium chlorite/acetic acid. The spectral properties of the composites before and after artificial weathering under accelerated conditions were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, the surface color parameters were analyzed using colorimetry, and the mechanical properties were determined by a flexural test. Weathering of WPC resulted in a surface lightening and a decrease in wood index (wood/HDPE) and flexural strength. WPCs that were reinforced with delignified wood flour showed higher ΔL* and ΔE* values, together with lower MOE and MOR retention ratios upon weathering when compared to those with non-extracted control and extracted WF. PMID:28773732

The effect of Agaricus brasiliensis extract supplementation on honey bee colonies.

PubMed

Stevanovic, Jevrosima; Stanimirovic, Zoran; Simeunovic, Predrag; Lakic, Nada; Radovic, Ivica; Sokovic, Marina; Griensven, Leo J L D VAN

2018-01-01

This study was done to discover any beneficial effect of a medicinal mushroom Agaricus brasiliensis extract on the honey bee. Firstly, a laboratory experiment was conducted on 640 bees reared in 32 single-use plastic rearing cups. A. brasiliensis extract proved safe in all doses tested (50, 100 and 150 mg/kg/day) irrespective of feeding mode (sugar syrup or candy). Secondly, a three-year field experiment was conducted on 26 colonies treated with a single dose of A. brasiliensis extract (100 mg/kg/day) added to syrup. Each year the colonies were treated once in autumn and twice in spring. The treatments significantly increased colony strength parameters: brood rearing improvement and adult population growth were noticed more often than the increase in honey production and pollen reserves. These positive effects were mainly observed in April. In conclusion, A. brasiliensis extract is safe for the bees and helps maintaining strong colonies, especially in spring.

Epidemiology of Sarcopenia: Determinants Throughout the Lifecourse

PubMed Central

Shaw, SC; Denison, EM; Cooper, C

2017-01-01

Sarcopenia is an age-related syndrome characterised by progressive and generalised loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength; it is a major contributor to the risk of physical frailty, functional impairment in older people, poor health-related quality of life, and premature death. Many different definitions have been used to describe sarcopenia and have resulted in varying estimates of prevalence of the condition. The most recent attempts of definitions have tried to integrate information on muscle mass, strength and physical function and provide a definition that is useful in both research and clinical settings. This review focuses on the epidemiology of the three distinct physiological components of sarcopenia, and highlights the similarities and differences between their patterns of variation with age, gender, geography and time; and the individual risk factors that cluster selectively with muscle mass, strength and physical function. Methods used to measure muscle mass, strength and physical functioning and how differences in these approaches can contribute to the varying prevalence rates will also be described. The evidence for this review was gathered by undertaking a systematic search of the literature. The descriptive characteristics of muscle mass, strength and function described in this review point to the urgent need for a consensual definition of sarcopenia incorporating these parameters. PMID:28469267

Handgrip strength is associated with improved spirometry in adolescents

PubMed Central

Standl, Marie; Berdel, Dietrich; von Berg, Andrea; Bauer, Carl-Peter; Schikowski, Tamara; Koletzko, Sibylle; Lehmann, Irina; Krämer, Ursula; Heinrich, Joachim; Schulz, Holger

2018-01-01

Introduction Pulmonary rehabilitation, including aerobic exercise and strength training, improves function, such as spirometric indices, in lung disease. However, we found spirometry did not correlate with physical activity (PA) in healthy adolescents (Smith ERJ: 42(4), 2016). To address whether muscle strength did, we measured these adolescents’ handgrip strength and correlated it with spirometry. Methods In 1846 non-smoking, non-asthmatic Germans (age 15.2 years, 47% male), we modeled spirometric indices as functions of handgrip strength by linear regression in each sex, corrected for factors including age, height, and lean body mass. Results Handgrip averaged 35.4 (SD 7.3) kg in boys, 26.6 (4.2) in girls. Spirometric volumes and flows increased linearly with handgrip. In boys each kg handgrip was associated with about 28 mL greater FEV1 and FVC; 60 mL/sec faster PEF; and 38 mL/sec faster FEF2575. Effects were 10–30% smaller in girls (all p<0.0001) and stable when Z-scores for spirometry and grip were modeled, after further correction for environment and/or other exposures, and consistent across stages of puberty. Conclusions Grip strength was associated with spirometry in a cohort of healthy adolescents whose PA was not. Thus, research into PA’s relationship with lung function should consider strength as well as total PA. Strength training may benefit healthy lungs; interventions are needed to prove causality. PMID:29641533

Measures of static postural control moderate the association of strength and power with functional dynamic balance.

PubMed

Forte, Roberta; Boreham, Colin A G; De Vito, Giuseppe; Ditroilo, Massimiliano; Pesce, Caterina

2014-12-01

Age-related reductions in strength and power are considered to negatively impact balance control, but the existence of a direct association is still an issue of debate. This is possibly due to the fact that balance assessment is complex, reflects different underlying physiologic mechanisms and involves quantitative measurements of postural sway or timing of performance during balance tasks. The present study evaluated the moderator effect of static postural control on the association of power and strength with dynamic balance tasks. Fifty-seven healthy 65-75 year old individuals performed tests of dynamic functional balance (walking speed under different conditions) and of strength, power and static postural control. Dynamic balance performance (walking speed) was associated with lower limb strength and power, as well as postural control under conditions requiring postural adjustments (narrow surface walking r(2) = 0.31, p < 0.001). An interaction effect between strength and static postural control was found with narrow surface walking and talking while walking (change of β 0.980, p < 0.001 in strength for 1 SD improvements in static postural control for narrow walking, and [Formula: see text] -0.730, p < 0.01 in talking while walking). These results indicate that good static postural control facilitates the utilisation of lower limb strength to better perform complex, dynamic functional balance tasks. Practical implications for assessment and training are discussed.

Catalog of Residential Depth-Damage Functions Used by the Army Corps of Engineers in Flood Damage Estimation

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-05-01

regression analysis. The strength of any one variable can be estimated along with the strength of the entire model in explaining the variance of percent... applicable a set of damage functions is to a particular situation. Sometimes depth- damage functions are embedded in computer programs which calculate...functions. Chapter Six concludes with recommended policies on the development and application of depth-damage functions. 5 6 CHAPTER TWO CONSTRUCTION OF

Extraction Methods in Soil Phosphorus Characterisation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soinne, Helena

2010-05-01

Extraction methods are widely used to assess the bioavailability of P and to characterise soil P reserves. Even though new and more sophisticated methods to characterise soil P are constantly developed the use of extraction methods is not likely to be replaced because of the relatively simple analytical equipment needed for the analysis. However, the large variety of extractants, pre-treatments and sample preparation procedures complicate the comparison of published results. In order to improve our understanding of the behaviour and cycling of P in soil, it is important to know the role of extracted P in the soil P cycle. The knowledge of the factors affecting the analytical outcome is a prerequisite for justified interpretation of the results. In this study, the effect of sample pre-treatment and properties of the used extractant on extractable molybdate-reactive phosphorus (MRP) and molybdate-unreactive phosphorus (MUP) was studied. Furthermore, the effect of sample preparation procedures prior the analysis on measured MRP and MUP was studied. Two widely used sequential extraction procedures were compared on their ability to show management induced differences on soil P. These results revealed that pre-treatments changed soil properties and air-drying was found to affect soil P, particularly extractable MUP, thought to represent organic P, by disrupting organic matter. This was evidenced by an increase in the water-extractable small-sized (<0.2 µm) P that, at least partly, took place at the expense of the large-sized (>0.2 µm) P. In addition to the effects of sample pre-treatment, the results showed that extractable organic P was sensitive to the chemical nature of the used extractant and to the sample preparation procedures employed prior to P analysis, including centrifugation and filtering of soil suspensions. Filtering may remove a major proportion of extractable MUP; therefore filtering cannot be recommended in the characterisation of solubilised MUP. However, extractants having high ionic strength may cause the organic molecules to collapse during centrifugation and thus affect the recovered concentration of MUP. These findings highlight the importance of characterising the nature of the MUP extracted with different extractants and acknowledging the sensitivity of MUP to analytical procedures when comparing published results. Widely used sequential fractionation procedures proved to be able to detect land-use -derived differences in the distribution of P among fractions of different solubilities. The results of this study demonstrate that, although the extraction methods do not reveal the biogeochemical function of a given P pool in soil, the extraction methods can be used to detect changes in soil P pools with different solubilities. To obtain the most benefit from extraction methods, we need a better understanding of the biological availability of P and the role of extracted P fraction in the P cycle in soils from different environments (climatic and weather) and land-uses.

Is handgrip strength normalized to body weight a useful tool to identify dynapenia and functional incapacity in post-menopausal women?

PubMed

Dulac, Maude; Boutros, Guy El Hajj; Pion, Charlotte; Barbat-Artigas, Sébastien; Gouspillou, Gilles; Aubertin-Leheudre, Mylène

2016-01-01

To investigate whether handgrip strength normalized to body weight could be a useful clinical tool to identify dynapenia and assess functional capacity in post-menopausal women. A total of 136 postmenopausal women were recruited. Body composition (Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry [DEXA], Bio-electrical Impedence Analysis [BIA]), grip strength (dynamometer) and functional capacity (senior fitness tests) were evaluated. Dynapenia was established according to a handgrip strength index (handgrip strength divided by body weight (BW) in Kg/KgBW) obtained from a reference population of young women: Type I dynapenic (<0.44 kg/KgBW) and type II dynapenic (<0.35 kg/KgBW). The results show a positive correlation between handgrip strength index (in kg/KgBW) and alternate-step test (r=0.30, p<0.001), chair-stand test (r=0.25, p<0.005) and one-leg stance test (r=0.335, p<0.001). The results also showed a significant difference in non-dynapenic compared to type I dynapenic and type II dynapenic for the chair-stand test (Non-dynapenic: 12.0±3.0; Type I: 11.7±2.5; Type II: 10.3±3.0) (p=0.037 and p=0.005, respectively) and the one-leg stance test (Non-dynapenic: 54.2±14.2; Type I: 43.8±21.4; Type II: 35.0±21.8) (p=0.030 and p=0.004, respectively). Finally, a significant difference was observed between type II dynapenic and non-dynapenic for the chair-stand test (p=0.032), but not with type I dynapenic. The results showed that handgrip strength was positively correlated with functional capacity. In addition, non-dynapenic women displayed a better functional status when compared to type I and type II dynapenic women. Thus, the determination of the handgrip strength thresholds could be an accessible and affordable clinical tool to identify people at risk of autonomy loss.

A comparison of respiratory and peripheral muscle strength, functional exercise capacity, activities of daily living and physical fitness in patients with cystic fibrosis and healthy subjects.

PubMed

Arikan, Hulya; Yatar, İlker; Calik-Kutukcu, Ebru; Aribas, Zeynep; Saglam, Melda; Vardar-Yagli, Naciye; Savci, Sema; Inal-Ince, Deniz; Ozcelik, Ugur; Kiper, Nural

2015-01-01

There are limited reports that compare muscle strength, functional exercise capacity, activities of daily living (ADL) and parameters of physical fitness of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients with healthy peers in the literature. The purpose of this study was to assess and compare respiratory and peripheral muscle strength, functional exercise capacity, ADL and physical fitness in patients with CF and healthy subjects. Nineteen patients with CF (mean forced expiratory volume in one second-FEV1: 86.56±18.36%) and 20 healthy subjects were included in this study. Respiratory (maximal inspiratory pressure-MIP and maximal expiratory pressure-MEP) and peripheral muscle strength (quadriceps, shoulder abductors and hand grip strength) were evaluated. Functional exercise capacity was determined with 6min walk test (6MWT). ADL was assessed with Glittre ADL test and physical fitness was assessed with Munich fitness test (MFT). There were not any statistically significant difference in MIP, %MIP, MEP and %MEP values between two groups (p>0.05). %Peripheral muscle strength (% quadriceps and shoulder abductors strength), 6MWT distance and %6MWT distance were significantly lower in patients with CF than those of healthy subjects (p<0.05). Glittre ADL-test time was significantly longer in patients with CF than healthy subjects (p<0.05). According to Munich fitness test, the number of bouncing a ball, hanging score, distance of standing vertical jumping and standing vertical jumping score were significantly lower in patients with CF than those of healthy subjects (p<0.05). Peripheral muscle strength, functional exercise capacity, ADL performance and speed, coordination, endurance and power components of physical fitness are adversely affected in mild-severe patients with CF compared to healthy peers. Evaluations must be done in comprehensive manner in patients with CF with all stages. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Novel Approaches to Extraction Methods in Recovery of Capsaicin from Habanero Pepper (CNPH 15.192).

PubMed

Martins, Frederico S; Borges, Leonardo L; Ribeiro, Claudia S C; Reifschneider, Francisco J B; Conceição, Edemilson C

2017-07-01

The objective of this study was to compare three capsaicin extraction methods: Shoxlet, Ultrasound-assisted Extraction (UAE), and Shaker-assisted Extraction (SAE) from Habanero pepper, CNPH 15.192. The different parameters evaluated were alcohol degree, time extraction, and solid-solvent ratio using response surface methodology (RSM). The three parameters found significant ( p < 0.05) were for UAE and solvent concentration and extraction time for SAE. The optimum conditions for the capsaicin UAE and SAE were similar 95% alcohol degree, 30 minutes and solid-liquid ratio 2 mg/mL. The Soxhlet increased the extraction in 10-25%; however, long extraction times (45 minutes) degraded 2% capsaicin. The extraction of capsaicin was influenced by extraction method and by the operating conditions chosen. The optimized conditions provided savings of time, solvent, and herbal material. Prudent choice of the extraction method is essential to ensure optimal yield of extract, thereby making the study relevant and the knowledge gained useful for further exploitation and application of this resource. Habanero pepper , line CNPH 15.192, possess capsaicin in higher levels when compared with others speciesHigher levels of ethanolic strength are more suitable to obtain a higher levels of capsaicinBox-Behnken design indicates to be useful to explore the best conditions of ultrasound assisted extraction of capsaicin. Abbreviations used: Nomenclature UAE: Ultrasound-assisted Extraction; SAE: Shaker-assisted Extraction.

Does grip strength reflect isokinetic muscle strength in lower limbs in patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy?

PubMed

Knak, Kirsten L; Andersen, Linda K; Christiansen, Ingelise; Markvardsen, Lars K

2018-03-30

Grip strength (GS) is a common measure of general muscle strength in patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). However, it is important to investigate the correlation and responsiveness of GS compared with isokinetic muscle strength (IKS) and function of the lower limbs. Seventy patients with CIDP were evaluated with GS, IKS, and functional measures of the lower limbs. Reevaluation was performed after 2 and 10/12 weeks. Correlation and response analyses were performed. GS correlated with IKS at the ankle (IKS ankle ; maximum Spearman's rank-order correlation [R S ] = 0.58) and with walking performance (maximum R S  = -0.38). IKS ankle was more responsive to detect change (standardized response mean [SRM] = 0.57) than GS (SRM = 0.27). GS does not seem to be an appropriate surrogate measure of IKS and function of the lower limbs in patients with CIDP. Muscle Nerve, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Total phenolic content, antioxidant activity, and cross-cultural consumer rejection threshold in white and red wines functionally enhanced with catechin-rich extracts.

PubMed

Yoo, Yung J; Saliba, Anthony J; Prenzler, Paul D; Ryan, Danielle

2012-01-11

White and red wines spiked with catechin-rich green tea extract and grape seed extract were assessed for phenolic content, antioxidant activity, and cross-cultural consumer rejection thresholds in relation to wine as a functional food. Health functionality is an important factor in functional foods, and spiking pure compounds or plant extracts is an effective method to increase or control functionality. The total phenolic content and antioxidant activity were measured in wines spiked to different extract concentrations, namely, control and 50, 100, 200, 400, and 800 mg/L, to confirm the dose-response curves in both white and red wines. Consumer rejection thresholds (CRTs) were established for spiked wines in a Korean and in an Australian population. Our results showed that the green tea extract and grape seed extract increased the antioxidant activity dose dependently, and the CRTs varied considerably between the Korean and the Australian groups, with Koreans preferring wines spiked with green tea extract and Australians showing a preference for wines spiked with grape seed extract. These results have implications for producing wine products that are enhanced in phenolic compounds and targeted to different cultural groups.

Abnormal pulmonary function and respiratory muscle strength findings in Chinese patients with Parkinson's disease and multiple system atrophy--comparison with normal elderly.

PubMed

Wang, Yao; Shao, Wei-bo; Gao, Li; Lu, Jie; Gu, Hao; Sun, Li-hua; Tan, Yan; Zhang, Ying-dong

2014-01-01

There have been limited comparative data regarding the investigations on pulmonary and respiratory muscle function in the patients with different parkinsonism disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD) and multiple system atrophy (MSA) versus normal elderly. The present study is aiming to characterize the performance of pulmonary function and respiratory muscle strength in PD and MSA, and to investigate the association with severity of motor symptoms and disease duration. Pulmonary function and respiratory muscle strength tests were performed in 30 patients with PD, 27 with MSA as well as in 20 age-, sex-, height-, weight-matched normal elderly controls. All the patients underwent United Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS) or united multiple system atrophy rating scale (UMSARS) separately as diagnosed. Vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 second and forced vital capacity decreased, residual volume and ratio of residual volume to total lung capacity increased in both PD and MSA groups compared to controls (p<0.05). Diffusing capacity was decreased in the MSA group, compared with PD and normal elderly control groups (p<0.05). Respiratory muscle strength was lower in both PD and MSA groups than in controls (p<0.05). The values representing spirometry function and respiratory muscle strength were found to have a negative linear correlation with mean score of UPDRS-III in PD and mean score of UMSARS-I in MSA. Respiratory muscle strength showed a negative linear correlation with the mean score of UMSARS-II and disease duration in MSA patients. These findings suggest that respiratory dysfunction is involved in PD and MSA. Respiratory muscle strength is remarkably reduced, and some of the parameters correlate with disease duration and illness severity. The compromised respiratory function in neurodegenerative disorders should be the focus of further researches.

The efficacy of modified direct lateral versus posterior approach on gait function and hip muscle strength after primary total hip arthroplasty at 12months follow-up. An explorative randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Rosenlund, Signe; Broeng, Leif; Overgaard, Søren; Jensen, Carsten; Holsgaard-Larsen, Anders

2016-11-01

The lateral and the posterior approach are the most commonly used procedures for total hip arthroplasty. Due to the detachment of the hip abductors, lateral approach is claimed to cause reduced hip muscle strength and altered gait pattern. However, this has not been investigated in a randomised controlled trial. The aim was to compare the efficacy of total hip arthroplasty performed by lateral or posterior approach on gait function and hip muscle strength up to 12months post-operatively. We hypothesised that posterior approach would be superior to lateral approach. Forty-seven patients with primary hip osteoarthritis were randomised to total hip arthroplasty with either posterior or lateral approach and evaluated pre-operatively, 3 and 12months post-operatively using 3-dimensional gait analyses as objective measures of gait function, including Gait Deviation Index, temporo-spatial parameters and range of motion. Isometric maximal hip muscle strength in abduction, flexion and extension was also tested. Post-operatively, no between-group difference in gait function was observed. However, both hip abductor and flexor muscle strength improved more in the posterior approach group: -0.20(Nm/kg)[95%CI:-0.4 to 0.0] and -0.20(Nm/kg)[95%CI:-0.4 to 0.0], respectively. Contrary to our first hypothesis, the overall gait function in the posterior approach group did not improve more than in the lateral approach group. However, in agreement with our second hypothesis, patients in the posterior approach group improved more in hip abductor and flexor muscle strength at 12months. Further investigation of the effect of reduced maximal hip muscle strength on functional capacity is needed. ClinicalTrials.gov. No.: NCT01616667. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Studies on the extraction of nitrogenous and phosphorus-containing materials from the seeds of kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris)

PubMed Central

Pusztai, A.

1965-01-01

1. The conditions of extracting nitrogenous, phosphorus-containing and glucosamine-containing components of the seeds of kidney bean have been studied. 2. The dispersing of proteins was incomplete below pH 7, and the exact amount of protein extracted depended on the pH and the ionic strength of the solvent. 3. The extraction of proteins was practically complete in the range pH 7–9, but the relative amounts of the individual proteins obtained still depended on the pH of the extracting media, indicating a pH-dependent association–dissociation reaction between the protein molecules present. 4. The extraction of phosphorus-containing material showed an optimum at pH 6–7, and only a part of this was removed on dialysis. The precipitates obtained with trichloroacetic acid, on the other hand, retained very little phosphorus-containing material. 5. The significance of these findings is discussed. PMID:14340051

Cancer survivors exhibit a different relationship between muscle strength and health-related quality of life/fatigue compared to healthy subjects.

PubMed

Morishita, S; Tsubaki, A; Fu, J B; Mitobe, Y; Onishi, H; Tsuji, T

2018-05-16

We investigated the difference in relationship between muscle strength and quality of life (QOL)/fatigue in long-term cancer survivors and healthy subjects. Thirty-six cancer survivors and 29 healthy subjects were assessed for body composition and bone status at the calcaneus using the Osteo Sono Assessment Index. Muscle strength was evaluated via handgrip and knee extensor strength. Health-related QOL was assessed using the Medical Outcome Study 36-item Short-Form Health Survey. Fatigue was measured using the brief fatigue inventory. Cancer survivors exhibited lower QOL scores in the physical functioning, physical role function, bodily pain and general health domains (p < .05). Grip and knee extension muscle strength in cancer survivors was positively correlated with the physical function and bodily pain of QOL (p < .05). The usual fatigue subscale score was only significantly higher in cancer survivors than in healthy subjects (p < .05). However, there were no correlations between muscle strength and fatigue in cancer survivors. Our results showed that muscle strength was an important factor for improving QOL in cancer survivors. We believe that the findings of this study will be relevant in the context of planning rehabilitation for cancer survivors. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Longitudinal assessment of grip strength using bulb dynamometer in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

PubMed Central

Pizzato, Tatiana M.; Baptista, Cyntia R. J. A.; Souza, Mariana A.; Benedicto, Michelle M. B.; Martinez, Edson Z.; Mattiello-Sverzut, Ana C.

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: Grip strength is used to infer functional status in several pathological conditions, and the hand dynamometer has been used to estimate performance in other areas. However, this relationship is controversial in neuromuscular diseases and studies with the bulb dynamometer comparing healthy children and children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) are limited. OBJECTIVE: The evolution of grip strength and the magnitude of weakness were examined in boys with DMD compared to healthy boys. The functional data of the DMD boys were correlated with grip strength. METHOD: Grip strength was recorded in 18 ambulant boys with DMD (Duchenne Group, DG) aged 4 to 13 years (mean 7.4±2.1) and 150 healthy volunteers (Control Group, CG) age-matched using a bulb dynamometer (North Coast- NC70154). The follow-up of the DG was 6 to 33 months (3-12 sessions), and functional performance was verified using the Vignos scale. RESULTS: There was no difference between grip strength obtained by the dominant and non-dominant side for both groups. Grip strength increased in the CG with chronological age while the DG remained stable or decreased. The comparison between groups showed significant difference in grip strength, with CG values higher than DG values (confidence interval of 95%). In summary, there was an increment in the differences between the groups with increasing age. Participants with 24 months or more of follow-up showed a progression of weakness as well as maintained Vignos scores. CONCLUSIONS: The amplitude of weakness increased with age in the DG. The bulb dynamometer detected the progression of muscular weakness. Functional performance remained virtually unchanged in spite of the increase in weakness. PMID:25003277

Fabrication of boronate-decorated polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes grafted cotton fiber for the selective enrichment of nucleosides in urine.

PubMed

Gao, Li; Wei, Yinmao

2016-06-01

Various cotton fiber based boronate-affinity adsorbents are recently developed for the sample pretreatment of cis-diol-containing biomolecules, but most do not have efficient capacity due to limited binding sites on the surface of cotton fibers. To increase the density of boronate groups on the surface of cotton fiber, polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes were used to modify cotton fiber to provide plentiful reactive sites for subsequent functionalization with 4-formylphenylboronic acid. The new adsorbent showed special recognition ability towards cis-diols and high adsorption capacity (175 μg/g for catechol, 250 μg/g for dopamine, 400 μg/g for adenosine). The in-pipette-tip solid-phase extraction was investigated under different conditions, including pH and ionic strength of solution, adsorbent amount, pipette times, washing solvent, and elution solvent. The in-pipette-tip solid-phase extraction coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography was used to analyze four nucleosides in urine samples. Under the optimal extraction conditions, the detection limits were determined to be between 5.1 and 6.1 ng/mL (S/N  =  3), and the linearity ranged from 20 to 500 ng/mL for these analytes. The accuracy of the analytical method was examined by studying the relative recoveries of analytes in real urine samples with recoveries varying from 83 to 104% (RSD = 3.9-10.2%, n = 3). © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Multiresidue analysis of acidic and polar organic contaminants in water samples by stir-bar sorptive extraction-liquid desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Quintana, José Benito; Rodil, Rosario; Muniategui-Lorenzo, Soledad; López-Mahía, Purificación; Prada-Rodríguez, Darío

2007-12-07

The feasibility of stir-bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) followed by liquid desorption in combination with large volume injection (LVI)-in port silylation and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for the simultaneous determination of a broad range of 46 acidic and polar organic pollutants in water samples has been evaluated. The target analytes included phenols (nitrophenols, chlorophenols, bromophenols and alkylphenols), acidic herbicides (phenoxy acids and dicamba) and several pharmaceuticals. Experimental variables affecting derivatisation yield and peak shape as a function of different experimental PTV parameters [initial injection time, pressure and temperature and the ratio solvent volume/N-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-N-methyltrifluoroacetamide (MTBSTFA) volume] were first optimised by an experimental design approach. Subsequently, SBSE conditions, such as pH, ionic strength, agitation speed and extraction time were investigated. After optimisation, the method failed only for the extraction of most polar phenols and some pharmaceuticals, being suitable for the determination of 37 (out of 46) pollutants, with detection limits for these analytes ranging between 1 and 800 ng/L and being lower than 25 ng/L in most cases. Finally, the developed method was validated and applied to the determination of target analytes in various aqueous environmental matrices, including ground, river and wastewater. Acceptable accuracy (70-130%) and precision values (<20%) were obtained for most analytes independently of the matrix, with the exception of some alkylphenols, where an isotopically labelled internal standard would be required in order to correct for matrix effects. Among the drawbacks of the method, carryover was identified as the main problem even though the Twisters were cleaned repeatedly.

Application of modified stir bar with nickel:zinc sulphide nanoparticles loaded on activated carbon as a sorbent for preconcentration of losartan and valsartan and their determination by high performance liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Pebdani, Arezou Amiri; Dadfarnia, Shayesteh; Shabani, Ali Mohammad Haji; Khodadoust, Saeid; Haghgoo, Soheila

2016-03-11

In this study, the stir bar was coated for the first time with the ​nicel:zins sulphide nanoparticles (Ni:ZnS NPs) loaded on activated carbon (AC) (Ni:ZnS-AC) as well as 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ionic liquid (IL) using sol gel technique and was used for stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) of losartan (LOS) and valsartan (VAL) as the model compounds. The extracted analytes were then quantified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) equipped with an ultra violet detector. The best extraction performance for LOS and VAL was obtained through the optimization of the parameters affecting SBSE including pH of sample solution, ionic strength, extraction time, volume of desorption solvent, desorption time, and stirring speed. The fractional factorial design (FFD) was used to find the most important parameters, which were then optimized by the central composite design (CCD) and the desirability function (DF). Under the optimal experimental conditions, wide linear ranges of 0.4-50μgL(-1) and 0.5-50μgL(-1) and good RSDs (at level of 5μgL(-1) and n=6) of 4.4 and 4.9% were obtained for LOS and VAL, respectively. With the enrichment factors (EFs) of 188.6 and 184.8-fold, the limits of detection (LODs, S/N=3) of the developed method were found to be 0.12 and 0.15μgL(-1) for LOS and VAL, respectively. The developed method was successfully applied to the determination of LOS and VAL in urine and plasma matrices. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Structures of Xishan village landslide in Li County, Sichuan, China, inferred from high-frequency receiver functions of local earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Z.; Chu, R.

2017-12-01

Teleseismic receiver function methods are widely used to study the deep structural information beneath the seismic station. However, teleseismic waveforms are difficult to extract the high-frequency receiver function, which are insufficient to constrain the shallow structure because of the inelastic attenuation effect of the earth. In this study, using the local earthquake waveforms collected from 3 broadband stations deployed on the Xishan village landslide in Li County in Sichuan Province, we used the high-frequency receiver function method to study the shallow structure beneath the landslide. We developed the Vp-k (Vp/Vs) staking method of receiver functions, and combined with the H-k stacking and waveform inversion methods of receiver functions to invert the landslide's thickness, S-wave velocity and average Vp/Vs ratio beneath these stations, and compared the thickness with the borehole results. Our results show small-scale lateral variety of velocity structure, a 78-143m/s lower S-wave velocity in the bottom layer and 2.4-3.1 Vp/Vs ratio in the landslide. The observed high Vp/Vs ratio and low S-wave velocity in the bottom layer of the landslide are consistent with low electrical resistivity and water-rich in the bottom layer, suggesting a weak shear strength and potential danger zone in landslide h1. Our study suggest that the local earthquake receiver function can obtain the shallow velocity structural information and supply some seismic constrains for the landslide catastrophe mitigation.

In vitro bioactivity, cytocompatibility, and antibiotic release profile of gentamicin sulfate-loaded borate bioactive glass/chitosan composites.

PubMed

Cui, Xu; Gu, Yifei; Li, Le; Wang, Hui; Xie, Zhongping; Luo, Shihua; Zhou, Nai; Huang, Wenhai; Rahaman, Mohamed N

2013-10-01

Borate bioactive glass-based composites have been attracting interest recently as an osteoconductive carrier material for local antibiotic delivery. In the present study, composites composed of borate bioactive glass particles bonded with a chitosan matrix were prepared and evaluated in vitro as a carrier for gentamicin sulfate. The bioactivity, degradation, drug release profile, and compressive strength of the composite carrier system were studied as a function of immersion time in phosphate-buffered saline at 37 °C. The cytocompatibility of the gentamicin sulfate-loaded composite carrier was evaluated using assays of cell proliferation and alkaline phosphatase activity of osteogenic MC3T3-E1 cells. Sustained release of gentamicin sulfate occurred over ~28 days in PBS, while the bioactive glass converted continuously to hydroxyapatite. The compressive strength of the composite loaded with gentamicin sulfate decreased from the as-fabricated value of 24 ± 3 MPa to ~8 MPa after immersion for 14 days in PBS. Extracts of the soluble ionic products of the borate glass/chitosan composites enhanced the proliferation and alkaline phosphatase activity of MC3T3-E1 cells. These results indicate that the gentamicin sulfate-loaded composite composed of chitosan-bonded borate bioactive glass particles could be useful clinically as an osteoconductive carrier material for treating bone infection.

Methylphenidate Modulates Functional Network Connectivity to Enhance Attention

PubMed Central

Zhang, Sheng; Hsu, Wei-Ting; Scheinost, Dustin; Finn, Emily S.; Shen, Xilin; Constable, R. Todd; Li, Chiang-Shan R.; Chun, Marvin M.

2016-01-01

Recent work has demonstrated that human whole-brain functional connectivity patterns measured with fMRI contain information about cognitive abilities, including sustained attention. To derive behavioral predictions from connectivity patterns, our group developed a connectome-based predictive modeling (CPM) approach (Finn et al., 2015; Rosenberg et al., 2016). Previously using CPM, we defined a high-attention network, comprising connections positively correlated with performance on a sustained attention task, and a low-attention network, comprising connections negatively correlated with performance. Validating the networks as generalizable biomarkers of attention, models based on network strength at rest predicted attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in an independent group of individuals (Rosenberg et al., 2016). To investigate whether these networks play a causal role in attention, here we examined their strength in healthy adults given methylphenidate (Ritalin), a common ADHD treatment, compared with unmedicated controls. As predicted, individuals given methylphenidate showed patterns of connectivity associated with better sustained attention: higher high-attention and lower low-attention network strength than controls. There was significant overlap between the high-attention network and a network with greater strength in the methylphenidate group, and between the low-attention network and a network with greater strength in the control group. Network strength also predicted behavior on a stop-signal task, such that participants with higher go response rates showed higher high-attention and lower low-attention network strength. These results suggest that methylphenidate acts by modulating functional brain networks related to sustained attention, and that changing whole-brain connectivity patterns may help improve attention. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Recent work identified a promising neuromarker of sustained attention based on whole-brain functional connectivity networks. To investigate the causal role of these networks in attention, we examined their response to a dose of methylphenidate, a common and effective treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, in healthy adults. As predicted, individuals on methylphenidate showed connectivity signatures of better sustained attention: higher high-attention and lower low-attention network strength than controls. These results suggest that methylphenidate acts by modulating strength in functional brain networks related to attention, and that changing whole-brain connectivity patterns may improve attention. PMID:27629707

Methylphenidate Modulates Functional Network Connectivity to Enhance Attention.

PubMed

Rosenberg, Monica D; Zhang, Sheng; Hsu, Wei-Ting; Scheinost, Dustin; Finn, Emily S; Shen, Xilin; Constable, R Todd; Li, Chiang-Shan R; Chun, Marvin M

2016-09-14

Recent work has demonstrated that human whole-brain functional connectivity patterns measured with fMRI contain information about cognitive abilities, including sustained attention. To derive behavioral predictions from connectivity patterns, our group developed a connectome-based predictive modeling (CPM) approach (Finn et al., 2015; Rosenberg et al., 2016). Previously using CPM, we defined a high-attention network, comprising connections positively correlated with performance on a sustained attention task, and a low-attention network, comprising connections negatively correlated with performance. Validating the networks as generalizable biomarkers of attention, models based on network strength at rest predicted attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in an independent group of individuals (Rosenberg et al., 2016). To investigate whether these networks play a causal role in attention, here we examined their strength in healthy adults given methylphenidate (Ritalin), a common ADHD treatment, compared with unmedicated controls. As predicted, individuals given methylphenidate showed patterns of connectivity associated with better sustained attention: higher high-attention and lower low-attention network strength than controls. There was significant overlap between the high-attention network and a network with greater strength in the methylphenidate group, and between the low-attention network and a network with greater strength in the control group. Network strength also predicted behavior on a stop-signal task, such that participants with higher go response rates showed higher high-attention and lower low-attention network strength. These results suggest that methylphenidate acts by modulating functional brain networks related to sustained attention, and that changing whole-brain connectivity patterns may help improve attention. Recent work identified a promising neuromarker of sustained attention based on whole-brain functional connectivity networks. To investigate the causal role of these networks in attention, we examined their response to a dose of methylphenidate, a common and effective treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, in healthy adults. As predicted, individuals on methylphenidate showed connectivity signatures of better sustained attention: higher high-attention and lower low-attention network strength than controls. These results suggest that methylphenidate acts by modulating strength in functional brain networks related to attention, and that changing whole-brain connectivity patterns may improve attention. Copyright © 2016 the authors 0270-6474/16/369547-11$15.00/0.