Method of determining thermal conductivity in multi-layer insulation systems

Repeatable nondestructive method prepares multilayer cryo-insulation material for thermal conductivity measurements. Data acquired are volume of boil-off gas, barometric pressure, gas temperature, chamber pressure, and differential pressure between extremities

Cold shivering activity after unilateral destruction of the vestibular apparatus

The bioelectric activity of muscles (flexors and extensors of the forelimbs and hindlimbs) during cold shivering after unilateral destruction of the vestibular apparatus. It was found, that unilateral delabyrinthing produces bilateral facilitation of cold shivering in the flexor extremities more pronounced on the ipsilateral side. In the extensor muscles there was an absence of bioelectric activity both before and after delabyrinthing. Enhancement of cold shivering in the flexor extremities following intervention was evidently conditioned by removal of the inhibiting effect of the vestibulary apparatus on the function of special centers

Effects on strength of vibratory exercise compared to walking in postmenopausal women

A major problem associated with advanced adult age is the remarkable decline in functional capacity and the associated loss of independence (1). Muscle strength of the lower extremities is a major neuromuscular determinant of these losses and mobility (2). Vibration exercise is a new method of training with ameliorations on bone (3), balance (4), strength of lower extremities (5, 6) and neuromuscular performance (7), and it easily to apply on previously physically untrained and frail persons. We hypothesized that a low-frequency vibrating board for 8 months would be feasible and improve more the functional capacity and the muscle strength of lower limbs than a walking-based program in post-menopausal women.The present study shows that our WBV training program may have a muscular positive effect, improving explosive strength. Moreover, to our knowledge, the current study is the first had obtained these results using low-frequency vibration in postmenopausal women. WBV seems to require longer sessions to pursue relevant effects on isokinetic strength. Walking programs should be prescribed to achieve significant improvements in health status related with usual daily physical tasks

Diabetic Muscle Infarction

A 58-year-old male with past medical history of diabetes mellitus presented with pain to the bilateral groin for six weeks. Magnetic resonance imaging of the patient’s lower extremities revealed acute myoedema, and he was diagnosed with myositis secondary to diabetic muscle infarction

Drug-induced anti-Ro positive subacute cutaneous lupus in a man treated with olmesartan

A 66-year-old man presented to the outpatient dermatology clinic with a chief complaint of a pruritic rash on his upper trunk and proximal upper extremities, which had been present for three weeks. Upon examination, he was found to have an erythematous, annular, and polycyclic eruption on the chest, upper back, and proximal extremities. A clinical diagnosis of subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE) was made. The patient was found to have a positive anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) in a speckled pattern and a positive anti-Ro antibody. A biopsy revealed an interface and lichenoid dermatitis with dermal mucin deposition, consistent with subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus. The patient reported that he had recently been diagnosed with hypertension and began treatment with olmesartan, a potassium-sparing diuretic that blocks the angiotensin II receptor, commonly used as an antihypertensive or in patients with heart failure. Cutaneous reactions to olmesartan are rare and reported in <1% of patients in post-marketing surveillance. The patient discontinued use of olmesartan and the rash completely resolved within three weeks. To date, there are no other reported cases of drug induced SCLE in patients taking olmesartan to our knowledge

Biomechanical evaluation of the push-up exercise of the upper extremities from various starting points

The purpose of the present research was to evaluate the push-up exercise of the upper extremities in respect of biomechanics, to compare the muscle function, while changing the position of performance and to examine the torso's inclination during the exercise. The result is that the activation of the muscles, apart from the triceps brachii muscle, does not differentiate significantly in any of the positions. Moreover, the elevating the hands above the feet position is not recommended in protocols where the aim is to improve the muscle force because it displays the lowest mean value of vertical force and a low RFD. On the other hand, the standard push-up position is considered to be the most appropriate when the aim is to improve the triceps brachii muscle's force because it displays the highest RFD and the highest activation of this muscle. Finally, the correct body position during this exercise prevents from incorrect and damaging inclinations of the torso. © JPES

Parallel motion suspension device Patent

Parallel motion suspension device for measuring instrument

Enabling Gaia observations of naked-eye stars

The ESA Gaia space astrometry mission will perform an all-sky survey of stellar objects complete in the nominal magnitude range G = [6.0 - 20.0]. The stars with G lower than 6.0, i.e. those visible to the unaided human eye, would thus not be observed by Gaia. We present an algorithm configuration for the Gaia on-board autonomous object observation system that makes it possible to observe very bright stars with G = [2.0-6.0). Its performance has been tested during the in-orbit commissioning phase achieving an observation completeness of ~94% at G = 3 - 5.7 and ~75% at G = 2 - 3. Furthermore, two targeted observation techniques for data acquisition of stars brighter than G = 2.0 were tested. The capabilities of these two techniques and the results of the in-flight tests are presented. Although the astrometric performance for stars with G lower than 6.0 has yet to be established, it is clear that several science cases will benefit from the results of the work presented here.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures. To appear in the proceedings of the SPIE 9143, 2014 Astronomical Instrumentation and Telescopes conferenc

Two New Cases of Uner Tan Syndrome: One Man\ud with Transition from Quadrupedalism to Bipedalism;\ud One Man with Consistent Quadrupedalism

Background: Uner Tan syndrome, first described in\ud 2005, consists of three main symptoms: habitual\ud locomotion on all four extremities, impaired\ud intelligence, and dysarthric or no speech. This\ud extremely rare syndrome shows an autosomal\ud recessive inheritance due to consanguineous\ud marriages between parents. In general, there is a\ud cerebellovermial hypoplasia with a mild gyral\ud simplification in the cerebral cortex. Truncal ataxia is\ud the main neurological finding, causing difficulty in\ud standing and upright walking on two legs.\ud Methods: As soon as the new cases came to light, the\ud family was visited. After taking the basic information\ud about the family members, the traditional neurological\ud examinations were performed, MRI scans of the\ud patients and of a healthy family member were taken in\ud a hospital nearest to the residence (a small village\ud near Kars, Turkey). The patients were also filmed to\ud analyze their walking patterns.\ud Results: Two individuals (case 1, 44y; case 2, 43y)\ud among six siblings from a family with consanguineous\ud parents exhibited Uner Tan syndrome, with\ud quadrupedalism, impaired intelligence, and dysarthric\ud speech. Their pedigree suggested an autosomal\ud recessive inheritance. MRI scans showed inferior\ud cerebellovermial and pontobulbar hypoplasia.\ud Case 1 did not display hypotonia, while case 2 had\ud been hypotonic for two years after birth. Case 2’s\ud hypotonia progressively disappeared, and at three\ud years old he started to sit, and could walk on all fours\ud by the age of four. Case 1 was quadrupedal for 20\ud years, and then walked upright with the aid of a\ud walking stick. Tendon reflexes were normal in case 1\ud but hyperactive in the lower extremities of case 2;\ud Babinsky was absent in case 1 but bilaterally present\ud in case 2. There was no nystagmus, no strabismus,\ud and no pes pedus in either case. Cognition was\ud severely impaired in both.\ud Conclusion: The emergence of quadrupedalism\ud during development, with a transition into bipedalism\ud in case 1, and the emergence of the quadrupedalism\ud after a full hypotonia and no locomotion in case 2,\ud were considered as examples of the processes of\ud adaptive self-organization, from the viewpoint of\ud dynamic systems theory

Portable pallet weighing apparatus

An assembly for use with several like units in weighing the mass of a loaded cargo pallet supported by its trunnions has a bridge frame for positioning the assembly on a transportation frame carrying the pallet while straddling one trunnion of the pallet and its trunnion lock, and a cradle assembly for incrementally raising the trunnion. The mass at the trunnion is carried as a static load by a slidable bracket mounted upon the bridge frame for supporting the cradle assembly. The bracket applies the static loading to an electrical load cell symmetrically positioned between the bridge frame and the bracket. The static loading compresses the load cell, causing a slight deformation and a potential difference at load cell terminals which is proportional in amplitude to the mass of the pallet at the trunnion