Active Auxetic Heel Support for Achilles Tendon Therapy

The Achilles tendon, which stretches from the calf to the ankle, can be injured due to repeated daily activities or overstretching. In severe cases a tear in the tendon can prevent athletes from performing in games as well as individuals from completing their daily tasks. Achilles tendon injuries affect millions of people. The severe pain that occurs upon injury can take months to improve and for the Achilles tendon to heal. Our goal is to design an auxetic support to provide comfort, help heal the tendon, and allow the individual to continue to be active through the natural healing process. The auxetic will help protect from further injury when the individual is active because when force is applied longitudinally it results in expansion laterally leading to a shortening of the tendon, which promotes healing. This support is fabricated using elastomer molds that incorporate auxetic patterning, which was determined through testing, to make the device active while the individual is moving while wearing the support. The pieces are individually made, then pieced together to form the heel portion of the support, which is the crucial component for Achilles tendon healing. With compression testing we discovered that the Young’s modulus of our auxetic structure is similar to that of the calcaneus tissue so it will be comfortable for the user. With shock absorption testing we were able to compare the energy absorption off our auxetic structure compared to bulk elastomers and foams. Overall, we believe the optimal auxetic heel support is comfortable and shock absorptive and heel supports should be made so they are capable of facilitating healing and protect from further injury of the Achilles tendon when an individual is active

School building policies in comparative perspective: a transatlantic dialogue on current challenges

Ponència presentada a: Session 1: Educación en la universidad / University educatio

Attributing Mind to Others: The underlying mechanism of the timescale bias effect

Previous research has demonstrated that, when people speculate about the minds of others, their judgments are subject to the timescale bias. People seem to attribute richer mind experience to humans whose walking speed is closer to the average human walking speed than to those whose speed is faster or slower. The present study investigated if self-projection is the underlying mechanism of the bias by examining dispositional walking speed as a potential moderator of the effect. Participants were asked to watch two videos of a human walking at slow, medium, or fast speeds and then asked to speculate about the targets\u27 mental capacities. Participants\u27 dispositional walking speed and their beliefs about their own mental capacities were assessed. I hypothesized that, when the walking speed of an observed target is close to the dispositional walking speed of the participant, the participant would be more likely to project his or her own mental capacities onto that target. The data, however, did not support this hypothesis. Furthermore, the timescale bias effect was not replicated when targets\u27 walking speeds were within normal range of human speed, raising a question about ecological validity of the previously demonstrated effect. Consistent with the previous findings, participants attributed more mind to the targets that were more liked and perceived to be the more similar to self. As suggested by prior research, the mechanism responsible for these differences in mind attribution to a target appears to involve the degree to which one considers and identifies target\u27s mental processes

The Mudina

Honorable Mention Symbiosis of African traditional design and modern technology. What inspired you to enter this special competition to create a modern architectural language for Africa? I am a student, and so for me it was the opportunity to experiment. The process of creating this project was part of my training. I was interested in exploring the culture of African countries and the peoples of Africa, the nature Africa. What did you find most interesting or challenging during the research and development of your prototype? The most difficult part in the development of my prototype was to create home elements, that would reflect the essence of Africa and would be appropriate for the weather, combined with the landscapes. Why do you believe African homeowners will be interested in building a home such as the one you have submitted today? I believe African homeowners will be interested in building this home because my house looks modern, suitable for living in a climate of Africa, and reflective of the traditions and culture of Africa, it is a reflection of the essence of Africa. This house is suitable for large families. The local population but also people from other continents will choose this house

Modulatory effects of T-cadherin on cell behavior and growth factor receptor activity in carcinoma cells

Cancer is a major health problem. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway plays an important role in cancer progression. EGFR-targeted anti-cancer drugs are being developed to improve anti-cancer therapy. These drugs can give good results especially when a disease is driven by a dominant oncogene. However, the malignant process is generally supported by multiple genetic alterations and a complex signaling network that can compensate for deactivation of signaling targets by increasing activity of other pathways. Deeper understanding of molecular mechanisms of growth factor signaling regulation in cancer will improve anti-cancer therapy and increase clinical benefits. Classical cadherins are well recognized to be involved in cancer progression and regulation of receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling. Implication of T-cadherin, an atypical member of cadherin superfamily, in cancer progression has been documented in many cancers but mostly on genetic and epigenetic levels. Few studies have examined functional effects of T-cadherin in cancer, the molecular mechanisms of its effects are poorly understood, and whether T-cadherin regulates RTK signaling in tumor cells is unknown. This thesis aimed at delineation of the functions of T-cadherin and molecular mechanisms of action in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). We found that T-cadherin loss promotes cell elongation, cell cluster disorganization, cell motility and invasive potential, while T-cadherin upregulation reduces malignant behavior of cells. T-cadherin loss increases, while T-cadherin upregulation blunts sensitivity to stimulation by EGF, manifest at the levels of ligand-induced EGFR phosphorylation/internalization, signal transduction, cell retraction and motility. Molecular mechanisms underlying functional effects of T-cadherin involve ?1 integrin activation status and the Rho family of small GTPases. Effects of T-cadherin on EGFR activity are due to altered accumulation of EGFR within lipid raft domains; T-cadherin upregulation retains, while T-cadherin loss releases EGFR from these domains. Thus, T-cadherin acts as a negative auxiliary regulator of EGFR. EGFR activation in SCC promotes T-cadherin redistribution to intercellular contacts, supporting a reciprocal nature of cross-talk between EGFR and T-cadherin. We postulated that modulation of EGFR activity by T-cadherin could be a regulatory mechanism common to other RTKs. Using prostate cancer cells DU145 (which express comparable levels of EGFR and IGF-1R) we found that T-cadherin regulates activity of both EGFR and IGF-1R and their cross talk. Therefore modulation of growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase activity and cross-talk may be a common mechanistic principle underlying T-cad-dependent control of carcinoma cell behavior. In summary, the findings of this thesis have advanced knowledge on the functional role of T-cadherin in cancer and the participating molecular mechanisms

Belarus’ 2020 presidential elections: international human rights obligations, violations and remedies

https://www.ester.ee/record=b548419

Вещно-правовые способы защиты права собственности в Российской Федерации

The aim of the study is to evaluate the property rights protection system in the civil law system of the Russian Federation. The author present the law instruments that owner and possessor are entitled to