Mixing characterization inside microdroplets engineered on a microcoalescer

We use a microdevice where microdroplets of reagents are generated and coalesce in a carrier continuous phase. The work focuses on the characterization of the mixing step inside the droplets, in the perspective to use them for chemical kinetic data acquisition. A dye and water are used, and an acid–base instantaneous chemical reaction is monitored thanks to a colored indicator. Acquisitions are done with a high-speed camera coupled to a microscope and a mixing parameter is calculated by image analysis. Different angles of bended channels and different ways of coalescence are compared. It is shown that the homogenization of the droplets can be reached in less than 10 ms after coalescence. This is achieved by forcing the droplets to coalesce in a “shifted” way, and later by adding 45◦ angle bends along the channel

Changing current appraisals of mothers leads to changes in childhood memories of love toward mothers

False memories in therapy have previously been identified as problematic, but memory-of-emotion distortions have been underdiscussed in this context. Past research has suggested that cognitive reappraisals are associated with changes in memory of emotions. We investigated whether these findings would generalize to an important emotion (love), target (mothers), and time (childhood). In samples of adults, we manipulated current appraisals of mothers to examine the effect on memory of love felt in childhood toward mothers. In Experiment 1, we found significant differences between appraisal conditions on memory of love—effects that persisted for 4 weeks. In Experiment 2, the effect of reappraisal on memory of love replicated with a pretest–posttest experiment. Pretest current feelings of love were biased when recalled after the experiment. Reevaluating parents, in therapy or elsewhere, may result in memory distortion of important aspects of autobiographical memory

Seeing through colorblindness

In our work with fraternities and sororities, how often do we reflect on the role race plays in recruitment practices or how it shapes the experiences of members, chapters, organizations, and the fraternity community as a whole? In our estimation, not often enough. However, if we explore the history of fraternities and sororities, we learn these organizations were typically created and organized specifically around race. From the founding of Phi Beta Kappa in 1776 to the beginnings of many other organizations through the late 1960s, historically White fraternities in the United States were legally racially exclusive (Kendall, 2008), most going so far as to include racial segregation policies in their constitutions (Hughey, 2010). During this time of racial exclusion, Black collegians banded together to form Greek-letter organizations collectively referred to today as “the Divine Nine” (Kimbrough, 2003). More recently, people from other racially minority groups, including Latinos, Native Americans, Asian Americans and others, formed Greek-letter organizations (Kimbrough, 2003)

Genetic parameters for twinning in the Maine-Anjou breed

International audienc

Neisseria gonorrhoeae challenge increases matrix metalloproteinase-8 expression in fallopian tube explants

Indexación: Scopus.Background: Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Ngo) is the etiological agent of gonorrhea, a sexually transmitted infection that initially infects the female lower genital tract. In untreated women, the bacteria can ascend to the upper genital reproductive tract and infect the fallopian tube (FTs), which is associated with salpingitis and can lead to impaired FT function and infertility. The extracellular matrix (ECM) plays an important role in cell migration and differentiation in the female genital tract, and some pathogens modify the ECM to establish successful infections. The ECM is regulated by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs), their endogenous inhibitors; MMP deregulation causes pathological conditions in a variety of tissues. Results: The aim of this work was to analyze the expression and localization of MMP-3, MMP-8, MMP-9, and TIMP-1 in FT explants during Ngo infection using real-time PCR, immunohistochemistry, zymography and ELISA. No significant variations in MMP-3, MMP-9, and TIMP-1 transcript levels were observed. In contrast, a significant increase (p < 0.05) was observed for MMP-8 expression and was accompanied by stromal immunoreactivity in infected explants. ELISA results supported these findings and showed that MMP-8 release increased upon gonococcal infection. Conclusions: Our results indicate that gonococcal infection induces increased MMP-8 expression, which might contribute to FT damage during infection. © 2017 Juica, Rodas, Solar, Borda, Vargas, Muñoz, Paredes, Christodoulides and Velasquez.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2017.00399/ful

A unified non-linear energy dissipation-based plastic-damage model for cyclic loading

A new energy-dissipation-based rate-independent constitutive law within the framework of elastoplasticity coupled with damage is proposed. With this methodology, the inelastic strains and the stiffness degradation exhibited by quasi-brittle materials under monotonic or cyclic loading conditions are taken into account. The proposed constitutive model is able to capture micro-cracks closure-reopening effects due to load reversal. A wide variety of hardening/softening laws on the stress–strain relationship are described and considered for the novel normalized plastic-damage energy dissipation internal variable. This normalized internal variable allows the model to be independent on the sign of the load and dissipate different fracture energies (tensile, compressive and potentially shear) in a natural way. Several numerical examples are presented in order to ensure the efficiency and validity of the proposed model for simulating the non-linear behaviour of quasi-brittle materials under monotonic and cyclic loading. Some numerical aspects of the implemented algorithm and the return mapping procedure are also described in detail and discussed.Fil: Cornejo, A.. Universidad Politécnica de Catalunya; EspañaFil: Jiménez, S.. Universidad Politécnica de Catalunya; EspañaFil: Barbu, L.G.. Universidad Politécnica de Catalunya; EspañaFil: Oller, Sergio Horacio Cristobal. Universidad Nacional de Salta; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Oñate, E.. Universidad Politécnica de Catalunya; Españ

Exercise and the Timing of Snack Choice: Healthy Snack Choice is Reduced in the Post-Exercise State

Acute exercise can induce either a compensatory increase in food intake or a reduction in food intake, which results from appetite suppression in the post-exercise state. The timing of food choice—choosing for immediate or later consumption—has been found to influence the healthfulness of foods consumed. To examine both of these effects, we tested in our study whether the timing of food choice interacts with exposure to exercise to impact food choices such that choices would differ when made prior to or following an exercise bout. Visitors to a university recreational center were equipped with an accelerometer prior to their habitual workout regime, masking the true study purpose. As a reward, participants were presented with a snack for consumption after workout completion. Participants made their snack choice from either an apple or chocolate brownie after being pseudo-randomly assigned to choose prior to (“before”) or following workout completion (“after”). Complete data were available for 256 participants (54.7% male, 22.1 ± 3.1 years, 24.7 ± 3.7 kg/m2) who exercised 65.3 ± 22.5 min/session. When compared with “before,” the choice of an apple decreased (73.7% vs. 54.6%) and the choices of brownie (13.9% vs. 20.2%) or no snack (12.4% vs. 25.2%) increased in the “after” condition (X2 = 26.578, p \u3c 0.001). Our results provide support for both compensatory eating and exercise-induced anorexia. More importantly, our findings suggest that the choice of food for post-exercise consumption can be altered through a simple behavioral intervention

Exercise and the Timing of Snack Choice: Healthy Snack Choice is Reduced in the Post-Exercise State

Acute exercise can induce either a compensatory increase in food intake or a reduction in food intake, which results from appetite suppression in the post-exercise state. The timing of food choice—choosing for immediate or later consumption—has been found to influence the healthfulness of foods consumed. To examine both of these effects, we tested in our study whether the timing of food choice interacts with exposure to exercise to impact food choices such that choices would differ when made prior to or following an exercise bout. Visitors to a university recreational center were equipped with an accelerometer prior to their habitual workout regime, masking the true study purpose. As a reward, participants were presented with a snack for consumption after workout completion. Participants made their snack choice from either an apple or chocolate brownie after being pseudo-randomly assigned to choose prior to (“before”) or following workout completion (“after”). Complete data were available for 256 participants (54.7% male, 22.1 ± 3.1 years, 24.7 ± 3.7 kg/m2) who exercised 65.3 ± 22.5 min/session. When compared with “before,” the choice of an apple decreased (73.7% vs. 54.6%) and the choices of brownie (13.9% vs. 20.2%) or no snack (12.4% vs. 25.2%) increased in the “after” condition (X2 = 26.578, p \u3c 0.001). Our results provide support for both compensatory eating and exercise-induced anorexia. More importantly, our findings suggest that the choice of food for post-exercise consumption can be altered through a simple behavioral intervention