Fibre Homogenisation

In this article we present a novel method for studying the asymptotic behaviour, with order-sharp error estimates, of the resolvents of parameter-dependent operator families. The method is applied to the study of differential equations with rapidly oscillating coefficients in the context of second-order PDE systems and the Maxwell system. This produces a non-standard homogenisation result that is characterised by `fibre-wise' homogenisation of the related Floquet-Bloch PDEs. These fibre-homogenised resolvents are shown to be asymptotically equivalent to a whole class of operator families, including those obtained by standard homogenisation methods

Role of Energy Metabolism in the Brown Fat Gene Program

In murine and human brown adipose tissue (BAT), mitochondria are powerful generators of heat that safely metabolize fat, a feature that has great promise in the fight against obesity and diabetes. Recent studies suggest that the actions of mitochondria extend beyond their conventional role as generators of heat. There is mounting evidence that impaired mitochondrial respiratory capacity is accompanied by attenuated expression of Ucp1 and other BAT-selective genes, implying that mitochondria exert transcriptional control over the brown fat gene program. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of brown fat mitochondria, their potential role in transcriptional control of the brown fat gene program, and potential strategies to treat obesity in humans by leveraging thermogenesis in brown adipocytes

Hands-Free Wearable Crutch

Traditional crutches have long been the primary mobility aid for patients with a lower-leg injuries. However, forced to place most of their weight on their hands and underarms while balancing on only one leg, users find that such crutches present a physically demanding, uncomfortable, and inconvenient means of getting around. To combat these issues, we propose a hands-free crutch that will attach only to the injured leg, increasing maneuverability while preserving natural walking mechanics. Within the last decade, other hands-free crutch solutionshave proven to increase user satisfaction by reducing fatigue, increasing safety and efficiency by allowing users to perform additional tasks with their hands, and allowing them to navigate more difficult obstacles. Our product aims to be more customizable, comfortable, and affordable than such hands-free solutions. This crutch is designed to give the user the opportunity to suspend their injured leg at a variety of angles to alleviate varying amounts of stress. In addition, a “stair mode” uses a hydraulic suspension to shorten the crutch and allow the user to more easily raise their leg up to the next step

Determination of Fatty Acid Oxidation and Lipogenesis in Mouse Primary Hepatocytes

Lipid metabolism in liver is complex. In addition to importing and exporting lipid via lipoproteins, hepatocytes can oxidize lipid via fatty acid oxidation, or alternatively, synthesize new lipid via de novo lipogenesis. The net sum of these pathways is dictated by a number of factors, which in certain disease states leads to fatty liver disease. Excess hepatic lipid accumulation is associated with whole body insulin resistance and coronary heart disease. Tools to study lipid metabolism in hepatocytes are useful to understand the role of hepatic lipid metabolism in certain metabolic disorders. In the liver, hepatocytes regulate the breakdown and synthesis of fatty acids via beta-fatty oxidation and de novo lipogenesis, respectively. Quantifying metabolism in these pathways provides insight into hepatic lipid handling. Unlike in vitro quantification, using primary hepatocytes, making measurements in vivo is technically challenging and resource intensive. Hence, quantifying beta-fatty acid oxidation and de novo lipogenesis in cultured mouse hepatocytes provides a straight forward method to assess hepatocyte lipid handling. Here we describe a method for the isolation of primary mouse hepatocytes, and we demonstrate quantification of beta-fatty acid oxidation and de novo lipogenesis, using radiolabeled substrates

Successful Asfotase Alfa Treatment in an Adult Dialysis Patient With Childhood-Onset Hypophosphatasia

Hypophosphatasia is an inherited disease characterized by reduced alkaline phosphatase activity, extracellular accumulation of inorganic pyrophosphate, and impaired bone mineralization. Asfotase alfa (AA) is a recombinant human alkaline phosphatase therapy approved for treatment of pediatric-onset hypophosphatasia. Studies show promising outcome in AA-treated children with hypophosphatasia; however, data on adults with pediatric-onset hypophosphatasia are scarce. We report on a 59-year-old woman with childhood- onset hypophosphatasia and a history of multiple fractures and orthopedic procedures. Owing to renal failure (histological diagnosis: focal segmental glomerulosclerosis), hemodialysis was started in 2013. By the end of 2015, the patient was unable to walk, could only stand for 30 seconds, and was completely dependent on help for activities of daily living. After 13 months of AA therapy, the patient showed a dramatic increase in quality of life (increased mobility), reduction in pain medication, and a significant improvement in bone mineralization throughout the skeleton, including consolidation of existing fractures and no occurrence of new fractures. This case report demonstrates a relevant therapeutic success of AA treatment in an adult hemodialysis patient with childhood onset of hypophosphatasia

Introducing Preservice Teachers to Family-Centered Practices: A Scoping Review

Parental involvement in P-12 education could lead to social and academic success for students; however, parents often experience barriers to their involvement. Different or additional barriers exist for parents of children with a disability. School staff can positively influence parents to become involved in their children’s education. Family-centered practices, common in early intervention under special education law (Part C of IDEIA), may foster parent involvement in P-12 schools. In this scoping literature review, we examined 17 studies of teacher preparation programs (TPPs) in higher education in the US who have implemented programs to prepare preservice teachers (PSTs) to collaborate with parents/families. Studies varied by analytic method, participants, purposes, format, and measures. We present a synthesis of the included articles and discuss recommendations for teacher preparation programs

Implementation of Solar Car Technology

Under the leadership of Dr. Erik Mayer, Pittsburg State University hosted the first Kansas Solar Race Competition. The purpose of this competition is to motivate students to learn about different aspects of solar car technology. The competition motivates students by bringing multiple teams together in a friendly competition to test out their uniquely engineered and constructed wireless cars. The cars will compete in different competitions such as an agil­ity competition and a drag race. After the competition, the students are able to learn from the ingenuity of other teams and spark a curiosity to continue to learn about solar car technology for the next year

The Lived Experience of People with Lateral Elbow Tendinopathy – a Qualitative Study from the OPTimisE Pilot & Feasibility Trial.

Objectives: To explore the lived experience of people with lateral elbow tendinopathy (LET) and its impact on everyday life. Design: Qualitative semi-structured interviews, analysed using thematic analysis. Setting: Conducted as part of the mixed-methods OPTimisE pilot and feasibility randomised controlled trial of outpatient physiotherapy patients in the UK. Participants: 17 participants with LET, purposively sampled from the trial to provide representativeness based on age, sex, ethnicity, deprivation index and treatment allocation. Results: Four themes were identified from the participants’ responses: (1) cause of onset—typically symptoms were attributed to: sudden changes in activity, repetitive work or compensating for other musculoskeletal conditions; (2) impact on everyday life—which included substantial impacts on quality-of-life, particularly due to pain disturbing sleep and difficulties performing daily tasks (related to work and hobbies) due to pain, although most reported being able to persevere with work; (3) self-help and understanding of the condition—with uncertainty about the appropriateness and potential harm of online advice and confusion from the diagnostic term ‘Tennis Elbow’ that non-sporting individuals struggled to relate to; (4) healthcare experiences—the treatments received were highly variable and often perceived as ineffectual. Conclusions: For the first time, the lived experience of people from a range of backgrounds suffering from LET has been explored. Findings suggest that people frequently related the cause to a specific activity. They reported substantial impacts on daily tasks, sleep, work and hobbies. People also reported hesitancy to trust online information without formal healthcare advice, were confused by the common label of ‘Tennis Elbow’, and perceived the wide array of healthcare treatment options they had received to offer false hope and be largely ineffective. This study provides stimulus for clinicians to consider the advice and treatment provided, and whether the messages conveyed reflect the favourable natural history of the condition. Trial registration number: ISRCTN6444458

Cognitive function in childhood and lifetime cognitive change in relation to mental wellbeing in four cohorts of older people

Background: poorer cognitive ability in youth is a risk factor for later mental health problems but it is largely unknown whether cognitive ability, in youth or in later life, is predictive of mental wellbeing. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether cognitive ability at age 11 years, cognitive ability in later life, or lifetime cognitive change are associated with mental wellbeing in older people.Methods: we used data on 8191 men and women aged 50 to 87 years from four cohorts in the HALCyon collaborative research programme into healthy ageing: the Aberdeen Birth Cohort 1936, the Lothian Birth Cohort 1921, the National Child Development Survey, and the MRC National Survey for Health and Development. We used linear regression to examine associations between cognitive ability at age 11, cognitive ability in later life, and lifetime change in cognitive ability and mean score on the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale and meta-analysis to obtain an overall estimate of the effect of each.Results: people whose cognitive ability at age 11 was a standard deviation above the mean scored 0.53 points higher on the mental wellbeing scale (95% confidence interval 0.36, 0.71). The equivalent value for cognitive ability in later life was 0.89 points (0.72, 1.07). A standard deviation improvement in cognitive ability in later life relative to childhood ability was associated with 0.66 points (0.39, 0.93) advantage in wellbeing score. These effect sizes equate to around 0.1 of a standard deviation in mental wellbeing score. Adjustment for potential confounding and mediating variables, primarily the personality trait neuroticism, substantially attenuated these associations.Conclusion: associations between cognitive ability in childhood or lifetime cognitive change and mental wellbeing in older people are slight and may be confounded by personality trait difference