Vibrotactile sensitivity in active touch: effect of pressing force

An experiment was conducted to study the effects of force produced by active touch on vibrotactile perceptual thresholds. The task consisted in pressing the fingertip against a flat rigid surface that provided either sinusoidal or broadband vibration. Three force levels were considered, ranging from light touch to hard press. Finger contact areas were measured during the experiment, showing positive correlation with the respective applied forces. Significant effects on thresholds were found for vibration type and force level. Moreover, possibly due to the concurrent effect of large (unconstrained) finger contact areas, active pressing forces, and long duration stimuli, the measured perceptual thresholds are considerably lower than what previously reported in the literature

Reconstructing Cetacean Brain Evolution Using Computed Tomography

Until recently, there have been relatively few studies of brain mass and morphology in fossil cetaceans (dolphins, whales, and porpoises) because of difficulty accessing the matrix that fills the endocranial cavity of fossil cetacean skulls. As a result, our knowledge about cetacean brain evolution has been quite limited. By applying the noninvasive technique of computed tomography (CT) to visualize, measure, and reconstruct the endocranial morphology of fossil cetacean skulls, we can gain vastly more information at an unprecedented rate about cetacean brain evolution. Here, we discuss our method and demonstrate it with several examples from our fossil cetacean database. This approach will provide new insights into the little-known evolutionary history of cetacean brain evolution

FRAGILIDAD FÍSICA E INCONTINENCIA URINARIA DE ADULTOS MAYORES EN ATENCIÓN AMBULATORIA

Objective: To analyze the association of markers and physical frailty condition with urinaryincontinence in outpatient geriatric and gerontological care.Method: A cross-sectional study, developed in the secondary health care of an outpatient clinicof Paraná, with 384 elderly. Data were collected between September 2016 and March 2017through frailty phenotype and the questionnaire International Consultation on IncontinenceQuestionnaire - Short Form.Results: of the elderly 118 (30.7%) were considered non-frail, 212 (55.2%) pre-frail, 54 (14.1%)frail, 106 (27.6%) with urinary incontinence, 50 (47.2 %) with very severe impact on daily routine,18 (17.0%) severe, 16 (15.0%) moderate, 11 (10.4%) mild to no impact. Urinary incontinencewas associated with the condition of frailty (p=0.011), the markers for decreased handgripstrength (p=0.027), fatigue and exhaustion (p=0.002) and reduced gait speed (p=0.000).Conclusion: The results contribute to the critical development of nursing when assessing theneeds of gerontological care.Objetivo: analisar a associação dos marcadores e da condição de fragilidade física à incontinênciaurinária em assistência ambulatorial de geriatria e gerontologia.Método: estudo transversal, desenvolvido na atenção secundária à saúde de ambulatório doParaná, com 384 idosos. Coletaram-se dados entre setembro de 2016 a março de 2017 mediantefenótipo de fragilidade e questionário International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire -Short Form.Resultados: dos idosos 118 (30,7%) foram considerados não frágeis, 212 (55,2%) pré-frágeis, 54(14,1%) frágeis, 106 (27,6%) com incontinência urinária, 50 (47,2%) com impacto muito gravena rotina diária, 18 (17,0%) grave, 16 (15,0%) moderado, 11 (10,4%) leve a nenhum impacto.Associaram-se à incontinência urinária a condição de fragilidade (p=0,011), os marcadores forçade preensão manual diminuída (p=0,027), fadiga e exaustão (p=0,002) e velocidade da marchareduzida (p=0,000).Conclusão: os resultados contribuem com o desenvolvimento crítico da enfermagem no momentode avaliar as necessidades de cuidado gerontológico.Objetivo: analizar la asociación de los marcadores y la condición de fragilidad física a laincontinencia urinaria en la atención ambulatoria en geriatría y gerontología.Método: estudio transversal, desarrollado en atención secundaria ambulatoria de saluddel estado de Paraná (Brasil), con 384 ancianos. La recolección de datos se realizó entreseptiembre de 2016 y marzo de 2017, mediante fenotipo de fragilidad y cuestionarioInternational Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire - Short Form.Resultados: 118 (30,7%) ancianos se consideraron no débiles, 212 (55,2%) pre débiles, 54(14,1%) débiles, 106 (27,6%) con incontinencia urinaria, 50 (47,2%) con impacto muy grave en larutina diaria, 18 (17,0%) con impacto grave, 16 (15,0%) con impacto moderado, 11 (10,4%) conleve o ningún impacto. Se asociaron a la incontinencia la condición de fragilidad (p=0,011), losmarcadores fuerza de sujeción manual disminuida (p=0,027), fatiga y agotamiento (p=0,002)y velocidad da marcha reducida (p=0,000).Conclusión: los resultados contribuyen al desarrollo crítico de la enfermería al momento deevaluar las necesidades de cuidado gerontológico

The efficacy of whole human genome capture on ancient dental calculus and dentin

Objectives: Dental calculus is among the richest known sources of ancient DNA in the archaeological record. Although most DNA within calculus is microbial, it has been shown to contain sufficient human DNA for the targeted retrieval of whole mitochondrial genomes. Here, we explore whether calculus is also a viable substrate for whole human genome recovery using targeted enrichment techniques. Materials and methods: Total DNA extracted from 24 paired archaeological human dentin and calculus samples was subjected to whole human genome enrichment using in-solution hybridization capture and high-throughput sequencing. Results: Total DNA from calculus exceeded that of dentin in all cases, and although the proportion of human DNA was generally lower in calculus, the absolute human DNA content of calculus and dentin was not significantly different. Whole genome enrichment resulted in up to fourfold enrichment of the human endogenous DNA content for both dentin and dental calculus libraries, albeit with some loss in complexity. Recovering more on-target reads for the same sequencing effort generally improved the quality of downstream analyses, such as sex and ancestry estimation. For nonhuman DNA, comparison of phylum-level microbial community structure revealed few differences between precapture and postcapture libraries, indicating that off-target sequences in human genome-enriched calculus libraries may still be useful for oral microbiome reconstruction. Discussion: While ancient human dental calculus does contain endogenous human DNA sequences, their relative proportion is low when compared with other skeletal tissues. Whole genome enrichment can help increase the proportion of recovered human reads, but in this instance enrichment efficiency was relatively low when compared with other forms of capture. We conclude that further optimization is necessary before the method can be routinely applied to archaeological samples

Funerary Artifacts, Social Status, and Atherosclerosis in Ancient Peruvian Mummy Bundles

Background: Evidence of atherosclerotic plaques in ancient populations has led to the reconsideration of risk factors for heart disease and of the common belief that it is a disease of modern times. Methods: Fifty-one wrapped mummy bundles excavated from the sites of Huallamarca, Pedreros, and Rinconada La Molina from the Puruchuco Museum collection in Lima, Peru, were scanned using computed tomography to investigate the presence of atherosclerosis. Funerary artifacts contained within the undisturbed mummy bundles were analyzed as an attempt to infer the social status of the individuals to correlate social status with evidence of heart disease in this ancient Peruvian group. This work also provides an inventory of the museum mummy collection to guide and facilitate future research. Results: Statistical analysis concluded that there is little association between the types of grave goods contained within the bundles when the groups are pooled together. However, some patterns of artifact type, material, atherosclerosis, and sex emerge when the 3 excavation sites are analyzed separately. Conclusions: From the current sample, it would seem that social class is difficult to discern, but those from Huallamarca have the most markers of elite status. We had hypothesized that higher-status individuals may have had lifestyles that would place them at a higher risk for atherogenesis. There seems to be some indication of this within the site of Huallamarca, but it is inconclusive in the other 2 archeological sites. It is possible that a larger sample size in the future could reveal more statistically significant results

Light regime characterization in an airlift photobioreactor for production of microalgae with high starch content

The slow development of microalgal biotechnology is due to the failure in the design of large-scale photobioreactors (PBRs) where light energy is efficiently utilized. In this work, both the quality and the amount of light reaching a given point of the PBR were determined and correlated with cell density, light path length, and PBR geometry. This was made for two different geometries of the downcomer of an airlift PBR using optical fiber technology that allows to obtain information about quantitative and qualitative aspects of light patterns. This is important since the ability of microalgae to use the energy of photons is different, depending on the wavelength of the radiation. The results show that the circular geometry allows a more efficient light penetration, especially in the locations with a higher radial coordinate (r) when compared to the plane geometry; these observations were confirmed by the occurrence of a higher fraction of illuminated volume of the PBR for this geometry. An equation is proposed to correlate the relative light intensity with the penetration distance for both geometries and different microalgae cell concentrations. It was shown that the attenuation of light intensity is dependent on its wavelength, cell concentration, geometry of PBR, and the penetration distance of light.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

Genomic Correlates of Atherosclerosis in Ancient Humans

Paleogenetics offers a unique opportunity to study human evolution, population dynamics, and disease evolution in situ. Although histologic and computed x-ray tomographic investigations of ancient mummies have clearly shown that atherosclerosis has been present in humans for more than 5,000 years, limited data are available on the presence of genetic predisposition for cardiovascular disease in ancient human populations. In a previous whole-genome study of the Tyrolean Iceman, a 5,300-year-old glacier mummy from the Alps, an increased risk for coronary heart disease was detected. The Iceman’s genome revealed several single nucleotide polymorphisms that are linked with cardiovascular disease in genome-wide association studies. Future genetic studies of ancient humans from various geographic origins and time periods have the potential to provide more insights into the presence and possible changes of genetic risk factors in our ancestors. The study of ancient humans and a better understanding of the interaction between environmental and genetic influences on the development of heart diseases may lead to a more effective prevention and treatment of the most common cause of death in the modern world

Coronary Atherosclerosis in Indigenous South American Tsimane: A Cross-Sectional Cohort Study

Background—Conventional coronary artery disease risk factors might potentially explain at least 90% of the attributable risk of coronary artery disease. To better understand the association between the pre-industrial lifestyle and low prevalence of coronary artery disease risk factors, we examined the Tsimane, a Bolivian population living a subsistence lifestyle of hunting, gathering, fishing, and farming with few cardiovascular risk factors, but high infectious inflammatory burden. Methods—We did a cross-sectional cohort study including all individuals who self-identified as Tsimane and who were aged 40 years or older. Coronary atherosclerosis was assessed by coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring done with non-contrast CT in Tsimane adults. We assessed the difference between the Tsimane and 6814 participants from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). CAC scores higher than 100 were considered representative of significant atherosclerotic disease. Tsimane blood lipid and inflammatory biomarkers were obtained at the time of scanning, and in some patients, longitudinally. Findings—Between July 2, 2014, and Sept 10, 2015, 705 individuals, who had data available for analysis, were included in this study. 596 (85%) of 705 Tsimane had no CAC, 89 (13%) had CAC scores of 1–100, and 20 (3%) had CAC scores higher than 100. For individuals older than age 75 years, 31 (65%) Tsimane presented with a CAC score of 0, and only four (8%) had CAC scores of 100 or more, a five-fold lower prevalence than industrialised populations (p≤0-0001 for all age categories of MESA). Mean LDL and HDL cholesterol concentrations were 2.35 mmol/L (91 mg/dL) and 1.0 mmol/L (39.5 mg/dL), respectively; obesity, hypertension, high blood sugar, and regular cigarette smoking were rare. High- sensitivity C-reactive protein was elevated beyond the clinical cutoff of 3.0 mg/dL in 360 (51%) Tsimane participants. Interpretation—Despite a high infectious inflammatory burden, the Tsimane, a forager-horticulturalist population of the Bolivian Amazon with few coronary artery disease risk factors, have the lowest reported levels of coronary artery disease of any population recorded to date. These findings suggest that coronary atherosclerosis can be avoided in most people by achieving a lifetime with very low LDL, low blood pressure, low glucose, normal body-mass index, no smoking, and plenty of physical activity. The relative contributions of each are still to be determined