THE ROLE OF PREVIOUS ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT INJURY ON THE VARIABILITY OF JOINT KINEMATICS AND COORDINATION DURING A MATCH SPECIFIC LAND-CUT TASK

This study compared the movement and coordination variability of the previously injured leg of ACL injured subjects (ACLr, n=9), against their non-injured leg and a control (nACL, n=9) leg. The variability of lower limb joint angles and couplings were calculated during a land-cut task (n=20). The previously injured leg had less variability than the noninjured leg in the knee rotation–knee abd-adduction coupling, and more variability than the nACL leg in frontal and transverse knee joint angles and hip rotation–knee abdadduction coupling. Reduced coordination variability could produce a more repetitive loading pattern linked to cartilage degeneration. Increased movement and coordination variability may stem from proprioceptive deficits on the previously injured leg and decrease the ability to adapt to perturbations

Power management and distribution considerations for a lunar base

Design philosophies and technology needs for the power management and distribution (PMAD) portion of a lunar base power system are discussed. A process is described whereby mission planners may proceed from a knowledge of the PMAD functions and mission performance requirements to a definition of design options and technology needs. Current research efforts at the NASA LRC to meet the PMAD system needs for a Lunar base are described. Based on the requirements, the lunar base PMAD is seen as best being accomplished by a utility like system, although with some additional demands including autonomous operation and scheduling and accurate, predictive modeling during the design process

Benchmark Calculations for Perchlorate from Three Human Cohorts

The presence of low concentrations of perchlorate in some drinking water sources has led to concern regarding potential effects on the thyroid. In a recently published report, the National Academy of Sciences indicated that the perchlorate dose required to cause hypothyroidism in adults would probably be > 0.40 mg/kg-day for months or longer. In this study, we calculated benchmark doses for perchlorate from thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (T(4)) serum indicators from two occupational cohorts with long-term exposure to perchlorate, and from a clinical study of volunteers exposed to perchlorate for 2 weeks. The benchmark dose for a particular serum indicator was defined as the dose predicted to cause an additional 5 or 10% of persons to have a serum measurement outside of the normal range. Using the data from the clinical study, we estimated the half-life of perchlorate in serum at 7.5 hr and the volume of distribution at 0.34 L/kg. Using these estimates and measurements of perchlorate in serum or urine, doses in the occupational cohorts were estimated and used in benchmark calculations. Because none of the three studies found a significant effect of perchlorate on TSH or free T(4), all of the benchmark dose estimates were indistinguishable from infinity. The lower 95% statistical confidence limits on benchmark doses estimated from a combined analysis of the two occupational studies ranged from 0.21 to 0.56 mg/kg-day for free T(4) index and from 0.36 to 0.92 mg/kg-day for TSH. Corresponding estimates from the short-term clinical study were within these ranges

Automated tutoring for a database skills training environment

Universities are increasingly offering courses online. Feedback, assessment, and guidance are important features of this online courseware. Together, in the absence of a human tutor, they aid the student in the learning process. We present a programming training environment for a database course. It aims to offer a substitute for classroom based learning by providing synchronous automated feedback to the student, along with guidance based on a personalized assessment. The automated tutoring system should promote procedural knowledge acquisition and skills training. An automated tutoring feature is an integral part of this tutoring system

Effects of Female Sex Hormones and Dietary Magnesium Levels in Sheep

The major objectives of this study were to evaluate (a) the effects of diet on magnesium, calcium and potassium metabolism in yearling wethers and (b) the effects of progesterone, estradiol and diethylstilbestrol (DES) on the metabolism of the minerals. A two by two factorial design was selected whereby twelve yearling crossbred wether lambs were divided into four groups of three. One group was fed a basal diet plus magnesium along with hormones, one group was fed a basal diet plus magnesium without hormones, one group was fed a magnesium-deficient diet along with hormones, and one group was fed a magnesium-deficient diet without hormones. During trial one, two of the groups were injected intramuscularly with progesterone every twelve hours for four consecutive days. Then, forty-eight hours after the last injection of progesterone, 100 μg of estradiol was injected intramuscularly in two separate injections (50 μg per injection) six hours apart. This was intended to simulate the hormonal milieu of an ewe coming into estrus. At the time of the initial injection of estradiol, 61.3 μc of magnesium-28 and 701 μc of calcium-45 were administered orally via a lubricated balling gun to each of the wethers. Whereas during trial two, four mg DES was administered orally for twenty-one days while consuming either the basal diet plus magnesium or a magnesium-deficient diet. The major finding of this research was that when animals were fed a magnesium-deficient diet along with a high-potassium level in the diet there was a greater retention of potassium than in animals fed a basal diet plus magnesium and a high level of potassium. The progesterone and estradiol stimulated appetite, increased calcium and magnesium intake, increased calcium and magnesium excretion in the urine and feces, increased retention of potassium, increased plasma potassium, decreased plasma calcium, increased the calcium-45 in urine and increased the calcium-45 in the plasma at peak levels (p \u3c 0.05). The interaction of these two hormones with diet showed that the animals that were fed the basal diet plus magnesium and injected with hormones excreted more magnesium-28 for the twenty-four and forty-eight hour test period, and for the complete test period. The animals fed DES consumed less feed, consumed less calcium and magnesium, excreted less calcium and magnesium in the feces, excreted more magnesium in the urine, and excreted less calcium in the urine and had a greater concentration of magnesium in the plasma. The interaction of DES X diet showed that the animals that were fed DES and maintained on a magnesium-deficient diet had the least amount of plasma potassium of any group

Aktivitas Antijamur Infusa Daun Dandang Gendis (Clinacanthus nutans (Burm.f.) Lindau) Terhadap Pertumbuhan Candida albicans

Tujuan: Mengetahui aktivitas antijamur infusa daun dandang gendis terhadap pertumbuhan Candida albicans dan mengetahui konsentrasi efektif infusa daun dandang gendis pada pertumbuhan Candida albicans; Metode: Skrining fitokimia infusa daun dandang gendis dilakukan dengan pengujian secara kualitatif. Pembuatan infusa daun dandang gendis dilakukan dengan merebus daun dandang gendis selama 15 menit dalam akuades yang telah dipanaskan dengan suhu 90oC. Pengujian aktivitas antijamur menggunakan metode difusi cakram dengan konsentrasi 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, dan 100%. Flukonazol 25 ug/cakram dan Itrakonazol 8ug/cakram digunakan sebagai kontrol positif dan akuades steril digunakan sebagai kontrol negatif; Hasil: Berdasarkan hasil uji metabolit, didapatkan kandungan metabolit sekunder infusa daun dandang gendis yaitu fenol, saponin, tanin, terpenoid, alkaloid, dan flavonoid. Metabolit sekunder dominan pada infusa daun dandang gendis adalah fenol (+++). Pengujian infusa daun dandang gendis tidak menunjukkan adanya zona hambat meskipun diujikan pada konsentrasi 100%; Kesimpulan: Infusa daun dandang gendis tidak memiliki aktivitas antijamur terhadap Candida albicans

Serum N-Terminal Type III Procollagen Propeptide: An Indicator of Growth Hormone Excess and Response to Treatment in Feline Hypersomatotropism

BACKGROUND: N‐terminal type III procollagen propeptide (PIIINP) is a biomarker of soft tissue proliferation. Hypersomatotropism (HS) is associated with soft tissue proliferation. HYPOTHESIS: Serum PIIINP is increased in cats with HS and decreases with effective treatment, and may be an additional tool in the diagnosis and treatment of feline HS. ANIMALS: Cats with uncomplicated diabetes mellitus (DM; n = 30) and with HS‐induced DM (HSDM; n = 30). Pre‐ and posttreatment samples were available from 5 cats undergoing radiotherapy (RT) and 16 cats undergoing hypophysectomy (HPX). METHODS: Retrospective and prospective cross‐sectional study. Analytical performance of a serum PIIINP ELISA was assessed and validated for use in cats. PIIINP and insulin‐like growth factor 1 (IGF‐1) radioimmunoassays (RIA) were performed pre‐ and post‐treatment in cats with DM and HSDM. PIIINP and IGF‐1 were compared between cats treated by RT and HPX. RESULTS: Serum PIIINP concentrations were significantly higher (P < .001) in HSDM cats (median, 19.6 ng/mL; range, 1.7–27.9) compared to DM cats (median, 5.0 ng/mL; range, 2.1–10.4). A cut‐off of 10.5 ng/mL allowed differentiation between DM and HSDM cats with 87% sensitivity and 100% specificity (area under the curve [AUC], 0.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.82‐1). After RT, PIIINP increased significantly (P = .043) with no significant change in IGF‐1 concentrations. After HPX, serum PIIINP (P = .034) and IGF‐1 concentrations (P < .001) decreased significantly. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: PIIINP concentrations are increased in cats with untreated HSDM compared to those with DM, demonstrating the effect of excess GH on soft tissue. PIIINP concentrations decreased after HPX in most HSDM cats

A bisphosphonate for F-19-magnetic resonance imaging

19F-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a promising technique that may allow us to measure the concentration of exogenous fluorinated imaging probes quantitatively in vivo. Here, we describe the synthesis and characterisation of a novel geminal bisphosphonate (19F-BP) that contains chemically-equivalent fluorine atoms that show a single and narrow 19F resonance and a bisphosphonate group that may be used for labelling inorganic materials based in calcium phosphates and metal oxides. The potential of 19F-BP to provide contrast was analysed in vitro and in vivo using 19F-MRI. In vitro studies demonstrated the potential of 19F-BP as an MRI contrast agent in the millimolar concentration range with signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) comparable to previously reported fluorinated probes. The preliminary in vivo MRI study reported here allowed us to visualise the biodistribution of 19F-BP, showing uptake in the liver and in the bladder/urinary system areas. However, bone uptake was not observed. In addition, 19F-BP showed undesirable toxicity effects in mice that prevent further studies with this compound at the required concentrations for MRI contrast. This study highlights the importance of developing 19F MRI probes with the highest signal intensity achievable

Validating performance of automotive materials at high strain rate for improved crash design

This paper investigates sources of performance variability in high velocity testing of automotive crash structures. Sources of variability, or so called noise factors, present in a testing environment, arise from uncertainty in structural properties, joints, boundary conditions and measurement system. A box structure, which is representative of a crash component, is designed and fabricated from a high strength Dual Phase sheet steel. Crush tests are conducted at low and high speed. Such tests intend to validate a component model and material strain rate sensitivity data determined from high speed tensile testing. To support experimental investigations, stochastic modeling is used to investigate the effect of noise factors on crash structure performance variability, and to identify suitable performance measures to validate a component model and material strain rate sensitivity data. The results of the project will enable the measurement of more reliable strain rate sensitivity data for improved crashworthiness predictions of automotive structures