Damage imaging in composites using nonlinear vibro‐acoustic wave modulations

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Internal and external cooling methods and their effect on body temperature, thermal perception and dexterity

© 2018 The Authors. Published by PLOS. This is an open access article available under a Creative Commons licence. The published version can be accessed at the following link on the publisher’s website: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0191416© 2018 Maley et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Objective The present study aimed to compare a range of cooling methods possibly utilised by occupational workers, focusing on their effect on body temperature, perception and manual dexterity. Methods Ten male participants completed eight trials involving 30 min of seated rest followed by 30 min of cooling or control of no cooling (CON) (34C, 58% relative humidity). The cooling methods utilised were: ice cooling vest (CV0), phase change cooling vest melting at 14C (CV14), evaporative cooling vest (CVEV), arm immersion in 10C water (AI), portable water-perfused suit (WPS), heliox inhalation (HE) and ice slushy ingestion (SL). Immediately before and after cooling, participants were assessed for fine (Purdue pegboard task) and gross (grip and pinch strength) manual dexterity. Rectal and skin temperature, as well as thermal sensation and comfort, were monitored throughout. Results Compared with CON, SL was the only method to reduce rectal temperature (P = 0.012). All externally applied cooling methods reduced skin temperature (P0.05). Conclusion The present study observed that ice ingestion or ice applied to the skin produced the greatest effect on rectal and skin temperature, respectively. AI should not be utilised if workers require subsequent fine manual dexterity. These results will help inform future studies investigating appropriate pre-cooling methods for the occupational worker.This project is financially supported by the US Government through the Technical Support Working Group within the Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office.Published versio

The effect of mechanical loading on osteogenesis of human dental pulp stromal cells in a novel in vitro model

Tooth loss often results in alveolar bone resorption because of lack of mechanical stimulation. Thus, the mechanism of mechanical loading on stem cell osteogenesis is crucial for alveolar bone regeneration. We have investigated the effect of mechanical loading on osteogenesis in human dental pulp stromal cells (hDPSCs) in a novel in vitro model. Briefly, 1 × 107 hDPSCs were seeded into 1 ml 3 % agarose gel in a 48-well-plate. A loading tube was then placed in the middle of the gel to mimic tooth-chewing movement (1 Hz, 3 × 30 min per day, n = 3). A non-loading group was used as a control. At various time points, the distribution of live/dead cells within the gel was confirmed by fluorescence markers and confocal microscopy. The correlation and interaction between the factors (e.g. force, time, depth and distance) were statistically analysed. The samples were processed for histology and immunohistochemistry. After 1-3 weeks of culture in the in-house-designed in vitro bioreactor, fluorescence imaging confirmed that additional mechanical loading increased the viable cell numbers over time as compared with the control. Cells of various phenotypes formed different patterns away from the reaction tube. The cells in the middle part of the gel showed enhanced alkaline phosphatase staining at week 1 but reduced staining at weeks 2 and 3. Additional loading enhanced Sirius Red and type I collagen staining compared with the control. We have thus successfully developed a novel in-house-designed in vitro bioreactor mimicking the biting force to enhance hDPSC osteogenesis in an agarose scaffold and to promote bone formation and/or prevent bone resorption

Polymorphisms near TBX5 and GDF7 are associated with increased risk for Barrett's esophagus.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Barrett's esophagus (BE) increases the risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). We found the risk to be BE has been associated with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on chromosome 6p21 (within the HLA region) and on 16q23, where the closest protein-coding gene is FOXF1. Subsequently, the Barrett's and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma Consortium (BEACON) identified risk loci for BE and esophageal adenocarcinoma near CRTC1 and BARX1, and within 100 kb of FOXP1. We aimed to identify further SNPs that increased BE risk and to validate previously reported associations. METHODS: We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify variants associated with BE and further analyzed promising variants identified by BEACON by genotyping 10,158 patients with BE and 21,062 controls. RESULTS: We identified 2 SNPs not previously associated with BE: rs3072 (2p24.1; odds ratio [OR] = 1.14; 95% CI: 1.09-1.18; P = 1.8 × 10(-11)) and rs2701108 (12q24.21; OR = 0.90; 95% CI: 0.86-0.93; P = 7.5 × 10(-9)). The closest protein-coding genes were respectively GDF7 (rs3072), which encodes a ligand in the bone morphogenetic protein pathway, and TBX5 (rs2701108), which encodes a transcription factor that regulates esophageal and cardiac development. Our data also supported in BE cases 3 risk SNPs identified by BEACON (rs2687201, rs11789015, and rs10423674). Meta-analysis of all data identified another SNP associated with BE and esophageal adenocarcinoma: rs3784262, within ALDH1A2 (OR = 0.90; 95% CI: 0.87-0.93; P = 3.72 × 10(-9)). CONCLUSIONS: We identified 2 loci associated with risk of BE and provided data to support a further locus. The genes we found to be associated with risk for BE encode transcription factors involved in thoracic, diaphragmatic, and esophageal development or proteins involved in the inflammatory response

Damage imaging in composites using nonlinear vibro‐acoustic wave modulations

The paper deals with the application of nonlinear vibro‐acoustic modulation technique for detection and localization of impact damage in a laminated composite plate. An imaging procedure—based on the nonlinear vibro‐acoustic modulation sidebands—is proposed. The procedure relies on simultaneous low‐frequency modal and high‐frequency ultrasonic excitations. Laser scanning vibrometry is used to analyze the amplitude of modulation sidebands in vibro‐acoustic responses. This analysis is performed for different positions on monitored structure to reveal the location and shape of damage. The method is illustrated using a simple example of impact damage detection in a composite plate. The experimental damage detection results are compared with the results obtained from the previously used approach on the basis of higher harmonic generation. The proposed method demonstrates better ability to locate damage in these comparative tests without the need to increase the measurement bandwidth to the higher harmonics regime. The work shows that the local defect resonance analysis can improve damage detection results of both compared approaches

The identification of Anaplasma spp. isolated from fallow deer (Dama dama) on a free-range farm in eastern Poland

The aim of the present study was to investigate the occurrence of Anaplasma spp. in group of 50 fallow deer (Dama dama) from free-range farm in eastern Poland and determine what species of Anaplasma could infect these animals based on PCR gene sequencing. The PCR technique revealed the presence of 16S RNA Anaplasma spp. genetic material in the blood of 7 out of 50 examined animals. The sequences of the PCR products obtained showed a 100% homology with each other and 100% homology with GU 183908 sequence of A. phagocytophilum, isolated in our earlier study from a horse with clinical form of anaplasmosis. Here, we report the first molecular evidence of Anaplasma spp. among naturally infected fallow deer in eastern Poland

Diagnosis of the Encephalitozoon cuniculi infections in pet rabbits with neurological symptoms

The purpose of the study was the in vivo diagnosing of E. cuniculi invasions in pet rabbits with neurological symptoms using the Real-Time PCR, and determination of the rate of invasion, in this group of animals. The study involved 103 pet rabbits with neurological symptoms. Parasitic invasions were diagnosed using Real-Time PCR. The DNA of the parasites for molecular tests was isolated from the urine of the diseased animals. Out of the 103 tested DNA samples, the presence of the E. cuniculi genetic material was detected in 27 samples (26.21%). The melting temperature (Tm) of all products was 77.5℃. The presence of parasitic DNA in the urine of 26.21% of examined animals indicates that E. cuniculi infections occur widely in pet rabbits in Poland and are a significant cause of neurological disorders in those animals

Nutrition strategy and life style in polycystic ovary syndrome—narrative review

Here we present an extensive narrative review of the broadly understood modifications to the lifestyles of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The PubMed database was analyzed, combining PCOS entries with causes, diseases, diet supplementation, lifestyle, physical activity, and use of herbs. The metabolic pathways leading to disturbances in lipid, carbohydrate, and hormonal metabolism in targeted patients are described. The article refers to sleep disorders, changes in mental health parameters, and causes of oxidative stress and inflammation. These conditions consistently lead to the occurrence of severe diseases in patients suffering from diabetes, the fatty degeneration of internal organs, infertility, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular diseases, dysbiosis, and cancer. The modification of lifestyles, diet patterns and proper selection of nutrients, pharmacological and natural supplementation in the form of herbs, and physical activity have been proposed. The progress and consequences of PCOS are largely modifiable and depend on the patient’s approach, although we have to take into account also the genetic determinants

Molecular analysis of a fragment of gene E1B 19K of canine adenovirus 2 (CAV-2) isolated from dogs with symptoms of cough

The aim of this study was to perform molecular analysis of canine adenovirus 2 (CAV-2) E1B 19K gene fragment isolated from 20 dogs of various breeds (12 males and 8 females aged 1-9 years), with clinical symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections, from the Lubelszczyzna region. Nasal swabs were taken from dogs. DNA of CAV-2 was detected using the PCR method in 16 swabs. All PCR products were sequenced, and the obtained sequences were compared with each other and with the sequence of the E1B 19K gene of the CAV-2 strain from an online database of NCBI GenBank: AC 000003. Based on analysis of the obtained sequences, three polymorphic variants of CAV-2 (No.1-3) with homology of 78 - 100% were distinguished. The nucleotide and amino acid sequences of the most frequently represented polymorphic variant, No. 1, differed from the sequences of polymorphic variant No. 2 with one substitution. The nucleotide and amino acid sequence of the E1B 19K gene of CAV-2 AC 000003 differed from the analogous sequences of representatives of variant No. 1 with 44 nucleotide and 19 amino acid substitutions. The small number of nucleotide differences in the E1B 19K CAV-2 gene among the examined own isolates, compared with AC 000003, suggest that the infections in dogs were caused by a relatively genetically stable virus which occurs in eastern Poland

Data from: Internal and external cooling methods and their effect on body temperature, thermal perception and dexterity

Objective: The present study aimed to compare a range of cooling methods possibly utilised by occupational workers, focusing on their effect on body temperature, perception and manual dexterity. Methods: Ten male participants completed eight trials involving 30 min of seated rest followed by 30 min of cooling or control of no cooling (CON) (34 °C, 58 % relative humidity). The cooling methods utilised were: ice cooling vest (CV0), phase change cooling vest melting at 14 °C (CV14), evaporative cooling vest (CVEV), arm immersion in 10 °C water (AI), portable water-perfused suit (WPS), heliox inhalation (HE) and ice slushy ingestion (SL). Immediately before and after cooling, participants were assessed for fine (Purdue pegboard task) and gross (grip and pinch strength) manual dexterity. Rectal and skin temperature, as well as thermal sensation and comfort, were monitored throughout. Results: Compared with CON, SL was the only method to reduce rectal temperature (P=0.012). All externally applied cooling methods reduced skin temperature (P<0.05), though CV0 resulted in the lowest skin temperature versus other cooling methods. Participants felt cooler with CV0, CV14, WPS, AI and SL (P<0.05). AI significantly impaired Purdue pegboard performance (P=0.001), but did not affect grip or pinch strength (P>0.05). Conclusion: The present study observed that ice ingestion or ice applied to the skin produced the greatest effect on rectal and skin temperature, respectively. AI should not be utilised if workers require subsequent fine manual dexterity. These results will help inform future studies investigating appropriate pre-cooling methods for the occupational worker