Three-dimensional in situ observations of compressive damage mechanisms in syntactic foam using X-ray microcomputed tomography

Royal Society Grant number RG140680 Lloyd's Register Foundation (GB) Oil and Gas Academy of Scotland Open access via Springer Compact AgreementPeer reviewedPublisher PD

Assessing Rat Forelimb and Hindlimb Motor Unit Connectivity as Objective and Robust Biomarkers of Spinal Motor Neuron Function

Sensitive and objective biomarkers of neuronal injury, degeneration, and regeneration can help facilitate translation of experimental findings into clinical testing. Whereas measures of upper motor neuron connectivity have been readily established, functional assessments of lower motor neuron (LMN) innervation of forelimb muscles are lacking. Compound muscle action potential (CMAP) and motor unit (MU) number estimation (MUNE) are well-established methods that allow longitudinal MU integrity monitoring in patients. In analogy we refined CMAP and MUNE methods for assessing spinal MU input in the rat forelimb and hindlimb. Repeated CMAP and MUNE recordings are robust (coefficients of variability: 4.5–11.3%), and MUNE measurements from forelimb wrist flexor muscles (415 ± 8 [SEM]) align with back-traced anatomical LMN counts (336 ± 16 [SEM]). For disease validation, cross-sectional blinded electrophysiological and muscle contractility measurements were obtained in a cohort of G93A SOD1 mutant overexpressing rats and compared with controls. Longitudinal assessment of mutant animals demonstrated progressive motor unit decline in the hindlimb to a greater extent than the forelimb. Hindlimb CMAP and MUNE demonstrated strong correlations with plantarflexion muscle contractility. Cross-species assessment of upper/fore- limb and lower/hind- limb motor units using objective electrophysiological CMAP and MUNE values as biomarkers will guide and improve bi-directional translation

HLA-Associated viral mutations are common in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 elite controllers

Elite controllers (EC) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HTV-1) maintain viremia below the limit of detection without antiretroviral treatment. Virus-specific cytotoxic CD8+ T lymphocytes are believed to play a crucial role in viral containment, but the degree of immune imprinting and compensatory mutations in EC is unclear. We obtained plasma gag, pol, and nef sequences from HLA-diverse subjects and found that 30 to 40% of the predefined HLA-associated polymorphic sites show evidence of immune selection pressure in EC., compared to approximately 50% of the sites in chronic progressors. These data indicate ongoing viral replication and escape from cytotoxic T lymphocytes are present even in strictly controlled HTV-1 infection

Fit for purpose? Pattern cutting and seams in wearables development

This paper describes how a group of practitioners and researchers are working across disciplines at Nottingham Trent University in the area of Technical Textiles. It introduces strands of ongoing enquiry centred around the development and application of stretch sensors on the body, focusing on how textile and fashion knowledge are being reflexively revealed in the collaborative development of seamful wearable concepts, and on the tensions between design philosophies as revealed by definitions of purpose. We discuss the current research direction of the Aeolia project, which seeks to exploit the literal gaps found in pattern cutting for fitted stretch garments towards experiential forms and potential interactions. Normative goals of fitness for purpose and seamlessness are interrogated and the potential for more integrated design processes, which may at first appear ‘upside down’, is discussed

Thirty Years After Michael E. Porter: What Do We Know About Business Exit?

Although a business exit is an important corporate change initiative, the buyer’s side seems to be more appealing to management researchers than the seller’s because acquisitions imply growth, i.e., success. Yet from an optimistic viewpoint, business exit can effectively create value for the selling company. In this paper we attempt to bring the relevance of the seller’s side back into our consciousness by asking: What do we know about business exit? We start our exploration with Porter (1976), focusing on literature that investigates the antecedents of, barriers to, and outcomes of business exit. We also include studies from related fields such as finance and economics.1 Through this research we determine three clusters of findings: factors promoting business exit, exit barriers, and exit outcomes. Overall, it is the intention of this paper to highlight the importance of business exit for research and practice. Knowing what we know about business exits and their high financial value we should bear in mind that exit need not mean failure but a new beginning for a corporation

Foot Bone in Vivo: Its Center of Mass and Centroid of Shape

This paper studies foot bone geometrical shape and its mass distribution and establishes an assessment method of bone strength. Using spiral CT scanning, with an accuracy of sub-millimeter, we analyze the data of 384 pieces of foot bones in vivo and investigate the relationship between the bone's external shape and internal structure. This analysis is explored on the bases of the bone's center of mass and its centroid of shape. We observe the phenomenon of superposition of center of mass and centroid of shape fairly precisely, indicating a possible appearance of biomechanical organism. We investigate two aspects of the geometrical shape, (i) distance between compact bone's centroid of shape and that of the bone and (ii) the mean radius of the same density bone issue relative to the bone's centroid of shape. These quantities are used to interpret the influence of different physical exercises imposed on bone strength, thereby contributing to an alternate assessment technique to bone strength.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure

Use of the Spine AdVerse Events Severity (SAVES) System to Categorize and Report Adverse Events in Spine Surgery.

Introduction: Analysis of adverse events (AEs) in spine surgery has historically been retrospective, utilizing hospital administrative data. Our objective was to determine the incidence, severity and effect on hospital length of stay (LOS) for AEs in spine surgery using the Spine AdVerse Events Severity (SAVES V2) system. Methods: AEs for all surgical spine patients at our institution were prospectively collected for 18 months and correlated with retrospective data from operative reports and H&Ps. Statistical analyses compared patient demographics, diagnoses, and surgical characteristics to hospital length of stay and likelihood of adverse events. Results: This system captured 75% (765/977) of surgical cases for all indications over the study period. 73% (541/743) of patients experienced at least one AE, with an average of 1.2 AEs per patient (range 0-5). The most common AEs were pain control (31%), urinary retention (9.7%), wound infection (6.3%), and incidental durotomy (5.8%). For patients experiencing at least one AE, 30% had no effect on LOS, 48% increased LOS by 1-2 days, 15% increased LOS by 3-7 days, and 7% had prolonged LOS greater than 8 days. Our system captured 25.4% more adverse events (60.0% vs. 34.6%) than hospital administrative data. Univariate analysis revealed patient age, emergent surgery, diagnostic and surgical categories, and spine region to be predictors of both AEs and LOS. Instrumentation was predictive of increased LOS but not AEs. The type of AE was strongly associated with LOS. Multivariable analysis of AE likelihood demonstrated emergent surgery to be the strongest independent predictor with an adjusted odds ratio of 8.5 versus elective surgery. Discussion: Spine surgery is associated with a high incidence of adverse events, which often prolong hospital length of stay. Better characterization of adverse events and their predictors could lead to improved management strategies that reduce patient morbidity and mortality