Accessible technologies for kinetic and kinematic analysis of people with disabilities: a literature review/ Tecnologias acessíveis para análise cinética e cinemática da pessoa com deficiência: uma revisão da literatura

Locomotion is the process by which a being moves from one place to another, including stopping, changing speed, changes in direction and adaptation to changes in terrain. Human walking follows a pattern, and it is one of the forms of locomotion that most calls the attention of researchers. Its variation among a group may indicate pathological conditions that influence the treatment and rehabilitation of patients with low mobility. The objective of this article is to carry out a review for the development of a low-cost instrumented treadmill that can assist in the rehabilitation, treatment and follow-up of patients with stroke, and for that, a search of articles related to the topic was carried out in databases such as ScienceDirect, PubMed and others. The results obtained were satisfactory and enabled the creation of a good database. It was possible to conclude that there is a diversity of existing resources and that it is up to the professionals to direct their choice to the one that suits them best

Evaluation of the effects of Quercetin and Kaempherol on the surface of MT-2 cells visualized by atomic force microscopy

AbstractThis study investigated the anti-viral effects of the polyphenolic compounds Quercetin and Kaempherol on the release of HTLV-1 from the surface of MT-2 cells. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to scan the surface of the MT-2 cells. MT-2 cells were fixed with 100% methanol on round glass lamina or cleaved mica and dried under UV light and laminar flow. The images were captured on a Multimode equipment monitored by a NanoScope IIId controller from Veeco Instruments Inc operated in tapping mode and equipped with phase-imaging hardware. The images demonstrated viral budding structures 131±57nm in size, indicating profuse viral budding. Interestingly, cell-free viruses and budding structures visualized on the surface of cells were less common when MT-2 was incubated with Quercetin, and no particles were seen on the surface of cells incubated with Kaempherol. In summary, these data indicate that HTLV-1 is budding constantly from the MT-2 cell surface and that polyphenolic compounds were able to reduce this viral release. Biological samples were analyzed with crude cell preparations just after cultivation in the presence of Quercetin and Kaempherol, showing that the AFM technique is a rapid and powerful tool for analysis of antiviral activity of new biological compounds

Beyond faith: Biomolecular evidence for changing urban economies in multi‐faith medieval Portugal

During the Middle Ages, Portugal witnessed unprecedented socioeconomic and religious changes under transitioning religious political rule. The implications of changing ruling powers for urban food systems and individual diets in medieval Portugal is poorly understood. This study aimed to elucidate the dietary impact of the Islamic and Christian conquests.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Baseline characteristics of patients in the reduction of events with darbepoetin alfa in heart failure trial (RED-HF)

<p>Aims: This report describes the baseline characteristics of patients in the Reduction of Events with Darbepoetin alfa in Heart Failure trial (RED-HF) which is testing the hypothesis that anaemia correction with darbepoetin alfa will reduce the composite endpoint of death from any cause or hospital admission for worsening heart failure, and improve other outcomes.</p> <p>Methods and results: Key demographic, clinical, and laboratory findings, along with baseline treatment, are reported and compared with those of patients in other recent clinical trials in heart failure. Compared with other recent trials, RED-HF enrolled more elderly [mean age 70 (SD 11.4) years], female (41%), and black (9%) patients. RED-HF patients more often had diabetes (46%) and renal impairment (72% had an estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m2). Patients in RED-HF had heart failure of longer duration [5.3 (5.4) years], worse NYHA class (35% II, 63% III, and 2% IV), and more signs of congestion. Mean EF was 30% (6.8%). RED-HF patients were well treated at randomization, and pharmacological therapy at baseline was broadly similar to that of other recent trials, taking account of study-specific inclusion/exclusion criteria. Median (interquartile range) haemoglobin at baseline was 112 (106–117) g/L.</p> <p>Conclusion: The anaemic patients enrolled in RED-HF were older, moderately to markedly symptomatic, and had extensive co-morbidity.</p&gt

Genomics and epidemiology for gastric adenocarcinomas (GE4GAC): a Brazilian initiative to study gastric cancer

Abstract Gastric cancer (GC) is the fifth most common type of cancer worldwide with high incidences in Asia, Central, and South American countries. This patchy distribution means that GC studies are neglected by large research centers from developed countries. The need for further understanding of this complex disease, including the local importance of epidemiological factors and the rich ancestral admixture found in Brazil, stimulated the implementation of the GE4GAC project. GE4GAC aims to embrace epidemiological, clinical, molecular and microbiological data from Brazilian controls and patients with malignant and pre-malignant gastric disease. In this letter, we summarize the main goals of the project, including subject and sample accrual and current findings

Southern African Large Telescope Spectroscopy of BL Lacs for the CTA project

In the last two decades, very-high-energy gamma-ray astronomy has reached maturity: over 200 sources have been detected, both Galactic and extragalactic, by ground-based experiments. At present, Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) make up about 40% of the more than 200 sources detected at very high energies with ground-based telescopes, the majority of which are blazars, i.e. their jets are closely aligned with the line of sight to Earth and three quarters of which are classified as high-frequency peaked BL Lac objects. One challenge to studies of the cosmological evolution of BL Lacs is the difficulty of obtaining redshifts from their nearly featureless, continuum-dominated spectra. It is expected that a significant fraction of the AGN to be detected with the future Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) observatory will have no spectroscopic redshifts, compromising the reliability of BL Lac population studies, particularly of their cosmic evolution. We started an effort in 2019 to measure the redshifts of a large fraction of the AGN that are likely to be detected with CTA, using the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT). In this contribution, we present two results from an on-going SALT program focused on the determination of BL Lac object redshifts that will be relevant for the CTA observatory

Post-intervention Status in Patients With Refractory Myasthenia Gravis Treated With Eculizumab During REGAIN and Its Open-Label Extension

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether eculizumab helps patients with anti-acetylcholine receptor-positive (AChR+) refractory generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) achieve the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) post-intervention status of minimal manifestations (MM), we assessed patients' status throughout REGAIN (Safety and Efficacy of Eculizumab in AChR+ Refractory Generalized Myasthenia Gravis) and its open-label extension. METHODS: Patients who completed the REGAIN randomized controlled trial and continued into the open-label extension were included in this tertiary endpoint analysis. Patients were assessed for the MGFA post-intervention status of improved, unchanged, worse, MM, and pharmacologic remission at defined time points during REGAIN and through week 130 of the open-label study. RESULTS: A total of 117 patients completed REGAIN and continued into the open-label study (eculizumab/eculizumab: 56; placebo/eculizumab: 61). At week 26 of REGAIN, more eculizumab-treated patients than placebo-treated patients achieved a status of improved (60.7% vs 41.7%) or MM (25.0% vs 13.3%; common OR: 2.3; 95% CI: 1.1-4.5). After 130 weeks of eculizumab treatment, 88.0% of patients achieved improved status and 57.3% of patients achieved MM status. The safety profile of eculizumab was consistent with its known profile and no new safety signals were detected. CONCLUSION: Eculizumab led to rapid and sustained achievement of MM in patients with AChR+ refractory gMG. These findings support the use of eculizumab in this previously difficult-to-treat patient population. CLINICALTRIALSGOV IDENTIFIER: REGAIN, NCT01997229; REGAIN open-label extension, NCT02301624. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides Class II evidence that, after 26 weeks of eculizumab treatment, 25.0% of adults with AChR+ refractory gMG achieved MM, compared with 13.3% who received placebo

Analysis of Stresses in a Tapered Roller Bearing Using Three-Dimensional Photoelasticity and Stereolithography

Digital photoelasticity is an important segment of optical metrology for stress analysis by digital photographic images. Advances in digital image processing, data acquisition, standard recognition and data storage allow the utilization of computer-aided techniques in the automation and improvement of the digital photoelastic technique. The objective of this study is to develop new techniques using 3D rapid prototyping with transparent resins in digital photoelasticity. Some innovations are proposed (e.g., a tapered roller bearing built with 3D rapid prototyping with transparent resin and the final assembly with the specimens prototyped separately). A metrology study is carried out with the new techniques developed