Scale development to evaluate differences between concern about falling and fear of falling: the concern and fear of falling evaluation

PurposeIndividuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience fear of falling (FOF), which is associated with negative health and quality-of-life consequences. Prior research has used FOF and concern about falling (CAF) interchangeably, but persons with MS report that CAF and FOF represent separate constructs that lie on a continuum. Unfortunately, no scale exists to understand the differences between CAF and FOF. Therefore, we developed a novel questionnaire, the Concern and Fear of Falling Evaluation (CAFFE), in which respondents rank their CAF and FOF on a continuum across various activities. This study aims to describe the scale development process and examine its psychometric properties.MethodsIn a single online survey, MS participants responded to demographic questionnaires, indicated whether they experience CAF and FOF, and completed the CAFFE. Psychometric evaluation of the CAFFE involved internal consistency, split-half cross validation, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).ResultsOut of 1,025 respondents, 64.6% reported CAF and 47.2% reported FOF. The EFA yielded a two-factor solution encompassing activities in open (factor 1) and closed environments (factor 2). The CFA replicated this two-factor solution and the CAFFE demonstrated excellent internal consistency (α = 0.98).ConclusionThe 27-item CAFFE is a highly reliable and valid measure capturing the tipping point at which point CAF moves to FOF. Future research should seek to define the tipping point from the MS community, as CAF may be an adaptive mechanism, whereas FOF may be a maladaptive behavior

Itaconate Links Inhibition of Succinate Dehydrogenase with Macrophage Metabolic Remodeling and Regulation of Inflammation

Remodeling of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle is a metabolic adaptation accompanying inflammatory macrophage activation. During this process, endogenous metabolites can adopt regulatory roles that govern specific aspects of inflammatory response, as recently shown for succinate, which regulates the pro-inflammatory IL-1β-HIF-1α axis. Itaconate is one of the most highly induced metabolites in activated macrophages, yet its functional significance remains unknown. Here, we show that itaconate modulates macrophage metabolism and effector functions by inhibiting succinate dehydrogenase-mediated oxidation of succinate. Through this action, itaconate exerts anti-inflammatory effects when administered in vitro and in vivo during macrophage activation and ischemia-reperfusion injury. Using newly generated Irg1(−/−) mice, which lack the ability to produce itaconate, we show that endogenous itaconate regulates succinate levels and function, mitochondrial respiration, and inflammatory cytokine production during macrophage activation. These studies highlight itaconate as a major physiological regulator of the global metabolic rewiring and effector functions of inflammatory macrophages

Tensile strength and failure simulation of simplified spot weld models

A simple model for spot weld joints is desirable in body-in-white automotive structures which contains thousands of them. Hence, comparative performance and failure prediction study of six simplified spot weld models in terms of their geometric and constitutive properties are presented in this paper. The stiffness characteristics of these models under tensile loading condition were compared with the experimental results. It was found that the current spot weld modelling practice in the automotive industry predict the strength with 45.33% of error. To simulate the joint failure a material damage criterion correlating ultimate tensile strength of material was implemented in the developed models. The comparative study with respect to the accuracy was also related with the computational cost incurred by the different models. Hence, suitable modelling conditions to design a finite element model for spot welded joints are established which is very simple to develop, relatively cheap in terms of computational costs but yet predicts reasonably accurate results

Development of an FE model of a cricket ball

Studies of impact dynamics of cricket balls have the potential of significantly improving the development of cricket equipment and also contribute to improving the player's safety and performance. This work presents the development of a detailed multi-layer FE model for the structural analysis of cricket balls. The model was derived using experimental data obtained from tests developed for this purpose, including drop tests and high speed impact tests. The multi-layer, multi-material FE model was constructed using ABAQUS. Calibration of the model involves a multidisciplinary optimization technique. Comparison shows good agreement between experimental results and predictions from the refined model

Development of a fast-solving numerical model for the structural analysis of cricket balls

In cricket, high speed impacts occur between the cricket ball, the bat, players and their protective equipment. Improved understanding of impact dynamics has the potential to significantly improve the development of cricket equipment and also contribute to improving the player safety and performance. In particular, the development of high performance cricket balls with enhanced structural properties (e.g. improved durability) would benefit greatly from such insight. This article presents the development of two fast-solving numerical models as well as a universal FE model for the structural analysis of cricket balls. The models were developed using experimental data obtained from drop tests and high speed impact tests. These models predict impact characteristics with very little computing cost. A universal Finite Element (FE) ball model has also been developed using ABAQUS, which combines an FE model template and a material parameter selection tool based on an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model. This approach allows for rapid model development while producing accurate results at different impact speeds. Comparison of results revealed good agreement between simulation and experimental results. The developed FE-ANN model can be used to predict the impact behaviour of different types of cricket balls under various dynamic conditions. This flexibility represents an advantage that can be utilized by sports equipment developers to rapidly develop different cricket ball models needed for inclusion in larger simulations involving impact of a cricket ball with other objects. This represents an invaluable tool for facilitating design, analysis and structural optimisation of cricket-related sport equipment

A comparative study of vent designs for effective ventilation in cricket helmets

It has been reported that wearing a protective helmet reduces airflow around the head and leads to an increase in heat-related stress and discomfort due to excessive sweat. The main objective of this study is to investigate vent designs in order to improve the air ventilation and heat dissipation in cricket helmets. An experiment was conducted in a research wind tunnel using a thermal manikin headfoam at a constant wind speed of 2.3m/s. Thermal comfort was measured in terms of heat dissipation and heat gain with ten K-type thermocouples. A comparison was made between four different helmets in terms of the vent design variations and temperature distributions. An increase in heat dissipation and a reduction in temperature in thermocouples were observed in the design incorporating suspension straps. The heat dissipation increases when there is an air gap between the head surface and the helmet shell/liners and where an air gap allows cooling air to circulate through the helmet. The thermal manikin experiment provided an efficient investigation of heat gain and/or loss for different vent designs, whereby its application is restricted to controlled experimental conditions

Developing multitarget coumarin based anti-breast cancer agents: synthesis and molecular modeling study

Abstract A new series of 7-substituted coumarin scaffolds containing a methyl ester moiety at the C4-position were synthesized and tested for their in vitro anti-proliferative activity against MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines using Doxorubicin (DOX) as reference. Compounds 2 and 8 showed noticeable selectivity against MCF-7 with IC50 = 6.0 and 5.8 µM, respectively compared to DOX with IC50 = 5.6 µM. Compounds 10, 12, and 14 exhibited considerable selectivity against Estrogen Negative cells with IC50 = 2.3, 3.5, and 1.9 µM, respectively) compared to DOX with (IC50 = 7.3 µM). The most promising compounds were tested as epidermal growth factor receptor and aromatase (ARO) enzymes inhibitors using erlotinib and exemestane (EXM) as standards, respectively. Results proved that compound 8 elicited the highest inhibitory activity (94.73% of the potency of EXM), while compounds 10 and 12 displayed 97.67% and 81.92% of the potency of Erlotinib, respectively. Further investigation showed that the promising candidates 8, 10, and 12 caused cell cycle arrest at G0–G1 and S phases and induced apoptosis. The mechanistic pathway was confirmed by elevating caspases-9 and Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. A set of in silico methods was also performed including docking, bioavailability ADMET screening and QSAR stud