4 research outputs found
Design of a Modified Braking System Mechanism for Two Wheeler Vehicles to Increase Safety of the Rider
The present disclosure relates generally to a braking system for a two-wheeler vehicle that enables linkage between the front and rear brakes to help attain a safe braking ratio under all circumstances. In an aspect, the present disclosure provides a mechanical linkage between front and the rear brakes of a two-wheeler vehicle, wherein the linkage can be installed without removing any component of existing braking systems/architectures, and wherein the linkage can enable automatic application of brake on a second brake when brake is applied on a first brake. For instance, when front brake (for the front wheel, for instance) is applied, automatic and ideal proportional brake can be automatically applied to the rear brake (for the rear wheel, for instance), and vise versa
Increased Abundance of M cells in the Gut Epithelium Dramatically Enhances Oral Prion Disease Susceptibility
Many natural prion diseases of humans and animals are considered to be acquired through oral consumption of contaminated food or pasture. Determining the route by which prions establish host infection will identify the important factors that influence oral prion disease susceptibility and to which intervention strategies can be developed. After exposure, the early accumulation and replication of prions within small intestinal Peyer's patches is essential for the efficient spread of disease to the brain. To replicate within Peyer's patches, the prions must first cross the gut epithelium. M cells are specialised epithelial cells within the epithelia covering Peyer's patches that transcytose particulate antigens and microorganisms. M cell-development is dependent upon RANKL-RANK-signalling, and mice in which RANK is deleted only in the gut epithelium completely lack M cells. In the specific absence of M cells in these mice, the accumulation of prions within Peyer's patches and the spread of disease to the brain was blocked, demonstrating a critical role for M cells in the initial transfer of prions across the gut epithelium in order to establish host infection. Since pathogens, inflammatory stimuli and aging can modify M cell-density in the gut, these factors may also influence oral prion disease susceptibility. Mice were therefore treated with RANKL to enhance M cell density in the gut. We show that prion uptake from the gut lumen was enhanced in RANKL-treated mice, resulting in shortened survival times and increased disease susceptibility, equivalent to a 10-fold higher infectious titre of prions. Together these data demonstrate that M cells are the critical gatekeepers of oral prion infection, whose density in the gut epithelium directly limits or enhances disease susceptibility. Our data suggest that factors which alter M cell-density in the gut epithelium may be important risk factors which influence host susceptibility to orally acquired prion diseases