Numerical investigation of non-linear deflections of an infinite beam on non-linear and discontinuous elastic foundation

The analysis of static deflections of an infinite beam resting on a non-linear and discontinuous foundation is not trivial. We apply a recently proposed iterative non-linear procedure to the analysis. Mathematical models of the elastic foundation are incorporated into the governing non-linear fourth-order differential equation of the system and then the differential equation is transformed into an equivalent non-linear integral equation using Green's functions. Numerical solutions of the integral equation clearly demonstrate herein that our non-linear iterative numerical method is simple and straightforward for approximate solutions of the static deflection of an infinite beam on a non-linear elastic foundation. Iterative numerical solutions converge fast to corresponding analytic solutions. However, numerical errors are observed in a narrow neighbourhood of material discontinuities of foundations

t(6;11)(q15;q23)

Review on t(6;11)(q15;q23), with data on clinics, and the genes involved

1q triplication in hematologic malignancies

Review on 1q triplication in hematologic malignancies, with data on clinics, and the genes involved

Selective dorsal rhizotomy for treatment of spasticity after hemispherectomy in children: A case report

Performing a hemispherotomy or hemispherectomy is known to treat medically intractable epilepsy successfully, yet contralateral hemiparesis and increased muscle tone follow the epilepsy surgery. Spasticity and coexisting dystonia presumably cause the increased muscle tone in the lower extremity on the opposite side of epilepsy surgery. However, the extent of the role of spasticity and dystonia in high muscle tone is unknown. A selective dorsal rhizotomy is performed to reduce spasticity. If a selective dorsal rhizotomy is performed in the affected patient and muscle tone is reduced, the high muscle tone is not due to dystonia. Two children, who previously underwent a hemispherectomy or hemispherotomy, had a selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) performed in our clinic. Both children underwent orthopedic surgery to treat heel cord contractures. To study the extent of the role of spasticity and dystonia in high muscle tone, the mobility of the two children was examined pre- and post-SDR. The children had follow-ups 12 months and 56 months after SDR to study long-term effects. Before SDR, both children showed signs of spasticity. The SDR procedure removed spasticity, and muscle tone in the lower extremity became normal. Importantly, dystonia did not surface after SDR. Patients started independent walking less than two weeks after SDR. Sitting, standing, walking, and balance improved. They could walk longer distances while experiencing less fatigue. Running, jumping, and other more vigorous physical activities became possible. Notably, one child showed voluntary foot dorsiflexion that was absent before SDR. The other child showed improvement in voluntary foot dorsiflexion that was present before SDR. Both children maintained the progress at the 12 and 56-month follow-up visits. The SDR procedure normalized muscle tone and improved ambulation by removing spasticity. The high muscle tone following the epilepsy surgery was not due to dystonia

Cellular kinetics of perivascular MSC precursors

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) and MSC-like multipotent stem/progenitor cells have been widely investigated for regenerative medicine and deemed promising in clinical applications. In order to further improve MSC-based stem cell therapeutics, it is important to understand the cellular kinetics and functional roles of MSCs in the dynamic regenerative processes. However, due to the heterogeneous nature of typical MSC cultures, their native identity and anatomical localization in the body have remained unclear, making it difficult to decipher the existence of distinct cell subsets within the MSC entity. Recent studies have shown that several blood-vessel-derived precursor cell populations, purified by flow cytometry from multiple human organs, give rise to bona fide MSCs, suggesting that the vasculature serves as a systemic reservoir of MSC-like stem/progenitor cells. Using individually purified MSC-like precursor cell subsets, we and other researchers have been able to investigate the differential phenotypes and regenerative capacities of these contributing cellular constituents in the MSC pool. In this review, we will discuss the identification and characterization of perivascular MSC precursors, including pericytes and adventitial cells, and focus on their cellular kinetics: cell adhesion, migration, engraftment, homing, and intercellular cross-talk during tissue repair and regeneration. © 2013 William C. W. Chen et al

Cellular kinetics of perivascular MSC precursors

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) and MSC-like multipotent stem/progenitor cells have been widely investigated for regenerative medicine and deemed promising in clinical applications. In order to further improve MSC-based stem cell therapeutics, it is important to understand the cellular kinetics and functional roles of MSCs in the dynamic regenerative processes. However, due to the heterogeneous nature of typical MSC cultures, their native identity and anatomical localization in the body have remained unclear, making it difficult to decipher the existence of distinct cell subsets within the MSC entity. Recent studies have shown that several blood-vessel-derived precursor cell populations, purified by flow cytometry from multiple human organs, give rise to bona fide MSCs, suggesting that the vasculature serves as a systemic reservoir of MSC-like stem/progenitor cells. Using individually purified MSC-like precursor cell subsets, we and other researchers have been able to investigate the differential phenotypes and regenerative capacities of these contributing cellular constituents in the MSC pool. In this review, we will discuss the identification and characterization of perivascular MSC precursors, including pericytes and adventitial cells, and focus on their cellular kinetics: cell adhesion, migration, engraftment, homing, and intercellular cross-talk during tissue repair and regeneration. © 2013 William C. W. Chen et al

Value-added Synthesis of Graphene: Recycling Industrial Carbon Waste into Electrodes for High-Performance Electronic Devices

We have developed a simple, scalable, transfer-free, ecologically sustainable, value-added method to convert inexpensive coal tar pitch to patterned graphene films directly on device substrates. The method, which does not require an additional transfer process, enables direct growth of graphene films on device substrates in large area. To demonstrate the practical applications of the graphene films, we used the patterned graphene grown on a dielectric substrate directly as electrodes of bottom-contact pentacene field-effect transistors (max. field effect mobility similar to 0.36 cm(2).V-1.s(-1)), without using any physical transfer process. This use of a chemical waste product as a solid carbon source instead of commonly used explosive hydrocarbon gas sources for graphene synthesis has the dual benefits of converting the waste to a valuable product, and reducing pollution.111714Ysciescopu

Calculating WCET Estimates from Timed Traces

© The Author(s) 2015. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.comReal-time systems engineers face a daunting duty: They must ensure that each task in their system can always meet its deadline. To analyse schedulability they must know the worst-case execution time (WCET) of each task. However, determining exact WCETs is practically infeasible in cost-constrained industrial settings involving real-life code and COTS hardware. Static analysis tools that could yield sufficiently tight WCET bounds are often unavailable. As a result, interest in portable analysis approaches like measurement-based timing analysis (MBTA) is growing. We present an approach based on integer linear programming (ILP) for calculating a WCET estimate from a given database of timed execution traces. Unlike previous work, our method specifically aims at reducing overestimation, by means of an automatic classification of code executions into scenarios with differing worst-case behaviour. To ease the integration into existing analysis tool chains, our method is based on the implicit path enumeration technique (IPET). It can thus reuse flow facts from other analysis tools and produces ILP problems that can be solved by off-the-shelf solvers.Peer reviewe

General Strategy for Broadband Coherent Perfect Absorption and Multi-wavelength All-optical Switching Based on Epsilon-Near-Zero Multilayer Films

We propose a general, easy-to-implement scheme for broadband coherent perfect absorption (CPA) using epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) multilayer films. Specifically, we employ indium tin oxide (ITO) as a tunable ENZ material, and theoretically investigate CPA in the near-infrared region. We first derive general CPA conditions using the scattering matrix and the admittance matching methods. Then, by combining these two methods, we extract analytic expressions for all relevant parameters for CPA. Based on this theoretical framework, we proceed to study ENZ CPA in a single layer ITO film and apply it to all-optical switching. Finally, using an ITO multilayer of different ENZ wavelengths, we implement broadband ENZ CPA structures and investigate multi-wavelength all-optical switching in the technologically important telecommunication window. In our design, the admittance matching diagram was employed to graphically extract not only the structural parameters (the film thicknesses and incident angles), but also the input beam parameters (the irradiance ratio and phase difference between two input beams). We find that the multi-wavelength all-optical switching in our broadband ENZ CPA system can be fully controlled by the phase difference between two input beams. The simple but general design principles and analyses in this work can be widely used in various thin-film devicesopen

Association between Changes in Muscle Quality with Exercise Training and Changes in Cardiorespiratory Fitness Measures in Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Results from the HART-D Study

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with a reduction in muscle quality. However, there is inadequate empirical evidence to determine whether changes in muscle quality following exercise are associated with improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in individuals with T2DM. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between change in muscle quality following a 9-month intervention of aerobic training (AT), resistance training (RT) or a combination of both (ATRT) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in individuals with T2DM. Material and Methods A total of 196 participants were randomly assigned to a control, AT, RT, or combined ATRT for a 9-months intervention. The exposure variable was change in muscle quality [(Post: leg muscle strength/leg muscle mass)-[(Pre: leg muscle strength/leg muscle mass)]. Dependent variables were change in CRF measures including absolute and relative VO2peak, and treadmill time to exhaustion (TTE) and estimated metabolic equivalent task (METs). Results Continuous change in muscle quality was independently associated with change in absolute (β = 0.015; p = 0.019) and relative (β = 0.200; p = 0.005) VO2peak, and TTE (β = 0.170; p = 0.043), but not with estimated METs (p > 0.05). A significant trend was observed across tertiles of change in muscle quality for changes in absolute (β = 0.050; p = 0.005) and relative (β = 0.624; p = 0.002) VO2peak following 9 months of exercise training. No such association was observed for change in TTE and estimated METs (p > 0.05). Discussion: The results from this ancillary study suggest that change in muscle quality following exercise training is associated with a greater improvement in CRF in individuals with T2DM. Given the effect RT has on increasing muscle quality, especially as part of a recommended training program (ATRT), individuals with T2DM should incorporate RT into their AT regimens to optimize CRF improvement