301 research outputs found
A STUDY ON THE REPRESENTATIVE POINT OF HORSE’S CENTER OF GRAVITY
The purpose of this study was to explore are there bony landmarks on the horse body’s surface matching the motion of center of gravity. The relationship between the bony landmarks and the center of gravity during actual race under Buchner and Kubo horse inertial models were analyzed. Results showed Buchner and Kubo models had high consistency on the kinematic parameters of the center of gravity. Comparing the relationship of the middle of mesoscapula and tail root with the center of gravity in displacement, velocity and the absolute difference, it was found that the middle of mesoscapula under Kubo model is a suitable represent point of the center of gravity among the characteristic points of two models in the motion of observed race horses
Quality Improvement to Increase Breastfeeding in Preterm Infants: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Background and Objective: Due to its numerous health benefits, breast milk (BM) is recommended for preterm infants. Despite such recommendations, the rates of breastfeeding in preterm infants are lower than that in term infants. Quality improvement (QI) bundles increase breastfeeding in preterm infants, but their replication in neonatal intensive care units has had inconsistent outcomes.Methods: We used the Population or Problem, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcomes (PICO) framework to develop our search strategy, and searched MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Library from inception through January 15, 2021. Studies describing any active QI intervention to increase BM use in preterm infants were included. The primary outcome measure was the rate of any breastfeeding or exclusive mother's own milk (MOM) at discharge or during hospitalization.Results: Sixteen studies were eligible for inclusion and showed an acceptable risk of bias, and included 1 interrupted time series, study 3 controlled before-and-after studies, and 12 uncontrolled before-and-after studies; of these, 3 studies were excluded due to insufficient dichotomous data, 13 were included in the meta-analysis. In the meta-analysis, the rate of any breastfeeding was significantly improved at discharge and during hospitalization after QI [risk ratio (RR) = 1.23, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.14–1.32, P < 0.00001 and RR = 1.89, 95% CI: 1.09–3.29, P = 0.02, respectively]. The rate of exclusive MOM after QI was also significantly increased at discharge (RR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.04–2.18, P = 0.03), but not during hospitalization (RR = 1.53, 95% CI: 0.78–2.98, P = 0.22). However, after sensitivity analysis, the comprehensive results still suggested that QI could significantly improve the rate of exclusive MOM during hospitalization (RR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.08–1.35, P = 0.001). Funnel plots and Egger's test indicated publication bias in the rate of any BF at discharge. We corrected publication bias by trim and fill analysis, and corrected RR to 1.272, 95% CI: (1.175, 1.369), which was consistent with the results of the initial model.Conclusions: A QI bundle appears to be effective for promoting BM use in preterm infants at discharge or during hospitalization
Specification sensitivity in right‐tailed unit root testing for explosive behaviour
Ministry of Education, Singapore under its Academic Research Funding Tier
(S)-2-[(S,E)-4-(4-Chlorophenyl)-1-nitrobut-3-en-2-yl]cyclohexanone
The title compound, C16H18ClNO3, was obtained by the organocatalytic asymmetric Michael addition of cyclohexanone to 1-chloro-4-[(1E,3E)-4-nitrobuta-1,3-dienyl]benzene. The double bond has an E configuration. The cyclohexanone ring adopts a chair conformation. The conformation of the molecule is stabilized by a weak intramolecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bond
Spectral classification of the brightest objects in the galactic star forming region W40
We present high S/N, moderate resolution near-infrared spectra, as well as 10
micron imaging, for the brightest members of the central stellar cluster in the
W40 HII region, obtained using the SpeX and MIRSI instruments at NASA's
Infrared Telescope Facility. Using these observations combined with archival
Spitzer Space Telescope data, we have determined the spectral classifications,
extinction, distances, and spectral energy distributions for the brightest
members of the cluster. Of the eight objects observed, we identify four main
sequence (MS) OB stars, two Herbig Ae/Be stars, and two low-mass young stellar
objects. Strong HeI absorption at 1.083 micron in the MS star spectra strongly
suggests that at least some of these sources are in fact close binaries. Two
out of the four MS stars also show significant infrared excesses typical of
circumstellar disks. Extinctions and distances were determined for each MS star
by fitting model stellar atmospheres to the SEDs. We estimate a distance to the
cluster of between 455 and 535 pc, which agrees well with earlier (but far less
precise) distance estimates. We conclude that the late-O star we identify is
the dominant source of LyC luminosity needed to power the W40 HII region and is
the likely source of the stellar wind that has blown a large (~4 pc)
pinched-waist bubble observed in wide field mid-IR images. We also suggest that
3.6 cm radio emission observed from some of the sources in the cluster is
likely not due to emission from ultra-compact HII regions, as suggested in
other work, due to size constraints based on our derived distance to the
cluster. Finally, we also present a discussion of the curious source IRS 3A,
which has a very strong mid-IR excess (despite its B3 MS classification) and
appears to be embedded in a dusty envelope roughly 2700 AU in size.Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journal. 29 pages, 10
figure
Silencing SARS-CoV Spike protein expression in cultured cells by RNA interference
AbstractThe severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has been one of the most epidemic diseases threatening human health all over the world. Based on clinical studies, SARS-CoV (the SARS-associated coronavirus), a novel coronavirus, is reported as the pathogen responsible for the disease. To date, no effective and specific therapeutic method can be used to treat patients suffering from SARS-CoV infection. RNA interference (RNAi) is a process by which the introduced small interfering RNA (siRNA) could cause the degradation of mRNA with identical sequence specificity. The RNAi methodology has been used as a tool to silence genes in cultured cells and in animals. Recently, this technique was employed in anti-virus infections in human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C/B virus. In this study, RNAi technology has been applied to explore the possibility for prevention of SARS-CoV infection. We constructed specific siRNAs targeting the S gene in SARS-CoV. We demonstrated that the siRNAs could effectively and specifically inhibit gene expression of Spike protein in SARS-CoV-infected cells. Our study provided evidence that RNAi could be a tool for inhibition of SARS-CoV
Active YAP promotes pancreatic cancer cell motility, invasion and tumorigenesis in a mitotic phosphorylation-dependent manner through LPAR3.
The transcriptional co-activator Yes-associated protein, YAP, is a main effector in the Hippo tumor suppressor pathway. We recently defined a mechanism for positive regulation of YAP through CDK1-mediated mitotic phosphorylation. Here, we show that active YAP promotes pancreatic cancer cell migration, invasion and anchorage-independent growth in a mitotic phosphorylation-dependent manner. Mitotic phosphorylation is essential for YAP-driven tumorigenesis in animals. YAP reduction significantly impairs cell migration and invasion. Immunohistochemistry shows significant upregulation and nuclear localization of YAP in metastases when compared with primary tumors and normal tissue in human. Mitotic phosphorylation of YAP controls a unique transcriptional program in pancreatic cells. Expression profiles reveal LPAR3 (lysophosphatidic acid receptor 3) as a mediator for mitotic phosphorylation-driven pancreatic cell motility and invasion. Together, this work identifies YAP as a novel regulator of pancreatic cancer cell motility, invasion and metastasis, and as a potential therapeutic target for invasive pancreatic cancer
- …