99 research outputs found
An anatomical study of porcine peripheral nerve and its potential use in nerve tissue engineering
yesCurrent nerve tissue engineering applications are adopting xenogeneic nerve tissue as potential nerve grafts to help aid nerve regeneration. However, there is little literature that describes the exact location, anatomy and physiology of these nerves to highlight their potential as a donor graft. The aim of this study was to identify and characterise the structural and extracellular matrix (ECM) components of porcine peripheral nerves in the hind leg. Methods included the dissection of porcine nerves, localisation, characterisation and quantification of the ECM components and identification of nerve cells. Results showed a noticeable variance between porcine and rat nerve (a commonly studied species) in terms of fascicle number. The study also revealed that when porcine peripheral nerves branch, a decrease in fascicle number and size was evident. Porcine ECM and nerve fascicles were found to be predominately comprised of collagen together with glycosaminoglycans, laminin and fibronectin. Immunolabelling for nerve growth factor receptor p75 also revealed the localisation of Schwann cells around and inside the fascicles. In conclusion, it is shown that porcine peripheral nerves possess a microstructure similar to that found in rat, and is not dissimilar to human. This finding could extend to the suggestion that due to the similarities in anatomy to human nerve, porcine nerves may have utility as a nerve graft providing guidance and support to regenerating axons
An experimental investigation of the influence of inter-turbine spacing on the loads and performance of a co-planar tidal turbine fence
Multi-rotor tidal turbine systems offer engineering benefits through shared infrastructure and improved opportunities for maintenance. Additionally, the ability to specify accurately the inter-turbine spacing in co-planar arrays allows rotors to be designed and deployed to benefit from the constructive interference effects available from neighbouring rotors. In this work we consider the effect of inter-turbine spacing and control of this spacing for a fence of turbines in low overall levels of global blockage (4.5%). We conduct experiments in a towing tank using two tidal turbine models that were previously designed to benefit from constructive interference effects at high local blockage, i.e. close inter-turbine spacing. The turbines were towed in a side-by-side configuration by suspending them from above. By making use of the tankâs side wall to act as a symmetry plane we were able to emulate a fence of four laterally arrayed turbines. As indicated by theory, decreasing inter-turbine spacing is shown to have a positive effect on fence performance. By reducing the inter-turbine spacing from one diameter to a quarter of a diameter, we observe an overall 1.4% performance increase, which is driven by a 2.8% increase in the inboard turbineâs power coefficient. This research is a first attempt to quantify constructive interference effects for a four turbine fence; the methods and results will be used to instruct further studies to aid the development of such multi-rotor tidal turbine systems
UV-Casting on methacrylated PCL for the production of a peripheral nerve implant containing an array of porous aligned microchannels
Peripheral nerves are basic communication structures guiding motor and sensory information from the central nervous system to receptor units. Severed peripheral nerve injuries represent a large clinical problem with relevant challenges to successful synthetic nerve repair scaffolds as substitutes to autologous nerve grafting. Numerous studies reported the use of hollow tubes made of synthetic polymers sutured between severed nerve stumps to promote nerve regeneration while providing protection for external factors, such as scar tissue formation and inflammation. Few approaches have described the potential use of a lumen structure comprised of microchannels or microfibers to provide axon growth avoiding misdirection and fostering proper healing. Here, we report the use of a 3D porous microchannel-based structure made of a photocurable methacrylated polycaprolactone, whose mechanical properties are comparable to native nerves. The neuro-regenerative properties of the polymer were assessed in vitro, prior to the implantation of the 3D porous structure, in a 6-mm rat sciatic nerve gap injury. The manufactured implants were biocompatible and able to be resorbed by the hostâs body at a suitable rate, allowing the complete healing of the nerve. The innovative design of the highly porous structure with the axon guiding microchannels, along with the observation of myelinated axons and Schwann cells in the in vivo tests, led to a significant progress towards the standardized use of synthetic 3D multichannel-based structures in peripheral nerve surgery
Robust Online Hamiltonian Learning
In this work we combine two distinct machine learning methodologies,
sequential Monte Carlo and Bayesian experimental design, and apply them to the
problem of inferring the dynamical parameters of a quantum system. We design
the algorithm with practicality in mind by including parameters that control
trade-offs between the requirements on computational and experimental
resources. The algorithm can be implemented online (during experimental data
collection), avoiding the need for storage and post-processing. Most
importantly, our algorithm is capable of learning Hamiltonian parameters even
when the parameters change from experiment-to-experiment, and also when
additional noise processes are present and unknown. The algorithm also
numerically estimates the Cramer-Rao lower bound, certifying its own
performance.Comment: 24 pages, 12 figures; to appear in New Journal of Physic
Software systems for operation, control, and monitoring of the EBEX instrument
We present the hardware and software systems implementing autonomous
operation, distributed real-time monitoring, and control for the EBEX
instrument. EBEX is a NASA-funded balloon-borne microwave polarimeter designed
for a 14 day Antarctic flight that circumnavigates the pole. To meet its
science goals the EBEX instrument autonomously executes several tasks in
parallel: it collects attitude data and maintains pointing control in order to
adhere to an observing schedule; tunes and operates up to 1920 TES bolometers
and 120 SQUID amplifiers controlled by as many as 30 embedded computers;
coordinates and dispatches jobs across an onboard computer network to manage
this detector readout system; logs over 3~GiB/hour of science and housekeeping
data to an onboard disk storage array; responds to a variety of commands and
exogenous events; and downlinks multiple heterogeneous data streams
representing a selected subset of the total logged data. Most of the systems
implementing these functions have been tested during a recent engineering
flight of the payload, and have proven to meet the target requirements. The
EBEX ground segment couples uplink and downlink hardware to a client-server
software stack, enabling real-time monitoring and command responsibility to be
distributed across the public internet or other standard computer networks.
Using the emerging dirfile standard as a uniform intermediate data format, a
variety of front end programs provide access to different components and views
of the downlinked data products. This distributed architecture was demonstrated
operating across multiple widely dispersed sites prior to and during the EBEX
engineering flight.Comment: 11 pages, to appear in Proceedings of SPIE Astronomical Telescopes
and Instrumentation 2010; adjusted metadata for arXiv submissio
EBEX: A balloon-borne CMB polarization experiment
EBEX is a NASA-funded balloon-borne experiment designed to measure the
polarization of the cosmic microwave background (CMB). Observations will be
made using 1432 transition edge sensor (TES) bolometric detectors read out with
frequency multiplexed SQuIDs. EBEX will observe in three frequency bands
centered at 150, 250, and 410 GHz, with 768, 384, and 280 detectors in each
band, respectively. This broad frequency coverage is designed to provide
valuable information about polarized foreground signals from dust. The
polarized sky signals will be modulated with an achromatic half wave plate
(AHWP) rotating on a superconducting magnetic bearing (SMB) and analyzed with a
fixed wire grid polarizer. EBEX will observe a patch covering ~1% of the sky
with 8' resolution, allowing for observation of the angular power spectrum from
\ell = 20 to 1000. This will allow EBEX to search for both the primordial
B-mode signal predicted by inflation and the anticipated lensing B-mode signal.
Calculations to predict EBEX constraints on r using expected noise levels show
that, for a likelihood centered around zero and with negligible foregrounds,
99% of the area falls below r = 0.035. This value increases by a factor of 1.6
after a process of foreground subtraction. This estimate does not include
systematic uncertainties. An engineering flight was launched in June, 2009,
from Ft. Sumner, NM, and the long duration science flight in Antarctica is
planned for 2011. These proceedings describe the EBEX instrument and the North
American engineering flight.Comment: 12 pages, 9 figures, Conference proceedings for SPIE Millimeter,
Submillimeter, and Far-Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy V
(2010
Unterschiedliche Abheilungsdauer und HĂ€ufigkeit der Hospitalisation bei Ulcus cruris verschiedener Ursachen
BACKGROUND: Leg ulcers are a symptom of a heterogeneous group of diseases. Their treatment causes substantial costs due to the long healing times and extensive wound care measures. There is a paucity of information about healing times and the necessity of hospital treatment for leg ulcers of different etiologies.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective study, healing times and the frequency of in-hospital treatment of 355 patients with leg ulcers attending a wound care clinic of a university hospital were examined.
RESULTS: The proportion of healed ulcers was 32.0â% after 3 months and 54.3â% after 6 months with an average treatment duration of 6.1 months for all ulcers. This proportion of healed ulcers was higher for venous ulcers with 45.5â% after 3 months and 63.0â% after 6 months, whereas only 30.0â% of mixed arterial-venous ulcers and 35.0â% of hypertensive ischemic leg ulcers (HYTILU) were healed after 6 months. Of the latter group, 71â% of patients were hospitalized at least once during the observation period as compared to 47â% of patients with a venous ulcer. The duration of the hospital stay was longer for mixed ulcers and HYTILU with an average of 30 days vs. 23 days for venous ulcers.
CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that the healing times of ulcers of different etiologies differ substantially and that especially ulcers with arteriosclerosis as a causative factor have longer healing times. The fact that they require in-hospital treatment more frequently and for longer periods has significant socio-economic consequences
Epidemiology, practice of ventilation and outcome for patients at increased risk of postoperative pulmonary complications
BACKGROUND Limited information exists about the epidemiology and outcome of surgical patients at increased risk of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs), and how intraoperative ventilation was managed in these patients.
OBJECTIVES To determine the incidence of surgical patients at increased risk of PPCs, and to compare the intraoperative ventilation management and postoperative outcomes with patients at low risk of PPCs.
DESIGN This was a prospective international 1-week observational study using the âAssess Respiratory Risk in Surgical Patients in Catalonia risk scoreâ (ARISCAT score) for PPC for risk stratification.
PATIENTS AND SETTING Adult patients requiring intraoperative ventilation during general anaesthesia for surgery in 146 hospitals across 29 countries.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome was the incidence of patients at increased risk of PPCs based on the ARISCAT score. Secondary outcomes included intraoperative ventilatory management and clinical outcomes.
RESULTS A total of 9864 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The incidence of patients at increased risk was 28.4%. The most frequently chosen tidal volume (VT) size was 500 ml, or 7 to 9 ml kg1 predicted body weight, slightly lower in patients at increased risk of PPCs. Levels of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) were slightly higher in patients at increased risk of PPCs, with 14.3% receiving more than 5 cmH2O PEEP compared with 7.6% in patients at low risk of PPCs (P < 0.001). Patients with a predicted preoperative increased risk of PPCs developed PPCs more frequently: 19 versus 7%, relative risk (RR) 3.16 (95% confidence interval 2.76 to 3.61), P < 0.001) and had longer hospital stays. The only ventilatory factor associated with the occurrence of PPCs was the peak pressure.
CONCLUSION The incidence of patients with a predicted increased risk of PPCs is high. A large proportion of patients receive high VT and low PEEP levels. PPCs occur frequently in patients at increased risk, with worse clinical outcome
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