Spectrum of Tendon Pathologies: Triggers, Trails and End-State

The biggest compartment of the musculoskeletal system is the tendons and ligaments. In particular, tendons are dense tissues connecting muscle to bone that are critical for the integrity, function and locomotion of this system. Due to the increasing age of our society and the overall rise in engagement in extreme and overuse sports, there is a growing prevalence of tendinopathies. Despite the recent advances in tendon research and due to difficult early diagnosis, a multitude of risk factors and vague understanding of the underlying biological mechanisms involved in the progression of tendon injuries, the toolbox of treatment strategies remains limited and non-satisfactory. This review is designed to summarize the current knowledge of triggers, trails and end state of tendinopathies

Stochastik anschaulich erfahrbar im Physikpraktikum

Die Studierenden der Fakultät Physik an der LMU München absolvieren im ersten Semester ein physikalisches Grundpraktikum, in dem Versuche aus der Mechanik durchgeführt werden. Der Versuch „Statistische Verteilungen“ ist eine Ausnahme, er soll anhand von experimentell gewonnenen Messdaten die Notwendigkeit von Kenntnissen aus der Stochastik aufzeigen. Im Vorbereitungsskript werden neben elementaren Begriffen, verschiedene Verteilungen und der zentrale Grenzwertsatz behandelt. Zu Beginn generieren die Studierenden mit dem Galton-Brett eine Binomialverteilung. Im Folgenden dient die natürliche Radioaktivität zur Aufnahme einer Poissonverteilung, um darauf aufbauend den zentralen Grenzwertsatz zu veranschaulichen. Zur Visualisierung und Auswertung der Messreihen dient das Softwareprogramm MATLAB. Eine anschließende Evaluation ergab, dass das entwickelte Versuchskonzept trotz seines bereichsübergreifenden Umfangs von den Studierenden sehr positiv aufgenommen wird

Rechnergestützte Datenauswertung als Lernziel im Physikpraktikum

Gegenstand dieses Beitrags ist ein Selbstlernskript für MATLAB, das an Teilnehmer des physikalischen Grundpraktikums im ersten Semester (Schwerpunkt Mechanik) gerichtet ist. In einem dieser Versuche soll neben den physikalischen Inhalten zum Thema „Statistische Verteilungen“ auch die Verwendung einer Software zur rechnergestützten Messwerterfassung und Auswertung erlernt werden. Durch die Entscheidung für MATLAB wurden neben dem unmittelbaren Nutzen im Praktikum auch die Einsatzmöglichkeiten im weiteren Studium sowie die Verbreitung an den Lehrstühlen berücksichtigt.Eine besondere Herausforderung bei der inhaltlichen Ausgestaltung dieses Lernskripts bestand darin, ein  Gleichgewicht zwischen zielführenden Informationen zur  Auswertung des Praktikumsversuchs, motivierenden Beispielen und Ausblicken auf andere Anwendungsgebiete zu schaffen. Im Skript wird nicht nur die grafische Benutzeroberfläche    behandelt, sondern auch dargestellt, wie man mittels Eingabe einfacher Befehle innerhalb der Kommandozeile ein gegebenes Problem selbstständig lösen kann

Stochastik anschaulich erfahrbar im Physikpraktikum

Die Studierenden der Fakultät Physik an der LMU München absolvieren im ersten Semester ein physikalisches Grundpraktikum, in dem Versuche aus der Mechanik durchgeführt werden. Der Versuch „Statistische Verteilungen“ ist eine Ausnahme, er soll anhand von experimentell gewonnenen Messdaten die Notwendigkeit von Kenntnissen aus der Stochastik aufzeigen. Im Vorbereitungsskript werden neben elementaren Begriffen, verschiedene Verteilungen und der zentrale Grenzwertsatz behandelt. Zu Beginn generieren die Studierenden mit dem Galton-Brett eine Binomialverteilung. Im Folgenden dient die natürliche Radioaktivität zur Aufnahme einer Poissonverteilung, um darauf aufbauend den zentralen Grenzwertsatz zu veranschaulichen. Zur Visualisierung und Auswertung der Messreihen dient das Softwareprogramm MATLAB. Eine anschließende Evaluation ergab, dass das entwickelte Versuchskonzept trotz seines bereichsübergreifenden Umfangs von den Studierenden sehr positiv aufgenommen wird

Rechnergestützte Datenauswertung als Lernziel im Physikpraktikum

Gegenstand dieses Beitrags ist ein Selbstlernskript für MATLAB, das an Teilnehmer des physikalischen Grundpraktikums im ersten Semester (Schwerpunkt Mechanik) gerichtet ist. In einem dieser Versuche soll neben den physikalischen Inhalten zum Thema „Statistische Verteilungen“ auch die Verwendung einer Software zur rechnergestützten Messwerterfassung und Auswertung erlernt werden. Durch die Entscheidung für MATLAB wurden neben dem unmittelbaren Nutzen im Praktikum auch die Einsatzmöglichkeiten im weiteren Studium sowie die Verbreitung an den Lehrstühlen berücksichtigt.Eine besondere Herausforderung bei der inhaltlichen Ausgestaltung dieses Lernskripts bestand darin, ein  Gleichgewicht zwischen zielführenden Informationen zur  Auswertung des Praktikumsversuchs, motivierenden Beispielen und Ausblicken auf andere Anwendungsgebiete zu schaffen. Im Skript wird nicht nur die grafische Benutzeroberfläche    behandelt, sondern auch dargestellt, wie man mittels Eingabe einfacher Befehle innerhalb der Kommandozeile ein gegebenes Problem selbstständig lösen kann

Making alternative fuel vehicles work: Storage through absorption on Missouri corn cob

Abstract only availableThe USA's current demand for petroleum leads to many problems (many being global concerns as well): a dependence on foreign nations for our energy, an increase in pollution/global warming, and high gas prices. Each of those is the source of many more problems that will become worse if not addressed: Foreign dependence results in oil-effected politics and economic foreign dependence. Pollution and global warming result in an increase in the destruction of natural habitats due to changing climates, skin damage/cancer due to sun exposure, and natural disasters such as hurricanes and tornadoes that depend on higher temperatures. Along with gas prices increasing, so will the prices of goods and services as the cost of energy to produce them increases. My research with the Alliance for Collaborative Research in Alternative Fuel Technology addresses these issues by overcoming many of the hurdles that make current alternative fuels impractical. We have produced porous activated carbons that store high capacities of methane (natural gas) through physisorption for use in vehicle tanks. In optimizing storage capacity, we have studied production methods that vary the pore size distributions, surface areas, and densities of our carbons. We have found that the optimal pore size for methane is 1.1 nanometers and that it is best to maximize surface area and density. Our current best performers store 115-119 grams of methane per liter of carbon at ambient temperature and 34 bar, compared to the DOE target of 118 g/L. Our research is now expanding to include hydrogen storage.Alliance for Collaborative Research in Alternative Fuel Technolog

EuCARE-POSTCOVID Study: a multicentre cohort study on long-term post-COVID-19 manifestations

BACKGROUND: Post-COVID-19 condition refers to persistent or new onset symptoms occurring three months after acute COVID-19, which are unrelated to alternative diagnoses. Symptoms include fatigue, breathlessness, palpitations, pain, concentration difficulties ("brain fog"), sleep disorders, and anxiety/depression. The prevalence of post-COVID-19 condition ranges widely across studies, affecting 10-20% of patients and reaching 50-60% in certain cohorts, while the associated risk factors remain poorly understood. METHODS: This multicentre cohort study, both retrospective and prospective, aims to assess the incidence and risk factors of post-COVID-19 condition in a cohort of recovered patients. Secondary objectives include evaluating the association between circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants and the risk of post-COVID-19 condition, as well as assessing long-term residual organ damage (lung, heart, central nervous system, peripheral nervous system) in relation to patient characteristics and virology (variant and viral load during the acute phase). Participants will include hospitalised and outpatient COVID-19 patients diagnosed between 01/03/2020 and 01/02/2025 from 8 participating centres. A control group will consist of hospitalised patients with respiratory infections other than COVID-19 during the same period. Patients will be followed up at the post-COVID-19 clinic of each centre at 2-3, 6-9, and 12-15 months after clinical recovery. Routine blood exams will be conducted, and patients will complete questionnaires to assess persisting symptoms, fatigue, dyspnoea, quality of life, disability, anxiety and depression, and post-traumatic stress disorders. DISCUSSION: This study aims to understand post-COVID-19 syndrome's incidence and predictors by comparing pandemic waves, utilising retrospective and prospective data. Gender association, especially the potential higher prevalence in females, will be investigated. Symptom tracking via questionnaires and scales will monitor duration and evolution. Questionnaires will also collect data on vaccination, reinfections, and new health issues. Biological samples will enable future studies on post-COVID-19 sequelae mechanisms, including inflammation, immune dysregulation, and viral reservoirs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study has been registered with ClinicalTrials.gov under the identifier NCT05531773

Bacteria-responsive multilayer coatings comprising polycationic nanospheres for bacteria biofilm prevention on urinary catheters

This work reports on the development of infection-preventive coatings on silicone urinary catheters that contain in their structure and release on demand antibacterial polycationic nanospheres. Polycationic aminocellulose conjugate was first sonochemically processed into nanospheres to improve its antibacterial potential compared to the bulk conjugate in solution (ACSol). Afterwards the processed aminocellulose nanospheres (ACNSs) were combined with the hyaluronic acid (HA) polyanion to build a layer-by-layer construct on silicone surfaces. Although the coating deposition was more effective when HA was coupled with ACSol than with ACNSs, the ACNSs-based coatings were thicker and displayed smoother surfaces due to the embedment of intact nanospheres. The antibacterial effect of the ACNSs multilayers was by 40 % higher compared to the ACSol coatings. This fact was further translated into more effective prevention of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation. The coatings were stable in absence of bacteria, whereas their disassembling occurred gradually during incubation with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and thus eradicate the biofilm upon release of antibacterial agents. Only 5 bilayers of HA/ACNSs were sufficient to prevent the biofilm formation, in contrast to the 10 bilayers of ACSol required to achieve the same effect. The antibiofilm efficiency of (HA/ACNSs)10 multilayer construct built on a Foley catheter was additionally validated under dynamic conditions using a model of catheterized bladder in which the biofilm was grown during seven days.M.M.F. acknowledges the support of the European Commissionunder the Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowship (IEF) Program (Grant Agreement ‘‘NanoQuench” FP7-331416)

Phosphodiesterase 2A2 regulates mitochondria clearance through Parkin-dependent mitophagy

Programmed degradation of mitochondria by mitophagy, an essential process to maintain mitochondrial homeostasis, is not completely understood. Here we uncover a regulatory process that controls mitophagy and involves the cAMP-degrading enzyme phosphodiesterase 2A2 (PDE2A2). We find that PDE2A2 is part of a mitochondrial signalosome at the mitochondrial inner membrane where it interacts with the mitochondrial contact site and organizing system (MICOS). As part of this compartmentalised signalling system PDE2A2 regulates PKA-mediated phosphorylation of the MICOS component MIC60, resulting in modulation of Parkin recruitment to the mitochondria and mitophagy. Inhibition of PDE2A2 is sufficient to regulate mitophagy in the absence of other triggers, highlighting the physiological relevance of PDE2A2 in this process. Pharmacological inhibition of PDE2 promotes a ‘fat-burning’ phenotype to retain thermogenic beige adipocytes, indicating that PDE2A2 may serve as a novel target with potential for developing therapies for metabolic disorders

Three-dimensional structure determination from a single view

The ability to determine the structure of matter in three dimensions has profoundly advanced our understanding of nature. Traditionally, the most widely used schemes for 3D structure determination of an object are implemented by acquiring multiple measurements over various sample orientations, as in the case of crystallography and tomography (1,2), or by scanning a series of thin sections through the sample, as in confocal microscopy (3). Here we present a 3D imaging modality, termed ankylography (derived from the Greek words ankylos meaning 'curved' and graphein meaning 'writing'), which enables complete 3D structure determination from a single exposure using a monochromatic incident beam. We demonstrate that when the diffraction pattern of a finite object is sampled at a sufficiently fine scale on the Ewald sphere, the 3D structure of the object is determined by the 2D spherical pattern. We confirm the theoretical analysis by performing 3D numerical reconstructions of a sodium silicate glass structure at 2 Angstrom resolution and a single poliovirus at 2 - 3 nm resolution from 2D spherical diffraction patterns alone. Using diffraction data from a soft X-ray laser, we demonstrate that ankylography is experimentally feasible by obtaining a 3D image of a test object from a single 2D diffraction pattern. This approach of obtaining complete 3D structure information from a single view is anticipated to find broad applications in the physical and life sciences. As X-ray free electron lasers (X-FEL) and other coherent X-ray sources are under rapid development worldwide, ankylography potentially opens a door to determining the 3D structure of a biological specimen in a single pulse and allowing for time-resolved 3D structure determination of disordered materials.Comment: 30 page