Development of an exercise machine for the elderly

Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2007.Includes bibliographical references.The purpose of this project was to develop an idea for a product that would help the elderly in their daily lives. The specific people that the product would target were those senior citizens who are still self-sufficient but are feeling the early stages of old age. This was an important project because such a product would have the potential to be beneficial for the elderly as well as marketable and profitable. There were many stages involved in coming up with an idea for a product. First, market research needed to be conducted in order to determine information about the target group. The research helped determine the size of the target group along with their lifestyles and opinions. Research was also done to analyze products that are currently on the market. After analysis of all the information, an exercise machine for the elderly was developed as an idea for the product. This exercise machine would be one that allowed the users to do moves similar to Tai Chi exercises. This would help the elderly with their range of motion, flexibility, and lower body strength. The product developed has a lot of potential for further research and progress.by Marcus R. Carson.S.B

Configurações de governança pluralistas, neocorporativas e da União Europeia: padrões de elaboração de políticas e de acção dos lóbis numa perspectiva comparada

Este artigo aplica o novo institucionalismo à análise comparativa da governança e da elaboração de políticas em diferentes sistemas políticos. São aqui identificadas e contrastadas as articulações de interesses e as configurações da decisão política pluralistas, neocorporativas e da União Europeia. O texto considera o grau de abertura, flexibilidade e previsibilidade, bem como os padrões de produção e desenvolvimento de políticas nos diferentes sistemas. Conclui-se que muitas das vantagens do sistema da UE, com a sua flexibilidade e adaptabilidade às questões e condições sectoriais específicas, são também fonte dos seus problemas de não transparência e de défice democrático.This paper applies the new institutionalism to the comparative analysis of governance and policy-making in different political systems. Pluralist, neo-corporatist and European Union interest articulation and policymaking arrangements are distinguished and contrasted. The article considers the degree of openness, flexibility, extent of predictability, and patterns of policy production and development in the different systems. It concludes that many of the advantages of the EU system with its flexibility and adaptability to sectoral specific issues and conditions are also a source of its problems of non-transparency and democratic deficit.Cet article applique le nouvel institutionnalisme à l’analyse comparative de la gouvernance et de l’élaboration de politiques dans différents systèmes politiques. Il identifie et compare les articulations d’intérêts et les configurations de la décision politique pluralistes, néo-corporatives et de l’Union européenne. Le texte analyse le degré d’ouverture, de flexibilité et de prévisibilité, ainsi que les modèles de production et de développement de politiques dans les différents systèmes. Les auteurs concluent que nombre des avantages du système de l’UE, avec sa flexibilité et son adaptabilité aux questions et aux conditions sectorielles spécifiques, sont également la source de ses problèmes de non-transparence et de déficit démocratique.Este artículo aplica el nuevo institucionalismo al análisis comparativo de la governança y de la elaboración de políticas en diferentes sistemas políticos. Se identifican y contrastan las articulaciones de intereses y las configuraciones de la decisión política pluralista, neo-corporativas y de la Unión Europea. El texto considera el grado de apertura, flexibilidad y previsibilidad, así como los patrones de producción y desarrollo de políticas en los diferentes sistemas. Se concluye que muchas de las ventajas del sistema de la UE, con su flexibilidad y adaptabilidad a las cuestiones y condiciones sectoriales específicas, también son fuentes de sus problemas de poca transparencia y de déficit democrático

Calcium stone lithoptysis in primary ciliary dyskinesia

An association between lithoptysis and primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) has not been previously reported. However, reports of lithoptysis from 2 older patients (>60 yr) prompted a study of this association. We performed a prospective study of all PCD patients presenting to our institution between August 2003 and March 2006, seeking the symptom of lithoptysis or calcium deposition on radiology. A retrospective analysis of all PCD patients presenting prior to August 2003 was also performed. Patients age > or = 40 previously reviewed were recontacted. If a history of lithoptysis or calcium deposition was present, we further reviewed radiographic, microbiologic, and biochemical data, including serum calcium and phosphate. Broncholiths were analyzed by light and electron microscopy- and electron-dispersive X-ray analysis. In total, 142 patients (n=28 age > or = 40) were included, 41 in the prospective and 91 in the retrospective study. Lithoptysis was reported in 5 patients (all age > or = 40). Chest CT scans identified calcification (4/5), involving bronchiectatic airways in 3 patients and focal nodular calcification in 1 patient. Two other patients (age 46, 59) were identified with airway calcification without lithoptysis. Available broncholiths from 2 of these patients were composed of calcite, whereas a broncholith from 1 patient with focal nodular calcification contained calcium phosphate. Sputum was positive for Pseudomonas aeruginosa in all 7 patients, but negative for mycobacterial and fungal cultures. There is an association between lithoptysis and PCD in patients age > or = 40. We hypothesize that calcite stone formation is a biomineralization response to chronic airway inflammation and retention of infected airway secretions in PCD in a subset of PCD patients

Calcium stone lithoptysis in primary ciliary dyskinesia

An association between lithoptysis and primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) has not been previously reported. However, reports of lithoptysis from 2 older patients (>60 yr) prompted a study of this association. We performed a prospective study of all PCD patients presenting to our institution between August 2003 and March 2006, seeking the symptom of lithoptysis or calcium deposition on radiology. A retrospective analysis of all PCD patients presenting prior to August 2003 was also performed. Patients age > or = 40 previously reviewed were recontacted. If a history of lithoptysis or calcium deposition was present, we further reviewed radiographic, microbiologic, and biochemical data, including serum calcium and phosphate. Broncholiths were analyzed by light and electron microscopy- and electron-dispersive X-ray analysis. In total, 142 patients (n=28 age > or = 40) were included, 41 in the prospective and 91 in the retrospective study. Lithoptysis was reported in 5 patients (all age > or = 40). Chest CT scans identified calcification (4/5), involving bronchiectatic airways in 3 patients and focal nodular calcification in 1 patient. Two other patients (age 46, 59) were identified with airway calcification without lithoptysis. Available broncholiths from 2 of these patients were composed of calcite, whereas a broncholith from 1 patient with focal nodular calcification contained calcium phosphate. Sputum was positive for Pseudomonas aeruginosa in all 7 patients, but negative for mycobacterial and fungal cultures. There is an association between lithoptysis and PCD in patients age > or = 40. We hypothesize that calcite stone formation is a biomineralization response to chronic airway inflammation and retention of infected airway secretions in PCD in a subset of PCD patients

Developmental changes in upper airway dynamics

Normal children have a less collapsible upper airway in response to subatmospheric pressure administration (P-NEG) during steep than normal adults do, and this upper airway response appears to be modulated by the central ventilatory drive. Children have a greater ventilatory drive than adults. We, therefore, hypothesized that children have increased neuromotor activation of their pharyngeal airway during sleep compared with adults. As infants have few obstructive apneas during steep, we hypothesized that infants would have an upper airway that was resistant to collapse. We, therefore, compared the upper airway pressure-flow (V) relationship during sleep between normal infants, prepubertal children, and adults. We evaluated the upper airway response to 1) intermittent, acute P-NEG (infants, children, and adults), and 2) hypercapnia (children and adults). We found that adults had a more collapsible upper airway during sleep than either infants or children. the children exhibited a vigorous response to both P-NEG and hypercapnia during sleep (P < 0.01), whereas adults had no significant change. Infants had an airway that was resistant to collapse and showed a very rapid response to P-NEG. We conclude that the upper airway is resistant to collapse during sleep in infants and children. Normal children have preservation of upper airway responses to P-NEG and hypercapnia during sleep, whereas responses are diminished in adults. Infants appear to have a different pattern of upper airway activation than older children. We speculate that the pharyngeal airway responses present in normal children are a compensatory response for a relatively narrow upper airway.Johns Hopkins Univ, Eudowood Div Pediat Resp Sci, Baltimore, MD 21287 USAJohns Hopkins Univ, Div Oncol Biostat, Baltimore, MD 21287 USAUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Neurol & Internal Med, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista Med, Dept Neurol & Internal Med, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Effect of acute citalopram on self-referential emotional processing and social cognition in healthy volunteers

This study was funded by the UK National Productivity Investment Fund awarded to C.H. through the GW4 BioMed Medical Research Council Doctoral Training Partnership. This study was supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the National Health Service, the NIHR or the Department of Health. ICMJE forms are in the supplementary material, available online at https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2020.107.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Spontaneous restoration of functional β-cell mass in obese SM/J mice

Maintenance of functional β-cell mass is critical to preventing diabetes, but the physiological mechanisms that cause β-cell populations to thrive or fail in the context of obesity are unknown. High fat-fed SM/J mice spontaneously transition from hyperglycemic-obese to normoglycemic-obese with age, providing a unique opportunity to study β-cell adaptation. Here, we characterize insulin homeostasis, islet morphology, and β-cell function during SM/J\u27s diabetic remission. As they resolve hyperglycemia, obese SM/J mice dramatically increase circulating and pancreatic insulin levels while improving insulin sensitivity. Immunostaining of pancreatic sections reveals that obese SM/J mice selectively increase β-cell mass but not α-cell mass. Obese SM/J mice do not show elevated β-cell mitotic index, but rather elevated α-cell mitotic index. Functional assessment of isolated islets reveals that obese SM/J mice increase glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, decrease basal insulin secretion, and increase islet insulin content. These results establish that β-cell mass expansion and improved β-cell function underlie the resolution of hyperglycemia, indicating that obese SM/J mice are a valuable tool for exploring how functional β-cell mass can be recovered in the context of obesity