Feasibility of integrating multiple types of electroactive polymers to develop a biomimetic inspired muscle actuator

The focus of this project is to see if it is possible to integrate multiple EAP materials in an electro- mechanical system to produce a closer representation of a biological muscle with smooth varying motion. In this preliminary study, two common types of EAPs, ionic and dielectric, were investigated to determine their mechanical and electrical properties in order to assess their potential to be combined into a working artificial electromechanical muscle prototype at a later time. A conceptual design for an artificial electromechanical muscle was created with biomimetic relationships between EAP materials and the human bicep muscle. With the assistance of the Rochester General Hospital, a human arm model, isolating the bicep muscle, was created to calculate mechanical characteristics of the bicep brachii. From the human arm model, bicep muscle characteristics were compared to those of the dielectric EAP because of the ability for the EAP to output relatively high force and strain during actuation. It was found that the current state of the art of EAPs is a long way from making this a reality due to their limiting force output and voltage requirements. The feasibility of developing an artificial electromechanical muscle with EAP actuators is not possible with current technology

Effects of Three Swim Strokes Over 25 Yards in Labor-Wear with a Personal Flotation Device

We determined how three different swim strokes (breast, back, and American crawl) were affected by standard labor-wear while wearing a personal flotation device (PFD) over 22.8 meters (25 yards). The main research questions were, (1) which stroke would yield the fastest times over 22.8 meters and (2) Would there be a difference in the swim times between male and female subjects?  We addressed these questions with three hypotheses addressing whether or not there would be a statistically significant difference among the three strokes, and whether or not gender would have an effect on performance of the different strokes. The mean 22.8-m elementary back stroke swim time for all subjects (n = 51) was 59.98 sec; for the breast stroke it was 46.05 sec and for the crawl stroke it was 46.48 sec.  An ANOVA generated a P-value of less than .0001. Thus, we rejected null hypothesis 1 in favor of research hypothesis 1 at a significance level of 0.05. There was a difference in swim times over 22.8-m for each stroke for all subjects, with breast stroke being the fastest and the elementary back stroke being the slowest.  The mean 22.8-m elementary back stroke swim time for male subjects (n = 26) was 51.04 sec; for the breast stroke it was 41.41 sec and for the crawl stroke it was 34.73 sec.  An ANOVA generated a P-value of less than .0001. Thus, we rejected null hypothesis 2 in favor of research hypothesis 2 at a significance level of 0.05.   There was a difference in swim times over 22.8-m for each stroke, with the crawl stroke being the fastest and the elementary back stroke being the slowest.  The mean 22.8-m elementary back stroke swim time for female subjects (n = 25) was 69.28 sec; for the breast stroke it was 50.87 sec and for the crawl stroke it was 58.71 sec.  An ANOVA generated a P-value of .001. Thus, we rejected null hypothesis 3 in favor of research hypothesis 3 at a significance level of 0.05. There was a difference in swim times over 22.8-m for each stroke, with the breast stroke being the fastest and the elementary back stroke being the slowest

Effects of Standard Labor-Wear on Swimming and Treading Water

We tested the hypothesis that occupational clothing would impair performance during swimming. The sub questions included: (1) Will the standard work wear of a railway worker or laborer impede swimming ability? (2) Will this clothing impact the individual’s ability to tread water? We addressed the research questions with three hypotheses. Analysis showed statistically significant p-values and all three null hypotheses were rejected in favor of the three research hypotheses, showing strong evidence that standard labor wear had adverse effects on 11.43 meter/12.5 yard swim time, water treading time and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) during water treading. The mean swim time more than doubled when the subjects wore standard labor-wear and their average rate of perceived exertion increased from 11.6 in standard swim wear to 17.1 in standard laborwear. It may be beneficial for those workers who work near water to be exposed to educational programs that allow in-water experiences so they develop an understanding of their abilities in, and respect for, the water

HEART RATE EFFECTS OF LONGBOARD SKATEBOARDING

The longboard skateboard has a longer, and usually wider, deck than the standard skateboard to provide greater support of the rider during the higher speeds attained on this version of the skateboard. Fourteen volunteer subjects participated in downhill and uphill longboarding trials. Heart rates were monitored during both trials, and the downhill and uphill average heart rates were compared with resting heart rates and then compared with accepted intensity recommendations for health and fitness benefits. The study questions were: Does longboarding have an acute effect on heart rates? If so, will longboarding uphill and/or downhill cause heart rate changes to levels recommended to improve cardiorespiratory health and fitness?   With these questions as guidance we developed four hypotheses. With an average resting heart rate of 59.9 beats/minute, average downhill heart rate of  131.4 beats/minute and average uphill heart rate of 167.8 beats/minute statistical analysis showed statistically significant p values < .0001 and each null hypothesis was rejected in favor of their respective research hypotheses.  Based on average age and average resting heart rate, average age-predicted maximum heart rate was 193.2 beats/minute and heart rate reserve was 133.2 beats/minute. The average percentages of heart rate reserve for the downhill section (131.4 beats/minute) and the uphill section (167.8 beats/minute) were 54% and  81%, respectively. Downhill heart rates are within moderate intensity levels, 40% to  60% of heart rate reserve, and uphill heart rates are within vigorous intensity levels, greater than 60 % of heart rate reserve. These results indicate that longboarding can increase heart rate to suggested levels suggested by the American College of Sports Medicine for improving cardiovascular health and fitness

Effects of Standard Labor-Wear on Swimming and Treading Water

We tested the hypothesis that occupational clothing would impair performance during swimming. The sub questions included: (1) Will the standard work wear of a railway worker or laborer impede swimming ability? (2) Will this clothing impact the individual’s ability to tread water? We addressed the research questions with three hypotheses. Analysis showed statistically significant p-values and all three null hypotheses were rejected in favor of the three research hypotheses, showing strong evidence that standard labor wear had adverse effects on 11.43 meter/12.5 yard swim time, water treading time and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) during water treading. The mean swim time more than doubled when the subjects wore standard labor-wear and their average rate of perceived exertion increased from 11.6 in standard swim wear to 17.1 in standard laborwear. It may be beneficial for those workers who work near water to be exposed to educational programs that allow in-water experiences so they develop an understanding of their abilities in, and respect for, the water

Effects of Swim Strokes in Labor-wear With and Without a Personal Flotation Device

We determined how three different swim strokes were affected by standard labor-wear with and without use of a personal flotation device (PFD). The two main research questions included (1) what effects would standard labor-wear have on the American crawl, elementary back stroke and breast stroke with and without a PFD for 11.4 m (12.5 yds).  The sub questions included: (2) Will the addition of the PFD improve swim times? We addressed these questions with six hypotheses. Statistical analysis showed statistically significant P-values for the American crawl (no PFD 23.29 sec, PFD 18.29 sec, P = 0.0010) and back stroke (no PFD 36.96 sec, PFD 31.00 sec, P = 0.0223); the strokes showed improved swim times with the PFD. We detected no statistical evidence (P = 0.2086) for the mean swim time (22.61 sec) for the breast stroke with PFD and the mean swim time (23.00 sec) for breast stroke without a PFD. Swim time between swimmers with and without a PFD differed. The mean swim time for all swimmers with a PFD (24.17sec) was faster than the mean swim time for all swimmers without a PFD (27.75 sec, P = 0.0153). The mean swim time for swimmers using the elementary back stroke (33.98 sec) was slower than the mean swim time for swimmers using the crawl stroke (21.10 sec, P < 0.0001) and the mean swim time for swimmers using the breast stroke (22.81 sec).  We detected no difference between the mean swim time for swimmers using the crawl stroke and the mean swim time for swimmers using the breast stroke. We also detected no evidence (P = 0.164) of a stroke X flotation interaction effect

Case Study of a Children\u27s Judo Class: Musculoskeletal Fitness Changes

We evaluated the musculoskeletal fitness changes in 18 children enrolled in the Montana Tech Fall Judo Camp (test sample) and 12 children from a 3rd grade class at a local elementary school in Butte, Montana (control sample). The musculoskeletal fitness tests included push-up test, pull-up test, and one-minute timed sit-ups for the test sample and push-ups and one minute timed sit-ups for the control sample, with five minutes of rest between each test. The test sample increased their performances in pull-ups, sit-ups, and push-ups by 07, 3.7, and 6.6 repetitions, respectively. The control sample decreased in their sit-up performance by 1.3 repetitions, and improved their push-up performance by 0.2 repetitions. These results show that the test sample improved their musculoskeletal fitness as measured fitness as measured by these tests

Heart Rate Effects of Longboard Skateboarding

The longboard skateboard has a longer, and usually wider, deck than the standard skateboard to provide greater support for the rider during the higher speeds attained on this version of the skateboard. Fourteen volunteer subjects participated in downhill and uphill longboarding trials. Heart rates were monitored during both trials, and the downhill and uphill average heart rates were compared with resting heart rates and then compared with accepted intensity recommendations for health and fitness benefits. The study questions were: Does longboarding have an acute effect on heart rates? If so, will longboarding uphill and/or downhill cause heart rate changes to levels recommended to improve cardiorespiratory health and fitness? With these questions as guidance we developed four hypotheses. With beats/minute and average uphill heart rate of 167.8 beats/minute statistical analysis showed statistically significant p values \u3c .0001 and each null hypothesis was rejected in favor of their respective research hypotheses. Based on average age and average resting heart rate, average age-predicted maximum heart rate was 193.2 beats/minute and heart rate reserve was 133.2 beats/minute. The average percentages of heart rate reserve for the downhill section (131.4 beats/minute) and uphill section )(167.8 beats/minute) were 54% and 81% respectively. Downhill heart rates are within moderate intensity levels, 40% to 60% of heart rate reserve, and uphill heart rates are within vigorous intensity levels, greater than 60% of heart rate reserve. These results indicate that longboarding can increase heart rate to suggested levels suggested by the American College of Sports Medicine for improving cardiovascular health and fitness

Quantification of macrophage-driven inflammation during myocardial infarction with 18F-LW223, a novel TSPO radiotracer with binding independent of the rs6971 human polymorphism

Myocardial infarction (MI) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and inflammation is central to tissue response and patient outcomes. The 18-kDa translocator protein (TSPO) has been used in PET as an inflammatory biomarker. The aims of this study were to screen novel, fluorinated, TSPO radiotracers for susceptibility to the rs6971 genetic polymorphism using in vitro competition binding assays in human brain and heart; assess whether the in vivo characteristics of our lead radiotracer, 18F-LW223, are suitable for clinical translation; and validate whether 18F-LW223 can detect macrophage-driven inflammation in a rat MI model. Methods: Fifty-one human brain and 29 human heart tissue samples were screened for the rs6971 polymorphism. Competition binding assays were conducted with 3H-PK11195 and the following ligands: PK11195, PBR28, and our novel compounds (AB5186 and LW223). Naïve rats and mice were used for in vivo PET kinetic studies, radiometabolite studies, and dosimetry experiments. Rats underwent permanent coronary artery ligation and were scanned using PET/CT with an invasive input function at 7 d after MI. For quantification of PET signal in the hypoperfused myocardium, K1 (rate constant for transfer from arterial plasma to tissues) was used as a surrogate marker of perfusion to correct the binding potential for impaired radiotracer transfer from plasma to tissue (BPTC). Results: LW223 binding to TSPO was not susceptible to the rs6971 genetic polymorphism in human brain and heart samples. In rodents, 18F-LW223 displayed a specific uptake consistent with TSPO expression, a slow metabolism in blood (69% of parent at 120 min), a high plasma free fraction of 38.5%, and a suitable dosimetry profile (effective dose of 20.5–24.5 μSv/MBq). 18F-LW223 BPTC was significantly higher in the MI cohort within the infarct territory of the anterior wall relative to the anterior wall of naïve animals (32.7 ± 5.0 vs. 10.0 ± 2.4 cm3/mL/min, P ≤ 0.001). Ex vivo immunofluorescent staining for TSPO and CD68 (macrophage marker) resulted in the same pattern seen with in vivo BPTC analysis. Conclusion: 18F-LW223 is not susceptible to the rs6971 genetic polymorphism in in vitro assays, has favorable in vivo characteristics, and is able to accurately map macrophage-driven inflammation after MI

Bioluminescent Imaging Reveals Divergent Viral Pathogenesis in Two Strains of Stat1-Deficient Mice, and in αßγ Interferon Receptor-Deficient Mice

Pivotal components of the IFN response to virus infection include the IFN receptors (IFNR), and the downstream factor signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (Stat1). Mice deficient for Stat1 and IFNR (Stat1−/− and IFNαßγR−/− mice) lack responsiveness to IFN and exhibit high sensitivity to various pathogens. Here we examined herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) pathogenesis in Stat1−/− mice and in IFNαßγR−/− mice following corneal infection and bioluminescent imaging. Two divergent and paradoxical patterns of infection were observed. Mice with an N-terminal deletion in Stat1 (129Stat1−/− (N-term)) had transient infection of the liver and spleen, but succumbed to encephalitis by day 10 post-infection. In stark contrast, infection of IFNαßγR−/− mice was rapidly fatal, with associated viremia and fulminant infection of the liver and spleen, with infected infiltrating cells being primarily of the monocyte/macrophage lineage. To resolve the surprising difference between Stat1−/− and IFNαßγR−/− mice, we infected an additional Stat1−/− strain deleted in the DNA-binding domain (129Stat1−/− (DBD)). These 129Stat1−/− (DBD) mice recapitulated the lethal pattern of liver and spleen infection seen following infection of IFNαßγR−/− mice. This lethal pattern was also observed when 129Stat1−/− (N-term) mice were infected and treated with a Type I IFN-blocking antibody, and immune cells derived from 129Stat1−/− (N-term) mice were shown to be responsive to Type I IFN. These data therefore show significant differences in viral pathogenesis between two commonly-used Stat1−/− mouse strains. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that Stat1−/− (N-term) mice have residual Type I IFN receptor-dependent IFN responses. Complete loss of IFN signaling pathways allows viremia and rapid viral spread with a fatal infection of the liver. This study underscores the importance of careful comparisons between knockout mouse strains in viral pathogenesis, and may also be relevant to the causation of HSV hepatitis in humans, a rare but frequently fatal infection