RESUMEN
Fish maintain high swimming efficiencies over a wide range of speeds. A key to this achievement is their flexibility, yet even flexible robotic fish trail real fish in terms of performance. Here, we explore how fish leverage tunable flexibility by using their muscles to modulate the stiffness of their tails to achieve efficient swimming. We derived a model that explains how and why tuning stiffness affects performance. We show that to maximize efficiency, muscle tension should scale with swimming speed squared, offering a simple tuning strategy for fish-like robots. Tuning stiffness can double swimming efficiency at tuna-like frequencies and speeds (0 to 6 hertz; 0 to 2 body lengths per second). Energy savings increase with frequency, suggesting that high-frequency fish-like robots have the most to gain from tuning stiffness.
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Adalimumab/uso terapéutico , Calcinosis/etiología , Dermatomiositis/tratamiento farmacológico , Calcinosis/diagnóstico por imagen , Calcinosis/tratamiento farmacológico , Dermatomiositis/complicaciones , Exantema/etiología , Extremidades/diagnóstico por imagen , Femenino , Humanos , Radiografía , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
Montmorillonite clay (MC) yields after modification of the interlamellar spacing and the chemical character of its surface by treatment with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) a solid product (MCCTA). This has been used as an adsorbent for the removal of p-nitrophenol (PNP) from aqueous solutions. The MCCTA samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), thermogravimetric analysis (TG/DTA), FT-IR spectroscopy, zeta potential measurements, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and specific surface area. Investigations were also carried out to assess how the adsorption of PNP was affected by factors such as contact time, initial PNP concentration, adsorbent dosage and temperature. Of the two models tried the Freundlich isotherm gave a better account of the equilibrium data than did the Langmuir one. The kinetics could be successfully replicated by a pseudo-second order model with an activation energy of 55.0â¯kJâ¯mol-1, while the thermodynamic parameters indicated an exothermic (ΔadsHoâ¯=â¯-15.8â¯kJâ¯mol-1), non-spontaneous (ΔadsGoâ¯=â¯+â¯3.9-5.9â¯kJâ¯mol-1) adsorption process. The experimental results showed MCCTA, unlike natural MC, to have a significant adsorption capacity for PNP removal from aqueous media.
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Vasculitis Asociada a Anticuerpos Citoplasmáticos Antineutrófilos/patología , Anticuerpos Anticitoplasma de Neutrófilos/análisis , Mieloblastina/inmunología , Anciano , Vasculitis Asociada a Anticuerpos Citoplasmáticos Antineutrófilos/diagnóstico , Vasculitis Asociada a Anticuerpos Citoplasmáticos Antineutrófilos/tratamiento farmacológico , Biomarcadores/análisis , Biopsia , Dapsona/efectos adversos , Dapsona/uso terapéutico , Femenino , Humanos , Piel/patologíaRESUMEN
Electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve attenuates tumor necrosis factor (TNF) synthesis by macrophages and reduces the systemic inflammatory response. Current evidence suggests that the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor present in the celiac/superior mesenteric ganglia is a key component in vagus nerve signaling to the spleen; however, there is currently no direct anatomical evidence that the α7 receptor is present in the murine celiac/superior mesenteric ganglia. Our study addresses this deficiency by providing anatomical evidence that the α7 receptor is expressed within the celiac/superior mesenteric ganglia and splenic nerve fibers using immunohistochemistry and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). α7 receptor mRNA is highly expressed in the celiac/superior mesenteric ganglia and at low levels in the spleen compared to the brain. Double-labeling for α7 and tyrosine hydroxylase shows that α7 receptor protein is present on noradrenergic neurons within the ganglia and prejunctionally on noradrenergic nerve fibers within the spleen. The α7 receptor in the ganglia provides a possible location for the action of α7-selective agonists, while prejunctional α7 receptor expressed on splenic nerves may induce an increase in norepinephrine release in a positive feedback system enhanced by lymphocyte-derived acetylcholine.
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Ganglios Simpáticos/metabolismo , Neuroinmunomodulación/fisiología , Neuronas/metabolismo , Bazo/metabolismo , Receptor Nicotínico de Acetilcolina alfa 7/biosíntesis , Animales , Ganglios Simpáticos/inmunología , Inmunohistoquímica , Masculino , Ratones , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Ratones Transgénicos , Microscopía Confocal , Neuronas/inmunología , ARN Mensajero/análisis , Reacción en Cadena en Tiempo Real de la Polimerasa , Bazo/inmunologíaRESUMEN
Attachment theory categorically assesses how a person perceives and experiences interpersonal relationships. Attachment style is linked to numerous physical and psychological phenomena; however, there is a paucity of research examining its relationship to suicide ideation and attempt in adults. Our study addresses this and investigates the relationship of adult attachment style and mental disorders in a nationally representative sample. Using data from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (N = 5692, aged >18 years), multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine these relationships. After adjusting for confounding variables, insecure attachment styles were associated with greater reporting of suicidal ideation, attempt, and all mental disorder categories analyzed (adjusted odds ratio range, 1.13-1.81). Secure attachment styles were associated with a decreased likelihood of reporting suicidal ideation, attempt, and any anxiety disorder (adjusted odds ratio range, 0.67-0.91). Clinicians should be aware of attachment issues in their patients to ensure better health outcomes and more effective physician-patient relationships.
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Trastornos Mentales/psicología , Apego a Objetos , Suicidio/psicología , Adolescente , Adulto , Comorbilidad , Femenino , Encuestas Epidemiológicas , Humanos , Modelos Logísticos , Masculino , Trastornos Mentales/epidemiología , Persona de Mediana Edad , Ideación Suicida , Intento de Suicidio/psicología , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Estados Unidos/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: There are limited data on the use of ustekinumab outside of clinical trials. OBJECTIVES: To assess the efficacy and safety of ustekinumab in patients with severe psoriasis attending 10 dermatology centres in the U.K. and Ireland. METHODS: A retrospective case-note review of 129 patients with psoriasis treated with ustekinumab. RESULTS: Baseline Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) was 22·9±10·1 (mean±SD). After 16weeks of treatment with ustekinumab PASI 75 (75% reduction in PASI) was observed in 63·0% (n=80/127) of patients, although four patients required concomitant therapy at the 16-week time point. Previous biologic use did show a small, non-significant trend towards treatment failure. A PASI 75 response was seen in 29·4% (n=5/17) of individuals weighing 90-100kg and treated with the standard 45mg ustekinumab dose compared with PASI 75 of 70·3%, 71·4%, 75·0% and 55·6% for weight groups <80, 80-90, 100-110 and >110kg, respectively (P=0·024). Ustekinumab therapy was well tolerated; serious adverse events were observed in 2·3% (n=3/129) of patients. CONCLUSIONS: Ustekinumab is a novel biologic agent for psoriasis. When used in everyday clinical practice it demonstrates high levels of short-term therapeutic efficacy with an acceptable short-term safety profile.
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Anticuerpos Monoclonales/uso terapéutico , Productos Biológicos/uso terapéutico , Fármacos Dermatológicos/uso terapéutico , Psoriasis/tratamiento farmacológico , Adulto , Anticuerpos Monoclonales Humanizados , Índice de Masa Corporal , Costo de Enfermedad , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Estudios Retrospectivos , Resultado del Tratamiento , UstekinumabAsunto(s)
Anticuerpos Monoclonales/uso terapéutico , Fármacos Dermatológicos/uso terapéutico , Factores Inmunológicos/uso terapéutico , Psoriasis/tratamiento farmacológico , Factor de Necrosis Tumoral alfa/antagonistas & inhibidores , Anticuerpos Monoclonales Humanizados , Humanos , Insuficiencia del Tratamiento , UstekinumabAsunto(s)
Ácido Aminolevulínico/análogos & derivados , Enfermedad de Bowen/tratamiento farmacológico , Carcinoma Basocelular/tratamiento farmacológico , Queratosis Actínica/tratamiento farmacológico , Fotoquimioterapia/métodos , Fármacos Fotosensibilizantes/uso terapéutico , Ácido Aminolevulínico/uso terapéutico , HumanosAsunto(s)
Anticuerpos Monoclonales/administración & dosificación , Peso Corporal , Fármacos Dermatológicos/administración & dosificación , Inmunoglobulina G/administración & dosificación , Psoriasis/tratamiento farmacológico , Receptores del Factor de Necrosis Tumoral/administración & dosificación , Índice de Masa Corporal , Etanercept , Femenino , Humanos , Infliximab , Masculino , Insuficiencia del Tratamiento , Factor de Necrosis Tumoral alfaRESUMEN
In this study, montmorillonite clay (MC) has been utilized as the adsorbent for the removal of a cationic dye, methylene blue (MB), from aqueous solution by the batch adsorption technique under different conditions of initial dye concentration, adsorbent concentration, contact time, solution pH, and temperature. Attempts were made to fit the isothermal data using Langmuir and Freundlich equations. The experimental results have demonstrated that the equilibrium data are fitted well by a Langmuir isotherm equation. Thermodynamic parameters such as the changes in enthalpy, entropy, and Gibbs' free energy were determined, showing adsorption to be an endothermic yet spontaneous process. Pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, and intraparticle diffusion models were considered to evaluate the rate parameters. The experimental data fitted the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, with an activation energy of +28.5 kJ mol(-1). The results indicate that MC adsorbs MB efficiently and could be employed as a low-cost alternative in wastewater treatment for the removal of cationic dyes.
RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a novel coconut-derived emulsion (CDE) shampoo against head lice infestation in children. DESIGN: A school trial in which pupils were treated on days 0 and 7 and checked on days 8 and 15 and a family trial where product was applied by parents three times in 2 weeks or used as a cosmetic shampoo and checked on days 14 and days 70. SETTING: UK schools in Bristol and Western-super-Mare and families in Northern Somerset. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Numbers of children free from infestation after treatment. RESULTS: In the school trial, percentage cures at day 8 were 14% (permethrin, n=7) and 61% (CDE, n=37). In the family trial where all family members were treated, cure rate was 96% (n=28), and if the shampoo was subsequently used as a cosmetic shampoo, only 1 of 12 children became re-infested after 10 weeks. CONCLUSION: CDE shampoo is a novel effective method of controlling head lice and used after treatment as a cosmetic shampoo can aid in the reduction of re-infestation.
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Cocos , Emulsiones , Preparaciones para el Cabello , Infestaciones por Piojos/terapia , Niño , Humanos , Permetrina , Reino UnidoRESUMEN
CONTEXT: Child maltreatment is a significant risk factor for adult mental disorders and physical illnesses. Although the child welfare system routinely places severely abused and/or neglected children in foster care, no controlled studies exist to determine the effectiveness of this intervention in improving the long-term health of maltreated youth. OBJECTIVE: To present results of the first quasi-experimental study, to our knowledge, to evaluate the effects of expanded foster care treatment on the mental and physical health of adult foster care alumni. DESIGN: We used a quasi-experimental design to compare adult outcomes of alumni of a model private foster care program and 2 public programs. The latter alumni were eligible for but not selected by the private program because of limited openings. Propensity score weights based on intake records were adjusted for preplacement between-sample differences. Personal interviews administered 1 to 13 years after leaving foster care assessed the mental and physical health of alumni. SETTING/ PARTICIPANTS: A representative sample of 479 adult foster care alumni who were placed in foster care as adolescents (14-18 years of age) between January 1, 1989, and September 30, 1998, in private (n = 111) or public (n = 368) foster care programs in Oregon and Washington. More than 80% of alumni were traced, and 92.2% of those traced were interviewed. INTERVENTION: Caseworkers in the model program had higher levels of education and salaries, lower caseloads, and access to a wider range of ancillary services (eg, mental health counseling, tutoring, and summer camps) than caseworkers in the public programs. Youth in the model program were in foster care more than 2 years longer than those in the public programs. RESULTS: Private program alumni had significantly fewer mental disorders (major depression, anxiety disorders, and substance use disorders), ulcers, and cardiometabolic disorders, but more respiratory disorders, than did public program alumni. CONCLUSION: Public sector investment in higher-quality foster care services could substantially improve the long-term mental and physical health of foster care alumni.
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Trastornos de Ansiedad/prevención & control , Maltrato a los Niños/terapia , Trastorno Depresivo Mayor/prevención & control , Cuidados en el Hogar de Adopción/métodos , Trastornos Psicofisiológicos/prevención & control , Medio Social , Trastornos Relacionados con Sustancias/prevención & control , Adaptación Psicológica , Adolescente , Adulto , Trastornos de Ansiedad/psicología , Manejo de Caso , Niño , Maltrato a los Niños/psicología , Protección a la Infancia/psicología , Trastorno Depresivo Mayor/psicología , Femenino , Estudios de Seguimiento , Cuidados en el Hogar de Adopción/psicología , Humanos , Masculino , Evaluación de Procesos y Resultados en Atención de Salud , Grupo de Atención al Paciente , Sector Privado , Trastornos Psicofisiológicos/psicología , Sector Público , Ajuste Social , Trastornos Relacionados con Sustancias/psicología , WashingtónAsunto(s)
Antiinflamatorios/uso terapéutico , Anticuerpos Monoclonales/uso terapéutico , Inmunoglobulina G/uso terapéutico , Psoriasis/tratamiento farmacológico , Receptores del Factor de Necrosis Tumoral/uso terapéutico , Adalimumab , Anticuerpos Monoclonales Humanizados , Fármacos Dermatológicos/uso terapéutico , Quimioterapia Combinada , Etanercept , Humanos , Inmunosupresores/uso terapéuticoRESUMEN
Irgarol 1051 is an s-triazine herbicide formulated with Cu2O in antifouling paints. Recent studies have shown that Irgarol 1051 inhibits coral photosynthesis at environmentally relevant concentrations, consistent with its mode of action as a photosystem II inhibitor. Related toxicologic effects of this herbicide on coral cellular physiology have not yet been investigated. We used cellular diagnostics to measure changes in 18 toxicologic cellular parameters in endosymbiotic algal (dinoflagellate) and cnidarian (host) fractions of the common branching coral Madracis mirabilis associated with in vivo 8- and 24-hour exposures to a nominal initial Irgarol 1051 concentration of 10 microg L(-1). Responses measured were (1) xenobiotic response, which includes total and dinoflagellate multixenobiotic resistance (MXR), cnidarian cytochrome (CYP) P450-3 and P450-6 classes, cnidarian, and dinoflagellate glutathione-s-transferase (GST); (2) oxidative damage and response, which includes cnidarian and dinoflagellate Cu/Zn and Mn superoxide dismutase (SOD), cnidarian and dinoflagellate glutathione peroxidase (GPx), cnidarian catalase, and total protein carbonyl); (3) metabolic homeostasis, which includes chloroplast and invertebrate small heat-shock proteins (sHsp), cnidarian protoporphyrinogen oxidase IX (PPO), cnidarian ferrochelatase, and cnidarian heme oxygenase; and (4) protein metabolic condition, which includes cnidarian and dinoflagellate heat shock proteins (hsp70 and hsp60), total ubiquitin, and cnidarian ubiquitin ligase. Acute responses to Irgarol 1051 exposure included significant increases in total and dinoflagellate MXR, dinoflagellate Cu/Zn SOD, dinoflagellate chloroplast sHsp, and cnidarian PPO. Irgarol 1051 exposure resulted in decreases in cnidarian GPx, cnidarian ferrochelatase, cnidarian catalase, and cnidarian CYP 450-3 and -6 classes. Related implications of Irgarol 1051 exposure to coral cellular condition are discussed.
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Antozoos/efectos de los fármacos , Herbicidas/toxicidad , Simbiosis/efectos de los fármacos , Triazinas/toxicidad , Contaminantes Químicos del Agua/toxicidad , Animales , Antozoos/citología , Antozoos/metabolismo , Biomarcadores/metabolismo , Relación Dosis-Respuesta a Droga , Ensayo de Inmunoadsorción Enzimática , Eucariontes/efectos de los fármacos , Eucariontes/metabolismo , Longevidad/efectos de los fármacos , Estrés Oxidativo/efectos de los fármacos , Estrés Oxidativo/fisiología , Simbiosis/fisiología , Pruebas de Toxicidad AgudaRESUMEN
Historically, a shortage of skilled and dedicated foster parents has existed in America. Lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LBG) foster parents have received little attention in the published literature. This article documents the challenges and successes of a group of 60 LGB foster parents. All participants provided foster parenting for public (state or county) agencies. The primary successes of this group included meaningful and gratifying parenting and successful testing of whether adoption might be a natural next step after foster parenting. The primary challenges included insensitive, inappropriate, and difficult social workers; state or local laws that worked against successful foster parenting by LGB adults; failure to recognize parents' partners; and lack of support by the system to acknowledge the important role of LGB parents. Numerous recommendations are identified for improving how LGB foster parents are supported within child welfare systems including foster parent and social worker training in LGB issues.