Compensatory Action Research Articles

Dual PIO-Based Controller Design for Robustness Improvement of a Magnetic Levitation System

Magnetic levitation systems have a high potential in industrial applications. However, their nonlinear and open-loop unstable nature combined with susceptibility to system parameter uncertainties and external disturbances poses a challenging control problem. As a result, most control techniques applied to these systems are advanced but complex. This paper proposes a proportional–integral observer (PIO)-based control scheme still using a simple conventional cascade controller to enhance robustness. Design of the controller is presented along with computer simulations to verify that the controller is capable of maintaining nominal performance even under such severe conditions. In addition, the performance of the observer’s compensatory action is analyzed according to the singular perturbation theory.

Pronator Quadratus to Extensor Carpi Radialis Brevis Nerve Transfer in C5-C7 or C5-C8 Brachial Plexus Injuries for Independent Wrist Extension.

Background Patients with lesions affecting C7 and C8 roots (in addition to C56) demonstrate loss of independent wrist dorsiflexion in addition to loss of shoulder abduction and elbow flexion. Traditionally, this deficit has been addressed using tendon transfers after useful function at the shoulder and elbow has been restored by primary nerve surgery. Confidence with nerve transfer techniques has prompted attempts to replace this method by incorporating procedures for wrist dorsiflexion in the primary operation itself. Aim The objective of this study was to report the results of pronator quadratus motor branch transfers to the extensor carpi radialis brevis motor branch to reconstruct wrist extension in C5–C8 root lesions of the brachial plexus. Patients and Methods Twenty-three patients, average age 30 years, with C5–8 root injuries underwent operations an average of 4.7 months after their accident. Extrinsic extension of the fingers and thumb was weak or absent in two cases while the remaining 18 patients could open their hand actively. The patients lacked independent wrist extension when they were examined with the fingers flexed as the compensatory action of the extrinsic finger extensors was removed. The average follow-up was 21 months postoperative with the minimal follow-up period was at least 12 months. Results Successful reinnervations of the extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB) were demonstrated in all patients. In 17 patients, wrist extension scored M4, and in 3 patients it scored M3. Conclusions The pronator quadratus (PQ) to ECRB nerve transfer in C5–C7 or C5–C8 brachial plexus injuries for independent wrist extension reconstruction gives consistently good results with minimal donor morbidity.

Social Participation during the Transition to Retirement: Findings on Work, Health and Physical Activity beyond Retirement from an Interview Study over the Course of 3 Years

ABSTRACT The study aimed at (1) comparing pensioners and non-pensioners, and (2) testing mediators between physical activity (PA) and worked hours. An interview-study was conducted with N = 5,002 community-dwelling people aged 55–70 years (for T1). N = 2,501 (50%) were interviewed over 3 years (for T2). The less people worked, the more physically active they were. The relationship between PA and worked hours was mediated by life-investment and subjective health. Supporting PA may enable older individuals to work even after the adjustment to retirement. All initiatives may help lower the risk of early retirement and thereby achieve successful aging. Abbreviations: CATI: Computer-assisted telephone interviews; CCAM: Compensatory Carry-Over Action Model; JDR: Job Demands-Resources model; M: Mean; MANOVA: Multivariate Analysis of Variance; N, n: Number of study participants; PA: Physical activity; SD: Standard Deviation; T1: First measurement point; T2: Second measurement point; TOP: Transitions and Old Age Potential

Impact of a Concha Bullosa on Nasal Airflow Characteristics in the Setting of Nasal Septal Deviation: A Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis.

A concha bullosa (CB) of the middle turbinate is frequently observed on the nondeviated side of patients with a nasal septal deviation (NSD). However, the impact of the CB on nasal airflow characteristics in patients with NSD has been incompletely defined. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a CB in patients with NSD on nasal airflow characteristics using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach. Twenty patients with NSD and a unilateral CB of the middle turbinate on the nondeviated side (study group) were recruited. Another 20 patients with NSD without the formation of a CB (control group) were also enrolled. Using CFD, the maximal airflow velocity, nasal resistance, maximal wall shear stress, and minimal temperature in the bilateral nostrils of each group were assessed. Moreover, the volume of the nasal tract, surface area-to-volume ratio, and the total nasal resistance were compared between the study and control groups. In the study group, no significant differences of airflow dynamics between the bilateral nasal cavities were observed. In the control group, however, there were statistically significant differences for maximal airflow velocity, nasal resistance, maximal wall shear stress, and minimal airflow temperature between the bilateral nostrils. The surface area-to-volume ratio and total nasal resistance in the study group was significantly higher and the nasal volume was significantly decreased than that in the control group. CB of the middle turbinate on the nondeviated side of patients with NSD rendered airflow characteristics more evenly distributed between the bilateral nostrils as assessed by CFD. From an aerodynamics perspective, a CB may represent a compensatory action to normalize airflow dynamics. However, a CB may also result in constriction of the ipsilateral nasal cavity.

Relationships among retinal/choroidal thickness, retinal microvascular network and visual field in high myopia.

To determine the relationships among retinal/choroidal thickness, retinal microvascular network and visual field in high myopia. This cross-sectional study included a total of 62 subjects, comprising 31 eyes with high myopia and 31 eyes with emmetropia or low myopia. Optical coherence tomography was used to quantify the thickness of ganglion cell complex (GCC), inner nuclear layer and outer plexiform layer (INOPL), outer retinal layer (ORL) and choroid layer (ChL). Optical coherence tomography angiography was used to quantify the superficial vessel density (SVD) and deep vessel density (DVD). Retinal light sensitivity (RLS) was measured by microperimetry-1 (MP1). The inner ring (1-1.75mm), the outer ring (1.75-2.5mm) and the whole ring (1-2.5mm) around the macula were analysed and compared between the two groups. Pearson correlation analysis was performed to analyse the relationship among them. In the highly myopic group, the thinning of retinal/choroidal thickness and the decrease in retinal vessel density and RLS were found when compared to the emmetropia or low myopia (p<0.05). Decreased RLS was correlated with decreased ORL thickness (r=-0.469, p=0.008) and choroid thickness (r=0.398, p=0.030). There was no correlation between retinal microvascular network parameters and RLS (p>0.05), but DVD showed a negative correlation with ORL (r=-0.474, p=0.007). Early visual field defects in highly myopic eyes may be influenced by the ORL loss and defect of choroidal circulation. The deep retinal microvascular network may have a compensatory action in the hypoxic setting of high myopia.

Estimating a Rider’s Compensatory Control Actions by Vehicle Dynamics Simulation to Evaluate Controllability Class in ISO 26262

&lt;div class="section abstract"&gt;&lt;div class="htmlview paragraph"&gt;Controllability is defined in ISO 26262 as a driver’s ability to avoid a specified harm caused by a malfunction of electrical and electronic systems installed in road vehicles. According to Annex C of Part 12 of ISO 26262, simulation is one of the techniques that the Controllability Classification Panel (CCP) can use to evaluate comprehensively the controllability class (C class) of motorcycles. With outputs of (i) an index for the success of harm avoidance and (ii) the magnitude of the rider’s compensatory control action required to avoid harm, the simulation is useful for evaluating the C class of the degrees of malfunction that cannot be implemented in practice for the sake of the test rider’s safety.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="htmlview paragraph"&gt;To aim at supplying data that the CCP can use to judge the C class, we try to estimate the vehicle behavior and a rider’s compensatory control actions following a malfunction using vehicle dynamics simulations. The simulated scenario is the occurrence of unintended deceleration during cornering caused by a malfunction of the electronically controlled combined braking system. The parameter values supplied to the simulation model are set based on data obtained from actual riding tests that were performed. Using this model, we extrapolates the vehicle behaviors and the rider’s compensatory control actions under conditions that an actual riding test cannot be feasible. Moreover, the estimation results demonstrate the likely magnitude of the steering torque relative to the deceleration due to the malfunction as data that the CCP could use to evaluate the C class.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

Dostępność dzienna w układzie miast wojewódzkich w Polsce = Daily accessibility among Poland’s voivodeship cities

Daily accessibility as one of the measures of transport accessibility is an indicator that can be used, i.a. as relations between a given area’s transport system and spatial planning are analysed. The indicator provides a broad field for assessing the effectiveness of the transport system and spatial planning operating at a given time, while simultaneously indicating directions by which these may be improved. The main aim of the work detailed here was to assess whether and to what extent the current road system, as well as the layout of railway lines and connections, creates positive conditions for the development of the network configuration of Polish metropolises. In terms of application, the aim is to assess the level of implementation of the polycentric metropolitan network referred to in the KPZK 2030 document (i.e. Poland’s National Spatial Planning Concept through to the year 2030). The paper thus presents an attempt to determine the potential for mutual functional and spatial connections to be established or reinforced within Poland’s system of voivodeship cities. That estimation of potential was based on analysis of daily (i.e. within-the-day) accessibility among the cities in question. The measurement of daily accessibility was based on the time of individual (car) travel or that involving rail transport. The analysis further included three variants for travel within the space of a given day (i.e. with 4, 6 or 8 hours available at the destination). This allowed for the development of a synthetic index of daily accessibility by which to characterise selected voivodship cities, which might then be classified in terms of their potential for establishing functional and spatial interrelatedness. The results of the research conducted offer a broad insight into the potential for selected voivodship cities to benefit from participation in the inter-agglomeration network. Moreover, thanks to our research, it was possible to identify peripheral areas (in which development potential was relatively lower) – which therefore require the kind of additional activation and compensatory action foreseen by KPZK 2030. Such actions should certainly relate to improved transport accessibility among the system’s largest centres.

Comparison of the effects of the knee flexion and extension during side-lying hip abduction on the activity and onset time of the gluteus medius and quadratus lumborum

BACKGROUND: An increase in the compensatory action of the quadratus lumborum (QL) during side-lying hip abduction (SHA) can lead to lateral movement impairment of the pelvis. OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of knee flexion (KF) and knee extension (KE) during SHA at abduction angles of 25∘, 35∘, and 45∘ on the activity and onset time of the gluteus medius (GM) and QL. METHODS: Thirty healthy men were recruited and randomly divided into two groups: those with SHA with KF and those with SHA with KE. The subjects performed SHA at three angles of abduction in a random order. Surface electromyography was used to record the muscle activities of the GM and QL. RESULTS: The QL activity decreased significantly more in the KE group than in the KF group at each of the three angles of abduction during SHA. The GM/QL activity ratio increased significantly in the KE compared to the KF group. In addition, in the KE group, the onset of the GM activity was significantly earlier than that of the QL activity. On the other hand, in the KF group, the onset of the GM activity occurred later than that of the QL activity. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that KE is more effective than KF in selectively activating the GM during SHA by reducing the QL activity and firing the GM earlier than the QL.

The Role of Fibroblast Growth Factor 23 in Inflammation and Anemia.

In patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), adverse outcomes such as systemic inflammation and anemia are contributing pathologies which increase the risks for cardiovascular mortality. Amongst these complications, abnormalities in mineral metabolism and the metabolic milieu are associated with chronic inflammation and iron dysregulation, and fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) is a risk factor in this context. FGF23 is a bone-derived hormone that is essential for regulating vitamin D and phosphate homeostasis. In the early stages of CKD, serum FGF23 levels rise 1000-fold above normal values in an attempt to maintain normal phosphate levels. Despite this compensatory action, clinical CKD studies have demonstrated powerful and dose-dependent associations between FGF23 levels and higher risks for mortality. A prospective pathomechanism coupling elevated serum FGF23 levels with CKD-associated anemia and cardiovascular injury is its strong association with chronic inflammation. In this review, we will examine the current experimental and clinical evidence regarding the role of FGF23 in renal physiology as well as in the pathophysiology of CKD with an emphasis on chronic inflammation and anemia.

137. Surgical overcorrection relative to ideal spinopelvic alignment reduces rates of pelvic nonresponse for severely malaligned adult spinal deformity patients

BACKGROUND CONTEXT Persistent lumbopelvic malalignment following ASD-corrective surgery may impair quality of life and result in persistent pathologic compensation in the lower extremities. Patient-specific age- and BMI-adjusted alignment targets have been proposed to improve alignment outcomes; however, it is unclear whether reaching these postop targets reduces rates of pelvic nonresponse following surgery. PURPOSE Assess the relationship between pelvic nonresponse to ASD-corrective surgery and persistent lower-extremity compensation. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING Single center retrospective review. PATIENT SAMPLE Fifty-eight ASD patients. OUTCOME MEASURES Sagittal alignment. METHODS Included: surgical ASD patients with full-spine X-ray imaging at pre- and early postop follow-up ( RESULTS Following propensity score matching, PNR (N=29) and PR (N=29) patients did not differ in age, sex, BMI or preop sagittal spinal alignment (all p>0.05); however, PNR patients presented with less knee flexion (9° vs 14°, p=0.043). Groups did not differ in levels fused (10.8 vs 10.8, p=0.974) or osteotomy (93% vs 92%, p=0.902). Postop, PNR patients had inferior lumbopelvic alignment in PT (30° vs 17°), PI-LL (17° vs 3°), and greater global malalignment for TPA (27° vs 15°, all p 0.05). For patients with severe preop SVA deformity, overcorrection relative to ideal postop PT targets was associated with lower rates of pelvic non-response (under: 12%, match: 18%, over: 71%, p CONCLUSIONS Pelvic nonresponders following ASD-corrective surgery had higher rates of persistent compensatory action in the lower extremities. Patients with severe preop PT deformity who were surgically overcorrected with respect to ideal PI-LL had lower rates of postop pelvic nonresponse, indicating that for severely malalignmed patients, existing alignment targets may need to be adjusted to optimize alignment outcomes. FDA DEVICE/DRUG STATUS This abstract does not discuss or include any applicable devices or drugs.

A web-based lifestyle intervention program for Chinese college students: study protocol and baseline characteristics of a randomized placebo-controlled trial

BackgroundThis study aimed to describe the design and present the baseline characteristics of a web-based lifestyle intervention program, which comprises of sequentially and simultaneously delivered intervention modules targeting physical activity (PA) and fruit and vegetable consumption (FVC) in Chinese college students.MethodsThe study adopted a randomized placebo-controlled trial, using the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) and the Compensatory Carry-Over Action Model (CCAM) as the theoretical backdrops. 556 Chinese college students participated in the 8-week web-based lifestyle intervention program. All eligible participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups: 1) the PA-first arm which received a 4-week intervention addressing PA followed by a 4-week intervention addressing FVC; 2) the FVC-first arm which received a 4-week intervention addressing FVC followed by a 4-week intervention addressing PA; 3) the PA + FVC simultaneous arm that received an 8-week intervention addressing both PA and FVC at the same time; and 4) the placebo-control arm that received 8 weeks of general health information, which is not relevant for changing actual PA and FVC behaviors. Data collection includes four time-points: at the beginning and end of the intervention, and a 3-month and 12-month follow-up after the intervention.ResultsAt baseline, 41.7% of participants were male and 58.3% were female. 41.0% of the participants did not meet the standard PA-recommendations, while 69.6% did not adhere to the standard FVC-recommendations. In total, only 19.6% of participants met both PA and FVC recommendations. Baseline characteristics across the four groups had no significant differences (all P = .17–.99), indicating successful randomization.ConclusionsThe preliminary results indicate a high prevalence of unhealthy lifestyles in college students in China, which further supports the need for web-based health intervention programs. This is also the first study that examines the comparative effectiveness of simultaneously and sequentially delivered lifestyle interventions in the Chinese population. These findings may contribute to the creation of future web-based health behavior change interventions.Trial registrationClinicalTrails.gov: NCT03627949, 14 August, 2018.

Dynamic Interaction between Cortico-Brainstem Pathways during Training-Induced Recovery in Stroke Model Rats.

Reorganization of residual descending motor circuits underlies poststroke recovery. We previously clarified a causal relationship between the cortico-rubral tract and intensive limb use-induced functional recovery after internal capsule hemorrhage (ICH). However, other descending tracts, such as the cortico-reticular tract, might also be involved in rehabilitation-induced compensation. To investigate whether rehabilitation-induced recovery after ICH involves a shift in the compensatory circuit from the cortico-rubral tract to the cortico-reticular tract, we established loss of function of the cortico-rubral tract or/and cortico-reticular tract using two sets of viral vectors comprising the Tet-on system and designer receptors exclusively activated by the designer drug system. We used an ICH model that destroyed almost 60% of the corticofugal fibers. Anterograde tracing in rehabilitated rats revealed abundant sprouting of axons from the motor cortex in the red nucleus but not in the medullary reticular formation during the early phase of recovery. This primary contribution of the cortico-rubral tract was demonstrated by its selective blockade, whereas selective cortico-reticular tract silencing had little effect. Interestingly, cortico-rubral tract blockade from the start of rehabilitation induced an obvious increase of axon sprouting in the reticular formation with substantial functional recovery. Additional cortico-reticular tract silencing under the cortico-rubral tract blockade significantly worsened the recovered forelimb function. Furthermore, the alternative recruitment of the cortico-reticular tract was gradually induced by intensive limb use under cortico-rubral tract blockade, in which cortico-reticular tract silencing caused an apparent motor deficit. These findings indicate that individual cortico-brainstem pathways have dynamic compensatory potency to support rehabilitative functional recovery after ICH.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT This study aimed to clarify the interaction between the cortico-rubral and the cortico-reticular tract during intensive rehabilitation and functional recovery after capsular stroke. Pathway-selective disturbance by two sets of viral vectors revealed that the cortico-rubral tract was involved in rehabilitation-induced recovery of forelimb function from an early phase after internal capsule hemorrhage, but that the cortico-reticular tract was not. The sequential disturbance of both tracts revealed that the cortico-reticular tract was recruited and involved in rehabilitation-induced recovery when the cortico-rubral tract failed to function. Our data demonstrate a dynamic compensatory action of individual cortico-brainstem pathways for recovery through poststroke rehabilitation.

The Ubiquity of Positive Measures for Addressing Systemic Discrimination and Inequality

Abstract In The Ubiquity of Positive Measures for Addressing Systemic Discrimination and Inequality: A Comparative Global Perspective, part of the Brill series on Comparative Discrimination Law, David Oppenheimer compares positive measures for addressing inequality and systemic discrimination, including discrimination based on gender, race, ethnicity, color, national origin, disability, and religion. Across the globe, such measures are ubiquitous, commonly applied in employment, admission to selective colleges and universities, selection for legislative seats, and membership on corporate boards. They are variously described as “positive measures,” “affirmative action,” “positive action,” “compensatory action,” or “special measures.” These policies began in the late-eighteenth to mid-nineteenth centuries, as a part of the social/political movements to end slavery, grant universal suffrage, end colonialism, grant equal rights to women and men regardless of social status or property, eliminate the caste system, adopt measures of proportional representation, embrace the benefits of diversity, and endorse universal equality. Nearly every large nation in the world has adopted at least some special measure plans, with continuing experiments using quotas, reservations, set-asides, reparations, preferences, tie-breakers, targeted recruiting efforts, diversity measures, equity and inclusion policies, anti or unconscious bias training, and public disclosure requirements.

Comparison of the Left and Right Muscle Activities of the Upper and Lower Extremities during Gait While Carrying a Messenger Bag and Wearing High Heels

Objective: this study aimed to examine the effect of an asymmetric load (a messenger bag) by weight during gait in high heels on the activities of the trapezius, latissimus dorsi, erector spinae, rectus femoris, tibialis anterior, and gastrocnemius muscles. Method: The subjects wore high heels while carrying a messenger bag that was 5 %, 10 %, and 15 % of their body weight. The activities of the subjects’ trapezius, latissimus dorsi, erector spinae, rectus femoris, tibialis anterior, and gastrocnemius muscles were measured by studying the subjects’ normal gait on a treadmill. Results: In a paired comparison with a load of 15 % of each subject’s weight applied, the percentages of the maximum voluntary isometric contraction of the right and left trapezius muscle were 119.74 ±34.67 % and 46.9±29.23 %, respectively, showing a significant difference between them, and those of the right and left rectus femoris muscle were 166.11±107.78 % and 75.19±37.68 %, showing a significant difference between them(p<.05). Conclusion: This study quantitatively analyzed compensatory action by studying the movement of the body’s center of mass in an unbalanced posture in order to propose an effective method to maintain proper posture.

The effect of tongue thrusting on tongue pressure production during swallowing in adult anterior open bite cases.

Tongue thrusting, which often occurs during swallowing in patients with anterior open bite, is considered to show different tongue dynamics from healthy individuals, but the details are still unclear. This study aimed to identify the effect of tongue thrusting on tongue pressure production during swallowing in patients with anterior open bite. The subjects were 11 patients with an anterior open bite and 8 healthy volunteers with individual normal occlusion. The patients were divided into a tongue-thrusting group (n=8) and a non-thrusting group (n=3). Tongue pressures while swallowing jelly (4mL) were recorded by a sensor sheet system with five measuring points (Chs1-5) attached to the palatal mucosa. The time sequences, maximum magnitude and duration of tongue pressure, and swallowing time of tongue pressure were analysed. Tongue pressure waveforms in the tongue-thrusting group were quite diverse compared with the other two groups. The duration at the posterior-median part in the tongue-thrusting group was significantly shorter, and the maximum magnitudes at the mid-median, posterior-median and the peripheral part were also significantly lower than in the healthy group. These results suggest that the compensatory tongue thrust action by which the tongue closes the front part of the oral cavity may make it difficult to lift the tongue and transfer the bolus. Patients with an anterior open bite and tongue thrusting at swallowing showed diversity of tongue pressure waveforms and noticeably weaker tongue pressures from mid-median to posterior-median regions than healthy individuals.

Training of Hand Rehabilitation Using Low Cost Exoskeleton and Vision-Based Game Interface

Motivating game-based training have the potential to improve therapy for people with neurological impairments. In recent years, the serious games have become extremely useful tools in rehabilitation field. They aim to stimulate the mobility of the body through an immersive experience that puts the user in interactive virtual environment. This paper is concerned about developing a customized augmented reality system for stroke rehabilitation. This will be done through integrating an interactive serious game interface with a hand exoskeleton device. This game-based rehabilitation system allows users to carry out physical rehabilitation therapies using a natural user interface based on Kinect’s skeletal tracking features and the electromyography (EMG) sensor. During game playing, the interactive user interface provides useful real-time feedback information such as the time required to grasp a desired dynamic virtual object, and the assigned score and thus the ability of the proposed system to provide a compensatory action regarding the dynamic behavior of the virtual target. The main goal of the developed virtual environment is to create positive influences on the rehabilitation process. Patient movement information and signals obtained from the developed exoskeleton device are used together to monitor the rehabilitation progress. The developed exoskeleton hand is a 3D printed low cost device suitable for grasping tasks that can be used even for domestic stroke patients. The developed exoskeleton device is not only a mechanical system able to perform the rehabilitation act but also it presents an effective tracking and traceability software solution. The EMG signals measured during hand motion are used to detect the intention of hand opening or closing which in turn will actuate the mechanical structure to accomplish the desired task. Parameters and results of patients’ exercises are stored and analyzed when needed to evaluate patients’ progress. The developed system is tested experimentally and it is able to restore the functions of the upper limb and mainly give patients more motivation to undergo the rehabilitation exercises.

Single-Cell Transcriptomics of Human Oocytes: Environment-Driven Metabolic Competition and Compensatory Mechanisms During Oocyte Maturation.

Aims: The mechanisms coordinating maturation with an environment-driven metabolic shift, a critical step in determining the developmental potential of human in vitro maturation (IVM) oocytes, remain to be elucidated. Here we explored the key genes regulating human oocyte maturation using single-cell RNA sequencing and illuminated the compensatory mechanism from a metabolic perspective by analyzing gene expression.Results: Three key genes that encode CoA-related enzymes were screened from the RNA sequencing data. Two of them, ACAT1 and HADHA, were closely related to the regulation of substrate production in the Krebs cycle. Dysfunction of the Krebs cycle was induced by decreases in the activity of specific enzymes. Furthermore, the activator of these enzymes, the calcium concentration, was also decreased because of the failure of influx of exogenous calcium. Although release of endogenous calcium from the endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria met the requirement for maturation, excessive release resulted in aneuploidy and developmental incompetence. High nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase expression induced NADPH dehydrogenation to compensate for the NADH shortage resulting from the dysfunction of the Krebs cycle. Importantly, high NADP+ levels activated DPYD to enhance the repair of DNA double-strand breaks to maintain euploidy.Innovation: The present study shows for the first time that exposure to the in vitro environment can lead to the decline of energy metabolism in human oocytes during maturation but that a compensatory action maintains their developmental competence.Conclusion: In vitro maturation of human oocytes is mediated through a cascade of competing and compensatory actions driven by genes encoding enzymes.

Animals - Por uma nova zoolatria

O artigo investiga a emergência de uma nova zoolatria, atrelada aos animais domésticos, especialmente, apresentados em vídeos no Youtube. Através do vídeo Animals (Martin Garrix), a proposta de investigação analisa como a condição humana se apresenta como metáforas ligadas ao universo animal. Nossa metodologia contempla a análise da constituição do imaginário e dos universos míticos, através da mitocrítica de Gilbert Durand. Nossos achados evidenciam que esse movimento em direção ao registro por vídeo da vida animal é uma ação compensatória simbólica e também de uma reintegração do homem no novo cenário no qual a natureza é revitalizada por discursos ecológicos.

Endogenous Parathyroid Hormone–Related Protein Compensates for the Absence of Parathyroid Hormone in Promoting Bone Accrual In Vivo in a Model of Bone Marrow Ablation

To assess the effect of hypoparathyroidism on osteogenesis and bone turnover in vivo, bone marrow ablation (BMXs) were performed in tibias of 8-week-old wild-type and parathyroid hormone-null (PTH(-/-)) mice and newly formed bone tissue was analyzed from 5 days to 3 weeks after BMX. At 1 week after BMX, trabecular bone volume, osteoblast numbers, alkaline phosphatase-positive areas, type I collagen-positive areas, PTH receptor-positive areas, calcium sensing receptor-positive areas, and expression of bone formation-related genes were all decreased significantly in the diaphyseal regions of bones of PTH(-/-) mice compared to wild-type mice. In contrast, by 2 weeks after BMX, all parameters related to osteoblastic bone accrual were increased significantly in PTH(-/-) mice. At 5 days after BMX, active tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)-positive osteoclasts had appeared in wild-type mice but were undetectable in PTH(-/-) mice, Both the ratio of mRNA levels of receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL)/osteoprotegerin (OPG) and TRAP-positive osteoclast surface were still reduced in PTH(-/-) mice at 1 week but were increased by 2 weeks after BMX. The expression levels of parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) at both mRNA and protein levels were upregulated significantly at 1 week and more dramatically at 2 weeks after BMX in PTH(-/-) mice. To determine whether the increased newly formed bones in PTH(-/-) mice at 2 weeks after BMX resulted from the compensatory action of PTHrP, PTH(-/-) PTHrP(+/-) mice were generated and newly formed bone tissue was compared in these mice with PTH(-/-) and wild-type mice at 2 weeks after BMX. All parameters related to osteoblastic bone formation and osteoclastic bone resorption were reduced significantly in PTH(-/-) PTHrP(+/-) mice compared to PTH(-/-) mice. These results demonstrate that PTH deficiency itself impairs osteogenesis, osteoclastogenesis, and osteoclastic bone resorption, whereas subsequent upregulation of PTHrP in osteogenic cells compensates by increasing bone accrual.

Compensatory conservation measures for an endangered caribou population under climate change

Future human land use and climate change may disrupt movement behaviors of terrestrial animals, thereby altering the ability of individuals to move across a landscape. Some of the expected changes result from processes whose effects will be difficult to alter, such as global climate change. We present a novel framework in which we use models to (1) identify the ecological changes from these difficult-to-alter processes, as well as (2) the potential conservation measures that are best able to compensate for these changes. We illustrated this framework with the case of an endangered caribou population in Québec, Canada. We coupled a spatially explicit individual-based movement model with a range of landscape scenarios to assess the impacts of varying degrees of climate change, and the ability of conservation actions to compensate for such impacts on caribou movement behaviors. We found that (1) climate change impacts reduced movement potential, and that (2) the complete restoration of secondary roads inside protected areas was able to fully offset this reduction, suggesting that road restoration would be an effective compensatory conservation action. By evaluating conservation actions via landscape use simulated by an individual-based model, we were able to identify compensatory conservation options for an endangered species facing climate change.