Significant Decrement Research Articles

Assessment of Attentional Functioning in Health Professionals of a Brazilian Tertiary Referral Hospital for COVID-19.

This study is aimed at assessing differences in basic attentional functioning between substantial and minimal work-related exposure to COVID-19 patients in professionals working in a tertiary referral hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Therefore, hospital employees performed a Continuous Visual Attention Test. This test consisted of a 90-second Go/No-Go task with 72 (80%) targets and 18 (20%) nontargets. For each participant, reaction time and intraindividual variability of reaction times of all correct target responses, as well as the number of omission and commission errors, were evaluated. Participants were divided into 2 groups based on their exposure to COVID-19 patients (substantial versus minimal exposure). The substantial exposure group consisted of participants with 24 hours/week or more direct contact with COVID-19 patients. This cut-off was based on the clear division between professionals working and not working with COVID-19 patients and considered that 12-hour and 24-hour daily shifts are common for hospital employees in Brazil. A MANCOVA was performed to examine between-group differences, using age, sleep quality, sex, education level, previous COVID-19 infection, and profession as covariates. Of 124 participants, 80 had substantial exposure and 44 had minimal exposure to COVID-19. The overall MANCOVA reached statistical significance (P = 0.048). Post hoc ANCOVA analysis showed that the substantial exposure group had a statistically significantly higher intraindividual variability of reaction time of all correct target responses (P = 0.017, Cohen′s δ = −0.55). This result remained after removing those with a previous COVID-19 infection (P = 0.010, Cohen′s δ = −0.64) and after matching groups for sample size (P = 0.004, Cohen′s δ = −0.81). No other variables reached statistical significance. Concluding, hospital professionals with a substantial level of exposure to patients with COVID-19 show a significant attention decrement and, thus, may be at a higher risk of accidental SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Inspiratory Muscle Training Program Using the PowerBreath®: Does It Have Ergogenic Potential for Respiratory and/or Athletic Performance? A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis.

This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to provide scientific evidence regarding the effects of training on respiratory muscle training’s impact with the PowerBreath®. A systematic analysis based on the PRISMA guides and a conducted research structured around the bases of Web of Science, Scopus, Medline/PubMed, SciELO y Cochrane Library Plus. Six articles published before January 2021 were included. The documentation and quantification of heterogeneity in every meta-analysis were directed through Cochran’s Q test and the statistic I2; additionally, a biased publication analysis was made using funnel plots, whose asymmetry was quantified Egger’s regression. The methodological quality was assessed through McMaster’s. PowerBreath® administering a ≥ 15% resistive load of the maximum inspiratory pressure (PIM) achieves significant improvements (54%) in said pressure within 4 weeks of commencing the inspiratory muscle training. The maximal volume of oxygen (VO2max) considerable enhancements was achieved from the 6 weeks associated with the maximum inspiratory pressure ≥ 21.5% post inspiratory muscle training onwards. Conversely, a significant blood lactate concentration decrement occurred from the 4th week of inspiratory muscle training, after a maximum inspiratory pressure ≥ 6.8% increment. PowerBreath® is a useful device to stimulate sport performance and increase pulmonary function.

Diabetes mellitus aggravates ranolazine-induced ECG changes in rats.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is known to affect the pharmacokinetics of drugs. In this study, we evaluated the effect of DM on the liver content of CYP 3A2 enzyme. We also explored the ECG changes after administration of ranolazine in non-DM and DM rats. First phase: 24 male Wistar rats were separated into 4 groups. The control group (n = 6) received normal saline and the DM groups (n = 18) were treated with a single dose (55mg/kg) of streptozocin (STZ; i.p. injection), then were held for 10, 20, and 30days, respectively. After study duration for each group, the liver CYP 3A2 protein content was determined using western blotting. Second phase: 48 male Wistar rats were classified into two groups of non-DM and DM; and each group was divided into 4 subgroups (n: 6). Experimental groups received oral doses of 20, 40, and 80mg/kg ranolazine. DM and non-DM control groups received normal saline. Treatment lasted for 28days, and then the ECG was recorded. Experimental DM induced by STZ caused a significant decrement in liver CYP3A2 protein content of rats on days 10 and 20 (P < 0.01), and 30 (P < 0.05) compared to the control animals. Significant increases in QT and corrected QT (QTc) intervals (P < 0.01), and bradycardia (P < 0.01) without any significant effect on PR and QRS intervals were observed in DM in comparison with non-DM groups after ranolazine treatment. In summary, DM induction in animals resulted in CYP 3A2 inhibition and the prolongation of QT and QTc interval as well as bradycardia after ranolazine treatment.

Effect of plasticizers on physical, thermal, and tensile properties of thermoplastic films based on Dioscorea hispida starch

This study examines the effects of varying the concentrations of sorbitol (S) and glycerol (G) on the physical, morphological, thermal, and mechanical properties of Dioscorea hispida, starch-based films. In this context, the films of Dioscorea hispida starch were developed using solution casting technique with glycerol (G), sorbitol (S), and a mixture of sorbitol-glycerol (SG) as plasticizers at the ratios of 0, 30, 45, and 60 wt%. The films' moisture contents were increased when increasing the plasticizer contents. The tensile strengths were decreased, but elongations at break were increased; 7.38%–11.54% for G-plasticized films, 10.17%–15.76% for S-plasticized films, and 14.41%– 16.10% for SG-plasticized films with increasing plasticizer concentrations of the film samples. Varying plasticizer concentrations exhibited a minor effect on the S-plasticized film's thermal properties. Significant decrement in the glass transition temperatures of Dioscorea hispida starch films was observed when the plasticizer contents were raised from 30% to 60%. Significantly, the present work has shown that plasticized Dioscorea hispida starch can be considered a promising biopolymer for the applications of biodegradable films.

EFFECT OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES ON HEART RATE VARIABILITY AND SKIN CONDUCTANCE

The sympathetic and parasympathetic function of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) is the primary cause of the variations in Heart Rate and Skin Conductance (SC) during different physical activities. This paper aims to analyze the effect of different physical activities i.e. (a) Supine (b) Standing and (c) Warm-up, on Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and SC. The standard dataset of 18 subjects has been used to analyze the effect of physical activities on the HRV and SC. In the used dataset, the subjects are in supine, standing, and warm-up positions. The linear methods (time domain &amp; frequency domain) of HRV are implemented on the standard dataset for analyzing the effect of physical activities. It has been observed with the analysis of the HRV that the mean value of time domain methods i.e. the NN interval’s standard deviation (SDNN), the successive RR interval’s root mean square (RMSSD), RR intervals with more than 50 ms differences in between them (NN50), percentage of successive RR intervals that have the difference of more than 50 ms (pNN50) are decreased and the value of Heart rate (HR) increased when the activity has been changed from supine to standing and standing to the warm-up positions. The value of frequency domain methods, such as low frequency (LF) and the ratio of low and high frequency (LF/HF) increased, while the value of HF decreases as activity changes from supine to standing and from supine to warm-up position. Further, the increment is also observed in the value of SC when activity is switched from supine to standing and from standing to the warm-up position. It is concluded from the results that there is a significant decrement that is observed in the value of HRV, while the increment is observed in the value of SC and HR. Decrement of HRV reflects that the sympathetic activity is increased as activity changed from supine to standing and further from standing to warm-up positions.

Randomized, Placebo-controlled, Antidepressant Treatment of Patients with Major Depressive Disorder: Changes in Glomerular Filtration Rate

BackgroundA bidirectional relationship between depression and renal dysfunction has been posited, however, a paucity of longitudinal data exists in individuals with major depression disorder (MDD). As depression may contribute to the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD), we sought to determine whether effective depression treatment was associated with improvement in renal function. MethodsA retrospective analysis performed on 1600 outpatients who underwent double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized antidepressant treatment (DBPCRAT) of MDD in thirteen Eli Lilly and Company clinical trials. Magnitude of depression symptoms was measured with the Hamilton Depression Rating scale (HAMD); glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was estimated using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation. ResultsAfter 7 weeks of DBPCRAT, HAMD scores in the treatment group decreased by 11.8 points, compared to 9.3 points in the placebo group (p < 0.0001). In the antidepressant-treated group, eGFR decreased by 0.28 ml/min/1.73 m2 and by 0.88 ml/min/1.73 m2 in the placebo-treated group (p = 0.17). Predictors of HAMD score at week 7 were baseline HAMD score (B = 0.237; p < 0.001), and antidepressant treatment (B = −2.28, p < 0.001). Predictors of eGFR were baseline eGFR (B = 0.651, p < 0.0001), increasing age (B = −0.194, p < 0.0001), and female gender (B = −0.984, p = 0.013). ConclusionShort-term, MDD was not associated with clinically significant decrements in eGFR. Future studies will determine whether depression treatment over a more prolonged period of time is associated with improvement in eGFR, especially in minorities and other high-risk populations.

Physical and Mental Fatigue in Subjects Recovered from COVID-19 Infection: A Case-Control Study.

PurposeMuch effort has been directed toward studying COVID-19 symptoms; however, the post–COVID-19 phase remains mysterious. The aim of this work was to conduct a clinical and neurophysiological evaluation of physical and mental fatigue in COVID-19 long-haulers and to study whether markers of COVID-19 severity are able to predict the likelihood of developing postinfectious fatigue syndrome (PIFS) in such patients.Patients and MethodsThis case–control study was conducted on 46 COVID-19 long-haulers who met the criteria for PIFS and 46 recovered COVID-19 subjects without any residuals. Clinical assessment of fatigue was done using a fatigue questionnaire. Repetitive nerve stimulation and single-fiber electromyography were done after excluding neuropathy and myopathy.ResultsThe median value for physical fatigue was 4 (IQR 2–7), while that for mental fatigue was 2 (IQR 0–3). Each day’s increase in the period of COVID-19 illness increased the odds of PIFS in COVID-19 long-haulers 1.104-fold, and each unit increase in ferritin increased the odds of PIFS 1.006-fold. A significant decrement in at least one muscle was observed in 50% of patients. Patients with PIFS had significantly higher mean consecutive difference (MCD) in the extensor digitorum communis than the control group. There were statistically significant positive correlations between MCD values and physical, mental, and total fatigue scores.ConclusionHigher ferritin levels and prolonged COVID-19 infection were independent predictors of PIFS in COVID-19 long-haulers. There was electrophysiological evidence of abnormalities in the peripheral portion of the motor unit in COVID-19 long-haulers with PIFS.

Performance and size comparison of two-stage and three-stage axial turbines for a nitrogen gas Brayton cycle coupled with a sodium-cooled fast reactor

A nitrogen (N2) Brayton cycle is considered as an alternative to the conventional steam Rankine cycle to overcome essential risk during pressure boundary rupture accidents with sodium-water reaction in a steam-generator of a sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR). The objectives of this study are to estimate the turbine performances after proposing three-dimensional (3-D) blade designs and to suggest an option of detailed turbine design for N2 Brayton cycle-SFR applications. A free-vortex design method was applied in the 3-D design. Three candidates, including two- and three-stage designs, were selected from the Smith charts. Aerodynamic losses were investigated and compared through computational fluid dynamics analyses for the cases selected above. According to the results, rotor blade with milder curvature increased proportions of secondary and tip leakage losses among the total aerodynamic loss. When comprehensively considering the turbomachinery size and cycle thermal efficiency, the size of the two-stage turbine could be reduced to under 55% of the three-stage turbine size, resulting in no significant decrement of the cycle efficiency.

Using the job demands-resources model to understand and address employee well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic

Telecommuting during COVID-19 and the JD-R model Previous research has demonstrated that telecommuting can positively affect employee well-being when it provides employees with greater flexibility, reduces the stress and time costs of commuting, increases employee productivity, and allows employees to better balance their home and work lives (for a review of the benefits of telecommuting, see Mann & Holdsworth, 2003). Job demands refer to the physical, social, or organizational characteristics of the work itself (e.g., role overload, ambiguity, time pressure) that require prolonged physical and/or mental effort by employees and are subsequently associated with significant decrements in employee health and performance over time. Both role ambiguity, defined as a lack of information or unclear information about a given worker’s job or expectations, and role conflict, defined as an individual’s experience of incompatible demands from the different roles they have (e.g., employee and parent), have been consistently associated with decreased job satisfaction and commitment, as well as increased mental health issues (e.g., depression, anxiety;Fisher & Gitelson, 1983;Tubre & Collins, 2000). [...]it is important for managers to be as transparent and clear as possible when communicating with their teams about how project timelines, priorities, and tasks may be affected during this time.

Decrements in Adolescent Cardiac Complexity During Mother-Adolescent Conflicts.

The present study aimed to provide further evidence on the usefulness of non-linear cardiac measures when examining the output of the cardiac system. Scale-invariant self-similarity and entropy, in addition to heart rate variability (HRV) given by time- and frequency-domain measures were calculated in a sample of N = 55 healthy adolescents (Mage = 14.122, SDage = 0.698) during 10-min positive (non-stressful) and negative (stressful) interactions with their mothers. We also explored sex influence in adolescents' cardiac output using both HRV measures and non-linear cardiac measures. Repeated measures MANOVA revealed a marginal within-group effect for HRV measures, F(3,51) = 2.438, p = 0.075, η2p = 0.125), and a significant within-group effect for non-linear cardiac measures, F(6, 48) = 3.296, p = 0.009, η2p = 0.292, showing a significant decrement in adolescents' cardiac complexity during the negative interaction. No significant effect for sex was found in either non-linear cardiac measures or HRV measures, but results suggest lower cardiac scaling in females than in males. These findings suggest a real-time scale predominance in heart rate output when adolescents face an aversive situation and support the importance of non-linear cardiac measures to gain insight into the cardiac system and its regulatory mechanisms. Further research is needed to examine sex-differences in cardiac complexity during aversive situations.

Postinflammatory hyperpigmentation: protocol for development of a core outcome set for clinical trials.

Postinflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) is a disorder of pigmentation that is a common presenting complaint, especially in individuals with skin of color. It is associated with a significant psychological burden and decrement of quality of life. Management options include photoprotection, topical lightening agents, and lasers and energy devices. Clinical trials of melasma report a diversity of outcomes, which often impedes synthesis of results across trials, or comparison of results associated with different treatment modalities. This protocol describes the design of a consensus process that would culminate in the development of a core set of outcomes to be assessed in all clinical trials for PIH. A long list of candidate outcomes will be developed through a systematic review, combined with semi-structured interviews with various stakeholders, including patients, scientists, regulators, and health care professionals. This long list of outcomes will be reviewed and refined by a steering committee. Then two rounds of Delphi surveys of patient and physician groups, respectively, will be used to cull the list, with provisional inclusion of those items deemed "important" by 70% of the respondents. A consensus meeting will be held virtually or in person to vote on these items, and also to consider any changes necessary before acceptance of a final core outcome set. Development of a core outcome set for PIH is expected to improve and standardize outcomes reporting in current and future clinical trials. This, in turn, may facilitate aggregation of research results and permit comparison of outcomes across multiple studies.

Alteration in micro-mechanical characteristics of wellbore cement fracture surfaces due to fluid exposure

The stiffness of wellbore cement fracture surfaces was measured after exposing to the advective flow of nitrogen, silicone oil, and medium sweet dead crude oil for different exposure periods. The test specimens were extracted from fractured cement cylinders, where the cement fracture surfaces were exposed to the different fluids up to 15 weeks. A nanoindenter with a Berkovich indenter tip was used to measure load-indentation depth data, which was used to extract the elastic modulus (E) and nano-hardness (H) of the cement fracture surfaces. A reduction in the elastic modulus compared with an unexposed specimen were observed in all the specimens. Both elastic modulus and nano-hardness for the specimens exposed to silicone oil were lower than specimens exposed to nitrogen gas and varied with the period of exposure. The elastic modulus and nano-hardness of the specimens exposed to crude oil were the lowest with a significant decrement with the exposure period. The frequency distribution of the nanoindentation measurements shows that the volume-fraction ratio of the two types of cement hydrated nanocomposites for both the unexposed and test specimens is about 70:30%. Phase transformation beneath the indenter is observed for all of the specimens, with more obvious plastic deformation in specimens exposed to crude oil. Analytical measurements (SEM, EDS, FT-IR, and XRD) on exposed cement fracture surfaces reveal different levels of physical and chemical alteration that are consistent with the reduction in stiffness measured by nanoindentation. The study suggests that cement stiffness will decrease due to crude oil exposure, and the fracture will be sensitive to stress and pore pressure with time.

Achieving high strength-ductility in pure copper by cold rolling and submerged friction stir processing (SFSP)

In this research, the combined effect of pre-rolling and submerged friction stir processing (SFSP) on the microstructure, hardness, and tensile behavior of commercially pure copper were evaluated. Several voids and cavities were observed in the stirred zone of 0 %–400, 60 %–400, 60 %–600, and 0 %–800 samples, and the defect-free copper could be achieved under a narrow process window. The microstructures revealed that a significant decrement in grain size occurred in the stirred zone of the SFSP-processed coppers due to the occurrence of dynamic recrystallization (DRX) and water cooling conditions. The pre-rolling led to decreasing the grain size after the SFSP owing to providing more nucleation sites for recrystallization. In the 60 %–800 sample, despite the increase in heat-input by increasing the rotational speed, due to the pre-strain, the average hardness was about 5 HV higher than the 0 %–600 sample (92.2 HV vs. 87.1 HV). In the case of the 0% sample, by conducting the SFSP, the yield and ultimate tensile strengths (YS and UTS) increased to 215 and 277 MPa, respectively, due to the lower grain size of the 0 %–600 sample as compared to the 0% sample (4.5 μm vs 17.9 μm). On the other hand, in the 60 %–800 sample, the YS and UTS reduced to 307 MPa as compared to the 60 % sample owing to the transition of the strengthening mechanism from strain hardening to grain refinement. The fractured surfaces of all samples exhibited a ductile manner. However, after the SFSP, the size and depth of dimples were reduced due to the finer grain size.

Prevalence of Leucopenia and Associated Factors before and after Initiation of ART among HIV-Infected Patients, North East Ethiopia: Cross-Sectional Study.

BackgroundLeucopenia is the commonest hematological abnormaly that occurs in patients with human immune deficiency virus (HIV) infection. The magnitude and related factors of leucopenia during the time of ART are not characterized in Ethiopia. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of leucopenia before and after the initiation of ART among HIV patients attending Debre Berhan Referral Hospital (DBRH), North East Ethiopia.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted from September to December 2020 in DBRH, North-East Ethiopia. A total of 272 patients on ART were selected by simple random sampling techniques. Socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of the study participants were collected by standard questionnaires. Measurements of leucocyte count and CD4 counts were made by Sysmex XT 2000i hematology analyzer and BD FACS count CD4 analyzer, respectively. Statistical analysis of data was done by SPSS version 23. Logistic regression was done and a P-value<0.05 was taken as statistically significant.ResultsThe prevalence of leucopenia, neutropenia, and lymphopenia were 20.9%, 7.0%, and 6.6% before initiation of ART and 15.4%, 1.1, and 4.4% after initiation of ART, respectively. There was a significant difference in total white blood cell count, absolute neutrophil count, and total lymphocyte count between patients on ART and ART naïve patients. HIV patients whose cluster of differentiation (CD4) counts were <200 cells/µL and patients on a zidovudine (AZT)-based regimen were more likely to have leucopenia than HIV patients whose CD4 counts were ≥ 200 cells/µL and on a tenofovir (TDF)-based regimen.ConclusionIn this study, the prevalence of leucopenia, neutropenia, and lymphopenia has shown a significant decrement after the initiation of ART. HIV patients with low CD4 count and on an AZT-based regimen are more likely to have leucopenia, neutropenia, and lymphopenia. Based on our findings, we recommend that the health care professional routinely investigate and should treat leucopenia.

Effects of accumulated environmental, social and host exposures on early childhood educational outcomes

BackgroundPersistent disparities in academic performance may result from a confluence of adverse exposures accruing disproportionately to specific subpopulations. ObjectiveOur overarching objective was to investigate how multiple exposures experienced over time affect early childhood educational outcomes. We were specifically interested in whether there were: racial/ethnic disparities in prevalence of adverse exposures; racial/ethnic disparities in associations observed between adverse exposures and early childhood educational outcomes; and interactions between exposures, suggesting that one exposure augments susceptibility to adverse effects of another exposure. MethodsWe link geocoded North Carolina birth data for non-Hispanic white (NHW) and non-Hispanic black (NHB) children to blood lead surveillance data and 4th grade end-of-grade (EOG) standardized test scores (n = 65,151). We construct a local, spatial index of racial isolation (RI) of NHB at the block group level. We fit race-stratified multi-level models of reading and mathematics EOG scores regressed on birthweight percentile for gestational age, blood lead level, maternal smoking, economic disadvantage, and RI, adjusting for maternal- and child-level covariates and median household income. ResultsThere were marked racial/ethnic disparities in prevalence of adverse exposures. Specifically, NHB children were more likely than NHW children to be economically disadvantaged (80% vs. 40%), live in block groups with the highest quintile of RI (46% vs. 5%), have higher blood lead levels (4.6 vs. 3.7 μg/dL), and lower birthweight percentile for gestational age (mean: 39th percentile vs. 51st percentile). NHB children were less likely to have mothers who reported smoking during pregnancy (11% and 22%). We observed associations between key adverse exposures and reading and math EOG scores in 4th grade. Higher birthweight percentile for gestational age was associated with higher EOG scores, while economic disadvantage, maternal smoking, and elevated blood lead levels were associated with lower EOG scores. Associations observed for NHB and NHW children were generally not statistically different from one another, with the exception of neighborhood RI. NHB children residing in block groups in the highest RI quintile had reading and math scores 1.54 (0.74, 2.34) and 1.12 (0.38, 1.87) points lower, respectively, compared to those in the lowest RI quintile; statistically significant decrements in EOG scores associated with RI were not observed for NHW children. We did not find evidence of multiplicative interactions between exposures for NHB or NHW children. DiscussionKey adverse host, environmental, and social exposures accrue disproportionately to NHB children. Decrements in test scores associated with key adverse exposures were often but not always larger for NHB children, but were not significantly different from those estimated for NHW children. While we did not observe interactive effects, NHB children on average experience more deleterious combined exposures, resulting in larger decrements to test scores compared to NHW children.

Treatment Efficacy with a Novel Hyaluronic Acid-Based Hydrogel for Osteoarthritis of the Knee

Background: Prior trials investigating the treatment of symptomatic osteoarthritis (OA) with hyaluronic-acid-derived products injections have provided optimistic results. The study was directed to assess the effectiveness of an innovative hyaluronic-acid-based hydrogel (Hymovis®) in the treatment of symptomatic knee OA. Methods: A prospective, single-center, clinical trial was performed. Thirty-five patients with degenerative knee OA were included. Inclusion criteria were: age between 45–80, radiographic Kellgren grade II or III osteoarthritis, minimum 35 mm score on the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), pain for at least 6 months and agreement to participate in the study. Patients received two injections at a one-week interval. The evaluator assessed the patients using the Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and VAS. Evaluation was performed before, at 2 and 6 months after the injections. Results: A significant improvement on the WOMAC Index pain subscale was observed at 6 months after the injection. At two months, pain subscale score decreased from 10.34 to 9.34. At six months, a significant decrement in pain parameters compared to baseline was observed (from 10.34 to 7.72; p = 0.0004). Median points on VAS significantly ameliorated after 6 months (from 74.2 to 57.3 cm; p < 0.0001). Regarding physical function, a statistically significant difference compared to baseline was observed at the end of the study (from 29.74 to 25.18; p = 0.0025). WOMAC Index stiffness component did not differ from baseline at any time during follow-up. Conclusions: Pain relief installed with a delayed on-set but had a prolonged duration. The novel hyaluronic acid-based hydrogel (Hymovis®) had effective results, particularly after six months post-injections and offers a therapeutic advancement in the treatment of moderate to severe osteoarthritis.

Polyhydroxybutyrate production from dark-fermentative effluent and composite grafting with bagasse derived α-cellulose in a biorefinery approach

The study evaluated the preparation of a biocomposite using waste-derived polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and bagasse cellulose (α-cellulose) in a biorefinery approach. PHB was produced using dark fermentation effluent rich in volatile fatty acids (VFA) derived from vegetable waste and α-cellulose was extracted from sugarcane bagasse (SCB). Nutrient limitation induced microbial PHB accumulation, wherein maximum production of 0.28 ± 0.06 g PHB/g DCW (28%) was observed. Confocal examination showed the deposition of PHB granules in the cell cytoplasm and NMR spectrum exhibited a structural correlation. α-Cellulose (0.22 ± 0.02 g α-cellulose/g SCB) was extracted through SCB pretreatment. Thereafter, grafting α-cellulose with PHB offered intermolecular bonding, which resulted in enhanced thermal stability of the biocomposite than corresponding pristine PHB. FE-SEM morphological examination of biocomposite depicted that α-cellulose functioned as a filler to PHB. XRD profiles showed significant decrement in PHB crystallinity, signifying the functional role of α-cellulose as an effective reinforcing agent. Additionally, ether functional group of α-cellulose and ester group of PHB also appeared in XPS analysis of the composite, thus authorizing the effective blending of α-cellulose and PHB. Utilization of bagasse-derived cellulose for strengthening biologically produced PHB expands its applications, while simultaneously addressing the plastic pollution issues. Additional value from this process was further achieved by incorporating the concept of biorefinery, wherein acidogenic fermentation effluents were used for the production of PHA, which enabled the re-entry of products (VFA) to the production cycle, thus achieving circularity.

Real-time mechanical responses to overload and fatigue using a flywheel training device

PurposeThis study aimed to analyze mechanical performance and mechanical losses across different sets and repetitions of unilateral leg extensions under flywheel loading conditions. MethodsIn a cross-over design, 23 physically active participants executed 3 sets of 30 repetitions using two different loads. Angular speed, angular acceleration and power were monitored, and mean and peak values of these variables were calculated for each set of repetitions. We analyzed time-course differences every five repetitions (described as ‘clusters’). Differences in the mechanical profile for Load by Set and in the mechanical losses for Load by Set by Cluster repetitions were analyzed using an ANOVA repeated measures test. A Principal Components (PC) analysis was also conducted. ResultsOnly peak acceleration showed a significant Set by Load interaction (p = 0.006) in mechanical performance. At the intra-set level, all consecutive clusters showed a significant decrement in all variables, but with different magnitudes (speed < acceleration < power). Although all variables showed significant Set by Cluster and Load by Cluster interactions, only the acceleration variables showed a significant Set by Load interaction (p < 0.05). All the variables showed a single PC. Higher fatigue was found around the concentric peak for each variable. ConclusionsThe most sensitive variable for detecting fatigue using real-time feedback seems to be the angular acceleration of the flywheel. Peak acceleration can be used to monitor training workload and training volume in real time in leg extension exercises using flywheel training devices.

Performance Analysis of Gate-Stack Dual-Material DG MOSFET Using Work-Function Modulation Technique for Lower Technology Nodes

Short channel effects (SCEs) along with mobility degradation has a great impact on CMOS technology below 100 nm. These effects can be overcome by using gate and channel engineering techniques which will improve mobility of the charge carriers, thus eventually improving drain current and trans-conductance of the device. In this work, the speed of operation for DG MOSFET is improved by reducing the channel length where dual-material gate-stack is deployed to avoid the drain-induced barrier lowering (DIBL) and hot carrier effects. In the presented device, the metal closer to the source and drain has higher and lower work function, respectively which causes a significant decrement in the peak electric field at the drain side and so the SCEs. The carrier mobility is also increased due to enhanced electric field in the channel, near the source, caused by higher work function gate material which, in turn, increases the MOSFET’s driving current. The screening effect reducing SCEs and an increment in the acceleration of the charge carriers in the channel are mainly attributed due to higher and lower threshold voltage found near the source and drain, respectively.

Pilot Study: Physical Examination Evidence of Acupuncture Principal Meridian Coupling.

Objective: This pilot study of acupuncture primary channel coupling examined the effect of anterior tibialis (AT) muscle activation (Stomach = ST channel distribution muscle) on ipsilateral anterior deltoid shoulder elevation strength (Large Intestine = LI channel distribution muscle). Design: Pilot study: prospective before and after trial, nonblinded. Materials and Methods: Twenty healthy adults ages 20-60 years without shoulder pathology were recruited from our institution. All subjects consented with the IRB-approved minimal risk protocol for this study. Average shoulder elevation break strength (kg) with arm elevated 90° from side was measured by dynamometer over 3 trials for each of 4 conditions: standing (baseline), standing with ipsilateral AT activation, seated with legs dangling ipsilateral AT activation, and seated with legs dangling ipsilateral gastrocsoleus (GS) activation. The main outcome measures were percentage decrement in shoulder elevation strength in AT and GS conditions compared with baseline. Paired t-test with a statistical significance alpha level of 0.05 was used for all statistical analyses. Results: A statistically and clinically significant 9.5%-12.5% (P < 0.001) decrease in shoulder elevation strength was found with ipsilateral AT activation whether in the standing or seated position. Reciprocal inhibition of the AT muscle through GS activation in the seated position produced markedly smaller 3%-4% decreases in shoulder elevation strength from baseline. Conclusions: This study provides quantitative physical examination evidence of LI-ST channel coupling, demonstrating a statistically (P < 0.001) and clinically significant decrement in shoulder elevation strength (9.5%-12.5%) with ipsilateral AT activation. These findings support the acupuncture concept of primary channel coupling, with results suggesting a neural basis for these results rather than from a fascial signaling mechanism.