NeXOS – The design,development and evaluation of a rehabilitation system for the lower limbs

Recent years have seen the development of a number of automated and semi-automated systems to support physiotherapy and rehabilitation. These deploy a range of technologies from highly complex purpose built systems to approaches based around the use of industrial robots operating either individually or in combination for applications ranging from stroke rehabilitation to mobility enhancement. The NeXOS project set out to investigate an approach to the rehabilitation of the lower limbs in a way which brought together expertise in engineering design and mechatronics with specialists in rehabilitation and physiotherapy.The result is prototype of a system which is potentially capable in operating in a number of modes from fully independent to providing direct support to a physiotherapist during manipulation of the limb. Designed around a low cost approach for an implementation ultimately capable of use in a patients home using web-based strategies for communication with their support team, the prototype NeXOS system has validated the adoption of an integrated approach to its development. The paper considers this design and development process and provides the results from the initial tests with physiotherapists to establish the operational basis for clinical implementation.     

Mice with Whole-Body Disruption of AMPK-Glycogen Binding Have Increased Adiposity,Reduced Fat Oxidation and Altered Tissue Glycogen Dynamics

The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a central regulator of cellular energy balance and metabolism, binds glycogen via its β subunit. However, the physiological effects of disrupting AMPK-glycogen interactions remain incompletely understood. To chronically disrupt AMPK-glycogen binding, AMPK β double knock-in (DKI) mice were generated with mutations in residues critical for glycogen binding in both the β1 (W100A) and β2 (W98A) subunit isoforms. We examined the effects of this DKI mutation on whole-body substrate utilization, glucose homeostasis, and tissue glycogen dynamics. Body composition, metabolic caging, glucose and insulin tolerance, serum hormone and lipid profiles, and tissue glycogen and protein content were analyzed in chow-fed male DKI and age-matched wild-type (WT) mice. DKI mice displayed increased whole-body fat mass and glucose intolerance associated with reduced fat oxidation relative to WT. DKI mice had reduced liver glycogen content in the fed state concomitant with increased utilization and no repletion of skeletal muscle glycogen in response to fasting and refeeding, respectively, despite similar glycogen-associated protein content relative to WT. DKI liver and skeletal muscle displayed reductions in AMPK protein content versus WT. These findings identify phenotypic effects of the AMPK DKI mutation on whole-body metabolism and tissue AMPK content and glycogen dynamics.     

Radiation damage effects in layered thin film MgO/HfO2 structures

In this report, we present a study of a thin film tri-layer structure, HfO₂/MgO/HfO₂, irradiated at room temperature with 10 MeV Au ions over a wide fluence range from 5 × 10¹³ to 3.7 × 10¹⁶ Au/cm². The tri-layer structure is a model representation for the microstructure in a composite dispersion nuclear fuel or waste form. Microstructural and chemical composition changes were examined by transmission and scanning transmission electron microscopy (TEM & STEM) combined with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS), grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) and Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS) techniques. The microstructural evolution in the HfO₂/MgO/HfO₂ trilayer was similar to the radiation damage behavior of the individual HfO₂ and MgO constituents. For instance, we observed an absence of amorphization in both the MgO and HfO₂ layers and a phase transformation of HfO₂ from the monoclinic to the tetragonal HfO₂ polymorph. In addition, we observed the formation of void-type defects at one of the MgO/HfO₂ interfaces. Such voids are not characteristic to either bulk material (MgO or HfO₂) exposed to ion irradiation.     

Attention capture by novel stimuli.

In several experiments, observers were given glimpses of 4-word arrays. Accuracy of word localization was tested after each array. Some words, called familiar, appeared many times across the series of arrays; others, called novel, appeared only once. The ratio of novel to familiar words in an array ranged from 0:4 to 4:0. When familiar and novel words were not intermixed (in 0:4 and 4:0 arrays), localization accuracy was higher for familiar words. However, when they were intermixed, especially in 1:3 arrays, accuracy tended to be higher for the novel words. This novel popout effect was the outcome of the suppressed localizability of the familiar words (relative to the 0:4 baseline) and the enhanced localizability of the novel words (relative to the 4:0 baseline). Novel popout may reflect an automatic orientation of attention away from more fluently unfolding regions of the perceptual field (familiar objects) and toward less fluently unfolding regions (novel objects). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An experimental examination of two career interventions for battered women.

The authors tested the effectiveness of 2 group career interventions for 73 battered women who were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatment conditions or a wait-list control group. Both interventions included the 5 most effective career intervention components identified by S. D. Brown and N. E. Krane (2000), and 1 of the interventions also was designed to enhance critical consciousness (i.e., empowerment for self-protection and awareness of domestic violence impact; P. Freire, 1970; I. Martín-Baró, 1994). Relative to controls, standard participants had higher career-search self-efficacy, and standard-plus participants had higher critical consciousness at posttest. At follow-up, standard-plus participants had higher critical consciousness scores and made more progress toward goal achievement than standard participants. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Developmental factors in the treatment on adolescents.

Most empirically supported interventions for adolescent mental health problems are either downward adaptations of adult treatments or upward adaptations of child treatments. Although these treatments show respectable effects with teens, a review of the outcome research reveals significant gaps, both in coverage of adolescent conditions and problems (e.g., eating disorders, suicidality) and in attention to the biological, psychological, and social dimensions of adolescent development. The authors critique the field, propose a biopsychosocial framework for the development of dysfunction and intervention, and discuss ways the developmental literature can and cannot inform intervention and research. A long-term goal is an array of developmentally tailored treatments that are effective with clinically referred teens and an enriched understanding of when, how, and why the treatments work. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

驱动OLED的一种简单方法

除了未来几年在手机显示屏的基本应用外,有机发光二极管还准备大显身手。来自于研诺科技公司的工程师SteveHawley先生将向我们解释怎样来驱动他们。     

A study of microwave reaction rate enhancement effect in adhesive bonding of polymers and composites

Microwaves have been investigated as an efficient alternative energy source for polymers and composites processing. In this paper, microwaves are applied in bonding two polymer composites with an epoxy-based adhesive. Results were compared with thermal process. Microwaves reduced the bonding time dramatically, which resulted from faster curing of the adhesives. The literature disagreed on whether localized superheating of functional groups or specific non-thermal effects are the main reason of microwave enhancement of reaction rate. In this study, the mechanism of microwave fast curing was investigated and the experimental results supported localized superheating of the functional groups as the main mechanism of reaction rate enhancement of microwave energy.