AbstractFree-standing bodies, which rock in response to dynamic base excitations, can be found in a wide range of applications. There are many instances, for example a museum artifact seated on a ...support pedestal, where both the object and its support are free-standing, resulting in a dynamic system where both bodies can rock with respect to their contact interfaces. This paper analyzes the rich dynamics of systems of two stacked rocking bodies. It focuses on the location of the resultant impulses between bodies during impact, considering their effect on the overall stability of the system. The widely-used assumption that the impulses occur at the future rocking corners is shown to be the least conservative scenario and often leads to underestimating the likelihood of failure. The optimum configuration of two stacked blocks is found to be highly sensitive to the characteristics of the input motion and to the location of the impulses.
We present new mid-infrared imaging data for three Type-1 Seyfert galaxies obtained with T-ReCS on the Gemini-South Telescope at subarcsecond resolution. Our aim is to enlarge the sample studied in a ...previous work to compare the properties of Type-1 and Type-2 Seyfert tori using clumpy torus models and a Bayesian approach to fit the infrared (IR) nuclear spectral energy distributions. Thus, the sample considered here comprises 7 Type-1, 11 Type-2, and 3 intermediate-type Seyferts. The unresolved IR emission of the Seyfert 1 galaxies can be reproduced by a combination of dust heated by the central engine and direct active galactic nucleus (AGN) emission, while for the Seyfert 2 nuclei only dust emission is considered. These dusty tori have physical sizes smaller than 6 pc radius, as derived from our fits. Unification schemes of AGN account for a variety of observational differences in terms of viewing geometry. However, we find evidence that strong unification may not hold and that the immediate dusty surroundings of Type-1 and Type-2 Seyfert nuclei are intrinsically different. The Type-2 tori studied here are broader, have more clumps, and these clumps have lower optical depths than those of Type-1 tori. The larger the covering factor of the torus, the smaller the probability of having a direct view of the AGN, and vice versa. In our sample, Seyfert 2 tori have larger covering factors (CT = 0.95 ? 0.02) and smaller escape probabilities (P esc = 0.05% ? 0.08 0.03%) than those of Seyfert 1 (CT = 0.5 ? 0.1; P esc = 18% ? 3%). All the previous differences are significant according to the Kullback-Leibler divergence. Thus, on the basis of the results presented here, the classification of a Seyfert galaxy as a Type-1 or Type-2 depends more on the intrinsic properties of the torus rather than on its mere inclination toward us, in contradiction with the simplest unification model.
Background and purpose
Impulse control disorders (ICDs) are frequent in Parkinson’s disease (PD), with associated clinical and genetic risk factors. This study was aimed at analyzing the clinical ...features and the genetic background that underlie ICDs in PD.
Methods
We included 353 patients with PD in this study (58.9% men, mean age 62.4 ± 10.58 years, mean age at disease onset 52.71 ± 11.94 years). We used the validated Questionnaire for Impulsive–Compulsive Disorders in Parkinson’s Disease for ICDs screening. Motor, nonmotor, and treatment‐related features were evaluated according to the presence of ICDs. Twenty‐one variants related to dopaminergic, serotonergic, glutamatergic, and opioid neurotransmitter systems were assessed. Association studies between polymorphisms and ICDs were performed. The combination of clinical and genetic variables was analyzed with receiver operating characteristic curves to assess the predictability of experiencing ICDs.
Results
Impulse control disorders appeared in 25.1% of the cases. Patients with ICDs were younger and presented a higher rate of anxiety. Treatment with dopamine agonists increased the risk of ICDs and it was dose dependent (P < 0.05). Genetic association studies showed that the DOPA decarboxylase gene (DDC), rs1451375, might modulate the risk of ICDs. Plotting the clinical–genetic model, the predictability of ICDs increased 11% (area under curve = 0.80; z = 3.22, P = 0.001) when adding the genotype data for single nucleotide polymorphisms.
Conclusions
Polymorphisms in DDC might act as risk markers for ICDs in PD. The predictability of experiencing ICDs increased by adding genetic factors to clinical features. It is therefore important to assess the patient’s genetic background to identify individuals at risk for ICDs.
We studied the clinical features and the genetic background that underline impulse control disorders (ICDs) in 532 Parkinsons’s disease (PD) patients. Treatment with dopamine agonists increased the risk of ICDs and it was dose dependent (P < 0.05). The DOPA decarboxylase gene (DDC) variant, rs1451375, might modulate the risk of ICDs in PD. The predictability of experiencing ICDs increased an 11% by adding genetic factors to clinical features. It is therefore important to assess the patient’s genetic background to identify individuals at risk for ICDs.
Highlights • Oxidative stress induces mitochondrial damage in the hippocampus of rats exposed to ozone. • The ATP deficit is a key factor in the process of progressive neurodegeneration. • The ...morphological alterations show edema and loss of the mitochondrial cristae. • Mitochondrial damage causes an increase in cytochrome c , iNOS, Bcl-2 and Bax. • Oxidative stress causes an increase in the Mn-SOD and decrease in the Gpx activity.
During embryonic development, the telecephalon undergoes extensive growth and cleaves into right and left cerebral hemispheres. Although molecular signals have been implicated in this process and ...linked to congenital abnormalities, few studies have examined the role of mechanical forces. In this study, we quantified morphology, cell proliferation and tissue growth in the forebrain of chicken embryos during Hamburger-Hamilton stages 17-21. By altering embryonic cerebrospinal fluid pressure during development, we found that neuroepithelial growth depends on not only chemical morphogen gradients but also mechanical feedback. Using these data, as well as published information on morphogen activity, we developed a chemomechanical growth law to mathematically describe growth of the neuroepithelium. Finally, we constructed a three-dimensional computational model based on these laws, with all parameters based on experimental data. The resulting model predicts forebrain shapes consistent with observations in normal embryos, as well as observations under chemical or mechanical perturbation. These results suggest that molecular and mechanical signals play important roles in early forebrain morphogenesis and may contribute to the development of congenital malformations.
This study examined the impact of emulsifier type on the physicochemical characteristics and antifungal capacity of oregano oil-in-water emulsions: Tween 80, hydroxylated soy lecithin, and gum ...arabic. GC/MS analysis showed that the major components of the
Lippia graveolens
essential oils were thymol (31.7%),
p
-cymene (18.7%), and carvacrol (14.6%). The oil-in-water emulsions were made using ultrasonic technology in which thymol and carvacrol quantities were 12.26–13.67 g/L and 5.6–6.2 g/L, respectively. The droplet size of the emulsions followed the next descendent order: gum arabic > lecithin > T80. The zeta potential of the emulsions favored the stability against coalescence. Finally, the antifungal activity of the emulsions was evaluated, in which, 30 µL/mL of gum arabic or hydroxylated soy lecithin emulsions inhibited the growth of
Candida albicans
. The result suggests that Mexican oregano essential oil emulsions can be used as an antifungal against of
C. albicans.
The advent of high-throughput single-cell transcriptomic analysis of microglia has revealed different phenotypes that are inherently associated with disease conditions. A common feature of some of ...these activated phenotypes is the upregulation of galectin-3. Representative examples of these phenotypes include disease-associated microglia (DAM) and white-associated microglia (WAM), whose role(s) in neuroprotection/neurotoxicity is a matter of high interest in the microglia community. In this review, we summarise the main findings that demonstrate the ability of galectin-3 to interact with key pattern recognition receptors, including, among others, TLR4 and TREM2 and the importance of galectin-3 in the regulation of microglia activation. Finally, we discuss increasing evidence supporting the involvement of this lectin in the main neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, and stroke.
We present mid-infrared (MIR) imaging and spectroscopic data of the Seyfert 2 galaxy Mrk 1066 obtained with CanariCam (CC) on the 10.4-m Gran Telescopio CANARIAS (GTC). The galaxy was observed in ...imaging mode with an angular resolution of 0.24 arcsec (54 pc) in the Si-2 filter (8.7 ...m). The image reveals a series of star-forming knots within the central ~400 pc, after subtracting the dominant active galactic nucleus (AGN) component. We also subtracted this AGN unresolved component from the 8-13 ...m spectra of the knots and the nucleus, and measured equivalent widths (EWs) of the 11.3 ...m polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) feature which are typical of pure starburst galaxies. This EW is larger in the nucleus than in the knots, confirming that, at least in the case of Mrk 1066, the AGN dilutes, rather than destroys, the molecules responsible for the 11.3 ...m PAH emission. By comparing the nuclear GTC/CC spectrum with the Spitzer/Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) spectrum of the galaxy, we find that the AGN component that dominates the continuum emission at ... < 15 ...m on scales of ~60 pc (90-100 per cent) decreases to 35-50 per cent when the emission of the central ~830 pc is considered. On the other hand, the AGN contribution dominates the 15-25 ...m emission (75 per cent) on the scales probed by Spitzer/IRS. We reproduced the nuclear infrared emission of the galaxy with clumpy torus models, and derived a torus gas mass of 2 x 105 M..., contained in a clumpy structure of ~2 pc radius and with a column density compatible with Mrk 1066 being a Compton-thick candidate, in agreement with X-ray observations. We find a good match between the MIR morphology of Mrk 1066 and the extended Pa..., Br... and Oiii ...5007 emission. This coincidence implies that the 8.7 ...m emission is probing star formation, dust in the narrow-line region and the oval structure previously detected in the near-infrared. On the other hand, the Chandra soft X-ray morphology does not match any of the previous, contrary to what it is generally assumed for Seyfert galaxies. A thermal origin for the soft X-ray emission, rather than AGN photoionization, is suggested by the different data analysed here. (ProQuest: ... denotes formulae/symbols omitted.)
•Use of the structure-soil-structure interaction for vibration control of buildings.•Verification and validation of the efficiency of the Vibrating Barrier.•Over 70% of reduction of the accelerations ...is achieved for a cluster of buildings.
A novel device, called Vibrating Barrier (ViBa), that aims to reduce the vibrations of adjacent structures subjected to ground motion waves has been recently proposed. The ViBa is a structure buried in the soil and detached from surrounding buildings that is able to absorb a significant portion of the dynamic energy arising from the ground motion. The working principle exploits the dynamic interaction among vibrating structures due to the propagation of waves through the soil, namely the structure–soil–structure interaction. In this paper the efficiency of the ViBa is investigated to control the vibrations of a cluster of buildings. To this aim, a discrete model of structures-site interaction involving multiple buildings and the ViBa is developed where the effects of the soil on the structures, i.e. the soil-structure interaction (SSI), the structure-soil-structure interaction (SSSI) as well as the ViBa-soil-structures interaction are taken into account by means of linear elastic springs. Closed-form solutions are derived to design the ViBa in the case of harmonic excitation from the analysis of the discrete model. Advanced finite element numerical simulations are performed in order to assess the efficiency of the ViBa for protecting more than a single building. Parametric studies are also conducted to identify beneficial/adverse effects in the use of the proposed vibration control strategy to protect cluster of buildings. Finally, experimental shake table tests are performed to a prototype of a cluster of two buildings protected by the ViBa device for validating the proposed numerical models.
In the context of the alarming rise of infant obesity and its health implications, the present research aims to uncover disruptions in postprandial lipid metabolism and the composition of ...triglyceride-rich lipoproteins in obese adolescents. A double-blind, controlled clinical trial in the postprandial phase on 23 adolescents aged 12 to 16 years was carried out. Twelve participants were categorized as obese (BMI > 30 kg/m
and percentile > 95) and 11 as normal-weight (BMI = 20-25 kg/m
, percentile 5-85). Blood samples were collected after a 12-h overnight fast and postprandially after consumption of a standardized breakfast containing olive oil, tomato, bread, orange juice, and skimmed milk. Obese adolescents exhibited elevated triglyceride concentrations in both fasting and postprandial states and higher TG/apo-B48 ratios, indicating larger postprandial triglyceride-rich lipoprotein (TRL) particle size, which suggests impaired clearance. Obese subjects also exhibited higher n-6 PUFA concentrations, potentially linked to increased TRL hydrolysis and the release of pro-inflammatory adipokines. In contrast, TRL from normal-weight individuals showed higher concentrations of oleic acid and DHA (n-3 PUFA), with possible anti-inflammatory effects. The results indicate an interplay involving postprandial TRL metabolism and adipokines within the context of adolescent obesity, pointing to potential cardiovascular implications in the future.
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