Template‐prepared graphene/Pt and graphene/Au tubular microengines, with extremely high electrocatalytic activity and propulsion efficiency, are described. The new bubble‐propelled graphene/metal ...micromotors are synthesized rapidly and inexpensively by the direct electrodeposition of graphene oxide (GO) within the conical pores of a polycarbonate template membrane followed by deposition of the inner metal layer. The presence of high number of edges and defects in the graphene layer results in highly reactive microporous Pt or Au catalytic structures. The high catalytic activity leads to an ultrafast bubble propulsion (as high as 170 body lengths/sec) and operation at extremely low levels (0.1%) of the peroxide fuel. The effect of such dramatically enhanced catalytic surface area on the bubble growth and motor speed has been theoretically modeled. The template‐prepared graphene‐based microengines display distinct moving trajectories, along with long microbubble tails. The fast catalytic locomotion and attractive performance of the new graphene/Pt micromotors hold considerable promise for diverse applications.
Graphene‐based catalytic tubular microengines with extremely high electrocatalytic activity and propulsion efficiency are described. The effective movement and catalytic activity reflect the porous metallic surface associated with the template‐deposited outer graphene layer. The fast catalytic locomotion and attractive performance of the new graphene/metal micromotors hold considerable promise for diverse applications.
Abstract
Objective
The purpose of this study was to determine the acute effect of an abdominal hypopressive exercise (AHE) on linea alba morphology among women who are primiparous and to compare this ...effect with that of other common abdominal exercise modalities.
Methods
A cross-sectional study of 46 women 3 months after first delivery was conducted. B-mode ultrasound imaging of the interrectus distance (IRD) and linea alba distortion was performed 2 cm below (I-point) and above (S-point) the umbilicus and at the mid-point between the umbilicus and xiphoid process (X-point). Images were recorded at rest and during an AHE performed in a supine position, a semi curl-up (SCU), an abdominal drawing-in maneuver (ADIM), and a SCU performed after an initial ADIM (ADIM+SCU).
Results
The SCU exercise narrowed the IRD at the X- and S-points. Compared with SCU, AHE and ADIM widened the IRD at the S- and X-points. No significant differences were found when comparing the IRD at rest, during AHE and during ADIM, but AHE tended to narrow I-point IRD more than ADIM but to widen S-point IRD more than ADIM+SCU. No participant showed linea alba distortion during the AHE or ADIM. When compared, SCU increased the occurrence of distortion with respect to AHE and ADIM. The isolated hypopressive posture did not change the IRD or linea alba distortion.
Conclusion
Among women who were postpartum, AHE seemed to narrow IRD below the umbilicus compared with ADIM without either of these 2 modalities generating linea alba distortion, as SCU or ADIM+SCU does. Thus, although no significant differences were found when comparing the IRD at rest and during AHE, the AHE could improve the tensile response of the linea alba without increasing the IRD.
Impact
This is believed to be the first study to describe linea alba changes during AHE in women who are postpartum. AHE and ADIM seem to show different effects on infraumbilical IRD. The lack of distortion suggests that linea alba may undergo tensile loading at all levels.
The evaluation of sexual function is an important outcome in women who suffer some pelvic floor disorders (PFD). The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) is the most widely used questionnaire to ...evaluate the sexual health in female population. This study presents the adaptation and psychometric validation of the FSFI for Spanish women with PFD.
The Spanish version of the FSFI was developed through the forward and backward translation process. The psychometric properties of reliability, validity, responsiveness, and feasibility were conducted in Spanish women with PFD who were assigned to the case or control group (with or without sexual dysfunction respectively).
A total of 323 Spanish women with PFD were recruited. The cross-cultural adaptation of the Spanish FSFI achieved a good semantic, conceptual, idiomatic, and content equivalence. The test-retest reliability was shown to be high in all of the cases. The convergent validity showed high results in the domain intercorrelations between each domain and total FSFI. The discriminant validity showed statistically significant differences between sexual dysfunction and control groups. The responsiveness was shown to be moderate to good in the dimensions and excellent in the total FSFI.
Spanish FSFI can be used as a reliable, valid, responsive, and feasible instrument for assessing sexual function in women.
Therapeutic patient education programs must assess the competences that patients achieve. Evaluation in the pedagogical domain ensures that learning has taken place among patients. The Prolapse and ...Incontinence Knowledge Questionnaire (PIKQ) is a tool for assessing patient knowledge about urinary (UI) and pelvic organ prolapse (POP) conditions. The aim of this study was to translate the Prolapse and Incontinence Knowledge Questionnaire (PIKQ) into Spanish and test its measurement properties, as well as propose real practical cases as a competence assessment tool. The cross-cultural adaptation was conducted by a standardized translation/back-translation method. Measurement properties analysis was performed by assessing the validity, reliability, responsiveness, and interpretability. A total of 275 women were recruited. The discriminant validity showed statistically significant differences in the PIKQ scores between patients and expert groups. Cronbach's alpha revealed good internal consistency. The test-retest reliability showed excellent correlation with UI and POP scales. Regarding responsiveness, the effect size, and standardized response mean demonstrated excellent values. No floor or ceiling effects were shown. In addition, three "real practical cases" evaluating skills in identifying and analyzing, decision making, and problem-solving were developed and tested. The Spanish PIKQ is a comprehensible, valid, reliable, and responsive tool for the Spanish population. Real practical cases are useful competence assessment tools that are well accepted by women with pelvic floor disorders (PFD), improving their understanding and their decision-making regarding PFD.
The Prolapse Quality of Life Questionnaire (P-QoL) is a specific questionnaire created to assess the impact of pelvic organ prolapse on women's quality of life. The aim of the present study was to ...cross-culturally adapt and assess the psychometric properties of the P-QoL for Spanish women. The cross-cultural adaptation was conducted by a standardized translation/back-translation method. Psychometric analysis was performed by assessing the validity, reliability, responsiveness and feasibility. A total of 200 Spanish women were recruited and assigned to symptomatic and asymptomatic groups. The Spanish P-QoL version demonstrated good content validity. Convergent validity showed high intercorrelations with the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory short form and the Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire short form. The discriminant validity showed statistically significant differences between the symptomatic and the asymptomatic groups. The internal consistency was high and of acceptable values. The test-retest reliability was shown to be high in all the cases. Regarding responsiveness, the effect size and standardized response mean demonstrated moderate values. The average time for administration was 10 (3) min. The Spanish P-QoL showed considerable support for the appropriate metric properties of validity, reliability, responsiveness and feasibility to evaluate the symptom severity and its impact on the quality of life in Spanish women with urogenital prolapse.
Pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) is a functional condition present most frequently in women. Despite pelvic floor muscle training being considered by the International Continence Society (ICS) as the ...first-line treatment in uncomplicated urinary incontinence, other more comprehensive postural methods as 5P
LOGSURF have emerged. This preliminary cross-sectional study explores the effects of a single 5P
LOGSURF session on pelvic floor muscle (PFM) tone and strength (MVC), resting anal tone, intrarectal pressure, and deep abdominal muscles activation. Thirty women were included (11 without PFD and 19 with PFD). Primary outcome measures were PFM tone, PFM MVC and resting anal tone and secondary measures outcomes were intrarectal pressure and deep abdominal activation. All outcome measures were collected before, throughout and after a single 30' 5P
LOGSURF session. The findings from this study suggest that PFM tone (PFD group:
= 0.09,
= 0.72; non-PFD group:
= 0.003,
= 0.49) and PFM MVC (PFD group:
= 0.016; non-PFD group:
= 0.005) decreased in both groups after a single 5P
LOGSURF session, with a medium effect size for women with PFD. Contrarily, deep abdominal muscle MVC increased (PFD group:
< 0.001; non-PFD group:
= 0.03). Intrarectal pressure and resting anal tone decreased in both groups throughout the session. These results suggest that 5P
LOGSURF method may be interesting if is performed by women with mild symptoms of PFD or healthy women to achieve a decrease in PFM tone in women who manifested pain to intracavitary techniques or practices. Further research with higher sample sizes and long-term are necessary for generalizing.
Display omitted
•Chitosan/hydroxylated BaTiO3 piezopolymer as chemical platform for Tissue Engineering.•BaTiO3 NPs hydroxylation enhances the interaction with Chitosan matrix.•Chitosan/hydroxylated ...BaTiO3 demonstrates piezoelectric d33ca. 11.24 pC/N.•Chitosan/hydroxylated BaTiO3 are biocompatible with human fibroblasts.
Herein we report the synthesis of a piezopolymer composed of chitosan (CS)/hydroxylated BaTiO3 (OH-BTO) nanoparticles with enhanced biocompatibility, non-toxicity, and piezoelectric behavior that can be advantageously used in biomedical applications. Our CS/OH-BTO nanocomposites exhibit piezoelectric coefficient (d33 = 11.29 pC/N) between those of dry skin (0.05−0.19 pC/N) and bone (4-11 pC/N), demonstrating biocompatibility in contact with human fibroblasts (HF) cells after 24 h. SEM, XRD, FTIR and Raman measurements were performed to assess the mechanism of interaction between CS matrix and OH-BTO NPs and their correlation with the biological responses. Cytotoxicity assays with HF cells reveal that hydroxylation of BTO NPs does not affect the cell viability of CS/OH-BTO films with NPs concentration from 1 to 30 wt.%. In contrast, non-hydroxylated BTO NPs showed significant cell damage, which could be traced to uncontrollable NPs agglomeration. This behavior suggests that CS/OH-BTO nanocomposites can act as active material that promotes cell growth and can be used for biomedical purposes.
Signaling mediated by cytokines and chemokines is involved in glaucoma-associated neuroinflammation and in the damage of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Using multiplexed immunoassay and ...immunohistochemical techniques in a glaucoma mouse model at different time points after ocular hypertension (OHT), we analyzed (i) the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, anti-inflammatory cytokines, BDNF, VEGF, and fractalkine; and (ii) the number of Brn3a+ RGCs. In OHT eyes, there was an upregulation of (i) IFN-γ at days 3, 5, and 15; (ii) IL-4 at days 1, 3, 5, and 7 and IL-10 at days 3 and 5 (coinciding with downregulation of IL1-β at days 1, 5, and 7); (iii) IL-6 at days 1, 3, and 5; (iv) fractalkine and VEGF at day 1; and (v) BDNF at days 1, 3, 7, and 15. In contralateral eyes, there were (i) an upregulation of IL-1β at days 1 and 3 and a downregulation at day 7, coinciding with the downregulation of IL4 at days 3 and 5 and the upregulation at day 7; (ii) an upregulation of IL-6 at days 1, 5, and 7 and a downregulation at 15 days; (iii) an upregulation of IL-10 at days 3 and 7; and (iv) an upregulation of IL-17 at day 15. In OHT eyes, there was a reduction in the Brn3a+ RGCs number at days 3, 5, 7, and 15. OHT changes cytokine levels in both OHT and contralateral eyes at different time points after OHT induction, confirming the immune system involvement in glaucomatous neurodegeneration.
PDF
