Search results for "SWI"
showing 10 items of 1473 documents
Vacuum inversion and securing of distal colonic pseudodiverticula with novel spiked O-rings
2015
Background Diverticular disease is increasingly prevalent in Western societies and is associated with significant morbidity. Objective Two-stage endoscopic device development for inversion and secured ligation of colonic diverticula; first, human cadaver studies were performed to measure forces required for diverticular inversion; second, a novel set of devices (elastic spiked O-ring with delivery system) was tested in animals. Design Prospective, observational study of human cadavers and prospective, interventional study of a porcine model. Setting University hospital pathology laboratory and animal facility. Intervention Full-thickness inversion of the colonic wall with a pipelike deliver…
Presence of thyroid hormones in ascidian larvae and their involvement in metamorphosis
2001
In this study we investigated the presence and localization of thyroxine in Ciona intestinalis larvae and its involvement in metamorphosis. To date, the mechanisms regulating the metamorphosis of ascidians remain largely unknown. In vivo treatment of swimming larvae with exogenous L-thyroxine and thiourea, and in vitro experiments utilizing high performance liquid chromatography, radioimmunoassay, and immunoperoxidase staining demonstrate the presence of thyroxine at the larval stage. This suggests that this hormone may participate in the control of metamorphosis and thus play a different role from that observed in adults.
Concept of an extracellular regulation of muscular metabolic rate during heavy exercise in humans by psychophysiological feedback.
1996
Efferent motor signals to skeletal muscles concern not only the space/ time pattern of motion, but also the setting of muscular performance and through this the control of the current metabolic rate. For an optimal adjustment of metabolic rate during heavy exercise-e.g. in athletic competitions-a feedback control system must exist, including a programmer that takes into consideration a finishing point (teleoanticipation). The presented experiments, using Borg's scale, indicate the existence and functioning of a system for optimal adjustment of performance during heavy exercise and the relevance of teleoanticipatory effects. Thus motor learning includes not only somatosensory control, but al…
Replacement of fishmeal with corn gluten meal in feeds for juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) does not affect oxygen consumption during for…
2017
We compared oxygen consumption (MO2, mg/kg/h) of c. 80 g rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in an intermittent-flow swim respirometer at 15 °C. Before the tests the fish were grown in flow through tanks (15 °C) with either fishmeal (FM) or corn gluten meal (CGM) based diets (c. 52% protein) for a period of 3–4.5 months. Ten individuals from both treatment groups were fasted for 48 h before the swim test, which consisted of 18 loops of 210 s over three different periods: acclimation period (6 loops at 0.5 body lengths per s, BL/s), exercise period (8 loops at increased speed from 1 to 2.5 BL/s with recovery loops at 0.5 BL/s), and a recovery period (four loops at 0.5 BL/s). We did not obser…
A Multiple Surrogate Assisted Decomposition Based Evolutionary Algorithm for Expensive Multi/Many-Objective Optimization
2019
Many-objective optimization problems (MaOPs) contain four or more conflicting objectives to be optimized. A number of efficient decomposition-based evolutionary algorithms have been developed in the recent years to solve them. However, computationally expensive MaOPs have been scarcely investigated. Typically, surrogate-assisted methods have been used in the literature to tackle computationally expensive problems, but such studies have largely focused on problems with 1–3 objectives. In this paper, we present an approach called hybrid surrogate-assisted many-objective evolutionary algorithm to solve computationally expensive MaOPs. The key features of the approach include: 1) the use of mul…
Effects of high-fat diet and physical activity on pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase-4 in mouse skeletal muscle
2012
Background. The expression of PDK4 is elevated by diabetes, fasting and other conditions associated with the switch from the utilization of glucose to fatty acids as an energy source. It is previously shown that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1α (PGC-1α), a master regulator of energy metabolism, coactivates in cell lines pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase-4 (PDK4) gene expression via the estrogen-related receptor α (ERRα). We investigated the effects of long-term high-fat diet and physical activity on the expression of PDK4, PGC-1α and ERRα and the amount and function of mitochondria in skeletal muscle. Methods. Insulin resistance was induced by a high-fat (HF) diet for…
Design and realization of a DC/DC converter with a partially saturated inductor
2017
DC/DC converters, in some types of applications such as portable equipments, can require more space than it is actually available. The inductor is typically the most bulky element and the possibility to reduce its size can save up to 50% of the converter volume and area [1][2], thus increasing the power density. This reduction, however, comes with nonlinear effects caused by the saturation of the ferromagnetic core. An appropriate modelling of the inductor and of the converter circuit is needed for guaranteeing a good output power quality (Fig. 1). A Boost converter with an inductor in the partially saturated roll-off operating zone was designed and realized to study the behaviour of DC/DC …
Non-Linear Inductor Models Comparison for Switched-Mode Power Supplies Applications
2022
The use of non-linear power inductors, intended as devices exploited up to a current at which the inductance is halved, is of great interest in switched-mode power supplies (SMPSs). Indeed, it allows the use of lighter and cheaper inductors improving the power density. On the other hand, the analysis of SMPSs equipped with non-linear inductors requires appropriate modeling of the inductor reproducing the inductance versus current. This paper compares two main analytical models proposed in the literature: the former is based on a polynomial, and the latter exploits the arctangent function to reproduce the non-linearity of the inductance. Performance is compared by considering the effort of r…
Impact of physical effort on von Willebrand factor’s activity and concentration in blood
2020
Background and Study Aim: Physical exercise causes a wide range of physiological changes including the production and release of haemostasis regulating factors. One of these factors is von Willebrand factor (vWf)- a glycoprotein responsible for both platelet adhesion and coagulation cascade. Material and Methods: The impact of physical effort on von Willebrand’s factor’s concentration (vWf:Ag) and activity (vWf:CBA) underwent analysis in the group of 42 people (22 men and 20 women) aged 19-22 (mean 20, SD 8 months). Physical effort was induced by 35 minutes of swimming in indoor swimming pool. Results: Physical exercise in form of swimming causes an increase of Willebrand’s factor’s concent…
Breaststroke swimmer's knee
1980
The cause of the breaststroke swimmer's knee with medial pain of the knee joint has not been clearly identified. Breaststroke swimmers with knee pain were, therefore, examined arthros copically. None showed any other disorders of their knees than medial synovitis in seven of nine swimmers. Since structural abnormalities could be ruled out, biomechanical analyses utiliz ing cinematographic techniques were used to study patients swimming in a special flume with the speed set at 90% of their best competitive performance. The results indicate that the extension and flexion and also in some cases the hip abduction and adduction movements of the whip kick were performed with high peak angular ve…