Promoting More Modest Weight Losses: A Pilot Study

Objective: This pilot study assessed the short‐ and long‐term effects of a modified cognitive behavioral treatment designed to facilitate obese patients’ acceptance of a 5% to 10% reduction in initial weight. Research Methods and Procedures: Participants were 17 women with a mean age of 46.5 ± 9.7 years and BMI of 34.7 ± 2.9 kg/m². They participated in a 40‐week program that included four phases. The first discussed the benefits of modest weight losses and the potential adverse effects of unrealistic expectations. Phase II provided instruction in traditional cognitive behavioral methods of weight control Phase III focused on methods to improve body image and self‐esteem. Phase IV addressed skills for weight maintenance. Changes in weight, self‐esteem, body image, and quality of life were assessed at the end of treatment and 1 year later (week 92). Results: At week 40, participants lost an average of 5.7 ± 5.3% of initial weight, which was associated with significant improvements in body image, self‐esteem, and quality of life. Improvements in psychosocial status were maintained at week 92, although mean weight loss at this time had declined to 2.9 ± 5.6% of initial weight. Increased satisfaction with body weight at week 40 was associated with significantly better maintenance of weight loss at follow‐up (r = ?0.70; p = 0.02). Discussion: Having participants seek only modest initial weight losses does not appear to facilitate weight maintenance. However, increasing patients’ satisfaction with their body weight at the end of treatment may help improve weight maintenance. More research is needed on the relation between satisfaction with initial weight loss and long‐term success.     

股骨头负重区松质骨的压缩力学特性

本文对19具新鲜青年(30左右)尸体股骨负重区的松质骨进行了压缩测试,测算并提供了一组松质骨弹性模量,极限应力,应变,屈服载荷及能量吸收值。试验表明松质骨力学性能主要缓解外力冲击加压。     

Dynamic compression can inhibit chondrogenesis of mesenchymal stem cells

The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of dynamic compressive loading on chondrogenesis of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in the presence of TGF-β3. Isolated porcine MSCs were suspended in 2% agarose and subjected to intermittent dynamic compression (10% strain) for a period of 42 days in a dynamic compression bioreactor. After 42 days in culture, the free-swelling specimens exhibited more intense alcian blue staining for proteoglycans, while immunohistochemical analysis revealed increased collagen type II immunoreactivity. Glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content increased with time for both free-swelling and dynamically loaded constructs, and by day 42 it was significantly higher in both the core (2.5 ± 0.21%w/w vs. 0.94 ± 0.03%w/w) and annulus (1.09 ± 0.09%w/w vs. 0.59 ± 0.08%w/w) of free-swelling constructs compared to dynamically loaded constructs. This result suggests that further optimization is required in controlling the biomechanical and/or the biochemical environment if such stimuli are to have beneficial effects in generating functional cartilaginous tissue.     

Spatial Registration of Data on in situ Gene Expression

For registering data on the in situexpression of segmentation genes, a method of image registration was developed basing on the spline approximation. The reference points for the registration were the coordinates of extrema in one-dimensional patterns of gene expression. This registration method is characterized by a very high accuracy. A method of creating a generalized pattern of gene expression in single cells is proposed. Such patterns were constructed for nine segmentation genes belonging to the gap and pair-rule classes of genes.     

Broth rheology and morphological analysis of Solanum chrysotrichum cultivated in a stirred tank

Solanum chrysotrichum cell cultures were grown in a stirred tank bioreactor and their rheological and morphological behaviour were evaluated. The culture broths exhibited non-Newtonian and shear-thinning characteristics. Pseudoplasticity of the broths was governed by their biomass concentration. The roundness of aggregates measured as the elliptical form factor (EFF) had important changes. At the beginning of the culture the aggregates with an EFF lower than 2 represented 52% of the population, but in stationary phase the proportion increased to 77%. Whereas the size of aggregates did not change 80% of the population had an area lower than 0.1 mm². Overall, these results indicate that the shape of the aggregate therefore needs to be considered when studying plant broth rheology.     

Echolocation of Multiple Targets in 3-D Space from a Single Emission

Using frequency-modulated echolocation sound, bat can capture a moving target in real three-dimensional (3-D) space. It is impossible to locate multiple targets in 3-D space by using only the delay time between an emission and the resultingechoes received at two points (i.e., two ears). To locate multiple targets in 3-D space requires directional information for each target. The spectrum of the echoes from nearly equidistant targets includes spectral components of both the interference between the echoes and the interference resulting from the physical process of reception at the external ear. The frequency of the spectral notch, which is the frequency corresponding to the minimum of the external ear's transfer function (EEDNF), provides a crucial cue for directional localization. In the model we present, a computational model todiscriminate multiple close targets in 3-D space utilizing echoes evoked by a single emission by distinguishing the interference of echoes from each object and the EEDNF corresponding to each target.     

Development of a semi-automatic system for pollen recognition

A semi-automatic system for pollen recognitionis studied for the european project ASTHMA. The goal of such a system is to provideaccurate pollen concentration measurements. This information can be used as well by thepalynologists, the clinicians or a forecastsystem to predict pollen dispersion. At first,our emphasis has been put on Cupressaceae, Olea, Poaceae and Urticaceae pollen types. The system is composed of two modules: pollengrain extraction and pollen grain recognition. In the first module, the pollen grains areobserved in light microscopy and are extractedautomatically from a pollen slide coloured withfuchsin and digitized in 3D. In the secondmodule, the pollen grain is analyzed forrecognition. To accomplish the recognition, itis necessary to work on 3D images and to usedetailed palynological knowledge. Thisknowledge describes the pollen types accordingto their main visible characteristerics and tothose which are important for recognition. Somepollen structures are identified like the porewith annulus in Poaceae, the reticulum in Oleaand similar pollen types or the cytoplasm inCupressaceae. The preliminary results show therecognition of some pollen types, likeUrticaceae or Poaceae or some groups of pollentypes, like reticulate group.     

In-situ microscopy: Online process monitoring of mammalian cell cultures

The in-situ microscope is a system developed to acquire images of mammalian cells directly inside a bioreactor (in-situ) duringa fermentation process. It requires only minimal operator intervention and it is well suited for either batch or long-termperfusion fermentation runs. The system fits into a 25 mm standard port and has a retractable housing, similar to the industry standard InTrac. Therefore, it can be cleaned and serviced without interruption of the process or risking contamination. A sampling zone inside the bioreactor encloses adefined volume of culture and an image sequence is taken. The height of the sampling zone is set by the control program and canbe adjusted during the cultivation to accommodate a wide range of change in cell density. The system has an infinity correctedoptical train and uses a progressive scan CCD camera to acquirehigh quality images. Process relevant information like cell density is extracted fromthe images by digital image processing software, currently in development for mammalian cells (CHO, BHK). The first version ofthe software will be able to estimate the cell density, cellsize distribution and to give information of the degree of aggregation (single and double cells, cell clusters).