Mechanics

INTRODUCTION:  The analysis of the periodic table of elements by Jan Scholten opened the way for a new kind of classification and repertorisation of homeopathic remedies. Thereby, group analysis (resorting to series and stages) makes precise prescriptions possible. This approach appears to yield striking results, even in severe cases. Whereas Hahnemann stressed the emotional state ('Gemüthssymptome', Organon § 210) when choosing a remedy, Scholten 200 years later investigated the mental picture that represents a life conflict or even a life theme that may maintain the disease process...

Cr6+ and Pb2+ are both highly toxic pollutants and commonly co-exist in some industrial effluents and contaminated waters. In this study, simultaneous removal of Cr6+ and Pb2+ by a novel sewage sludge-derived biochar immobilized nanoscale zero-valent iron (SSB-nZVI) was systematically investigated. It was well demonstrated that a porous structure was successfully formed on the SSB-nZVI when the starch was used as an additive. A synergistic effect on the adsorption and reduction over the SSB-nZVI was achieved, resulting in nearly 90 and 82% of Cr6+ and Pb2+ removal within 30 min, respectively...

To test the hypothesis that nutrient-limited conditions can determine the responses of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) stoichiometry to N addition, a meta-analysis was conducted to identify the different responses of foliar N and P concentrations and N-to-P ratios to N addition under N limitation, N and P co-limitation and P limitation. N addition increased the foliar N-to-P ratios and N concentrations by 46.2% and 30.2%, respectively, under N limitation, by 18.7% and 19.7% under N and P co-limitation, and by 4...

In the present study, the antiproliferative activity of phytol and its mechanism of action against human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549 were studied in detail. Results showed that phytol exhibited potent antiproliferative activity against A549 cells in a dose and time-dependent manner with an IC50 value of 70.81 ± 0.32 μM and 60.7 ± 0.47 μM at 24 and 48 h, respectively. Phytol showed no adverse toxic effect in normal human lung cells (L-132), but mild toxic effect was observed when treated with maximum dose (67 and 84 μM)...

BACKGROUND: Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare, autoimmune-mediated disease. The use of Bifidobacterium is reportedly effective in alleviating GBS since they act by regulating T helper (Th) cells. OBJECTIVES: In this study, we explored the differentiation of T helper cell subsets in patients with GBS. We also evaluated the effect of GBS on Bifidobacterium levels in patients and the likely protective influence of this bacterium in alleviating the disease in an animal model...

Work-related deaths represent an important social problem. We report all the occupational fatal injuries recorded by the Brescia Institute of Forensic Medicine from 1982 to 2015. A total of 426 post-mortem examinations due to accidental work injuries were retrospectively analysed according to temporal distribution (year, month and day of the workplace accident); workers' characteristics (sex, age, nationality); type of occupation; cause of death; anatomical region of fatal injuries and timing of death. The accidental occupational events occurred with a mean of 12...

The issue of long-term incompatible interactions associated with the permanent implants can be eliminated by using various biodegradable metal implants. The recent research is focusing on the use of degradable stents to restore most of the hindrances of capillaries, and coronary arteries by supplying instant blood flow with constant mechanical and structural support. However, internal endothelialization and infection due to the corrosion of implanted stents are not easy to diagnose in the long run. In the recent past, magnesium (Mg) has been widely investigated for the cardiovascular stent applications...

Hydrophilic polymers, or hydrogels, are used for a wide variety of biomedical applications, due to their inherent ability to withhold a high-water content. In recent years, a large effort has been focused on tailoring the mechanical properties of these hydrogels to become more appropriate materials for use as anatomical and physiological structural supports. A few of these such methods include using diverse types of polymers, both natural and synthetic, varying the type of molecular cross-linking, as well as combining these efforts to form interpenetrating polymer network hydrogels...

Radiation therapy has been widely utilized as an effective method to eliminate malignant tumors and cancerous cells. However, subjection of healthy tissues and the related networks of blood vessels adjacent to the tumor area to irradiation is inevitable. The aim of this study was to investigate the consequent effects of fractionation radiotherapy on the mechanical characteristics of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) through alterations in cytoskeleton organization and cell and nucleus morphology...

Aging is driven by unavoidable entropic forces, physicochemical in nature, that damage the raw materials that constitute biological systems. Single cells experience and respond to stochastic physicochemical insults that occur either to the cells themselves or to their microenvironment, in a dynamic and reciprocal manner, leading to increased age-related cell-to-cell variation. We will discuss the biological mechanisms that integrate cell-to-cell variation across tissues resulting in stereotypical phenotypes of age...

BACKGROUND: Seeking help from others is an essential behavioural intention for humans to adapt to the social environment. Transgenerational and gender-related mechanisms of how this intention is shaped is an important but unresolved question in adolescent development. This study aimed to comprehensively examine the factors promoting or inhibiting intention to seek help for depression in 10-year-olds, including transgenerational factors, and to investigate the sex differences in the effect of these factors...

BACKGROUND: Only 60% of depressed patients respond sufficiently to treatment, so there is a dire need for novel approaches to improve treatment effects. Cognitive Bias Modification (CBM) may be an effective and easily implemented computerized add-on to treatment-as-usual. Therefore, we investigated the effects of a positivity-attention training and a positivity-approach training compared to control trainings. METHODS: In a blinded randomized-controlled design, 139 depressed inpatients received either the CBM Attention Dot-Probe Training (DPT) or the CBM Approach-Avoidance Training (AAT), next to treatment as usual...

Coronary heart disease is a vital cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and calcium channel blockers (CCBs) are important drugs that can be used to treat cardiovascular diseases. Suxiao Jiuxin Pill (SX), a traditional Chinese medicine, is widely used as an emergency drug for coronary heart disease therapy. However, understanding its potential mechanism in intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+ ]i ) modulation remains a challenge. To identify the active pharmacological ingredients (APIs) and reveal a novel combination therapy for ameliorating cardiovascular diseases, the ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF MS) combined with a dual-luciferase reporter [Ca2+ ]i assay system was applied...

Major obstacles to formulating a simple retention mechanism for reversed-phase liquid chromatography have a direct impact on the development of experimental methods for column characterization as they limit our capability to understand observed differences in retention at a system level. These problems arise from the heterogeneous composition of the stationary phase, the difficulty of providing a working definition for the phase ratio, and uncertainty as to whether the distribution mechanism for varied compounds is a partition, adsorption or mixed (combination) of these models...

Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) has attracted considerable attention due to its ubiquitous presence in different environmental compartments worldwide. However, information on its aerobic biodegradability in coastal environments remains unknown. Here, the aerobic biodegradation of TBBPA using a Pseudoalteromonas species commonly found in the marine environment was investigated. We found that extracellular biogenic siderophore, superoxide anion radical (O2 •- ), hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ), and hydroxyl radical (• OH) were involved in TBBPA degradation...

No new and effective treatments have been approved for the treatment of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in the past decade. Cisplatin and 5-fluoruracil are the most commonly used drugs for this disease. In order to develop a new class of drugs effective in our ESCC phenotypic screens, we began a systematic approach to generate novel compounds based on the 2-oxo-1,2-dihydroquinoline-4-carboxamide fragment. Herein, we report on the synthesis and initial assessment of 55 new analogues in two ESCC cell lines...

The high temperature strength of directionally solidified Ni-base super alloy CM 247LC strongly depends on the morphology, volume fraction, size and size distribution of γ' precipitate (Ni3 Al) in the FCC γ matrix. The microstructure of the alloy is engineered to achieve the right combination of these parameters that provides the required high temperature strength and creep resistance. The alloy contains high volume fraction of coherent γ' precipitates having near cubic shape. High temperature exposure of gas turbine components made out of the alloy leads to coarsening of the γ' precipitates and broadening of the γ matrix channel...

OBJECTIVE: Postpartum mood disorders represent a serious problem affecting 10-20% of women and support groups offer a promising intervention modality. The current study examined participant satisfaction with and effectiveness of a peer-facilitated postpartum support group. INTERVENTION: The program consists of a free, peer-support group, developed to increase social support and destigmatise postpartum mood symptoms. The weekly group is co-facilitated by former group attendees and maternal health professionals...

BACKGROUND: Walking down ramps is a demanding task for transfemoral-amputees and terminating gait on ramps is even more challenging because of the requirement to maintain a stable limb so that it can do the necessary negative mechanical work on the centre-of-mass in order to arrest (dissipate) forward/downward velocity. We determined how the use of a microprocessor-controlled limb system (simultaneous control over hydraulic resistances at ankle and knee) affected the negative mechanical work done by each limb when transfemoral-amputees terminated gait during ramp descent...

BACKGROUND: Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is associated with atrial fibrillation (AF), but the underlying mechanisms remain to be fully elucidated. OBJECTIVE: Using human left atrial appendage (LAA) samples, we examined the interactive relationship between the EAT profile and atrial myocardial fibrosis through histological and biochemical analyses. METHODS: LAA samples were obtained from 59 consecutive AF patients during cardiovascular surgery...