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Re-thinking benign inflammation of the lactating breast: Classification, prevention, and management.Women's Health (London, England) 2022Despite the known benefits of breastfeeding for both infant and mother, clinical support for problems such as benign inflammation of the lactating breast remain a...
Despite the known benefits of breastfeeding for both infant and mother, clinical support for problems such as benign inflammation of the lactating breast remain a research frontier. Breast pain associated with inflammation is a common reason for premature weaning. Multiple diagnoses are used for benign inflammatory conditions of the lactating breast which lack agreed or evidence-based aetiology, definitions, and treatment. This article is the second in a three-part series. This second review analyses the heterogeneous research literature concerning benign lactation-related breast inflammation from the perspectives of the mechanobiological model and complexity science, to re-think classification, prevention, and management of lactation-related breast inflammation. Benign lactation-related breast inflammation is a spectrum condition, either localized or generalized. Acute benign lactation-related breast inflammation includes engorgement and the commonly used but poorly defined diagnoses of blocked ducts, phlegmon, mammary candidiasis, subacute mastitis, and mastitis. End-stage (non-malignant) lactation-related breast inflammation presents as the active inflammations of abscess, fistula, and septicaemia, and the inactive condition of a galactocoele. The first preventive or management principle of breast inflammation is avoidance of excessively high intra-alveolar and intra-ductal pressures, which prevents strain and rupture of a critical mass of lactocyte tight junctions. This is achieved by frequent and flexible milk removal. The second preventive or management principle is elimination of the mechanical forces which result in high intra-alveolar pressures. This requires elimination of conflicting vectors of force upon the nipple and breast tissue during milk removal; avoidance of focussed external pressure applied to the breast, including avoidance of lump massage or vibration; and avoidance of other prolonged external pressures upon the breast. Three other key preventive or management principles are discussed. Conservative management is expected to be effective for most, once recommendations to massage or vibrate out lumps, which worsen micro-vascular trauma and inflammation, are ceased.
Topics: Breast; Breast Feeding; Female; Humans; Inflammation; Lactation; Mastitis
PubMed: 35441543
DOI: 10.1177/17455057221091349 -
Nature Apr 2017The ability to visualize directly a large number of distinct molecular species inside cells is increasingly essential for understanding complex systems and processes....
The ability to visualize directly a large number of distinct molecular species inside cells is increasingly essential for understanding complex systems and processes. Even though existing methods have successfully been used to explore structure-function relationships in nervous systems, to profile RNA in situ, to reveal the heterogeneity of tumour microenvironments and to study dynamic macromolecular assembly, it remains challenging to image many species with high selectivity and sensitivity under biological conditions. For instance, fluorescence microscopy faces a 'colour barrier', owing to the intrinsically broad (about 1,500 inverse centimetres) and featureless nature of fluorescence spectra that limits the number of resolvable colours to two to five (or seven to nine if using complicated instrumentation and analysis). Spontaneous Raman microscopy probes vibrational transitions with much narrower resonances (peak width of about 10 inverse centimetres) and so does not suffer from this problem, but weak signals make many bio-imaging applications impossible. Although surface-enhanced Raman scattering offers high sensitivity and multiplicity, it cannot be readily used to image specific molecular targets quantitatively inside live cells. Here we use stimulated Raman scattering under electronic pre-resonance conditions to image target molecules inside living cells with very high vibrational selectivity and sensitivity (down to 250 nanomolar with a time constant of 1 millisecond). We create a palette of triple-bond-conjugated near-infrared dyes that each displays a single peak in the cell-silent Raman spectral window; when combined with available fluorescent probes, this palette provides 24 resolvable colours, with the potential for further expansion. Proof-of-principle experiments on neuronal co-cultures and brain tissues reveal cell-type-dependent heterogeneities in DNA and protein metabolism under physiological and pathological conditions, underscoring the potential of this 24-colour (super-multiplex) optical imaging approach for elucidating intricate interactions in complex biological systems.
Topics: Animals; Brain; Cell Line; Cell Survival; Coculture Techniques; Color; Coloring Agents; DNA; Electrons; Fluorescent Dyes; Humans; Infrared Rays; Mice; Molecular Imaging; Neurons; Organ Specificity; Proteins; Spectrum Analysis, Raman; Vibration
PubMed: 28424513
DOI: 10.1038/nature22051 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jul 2021Ammonia is a well-known example of a two-state system and must be described in quantum-mechanical terms. In this article, we will explain the tunneling phenomenon that... (Review)
Review
Ammonia is a well-known example of a two-state system and must be described in quantum-mechanical terms. In this article, we will explain the tunneling phenomenon that occurs in ammonia molecules from the perspective of trajectory-based quantum dynamics, rather than the usual quantum probability perspective. The tunneling of the nitrogen atom through the potential barrier in ammonia is not merely a probability problem; there are underlying reasons and mechanisms explaining why and how the tunneling in ammonia can happen. Under the framework of quantum Hamilton mechanics, the tunneling motion of the nitrogen atom in ammonia can be described deterministically in terms of the quantum trajectories of the nitrogen atom and the quantum forces applied. The vibrations of the nitrogen atom about its two equilibrium positions are analyzed in terms of its quantum trajectories, which are solved from the Hamilton equations of motion. The vibration periods are then computed by the quantum trajectories and compared with the experimental measurements.
Topics: Ammonia; Molecular Dynamics Simulation; Quantum Theory
PubMed: 34361046
DOI: 10.3390/ijms22158282 -
Hearing Research Sep 2022Avian hair cells depend on electrical resonance for frequency selectivity. The upper bound of the frequency range is limited by the RC time constant of hair cells... (Review)
Review
Avian hair cells depend on electrical resonance for frequency selectivity. The upper bound of the frequency range is limited by the RC time constant of hair cells because the sharpness of tuning requires that the resonance frequency must be lower than the RC roll-off frequency. In contrast, tuned mechanical vibration of the inner ear is the basis of frequency selectivity of the mammalian ear. This mechanical vibration is supported by outer hair cells (OHC) with their electromotility (or piezoelectricity), which is driven by the receptor potential. Thus, it is also subjected to the RC time constant problem. Association of OHCs with a system with mechanical resonance leads to piezoelectric resonance. This resonance can nullify the membrane capacitance and solves the RC time constant problem for OHCs. Therefore, avian and mammalian ears solve the same problem in the opposite way. This article is part of the Special Issue Outer hair cell Edited by Joseph Santos-Sacchi and Kumar Navaratnam.
Topics: Animals; Chickens; Electric Capacitance; Hair Cells, Auditory, Outer; Mammals
PubMed: 34965897
DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2021.108422 -
Journal of the American Association For... Nov 2020Noise and vibration are present in every room of laboratory animal vivaria, with great variability from room-to-room and facility-to-facility. Such stimuli are rarely...
Noise and vibration are present in every room of laboratory animal vivaria, with great variability from room-to-room and facility-to-facility. Such stimuli are rarely measured. As a result, the many stakeholders involved in biomedical research, (for example, funding agencies, construction personnel, equipment manufacturers, animal facility administrators, veterinarians, technicians, and scientists) have little awareness of the effects such stimuli may have on their research animals. Noise and vibration present a potential source of unrecognized animal distress, and a significant, uncontrolled and confounding variable in scientific studies. Unmeasured and unrecognized noise and vibration can therefore undermine the fundamental goals of the 3R's to refine animal models and reduce the number of animals used in biomedical and behavioral research. This overview serves to highlight the scope of this problem and proposes a series of recommended practices to limit its negative effects on research animals and the scientific data derived from them. These practices consist of developing a written plan for managing noise and vibration concerns, assessment of noise and vibration both annually and whenever unexpected changes in the facility or animals are observed, and for maintaining levels of chronic noise below thresholds that might cause animal welfare concerns or disruptions in ongoing studies.
Topics: Animal Welfare; Animals; Animals, Laboratory; Housing, Animal; Noise; Stress, Physiological; Vibration
PubMed: 32928338
DOI: 10.30802/AALAS-JAALAS-19-000131 -
European Cells & Materials Sep 2017This systematic review examines the efficacy and safety of whole body vibration (WBV) on fracture healing. A systematic literature search was conducted with relevant... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
This systematic review examines the efficacy and safety of whole body vibration (WBV) on fracture healing. A systematic literature search was conducted with relevant keywords in PubMed and Embase, independently, by two reviewers. Original animal and clinical studies about WBV effects on fracture healing with available full-text and written in English were included. Information was extracted from the included studies for review. In total, 19 articles about pre-clinical studies were selected. Various vibration regimes are reported; of those, the frequencies of 35 Hz and 50 Hz show better results than others. Most of the studies show positive effects on fracture healing after vibration treatment and the responses to vibration are better in ovariectomised (OVX) animals than non-OVX ones. However, several studies provide insufficient evidence to support an improvement of fracture healing after vibration and one study even reports disruption of fracture healing after vibration. In three studies, vibration results in positive effects on angiogenesis at the fracture site and surrounding muscles during fracture healing. No serious complications or side effects of vibration are found in these studies. WBV is suggested to be beneficial in improving fracture healing in animals without safety problem reported. In order to apply vibration on fractured patients, more well-designed randomised controlled clinical trials are needed to examine its efficacy, regimes and safety.
Topics: Animals; Biomechanical Phenomena; Estrogens; Fracture Healing; Gene Expression Regulation; Humans; Neovascularization, Physiologic; Treatment Outcome; Vibration
PubMed: 28880360
DOI: 10.22203/eCM.v034a08 -
Journal of Toxicology and Environmental... 2018Workers in a number of different occupational sectors are exposed to workplace vibration on a daily basis. This exposure may arise through the use of powered-hand tools... (Review)
Review
Workers in a number of different occupational sectors are exposed to workplace vibration on a daily basis. This exposure may arise through the use of powered-hand tools or hand-transmitted vibration (HTV). Workers might also be exposed to whole body vibration (WBV) by driving delivery vehicles, earth moving equipment, or through use of tools that generate vibration at low dominant frequencies and high amplitudes, such as jackhammers. Occupational exposure to vibration has been associated with an increased risk of musculoskeletal pain in the back, neck, hands, shoulders, and hips. Occupational exposure may also contribute to the development of peripheral and cardiovascular disorders and gastrointestinal problems. In addition, there are more recent data suggesting that occupational exposure to vibration may enhance the risk of developing certain cancers. The aim of this review is to provide an assessment of the occupations where exposure to vibration is most prevalent, and a description of the adverse health effects associated with occupational exposure to vibration. This review will examine (1) various experimental methods used to measure and describe the characteristics of vibration generated by various tools and vehicles, (2) the etiology of vibration-induced disorders, and (3) how these data were employed to assess and improve intervention strategies and equipment that reduces the transmission of vibration to the body. Finally, there is a discussion of the research gaps that need to be investigated to further reduction in the incidence of vibration-induced illnesses and injuries.
Topics: Hand-Arm Vibration Syndrome; Humans; Incidence; Occupational Exposure; Occupational Health; Vibration
PubMed: 30583715
DOI: 10.1080/10937404.2018.1557576 -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Nov 2022In the traditional peripheral-security-early-warning system, the endpoint detection and pattern recognition of the signals generated by the distributed optical fiber...
In the traditional peripheral-security-early-warning system, the endpoint detection and pattern recognition of the signals generated by the distributed optical fiber vibration sensors is completed step-by-step and in an orderly manner. The method by which these two processes may be placed end-to-end in a network model and processed simultaneously to improve work efficiency has increasingly become the focus of research. In this paper, the target detection algorithm combines the endpoint-detection and pattern-recognition processes of the vibration signal, which can not only quickly locate the start and end vibration positions of the signal but also accurately identify a certain type of signal. You Only Look Once v4 (YOLOv4) is one of the most advanced target detection algorithms, achieving the optimal balance of speed and accuracy. To reduce the complexity of the YOLOv4 model and solve the dataset's unbalanced sample classification problem, we use a deep separable convolution (DSC) network and a focal loss function to improve the YOLOv4 model. In this paper, the five kinds of signals collected in real-time are visualized as two different datasets in oscillograph and time-frequency diagrams as detection objects. According to the experimental results, we obtained 98.50% and 93.48% mean Average Precision (mAP) and 84.8 and 69.9 frames per second (FPS), respectively, which are improved compared to YOLOv4. Comparing the improved algorithm with other optical fiber vibration signal recognition algorithms, the mAP and FPS values were improved, and the detection speed was about 20 times faster than that of other algorithms. The improved algorithm in this paper can quickly and accurately identify the vibration signal of external intrusion, reduce the false-alarm rate of the early-warning system, and improve the real-time detection rate of the system while ensuring high recognition accuracy.
Topics: Optical Fibers; Vibration; Physical Therapy Modalities; Oscillometry; Algorithms
PubMed: 36501965
DOI: 10.3390/s22239259 -
Surgical Endoscopy Jun 2022Difficulties in establishing diagnosis of small bowel (SB) disorders, prevented their effective treatment. This problem was largely resolved by wireless capsule...
BACKGROUND
Difficulties in establishing diagnosis of small bowel (SB) disorders, prevented their effective treatment. This problem was largely resolved by wireless capsule endoscopy (WCE), which has since become the first line investigation for suspected SB disorders. Several types of WCE pills are now used in clinical practice, despite their limitations and complications. WCE pills are large, rigid and immotile capsules. When swallowed, they provide SB enteroscopy downloaded to a data logger carried by the patient. Most of the complications of WCEs result from lack of intrinsic locomotion: incomplete examination, capsule retention and impaction within strictures. In addition, the rigid nature and size of current generation of WCE pills is accompanied by 0.1% inability to swallow the pill by patients with normal esophageal motility.
METHODS
The aim of this communication is to describe the initial prototype, P, which is thinner and slightly longer than the current generation of WCEs. In addition, it exhibits intrinsic active locomotion, produced by vibrating silicon legs. These generate a controlled-skid locomotion on the small bowel mucosal surface, rendered slippery by surface mucus and intraluminal surfactant bile salts. We demonstrate the mechanism responsible for the active locomotion of P, which we consider translatable into a working prototype, suitable for further R&D for eventual clinical translation.
RESULTS
The shape and attachment of the rubber vibrating legs to vibrating actuators, have been designed specifically to produce a tight clockwise circular motion. When inserted inside a circular tube in vitro of equivalent diameter to human small intestine, the intrinsic circular clockwise motion of P translates into a linear locomotion by the constraints imposed by the surrounding circular walls of SB and rest of the gastrointestinal tract. This design ensures device stability during transit, essential for imaging and targeting lesions encountered during the enteroscopy. We preformed two experiments: (i) transit of P through a phantom consisting of a segment of PVC tube placed on a horizontal surface and (ii) transit through a transparent slippery nylon sleeve insufflated with air. In the PVC tube, its transit rate averages 15.6 mm/s, which is too fast for endoscopy: whereas inside the very slippery nylon sleeve insufflated with air, the average transit rate of P is reduced to 5.9 mm/s, i.e., ideal for inspection endoscopy.
CONCLUSIONS
These in-vitro experiments indicate that the P hybrid soft robot prototype has the potential specifically for clinical translation for SB enteroscopy.
Topics: Capsule Endoscopy; Humans; Intestinal Diseases; Intestine, Small; Nylons; Polyvinyl Chloride; Robotics
PubMed: 35102429
DOI: 10.1007/s00464-021-09007-7 -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Aug 2022Electric energy, as an economical and clean energy, plays a significant role in the development of science and technology and the economy. The motor is the core...
Electric energy, as an economical and clean energy, plays a significant role in the development of science and technology and the economy. The motor is the core equipment of the power station; therefore, monitoring the motor vibration and predicting time series of the bearing vibration can effectively avoid hazards such as bearing heating and reduce energy consumption. Time series forecasting methods of motor bearing vibration based on sliding window forecasting, such as CNN, LSTM, etc., have the problem of error accumulation, and the longer the time-series forecasting, the larger the error. In order to solve the problem of error accumulation caused by the conventional methods of time series forecasting of motor bearing vibration, this paper innovatively introduces Informer into time series forecasting of motor bearing vibration. Based on Transformer, Informer introduces ProbSparse self-attention and self-attention distilling, and applies random search to optimize the model parameters to reduce the error accumulation in forecasting, achieve the optimization of time and space complexity and improve the model forecasting. Comparing the forecasting results of Informer and those of other forecasting models in three publicly available datasets, it is verified that Informer has excellent performance in time series forecasting of motor bearing vibration and the forecasting results reach 10-2∼10-6.
Topics: Forecasting; Time Factors; Vibration
PubMed: 35957413
DOI: 10.3390/s22155858