Investigating Mechanical Properties of Fabricated Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced Composites via LCD Additive Manufacturing.

Stereolithography (SLA) additive manufacturing is a method of manufacturing capable of generating complex geometric shapes with extremely high accuracy. Classic SLA uses UV curable resins, particularly polylactic acid (PLA), for part generation, but recent research has focused on utilizing this technology for the generation of various composite materials. There has been success in manufacturing composite materials using this technology, but little research has been performed on the generation of carbon-fiber-reinforced composite materials.

Unlocking the potential for achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goal 2 - 'Zero Hunger' - in Africa: targets, strategies, synergies and challenges.

Background: The UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 ('Zero Hunger') aims to end all forms of hunger and malnutrition by 2030. Thus, a range of different strategies are needed to facilitate the achievement of SDG 2 to overcome challenges and enable synergies between various SDG targets.

Objective: The aim of this review is to highlight Africa's progress toward SDG 2, including targets, strategies, synergies and challenges.

Cardiac Dimensions and Function Are Not Altered among Females with the Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating condition associated with several negative health outcomes. A hallmark of ME/CFS is decreased exercise capacity and often profound exercise intolerance. The causes of ME/CSF and its related symptoms are unknown, but there are indications of a dysregulated metabolism with impaired glycolytic vs oxidative energy balance.

Engineering of bio-mimetic substratum topographies for enhanced early colonization of filamentous algae.

This work reveals a set of surface topography parameters that are significant for algal attachment to natural rock substrata. Topography analysis of rock surfaces from a stream identifies three descriptive areal parameters (Smr, Sv, and Sa) that correlate with the presence of natural periphyton community. A method was developed and validated to reverse engineer and manufacture artificial substrata with topographic complexity defined by these parameters, using computational modeling and additive manufacturing.

Abnormal blood lactate accumulation during repeated exercise testing in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Post-exertional malaise and delayed recovery are hallmark symptoms of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Studies on repeated cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) show that previous exercise negatively affects oxygen uptake (VO ) and power output (PO) in ME/CFS. Whether this affects arterial lactate concentrations ([La ]) is unknown.

Does oral carbohydrate supplementation improve labour outcome? A systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis.

Background: Labour is a period of significant physical activity. The importance of carbohydrate intake to improve outcome has been recognised in sports medicine and general surgery.

Objectives: To assess the effect of oral carbohydrate supplementation on labour outcomes.

No effect of energy supply during childbirth on delivery outcomes in nulliparous women: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

The effect of providing oral energy supplements of energy on duration of labour and labour outcomes remains to be clarified. The purpose of this study was to examine whether extra energy supply beyond a self-regulated dietary intake during labour would shorten duration of labour in nulliparous women. A total of 213 healthy women at gestational age >36 weeks received either 1 litre of isotonic energy-drink (n = 111) or placebo-drink (n = 102) at the start of labour.

Association between aerobic fitness in late pregnancy and duration of labor in nulliparous women.

It is established that the level of physical activity in the population generally is too low, and data indicate that pregnant women are no exception. Studies of the effects of aerobic fitness on delivery outcomes are limited. In this observational study, we investigated the effect of aerobic fitness on duration of labor in nulliparous women who started labor spontaneously.

Effects of intense training during and after pregnancy in top-level athletes.

This study investigates the effects of vigorous exercise during and after pregnancy in top competitive athletes. The hypothesis tested here is that training of sufficiently high volume during pregnancy can maintain initial fitness levels. A second hypothesis, that high-volume training during pregnancy in initially fit women does not pose a health risk for the mother or the fetus, was tested and found to hold in a prior report.

Training in pregnant women: effects on fetal development and birth.

Objective: The effects of high- and medium-intensity exercise on the fetus and on the onset and length of labor, birth weight, and Apgar score were studied in healthy athletes who performed a high level of exercise before conception.

Study Design: Forty-two women were recruited to the study by newspaper ads and through acquaintances. They elected to follow either a high- or a medium-intensity exercise program throughout pregnancy until 6 weeks after delivery.

Different effects of physical training on the morphology of motor nerve terminals in the rat extensor digitorum longus and soleus muscles.

The morphology of nerve terminals in the rat extensor digitorum longus and soleus muscles was studied with light microscopy in 13-week-old male animals after 6 weeks of treadmill running and compared with data from untrained controls. The terminals were stained with methylene blue. Physical training tended to increase the area and length of the nerve terminals in relation to the corresponding muscle fiber diameter, and to reduce the density of nerve terminal varicosities, but significant differences between the trained group and the control group were obtained only in the extensor digitorum longus muscle.

Effect of different post-exercise sugar diets on the rate of muscle glycogen synthesis.

The effect of repeated ingestions of fructose, sucrose, and various amounts of glucose on muscle glycogen synthesis during the first 6 h after exhaustive bicycle exercise was studied. Muscle biopsies for glycogen determination were taken before and after exercise, and every second hour during recovery. Blood samples for plasma glucose and insulin determination were taken before and after exercise, and every hour during recovery.

Intramuscular fluid pressure during isometric contraction of human skeletal muscle.

Intramuscular fluid pressures were recorded in the vastus medialis of seven healthy male volunteers. Pressures were measured simultaneously at three different sites in the muscle by a catheter-tip transducer with extremely low volume-displacement characteristics and by two extracorporeal transducers connected to slit catheters. All three recording systems gave qualitatively similar results provided the catheters had inner diameters exceeding 0.

Autoclaving of lubricated dental instruments.

Test organisms forced mechanically into lubricated, rotating dental instruments (handpieces) were all killed during autoclaving at 134 degrees C for 8 min, even when protected by serum and oil. The test organisms were: Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, and spores of Bacillus stearothermophilus. Also when testing the sterility of autoclaved simulated instrument surfaces (brass cylinders and pieces of a cotton fabric) which had been inoculated with bacteria and dried before they were sprayed with oil, there was no growth of the test organisms.

[A microbiological investigation of the effectiveness of Micro Megas E-spray].

The disinfecting effect of Micro Megas E-spray was tested using a microbiological technique which also included a practical test. Contra-angels and straight handpieces which were sprayed after being used for treatment on patients, and then dried and incubated in a liquid medium, showed a marked growth of microorganisms. The spray had a weak and barely significant growth inhibiting effect on contaminated, simulated instrument surfaces.