The development of a flexion range-of-motion-adjustable knee joint for knee-ankle-foot orthoses and evaluation of gait in healthy individuals wearing it.

[Purpose] To develop a knee joint for knee-ankle-foot orthoses that is easy to operate and allows for four levels of knee-flexion-movement adjustment, and to determine the effects of different flexion ranges of motion on knee flexion angle during gait. [Participants and Methods] Participants were eight healthy adults. Knee joint for knee-ankle-foot orthoses were made for each participant, and the knee flexion angle during gait was measured for each of the four knee joint settings: fixed in extension, 15° flexion range, 30° flexion range, and free flexion. [Results] Gait analysis showed that the knee flexion angle in the loading response phase was significantly greater in the 15° flexion range, 30° flexion range, and free-flexion settings than in the fixed-in-extension setting. While in the swing phase, the angle was greatest in the fixed setting, followed by the 15° flexion, 30° flexion, and free settings. [Conclusion] The proposed knee joint, when used in post-stroke gait practice using knee-ankle-foot orthoses, allows the gradual increase in the flexion range of motion of the joint as the weight-bearing capability of the lower limb improves, which would enable task-oriented practice similar to walking with ankle-foot orthoses as the next-stage target movement.

Phase Difference Between Normal and Shear Forces During Tactile Exploration Represents Textural Features.

Contact forces and skin deformation induced during tactile exploration have been investigated in the frequency domain to understand finger-material interaction. Their power spectra are one of the representative feature quantities that have been associated with the surface properties of materials. However, thus far, the phase information of these quantities has not been studied. Furthermore, most previous studies focused on uni-dimensional signals such as forces in either the normal or tangential directions. We investigated the phase differences between normal and shear forces induced during tactile exploration. The results showed that the phase differences between these two axial forces differ among materials and that they exhibit features different from their power spectra. These results indicate that the phase difference between two axial forces should be taken into account to understand the finger-material interactions during tactile exploration.

Enhancement of antibody responses to native G protein-coupled receptors using E. coli GroEL as a molecular adjuvant in DNA immunization.

Antibody-based drug research involves the preparation of polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies, especially those that are reactive with native G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) on the cell membrane. Here, we report that DNA immunization of mice with a plasmid that encodes endothelin A receptor (ETAR) fused to Escherichia coli (E. coli) GroEL at its C-terminus (ETAR-GroEL) induced very strong and specific antibody responses to native ETAR. Co-injection of plasmids that expressed ETAR and GroEL (ETAR+GroEL) induced significantly lower antibody responses compared with the ETAR-GroEL plasmid. Monoclonal antibodies that are prepared by using GroEL as a molecular adjuvant could be used in immunoassays, such as flow cytometry, western blotting, and immunoprecipitation, to detect both exogenous and endogenous ETAR. The adjuvant activity of GroEL might involve inflammatory cytokine mediators via Toll-like receptor 4 in addition to the anticipated carrier effect. DNA immunization using GroEL might become a standard method for producing antibodies that are useful for the functional analysis of GPCRs.

Tandem radical reactions and ring-closing metathesis. Application in the synthesis of cyclooctenes.

[reaction: see text] Fumarate- and acrylate-substituted oxazolidinones undergo tandem radical reaction to form dienes in moderate to good yields. The resulting dienes provide cyclooctenes in moderate to good yields after ring-closing metathesis (RCM). The role of the carbon backbone substituents and other variables in the efficiency of the eight-membered ring formation is discussed.

A convenient method for the conversion of N-acyloxazolidinones to hydroxamic acids.

Treatment of N-acyloxazolidinones with hydroxylamines using samarium triflate as a Lewis acid provides the corresponding hydroxamic acids in 50-98% yields at room temperature. The conversion proceeds with high degree of chemoselectivity and without racemization of chiral centers alpha- to the acyl group. [reaction: see text]

An efficient method for synthesis of succinate-based MMP inhibitors.

A differentially protected fumarate undergoes radical addition followed by allylstannane trapping to provide disubstituted succinates in good yields and high anti diastereoselectivity. The conversion of the succinate to a known MMP inhibitor has been accomplished. [reaction: see text]