Static accuracy of resistive bend sensors.

Sensing of finger joint rotation can be difficult due to the hand's many degrees-of-freedom within a small space. Resistive bend sensors offer a potentially attractive option for making these measurements due to their low profile, small mass, and low cost. Further characterization of these bend sensors is needed, however, to ensure that readings are accurate. Specifically the static accuracy when bending and straightening the sensor has not been investigated. In this study, two-inch resistive sensors were bent from 0° to 90° and back to 0° while measuring the voltage output. Five calibration models were fitted to the measured data and used to determine the sensor's accuracy. When used with coated sensors, both the cubic and pchip models demonstrated non-monotonic behavior at low bend angles. Using uncoated sensors, the pchip calibration function and raw data resulted in a median error of 1.7° (SD 1.7°, range 12.1°).

Long-Term Dietary Nitrate Supplementation Does Not Prevent Development of the Metabolic Syndrome in Mice Fed a High-Fat Diet.

BACKGROUND: Nitric oxide (NO) is an important vascular signaling molecule that plays a role in vascular homeostasis. A reduction in NO bioavailability is thought to contribute to endothelial dysfunction, an early risk factor for both cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Dietary nitrate, through the nitrate-nitrite-NO pathway, may provide an alternate source of NO when the endogenous eNOS system is compromised. In addition to a role in the vascular system, NO may also play a role in the metabolic syndrome including obesity and glucose tolerance. AIM: To investigate the effect of long-term dietary nitrate supplementation on development of the metabolic syndrome in mice fed a high-fat diet. METHODS: Following 1 week of acclimatisation, male (6-8 weeks) C57BL6 mice were randomly assigned to the following groups (10/group) for 12 weeks: (i) normal chow + NaCl (1 mmol/kg/day), (ii) normal chow + NaNO3 (1 mmol/kg/day), (iii) high-fat diet + NaCl (1 mmol/kg/day), and (iv) high-fat diet + NaNO3 (1 mmol/kg/day). Body weight and food consumption were monitored weekly. A subset of mice (5/group) underwent running wheel assessment. At the end of the treatment period, all mice underwent fasting glucose tolerance testing. Caecum contents, serum, and tissues (liver, skeletal muscle, white and brown adipose, and kidney) were collected, frozen, and stored at -80°C until analysis. RESULTS: Consumption of the high-fat diet resulted in significantly greater weight gain that was not affected by dietary nitrate. Mice on the high-fat diet also had impaired glucose tolerance that was not affected by dietary nitrate. There was no difference in adipose tissue expression of thermogenic proteins or energy expenditure as assessed by the running wheel activity. Mice on the high-fat diet and those receiving dietary nitrate had reduced caecum concentrations of both butyrate and propionate. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary nitrate does not prevent development of the metabolic syndrome in mice fed a high-fat diet. This may be due, in part due, to reductions in the concentration of important short-chain fatty acids.

Respiratory illnesses in survivors of infant respiratory distress syndrome.

This prospective study examined the frequency and severity of respiratory illnesses in survivors of preterm birth compared with those in full-term infants. Although preterm infants did not demonstrate an inherent risk of subsequent respiratory illness when compared with full-term infants, earlier and more severe lower respiratory illnesses were observed among survivors of idiopathic respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Infants who survived RDS but who developed residual lung disease had a greater risk of both more frequent and more severe subsequent lower respiratory illnesses than did RDS survivors who did not have persistent roentgenographic changes. We suggest that the risk of increased respiratory illness in these infants was a consequence of residual pulmonary abnormalities apparent on the chest roentgenogram at discharge from the nursery. Agents associated with respiratory illnesses were similar in all groups of study patients.

Respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses in breast- and formula-fed infants.

Ten breast-fed infants, each paired with a formula-fed infant, were evaluated prospectively from birth to the age of 112 days to identify respiratory and gastrointestinal (GI) illnesses and microorganisms associated with respiratory tract infections. The infants were matched by age and sex. More GI illnesses occurred among the formula-fed infants. Although the breast-fed infants had less exposure to tobacco smoke in the home and less exposure to other children in day-care settings, there was no suggestion of a decrease in the frequency of respiratory illness during the first four months.