Myofascial Tissue and Depression

Background The myofascial system plays a fundamental role in the mechanics of the body, in body tension regulation and the etiology of pathological states like chronic pain. Moreover, it contains contractile elements and preliminary evidence suggests that its properties are linked to psychological factors. The aim of the present research was to investigate characteristics of the myofascial tissue in patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and to examine whether the state of the myofascial tissue causally affects pathopsychological processes in MDD. Methods In Study 1, stiffness and elasticity of the myofascial tissue of 40 inpatients suffering from MDD measured with a tissue compliance meter were compared with those of 40 matched never-depressed participants. In Study 2, 69 MDD patients were randomly assigned to single-session self-myofascial release intervention (SMRI) or a placebo intervention. Effects on memory bias and affect were investigated. Results Results showed that MDD patients displayed heightened stiffness and reduced elasticity of the myofascial tissue and that patients in the SMRI group showed a reduced negative memory bias and more positive affect compared to patients in the placebo condition. Conclusions The preliminary results of our studies indicate that the myofascial tissue might be part of a dysfunctional body-mind dynamic that maintains MDD.

Rapid adaptation of endocytosis, exocytosis and eisosomes after an acute increase in membrane tension in yeast cells

During clathrin-mediated endocytosis in eukaryotes, actin assembly is required to overcome large membrane tension and turgor pressure. However, the molecular mechanisms by which the actin machinery adapts to varying membrane tension remain unknown. In addition, how cells reduce their membrane tension when they are challenged by hypotonic shocks remains unclear. We used quantitative microscopy to demonstrate that cells rapidly reduce their membrane tension using three parallel mechanisms. In addition to using their cell wall for mechanical protection, yeast cells disassemble eisosomes to buffer moderate changes in membrane tension on a minute time scale. Meanwhile, a temporary reduction of the rate of endocytosis for 2 to 6 minutes, and an increase in the rate of exocytosis for at least 5 minutes allow cells to add large pools of membrane to the plasma membrane. We built on these results to submit the cells to abrupt increases in membrane tension and determine that the endocytic actin machinery of fission yeast cells rapidly adapts to perform clathrin-mediated endocytosis. Our study sheds light on the tight connection between membrane tension regulation, endocytosis and exocytosis.

Tension Control of a Web Fed Machine

The applications of web handling systems such as paper manufacturing, printing and film process, flexible component, paper manufacturing, textile.. are widely used in processing and manufacturing industry. In the application, tension control of the web plays a very crucial role. The mathematical model of the continuous web transport system is developed thanks to energy balance method. The paper presents a method of designing a tension control based on Linear Quadratic control. Several numerical simulation results are given to prove the effectiveness of the closed-loop system. In addition, the simulation results show incorrectness of another study in term of tension regulation.

Imperfect Roll Arrangement Compensation Control based on Neural Network for Web Handling Systems

The speed and tension control problem of a web handling system is investigated in this paper. From the system equations of motion, we developed a backstepping-sliding mode control for web speed and tension regulation tasks. It is obvious that the designed control depends heavily on roll inertia information. Dissimilar to other researches that were based on the assumptions of rolls with perfect cylindrical form with the rotating shafts of the rolls considered properly aligned, the novelty of this paper is the presentation of a neural network to compensate the effects of imperfect roll arrangement. The neural network design is based on the Radial Basis Function (RBF) network estimating the uncertainty of roll inertia. The information on estimated inertia is fed into a backstepping-sliding mode controller that ensures tension and velocity tracking. The control design is presented in a systematical approach. Closed loop system stability is proven mathematically. The tracking performance is shown through several simulation scenarios.

Pulmonary Smooth Muscle in Vertebrates: A Comparative Review of Structure and Function

Although the airways of vertebrates are diverse in shape, complexity, and function, they all contain visceral smooth muscle. The morphology, function, and innervation of this tissue in airways is reviewed in actinopterygians, lungfish, amphibians, non-avian reptiles, birds, and mammals. Smooth muscle was likely involved in tension regulation ancestrally, and may serve to assist lung emptying in fishes and aquatic amphibians, as well as maintain internal lung structure. In certain non-avian reptiles and anurans antagonistic smooth muscle fibers may contribute to intrapulmonary gas mixing. In mammals and birds, smooth muscle regulates airway caliber, and may be important in controlling the distribution of ventilation at rest and exercise, or during thermoregulatory and vocal hyperventilation. Airway smooth muscle is controlled by the autonomic nervous system: cranial cholinergic innervation generally causes excitation, cranial non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic innervation causes inhibition, and spinal adrenergic (SA) input causes species-specific, often heterogeneous contractions and relaxations.