Design and Analysis of Mechanical Microswimmers

The fascinating field in present civilization scenario at the edge of science is micro-swimmers, which is a combination of bio physics with self-propulsion mechanisms involving swimming strategies at low Reynolds number. These micro swimming robots offer many advantages in biomedical applications such as drug delivery to some specific locations in our human body and also conducting some surgical operations like opening of blocked arteries etc. In recent times, blocked arteries become a major case in the medical world. This is can be diagnosed by Angioplasty (is a minimally invasive, endovascular procedure to widen narrowed or obstructed arteries or veins, typically to treat arterial atherosclerosis) method. So this is the main reason to choose the aorta as our domain for analysis purpose. This paper presents a micro-swimmer with three different heads they are spherical head, Capsule type head and Tapered cylindrical or elliptical head and modelled using SOLIDWORKS and analysis in ANSYS FLUENT.

A preliminary study on semen collection, its evaluation, and testicular and sperm morphometries in the wild proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus)

Introduction The proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus) is an endangered species with a declining population. This article describes the first successful attempt at sperm collection and evaluation, and the testicular and sperm morphometries of the wild proboscis monkey in Sabah, Malaysia. Material and Methods Eight semen collection procedures using electro-ejaculation and digital manipulation were conducted in three wild adult male proboscis monkeys. A total of 21 ejaculates were collected. The testicular biometry was measured with the aid of ultrasonography. Sample evaluation included semen volume and pH and sperm concentration, viability, and abnormality. The sperm morphometry was undertaken using phase contrast microscopy. Results The mean (±SD) total testicular volume of these animals was 5.77 cm3 (±1.58). Semen collection by electro-ejaculation resulted in an 84% success rate, while digital manipulation did not result in any ejaculation. Each animal showed different semen characteristics, where the volume was 5–540 μL, pH 8–9, and sperm concentration 0.041–83.00 ×106/mL. The percentage of abnormal sperm was high at 76.8% (±89.60), largely due to midpiece abnormality. Normal sperm had a spherical head and long tail with a head : midpiece : tail length ratio of 1 : 2: 8. Conclusion The social status of these animals may contribute to the generally low quality of the semen. The techniques and data from this study are useful for future conservation and application of assisted reproductive technology in this species.

Molecular Characterization and Genomic Analysis of Novel Phage vB_ ShiP-A7 Infecting Multidrug-Resistant Shiglla Fexneri and Escherichia Coli

BackgroundPhage therapy has regained more attention due to the rise of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. Several case reports demonstrated clinical application of phage in resolving infections caused by MDR bacteria in recent years. ResultsWe isolated a new phage, vB_ShiP-A7, and then investigated its characteristics. Phage vB_ShiP-A7 is a member of Podoviridae that has an icosahedral spherical head and a short tail. vB_ShiP-A7 has large burst size and short replication time. vB_ShiP-A7’s genome is linear double stranded DNA composed of 40058 bp, encoding forty-three putative open reading frames. Comparative genome analysis demonstrated vB_ShiP-A7’s genome sequence is closely related to fifteen different phages (coverage 74-88%, identity 86-93%). Mass Spectrometry analysis revealed that twelve known proteins and six hypothetical proteins exist in particles of vB_ShiP-A7. Genome and proteome analyses confirmed the absence of lysogen-related proteins and toxic proteins in this phage. In addition, phage vB_ShiP-A7 can significantly reduce the growth of clinical MDR stains of Shigella flexneri and Escherichia coli in liquid culture. Furthermore, vB_ShiP-A7 can disrupt biofilms formed by Shigella flexneri or Escherichia coli in vitro. ConclusionPhage vB_ShiP-A7 is a stable novel phage, which has a strong application potential to inhibit MDR stains of Shigella flexneri and Escherichia coli. Comparing the genomes between vB_ShiP-A7 and other closely-related phages will help us better understand the evolutionary mechanism of phages.

Individual head models for estimating the TMS-induced electric field in rat brain

In transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), the initial cortical activation due to stimulation is determined by the state of the brain and the magnitude, waveform, and direction of the induced electric field (E-field) in the cortex. The E-field distribution depends on the conductivity geometry of the head. The effects of deviations from a spherically symmetric conductivity profile have been studied in detail in humans. In small mammals, such as rats, these effects are more pronounced due to their less spherical head, proportionally much thicker neck region, and overall much smaller size compared to the TMS coils. In this study, we describe a simple method for building individual realistically shaped head models for rats from high-resolution X-ray tomography images. We computed the TMS-induced E-field with the boundary element method and assessed the effect of head-model simplifications on the estimated E-field. The deviations from spherical symmetry have large, non-trivial effects on the E-field distribution: for some coil orientations, the strongest stimulation is in the brainstem even when the coil is over the motor cortex. With modelling prior to an experiment, such problematic coil orientations can be avoided for more accurate targeting.

Validation of SPH-FE Numerical Modeling of the Interaction between a High-Speed Water Jet and a PMMA Target by CEL Model and Experimental Study

In this paper, we present a numerical simulation of a round impacting jet using coupled Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) and Finite Element (FE) methods. Numerical results are compared with the results of another simulation carried out by the CEL (Coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian) method. A water jet with a spherical head was used at an initial speed of 570 m/s to impact a flat plate made of Polymethyl-Methacrylate (PMMA). To model the entire process, the SPH method was used to model the water jet and the FE method for the PMMA structure. The distribution of the pressure on the impact surface and the resulting deformation of the structure were discussed. A Numerical model was developed using ABAQUS/Explicit version 6.14. Results of the coupled SPH-FE simulation were further validated. It is demonstrated that the CEL method presents smoother curves compared to the SPH method. These comparisons serve not only to validate the numerical simulation but also to give guidance in formulating the SPH-FEM numerical model.

EGSnrc/BEAMnrc-Based Monte Carlo Simulation of the Gamma Knife 4C versus MCNP Code in Homogeneous Media

Purpose: Gamma Knife is applied as a superseded tool for inaccessible lesions surgery delivering a single high dose to a well-defined target through 201 small beams. Monte Carlo simulations can be an appropriate supplementary tool to determine dosimetric parameters in small fields due to the related dosimetry hardships. Materials and Methods: EGSnrc/BEAMnrc Monte Carlo code was implemented to model Gamma Knife 4C. Single channel geometry comprising stationary and helmet collimators was simulated. A point source was considered as a cylindrical Cobalt source based on the simplified source channel mode. All of the 201 source channels were arranged in spherical coordinate by EGSnrc/DOSXYZnrc code to calculate dose profiles. The simulated profiles at the isocentre point in a spherical head phantom 160 mm in diameter along three axes for 4, 8, 14, and 18 mm field sizes were compared to those obtained by another work using MCNP code. Results: Based on the results, the BEAMnrc and MCNP dose profiles matched well apart from the 18 mm profiles along X and Y directions with the average gamma index of 1.36 and 1.18, respectively. BEAMnrc profiles for 14 and 18 mm field sizes along X and Y axes were entirely flat in plateau region, whereas MCNP profiles represented variations as well as round shape. Besides, considering the identical results, radioactive source can be modeled by a point source instead of cylindrical one. Conclusion: Thus, the EGSnrc/BEAMnrc code is recommended to simulate Gamma Knife machine as it is regarded as the most accurate computer program to simulate photon and electron interactions.

Teaching Body Mass Index and Kleiber Law

Scaling laws advise that resting metabolic rates in animals and their corresponding body surfaces both should follow [Formula: see text] dependence. A pedagogic attempt has been made to validate this Kleiber law in case of human beings having spherical head and cylindrical arms, legs and trunk with the help of associated body mass index. It is observed that the metabolic rates of those persons who either lose or put on weight are not affected provided their body parts are functioning properly. It is suggested that matching body mass indices should also be worked out for animals.