A redox active medicinal plant and L-leucine mixture (HLM) was investigated in subjects with established osteoarthritis of the knee in a multi-center, rando- m-ized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial. A ...A redox active medicinal plant and L-leucine mixture (HLM) was investigated in subjects with established osteoarthritis of the knee in a multi-center, rando- m-ized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial. A total of 96 subjects with osteoarthritis were enrolled and randomized to either placebo (n = 38) or HLM treatment group (n = 38). The HLM group re- ceived a combination of Uncaria tomentosa (300 mg), Boswellia serrata (200 mg), Lepidium meyenii (1000 mg) and L-Leucine (700 mg) given as 3 capsules once a day. The placebo group received matching capsules with carboxymethylcellulose. The treatment period was 8 weeks, with assessments made at days 7, 14, 28 and 56. The primary outcome was reduction in total WOMAC score. VAS pain, tolerability, investigator assessments, use of rescue medication (acetominophen), and safety assessments of vital signs and laboratory assessments were included. Subject randomization was effective for age, gender and disease severity. In the placebo group 32/38 subjects completed the trial and for HLM 35/38. WOMAC scores (pain, stiffness, physical performance and total) steadily declined over the course of the 8 week study in both groups, but the magnitude was significantly greater for HLM (P < 0.05). Total WOMAC was reduced 46.5% for HLM and 25.4 % for placebo. VAS pain was reduced 21.8% in the placebo group (p < 0.002) but the changes were significantly greater (37.8% p < 0.03) with HLM treatment. Investigator’s global assessment rating of good-excellent was 24/35 (69%) for HLM and 14/32 (44%) for placebo (P = 0.05). Rescue medication consumption and tolerability were comparable for HLM and placebo. No safety issues were evident with either group. As expected a placebo effect was observed, nevertheless HLM was clearly more effective in relieving the symptoms of osteoarthritis. This HLM represents a safe and effective new approach to the management of osteoarthritis symptoms.展开更多
Flight feathers stand out with extraordinary mechanical properties for flight because they are lightweight but stiff enough.Their elasticity has great effects on the aerodynamics, resulting in aeroelasticity.Our prima...Flight feathers stand out with extraordinary mechanical properties for flight because they are lightweight but stiff enough.Their elasticity has great effects on the aerodynamics, resulting in aeroelasticity.Our primary task is to figure out the stiffness distribution of the feather to study the aeroelastic effects.The feather shaft is simplified as a beam, and the flexibility matrix of an eagle flight feather is tested.A numerical method is proposed to estimate the stiffness distributions along the shaft length based on an optimal Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfarb–Shanno(BFGS) method with global convergence.An analysis of the compressive behavior of the shaft based on the beam model shows a good fit with experimental results.The stiffness distribution of the shaft is finally presented using a 5 th order polynomial.展开更多
Physical and mechanical disturbances which interfere with shrubs survival are very common in semi-arid regions. Biomechanical adoptive features of these shrubs therefore account for their competitive and survival poss...Physical and mechanical disturbances which interfere with shrubs survival are very common in semi-arid regions. Biomechanical adoptive features of these shrubs therefore account for their competitive and survival possibilities. Current study investigated physico-ecological properties of five stem cuttings of selected dominating shrubs from Dodoma Municipal that explain their physical resilience. Experimental findings revealed that Acacia nilotica (AN) had the best mechanical adaptations by having the highest values of Young’s modulus of elasticity (E) 332.61 kPa, percentage critical height (PCH) 6.00, whole stem flexibility (WSF) 0.1, flexural stiffness (FS) 7.46 Nm2 as well as angle of deflection (AD). Ziziphus mucronata (ZM) was next to AN, followed by Grewia bicolor (GB) then Acacia tortilis (AT). Boscia grandiflora (BG) had the least mechanical adaptations with the lowest E of 20.94 kPa, PCH of 4.00, WSF of 0.09 as well as FS of 2.90 Nm2. This implied Acacia nilotica having the best ecological adaptations in the semi-arid region while Boscia grandiflora had the least adaptive feature compared to the rest.展开更多
文摘A redox active medicinal plant and L-leucine mixture (HLM) was investigated in subjects with established osteoarthritis of the knee in a multi-center, rando- m-ized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial. A total of 96 subjects with osteoarthritis were enrolled and randomized to either placebo (n = 38) or HLM treatment group (n = 38). The HLM group re- ceived a combination of Uncaria tomentosa (300 mg), Boswellia serrata (200 mg), Lepidium meyenii (1000 mg) and L-Leucine (700 mg) given as 3 capsules once a day. The placebo group received matching capsules with carboxymethylcellulose. The treatment period was 8 weeks, with assessments made at days 7, 14, 28 and 56. The primary outcome was reduction in total WOMAC score. VAS pain, tolerability, investigator assessments, use of rescue medication (acetominophen), and safety assessments of vital signs and laboratory assessments were included. Subject randomization was effective for age, gender and disease severity. In the placebo group 32/38 subjects completed the trial and for HLM 35/38. WOMAC scores (pain, stiffness, physical performance and total) steadily declined over the course of the 8 week study in both groups, but the magnitude was significantly greater for HLM (P < 0.05). Total WOMAC was reduced 46.5% for HLM and 25.4 % for placebo. VAS pain was reduced 21.8% in the placebo group (p < 0.002) but the changes were significantly greater (37.8% p < 0.03) with HLM treatment. Investigator’s global assessment rating of good-excellent was 24/35 (69%) for HLM and 14/32 (44%) for placebo (P = 0.05). Rescue medication consumption and tolerability were comparable for HLM and placebo. No safety issues were evident with either group. As expected a placebo effect was observed, nevertheless HLM was clearly more effective in relieving the symptoms of osteoarthritis. This HLM represents a safe and effective new approach to the management of osteoarthritis symptoms.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.51705459)the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation
文摘Flight feathers stand out with extraordinary mechanical properties for flight because they are lightweight but stiff enough.Their elasticity has great effects on the aerodynamics, resulting in aeroelasticity.Our primary task is to figure out the stiffness distribution of the feather to study the aeroelastic effects.The feather shaft is simplified as a beam, and the flexibility matrix of an eagle flight feather is tested.A numerical method is proposed to estimate the stiffness distributions along the shaft length based on an optimal Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfarb–Shanno(BFGS) method with global convergence.An analysis of the compressive behavior of the shaft based on the beam model shows a good fit with experimental results.The stiffness distribution of the shaft is finally presented using a 5 th order polynomial.
文摘Physical and mechanical disturbances which interfere with shrubs survival are very common in semi-arid regions. Biomechanical adoptive features of these shrubs therefore account for their competitive and survival possibilities. Current study investigated physico-ecological properties of five stem cuttings of selected dominating shrubs from Dodoma Municipal that explain their physical resilience. Experimental findings revealed that Acacia nilotica (AN) had the best mechanical adaptations by having the highest values of Young’s modulus of elasticity (E) 332.61 kPa, percentage critical height (PCH) 6.00, whole stem flexibility (WSF) 0.1, flexural stiffness (FS) 7.46 Nm2 as well as angle of deflection (AD). Ziziphus mucronata (ZM) was next to AN, followed by Grewia bicolor (GB) then Acacia tortilis (AT). Boscia grandiflora (BG) had the least mechanical adaptations with the lowest E of 20.94 kPa, PCH of 4.00, WSF of 0.09 as well as FS of 2.90 Nm2. This implied Acacia nilotica having the best ecological adaptations in the semi-arid region while Boscia grandiflora had the least adaptive feature compared to the rest.
