Introduction and aims of the study: Some studies on sibling oocytes have shown that intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) obtains poorer results than conventional in vitro fertilization (cIVF) women with ovarian endometriosis, suggesting their could be particularly sensitive to some ICSI-induced mechanical damage. Aims this study were clarify (a) whether endometriosis induce peculiar fragilit...

The subsequent edema can lead to fibrosis, which increases further pressure on the nerve, leading to a progressive deterioration of the nerve. In addition to the mechanical effects, an increase in connective tissue has been hypothesized to cause secondary changes in the mechanical sensitivity of the thin afferent fibers responsible for pain. Finally, compression may also produce local intraneur...

Vicodin, the combination drug of acetaminophen and the opioid hydrocodone, is one of the most prescribed drugs on the market today. Opioids have demonstrated the ability to paradoxically cause increased pain sensitivity to users in a phenomena called opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH). While selected opioids have been shown to produce OIH symptoms in an animal model, hydrocodone and the combinat...

Molecular determinants of threshold sensitivity of mammalian mechanoreceptors are unknown. Here, we identify a mechanosensitive (MS) K(+) current (IKmech) that governs mechanical threshold and adaptation of distinct populations of mechanoreceptors. Toxin profiling and transgenic mouse studies indicate that IKmech is carried by Kv1.1-Kv1.2 heteromers. Mechanosensitivity is attributed to Kv1.1 su...

Microtask platforms allow researchers to engage participants quickly and inexpensively. Workers on such platforms probably perform many tasks in succession, so we investigate interactions between earlier tasks and later ones, which we call inter-task effects. Existing research investigates many task design factors, such as framing, on the quality of responses, but to our knowledge, does not add...

Recent studies have demonstrated the importance of local protein synthesis for neuronal plasticity. In particular, local mRNA translation through the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) has been shown to play a key role in regulating dendrite excitability and modulating long-term synaptic plasticity associated with learning and memory. There is also increased evidence to suggest that intact ad...

Force sensors are at the heart of different technologies such as atomic force microscopy or inertial sensing. These sensors often rely on the measurement of the displacement amplitude of mechanical oscillators under applied force. The best sensitivity is typically achieved when the force is alternating at the mechanical resonance frequency of the oscillator, thus increasing its response by the ...

The mechanisms underlying the analgesic effects of botulinum toxin serotype A (BoNT-A) are not well understood. We have tested the hypothesis that BoNT-A can block nociceptor transduction. Intradermal administration of BoNT-A to healthy volunteers produced a marked and specific decrease in noxious mechanical pain sensitivity, whereas sensitivity to low-threshold mechanical and thermal stimuli w...

Most AI research into design has been based on or directed to the electrical circuit domain. This paper presents a mechanical engineer's view. Design of mechanical parts and products differs from design of electrical circuits in several fundamental ways: materials selection, sensitivity to manufacturing issues, non-modularity, high coupling of form and function, and especially the role of 3-D g...