We have analyzed the sma-5(n678) mutant in C. elegans to elucidate mechanisms controlling body size. The sma-5 mutant is very small, grows slowly and its intestinal granules look abnormal. We found a 15 kb deletion in the mutant that includes a 226 bp deletion of the 3' end of the W06B3.2-coding sequence. Based on this result, rescue experiments, RNAi experiments and a newly isolated deletion m...

This paper presents the development of an Intelligent Mini Robot Fingers by using the Shape Memory Alloy (SMA). Taking into consideration the advantages of the SMA, a prototype of mini robot fingers is developed which will be actuated by the SMA. The mini robot fingers has 4 fingers with 3 degrees of freedom (DOF) in each finger. Hence, 12 DOFs of robot fingers are developed to allow a greater ...

Studies in non-human primates have shown that medial premotor projections to the striatum are characterized as a set of distinct circuits conveying different type of information. This study assesses the anatomical projections from the supplementary motor area (SMA), pre-SMA and motor cortex (MC) to the human striatum using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) axonal tracking. Eight right-handed volun...

This research studied the optimal design of Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) muscle wire bundle actuators. Current literature describes the use of multiple muscle wires placed in parallel to increase the lifting capabilities of an SMA actuator, which however, is limited to wires of like-diameter. A constrained optimization problem was formulated, with constraints on the maximum number of wires, voltage...

Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) aneurysms and pseudoaneurysms are uncommonly encountered in vascular surgery practice, but they typically require repair. Historically, they have been repaired with open aneurysmorrhaphy, bypass and exclusion, or simple ligation. More recently, endovascular repair with coil embolization and stent graft exclusion have been advocated. We present a repair of an SMA...

a-Smooth muscle actin (SMA), an actin isoform that contributes to cell-generated mechanical tension, is normally restricted to cells of vascular smooth muscle, but SMA can also be expressed in certain non-muscle cells, most notably myofibroblasts. These cells are present in healing wounds, scars, and fibrocontractive lesions where they contribute to fibrosis. In myofibroblasts, cell-generated t...

OBJECTIVE This study prospectively assessed putative promising biomarkers for use in assessing infants with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). METHODS This prospective, multi-center natural history study targeted the enrollment of SMA infants and healthy control infants less than 6 months of age. Recruitment occurred at 14 centers within the NINDS National Network for Excellence in Neuroscience C...

The myocardium responds to chronic pressure or volume overload by activation and proliferation of cardiac fibroblasts and their differentiation into myofibroblasts. Because alpha-smooth muscle actin (SMA) expression is the classical marker for myofibroblast differentiation, we examined force-induced SMA expression and regulation by specific MAPK pathways. Rat cardiac fibroblasts were separated ...

PURPOSE To present a new approach route for recanalization of a chronically occluded superior mesenteric artery (SMA). TECHNIQUE Percutaneous treatment of an SMA occlusion can be accomplished in some cases via retrograde crossing through collaterals from the celiac artery. From a right common femoral artery (CFA) approach, an 8-F RDC guide catheter is advanced to the origin of the celiac arte...